ASA top play on 10* New York Knicks +1 over Indiana Pacers, 8 PM ET - We like the situation to fade the Pacers here who are playing the second night of a back-to-back and 3rd game in four nights. Indiana lost a big game last night against the Celtics with four of their five starters logging heavy minutes. That’s a big concern considering they rank 25th in bench scoring in the NBA and lack depth. The Pacers will have a tough time scoring here against a Knicks team that is 1st in points allowed per game, 1st in FG% defense and 1st in 3-point percentage D. New York allows just 1.087 points per possession which ranks 3rd overall in the NBA. New York has struggled offensively for the season but seem to have found their rhythm after putting up 140 points against the Kings. The Knicks have won 5 of their last seven games including 4 of their last five at home. The play here is New York.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 237.5 Minnesota Timberwolves @ Washington Wizards, 7PM ET - The Total on this game seems relatively high in the mid-230’s but our predictive analytics are projecting 240 plus in this game. Minnesota recently made a coaching change but it won’t affect their style of play as new coach Finch prefers to play fast and shoot a lot of 3’s. The Wolves currently 6th in the league in possessions per game which plays right into Washington’s hands who rank 1st in the NBA in pace. Washington is one of the highest scoring teams in the league led by the 1-2 combination of Beal and Westbrook. The Wolves are coming off a game against the Bulls who are similar to Washington in terms of pace and efficiency ratings and that game had 238 total points at the end or regulation. The Wiz are coming off three straight games against some of the leagues slower paced teams and will welcome the faster pace they prefer on Saturday. Neither team is known for their defense as the Wizards own the 27th ranked defensive efficiency unit while the Wolves are 22nd. Minnesota gives up 116.1PPG (27th) while Washington allows 119.5PPG (29th). The last five meetings between these two teams have all resulted in 239 or more points. BET OVER!

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 222.5 Sacramento Kings @ NY Knicks, 7:30 PM ET - Two contrasting styles square off in the Garden Thursday night where the faster paced Kings (20th in pace) take on the leagues slowest paced team in the Knicks. New York is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA allowing just 1.084 points per possession which is 3rd best in the league. The Kings on the other hand are last in the league in DEFF allowing 1.190PPP. Offensively the Knicks are 23rd in the NBA in offensive efficiency averaging 1.081PPP, the Kings rank 11th at 1.131PPP. The Kings have given up a ton of points in their last five games which has driven this Total up to as high as it currently is but the reality is they’ve faced some of the NBA’s highest scoring teams recently. Sacramento gave up 127 and 136 to the Nets (1st in scoring), 128 to Milwaukee (2nd), 122 Chicago (8th) and 118 to the Heat who are finally healthy. The Knicks aren’t interested in playing a fast-paced game and getting into a shootout, so they’ll dictate tempo. New York has held 5 of their last ten opponents to less than 100-points and they’ve scored less than 110 in 8 of their last ten. The Kings are on a 5-0 Under run against losing teams while the Knicks are 10-1 Under their last eleven against sub .500 teams. The bet here is UNDER the Total.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 217.5 San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 PM ET - When we combined these two team’s overall O/U records we see there is a slight trend towards the Under with a 27 Over & 31 Under combined record. The Spurs are in a tough spot here playing their first game after a 10-day layoff because of Covid protocols. San Antonio had to call up some players from the G-league and will be down to 10-players on the roster tonight. Missing from the Spurs lineup are FIVE double-digit scorers and a combined 71.4 points per game! OKC comes into this game having scored 105 or less points in regulation in 5 of their last nine games and 110 or less in 6 of nine. The Thunder are the WORST offensive efficiency team in the NBA at 1.050 points per possession, the Spurs aren’t much better (21st) at 1.100PPP. Both teams are solid defensively though with San Antonio ranking 10th in defensive efficiency, the Thunder are 13th in DEFF. When the Spurs have face losing teams with a below .400 winning percentage, they are 5-2 to the Under this season. Tying into that same train of thought, the Thunder are Under 14 of their last twenty when facing a team with a winning record. The bet here is UNDER

ASA top play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers Money Line -120 over Toronto Raptors, 7:35 PM ET - We like the 76ers in this second game of the back-to-back with the Raptors who won the first meeting by 7-points. The Raptors won Sunday but Philly clearly had some anomalies which attributed to Toronto’s win. 76ers center Joel Embiid had a poor shooting night going 6 of 20 from the field, which is well below his season average of 53.6%. Embiid was coming off a 50-point game so the let down is not a surprise given the circumstances. Because of Embiids poor shooting night, the Raptors outscored the Sixers in the paint which is not normal considering Philly is 14th in the league compared to Toronto being 28th in points in the paint. Philadelphia is the 9th best shooting team in the NBA at 47.7% but shot just 39% on Sunday. The Raptors are the 22nd worst shooting team in the league, yet shot 49%, well above their season average against Philly on Sunday. The Raptors do not enjoy a home court advantage like they typically have in the past as their home games are currently played in Florida. With the 76ers back at full strength and coming off a loss to Toronto we like them here in payback mode.

ASA top play on 10* Washington Wizards +7 over LA Lakers, 10 PM ET - If you’ve followed ASA for any length of time you know stats, averages, numbers drive our handicapping process. But there also other factors that go into it and we couldn’t help but notice how tired LeBron looked in the Lakers last game against the Heat. James played 37+ minutes, scored 19-points on 7 of 21 shooting, with 11 rebounds and 9 assists. It’s clear the real MVP of the Lakers is Anthony Davis and without him on the court the Lakers and the aging James are good, but not great. We are ignoring the full season statistics for both teams in this matchup and focusing on the last five games for each. Without AD the Lakers offensive efficiency numbers have plummeted as have their defensive efficiency ratings. The Lakers have the #1 ranked defensive efficiency on the season, but in their last five games they rank 14th. Los Angeles is 2-3 SU their last five games and off two straight losses against Brooklyn and Miami. The Wizards on the other hand look like they’ve started to figure things out. Washington has won 4 straight games and they’ve come against quality competition (Boston, Houston, Denver & Portland). The Wiz have one of the worst defensive efficiency ratings in the NBA on the season but in their last five games they rank 4th best. In their last five games the Wiz are shooting 46.5% and holding foes to 43% shooting. In that same span of those games the Lakers are shooting 45.5% and allowing 47.6%. The Lakers are 0-7 ATS when playing a below .500 opponent this season and this number is too much for the short-handed Lakers to cover. Wizards on a 5-1 ATS run their last six against a team with a winning record.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 237 Sacramento Kings @ Milwaukee Bucks, 9 PM ET - The Bucks are coming off a couple low scoring games against Toronto and Oklahoma City but now face a Kings team that is one of the worst in the NBA defensively. In fact, the Kings rank 30th in the NBA in defensive efficiency as they allow 1.187 points per possession or 119.3PPG. Sacramento’s defense is last in the league in field goal percentage D and 29th in 3-point percentage D. This game presents the perfect opportunity for a Bucks offense that has been struggling to return to early season success. Milwaukee is 2nd in the league in scoring at 118.9PPG, 2nd best shooting team overall and own the 3rd best 3-point FG%. Obviously, to get this Over to cash we are going to need both teams to play fast. The Bucks are 5th in the league in pace of play while the Kings are 11th so we can expect a faster paced game. Also, we will need Sacramento to score here to get to this number and the Kings rank 12th in offensive efficiency at 1.131PPP. Based on recent Total on Milwaukee games this number is actually a bargain considering the opponent. Bet OVER here.

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers -4 over Washington Wizards, 10 PM ET - The Wiz have the 4th worst average loss margin in the NBA when playing on the road at minus -8.1PPG and hold a 3-12 SU road record. Portland has been better on the road than they’ve been at home this season, but they have won three straight home games and are on a red hot 6-game winning streak overall. The Blazers current run of 6 straight wins have come by an average of 8.6PPG. On the season the Blazers have some disturbing defensive numbers but so do the Wizards as both teams rank in the bottom six of the league in efficiency numbers. In their last five games though the Blazers are averaging 1.257 points per possession which is 5th best in the NBA. Even though Washington has won 3 straight games, their offensive efficiency their last five games ranks 22nd in the league and they have a negative differential of -2.6PPG. The biggest separator here is 3-point shooting. Washington holds the 25th worst 3-point percentage defense in the NBA allowing 38.4% while Portland is the 5th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 38.9%. The All-Star starters were recently released and MVP candidate Damian Lillard got snubbed so expect a motivated effort from him here. Washington is just 2-6 ATS their last eight road games, Blazers 6-1 ATS their last 7 at home against a team with a losing record.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls +8.5 over Philadelphia 76ers, 7:35PM ET - The Bulls have played better than expectations this season as evidenced by their overall winning spread record of 16-11 versus the number. Chicago has a losing overall record of 12-15 SU but their average loss margin is -0.8PPG which gets you a lot of covers as an underdog. In fact, the Bulls are on a wallet stuffing 10-1 ATS streak as a road underdog. The Bulls are more than capable of trading points with the 76ers with a top 10 scoring offense, 8th best overall shooting percentage in the NBA and the 7th best 3-point percentage at 38%. Philadelphia is 19-10 SU on the year with an average margin of victory of +3PPG. When playing at home the Sixers have a +/- differential of +6PPG which is 6th best in the league but still not enough to cover this spread against the Bulls. Philly is 5-2 ATS their last seven games at home as a favorite but only of those covers were as a favorite of this magnitude. In fact, when laying 7 or more points at home the 76ers are on a 1-3 ATS slide. Philly has a pair of bigger games on deck coming against Toronto and may look past this Bulls team. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings +1.5 over Miami Heat, 10 PM ET - Scheduling clearly favors the Kings here who are rested and facing a Heat team coming off a big game against the Warriors last night AND have the Lakers looming on deck. Can you blame the Heat if they look past a Kings team that has lost four straight at home? Sacramento put together a four-game winning streak, prior to the 0-4 run, versus solid competition with wins against the Pelicans, Celtics, Nuggets and Clippers. A big reason the Kings have a losing record is their lack of defense, but Miami’s offensive numbers have been just as bad as the Kings defense. The Heat are 4-9 SU on the road this season with a negative differential of minus -5.5PPG. Let’s not forget Miami was bad on the road a year ago too with a 14-19 SU record and a -2.7 margin of victory. We expect the Kings to get a solid home win here given the scheduling circumstances.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +3 over Boston Celtics, 7:35 PM ET - This game has some interesting movement on the spread as the line opened with Boston a larger favorite, got public support, and the line moved in the opposite direction. That’s a strange move consider the Hawks are just 2-8 SU their last ten games and have lost four straight. Granted we have lost a little value in this number, but the Hawks are the play here. In their last five games the Celtics have a 2-3 SU record with a negative differential of -1.2PPG. Boston’s offensive efficiency is down considerably in their last five games but they’re defensive efficiency numbers are good. In comparison, the Hawks have lost four of five, yet they have better OEFF numbers than the Celtics but worse DEFF. Atlanta has a plus/minus differential of minus -4.8PPG in this five game streak which isn’t far off this spread. The Hawks are 5-7 SU on the road this season but have a positive differential of +1.2PPG which is 13th best in the NBA. The Hawks are very good at defending the 3-point line (2nd best in the NBA) and negate the Celtics strength of 3-point shooting (6th). Boston is coming off a huge win last night over Denver and let down a little here. Bet the Hawks.

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 over Toronto Raptors, 8 PM ET - The Bucks are coming off a straight up loss as a double-digit favorite and we like them to bounce back here against the Raptors who beat them in the conference finals two years ago. Milwaukee is coming off a tough six game West coast road trip with three straight losses but now return home where they are 9-2 SU on the season. Milwaukee’s two losses at home this year came against the Lakers and Jazz who are arguably the two best teams in the league. The Bucks have the second-best overall point differential in the NBA at +8.1PPG, the highest NBA average at home at +13.5PPG. The Bucks last three home wins have come by 20, 28 and 14-points. The Raptors are playing their 7th road game in their last eight contests and have a 6-9 SU road record on the year. Toronto’s road differential is 13th in the league at +1.2PPG. Both teams shoot the 3-ball well and don’t defend it well but Milwaukee is the better overall shooting team at 49.2% compared to 45.1% for Toronto. Since 2018 the Bucks are 76-15 SU on their home floor with an average margin of victory of +13.2PPG. Lastly, earlier this season the Bucks were favored by -6.5-points at Toronto (in Miami) and now laying less here.

ASA top play on 10* Miami Heat +3.5 over LA Clippers, 10 PM ET - The line on this game suggests Paul George won’t be in the lineup for the Clippers tonight and the Heat, who are nearly back to full strength, will take advantage. Miami has struggled to a 11-15 SU record but they’ve been hit harder by injuries to their starting lineup with Butler, Herro, Dragic and Bradley all missing extended time. Butler and Herro are back and the Heat have won 4 of their last five games. In their last five games the Heat have the best overall defensive efficiency numbers allowing just 1.029-points per possession. The Clippers have the best overall offensive efficiency numbers in the NBA which can largely be attributed to great 3-point shooting. We feel LA’s hot shooting must regress and is unsustainable for a long period of time. The Clippers are shooting over 42% from deep this season which is significantly better than the league average of 36.8%. Miami is allowing near league average in 3-point percentage shooting by opponents this season, but injuries have had an impact. Last year the Heat were the 5th best team in the NBA defending the 3-point line. The Clippers have won 7 of their last ten games but NONE of those have come against a team with a winning record. Miami is off a loss (34-16-1 ATS run off a loss) in Utah in their previous game while the Clippers have a HUGE two game set against the Jazz next.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228.5 San Antonio Spurs @ Charlotte Hornets, 7PM ET - These two teams have been playing at a faster rate lately but their offensive efficiency numbers haven’t been very good for the season. The Spurs are the 21st worst offensive efficiency team in the NBA while the Hornets are 18th. San Antonio is the 20th ranked shooting team in the league and 17th from beyond the arc. Charlotte doesn’t shoot it much better at 45.7% overall (18th) but do hit 38% of their 3’s which is top ten. San Antonio has a top ten defensive efficiency rating allowing just 1.104-points per possession on the season. Charlotte is average in DEFF, ranking 16th at 1.118PPP. The Hornets have been much better at home defensively though with the 11th best DEFF and the Spurs in their last five games move up the rankings to the 5th best defensive efficiency number. The Hornets are on a 7-3-1 Under run at home as a dog while the Spurs on a 7-3 Under run when favored. Our computers project 223 total points here and we couldn’t agree more.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans +3 @ Dallas Mavericks, 7:35 PM ET - The bet here is New Orleans. If we look at the full season the Pelicans have the 8th best overall offensive efficiency rating in the NBA and in their last five games, they improve to 2nd overall. On the season the Mavs have the 15th best OEFF, or an average number by league standards. In their last five games though the Mavs have played better than average with the 4th best offensive efficiency numbers. The difference is the Pelicans improvement offensively in their last five games came against three teams that rank in the top 10 of the NBA in defensive efficiency. In comparison the Mavs played three games against teams that rank in the bottom half of the league in DEFF so their improvement shouldn’t come as a shock. Defensively Dallas has been far worse than New Orleans in their last five games as the Mavs are allowing 1.251-points per possession which is the second worst number in the NBA. Both teams are 4-1 SU their last five games but again, the Pels wins came against better overall competition AND they have a +9.6PPG differential compared to the Mavs negative or minus -3.4PPG. As a dog of +4.5 or less the Pelicans are 5-2 ATS this season and they’ve covered 4 straight as a Dog. As a favorite in that same price range the Mavs are just 4-6 ATS. It hasn’t been profitable to play the Mavericks at home in recent times as they sport a 5-16 ATS record at home in their last 21.

ASA top play on 10* Boston Celtics -3.5 over Toronto Raptors, 7:35 PM ET - This is a great spot to fade the Raptors and back the Celtics. This is a fill in game tonight and the Raptors are in a horrible scheduling situation with this being the backend of a second consecutive games. This will also be Toronto’s 5th game in just seven days. The Raptors played their starters extended minutes last night in their fast paced game against the Wizards and fatigue is going to be a factor. Boston has last night off and is coming off a pair of losses against two of the better teams in the West the Suns and Jazz so you can bet the C’s will be focused here. Boston is a perfect 3-0 ATS at home this season when coming off a SU loss. The Celtics have the 10th best home court point differential in the NBA at +4.4PPG and are 4-1 ATS as a home chalk this season. Boston has covered 7 of the last nine meetings and our metrics have them winning this game by 10+ points.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 233.5 Atlanta Hawks vs. Dallas Mavericks, 7:35PM ET - We have to bet the value here and play Under. These two teams just met a week ago and the oddsmaker set a number of 223 on the game and now this game is a full 10-points higher. In the meeting last week these two teams scored 238 total points but both teams shot extremely well in that game and field goal attempts (+8 combined for the game) for both teams were above normal. Both teams are in the bottom half of the league in pace or tempo and Dallas is average in offensive efficiency. The Hawks are 11th in the league in OEFF but in their last five games they are 17th and their scoring is down 2PPG. The Hawks are on a 6-1 Under streak their last seven road games while Dallas is 7-3 to the Under this season against the East.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 226.5 Houston Rockets @ New Orleans Pelicans, 7:35 PM ET - These same two teams squared off Jan 30th with the two teams scoring 238 total points. Both teams attempted 91 and 92 field goals in that game which are above league average and more than each teams 87FGA average this season. With this being such a close turnaround meeting we expect both teams defenses to outperform the offenses. The Pelicans are one of the slower paced teams in the NBA (20th) and the RESTED home team so we expect them to dictate tempo. The Rockets are playing the second night of a back to back and 3rd in four nights so you can bet they aren’t interested in playing fast. The Rockets are the second most efficient defense in the NBA behind the Lakers and have held their last five opponents to 107.6PPG. The Pelicans have put up some impressive offensive numbers in their last three games but none of those defenses are as good as the one they’ll see tonight. Lastly, in the meeting on Jan 30th the oddsmakers set a Total of 223.5 on the game and it went well Over the number so why no adjustment here? Bet Under!

ASA top play on 10* Cleveland Cavaliers +7.5 over Phoenix Suns, 9 PM ET - The situation is right for a Cavs cover here with the Suns coming off a big win over the Celtics and have a marquee game on deck against the Bucks. The Suns are 6-4 SU at home with a solid point differential of +6.2PPG but even at that number it’s still not enough to cover this spread. Three of the Suns home wins have come by less than 10-points. Cleveland comes into this game on a three-game losing streak, but the losses came against the Bucks twice and the Clippers who are easily two of the best teams in the NBA, and while the Suns are good, they are not on that level yet. The Cavs have the worst road point differential in the NBA but if you eliminate one horrible 38-point loss in Boston that number drops significantly to just -7PPG. Phoenix is in unfamiliar territory here as this big of a favorite as they’ve laid 7 or more points only two other times this season going 1-1 ATS. We expect a letdown by Phoenix here and a much better effort by the Cavs off several poor showings. Bet Cleveland.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -3 over Boston Celtics, 2 PM ET - It would be interesting to flip these two teams into the other conference and see where they stand. As it is right now the Suns are a mid-to-lower playoff team in the West while Boston is considered a top 4 team in the East. Our metrics suggest the Suns would be regarded similarly as the Celtics currently are in the East and vice versa. The Suns are 5-2 SU as a home favorite this season with an average margin of victory of +9.4PPG. Three of the Suns losses this season have come against Denver twice and the Clippers who are two of the top four teams in the West along with the Lakers and Jazz. Boston is coming off a road win against the Clippers, but they were in a favorable scheduling situation as the Clippers were off a long East coast trip. Boston’s other road wins this season have come against teams that have a combined 56-79 SU record. The C’s rank 11th in offensive efficiency on the road but drop all the way to 18th in DEFF. Phoenix is 15th in OEFF at home but rank 2nd in defensive efficiency allowing just 1.055-points per possession on their home court. Boston is without a pair of starters here in Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart and don’t have enough depth to overcome those losses. Our computers have the Suns winning by 7 here.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +5 over Toronto Raptors, 8 PM ET - The line move on this game is an indicator Trae Young will be in the lineup for the Hawks tonight and we like Atlanta as a home dog here. Let’s start there. Atlanta is coming off their worst shooting night of the season as they hit just 33% from the field versus the Jazz in a blowout loss. Our models like them to bounce back here against an average Toronto team coming off a big upset of the Nets last night. The Hawks schedule of late has been brutal with five games against five of the best teams in the NBA (Jazz, Lakers, Clippers, Nets and Bucks). Now they take a step down against a Raptors team that has the same record as they do at 10-12 SU. Toronto has a positive road differential of +.5PPG but they are just 4-7 SU away from home and they are 0-2 SU this season when playing without rest. Atlanta is 0-4 ATS as a home dog this season BUT those losses came against some of the league’s elite teams and Toronto is not on that level. Toronto is 2-3 ATS as a road chalk this year. Finally, consider this, the Lakers just played here and were -7-points and now the Raptors are laying a number near that? Bet the Atlanta Hawks in this one.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -4.5 over Toronto Raptors, 7:30 PM ET - The Nets win with offense and when the Big 3 of Kyrie, Harden and Durant are on the floor they’re nearly impossible to defend. In their last five games the Nets have an offensive efficiency rating of 1.252 points per possession and are averaging 129.4PPG. The concern for Brooklyn is their defense but they have the ability to turn it up against good teams. The Nets are allowing 1.136PPP on the season which ranks then 26th in the NBA but in their last eight games against winning teams that efficiency rating improves dramatically. In their last five games the Nets have a +8PPG point differential which is 5th best in the league. Toronto has struggled out of the gate this NBA season with a 9-12 SU, 8-13 ATS record. The Raptors are off two wins versus an Orlando team that is 8-14 SU and dealing with injuries so we’re not impressed. Making a line comparison we see the Raptors were just +4.5 points at Indiana who isn’t on the same level as this Brooklyn team. Brooklyn is 5-1 SU their last six games and on a 5-0 spread run at home with the wins coming by an average of +6PPG. Toronto has an offensive efficiency rating of 1.116PPG which ranks 18th in the NBA and they’ll have a tough time keeping pace with the Nets here.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors +3 over Dallas Mavericks, 7:35 PM ET - It’s not a good spot for the Mavs who are off a game last night in Atlanta, playing their 3rd game in four days and 4th in six. Dallas will sit Porzingis here as he’s not ready for that type of workload and they don’t want to jeopardize a set back to his injuries. Porzingis is off a 24-point 11 rebound night in Atlanta last night. Golden State on the other hand is off a close loss a few nights ago but are rested here. The big difference between these two teams is 3-point shooting. The Mavs are the 30th ranked 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 32.7% and you don’t win in today’s NBA if you can’t shoot beyond the arc. The Warriors on the other hand shoot over 36% from deep which is 17th in the league. Granted the Warriors are without two of their “bigs” here in Looney and Wiseman, but the Mavs prefer the small ball lineup with Green at the five and the Mavs don’t have the personnel to take advantage. Dallas is 1-3 SU and ATS when playing without rest this season and they’ve lost those games by an average of 11PPG. Dallas is 0-5 ATS their last five at home, 0-4 ATS as a home favorite. Warriors have won seven of eight when playing against sub .500 teams this season and a road win here looks promising.

ASA top play on 10* Under 224 - Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 PM ET - This game is not going to get to league average or 222 total points. Let’s start with 3-point shooting for both teams. The Mavs rank 30th in 3-point shooting at 32.8%, Atlanta is 23rd at 35.2%. The Mavs average 108.7PPG, the Hawks score 112.5PPG. Both rank in the bottom half of the NBA in overall FG percentage shooting. Dallas and their opponents have totaled less than 224 total points in four straight games and seven of their last ten. When we examine the Hawks' scores, we see they have not topped 224 total points in eight of their last ten games (if you eliminate OT’s). Both teams rank in the bottom half of the league in pace of play so we can’t see these two teams turning this into a transition track meet. The Under has cashed 4 straight in this series and Hawks on 7-0 Under streak when coming off a spread loss. The bet here is UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +1.5 over LA Clippers, 7:35 PM ET - This is clearly a marquee game between two of Star ridden teams and we like the Nets at home in a win. The Clippers have won 10 of their last eleven games and are starting to look like the team that was supposed to win a Championship last season. But a closer look at this current streak doesn’t have us as excited as Clipper fans are. In their last ten wins the Clippers best win is over the Indiana Packers who are 11-9 SU on the season and not ONE of the other wins came against a team that is above .500 right now. The Clippers are one of the top teams in the NBA in offensive efficiency and have risen up the ranks in defensive efficiency (11th) lately because of the weak schedule. We like the fact Brooklyn comes into this game off an upset loss against a very motivated Wizards team and will look to get back on track here. The Nets have won 7 of their last ten games with one of those coming at home against the Bucks. James Harden sat out the other night but is expected back here giving the Nets their vaunted “Big 3” on the offensive end of the court which makes them extremely difficult to defend. The Clippers have some injury questions of their own with two starters (Batum, Beverley) potentially out again tonight. The bigger Stars rise to the occasion tonight and get a home win.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +6 over the LA Lakers, 7:30 PM ET - Don’t bet this game on the names of the front of the jerseys or the history of the franchises, bet this game on value in the number. Surprisingly, the Hawks rank 8th in offensive efficiency ratings at 1.126 points per possession which coincidentally is the exact same OEFF as the Lakers. The Hawks defensive efficiency rating is 10th best in the NBA at 1.096PPP. L.A. leads the league at 1.048PPP allowed per game. The Lakers average point differential is +7.7PPG but the Hawks aren’t far behind at +3PPG. So, looking at the overall numbers there really isn’t as big separator between these two teams as you might think. LA has been on the road for six straight games with a 2-4 SU record but the four wins haven’t been blowouts by any means at +1, +7, +11 and +7PPG. The Hawks have played well with a 6-4 SU record their last ten games and the losses came at Utah, at Portland, at Milwaukee and home in overtime versus the Nets. This line looks like a trap with the Lakers so let’s bet the team Vegas doesn’t want us to, the Hawks!

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 219 Cleveland Cavaliers @ Minnesota Timberwolves, 7 PM ET - The Under is the play here with two of the worst offensive efficiency teams in the NBA. These two teams are literally 29th and 30th in the league in offensive efficiency averaging less than 1.05 points per possession. The Cavs are also 29th in the NBA in pace of play at 97 possessions per game and 12th in defensive efficiency. Minnesota plays fast and doesn’t play much defense but even with those two negatives their games have still averaged 224 total points per game this season. The games the Cavs have played in though have averaged just 213PPG. These are two poor shooting teams as the Cavaliers hit just 45% of their field goal attempts while the Wolves make just 43.5% of their shots which ranks them both in the bottom third of the league. Minnesota hasn’t cracked 100 points in 4 of their last seven games while Cleveland has scored 108 or less points in 7 of their last ten. We don’t see this game getting close to league average and will bet UNDER HERE.

ASA top play on 10* Golden State -5.5 over Detroit Pistons, 10 PM ET - Scheduling favors the Warriors here who are at home off a loss while Detroit is off a huge upset win of the Lakers. The Pistons are 1-7 SU on the road this season with an average differential of minus -6.5PPG. The Pistons have THE WORST defensive efficiency on the road this year 1.183PPP OR 119PPG. Detroit has lost three straight road games by 15, 8 and 6-points. Golden State has had their ups and downs, but they are still 7-4 SU at home with a plus +5.1PPG differential. The Warriors were just -8.5 and -9 points at home over the Timberwolves who are similar to this same Pistons team and Golden State won both by 22 and 12 points respectively. We like Golden State to bounce here off the loss to the Suns.

ASA top play on 10* Cleveland Cavaliers over NY Knicks, 7:30 PM ET - We like the spot to go against the Knicks here off a four-game west coast road trip and playing their first game back home. New York went 1-3 SU our west with their only win coming at Golden State. Cleveland seems to have found the right rotations and the new additions are paying immediate dividends. The Cavs have won 4 of their last six games with a pair of impressive wins over the Nets. Cleveland also has a home win over the Knicks in that stretch of games and that was without Prince or Allen. In their last five games the Cavs have the 4th best offensive efficiency rating in the NBA while the Knicks are 23rd in that same stretch of games. Cleveland has faced the Lakers, Celtics and Nets twice in that five-game span. New York has the 22nd worst home point differential in the NBA at minus -3.6PPG. Lastly, when Vegas sets a number on a game that begs you to take a team….don’t! It looks like a trap to take the Knicks so bet Cleveland.

ASA top play on 10* Houston Rockets -4 over Portland Trailblazers, 7:35 PM ET - The Rockets looked impressive in their 19-point win over Washington the other night when they had their version of the Big 3 on the court with Wall, Oladipo and Cousins. Unfortunately, Portland doesn’t have their full complement of players healthy right now with McCollum and Nurkic out for an extended time while Hood and Covington are less than 100%. The Blazers have four road wins this season but two of those were against the Kings who are 6-10 on the season. Portland was bad on the road a year ago with a 14-24 SU record and an average loss margin of minus -4.2PPG. We can’t pull statistics from the Rockets previous games this season (with Harden) but we can project what this collective group of players can accomplish based on individual efficiency statistics. Houston beat the Blazers earlier this season by 2-points in OT in Portland with McCollum and Nurkic combining for 56 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. It looks like a great time to buy low with Houston so we’ll back the Rockets here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 219.5 Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat, 7:35 PM ET - We will start with tempo here as these two teams rank in the bottom half of the league when it comes to pace with Denver 26th and Miami 18th. The number on this game is set slightly below league average, yet we can’t see these two teams getting there based on pace of play. Miami has struggled offensively without Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro in the lineup which is a big reason why they are 24th in the NBA in offensive efficiency ratings. In their last five games the Heat are averaging just 1.055 points per possession which is 2nd to last in the league. In that same five game span though the Heat have picked it up on the other end of the floor with the 12th best defensive efficiency rating. As we mentioned, Denver plays slow but they do make up for it with a highly efficient offense which can largely be attributed to Nikola Jokic who is nearly averaging a triple-double this season. But Jokic will have his hands full with defensive stopper Bam Adebayo and that will impact the overall efficiency of the entire Nuggets offense. Miami and their opponents have scored 220 or less points in 5 of their last six. If we eliminate over-time, Denver games have also totaled 220 or less in 5 of their last six games. Based on value, pace and Bam Adebayo we like Under here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 223 Denver Nuggets @ Dallas Mavericks, 8:35 PM ET - Denver is coming off a pair of overtime games against Phoenix and the last thing they want to do here is play a fast-paced up-and-down affair with the Mavs. That shouldn’t be a concern though as the Mavericks are the 21st slowest paced team in the NBA and prefer to play slow. Denver is also one of the slowest paced teams in the league ranking 26th at 97.6 possessions per game. If we eliminate the overtimes the Nuggets have played in three of their last ten games, we find they’ve combined with their opponents to scored less than 223 points in seven of those ten games. While we are on the subject of overtimes, these two teams met on Jan 7th and totaled 218-points prior to an OT period. Dallas is coming off a game against the Rockets in which they allowed 133 points on 55% shooting by Houston. The Mavs have the 12th best FG% defense in the NBA at 45.5%. Dallas also gives up the 10th fewest points in the league at 109.4PPG. Prior to the OT game between these two earlier this year these same two teams had not totaled more than 218 points in five straight meetings. The bet here is UNDER.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 221 New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 PM ET - The oddsmakers are telling us this game should be average in scoring based on league numbers, but our math models tell us differently. Our projections are 218.5 total points being scored here and a solid Under bet. Today’s NBA is driven by 3-point shooting and these two teams are two of the worst in the NBA from beyond the arc as both shoot just 33.4% which ranks 26th and 27th. The Pelicans new coach Stan Van Gundy has a reputation for defense, but they’ve given up ton of points their last five games. When we analyze those last five games though we see the Pels have played the 1st, 5th, 7th and 14th ranked offensive efficiency teams in the league. The Timberwolves are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum in that regard with the 29th (second to last) OEFF in the NBA. Minnesota has scored less than 100-points in four of their last five games. The Pelicans have had their own offensive struggles this season with an offensive efficiency rating of 1.092 which ranks 19th. New Orleans is one of the slower paced teams in the NBA this season and the Wolves have been much slower in their last five games compared to season averages. The last four times these two teams have met in Minny it’s resulted in an Under. That trend continues here. BET UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Sacramento Kings -4 over NY Knicks, 10 PM ET - This is certainly a bad spot for the Knicks playing the second night of a back to back and third game in four days. New York is coming off a game last night against the Warriors so fatigue will be a factor. The Knicks are just 4-9 SU the past two years when playing without rest and they’ve lost those games by an average of -10.5PPG. Overall New York does not do well when it comes to facing a Western Conference opponent with a 7-19 SU record their last 26 and they typically get beat bad by an average of 10.3PPG. Even though Sacramento has a 36-51 SU record the past two years they are 8-8 SU at home as a favorite. The Kings have lost 4 in a row but two of those came against the Clippers and one was against Portland and New Orleans who are all better than the Knicks. The Kings have the 11th best offensive efficiency rating in the NBA while the Knicks are 26th. New York has a solid overall defensive efficiency but they’ve played a soft schedule. Sacramento is desperate for a win and should get one by double digits here.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz -6.5 over New Orleans Pelicans, 10 PM ET - We successfully played on the Jazz the other night against this Pelicans team and will do it again here. Despite playing just 5 home games and 9 road games the Jazz have a +/- differential this season of plus +6PPG which rates 4th best in the NBA. Utah has caught fire with six straight wins and covers, most recently a win against this same Pels team. The Jazz are one of three teams in the NBA that can boast a top 10 offensive and defensive efficiency rating in the NBA and the other two are the Lakers and Bucks. The Jazz are 54-25 SU at home since 2018 with an average margin of victory of +6.2PPG. In our opinion the Pelicans made a bad hire with Stan Van Gundy as their coach. It’s not that he isn’t a great coach, he’s just not the right fit for the Pelicans. New Orleans is 1-5 SU & ATS their last six games and three of those games were at home. The Pels are in the bottom half of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency and they struggle to shoot the 3-ball at 33.4%. Why won't the Pelicans get a measure of revenge here with a win? The main reason is their inability to defend the 3 which was evident in the game the other night when Utah 21 of 47 3's or 45%. The Pels can't fix that defensive liability in 2 days so expect similar results. New Orleans has played three road games against similar competition to the Jazz and lost all three by double-digits. We like Utah by 10-points here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228 San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors, 9 PM ET - Our model is projecting 222 total points in this game or league average. We can make an immediate comparison with the Spurs most recent game against the Blazers. Vegas set a number of 226.5 in that game and they scored 229. But Portland is one of the worst defenses in the NBA allowing 1.14 points per possession while Golden State is better at 1.103PPP. Golden State is faster in pace of play than Portland but also way worse in offensive efficiency as the Warriors rank 24th. The Spurs have played Under in 4 of their last five games and if we eliminate the Overtime period they played against Minnesota, their total points scored in games has been less than 228 in 7 of their last ten. Golden State is struggling on the offensive end of the floor with the 24th ranked offensive efficiency rating in the NBA, shooting just 44% from the field overall and having the 20th ranked 3-point percentage. The Warriors defense has shown steady improvements though allowing 108 or less points in 5 of their last seven and the two games they gave up more than that were against two of the best offenses in the NBA (Nuggets/Lakers). San Antonio is below average in terms of offensive efficiency and scoring this season. Golden State has played in some higher scoring games this season, but they came against bad defensive teams and the Spurs rank 11th in DEFF so it won’t be easy tonight. We don’t see these two scoring more than 222.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz -6 over New Orleans Pelicans, 9PM ET We know home favorites in the NBA have not done well this season, and the fact the Jazz are just 2-2 SU at home, but we like them here minus the points. Despite playing just 4 home games and 9 road games the Jazz have a +/- differential this season of plus +5.1PPG which rates 5th best in the NBA. Utah has caught fire with five straight wins and covers, most recently a road win at Denver, when their best player Donovan Mitchell didn’t play well. The Jazz are one of three teams in the NBA that can boast a top 10 offensive and defensive efficiency rating in the NBA and the other two are the Lakers and Bucks. The Jazz are 53-25 SU at home since 2018 with an average margin of victory of +6.2PPG. In our opinion the Pelicans made a bad hire with Stan Van Gundy as their coach. It’s not that he isn’t a great coach, he’s just not the right fit for the Pelicans. New Orleans is 1-4 SU & ATS their last five games and three of those games were at home. The Pels are in the bottom half of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency and they struggle to shoot the 3-ball at 33.4%. New Orleans has played three road games against similar competition to the Jazz and lost all three by double-digits. We like Utah by 10-points here.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +2.5 over Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 PM ET - We are NOT betting this game because of the Harden deal! Yes, that’s certainly a factor but our analytics have the Bucks grade lower than the oddsmakers as they aren’t playing up to last years standards. The Bucks are 9-4 SU with a +/- differential of plus 10.8PPG. but they’ve faced an extremely easy schedule. Milwaukee has only faced two teams with current winning records, and they lost both of those games (Jazz, Celtics). In their current four game winning streak the teams they’ve beaten have a combined record of 21-27. The Nets now are the favorite in the East with arguably the three best individual scorers in the NBA on their roster. Harden, Durant and Irving can literally go for 50 on any given night and opposing coaches/teams will have nightmares trying to figure out how to stop them. Brooklyn has also played a soft schedule BUT they’ve beaten the four best teams they’ve faced (Denver, Philly, Utah & Boston). The Nets have too many superstars and will be out to prove a point here.

ASA top play on 10* Chicago Bulls +7 @ Dallas Mavericks, 3 PM ET - The Bulls have lost four straight games, but they’ve been competitive in all of those losing by a combined 11 total points. Prior to this losing streak they had won 4 of five games including a win at home over this Dallas team. In their last four game the Bulls lost to the Clippers by 3-points and the Lakers by 2-points, both on the road. As a dog this season the Bulls have covered 8 of ten games. The Mavs look like a MASH unit right now with several key contributors currently sidelined, but they did recently get Porzingis back in the lineup. Dallas is also on a nice spread run with five straight covers but all but one of those were as a dog or small favorite. The Mavs have a winning record at 6-5 SU with an average point differential of +4.3PPG which is not enough to cover here. Chicago has a negative differential of -4.8PPG this season which is good enough to get the money here. Dallas may win this game but it won’t be by a wide margin.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 227.5 LA Clippers @ Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - The Kings have struggled to stop anyone this season and teams have put up a ton of points against Sacramento’s defense. The Kings are allowing 122PPG on the season which ranks 30th in the NBA, they allow opponents to make 49.5% of their FG attempts (30th) and allow 38.9% 3-point shooting which is 26th. Factoring into this wager of course is the Kings pace of play which rates 8th fastest in the NBA and an offense that is 12th in the league in efficiency scoring 1.123 points per every possession. Sacramento has given up 122 or more points in 7 of their last eight games so expect the Clippers to get to at least that here. Speaking of the Clippers, they are coming off a game against the Bulls who have very similar numbers to the Kings and that game ended with 257 total points. L.A. is the 3rd most efficient offense in the NBA at 1.159 points per possession, but their defense ranks 26th worst allowing 1.144PPP. Let’s not forget the league average for total points scored in an NBA game this season is 222.8PPG and the Kings score and allow more than league average while the Clippers score more but allow slightly less. The opening total on this game by Vegas was accurate and the move down gives us added value. Bet Over.

ASA top play on 10* Toronto Raptors -7.5 over Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 PM ET - We have waited for a spot to play on the Raptors and this is a solid one. Toronto has gotten off to a horrible start by their expectations and are coming off a 4 game West coast road trip where they went 1-3 SU. They have just 2 wins on the season after going 53-19 in the regular season a year ago. Charlotte hasn’t been a great road team going 27-48 SU the past two years, last season they had the 4th worst average loss margin in the NBA of -8.1PPG. The Hornets are in a bad scheduling situation here playing their 3rd game in four nights and the second of a back to back after a game last night versus Dallas. This line is set up to draw Charlotte money and we won’t bite. Back the Raptors in this one.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 220 Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets, 7 PM ET - An average NBA game this season finishes with 222.8 points per game this season. This number is obviously slightly lower than that but our analytics tell us this game won’t be ‘average’. These two teams know how to play defense with both ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in defensive efficiency. The Mavs are giving up just 106PPG on the season, Charlotte allows just 108PPG. The Mavericks are the 6th slowest paced team in the NBA at 98.2 possessions per game, Charlotte is the 10th slowest at 99.8 possessions. When it comes to offensive efficiency ratings both rate in the bottom half of the NBA with Dallas checking in at 17th, Charlotte is 12th. In their last five games both teams have put the clamps down defensively allowing 42% shooting by opponents which is significantly better than league average of 46%. Combined these two teams have stayed Under the number 14 of twenty games. The bet here is Under.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +1 over Denver Nuggets, 7:30 PM ET - The Nets are off back-to-back losses and look to bounce back at home over Denver. Brooklyn had to play a few games without Kevin Durant who was in Covid protocols, then were without Kyrie Irving for a few games. No Irving here but they do have KD who scored 36-points in their most recent home loss to OKC. Brooklyn is currently in elite company in the NBA with a top 11 efficiency rating in both offense and defense with only the Bucks as the other team that can make that claim. Denver has the 2nd best offensive efficiency numbers in the league, but their defense ranks near the bottom on the NBA at 25th in defensive efficiency. Denver is 4-1 SU their last five games but two of those wins came over a bad Minnesota team, Dallas and Philly were both short-handed with Covid issues and the Knicks are really struggling right now. The current perception is the Nuggets are playing well but that’s a byproduct of weak competition. The Nets are off a pair of losses and motivated at home. Nuggets have not covered as a dog in four straight.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers -3 over Phoenix Suns, 7 PM ET - Two of the best defenses square off here when Phoenix rolls into Indianapolis for a game against the Pacers. Indiana has a scheduling advantage with the Suns come off a game last night in Detroit while the Pacers are rested. This will also be the Suns 3rd game in four days. Early on the Suns led the league in defensive efficiency but they’ve been steadily dropping in that category as the season has gone on. Indiana on the other hand has not and they can defend every position with the 7th best defensive efficiency in the NBA. The Pacers can also shoot it with the 2nd best overall FG% offense in the NBA at 49%. Indiana is 3-0-1 ATS their last four home games against a team with a winning road record and they catch the Suns in a favorable situation.

ASA top play on 10* NY Knicks -2.5 over Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 PM ET - The Knicks continue to compete, especially on the defensive end of the court which has been a trademark of head coach Tom Thibodeau wherever he’s been. It’s early in the season but the Knicks are 8th in defensive efficiency this season allowing just 1.062-points per possession. Last season the Knicks were 23rd in DEFF, giving up 1.130PPP. New York is holding foes to under .30% shooting from beyond the arc and below 44% from the field which both rank in the top 4 of the NBA. Oklahoma City has trouble scoring the way it is with the 30th ranked offense in terms of scoring this season at 102PPG. The Thunder don’t shoot well at 43.8% overall and 33% from the 3-point line. OKC is last in the league in offensive efficiency at 1.007PPP. Oklahoma City has the 2nd worst average point differential in the NBA at minus -8.7PPG. The Knicks have only played three home games but are 2-1 SU with impressive wins over the Bucks and Jazz and the lone loss against an elite 76ers team. The Thunder are coming off a road win over the Pelicans, but New Orleans is struggling right now so we’re not impressed. New York continue to be undervalued and we’ll buy low here.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +2.5 over Philadelphia 76ers, 7:35 PM ET - This is a favorable schedule situation for the Nets as the 76ers played last night making this the back end of consecutive nights. This is also the Sixers 3rd game in four nights. The Sixers have enjoyed some “home cooking” this season with just 3 road games thus far where they are 2-1 SU. Brooklyn is without Kevin Durant here, but the Nets didn’t need him in a blowout the other night of the Jazz. The Nets have some solid depth which is why they don’t need to rely solely on their two SuperStars. Philly holds the advantage on the defensive end of the court but the gap between these two teams in terms of defensive efficiency isn’t great. The Nets though enjoy a definite advantage offensively with the 5th best offensive efficiency number compared to Philadelphia’s 15th (or league average). Philly is just 15-25-1 ATS as a road favorite their last 41 games and fatigue becomes a factor tonight.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -3 over Toronto Raptors, 9 PM ET - We don’t have a reason to believe in the Raptors turning things around anytime soon as rumors are swirling about chemistry issues within the team. Toronto has gotten off to a 1-5 SU start with their only win coming at home against the Knicks. They didn’t show up for a HUGE game against Boston the other night at home when the Celtics looked like a MASH unit and still lost by 12-points. In three road games the Raptors have been beaten by 4 at New Orleans, 7 at Philly and 5 at San Antonio. If you don’t think the Suns are for real, think again. Phoenix has gotten off to a 5-2 start with impressive home wins on their resume over Dallas and New Orleans. The Suns are coming off a home loss which will have them focused and motivated here. Phoenix is doing it with the 4th best defensive efficiency rating in the NBA allowing just 1.045 points per possession and an offense that is ranked 10th overall in offensive efficiency. Toronto is one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA right now (29th in OEFF) and their defense isn’t what it was a year ago with Ibaka and Gasol now in L.A. The numbers haven’t caught up with the Raptors yet so this is a bargain price to play against them.

ASA top play on 10*: 501/502 #UNDER 231.5 Utah Jazz @ Brooklyn Nets, 7:35 PM ET - The Nets were already without a starter and one of their leading scorers in Dinwiddie and now must endure without Kevin Durant who is out after testing positive for Covid. The Nets have improved tremendously on the defensive end of the court allowing just 1.083 points per possession which is 13th best in the NBA. Utah is better yet, ranking 11th in DEFF allowing 1.075PPP. Brooklyn is one of the faster paced teams in the NBA ranking 7th BUT that’s a byproduct of playing games against Golden State, Washington, Atlanta twice and Charlotte who are all ranked in the top half of the league in pace of play. Now Utah comes to town who is the 24th slowest paced team in the league. Both teams shoot slightly better than league average, but both are much better in defensive FG% than the league norm. The Jazz are coming off their highest scoring game of the season a 130-point output against the Spurs where they shot the lights out. Those results have driven this line up and gives us tremendous value with the UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Miami Heat -8 over Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 PM ET - This won’t be the last time we play against the Thunder as we just don’t feel they are going to be very good this season. The Thunder do have two road wins this season at Charlotte and Saturday in Orlando, but this is not a great spot for them. Miami is coming off a horrible offensive showing and loss in Dallas and will look to bounce back with a big home win Monday. Miami has been remarkable off a loss recently with a 28-7 SU run, +7.2PPG. The Heat were 25-7 SU last year at home with an average winning margin of +9.3PPG which was the third best differential in the NBA. The Heat have covered four straight at home as a favorite while Thunder 1-5 ATS last six on the road against a team with a winning record.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets –4.5 over Phoenix Suns, 9 PM ET - Love the scheduling dynamics to play on Denver here and against Phoenix. The Suns have gotten off to a fantastic start this season at 4-1 and have picked up where they left off last season in the Bubble with an 8-0 run. But this is not an ideal situation for them as they played last night and are playing their 3rd game in four days. Not to mention they are playing in the higher altitude of Denver tonight which is never a good thing for unrested teams. The Nuggets meanwhile are home, rested AND coming off a loss in their previous game. Denver is off to a very disappointing 1-3 start this season, 2 of those losses coming at home. The Nuggets are 65-20 SU their last 85 home games with an average margin of victory of +8PPG. When facing an opponent that is unrested the Nuggets are 28-15 SU their last 43. Off a loss Denver is 44-28 their last 72 games. Denver has beaten this Suns team 5 straight and make it six in a row here.

ASA top play on 10* Over 231.5 Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks, 8 PM ET - Yes, the number on this game is extremely high compared to an average NBA game but these two teams don’t play at an average pace. The Bulls are the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA at 108.4 possessions per game. The Bucks prefer to play uptempo also with the 9th fastest pace in the league at 103.4 possessions per game. Milwaukee is the second highest scoring team in the league at 124.2PPG while Chicago is 12th at 113.3PPG. The Bulls have been especially bad defensively allowing 123PPG which is 28th in the NBA. The Bucks haven’t been good on that end of the floor ranking 17th in points allowed per game at 113.4PPG. Against a similar team to the Bulls, Golden State, the Bucks put up 138 points. The Bulls are coming off a 263-point total with Washington last night and this game could get to a number in the 240’s rather easily. Bucks 4-1 Over their last five games on 1 day rest. Bulls 4-0 Over on no rest. Bet Over here.

ASA Play on: UNDER 219 Phoenix Suns @ Utah Jazz, 9 PM ET - We love the two young rising SUPERSTARS in this game with Devin Booker of Phoenix and Donovan Mitchell of Utah. The Suns made some offseason moves in bringing in vets Chris Paul and Jae Crowder who gives them toughness and a defensive mindset. It’s showed early on with Phoenix going Under in all four games this season. The Suns are 2nd in defensive efficiency this season allowing just .992PPP (last year they were 17th). Phoenix is also one of the slowest paced teams in the NBA this year ranking 28th. The Jazz can play some defense too ranking 13th in DEFF which is where they ranked last season. Utah is also the 21st slowest paced team in the league this season at 100.6 possessions per game. The most points scored in a Suns game this year was 216. They have allowed 106 or less in all four games. The Jazz played one higher scoring game against Portland but the Blazers like to play fast, ranking 5th in pace. Both teams are top 8 in points allowed per game this year Under 109. Both are also in the bottom half of the league in 2pt FG% and 3pt %. Bet Under

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -6.5 over Atlanta Hawks, 7:30PM ET We like to bet on elite teams off a bad loss which is the case in this setting Wednesday as Brooklyn is off a pair of losses and face an unbeaten Hawks team. That 3-0 Atlanta record has kept this line in check, and we will take advantage of a soft number here. The Nets lost in Charlotte two games ago then rested Kyrie and KD in an OT loss to Memphis. The Nets with their pair of “mega-stars” are a team capable of flipping the switch on any given night and in their first two games when motivated they blew out Golden State and Boston. As we mentioned, Atlanta has gotten off to that perfect 3-0 start, but the wins have come against Detroit, Chicago and Memphis who have a combined 2-9 SU record. Yes, the Hawks have improved their roster, but this is still a team that had a negative road differential of minus-13.4PPG during the regulars season a year ago, which was the worst number in the NBA. Brooklyn gets an easy double-digit win here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 223 Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat, 7:30 PM ET - The Bucks were bounced from the Playoffs last season by this Heat team so expect some high emotions in this early season showdown. The recipe the Heat used to beat the Bucks was defense, defense and more defense. If you eliminate the one overtime period they played, Miami held the Bucks to 104PPG in their 5-game playoff series which is 15 points less than their season average. The Heat were able to dictate pace and they prefer a slow tempo (24th in the NBA a year ago in pace). These were also two of the top nine teams in the league in defensive efficiency a year ago so don’t expect many easy opportunities here. Milwaukee just gave up 130 points to the Knicks and will make defense a priority in this contest. The Under is 9-4 the L13 meetings. The bet here is UNDER

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -7.5 over Houston Rockets, 9 PM ET - We think the oddsmakers had the correct number when they opened the Nuggets minus 9 here but since public money has forced the line down to the current number. At the end of last season, the Denver Nuggets were being talked about as possible title contenders with Jokic and Murray playing at a very high level. The Nuggets have gotten off to an 0-2 start with an OT loss to Sacramento and then a beatdown by the Clippers who were playing with revenge from last season’s playoffs. Denver was 26-11 SU at home last season before Covid hit with an average point differential of +4.2PPG. This is not the same Houston Rockets team we saw last year. James Harden is back, but for how long? Houston’s next three best players are not on this current trip as Wall, Cousins and Gordon are home in Covid protocols. The Rockets played well in the opener against Portland but are in a bad spot here. The home team has won four straight meetings in this series by 7 or more points. Denver was 23-13 SU off a loss last season and at 0-2 they’ll play with a little more motivation here. Lay it.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans -5 over San Antonio Spurs, Sunday 7 PM ET - Scheduling favors the Pelicans here as the Spurs are off a game last night with the Raptors while the Pels were home resting. San Antonio has jumped out to a 2-0 start but now face a Pelicans team off a loss in Miami and rested. The Spurs are 9-13 SU their last 22 when playing without rest. You would think the storied franchise of San Antonio would thrive as an underdog but that is not the case. Since 2018 the Spurs are 25-27-1 ATS as a dog and they’ve lost those games by an average of -7.8PPG. New Orleans is an up-and-comer in the West and have several pieces in place to make a strong run at a playoff berth. It starts with Zion Williamson who was on restricted minutes last year but is a full go this season. Add in All-Star Ingram, two great perimeter defensive guards in Bledsoe and Ball and a rim protector in Adams and you have a solid foundation. The play here is New Orleans minus the points.

ASA top play on 10*: Indiana Pacers -4.5 over Chicago Bulls, 8PM ET The Pacers have enough talent on their roster to be a threat in the East this season, especially with Oladipo back to full strength. The Pacers were just a -7.5-point favorite at home over the Knicks who aren’t much worse than this Bulls team and Indy beat New York by 14. The Bulls lost their season opener to the Hawks by 20, who expect to be better this season, but still aren’t at the Pacers level. Last season the Bulls were 27th in offensive efficiency averaging just 1.067 points per possession while Indiana was 19th at 1.100PPP. Chicago was in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency last season ranking 12th but Indiana was even better yet at 6th. Chicago had a negative point differential of -3.1PPG overall last season which was one of the 8 worst numbers in the league. Indiana beat the Bulls 4 times last season, all by more than this spread and three of which were by 9+ points. Lay the short number with the Pacers.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -2.5 over Boston Celtics, Friday 5PM ET Let’s be up front on this. Our computer analytics don’t have a lot of data on this game considering Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are taking the court together for just the second time this season. We can still accurately predict this game based on both teams’ openers though. With 30+ years’ experience handicapping the NBA we know a good team when we see one. In fact, we predicted the Nets to win it all in 2021. The young Nets played extremely well in the Bubble last season with several breakout players stepping up into bigger roles. Even without Durant and Kyrie this team was going to be a playoff team this season. Brooklyn beat this same Celtics team twice last year without KD or Kyrie. Brooklyn had 20 turnovers in their games against Golden State and still won by 26-points. We expect them to clean that part of their game up here against a Celtics team they would love to send a message to early in the season. Boston is off a HUGE win over the Bucks with Tatum banking in a 3-pointer with .04 seconds left in the game. The Celtics have depth concerns already and will be without Kemba Walker here. Last season the Nets were 15-21 SU on the road with an average road differential of minus -2.9PPG (again without KD, Kyrie). This game will have a little extra meaning for Kyrie (former Celtic) and the Nets who are considered the Celtics “little brother” in the East. The oddsmaker clearly have bought into the Nets as this line is nearly the same as the Bucks number in their first game against Boston.

ASA NBA top play on 10* UNDER 220.5 LA Clippers vs. LA Lakers, 10 PM ET - If you are any kind of a basketball fan you shouldn’t need a history lesson on these two teams, so we’ll keep it short. These two Los Angeles rivals don’t like each other and will again be the two contenders to come out of the West. Both made significant changes in the offseason which included Clippers head coach Doc Rivers getting the boot. The Lakers lost several key assets in Rondo, Howard, McGee and Avery Bradley but brought in Schroder, Marc Gasol, Wes Matthews and Montrezl Harrell. As long as the Lakers have LeBron and AD though it doesn’t matter who else is on the roster. The Clippers had some turnover too and brought in Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard and Nicolas Batum. The Clippers will go as far as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can take them. Defense is the name of the game here as both teams finished the regular season in the top five in defensive efficiency ratings as the Clippers allowed 1.077-points per possession while the Lakers gave up 1.076PPP. The number set on this game by Vegas reflects what teams were scoring at the end of the regular season and the playoffs last season in the Bubble games. Shooting and scoring was up late in the season as the smaller confines and no crowds made for better shooting sightlines. In the four meetings between these two teams last year, they combined for total points of 204 (in Bubble), 215, 217 and 214, all of which stayed Under the total. Based on our math model we have 216 total points being scored in this one. BET UNDER.

ASA top play 10* on: UNDER 216.5 Miami Heat vs LA Lakers, Friday 9 PM ET

We are betting this game is similar to the last two games in this series which have slowed down dramatically with shooting percentages dropping. In the last game these two teams combined for 154 total field goal attempts and shot a combined 43% which resulted in 198 total points. In the previous game the end result was 219 total points but the 159 FG attempts were lower than Games 1 & 2 which had 173 and 168. Let’s not forget these two teams ranked 3rd and 11th in defensive efficiency rating in the regular season and both have similar numbers in the post season. Both teams are also playing slower than their regular season pace of play. With this being a potential elimination game, I expect a very deliberate game with high intensity on the defensive end of the floor. With the added pressure shots won’t fall as easily in this game. Bet Under

ASA top play 10* on: Miami Heat +7.5 over LA Lakers, 9PM ET

The Heat got back into this series with a win in Game 3 and we feel that confidence carries over to another extremely competitive game here. The Heat got a monster game out of Jimmy Butler who scored 40-points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and handed out 13 assists. Another key factor to the wins was the balanced scoring by the entire Heat team, which has been a staple in this postseason. Miami had five players score in double-digits including Kelly Olynyk (17) who has given them another viable scoring option. If we use the full season as a baseline, we know the Lakers were a below average 3-point shooting team (ranked 21st) at 35%. In Game 3 we saw the Lakers hit just 33% of their 3-point attempts and shoot a more average overall 43% from the field. That was a better indicator of what they should shoot, and it resulted in a much closer game with the Heat making more plays down the stretch. The Lakers are not a great team as a favorite in this price range at 6-4 ATS nor is their 14-8 SU record off a loss overwhelming. In fact, the Lakers average win margin off a loss this season is just +2.6PPG which isn’t enough to get a cover in this game. The Heat may get some help and add to their depth with Bam Adebayo or Dragic back for this game. Both are listed as questionable, but it sounds likely they’ll have Bam. There is a reason that Vegas has dropped this line 2-points compared to the last game and yet money and tickets are coming in on L.A. Bet the Heat in a close win or loss.

ASA top play 10* on: OVER 219.5 Miami Heat vs. LA Lakers Game 3 Sunday - The Heat had a horrible shooting night in Game 1 which resulted in just 98-points. In Game 2 they bounced back and hit 51% overall from the field and made 11 of 27 from beyond the arc. Those were a drastic improvement over Game 1’s numbers of 43% and 31% and helped the Heat score 114-points against Los Angeles. Miami has the 4th best offensive efficiency numbers in the post-season averaging 1.143 points per possession which is nearly identical to their regular season PPP when they averaged 112PPG. Defensively the Heat were the 11th best defensive efficiency team in the NBA allowing 1.097PPP but in the Playoffs that number has risen to 1.115PPP. In essence, the Heat are scoring about the same as in the regular season but allowing more points per game in the Playoffs. Even without Dragic and Adebayo they still managed 114 in Game 2 and if we get a similar scoring output today this game goes Over easily. We haven’t forgotten about the Lakers who have put up 116 and 124 points in the first two games. In Game 1 they could have easily put up 130 had they wanted to but the game was out of reach early so they coasted down the stretch. The Lakers have shot 45% and 51% in the two games with Anthony Davis nearly setting a Playoff record in shooting percentage by hitting 15 of 20 from the field. The Heat don’t have an answer for the Finals MVP as Davis is an impossible matchup for them without Adebayo. The Lakers have the 2nd best offensive efficiency numbers of all Playoff teams as they average 1.170 points per possession and 98 possessions per game which is 7th highest. The pace of play numbers, offensive and defensive efficiency numbers suggest this will be a slightly higher scoring game than a normal NBA contest which was around 223PPG during the regular season. Our Model predicts 230 Total points and we couldn’t agree more with it!

ASA top play 10* on: OVER 216 - Miami Heat vs. LA Lakers Game 2 Friday - We are betting the Heat do not have another horrible shooting night as they did in the opener. Miami’s points per possession numbers were fantastic coming into the Finals and then they could not buy a bucket against L.A. in Game 1. Duncan Robinson is one of the best shooters in the league and he went 0-3. Tyler Herro has made a name for himself in the postseason with a 37-point game, but he shot just 6 of 18 the other night, 2 of 8 from Downtown. Miami as a team shot just 43% overall and 31% from beyond the arc. Even though they will be shorthanded here with out Dragic and Adebayo they can spread the floor with shooters and play small ball. The Lakers pulled their foot off the gas in the opener and led by as many as 38 points in the game. The scored 116 but could have easily put up 130 had they wanted to. Los Angeles shot 45% overall and 39% from the field in their dominating win. Miami does not have an answer for Anthony Davis here and he will score at will. The pace of play numbers were good in the opener with 173 field goal attempts and by our calculations should have resulted in 222 total points being scored. These two teams had the highest offensive efficiency numbers in the post season and our math model predicts an average game for these two to finish with 224 total points. Bet Over!

ASA top play 10* on Miami Heat +5 over LA Lakers, 9PM ET Despite the Heat's lower seed to start the Playoffs, it’s evident these two teams are playing the best basketball of all NBA teams and deserving of this Finals entry. Miami and Los Angeles are the top two teams in both offensive and defensive efficiency in the postseason. The one great equalizer of this year’s bizarre Playoffs has been the neutral floor and we feel that levels the playing field for the young Miami Heat. The intensity, pressure, and atmosphere of playing on the road in Los Angeles is eliminated and gives this Heat team a legitimate shot to win this Championship. Miami will steal a victory in Game 1 for several reasons. The Heat matchup well with L.A. as Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala can all defend LeBron and Bam Adebayo can match up against Anthony Davis. Since 2013, Butler and Crowder have held LeBron to 42.2% shooting and below while Iggy is a notorious LBJ stopper. LeBron is leading all players in assists in the postseason but also in turnovers. Miami has a solid edge offensively with diversity as six players average double-digit scoring, four are scoring over 16.5PPG. On any given night it can be anyone for Miami which is extremely hard to defend. In comparison, the Lakers only have three players averaging 10+ points and rely heavily on LeBron and AD who average 26+. While Playoff Rondo has been great, we’re not really sure where the Lakers can turn to if LeBron and AD are limited while Miami has more scoring options. The Lakers have already lost two Game 1’s in a series and are notorious slow starters. Without the pressure we like the young Heat in Game 1.

ASA top play 10* on OVER 214 Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, 7:30PM ET - In the last three games of this series we have seen 223, 221 and 229 total points being scored. Vegas has adjusted their number on these games with the line rising from 209.5 in Game 1 to 214.5 in this contest, but we still have value. The pace of the last three games has led to the higher scoring results as the two teams have gone from 162 field goal attempts in Game 2 to 170, 173 and 170 in the ensuing games. We look for anomalies in outcomes to accurately predict the future and the one glaring stat from the last game was how poorly the Heat shot from beyond the arc. Miami was just 7 of 36 from the 3-point line or 19% which was WELL below their season average of 37.4% that was 4th best in the league. Granted the Heat haven’t shot it as well overall against a stiff Celtics defense, but our model has accounted for that discrepancy and based this outcome on the Heat shooting 29% from beyond the arc. Miami isn’t the only team we need to score here to cash our Over. Boston has gained confidence in the last game and looked like the team that was predicted to come out of this series. The Celtics put up 121 in the last game with 45% shooting overall and 32% from beyond the arc. They also cut down on turnovers which has been a huge issue in this series. The average points scored in this series has been 223PPG per game and that trend continues here. Bet OVER

ASA top play 10* on Denver Nuggets +5 over LA Lakers, 9PM ET

If any team in the Bubble can pull of a dramatic come from behind series win it’s the “Cardiac Kids” from Denver. The Nuggets have already survived 3-1 deficits in the playoffs and one of those came against the Clippers who were favored to win it all. If a few bounces of the ball or calls by the officials had gone the other way in this series, it could very likely be 3-1 in Denver’s favor. That’s a testament to just how well they’ve played the Lakers in this series. Anthony Davis have been by far and away the best Laker in the playoffs as he leads them in scoring, rebounding and blocks but he did tweak an ankle in the last game, and despite finishing the game, looked a little gimpy afterwards. If AD isn’t 100% the Lakers don’t have the depth to overcome his loss. The Nuggets MUST get some contributions on the offensive end from someone other than Jokic and Murray and Michael Porter Jr. is that guy. In Game 4 Porter Jr. scored 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting in just 20 minutes. Yes, he’s a liability on defense but coach Malone has to live with that for the trade off of instant scoring. Denver is a respectable 23-12 SU off a loss this season and have won those games by an average of +3PPG. The Nuggets extend this series with an outright win on Saturday. (Small bet on the moneyline too)

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON: Boston Celtics -3 over Miami Heat, Friday 8:30PM ET It’s do-or-die time for Boston and we feel they respond with a double-digit win in this elimination game. Has Miami beaten Boston or have the Celtics beaten themselves? The Celtics committed 19 turnovers in Game 4 and have averaged 15.75 TO’s per game in the series. That is uncharacteristic for this team that averaged the 6th fewest TO’s in the league in the regular season at 13.6. The Celtics continue to shoot it well and have been better in the series in their EFG% percentage overall and even in Game 4 when they hit 48% from the field while Miami hit 44%. The difference for the Heat was incredible shooting night by Milwaukee native Tyler Herro. Tyler is going to be a good pro and is a capable scorer when he gets it going as I can attest to first-hand having coached against him numerous times in his youth. Boston will have a defensive answer for him tonight and put the onus on another Heat to pick up the scoring slack. Don’t you find it strange that the team up 3-1 in this series is still an underdog? Boston is a respectable 19-11 SU off a loss and we’ll back them one more time here.

ASA top play 10* on: UNDER 215 Lakers vs Nuggets, 9 PM ET - There is still value in this Total and we like a solid UNDER bet here. The first number on this series was 210.5 in Game 1 which finished well above the Total with 240 points. Then in Game 2 the oddsmakers adjusted the line up to 215.5 and only 208 points were scored. In Game 3 the Nugs and Lakers combined for 220 total points and an over (214.5) but it took 52% and 55% shooting by both teams to get there. The Lakers shoot 48% on the season while the Nuggets shoot 47% so you can seel they het well above their normal standards. In Game 1 these two teams attempted 166 combined FG attempts but in Game 2 that total dropped to 157. In Game 3 they combined for 160 FG attempts which is still well below an average NBA game of 177 which typically results in 222 total points. Combined these two teams are on a 11-1-2 UNDER run when playing on 1 day rest. This game will be much tighter as the intensity is ramping up for both clubs. Bet UNDER.

ASA top play 10* on: Boston Celtics -3 over Miami Heat, Game 4 Wednesday 8:30 PM ET

We are going to side with Boston again in this critical Game 4 as a win here gets this series to 2-2 and turns it into the best of three. The Celtics in large part have outplayed the Heat in all three games but didn’t close out the first two games of the series. In Game 1 the Celtics were +12 going into 4th and faltered down the stretch. In Game 2 the Celts were up 13 at half and collapsed in the 3rd quarter. In Game 3 they led coast to coast in a comfortable win. Boston has Shot 50% and 48% last two games and the return of Gordan Hayward certainly helped with the late game rotations. The Heat have played great basketball in the Playoffs and have a great straight up record off a loss, but Boston has been the better team for better part of all three games and are still in a desperate situation. Miami as a short underdog hasn’t been great with a 5-7 ATS record when getting +4.5 or less points. Boston has an edge when it comes to shooting and can match the Heat defensively so we will go with the better team down 1-2 in the series. Lay the points in a close Boston win.

ASA top play 10* on: UNDER 214 Lakers vs Nuggets, 9PM ET

There is still value in this Total and we like a solid UNDER bet here. The first number on this series was 210.5 in Game 1 which finished well above the Total with 240 points. Then in Game 2 the oddsmakers adjusted the line up to 215.5 and only 208 points were scored. Our analytics say Game 3 is going to be very similar to Game 2 in terms of pace and field goal percentages which will yield another UNDER the Total win. In Game 1 these two teams attempted 166 combined FG attempts but in Game 2 that total dropped to 157. Both teams shot over 45% for the game but when you aren’t playing fast and don’t get as many field goal attempts you just can’t score as many points. The Nuggets also did a much better job of keeping the Lakers off the free throw line as they limited them to just 19 attempts. Combined these two teams are on a 11-0-2 UNDER run when playing on 1 day rest. This game will be much tighter as the intensity is ramping up for both clubs. Bet UNDER

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -7.5 over Denver Nuggets, 7:30PM ET

As we mentioned in our Game 1 wager on the Lakers, they have benefitted from some favorable scheduling and have caught all three opponents in the playoffs off extended series. First, they had the Blazers who had to battle just to get into the post season then beat Memphis to face the Lakers. In the next round they got a Houston team that was off a grueling 7-game series against Oklahoma City. Now they get Denver, who themselves have had two 7-games series and emotional come from behind wins when they were down 3-1 in both. Fatigue was the very obvious in the opener as the Nuggets were sloppy with the basketball, didn’t win the 50/50 balls and looked slower than the Lakers who scored 16 fast break points. The Lakers have the best playoff point differential at +8.9PPG and have won 9 of eleven playoff games by more than tonight’s spread. Los Angeles led by 27-points in Game 1 and the final margin of 12 does not do justice to how dominating a win it was for L.A. I was surprised this line didn’t come out higher than it did considering the Clippers were favored by as many as 9.5-points in their series against the Nuggets. L.A. can matchup with the Nuggets at every position, but the Nuggets can’t contain Anthony Davis. We will lay the points again with Los Angeles.

ASA top play 10* on: Boston Celtics -3 over Miami Heat, Game 3 Saturday We are playing on the Celtics minus the points here as a loss essentially ends this series with them down 0-2 already. Boston was solid this season when coming off a loss with a 18-11 SU record, 6-2 their last eight. Boston lost two straight games in the Raptors series then bounced back to win 2 of three so we know they’re capable of getting back into this series with a win here. Boston shot well in the last game and hit 50% from the field in Game 2 after a poor shooting night in Game 1. The Heat have played great basketball in the Playoffs and may still win this series but in this situation, we have to fade them. Miami as a short underdog hasn’t been great with a 4-5 ATS record when getting +2.5 or less points. With a 2-0 lead the Heat may relax a little in this one and leave the door open for the Celtics to get a win and cover. Lay the points in a close Boston win.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -7 over Denver Nuggets, 9 PM ET The Lakers have benefited from some favorable scheduling and have caught all three opponents in the playoffs off extended series. First, they had the Blazers who had to battle just to get into the post season then beat Memphis to face the Lakers. In the next round they got a Houston team that was off a grueling 7-game series against Oklahoma City. Now they get Denver, who themselves have had two 7-games series and emotional come from behind wins when they were down 3-1 in both. How much do the Nuggets have in their tanks against a well-rested Lakers team? The Lakers have the best playoff point differential at +8.9PPG and have won 8 of ten playoff games by more than tonight’s spread. The Nuggets have captured the attention and hearts of the public and are over-valued in this opening game. We are pulling for a great series here but feel the Lakers get a big win in the opener.

ASA top play 10* on: Boston Celtic -2.5 over Miami Heat, Game 2 Thursday 7PM ET We are playing on the Celtics minus the points here as a loss puts them in too deep a hole to get out of. Boston was solid this season when coming off a loss with a 18-10 SU record, 6-1 their last seven. The Celtics led by double-digits going into the fourth then couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch in the 4th quarter and OT. Two of Boston’s big guns had horrible shooting nights as Tatum and Walker combined for 5 of 21 from the 3-point line. Expect a much better outing as Tatum shot over 40% from downtown this season, while Walking hit over 38%. The Heat have played great basketball in the Playoffs and may still win this series but in this situation, we have to fade them. Miami as a short underdog hasn’t been great with a 3-5 ATS record when getting +2.5 or less points. Lay the points in a close Boston win.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Clippers -7.5 over Denver Nuggets, Tuesday 9PM ET We are value bettors and this line has us on the Clippers in this Game 7. The previous numbers on games in this series have had the Clippers favored by -8.5-points and line drop has us on them again here. Is there a better big game player in the NBA than Kawhi Leonard? We don’t think so. The Clippers have blown 16 and 19-point leads in the last two games and we don’t see this veteran team blowing another one in this elimination game. Granted, we love this Denver team and the heart they play with but the situation and pressure is magnified tonight and we don’t see the young Nuggets pulling off another upset. LA is 24-6 SU this season when coming off a loss, 22-8 ATS. The Clippers were outscored by 13-points in the 4th quarter of the last game and blew a 7-point lead. We mentioned this the other day but the Clippers average margin of victory after a loss which is +14PPG. They’ll win by double-digits here and move on to face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Clippers -8.5 over Denver Nuggets, Sunday 1:05 PM ET - We are going to keep this analysis a little shorter than normal with football in full swing but the pick here is the LA Clippers. The Clippers just watched the Lakers end their series against the Rockets and will do the same to the Nuggets Sunday. LA is 24-5 SU this season when coming off a loss, 22-7 ATS. The Clippers were outscored by 13-points in the 4th quarter of the last game and blew a 7-point lead. We don’t anticipate that happening again here with a veteran team. Denver got 26-points from Jamal Murray in Game 5 after struggling to score in the previous two games but don’t expect a repeat performance here. The Clippers have multiple defenders at Murray which then puts a huge scoring onus on Nikola Jokic. The nail in the coffin for us in this wager is the Clippers average margin of victory after a loss which is +15PPG. They’ll win by double-digits here and move on to face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals

ASA top play 10* on:Under 215.5 Rockets vs. Lakers – We don’t like the fact that this total has dropped 227.5 in the opener of the series but will still lean towards the UNDER HERE. To score points you need to take and make shots. The league average for field goal attempts per game is 177 during the regular season and the average total points scored was 223PPG. The Field goal attempts per game are well below league average in this series with 153, 159, 161 and 164. HOUSTON DEFENSE: In the regular season the Rockets were 14th in defensive efficiency ratings allowing 1.103 points per possession. In the eight Bubble games the Rockets lowered that number to 1.095PPP and in the Playoffs they are giving up just 1.100PPP. HOUSTON OFFENSE: In the regular season the Rockets were the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA at 103.7 possessions per game. In the Playoffs the Rockets are averaging just 98.5 possessions per game which is 10th slowest of the 16 teams. Rockets offensive efficiency numbers have dropped in the Playoffs too. LAKER DEFENSE: The Lakers had the 3rd best defensive efficiency numbers in the regular season and have been nearly as good in the postseason allowing just 1.071PPP. The Lakers are also playing slower and average under 100 possessions per game in the Playoffs. LAKERS OFFENSE: The Lakers shot well above their season average in Games 2 & 3 over 55% from the field in both and still they only managed 117 and 112-points. In the most recent game, the Lakers shot 49% and put up 110-points. We feel the Lakers are going to be very deliberate here in their tempo and they’ll control the pace of this game. Bet Under here.

ASA top play 10* on: UNDER 216 Denver Nuggets vs. LA Clippers, 6:30 PM ET

We hate betting into a number that has moved as much as this Total has but we still feel based on current pace of play, there is still enough value here to bet Under. In the last game of this series these two teams combined for 181 total points which stayed well below the number. Three of the four games in the series have ended with 217 or less points scored. The field goal attempt numbers are what stands out to us here as last game saw just 147 shots taken. In Game 3 these two teams combined for 169 FGA’s which is still below league average. Los Angeles has been stifling on defense allowing 1.03 points per possession this series and Denver continues to play slow with an average of 15.3 seconds to get a shot up every possession. The Clippers have multiple defenders to throw and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and have held him to under 20-points and less than 41% shooting in 3 of the four games thus far. Let’s not forget that Murray scored 142 combined points in just three games against the Jazz last round. The Under is now 40-18-1 the last 59 meetings between these two teams. Yes, we’ve lost some value from the opening game of this series, but tempo and pace are dictating another low scoring game here. Bet UNDER

ASA top play 10* on: Under 220.5 LA Lakers vs. Houston Rockets, 7PM ET - The Under continues to cash at a remarkable rate in the NBA Playoffs as teams have stepped up their defensive intensity and slowed their pace of play. That couldn’t be more true in this series between the Lakers and Rockets. Houston has flipped a switch and suddenly started playing defense in the restart. In the regular season the Rockets were 14th in defensive efficiency ratings allowing 1.103 points per possession. In the eight Bubble games the Rockets lowered that number to 1.095PPP and in the Playoffs they are giving up just 1.057PPP. In the regular season the Rockets were the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA at 103.7 possessions per game. In the Playoffs the Rockets are averaging just 98.7 possessions per game which is 10th slowest of the 16 teams. But it’s not all about defense as the Rockets offensive efficiency numbers have dropped in the Playoffs too. The Lakers had the 3rd best defensive efficiency numbers in the regular season and have been nearly as good in the postseason allowing just 1.075PPP. The Lakers are also averaging under 100 possessions per game in the Playoffs. The Lakers shot well above their season average in Games 2 & 3 over 55% from the field in both and still only managed 117 and 112-points. Let’s not forget, the average number of field goal attempts per game in the NBA this season is 177 and these two teams have not combined for more than 164 FGA’s in any of the three games. The Under is the way to go here.

ASA top play 10* on: Over 210 Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics, 6:30 PM ET - If you have followed our handicapping expertise for any length of time you know how much we like value in lines and bet numbers not teams. That is clearly the case in tonight’s game between the Raptors and Celtics. Game 1 of this series had a Total set by the oddsmakers of 217.5 which means the line has dropped a full 7.5 points over the course of five games. Granted all five have stayed below the Total but now that the number is this low, we must play Over. Average NBA games this season finished with roughly 223 points per game and Playoff games are around 220PPG. Our math model projects 218 Total points between these two teams which is what the Total was in Games 1 and 2. The Raptors are the 2nd fastest playoff team left behind only the Lakers in possessions per game and Boston is playing faster in this round than they did in the first. Both teams will get to 105 or better in this one and the game goes Over the Total.

ASA top play 10* on: Miami Heat -3 over Milwaukee Bucks, 6:30PM ET

Giannis or no Giannis we are heavy on the Miami Heat in Game 5 Tuesday. I am going to start with coaching. Mike Budenholzer is clearly a great regular season and players coach but is not a tactician and isn’t great with playoff adjustments. It showed last year in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors when he did not figure out a way to counter the Raptors “wall” defense against Giannis. His lack of game management has reared its ugly head again this year. I am thoroughly convinced if we flipped coaches in this series, it’s over already with the Bucks up 4-0. The NBA is about getting the matchup you can exploit, and Coach Bud just does not seem to figure it out. I am screaming at the TV for the Bucks to use whoever Tyler Herro is guarding to screen for Middleton or even Lopez to get a switch and a mismatch, but it did not happen until the final possession of OT. Herro made some big 3’s down the stretch in Game 4 but he’s a liability on defense. And why haven’t the Bucks used Brook Lopez in the post instead of having him stand in the corner for 3’s and NOT offensive rebound (7ft tall and 7 O-boards in series)? The coaching advantage for the Heat with Eric Spoelstra is glaring and unfortunately for Bucks fans, their season ends today. The Bucks got a huge jump start from Giannis in Game 4 before he went down with an injured ankle. Then Khris Middleton took over in the 3rd and OT periods but I’m not betting he can duplicate those numbers (36-points on 12 of 28 shooting). The Heat have averaged 1.140 points per possession against the Bucks which is the best overall O-efficiency numbers in this round of the Playoffs and makes the Bucks the worst defensive efficiency team in this round. Miami’s defensive numbers are obviously very good as they’ve held the Bucks offense (1.124PPP regular season) to just 1.080 points per possession. Miami has been outstanding off a SU loss this season with a 23-7 SU record and a winning margin of +7.4PPG. The Heat clearly have a matchup advantage over the Bucks as they’ve beaten them 5 of seven meetings this season and even though they had an average shooting night in Game 4, and the Bucks shot extremely well at 49%, they still almost won in OT. Jimmy Butler and company win this game rather easily and advance to face either the Celtics or Raptors.

ASA top play 10* on OVER 219 Denver Nuggets vs. LA Clippers, 9PM ET VALUE! This line is significantly lower than the Total in Game 2 of 224 and we prefer to put ourselves on the side of Vegas than the Public. In Game 1 the Clippers put up 120 points and took advantage of a huge weakness of the Nuggets defense and that is on the interior where they do not have a rim protector. The Clippers scored 66-points in the paint in Game 1 and shot 57% as a result. In Game 2 though the Clippers could not buy a bucket as they hit just 41% of their field goal attempts and 28% from beyond the 3-point line. Kawhi Leonard really struggled from the floor going 4 of 17, scoring just 13-points. The Clippers owned the 2nd most efficient offense in the NBA this regular season at 1.140PPP but they have been better in the post season at 1.210PPP. Granted, the Clippers stellar offensive numbers came against the Mavericks BUT the Mavs D has been better than Denver’s since the restart. The Nuggets were 16th in the NBA in defensive efficiency during the regular season but in the Bubble and Playoffs they have been far from good. The Nuggets have the worst DEFF in the playoffs, so the Clippers are going to score here without having to play up-tempo. Denver had a horrible shooting night in the opener of this series, but fatigue certainly played a big part in that. In Game 2 the Nuggets put up 110 total points and hit 45% from the field. Denver hoisted forty 3-pointers and hit 38% from beyond the arc. The Nuggets offense is 3rd in offensive efficiency in the Playoffs and have capable scorers in Jokic and Murray. At halftime of Game 2 these two teams combined for 128 Total points and were on pace to total 256 before two horrible shooting quarters in the 3rd and 4th. With the added value and dip in the number we will be OVER here.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -5.5 over Houston Rockets, 9PM ET In the series against the Blazers the Lakers averaged 1.149 points per possession which is 5th among playoff teams and better than their regular season numbers of 1.120PPP but against Houston in Game 1 of this series they hit just 42% of their FG attempts and scored 97-points. LeBron looked completely disinterested and the team couldn’t buy a 3-pointer as they hit 11 of 38 from beyond the arc. Off that horrible showing the Lakers will rebound here with a much better effort. Los Angeles was 12-8 SU off a loss this season with 8 of those wins coming on the road which is essentially the case here in the Bubble. The Lakers had the 3rd best defensive efficiency numbers in the regular season and have been better in the Playoffs allowing just 1.059 points per possession. Houston surprisingly played really well in the opener after a grueling 7-game series against the Thunder, but the numbers suggest they don’t play as well in this Game 2. Houston allowed 115PPG in the regular season this year which was 22nd out of 30 teams in the NBA. The Rockets allowed 50PPG in the paint this season which ranked them 23rd in the league while the Lakers were 2nd in the league in scoring in the paint at over 52PPG. Los Angeles will look to pound the ball inside against the Rockets in Game 2 and take advantage of a front line of Davis, McGee and Howard. Frank Vogel is a great coach and will adjust here including LeBron on the block a few times and take advantage of his size in the post. Lakers bounce back here with a double-digit win.

ASA top play 10* on OVER 221.5 Denver Nuggets vs. LA Clippers, 9PM ET

We feel the Clippers have identified a huge weakness of the Nuggets defense and that’s on the interior where they do not have a rim protector. The Clippers scored 66-points in the paint in Game 1 and look for Kawhi and company to continue to attack the Nuggets vulnerable defense. The Clippers owned the 2nd most efficient offense in the NBA this regular season at 1.140PPP but they have been better in the post season at 1.210PPP. Granted, the Clippers stellar offensive numbers came against the Mavericks BUT the Mavs D has been better than Denver’s since the restart. The Nuggets were 16th in the NBA in defensive efficiency during the regular season but in the Bubble and Playoffs they have been far from good. The Nuggets have the worst DEFF in the playoffs, so the Clippers are going to score here without having to play up-tempo. Denver had a horrible shooting night in the opener of this series, but fatigue certainly played a big part in that and we expect a much better showing in Game 2. The Nuggets offense is 3rd in offensive efficiency in the Playoffs and have capable scorers in Jokic and Murray. In the last two regular season meetings between these two teams they combined for 235 points in each game. Denver will score more than 100 in Game 2 and The Clippers are getting to 120+ so this game goes Over rather easily. 

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -6.5 over Houston Rockets, 9PM ET This Game 1 situation is remarkably like the Clipper/Nuggets series as this Los Angeles team has been off since Aug 29th while the Rockets are off a grueling 7-game series with OKC and have little in the tank for this game. The Lakers took care of a Portland team that was in the same boat as the Rockets are now, exhausted and off a demanding series of games, so do not expect a close game in this opener. After losing Game 1 versus Portland the Lakers ripped off 4 straight wins by 23, 8, 20 and 9-points. Houston was taken to seven games against OKC and needed a last second defensive play (yes, I said defensive) from James Harden to preserve the win. Off that win expect a letdown here. There was some concern about the Lakers offense in the NBA restart as they had the second worst offensive efficiency numbers in the 8 Bubble games, but the Playoffs have been a different story. In the series against the Blazers the Lakers averaged 1.149 points per possession which is 5th among playoff teams and better than their regular season numbers of 1.120PPP. The Lakers had the 3rd best defensive efficiency numbers in the regular season while Houston was 14th but the Rockets have been better in the restart. LA is 14-6 SU this season when playing with 2+ days rest while the Rockets are 6-9 SU when at a disadvantage in rest and those losses have come by an average of -7.1PPG. The rested Lakers have the edge in this opener and our model predicts a 14-point win.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Clippers -8.5 vs. Denver Nuggets, 9PM ET At first glance you would think this number is way too high but in reality, it isn’t, especially given the circumstances. The Nuggets are in a tough spot here having just played a physically and mentally draining 7-game series against the Jazz. Denver was down 1-3 to Utah, then won three in a row which were all tight games. Jamal Murray was sensational in the series with 50, 42, 50 and 17 points in the final four games but he also logged over 40 minutes in each of those. Nuggets All-Star center Jokic also played more than his season average in minutes in the series and now on one day rest they face a Clippers team that has been off since Sunday. After a small scare in the first few gams of their series against the Mavs the Clippers took care of business by winning Games 5 and 6 by 43 and 14 points, respectively. In fact, their four wins over Dallas all came by 8 or more points which is obviously close to tonight’s spread. The Clippers are solid when they have a rest advantage over their opponents with a 28-18 SU record the past two seasons. How important is rest you ask? There are only 10 teams in the league that do not have winning records when playing with two or more days rest the past two seasons. These two teams met in the Bubble with the Clippers winning by 13. During the regular season L.A. had two more victories over Denver, each by double-digits (29 & 10). These two teams have remarkably similar numbers offensively in the Bubble and Playoffs, but the Clippers hold a HUGE advantage defensively where the Nuggets rank dead last in defensive efficiency ratings in both the Playoffs and Bubble.

ASA top play 10* on: Milwaukee Bucks -5 over Miami Heat, 6:30PM ET The computers and numbers have us on the Bucks tonight in a bounce back situation, off a loss and desperate for a win. Milwaukee has been “money” off a loss with a 13-5 SU record this season and a 35-9 SU run since the start of 2018. In the last two years when coming off a loss the Bucks average margin of victory is +10.7PPG and they cover the spread by nearly +3PPG. Both teams shot well in the opener, but the Heat were plus +5 in offensive rebounds and had 3 less turnovers. Jimmy Butler had a huge game for Miami with 40-points on 13 of 20 shooting while making 12 of 13 free throw attempts. League MVP could not match those numbers 18-points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists but turned it over 6 times and missed 8 free throws. The Greek Freak is a fierce competitor and will bounce back here with a huge stat line in Game 2. Last year in the playoffs in a similar situation the Bucks lost the first game of the series against the Boston Celtics then bounced back in Game 2 to win by 21-points. In the first round against Orlando the Bucks lost Game 1 then beat the Magic by 15 in the second game. Milwaukee was the number one or best defensive efficiency team in the NBA in the regular season allowing just 1.029 points per possession and Miami produced 1.150PPG in Game 1 which was an aberration based on season statistics. Expect a return to normal here and the Bucks get a double-digit win in Game 2.

ASA top play 10* on: Over 216.5 Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors, 5:30PM ET These two rivals met in the Bubble prior to the Playoffs and Vegas set a Total of 222.5 and now we have a number drastically lower for Game 2. Game 1 stayed below the number yet the oddsmakers opened this number slightly higher than the opening Total for Game 1. There were a few anomalies in the opener and most glaring was the Raptors poor shooting. Toronto hit just 37% of their FG attempts and 25% (10 of 40) from beyond the arc. Those numbers are drastically lower than the Raps season averages of 45.8% (FG%) and 37.5% which was the 5th best 3-Point percentage in the NBA. Toronto was 14th in offensive efficiency this season averaging 1.112 points per possession. In Game 1 against Boston the Raptors averaged .880 points per possession which is INSANELY low. To put that in perspective the .880PPP would be last in the NBA this season by a wide margin as Golden State was last at 1.052PPP. Boston OEFF in Game 1 was also slightly lower than their season average so expect an improvement in Game 2. It is no secret the Bubble games have been higher scoring as the smaller confines make for better shooting sightlines, which has led to higher scoring games. Before the Playoffs started the games in the restart averaged 231 total points. Thus far in the Playoffs games are averaging 225PPG. In the regular season NBA games averaged just over 222 total points so you can see for yourself this number is set below an average NBA outcome. The Celtics were the 4th most efficient offense in the NBA this season while Toronto was 14th but the Raptors OEFF numbers in the first round were fantastic at 1.220PPP. In the Bubble games the Raptors average offensive possession was just 13.7 seconds which was 6th fastest in the restart. Boston’s average offensive possession was 14.1 seconds which was 13th. The total on this game is based heavily on the fact that these two teams are two of the better in the NBA in defensive efficiency ratings (Raptors 2nd, Celtics 4th) but the number has been over-adjusted according to our math models.

ASA top play 10* on: Houston Rockets -5 over Oklahoma City Thunder, 9PM ET With this being an elimination game, you would expect most bettors to back the Thunder and the dog here but not us. The Rockets are a completely different team when they have dynamic guard Russell Westbrook in the lineup, and even though his numbers were not significant in the Rockets Game 4 win, he still had an impact. Westbrook’s ability to get to the rim and in driving lanes forces defenders in slightly instead of being in the gaps which allows Rocket shooters another split second to get a shot off. Expect more minutes and production from Westbrook tonight against the Thunder. OKC thought they found a way to contain James Harden with rookie Luguentz Dort defending him in Games 3 & 4 and causing problems for the Rockets scoring machine. In Game 5 the Rockets adjusted, hit Dort with better angles on screens which freed up Hardin who scored 31-points on just 15 shots. Dort then proved to be a liability on the offensive end of the floor where he missed 13 of 16 field goal attempts. The Rockets have been significantly better defensively in the playoffs and the Bubble allowing less points per possession than they did during the regular season while maintaining an offensive efficiency that is averaging 1.118PPP against OKC. We recognize the Thunder have solid support as an underdog and when off a loss, but the Rockets have too many scoring options for the Thunder to overcome.

ASA top play 10* on: Over 216 Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors, 1PM ET Sunday

The total on this game is based heavily on the fact that these two teams are two of the best in the NBA in defensive efficiency ratings (Raptors 2nd, Celtics 4th) but the number has been over-adjusted according to our math models.  These two rivals met in the Bubble w/Total set by Vegas of 222.5 and now we have a number drastically lower for Game 1. Not to mention, the Bubble game finished with 222 total points which gets us the cash here. In the last eight meetings these two teams have combined for 216 or more points five times, AND the other three games stayed below 216 total points by the sum of 9-points. It’s no secret the Bubble games have been higher scoring as the smaller confines make for better shooting sightlines, which has led to higher scoring games. Before the Playoffs started the games in the restart averaged 231 total points. Thus far in the Playoffs games are averaging 225PPG. In the regular season NBA games averaged just over 222 total points so you can see for yourself this number is set below an average NBA outcome. Neither of these two teams were fast in terms of pace of play during the regular season but in the Bubble games they both averaged about 3 more possessions per game, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but is. The Celtics were the 4th most efficient offense in the NBA this season while Toronto was 14th but the Raptors OEFF numbers in the first round were fantastic at 1.220PPP. This game gets into the 228 range rather easily.

ASA top play 10* on: Orlando Magic +13.5 over Milwaukee Bucks, 3:30 PM ET - Can the Magic win this game today? Sure, but will they, no. They can however cover the spread with the generous number. After winning Game #1 the Magic have been beaten by the Bucks by 15, 14 and 15 points. In the last game of this series the Bucks won by 15-points but needed to outscore the Magic by 12 in the 4th quarter. Milwaukee had the best overall average margin of victory this season at +10.1PPG which is a tremendous number, but it is still not enough to cover this spread. In the eight Bubble “regular” season games the Bucks average point differential was 0.3PPG and in this series their MOV is 8PPG. Orlando had a negative point differential of minus -1PPG and only 14 of their 43 losses this season have been by 15 or more points. The Bucks haven’t been great as a double-digit favorite this season with an 18-19 ATS record and given the circumstances they could be resting starters late in this game which would make for a potential back-door cover. Grab the points with Orlando.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Clippers -6.5 over Dallas Mavericks, 9PM ET The Clippers are off of a poor showing and a last second loss in Game 4 to the Mavs and are now tied 2-2 in this first round series. NOBODY has been better than the Clippers when coming off a loss this season with a 21-3 SU record and an average margin of victory of +15.3PPG (covering games by 7.7PPG). The Mavericks have played well in the series and Luka Doncic is going to be next year’s MVP and may win that award multiple years. His buzzer beating step back 3-pointer is only the start of his legendary status in the NBA for years to come. The Mavs shot extremely well by making 50% of their FG attempts and 36% from beyond the arc. Those numbers are more of an aberration than a norm as the Mavs were 15th in the league in team field goal percentage on season and the Clippers had the 3rd best FG% “D” allowing 43.9% on the year. The Mavs are currently 1st in the NBA in offensive efficiency but the Clippers are 2nd. Defensively though the Clippers rank 5th in defensive efficiency while the Mavericks are 18th. Lastly, the Clippers have covered 9 of their last ten when coming off a loss. We are betting Paul George finally shows up and Kawhi Leonard shoulders the burden in this crucial game for the franchise.

ASA top play 10* on: Miami Heat -6 over Indiana Pacers, 6:30PM ET Sometimes when it looks like two even teams on paper and all the stats are equal, but one team continues to win, it is a match up issue. That is clearly the case in this series as the Heat have beaten the Pacers three straight and four of five in the Bubble. The only game the Pacers won was a throw away game as the seedings were set. Miami has a +10PPG margin in the three wins and we cannot imagine them not winning again by double-digits in this elimination game. Going back before the break the Heat are 6-1 SU this season against the Pacers, covering five of the seven. Miami holds edges in both offensive and defensive efficiency numbers in this series and have gotten balanced scoring throughout this first round match up. In Game #3 the Heat had four players score 20+ points, six in double-digits. Indiana doesn’t have as many scoring options as Miami and just can’t keep pace with the Heat. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. Heat win again.

ASA top play 10* on: Denver Nuggets +3.5 over Utah Jazz, 9PM ET

If you’ve been following ASA for any length of time then you know we are numbers bettors not teams bettors which has us on Denver here today. With no home court advantage and all the games being played on a neutral court the lines shouldn’t fluctuate too much from game to game but this series has seen a significant move. The Nuggets were favored by -4.5 points in Game 1 of this series but are now a 3-point dog here. That’s a huge swing in value and has us on Denver here. The Nuggets were blown out in Game 3 and now trail 1-2 in this series which makes this a desperate situation for Denver. Denver has been fantastic when coming off a loss this season with a 19-9 SU record and are 39-23 SU in that role the past two years. Since the restart the Jazz have an average point differential of minus -3.1PPG which is barely better than the Nuggets -4.8PPG and clearly not a big enough separation to cover this spread. The Dog has covered 4 of the last six in this rivalry. Grab the points!

ASA top play 10* on: Under 226 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic, 1PM ET

The Magic have done a great job controlling the tempo or pace in the first two games as it is their only option to win games against the Bucks. In the two games the combined field goal attempts for both teams is 179 and 178 which is barely above league average of 177. Let us not forget the Bucks are the fastest paced team in the league at 105.1 possessions per game while the Magic are 25th at 98.6. In this series the Magic came out in Game 1 and filled it up with 122 points on 49% shooting from the field overall, 39% from 3-point range and 95% from the stripe. In Game #2 the Bucks top rated defensive efficiency stepped up and limited the Magic to just 35% shooting from the field and 21% from beyond the arc. That was more inline with the Magic’s season stats as they were 27th in the league in team FG% at 44.3% and 23rd in offensive efficiency. In other words, the Magic will struggle to score again here and do their best to slow the tempo. Milwaukee broke out a little in Game 2 but one of the stories of all the Bubble games has been the struggles of the Bucks offense.  Milwaukee was 8th best in the league in offensive efficiency this season but drop to 13th of 22 teams that played in the restart. Orlando is a top 10 defensive efficiency unit and match up well with Milwaukee. These two teams have met six times this season and only one (Game 1 when Orlando shot ridiculously well) has ended with more than 226 total points.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Clippers -5 over Dallas Mavericks, 9PM ET

All the experts and oddsmakers had the Clippers as one of the three favorites along with the Bucks and Lakers to win it all in 2020 and they were not wrong. This team has been built for a Championship and now they are off a poor showing and a loss in Game 2 to the Mavs. That’s very important for our wager today as the Clippers are the BEST team in the NBA this season when coming off a loss with a 20-3 SU record and an average margin of victory of +15.3PPG (covering games by 7.7PPG). Great players respond when their egos have been bruised which will be the case Friday for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard who didn’t expect to be 1-1 in this series right now. The Mavericks played well in the first two games and Luka Doncic is going to be next year’s MVP and may win that award multiple years. The Mavs shot extremely well by making 50% of their FG attempts and 45% from beyond the arc. Those numbers are more of an aberration than a norm as the Mavs were 15th in the league in team field goal percentage on season and the Clippers had the 3rd best FG% “D” allowing 43.9% on the year. The Mavs are currently 1st in the NBA in offensive efficiency but the Clippers are 2nd. Defensively though the Clippers rank 5th in defensive efficiency while the Mavericks are 18th. We haven’t even mentioned the value in the line on this game as the Clippers have dropped a few points from the first two games. Lastly, the Clippers have covered 8 of their last nine when coming off a loss. Easy call with L.A.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -6.5 over Portland Trailblazers, Thurs 9PM ET The Blazers captured Game 1 by 7-points winning 100-93 and now lead the series 1-0 which makes this a must win for the Lakers. The oddsmakers have fallen into the Blazer trap here and have posted a number that reflects public opinion of Portland. The Lakers offense in the Bubble has been horrendous and is showed again in Game 1 of this series when L.A. attempted 18 more field goals in the opener, had 5 more total rebounds and were +12 in offensive boards but still lost. The Lakers shot just 35% against one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA as Portland ranks 28th on the season in defensive efficiency ratings and has been worse in the Bubble allowing 1.209 points per possession. The Lakers made just 5 of 32 3-pointers in Game 1 and shot just 35% for the game which is drastically lower than their season average of 47.8% which was best in the NBA. In other words, let’s bet what the “norm” is instead of the abnormal results of Game 1. It was apparent to us as we watched the game how deliberate the Blazers were which was not how they played during the regular season (13th in pace of play). Portland was taxed physically and dictated a slower tempo with the Lakers knowing if they could keep it close, they have more playmakers at the end of the game and could steal a win. The fatigue of their pre-playoff run was obvious to us and will play a bigger part in this outcome. The Lakers had the 5th best overall average point differential in the NBA this season at +5.8PPG while Portland was negative at minus -1.1PPG. The Lakers have not been great as a favorite, but the Blazers have been especially poor as a dog with a 10-20-1 ATS record this season when getting less than 10-points. The Lakers Championship run hangs in the balance, and you can bet LeBron and AD show up here.

ASA Top Play 10* on: Over 217 Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets, Weds 4PM ET Game 1 between these two teams could not have been much better as had everything a basketball fan wants in a contest. Denver won by 10-points, but it took overtime and was very close throughout. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell had a monster game with 57-points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists but it wasn’t enough to offset the 36/5/9 put up by Jamal Murray and the 29/10/3 by Jokic for Denver. Of course, for our wager here the overtime period should not be factored into our thinking and influence our Over bet. In Game 1 these two teams combined for 220 total points in regulation which is enough to cash our ticket in Game 2. Since the restart, games involving the Jazz have averaged 230 total points while the Nugget games have averaged 242-points (2 OT games have this numbers slightly inflated). In the regular season these two teams were two of the slower paced teams in the league, but they made up for it by being highly efficiency on the offensive end of the floor. Denver is 5th in the NBA this year in OEFF at 1.131 points per possession while Utah is 10th at 1.124PPP. Both teams shot well in Game 1 but that has been the norm in the Bubble with great sight lines and backdrops for shooters. This number is set below league average and value lies with the Over bet.

ASA top play 10* on: LA Lakers -5.5 over Portland Trailblazers, Tues 8PM ET Noise! There has been a lot of noise surrounding the Blazers and their run in the Bubble to make the playoffs. There has also been a lot of talk about how poorly the Lakers have played in the restart and we are betting they’ve heard it and respond here. Let us start with the Blazers who expended a ton of energy to get here and played in several big, emotional games to capture the 8th seed. Damian Lillard has been sensational, and the Blazers offense has put up some impressive numbers in the Bubble but that changes here. The Lakers have the 3rd best defensive efficiency rankings in the NBA allowing just 1.063 points per possession. That is significantly better than the Blazers defense that is 28th in the league in D.E.F.F. Much has been made of the Lakers struggle on the offensive end of the floor in the Bubble games as it’s been atrocious but on the entire season they are 11th in offensive efficiency and much better than they’ve showed in these meaningless 8-games which had no bearing on their seeding. The Lakers had the 5th best overall average point differential in the NBA this season at +5.8PPG while Portland was negative at minus -1.1PPG. The Lakers haven’t been great as a favorite, but the Blazers have been especially poor as a dog with a 9-20-1 ATS record this season when getting less than 10-points. This will be a statement game for the Lakers and we predict a double-digit win.

ASA top play 10* on: OVER 230 Dallas Mavericks vs. LA Clippers, Monday Aug 17th 9PM ET - We are extremely excited about this bet and expect an easy win by about the 8-minute mark of the 4th quarter. We mentioned this a few bets ago that scoring is up in the Bubble restart compared to the regular season prior to March 11th. The smaller confines offer a “shooters background” and scoring has gone up from 223 total points per game to 230PPG. In other words, we are asking for an average scoring output from these two teams in this setting when we have the 5th (Clippers) and 6th (Mavs) ranked offensive efficiency units in Bubble play squaring off. The Clippers have averaged 118PPG in the Bubble while the Mavs have averaged 123PPG. Granted, the Clippers have the 10th best defensive efficiency numbers in the restart but the Mavs have the 20th out of 22 teams. The Mavs are averaging more possessions per game in the Bubble and the Clippers are 8th in the league in pace of play at 101.5 possessions per game on the season. The Mavs have allowed 126 or more points in 6 of their eight Bubble games and are clearly not known for their defense. These two teams met in the restart and combined for 237 total points which will be on the lower end of today’s scoring. BET OVER!