ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +4.5 over Milwaukee Bucks, Game 5 Tuesday 8:30 PM ET - This number is the second highest the Nets have been as a dog this season at home and even without Kyrie and Harden they are the bet here. KD can obviously carry a team himself and back at home we expect the reserves to step up. Let’s not forget Joe Harris was bordering an All-Star level of play before the Super Star additions and he’s more than capable of filling it up from beyond the Arc. Let’s face it, Brooklyn 33-8 SU at home this season and a majority of those wins came without one of the Big 3 playing. The Nets were 10-3 SU at home off a loss this season and they’ll find a way to keep this one close throughout.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz +5 over LA Clippers, Game 4 Monday 10 PM ET - Before the playoffs started, we felt the Jazz were the best team in the West and our opinion hasn’t changed even though the Suns look outstanding. Utah had the most wins during the regular season at 52 and are 6-2 SU in the playoffs. Utah had a +9.2PPG differential (1st) overall and the best margin of victory on the road too at +5.3PPG. The Jazz ranked top seven in both road offensive and defensive efficiency. The Clippers are obviously a good team with star power in George and Leonard, but they haven’t been unbeatable at home with three losses in the opening round to Dallas. In Game 3 the Clippers shot well above their season averages at 56% overall and 53% from beyond the arc. Those numbers are significantly higher than their season averages of 48% and 41%. Not to mention the Jazz are the 2nd best field goal percentage defense in the NBA. The Clippers have just one cover in their last nine games when coming off a double-digit win while the Jazz are 16-5 SU off a loss, 8-4 on the road. Grab the points and the underdog here.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz +4.5 over LA Clippers, Game 3 Saturday 8:25PM ET Yes, we are going to ignore the zig-zag theory here and bet the overall better team in the Jazz. Utah was the best team in the NBA all season long and have flown under the radar because of a late season injury to Donovan Mitchell but they are clearly in top form now. Speaking of Mitchell, the Clippers have no answer for him right now as he’s put up 45 and 37-points in the first two games of this series. The Clippers were built for a Championship, but they are missing a piece or two and the dynamic duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard aren’t enough. Utah is 35-6 SU on the road this season and had the best road point differential in the league at +5.3PPG, the 7th best offensive efficiency and the 6th best defensive efficiency numbers when away from home. Examining the previous meetings this season we see the Jazz have won and covered 4 of five and the lone loss was by 4-points. Let’s not forget the Clippers lost three home games in the last round to the Mavericks so they are not unbeatable on their home floor. Back the better team and the grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +1.5 over Philadelphia 76ers, Game 3 Friday 7:35 PM ET - The home crowd will be rocking in Atlanta tonight when the Hawks look to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Atlanta has been fantastic since head coach Nate McMillan took over with a 27-11 SU record and have improved in all areas of their game. The Hawks were 25-11 SU at home during the regular season with the 8th best average margin of victory at home of +6.3PPG. Atlanta has the 6th best offensive efficiency rating at home and the 13th best defensive efficiency. The 76ers defensive efficiency numbers have been good at home and on the road where they rank 3rd overall but offensively their road efficiency is 1.106-points per possession which ranks 19th. We don’t expect Seth Curry and Shake Milton having incredible shooting nights by coming to go 9 of 11 from beyond the 3-point line as they did at home in Game 2. The Hawks have covered 6 straight at home against the Sixers and we are betting it’s 7 in a row after tonight. 

ASA top play on 10* OVER 234 Brooklyn Nets @ Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Thursday 7:30 PM ET - The Bucks have let their backers down in two different ways in this series by not being able to produce offensively. We are not about to support the Bucks here at home in this game but will try out luck on the Over again. Milwaukee has two straight abysmal shooting nights which clearly isn’t the norm for several reasons. First off, the Bucks were one of the best shooting teams all season long with the 3rd best overall FG percentage in the NBA and 5th best 3-points shooting. Secondly, the Nets have been a below average defensive team all season long ranking 22nd in overall defensive efficiency, 14th in 3-point defense and 7th in overall FG% D. The Bucks are a horrendous 14 of 57 from beyond the Arc in the series but we expect that to change back at home where the Bucks shot 39.8% on the season from the 3-point line. We know the Nets are going to score again as the Bucks don’t seem to have an answer for KD who has scored at will in both games thus far on 24 of 43 shooting and 51-points. Milwaukee was 29th in 3-point percentage defense this season so expect the Nets shooters to continue to get open looks. The Bucks average 120PPG at home this year and will have a much better offensive showing here. Bet OVER.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -5.5 over Denver Nuggets, 9:30 PM ET - The Suns got a solid 17-point win in the opener and were the much better team on both ends of the floor. The Nuggets may have the best player on the floor in MVP Jokic, but the Suns depth and balance is the difference. Phoenix had four players score 20+ points in Game 1 with the team shooting over 54% from the field and 38% from beyond the Arc. Without Jamal Murray the Nuggets lack their best playmaker off the bounce and forces Denver to rely too heavily on Jokic. The longer, more athletic Ayton held Jokic to 22-points in the opener and defensively could be the difference in this series. Phoenix has covered 4 of their last five as a favorite and had the 4th best average home point differential in the league this season of +8.9PPG. The Nuggets second best scorer Porter Jr is listed as questionable tonight and not 100% which only magnifies Denver’s lack of scoring here. Lay the points in Game 2.

ASA top play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers -6 over Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 PM ET - Let’s not forget the 76ers were the best team in the East all season long and have a MVP level player in Joel Embiid and a Hall of Fame coach in Doc Rivers. Granted, Embiid isn’t 100% but he wasn’t in Game 1 either and he put up 39-points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Philadelphia is going to bounce back here against a young Atlanta team that will let down after their Game 1 win. Both teams shot extremely well in the opener, but the difference was the Hawks 20 made 3-pointers to the 76ers 10. Those numbers are startling considering both teams are top 10 in 3-point percentage defense and rank 11th and 12th in 3-point shooting offensively. The 76ers are 6th in points allowed per game this season and 4th in overall field goal percentage defense. Philadelphia was 2nd in the league in defensive efficiency this season while the Hawks were 21st. Atlanta does hold a slight edge offensively with the 8th best offense efficiency rating, but Philly is 13th. The Hawks were just +2-point dogs at New York which makes tonight’s line a bargain with a much better Sixers team that is off a loss. These teams met in late April in Philly with the 76ers dominating in a 44-point (no Trae Young) and 22-point (w/Trae Young) home wins. The 76ers had the second-best home point differential in the NBA this season at +8.9PPG and were 29-7 SU on their home court this season. Philly was 14-9-1 ATS off a loss this season at 10-2-1 ATS at home off a beat. In their last eleven home games when coming off a loss the 76ers are 10-1 SU with an average margin of victory of 13PPG. This game has all the makings of a pointspread blowout.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 235.5 Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets, 7:35 PM ET - The Under came through in Game 1 but the pace of play suggest it should have gone Over despite poor shooting by the Bucks. The results of that game have driven this line down so we will side with the value here and Over. These two teams attempted 200 field goals in Game 1 which is drastically higher than league average this season of 187. Milwaukee had a horrible 3-point shooting night in Game 1 by making just 6 of 30 3-point attempts or 20%. The law of averages suggest that was an aberration as the Bucks were the 5th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA this season at 38.9%. Not only that, the Nets 3-point percentage defense was 14th in the league allowing 36.5%. The Nets lost James Harden in Game 1 but it didn’t seem to matter as KD and Kyrie carried the Nets to a solid win in the opener. These two teams are the highest scoring teams in the NBA at 120.1PPG (Bucks) and 118.6PPG (Nets) and this number suggests Vegas is telling us one of these two teams has to get to 120 to win. The math suggests both teams get to 120+ which means we cash the Over bet.

ASA top play on 10* Over 220.5 Atlanta Hawks vs Philadelphia 76ers, 1 PM ET - These same two teams met in late April and the oddsmakers set totals of 213 and then 224 in the most recent contest. The Hawks were without Trae Young and Boban Bogdanovic in the first game but Young played in the second, so the number was adjusted up drastically. Obviously, both will be in the lineup here but the 76ers may be without Embiid who is listed as questionable. Even without Embiid the 76ers put up 129 points against Washington in that series closeout game. Atlanta just held the Knicks to under 105 points in every game of their first round series, but the Knicks offense is horrible with the 8th worst offensive efficiency in the NBA. Philly is 13th in OEFF this season and average 113.6PPG while the Hawks put up 113.7PPG on the season. Scoring will come from beyond the 3-point line with both ranking in the top 12 in 3-point percentage shooting. We expect this series to start fast with plenty of scoring from both teams. This number is set slightly lower than an ‘average’ NBA game so bet the value and play Over.

ASA top play on 10* Under 239.5 Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets, Game 1 Sat 7:35 PM ET - These are two of the highest scoring teams in the NBA, but we don’t think they’ll get to this number. The Bucks have the 10th best defensive efficiency numbers this season and have been outstanding in the playoffs holding the Heat to 103 or less points (in regulation) in all four games. The Bucks defensive efficiency rating of .966-points per possession are beyond outstanding. Yes, that will get tested here by the dynamic Nets, but the Bucks can matchup with Brooklyn much better than other teams can. These two teams met in early May and Vegas set totals of 243 on those two games and James Harden wasn’t in the lineup. With Harden here the number is set 3 or 4 points lower, and more money is coming in on the Over, but the line is dropping. That’s a sure tell the smart money is coming in on the Under which is the way we’ll bet this opening round game.

ASA top play on 10* LA Clippers -2.5 over Dallas Mavericks, 9 PM ET - This has been a strange series with the road team winning all five matchups. The Clippers are facing elimination here and will put forth a monster effort to extend this series. In Game 5 Luke Doncic followed up a horrible outing in Game 4 with a huge game for the Mavericks with 42 points and 14 assists. Despite Luka playing a near flawless game the Clippers still had a chance to win that game late. Odds are he can’t have another game as good as that against one of the better defensive teams in the league (Clippers rank 8th in defensive efficiency allowing just 1.113PPP). Let’s not forget the Mavs were 17th in the league in average point differential at +0.3PPG while the Clippers had the second best road differential at +4.3PPG. L.A. is 8-2 ATS the last ten meetings in Dallas and are 19-9 SU off a loss this season. The Clippers are 10-4 SU (9-5 ATS) when playing on the road and off a loss. Obviously a very big game for both teams but Kawhi and Paul George will lift the Clippers to a win and cover.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 227.5 Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trailblazers, 8:05 PM ET - This has obviously been an Over series as 4 of the five games have eclipsed the Total and all four of those finished with more than 232 plus points. In the most recent game the Blazers and Nuggets had scored 242 total points in regulation. In the one game that didn’t go Over the number the Nuggets had a horrible shooting night at just 34% overall and 30% from the 3-point line. That was very uncharacteristic of the Nuggets who are the 4th best shooting team in the NBA at 48.5% and 8th best 3-point shooting team at 37.7%. Not to mention the Blazers defense ranks 25th in overall field goal percentage defense. Had the Nuggets had a normal shooting night they score a minimum of 20 more points and Game 4 goes Over the number easily. These same two teams also met the last game of the regular season and scored 248 in that game. This matchup features two of the top 10 offenses in terms of scoring and one of the worst defenses in the NBA (Portland ranks 29th in defensive efficiency rating). The Over is 5-1 the last six meetings and 7-3 Over in the last ten in Portland. If we get and ‘average’ shooting night by both teams this game gets to the 230+ mark again.

ASA top play on: NY Knicks money line -117 over Atlanta Hawks, 7:35 PM ET - This is similar to a 1980’s series as it’s gotten chippy with both teams playing physical, intense and we like the home team Knicks to come out on top tonight. New York was 10th in the NBA in average home point differential at +4.1PPG, were 15th in offensive efficiency at home and 4th in defensive efficiency. Atlanta was 18th in average road differential at -0.4PPG and 16-20 SU away from home. The Hawks had the 11th best OEFF on the road in the league but were 27th in DEFF. Atlanta is just 1-6 ATS their last seven road games and the home team has obviously won 3 of the four meetings thus far in this series. New York is 11-4 SU at home off a loss and they basically just have to win this game at the current number to cover. Trae Young has had his way with the Knicks in the series but expect Knicks coach Thibodeau to have a scheme in place to limit his effectiveness in this contest. A big home crowd in the Garden tonight will help propel the Knicks to a win.

ASA top play on 10* LA Lakers +5 over Phoenix Suns, 10 PM ET - It’s clear LeBron can’t carry a team to a championship by himself anymore which is why he recruited Anthony Davis to come to Los Angeles in the first place but he’s got enough help to keep this critical game 5 close. After a loss in game 1 the Lakers benefited from some favorable calls and went to the free throw line 31 times on the road which is abnormal. All four games have been very low scoring which makes the points even more attractive. Yes, the Lakers are without AD but they’ve gone from being a 2-point road favorite in Game 2 to being a 5-point dog here? That’s too much of an adjustment by the oddsmakers. The Lakers have been profitable off a loss with a 17-13-1 ATS record this season and a majority of those covers came without key players in the lineup. Los Angeles has covered 4 in a row when off a loss. Phoenix has their own injury concerns and Chris Paul is clearly not 100% with a shoulder injury. The Lakers improve on their 5-2 ATS record in Phoenix with a close game tonight.

ASA top play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers -8 over Washington Wizards, 7 PM ET - There has been an adjustment by the oddsmakers here but we don’t feel it’s enough and we’re betting the 76ers end this series today with a resounding win. After a close game (7-point Philly win) in Game 1 the Sixers have crushed the Wizards in two straight games by 25 and 29-points respectively. Washington had the 3rd highest scoring average (116PPG) in the NBA on the season, but the stifling Philly defense has held them to 95 and 103 points in the previous two games. Washington is just 10 of 57 from beyond the arc in Games 2 & 3. The Wiz have no answer for Joel Embiid who is 31 of 46 from the field in the three games thus far. Washington is the worst overall efficiency team in the playoffs and the Sixers have exposed their lack of depth beyond Westbrook and Beal. Teams that lead a playoff series 3-0 have won 60% of the time and we can’t see a Washington team that didn’t enjoy much of a home court advantage (19th in home point differential) this season to make this a contest. Washington just 9-14 SU at home off a loss. Lay it with Philly.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -7.5 over Boston Celtics, 7 PM ET - We are betting the Celtics won’t have the offensive explosion in this game that they had in the previous one. After scoring 93 and 108 points in the first two games of this series on 37% and 42% shooting, the Celtics exploded for 125 in Game 3. Boston shot 51% for the game and 41% from beyond the arc which are well above their season averages. Jayson Tatum will have a tough time duplicating his 50-point performance as the Nets will make adjustments here to limit his offensive production. Boston could also be without their second best offensive option with Kemba Walker who is listed as questionable, but we are assuming he plays. After a pair of double-digit wins in the first two games we expect the Nets to rebound off that embarrassing loss with a big win here. The Nets were 15-9 SU off a loss this season and have covered 7 of their last eight games overall. Boston is just 1-6 ATS their last seven games when coming off a win. Back the elite team here off a loss.

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers -4.5 over Denver Nuggets, 4 PM ET - With the Blazers at home and off a loss we like them to get a double-digit win in Game 4. When we examine Game 3 we find several anomalies that directly impacted the end result and the Nuggets win. Denver shot 53% from Downtown, making 20 of 38 3-pointers. That’s a stat line you’d typically find for Portland who shot just 31% from beyond the Arc (14 of 45). Denver also made 11 more free throws than Portland who typically attempt 21+ FT’s per game. As we talked about in our last analysis on this series Portland typically gets it done offensively by shooting 3’s while Denver relies on 2’s. Portland is the 6th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA and attempt the 5th most 3’s in the NBA. Over the last ten games of the regular season the red hot Blazers had the best offensive efficiency at 1.241PPP with an average differential of +11.6PPG. In their last ten games the Nuggets were average or below in those same two offensive categories. Portland has covered 7 of their last nine games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better while Denver is 1-4 ATS their last five road games against an opponent with a winning record.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 211. NY Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 7 PM ET - The number on this game has been adjusted down from the opening game by 3 full points now so we’ll grab the value and bet the Over in Game 3. The first playoff game in Atlanta tonight is going to be electric and we expect the home team Hawks to feed off that energy. After both teams shot well in Game 1 at 45% or better, they fell well below their season averages at 38% for New York and 37% for the Hawks. On the year these same two teams shot 46% or better. Obviously, the Knicks are one of the best overall defensive teams in the NBA, but the Hawks can counter with the 8th best offensive efficiency rating in the NBA at 1.157-points per possession. The Knicks games averaged 209 total points per game on the road this season while the Hawks home games averaged 225 total points. All three games between these two teams in the regular season went Over the total and averaged 234-points in regulation. We like the trending pace of play and expect a much better shooting night here compared to Game 2. Bet OVER.

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers -3.5 over Denver Nuggets, 10:35 PM ET - This is a great series and would be even better if Jamaal Murray was healthy for the Nuggets but unfortunately, he is out for the season. With the Blazers returning home we like them to get a double-digit win in Game 3. The difference here is the depth of Portland who can get scoring from several players including Lillard, McCollum, Melo, Nurkic and even Powell. Portland gets it done offensively by shooting 3’s while Denver relies on 2’s. Portland is the 6th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA and attempt the 5th most 3’s in the NBA. Both teams have shot well in each game but when you’re making 3’s over 2’s you’re going to win. Over the last ten games of the regular season the red hot Blazers had the best offensive efficiency at 1.241PPP with an average differential of +11.6PPG. In their last ten games the Nuggets were average or below in those same two offensive categories. Portland has covered 7 of their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better while Denver is 0-4 ZTS their last four road games against an opponent with a winning record. The oddsmakers haven’t adjusted this number enough based on the first two games and the value lies with Portland at home.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz -9 over Memphis Grizzlies, 10 PM ET - The Jazz have been the best team in the NBA for the entire season but are flying under the radar right now because of moderate play late in the season. Utah finished the season 52-20 SU with the best average point differential of plus +9.2PPG which is a full 3-points better than second place L.A. Clippers. The Jazz are 3rd in offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency and clearly the best team in the NBA statistically. Late in the season the Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley and their victories weren’t as impressive which has given us value here. Memphis is coming off three very big wins just to get here as they held off the Spurs in the playoff game then went on the road and beat a weary Warriors team in OT, then upset Utah in Game 1. This young Memphis team was 6th in DEFF this season but 15th in OEFF with a point differential of +1PPG which was league average. Memphis is just 2-7 ATS their last eight when coming off a win. The Grizzlies Utah was a remarkable 31-6 SU at home this year and won those games by +13.2PPG. Uncharacteristically, the Jazz shot just 26% from beyond the arc in Game 1 which is much lower than their 4th best season average of 39%. Not to mention the Grizzlies 3-point percentage defense is 18th worse in the NBA. Utah is 15-2 SU, 7-1 at home when coming off a loss. Utah was reportedly getting Donovan Mitchell back for the last game but he was a late scratch after warming up. He is expected to play tonight which will give Utah an edge mentally and physically.

ASA top play on LA Clippers -6.5 over Dallas Mavericks, 10:35 PM ET - This is a great opportunity to bet an elite team off an embarrassing loss. The Clippers were eliminated early from the playoffs last year and were just upset as a home favorite in Game 1 of this series. If there is any game, they “show up” for it’s this one. The Mavs had a perfect storm in Game 1 with 50% shooting overall and 47% from beyond the arc. Dallas shoots just 46% on the season and 36.5% from the 3-point line. Not only that, but the Clippers defense was also 13th best shooting defense in the NBA, 6th in 3-point percentage D. The Clippers had a poor shooting night in the opener which is surprising considering they were the 5th best overall shooting team in the NBA and the best 3-point percentage. Especially, considering the Mavs defense wasn’t particularly good defending opponents shooting (13th overall, 18th 3PT%). The Clippers are d18-8 SU off a loss this year and 9-4 SU at home off a beat. Los Angeles was 26-10 SU at home during the regular season and won those games by an average of +8PPG. The Clippers are 9-4 ATS the last thirteen meetings with the Mavs and in this situation they get a resounding home win.

ASA top play on 10* Miami Heat +4.5 over Milwaukee Bucks, 7:35 PM ET - This series is going to be a dogfight from start to finish and we like the points with Miami here. The Heat were covering for 99% of Game 1 and the Bucks largest spread differential was +1.5PPG, and they did it with their two best offensive players (Butler & Adebayo) having off nights. Butler and Adebayo combined to shoot just 8 of 37 from the field for 26-total points. If we get anywhere near an average game from both, it will lead to an easy cover if not a win outright. The big separator last year when these two teams played was coaching. Heat coach Spoelstra will make adjustment and Bucks coach Budenholzer will not. These two teams are near even when it comes to defensive efficiency ratings, but the Bucks have the season long advantage when it comes to offensive efficiency. In their last ten games though the Heat have the 3rd best offensive efficiency rating in the NBA at 1.218-points per possession. Miami has covered 4 of the last five meetings in Milwaukee and they’ll keep this game close throughout again. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz -8.5 over Memphis Grizzlies, 9:35 PM ET - The Jazz have been the best team in the NBA for the entire season but are flying under the radar right now because of moderate play late in the season. Utah finished the season 52-20 SU with the best average point differential of plus +9.2PPG which is a full 3-points better than second place L.A. Clippers. The Jazz are 3rd in offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency and clearly the best team in the NBA statistically. Late in the season the Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley and their victories weren’t as impressive which has given us value here. Memphis is coming off two very big wins just to get here as they held off the Spurs in the playoff game then went on the road and beat a weary Warriors team in OT. This young Memphis team was 6th in DEFF this season but 15th in OEFF with a point differential of +1PPG which was league average. Memphis is just 1-7 ATS their last eight when coming off a win. Utah was a remarkable 31-5 SU at home this year and won those games by +13.2PPG and a fully healthy Jazz team get a double-digit win here.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 231.5 Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets, 8 PM ET - We love this situation for an Over bet as the Celtics last game against a high scoring, fast paced Wizards team resulted in an Under, which influenced the bookmakers here. Looking at that Celtics/Wizards game we see those two teams scored 218 total points but they attempted 188 field goal attempts (league average is 176) but shot just 43% and 40% from the field. Washington was a dismal 3 of 21 from the 3-point line or 14%. We make that comparison because the Nets and Wizards are similar in style of play. The Nets are the #1 overall shooting team in the league and 2nd in 3-point percentage at 39.2%. They average 118.6PPG which is 2nd in the league. Boston doesn’t defend the 3-point line well with the 22nd highest percentage allowed from beyond the arc. The Celtics have a top 10 shooting offense from beyond the arc and are 10th in the NBA when it comes to offensive efficiency. Both teams are 15th or worse in defensive efficiency with the Nets ranking 22nd. These two teams met on April 23rd but both teams were missing key offensive contributors with Walker out for the C’s while the Nets played without KD and Harden. Based on our math model this game is going to result in the 240’s. Bet OVER!

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -4.5 over Memphis Grizzlies, 9 PM ET - There is a lot we can talk about here when it comes to breaking down numbers and statistics but in the end the team with the best player is going to advance and that is the Warriors. Steph Curry has put together a MVP type season (if I had a vote if would go to Jokic) and has lifted this Golden State team to the next level. The Warriors are 15-6 SU their last 21 games and their average differential in those games is +8.7PPG. One concern we have in this game is with the Warriors coming off such a huge emotional game against the Lakers, but Golden State is 11-2 ATS this season when playing at home off a loss. Clearly home court and having fan support is a factor right now in the NBA play in games as the home teams have won every game. Memphis looked like they were going to bury the Spurs early on the other night, but they’ve made a habit of blowing leads this season and the game finished much closer than it should have. These teams have similar overall efficiency numbers on the season but down the stretch the Warriors have been much better than the Grizzlies. Memphis is just 1-7 ATS their last eight games when coming off a win and Golden State’s 6-0 spread run goes to seven after tonight.

ASA top play on 10* LA Lakers -5.5 over Golden State Warriors, 10 PM ET - This is clearly the marquee matchup of the start of the playoffs with LeBron/AD facing off against Steph Curry. The difference is the Lakers have many more weapons than Golden State right now and several capable defenders to continually throw at Curry. Between Schroder, Pope and Caruso they can rotate fresh bodies at Curry and keep him in check. If Curry isn’t “cooking” the Warriors have a tough time scoring, especially with Kelly Oubre Jr out of the lineup. The Lakers dealt with the injuries to LBJ and AD but both are back which led to the Lakers winning 5 straight to close the season and that included a pair of quality wins over the Knicks and Suns. The Warriors were red hot to close out the season with 5 straight wins of their own and 8 of their last ten. Five of the Warriors last eight wins though came against teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason. In fact, nine of the Warriors last fifteen wins have come against teams that didn’t make the playoffs. Golden State has a slight advantage offensively when it comes to efficiency ratings but the Lakers hold the edge in terms of defensive efficiency. The Lakers have a healthy LeBron, Schroder and Anthony Davis along with newly acquired Andre Drummond which makes them a much more diverse team and too much for the Warriors to overcome. Lay the points with the Lakers.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 227.5 Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers, 6:40 PM ET - Our math model and analytics project 220.6 total points being scored in this game or a result slightly less than the league average for points scored in a game this season. On the season an average NBA game resulted in 224.2 total points with teams attempting on average 88.4 field goal attempts. If we look at the raw data, we find both of these teams right around average in both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings. The Pacers rank 14th in OEFF, Charlotte is 22nd. Defensively the Pacers are 14th while the Hornets are 18th. Indiana is a top 5 team in terms of pace of play, but the Hornets rank 21st. We also like the value in this number as the three previous meetings this season all had totals set of 222 or less and now, we get a number much higher than that here. Charlotte has been a strong Under bet with a 9-3 Under record their last 12 on the road as a dog and are 26-11 Under their last 37 overall. Indiana is 44-27-1 Over on the year but 20-16 Over at home and those home games averaged slightly more than 228 total points. The defensive intensity for both teams will be elevated here and we don’t see this game getting to 220 or more points. Bet UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228.5 Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors, 3:40 PM ET - There are a lot of meaningless games being played today but this isn’t one of them. The winner of this game secures the 8th seed in the West at a minimum which obviously has its advantages. These two team have been elite all season long with it comes to defensive efficiency ratings ranking 5th (Golden State) and 6th (Memphis). When it comes to offensive efficiency you won’t find either team in the top 14 of the entire league as the Grizzlies average 1.123-points per possession, Golden State puts up 1.111PPP. Another key factor here is pace of play. Both teams have slowed considerably their last five games with possessions per game dropping. These two teams have faced each other two times already this season and produced 219 and 214 total points. The Totals set on those two games were set around 221 which is significantly lower than today’s number. The Under has cashed in five of the last six meetings and this one should continue that trend.

ASA top play on 10* Charlotte Hornets +5.5 over NY Knicks, 1 PM ET - Both teams have incentive to win here as they jockey for positioning in the East and we expect a close game throughout with the Hornets cashing in as a sizable underdog. New York just clinched their first playoff spot in a long time and will be a dangerous team in the postseason. Charlotte has a young exciting cast but won’t be a viable team in the East for years to come. New York has the 10th best average margin of victory in the NBA at home this season of +4PPG which obviously doesn’t get a cover in this matchup. The Knicks rely on a stellar defense but struggle offensively with the 15th ranked home offensive efficiency in the Garden. Charlotte has the 23rd ranked road differential in the NBA but it’s less than today’s spread at -3.5PPG. New York is 3-0 ATS this season when favored by 5 or more points but this is clearly an unfamiliar role for them has it’s happened just three times this season. These two teams have split this season but Charlotte has covered 4 of the last five meetings. Expect a playoff like intensity by both teams today and a close game that goes down to the wire.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 226.5 Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 9:10 PM ET - The Grizzlies just eliminated the Kings from the playoffs last night so do not expect a full effort from Sacramento tonight. The Kings have been a strong Under play lately with 7 of their last eight games staying below the number. They’ve also stayed Under in their last five road games against a team with a losing home record. The Under is also 19-9 the last 28 meetings between these two teams. Memphis is also on a 4-1 Under run and 20-7 Under their last 27 home games against a team with a losing record. The Grizzlies have played dramatically slower in their last five games and we expect that trend to carry on here. Memphis has averaged 97.7 possessions per game their last five which is lower than their season average of 100.4PPP. Our model is projecting just 220 total points in this contest. Bet Under

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -4.5 over Portland Trailblazers, 10:10 PM ET - We went against the Blazers last night and lost but will go right back to the well here with a wager on the Suns. Portland has been better on the road this season but going back to 2018 they are 56-62 SU with a negative differential of -1.2PPG. Phoenix is 26-9 SU at home this season with the second-best average margin of victory at +9.2PPG. The Suns have won 13 of their last fourteen home games and have three straight solid wins over other playoff teams (beat Knicks by 23, Jazz by 21 and Clippers by 8). The Suns have been especially good when coming off a loss this season with a 16-5 SU record, 8-2 at home. After a pair of disappointing losses, we like the Suns to get a double-digit win against a Blazers team coming off a huge road win last night and playing unrested.

ASA top play on 10* Utah Jazz Money Line -113 over Portland Trailblazers, 9:40 PM ET - The Jazz had won five straight games prior to their most recent game, a loss to the Warriors by 3-points. Utah gets back on the winning track tonight against Portland who has been equally as hot with a 8-1 record their last nine games. Utah is 31-4 SU at home this season with the best average point differential of +13.8PPG and going back to 2018 they are 82-27 SU at home +8.8PPG. Portland has been better on the road this season but going back to 2018 they are 56-61 SU with a negative differential of -1.2PPG. The Jazz have covered 4 straight at home against the leagues better teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better. The Jazz have covered 7 of the last ten meetings at home against the Blazers and get a much needed win here tonight.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 230.5 Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - Golden State is in a tough scheduling situation as they are off a big win last night against the Jazz, are playing their 3rd game in four days and 6th in nine days. Golden State has played in some lower scoring games when playing without rest with a 10-4 Under record with games averaging 218.5PPG. These two teams are top 6 in the league when it comes to defensive efficiency ratings as both allow less than 1.11-points per possession. Both teams rely heavily on their 3-points shooting but both are excellent at defending beyond the arc as the Suns rank 6th in 3-pt% D while the Warriors are 8th. Golden State is the 2nd fastest paced team in the league, but they are 22nd in offensive efficiency. Phoenix is the 5th slowest paced team in the NBA so they’ll prefer to walk it up in this one and without rest, the Warriors will play slower too. The Under has cashed 10 of the last eleven meetings overall and 4 straight in the Bay. The two meetings this season have resulted in 218 and 207 total points. Easy UNDER here.

ASA top play on 10* Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 over San Antonio, 8:30 PM ET - The Spurs are fighting for their playoff lives but the Bucks still have an outside shot at the #1 seed in the East. Milwaukee has gotten it going with a five-game winning streak which includes a pair of wins over the Brooklyn Nets. Milwaukee is 19-14 SU on the road this season, but they have the 2nd best average margin of victory in the league at +5PPG. In their last seven road games the Bucks average MOV is +11.2PPG. The Spurs last home game came against the 76ers and they were a +10-point dog in that game and the difference in this number is too high. San Antonio is 13-20 SU at home this season with the 24th worst differential at minus -3.1PPG. These two teams have similar defensive numbers but the Bucks #1 scoring, 3rd best shooting is far superior to the Spurs offense that ranks 20th in PPG scored and is 20th in FG%. The Spurs 2-5 losing ATS home streak continues here.

ASA top play on 10* NY Knicks +7.5 over LA Clippers, 3:30PM ET The Knicks have been a great surprise this season and will be a dangerous draw come playoff time. The Clippers are one of a few teams that can certainly win it all this season. New York has the 13th best road differential in the NBA at +0.4PPG even though they have a losing overall record. They have rewarded their backers with a current 11-3 ATS run their last fourteen road games. New York has also been solid off a loss recently with a 4-1 ATS streak. New York relies on their defense which is one of the best in the NBA allowing just 1.081-points per possession on the road this year, 3rd best in the NBA. We are not ignoring the fact that the Clippers are 26-9 SU at home this season and they’ve won those games by an average of +8.5PPG but winning by that margin will be tough today. The Clippers are just 1-5 ATS their last six games as a favorite, 3-3 SU. The Clippers are off a big win over the Lakers and New York is off a bad loss. Grab the points with New York.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -4 over Denver Nuggets, 10:10 PM ET - The first aspect of this game that grabbed our attention was the line. Consider this, why are the Nuggets this big of a home dog and why is Brooklyn laying the same spread as they were in Dallas a few nights ago? The answer is obvious, they want us to bet Denver and we won’t fall into that trap. In fact, it’s showing in the betting markets as more money and tickets have come in on the Nuggets yet the line has fluctuated up slightly. Brooklyn is in a battle in the East with Milwaukee for the best overall record and come into this game having lost four straight games which gives us extra motivation here. The Nuggets on the other hand are in a bad scheduling situation as they are off a HUGE game last night with Utah and now play without rest in the higher altitude of Denver. Brooklyn as a small favorite has been “money” this season with a 11-2 ATS record when laying 4.5 or less points. Denver on the other hand has struggled as a small dog in this same price range with a 4-8 ATS record. Denver has a long list of injuries to key contributors which makes playing without rest that much more difficult. Granted the Nets don’t have Harden yet but they still have Kyrie and KD which will be more than enough to get this much need road win by a decent margin. Bet the Nets with confidence!

ASA top play on: Over 225 San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings, 10:10 PM ET - This game has huge playoff implications for both teams as they battle for a top 10 spot in the Western Conference. San Antonio is coming off several lower scoring game but the last three games have come against two of the top three defensive teams in the NBA (Utah & Philadelphia). Now the Spurs face a Kings team that is last in the league in defensive efficiency and 28th in points allowed per game at 118PPG. Sacramento is going to score too in this game with the 11th highest scoring offense in the NBA at 114PPG. The Kings are also the 9th fastest paced teams in the league so they’ll get plenty of shots up in this contest. These two teams met in March and totaled 226 and 247 total points in the two games and the numbers set on those games were both above 230. The Spurs are on a 5-1 Over run overall and have played to the Over in 4 straight versus a team with a losing record. The Over is also on a 5-1 run when these two teams have met in Sacramento. This will be a higher scoring game with both teams getting to 115 or more. BET OVER

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -3 over Dallas Mavericks, 7:40 PM ET - The Nets are off 3 straight losses, two of which came against the Bucks in Milwaukee. Brooklyn is a team capable of winning it all this season with or without James Harden and we can’t say the same for Dallas. The Mavs have put together a very good season overall but this is a great spot to play against them. Dallas is coming off a solid road win in Miami where they shot ridiculously well at 53% overall and made 22 of 48 3-pointers. We expect a return to their season averages of 47% overall and 36% from beyond the arc. Dallas is just 4-5 SU their last nine home games and have the 19th worst home point differential in the NBA at minus -1.1PPG. Brooklyn on the other hand have the 9th best road point differential in the league at +2.5PPG. The Nets are 14-8 SU this season off a loss and we like them to get a 6+ point win here.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 227.5 Phoenix Suns vs Atlanta Hawks, 8:10 PM ET - The Hawks are coming off a game against the Blazers and those two teams produced 237 total points. Prior to that game the Hawks had some lower scoring contests but a few of those games came without Trae Young, their leading scorer in the lineup. Atlanta has given up more than 114 points in 3 of their last four games and 126+ in two. The Phoenix Suns are clicking offensively right now with 118 or more points in five of their last six games. Over the course of their last five games the Suns have the 2nd most efficient offense in the NBA at 1.247-points per possession. Phoenix is on a 4-0 Over streak their last four road games, while the Hawks have rewarded Over bettors with an 19-7 streak when a home dog. Both offenses will get it going here with these two teams combining for 230+ points

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228 Sacramento Kings at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:10 PM ET - We will start with the number that has been set on this game. Consider this, the Kings just played the Mavericks and Vegas set a similar Total on that game. Let’s compare the Mavericks and Thunder and see why this number is set too high. The Mavs are 8th in offensive efficiency, the Thunder are LAST. Defensively, the Mavs and Thunder are 20th and 21st in DEFF so equal. The Thunder score just 105.4PPG on the season which ranks 28th. The Kings on the other hand are 11th in scoring and 11th in OEFF but a lot of their offensive success has come with PG De’Aaron Fox and his 25.2PPG and 7.2APG on the court who is out tonight with an injury. Sacramento is averaging 88.4 field goal attempts per game (about league average) but in their last six games they have averaged just 82.5FGA per game. The Kings had an aberration against the Jazz when they allowed 154 points but in 3 of their last four games, they’ve allowed 106 or less. Looking at OKC’s last ten teams we see 7 games where they scored 109 or less points, three of which they did not reach 96. 5 of the last six meetings between these two teams in OKC have resulted in an Under.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets +2 over Milwaukee Bucks, 7:40 PM ET - This is a quick rematch from the other day when the Bucks beat the Nets at home 117-114. The Bucks got 49-points from Antetokounmpo in the win while Brooklyn relied on Kevin Durant who scored 42. The difference was a bad shooting night by the Nets as they hit just 43% from the field while the Bucks shot 49%. Obviously, there was that big of a discrepancy in shooting, yet the Bucks only won by 3-points. Brooklyn is the BEST shooting team in the NBA at 49.2% so expect a return to normal tonight. The Nets are 7-3 ATS their last ten as a road dog and have covered 4 of their last five following a loss. As a favorite of 7-points or less the Bucks are 10-17 ATS this season, the Nets as a dog in that same price range are 10-6 ATS. Kyrie Irving had a relatively quiet night the other night and we expect a much better showing from him and the Nets here. Bet the revenge minded Nets.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks -2 over Portland Trailblazers, 8:10 PM ET - There is no denying the Blazers are clicking right now but this is a great spot to fade them due to scheduling. Not only is Portland coming off a BIG win yesterday over Boston, they are playing their 5th game in seven days. Atlanta though had a day off and were at home the previous game so they are rested and didn’t have to travel. The Hawks are 9-3 ATS when playing with 1 day rest. If you look at the Hawks recent games they played several without Clint Capela, Trae Young or both but they are in the lineup tonight. Atlanta has won and covered 5 straight at home with quality wins against the Bucks, Pacers and Heat. Atlanta is 13-3 ATS their last 16 as a home favorite and they get a solid home win here.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 211 Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets, 8:10 pm ET - This number is surprisingly low and our computer math model is calling for 218 or more total points. These same two teams have already met twice this season and they had totals higher than this number of 213.5 and 216.5 and they went Over in both those games. Miami and their opponents have totaled 212 or more points in 4 of their last five games and are on a 5-0 Over streak. Charlotte got LaMello Ball back last night who pushes the pace for the Hornets and gives them an added scoring option they’ve missed recently. When playing without rest the Hornets are 6-7 Over this season but those games have averaged 220PPG. These two teams are in the bottom half of the league in both pace of play and scoring but let’s not forget league average of NBA games is around 222PPG and this number is well below that. The Over has cashed 4 straight times in this series, make it 5 after today.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 222 LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets, 10:10 PM ET - This game features two of the elite teams in the West and both are without significant contributors offensively as the Clippers are without Leonard (25.7PPG), while the Nuggets are missing Murray (21.2PPG). In fact, these two teams met in early April with those two players and the teams combined for just 195 total points. That was with Leonard/Murray combining for 47 points that won’t be on the floor in this game. Strangely enough the Over/Under set on that previous game was 220 and lower than this number. These two teams are both top 12 in defensive efficiency and most importantly the 3rd and 4th SLOWEST paced teams in the NBA. With neither team interested in playing fast we can’t see this game getting to a league average of 222 total points. In the last nine meetings between these two teams these two teams have totaled less than today’s number eight times. Going back further, these two have stayed Under the total in 24 of the last 33 meetings in L.A. BET UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* San Antonio Spurs +4.5 over Boston Celtics, 7:40 PM ET - Both teams have plenty to play for as the Spurs are fighting for an “at large bid” and a chance to play in, while the Celtics are trying to lock in a top 6 seed which would keep them out of the play in games. San Antonio is playing well right now with 5 wins in their last seven games and a couple of those victories were impressive as they beat a red-hot Wizards team and the Phoenix Suns. Conversely, the Celtics are 2-4 SU their last six games and two of those loses came against two of the league’s weakest teams in Charlotte, and Oklahoma City. The Spurs are coming off a tough loss in Miami, but they’ve cashed 80% in this situation as they are 8-2 ATS on the road off a loss. Boston is coming off a 9-point win over Charlotte as a -6.5-point favorite which also contributes to our prediction here as the C’s are 7-15-1 ATS their last 23 when coming off a win. This game shapes up to be a tight affair which has us on the Underdog plus the points.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 234.5 Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves - These are two of the four fastest paced teams in the NBA for the season but in their last five games both teams have slowed significantly. In the two meetings in January between these two teams they combined for 234 and 238 total points but the field goal attempts were very low compared to both team’s season averages. Golden State is 8th in defensive efficiency while the Wolves are 28th, but with the return of Karl Anthony Towns and DeAngelo Russell the Wolves DEFF has improved to 11th best in the NBA in their last five games. Golden State just played horrendous defense last game against the Mavericks so expect a much better effort tonight. There are plenty of trend support for the Under here as the Warriors are 6-1 Under their last seven road games as a favorite. Wolves are on a 4-1 Under run their last five games following a straight up win. Historically, the Under has cashed 27 of the last 39 meetings. The bet here is UNDER

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -4 over LA Clippers, 10:10 PM ET - This game has been marked on our calendar since these teams last met and we were hoping this line would come out as low as it has so we could play on the Suns. There is some “bad blood” between these two teams with hard fouls, technical and ejections occurring in the previous two meetings. The last time these rivals met the Clippers held on to win at home 113-103. Kawhi Leonard, who is out here, poured in 27-points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 5 assists for the Clippers. L.A. is also without Beverly who would typically “dog” either Chris Paul or Devin Booker in this matchup. These two teams are right behind the Jazz in the standings and both would love the #1 seed in the West. Phoenix has one of the best home court advantages in the NBA with a 23-9 SU record and the third best average margin of victory of +8.4PPG. The Suns have the 5th best offensive efficiency at home, 4th best DEFF at home. The Clippers have solid road differentials but they haven’t been as good defensively on the road ranking 12th in defensive efficiency away from home. Phoenix is 8-1 ATS their last nine home games against a team with a winning record while the Clippers are 2-5 ATS their last seven road games against a team with a plus .500 home record. The Suns get revenge here in a big win!

ASA top play on 10* Golden State Warriors -5 over Dallas Mavericks, 9:40 PM ET - Dallas is dealing with several key injuries including Porzingis, Richardson, Redick and potentially Doncic tonight and won’t have a full compliment of players to deal with a hot Warriors team. Golden State has won 7 of their last ten games including two straight against the Kings and Nuggets. The Warriors three loses in that ten game stretch came to the blistering Wizards and Celtics. The Mavs have cooled a bit with a 5-5 SU record their last ten games and are coming off a game last night at Sacramento. This will be the Mavericks 5th game in seven days and the second of a back-to-back which will be tough to overcome. We basically need the Warriors to win outright and Golden State is 22-13 SU this season when playing with a day rest. The Mavericks are just 5-7 SU and ATS when playing without rest. Dallas is on an 0-4 ATS streak when coming off a loss. We like Steph and company to get a big win here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 215.5 Phoenix Suns @ NY Knicks, 7:40 PM ET - We have a pair of top six defensive teams going head-to-head tonight when the Knicks and Suns square off. New York has the 3rd best defensive efficiency numbers in the league at 1.083-points per possession while the Suns allow just 1.101PPP. The other key aspect of this wager is the pace of play numbers. New York is the slowest paced team in the NBA at 96 possessions per game, Phoenix is 7th at 97.2. We get two teams that want to play slow and play outstanding defense, yet the number set on this game is just 6-points lower than league average. The Knicks have the #1 ranked overall field goal percentage defense and the 3-point percentage D while the Suns check in at #10 in overall FG% D and are 5th in 3PT% defense. Phoenix is coming off a game yesterday against the Nets and have slightly favored the Under when playing without rest with a 6-8 Under record on the year in this scheduling situation. New York has played some higher scoring games recently, but they haven’t faced a top 10 defense in ten straight games. In fact, the last good defensive team the Knicks played was the Lakers and that game ended with just 207 total points. We like a low scoring game here and a solid Under bet.

ASA top play on: OVER 229.5 Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - The Kings are without DeAaron Fox here but the line has been adjusted for his absence but not enough according to our models. The Kings are atrocious defensively allowing 119PPG (last in the NBA), have the 30th ranked field goal percentage defense and are 29th defending the 3-point line. How do you think that is going to stop Steph Curry and the Warriors who are 12th in 3-point shooting and average 115PPG. Sacramento is the 9th fastest paced team in the NBA and won’t slow down here just because Fox is out. The Kings will also put up points with the 7th highest scoring offense in the NBA at 114.6PPG, 6th best FG% shooting offense and 16th best 3-point percentage. Golden State is also the 2nd fastest paced team in the NBA so they’ll gladly play uptempo with the Kings. In the two meetings this season these two teams have combined for 260 and 243 total points. The Kings are on a 7-3 Over run when playing on the road against a team with a winning home record. The Warriors are 4-1 Over their last five home games against a team with a losing road record. The bet here is OVER!

ASA top play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers +7.5 over Milwaukee Bucks - These two teams just met on Thurs with the Bucks winning 124-117. The 76ers shot 51% overall, 44% from 3 and had 33 rebounds. The Bucks outdid them though and shot 56% overall, made 20 of 40 3-pointers and outrebound the Sixers by 12. The Bucks are now 2-0 vs. Philly this year which makes this game that much more important for Philadelphia. The 76ers are 17-13 SU on the road with a +3.5PPG MOV which is 7th best in the NBA. Philly is in a much more desperate situation having lost 3 straight games while Milwaukee has won 4 of their last six. The 76ers are 12-7 SU when off a loss this year, 11-7-1 ATS. The 76ers are 3-7 ATS as a road dog this season – BUT those losses have come by an average of just -2.5PPG. This game is going to have a playoff like intensity which has us on the Underdog. Make sure you check the starting lineups before tipoff and Joel Embiid is scheduled to play.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228 Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - This is a quick turnaround game for these two teams as they just met on April 12th with the Warriors winning 116-107. The O/U on that game was 227.5 and that was with Jamal Murray in the lineup for the Nuggets. In that game the Nuggets attempted just 83 field goals while the Warriors shot just 81 times. Those are both well below their season averages for each team. Golden State is coming off a tough five game East coast road trip and it was obvious Steph Curry ran out of our gas against Washington last time out. The Nuggets are the 2nd slowest paced team in the NBA and will certainly walk it up here against a Warriors team that typically plays fast, but off that road trip will play slower here. Golden State has been improving their defensive efficiency numbers and have climbed to 7th in the NBA while the Nuggets are 15th in DEFF but 10th in points allowed defense. The Nugs are on a 5-0 Under streak on the road, Golden State Under 4-1 their last five versus teams with a winning record. The Under is 5-1 the last six meetings between these two, including both meetings this season with end results of 218 and 223. The bet here is UNDER the total.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 225.5 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7:10 PM ET - These two teams are clearly a pair of the best teams in the East and could certainly represent in the NBA Finals and both have MVP caliber players in Giannis and Embiid. The Bucks were held by Memphis and Phoenix to 115 and 116 points in regulation their last two games and those teams are similar defensively to the 76ers but not quite as good. Philly is 2nd in the NBA in defensive efficiency rating allowing just 1.076PPP. While we are on the subject of defense, the Bucks have seen their defensive numbers improve recently and now rank 8th in DEFF allowing just 1.107PPP. The 76ers have the 4th best FG% defense allowing 45.3% on the season, Milwaukee is 5th best at 45.4%. These two played on March 17th and totaled 214 total points in OVERTIME. This game has a playoff feel and several key scorers could be out for both teams making scoring more difficult. The bet here is UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Washington Wizards +2 over Golden State Warriors, 7:10 PM ET - There is no denying the play of Steph Curry right now is off the charts but even he won’t have enough in the tank to carry the Warriors to a win here. The Wizards have gone on a nice run with five straight wins and 7 of their last ten. Washington recently beat the Warriors 110-107 in Golden State as a 4-point road dog. There is a vast majority of money and tickets coming in on Golden State in this game yet the line has moved in the opposite direction which is a clear indicator the smart players are backing Washington. Golden State has the second worst road spread record in the NBA at 12-19 ATS with the 8th worst road point differential at minus -4.3PPG. Golden State is coming off a very big win in Philly which ties into their 13-15 ATS record this season (with a negative differential) when coming off a win. Russ and Beal can trade buckets with Curry tonight.

ASA top play on LA Clippers -8.5 over Portland Trailblazers, 10:10 PM ET - These same two teams met earlier this month with the Clippers winning 133-116 and the Blazers had Damian Lillard for that game, but he is out here. Another starter missing from the line up is starting center Nurkic and his 9.3PPG and 7.5RPG. Los Angeles is playing well with a 9-1 SU record their last ten games and a 4-0-1 ATS streak their last five games overall. Portland is in a funk right now with a 2-5 SU record their last five games and they have three home losses this month to teams similar to the Clippers (Celtics, Heat, Bucks). L.A. is 17-11 SU on the road this year with the 3rd best scoring differential of +5.1PPG on the season. Portland has a winning home record on the season but their average margin of victory is just 0.1PPG and 16th in the NBA. The Clippers have a top five offense in terms of scoring, field goal percentage and 3-points shooting while the Blazers rank in the bottom eleven defensively in those same categories. The Clippers have covered 5 straight versus the Blazers, make it six in a row after tonight.

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -7.5 over Memphis Grizzlies, 9:10 PM ET - We like the Nuggets here as they catch the Grizzlies are coming off a huge upset of the Bucks in Milwaukee a few nights ago. The Grizzlies shot ridiculously well at 55% which is well above their season average and had Valanciunas in the lineup who is out tonight. Memphis could also be without another starter here in Dillon Brooks who is questionable with a thigh injury. Memphis is playing their 4th game in six days which will be a factor playing in the higher altitude of Denver. The Nuggets have been off for a few days and have adjusted to being without Murray with two straight wins. The Nugs have won 10 of their last twelve games. Denver is 19-10 SU at home on the year with the 6th best average home differential of +6PPG. Ten of the Nuggets last fourteen home wins have come by 9 or more points. Memphis has some impressive road numbers this season, but with the current situation and injuries this will be a difficult spot for them to cover. Denver has a top 5 offense when it comes to 3pt%, FG% and points and should have an easy time scoring against a Grizzlies defense that is in the bottom half of the NBA in FG% D, scoring D and 11th in 3pt% defense. Memphis hasn’t covered in Denver in four straight trips here. Lay the points.

#577/578 ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Under 219.5 Points – Houston vs Orlando, Sunday at 7:10 PM ET - Two of the worst offensive teams in the NBA facing off here and we look for a low scoring affair. The Rockets are 24th in the league averaging just 108 PPG while Orlando is 29th in the NBA putting up just 104 PPG. The only team in the NBA that averages fewer points than the Magic is Cleveland. When it comes to offensive efficiency these teams are 27th and 29th in the NBA averaging just 105 & 106 points per 100 possessions. They also rank 28th and 30th in field goal percentage. The Rockets have been held to under 110 points in 4 of their last 6 games while the Magic have been limited to 106 points or less in 4 of their last 5 games. Going back even further, Orlando’s offense has not topped 116 points in 15 straight games. Over their last 19 games Orlando is averaging just 101 PPG and they’ve been held under 100 points 9 times. Now when we add the injury situation, these two offenses, who are already among the worst in the NBA, will absolutely have problems scoring in this game. The Rockets have 64 PPG sitting on the bench and out for this game with Gordon, Wall, Brown, Augustin, and Nwaba all out for this one. Orlando will be missing Carter-Williams, Fultz, Porter Jr, and Bamba who combine account for 37 PPG on the season. Just too much offensive firepower missing from two teams that already struggle offensively. Take the UNDER here.

#559 ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Cleveland Cavaliers +1.5 over Chicago Bulls, Bulls playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and 4th game in seven days while the Cavs are rested. Chicago will be shorthanded here with All-Star Zach LaVine sidelined due to illness. Prior to Friday nights game the Bulls had lost 4 straight games all by an average of 9PPG. Despite a 3-3 SU record their last six games the Cavs have played better overall. The Cavs have some of the worst offensive numbers in the NBA on the season including offensive efficiency (28th) and scoring 30th. But with the return of Kevin Love the offense has been much better ranking 14th in OEFF their last five games. The Cavs are 5-0 ATS their last five road games versus a team with a losing record. We mentioned the rest factor in favor of the Cavs as the Bulls are 0-5 ATS their last five games when playing without rest.

#536 ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia -2.5 over LA Clippers, Friday at 7:10 PM ET - The Sixers should definitely be the fresher team in this one as they had a day off on April 13th after completing a successful road trip, then played on April 14th at home before another day off yesterday. The Clips, on the other hand, will be playing their 3rd road game in 4 nights here. Philly is also the healthier team in this match up. LA is banged up with Kawhi Leonard possibly missing his 4th straight game here and Beverly & Ibaka still out. The Clippers are 3-0 with Kawhi out however those wins have coming vs Detroit (twice) and Indiana, both below .500 with the Pistons sitting with the worst record in the East. LA barely got by Detroit on Wednesday 100-98 with ex-Piston Reggie Jackson hitting a shot at the buzzer for the win. Philly has been fantastic at home with a 21-5 record, the 2nd best in the NBA behind Utah. They have a +7 PPG point differential at home and they are getting healthy. Both Embiid and Simmons are good to go tonight and Harris looks like he’ll be a go as well (sore knee). We feel this team is undervalued despite their impressive 38-17 record. That’s because the 3 players listed above have combined to miss 30 games this season and the Sixers have been forced to use 20 different starting line ups in the process. They are still 21 games above .500 despite that. When healthy, like tonight, they are outstanding. They have the #2 defense in the NBA allowing 107 points per 100 possessions and they are off a big home win over the Nets on Wednesday when Embiid, Simmons, and Harris combined for 82 points and 18 rebounds. Now they’ve had a day off to get ready for tonight’s big match up with the Clippers. Los Angeles topped Philly in late March but the 76ers weren’t at full strength with Embiid out. Now catching LA in a tough spot, we like Philadelphia tonight.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* LA Lakers +6.5 over Boston, Thursday at 10 PM ET - The Celtics are coming off back to back road wins over Denver & Portland so they are a bit overvalued coming into LA. Boston was an underdog in both of those games now laying 6.5 on the road in their 3rd road game in 6 nights. Since LeBron has been out with injury, LA has been a home dog of +6 vs the Sixers and +8.5 vs Milwaukee, 2 of the top teams in the NBA. Now they are getting around the same number vs Boston? This is a bad line in our opinion. The Lakers are off a 4-3 road trip including a blowout win @ Brooklyn the team with the 2nd best record in the East. With LeBron and AD still on the shelf, the Lakers have gotten a big boost with the acquisition of Andre Drummond who has averaged 10 PPG and 11 RPG in his 4 games with LA. Even without their 2 stars the Lakers have been competitive with a 6-7 overall record since LeBron went out and they’ve covered 4 of their last 5. They are undervalued with those 2 on the sideline. Boston steps in off a big 1-point win @ Portland in a back and forth game that could leave them a bit heavy legged for this one just 2 days later. The Celts have a losing road record this season and they are just 4-9 ATS in their 13 games this year as a road favorite. They’ve lost 8 of those 13 games outright. Lakers keep this close and pick up the cover at home.

ASA top play on 10*: Denver Nuggets -4 over Miami Heat 10:10PM ET We have obviously been doing this for a very looooong time and one situation that has been profitable for us repeatedly is betting a team in their first game since losing a star player. The Nuggets suffered a huge blow when Jamaal Murray injured his knee late in their game Monday. Typically, what happens is that role player replacement rises to the occasion when they get extended minutes. The separator of great NBA players and say bench players is consistency. Monte Morris, Will Barton or Campazzo will step up and fill the Murray void for this game. There are other parts of this wager we like including an elite team like Denver coming off a bad loss on Monday to Golden State. The Nuggets also catch a scheduling break with the Heat coming off a game last night and playing their 5th game in just nine days. Unfortunately, the Heat also lost last night (1-5 ATS L6 following a double-digit loss) but the lack of rest in the higher altitude of Denver will be an issue. Miami is just 8-12 ATS against winning teams, 3-6 ATS when a dog of 4.5-points or less versus anyone. Denver is 18-10 SU at home with the 7th best average point differential in the league at +5.5PPG. The Nuggets are 6-1 SU their last seven at home and get an 8-point home win here, even without Murray.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 223 Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors, 7:40 PM ET - We feel the line on this game has been heavily influenced by each teams last games and is much lower than it should be. The Hawks are coming off a game against the struggling Hornets (7-3 Under their last 10 games) where they totaled just 206 points. The Raptors are coming off the defensive minded, slow paced Knicks and totaled just 198 total points. As far as the Hawks are concerned, they had gone Over in 7 of their last nine games prior to playing Charlotte. Atlanta games have totaled more than this number in 9 of their last ten. Atlanta is 8th in the NBA in offensive efficiency at 1.155-points per possession. As we mentioned, the Raptors are coming off a very low scoring game but prior to that had put up 135-points against the Cavs and totaled 235 the game before against the Bulls. Toronto also has another 130-point game in their last six games, so they are more than capable of putting up a big number here. Toronto is top 13 of the league in offensive efficiency and pace. The first two meetings of this season between these two teams has resulted in 241 and 253 total points. Bet OVER here.

ASA play on: UNDER 226 Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - We really liked this Under bet when the opening number came out at 229.5 but has since been bet down to the current number. We still feel there is enough value and won’t be scared off by the move. The last time these two Western foes met was back in January, but they combined for just 218 total points. In that game the Warriors had Wiseman, Oubre Jr. and Paschall who combined for 40-points in that game and all three of those GST players are out tonight. Denver had Murray for that previous game, who is out tonight also, and he scored 17-points for the Nuggets. Denver struggled offensively yesterday scoring just 87-points in a loss to the Celtics. They’ll focus on their half-court offense here with a key advantage in the middle with Jokic against anyone the Warriors can throw at him. The Nuggets are playing their 4th game in just 7 days so fatigue will be a factor here. The Nuggets are one of the slowest paced teams in the NBA and will walk it up every chance they get. The Warriors are obviously explosive offensively with Steph Curry but the offense has had it’s ups-and-downs this season. In their last ten games alone, the Warriors have scored 111 or less in six games. Golden State has the 21st offensive efficiency rating in the NBA this season but are 9th defensively. Warriors 7-2 Under their last nine at home against a team with a winning record, Nuggets 5-0 Under run on the road versus teams with a winning home record. The bet here is UNDER!

ASA top play on 10* Memphis Grizzlies -3 over Indiana Pacers, 8:10 PM ET - The Pacers may have won two straight games but those wins came against two of the worst teams in the NBA in Orlando and Minnesota. The Pacers are 3-4 SU their last seven games and 7-7 their last fourteen on the road. Memphis is off a loss in New York but have won 4 of their last five games and are playing well. Memphis has the best offensive efficiency rating in the NBA over their last five games at 1.235PPP and a defensive efficiency rating of 1.124PPP which is 15th. In comparison the Pacers are in in the bottom ten in both OEFF and DEFF their last five games. Memphis is 14-10 ATS off a loss this season, 9-5 ATS at home in that situation. The Pacers are 8-15 ATS off a win this season, 2-8 ATS their last ten. Indiana embarrassed Memphis earlier this season at home 134-116 so expect payback here for the Grizzlies.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -11.5 vs Washington Wizards, 10:10 PM ET - As you know we love to play on elite teams when they are off a loss which is the case for Phoenix here. The Suns lost a tough one to the Clippers last time out and will be focused here for the Wizards who are coming off a game Friday night versus the Warriors. Washington is just 8-16 SU on the road this year with the 5th worst average differential of minus -6.9PPG. Phoenix is 19-8 SU at home with the 2nd best average point differential of +8.6PPG. The Suns hold a decisive advantage on both ends of the court with the 4th best offensive AND defensive efficiency in the league. In comparison the Wiz are 25th in NBA in road offensive efficiency and 19th in road defensive efficiency. Washington is 1-7 SU on the road their last eight and the lone win came against the worst team in the league the Orlando Magic. Phoenix is 28-7 SU their last 35 games and are 12-3 ATS when coming off a loss. Earlier this season the Suns lost in Washington by 21-points so expect payback here.

ASA top play on 10* Washington Wizards +4.5 over Golden State Warriors, 10:10 PM ET - We like the early money/bets movement on this game and how the line fluctuated based on early action. It’s a solid indicator the play here is on the visiting Washington Wizards. Golden State is coming off a very big home win over the Milwaukee Bucks who were without Giannis for the game. Prior to that win though the Warriors had lost three in a row and 7 of their last eight so it’s not like they are currently playing well. Washington is coming off a much-needed win over the Magic and a big part of that success was the return of Beal and Hachimura which now give the Wiz their complete starting lineup. Beal is leading the league in scoring at over 31PPG and had a nice return game with 26-points on 11 of 19 shooting. Washington has been getting great play out of Russell Westbrook who is averaging a triple-double AGAIN this season but nobody is talking about it. We will play against a favorite (Warriors) who have an average negative differential of -10.2PPG their last five games. Beal and Russell keep this game close. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* LA Clippers -6 over Phoenix Suns, 10:10 PM ET - The Suns are in a tough scheduling situation here playing the second night of a back-to-back and third game in four nights. Not only that but they are off a draining affair last night, an OT win over Utah. The “Big 3” of the Suns, Ayton, Paul and Booker all played 40+ minutes last night so fatigue will be an issue. The Clippers on the other hand are rested and will be focused to beat a team that is above them in the standings. The Suns are playing great, but the Clippers are finding their groove with wins in 8 of their last ten games. L.A. is 8-2 SU their last ten home games and all eight of those wins have come by more than tonight’s spread. In fact, the Clippers last eight home wins have come by an average of 19PPG. The Suns have an outstanding straight-up and spread record when playing without rest, but this situation is different as last night’s game was a huge home win over the West leading Jazz. The Clippers are getting healthy with the return of Beverly and starting to look like the contender in the West they were projected to be before the start of the season. Bet the Clippers here.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns +2 over Utah Jazz, 10:10 PM ET - This is obviously the biggest game on the schedule with the top two teams in the West squaring off. Both teams are red hot with the Suns coming into this game with wins in 18 of their last twenty-two games, while the Jazz have won 9 of their last ten. Phoenix has been a home dog just three times this year, once was very early in the season before we know just how good they were going to be. Phoenix is 18-8 SU at home this season with the second-best average margin of victory of +8.8PPG. They are 2nd in offensive efficiency at home and 6th defensively. Utah has been even more dominating at home but not as much on the road where they are 16-10 SU on the season with the 6th best average point differential of +4.1PPG. In fact, the Jazz are slightly better than league average in road defensive efficiency ratings at 14th. Utah is just 1-6 ATS their last seven road games against a team with a winning home record. The Suns have won 6 straight home games and are 9-2 ATS their last eleven as a dog. Phoenix in a close win.

ASA top play on 10* LA Clippers -5.5 over Portland Trailblazers, 10:10 PM ET - This is a great spot to fade Portland for a couple different reasons. The Blazers are off a 133-85 blowout of the Thunder and will come into this game with a false sense of security. OKC is 20-30 SU on the season and easily one of the worst teams in the NBA. In fact, the Blazers are 4-1 SU their last five games, but all four wins have come against teams with a combined 86-122 record. Their loss in that five-game stretch came by 18 to Milwaukee who is on the same level as this Clippers team. The other part of this equation is Jusif Nurkic, the Blazers center, who played in the last five games but is out with another injury here. When betting the Clippers, you need to know who’s playing and who isn’t but tonight they will have both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lineup which is key. Los Angeles is 18-8 SU at home on the season with the 4th best home point differential in the league at +7.4PPG. Portland has a winning record of 16-10 SU on the year against the West, but their margin of victory is a negative -0.2PPG. In comparison the Clippers are 19-10 against the West with a plus +4.5PPG average MOV. The Clippers are 20-13 as a favorite of 5 or more points this season. Bet the Clippers.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 214 Orlando Magic @ Denver Nuggets, 10:10 PM ET - The last place the Magic need to play right now is in the higher altitude against the red-hot Denver Nuggets. The Magic currently have 8 healthy players and it showed how tough it is to play an NBA game with a limited roster in a blowout loss to the Jazz. The Magic scored just 91-points in that game and have scored 103 or less in regulation in four straight games. Orlando has failed to reach 100 points in 5 of their last ten games and in their last five games they have the 4th worst offensive efficiency numbers in the NBA. Orlando gutted their roster before the trade deadline which included trading Aaron Gordon to this Nuggets team. Denver is coming off a big win over the Clippers and will look past this Orlando team that is really struggling. The Nuggets are the second slowest paced team in the NBA and prefer a half-court type game where Jokic is more effective. Denver doesn’t have great defensive efficiency numbers, but they are 9th in points allowed per game at 110PPG. Orlando’s offense is 29th in the NBA at just 104.2PPG and that’s when they had a much better roster. According to our math model this game should end with 209 total points. Bet Under

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers -4 over Charlotte Hornets, 8:10 PM ET - We love the spot here to play the Pacers and fade the Hornets. Charlotte is coming off a big game last night against the Nets which makes this a second consecutive game in two days. Not only that but its also their 3rd game in four days. Charlotte is just 4-5 SU when playing without rest and 3-5 SU when playing in this situation of 3rd game in four nights. Charlotte is a respectable 11-13 SU on the road with a negative differential of minus -2.3PPG but this is a bad spot for them. Indiana is coming off a home loss to Miami on March 31st so they’ve had a full day to stew about it and will be ready to go here. The Pacers suffered through several key injuries early on but are now getting healthy with Caris Levert back in the mix. Levert is averaging 17PPG and gives the Pacers much needed scoring they’ve lacked. Indiana has covered 4 straight at home over the Hornets and we like them to get another cover here.

ASA top play on 10* Under 220 Golden State Warriors @ Miami Heat, 8:10 PM ET - Yes, the Warriors have Steph back in the lineup but we still like Under in this one. Sure, the Warriors are one of the fastest paced teams in the league but their offensive efficiency ratings is 22nd at 1.096 points per possession. They still play defense though with the 8th best defensive efficiency rating allowing only 1.105PPP. Miami is always good defensively with the 6th best overall defensive efficiency and in their last five games they are the second slowest paced team in the league at just 94.1 possessions per game. The Heat have really struggled offensively this season with the 24th worst offensive efficiency rating and in their last three games they haven’t topped 105 points. Golden State has been a solid proposition as an Under on the road with a 9-2 record their last 11 away from home. Miami has also stayed Under in 5 of their last seven at home against a team with a sub .500 road record. The call here is Under!

ASA top play on Boston Celtics +1 over Dallas Mavericks 7:40PM ET The Celtics are off a disappointing home loss to the Pelicans and an uncharacteristic bad shooting night of 43% overall and 33% from beyond the arc. Boston is the 13th best overall shooting team in the league and 8th best 3-point shooting team so expect a return to normal tonight. Boston is 7-2 SU at home off a loss this year and considering the line on this game, all they have to do is essentially win and we get a cover. Dallas is coming off a win over the Thunder, but everyone is beating OKC these days so we’re not overly impressed. The Mavericks have played well on the road this year with a 13-11 SU record but only 6 of those wins have come against a team with a current winning record. Earlier this season the C’s were -2.5-points in Dallas and lost outright so the correction in the line for this game is not what it should be. Take Boston at home in a bounce back situation playing with revenge.

ASA top play on 10* Charlotte Hornets -3.5 over Washington Wizards, 7:10 PM ET - This is a great spot to play on the Hornets and fade the Wizards. Charlotte is rested and off a loss, while the Wiz are coming off a big emotional win last night against the Indiana Pacers. Westbrook expended a ton of energy with a monster 35-point, 21 assists and 14 rebound night. The Wiz shot ridiculously well at 56% (season average is 46.8% or around league average) and will have a tough time duplicating that here. Charlotte is 3-1 SU their last four games and they even played well in a 4-point overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Hornets are just 2-3 SU their last five road games but the three losses came to the Nuggets, Lakers (w/James) and Clippers. Washington is just 10-14 SU at home with a negative differential of -2.4PPG which is 22nd in the league. The line on this game is an indicator that Beal will not be in the lineup again for the Hornets so the play here is on Charlotte.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 239 Minnesota Timberwolves @ Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 PM ET - These are two of the faster paced teams in the NBA which translates to a lot of possessions and more scoring opportunities. Minnesota is 4th in pace, Brooklyn is 13th. The Nets are the #1 offensive efficiency team in the NBA at 1.184-points per possession and they should put up 130 or more here against the Wolves defense that is 27th in the league in defensive efficiency allowing 1.147-PPP. Speaking of defense, or lack of, the Nets aren’t much better than the Wolves in DEFF ranking 25th. The number on this game is an indicator Kyrie Irving will be back in the lineup with Harden which means Brooklyn is going to score at will here. If the Wolves get to 113 here, like we feel they will, this game goes Over.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks +4.5 over Denver Nuggets, 9:10 PM ET - The trade deadline came and went and both teams were involved in some deals as the Hawks were rumored to be set to trade John Collins but instead made a minor move with Rondo. Denver made a big splash by landing McGee from Cleveland and Aaron Gordon from Orlando. We actually feel the Nuggets might have just made the moves needed to win the West. The Nuggets will go through a minor adjustment period injecting Aaron Gordon into the lineup and playing him starter minutes. Atlanta has quietly played well by winning 9 of the last eleven games and the two losses were close at the Clippers and at the Kings (who are playing well right now). Denver has also played well of late but are coming off a three-game road trip and have a much bigger game on deck with Philadelphia. The Nuggets are just 1-5 SU coming off a win and the Hawks have covered 9 of the last eleven meetings with Denver. Denver also just 2-6 ATS their last eight home games as a favorite.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 228.5 Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz, 9:10 PM ET - This is a quick turnaround game as these teams just played last night and totaled 231 Total points. The Jazz built a big lead, but the Grizzlies hung in there and almost pulled off the road win. The two teams combined for 195 total field goal attempts which is 15 more combined attempts than these two averages for the season. One anomaly from last night’s game is the Grizzlies 3-point shooting of 40% which is higher than normal considering they are the 23rd worst team in the NBA in 3PT%. Both teams have been lights out defensively of late with the 8th and 9th best defensive efficiency numbers in the NBA over their last five games. When these teams have played without rest this season the Grizzlies have averaged 226.9PPG, Utah has averaged 223.3PPG. The Jazz are 5-2 to the Under this season when playing without rest, Memphis has stayed Under in 3 straight in this scheduling situation. The Bet here is UNDER

ASA top play on 10* Denver Nuggets -1.5 over New Orleans Pelicans, 8:10 PM ET These two teams met a few games ago with the Pelicans winning 113-108 in Denver and payback is on hand tonight. As of this posting we don’t know if the Nuggets will have their new additions of Aaron Gordon or Javale McGee, but we are factoring in they don’t play, if they do, that’s a bonus. Denver is coming off a horrible loss to Toronto, giving up 135 points to the Raptors in a blowout. The Nuggets are 7-3 SU their last ten games overall, 6-1 SU their last seven on the road with an impressive win over the Bucks. Denver is 12-5 SU off a loss this season and the number is obviously low enough here to get a road win and cover. New Orleans has won two straight and are coming off a big win over the Lakers, but they are just 5-5 SU their last ten. The Pelicans are the 28th ranked defensive efficiency team in the NBA and will have a hard time containing the Nuggets 4th ranked offensive efficiency team here. Denver has the 6th best road differential in the NBA at +4.4PPG which is good enough for a cover here. Bet the visitor.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 225.5 Washington Wizards vs NY Knicks, 7:40 PM ET - These two teams just met the other night and they combined for 244 total points in the Knicks 131-113 win. New York shot exceptionally well in that game hitting over 50% from the field and beyond the arc but is that a huge surprise given the Wizards defense? Washington is 30th in points allowed per game, 25th in field goal percentage defense and 27th in defending the 3-point line. The Knicks have struggled at times this season offensively, but they are the 10th best 3-point shooting team in the NBA at 37.7%. We know New York plays slow and don’t have great offensive numbers but the Wizards are the fastest paced team in the league at 104.2 possessions per game and rank 7th in scoring at 114.9PPG. The Knicks are on a 4-1 Over streak as a favorite, 7-1 Over their last eight following a win of 10+ points. The Wiz are on a 4-1 Over run as an Underdog and 4-1 Over off a loss. This total is only a few points higher than league average so its not like we are asking them to score a ridiculous number of points. Just be slightly better than average and we get a win.

ASA top play on 10* Atlanta Hawks -2.5 over Sacramento Kings, 10 PM ET - The “tell” on this game is the number as Vegas is trying to bait you into betting the Kings as a home dog. We won’t fall into that trap and will take the red hot Hawks here. Atlanta is coming off a disappointing loss to the Clippers where they led by 22-points in the 3rd quarter but ended up losing by 9-points. Prior to that game the Hawks had won 8 straight games, four of which were on the road. Sacramento is playing better of late with wins in 3 of their last four games but they haven’t been consistent, especially at home where they are 9-12 SU with the 27th worst average loss margin in the NBA of minus -4.9PPG. Sacramento has the worst defensive efficiency rating in the NBA overall and at home where they allow 121PPG. Atlanta is 11-12 SU on the road this season but do have a positive road differential which ranks 13th best in the league. Yes, this is a quick turnaround game and the Hawks just beat the Kings but Atlanta has been in California for a few days and the Kings are coming off a 6-game East coast road trip. Atlanta is a perfect 4-0 ATS when favored on the road this year. Lay it.

ASA top play on 10* Under 217 Denver Nuggets @ Orlando Magic, 7 PM ET - The Nuggets are the 2nd slowest paced team in the NBA while the Magic are the 19th slowest. That means this is going to be a slower tempo game with less possessions than an average NBA contest. The Nuggets are one of the higher scoring teams in the NBA because of fantastic offensive efficiency numbers, but Orlando is not with the 27th worst OEFF ratings in the league. The Magic are 29th in scoring, 30th in field goal percentage shooting and 20th in 3-point shooting. Orlando has scored less than 98 points in 4 of their last five games but have also allowed less than 113 in six straight. The betting indicators also support our Under wager here. Bet UNDER

ASA top play on 10* LA Clippers -6 over Atlanta Hawks, Monday 10 PM ET - The Atlanta Hawks are rolling right now and are coming off a HUGE win over the Lakers. Because of their current 8-game winning streak this line is a few points lower than it should be. But lets also consider who the Hawks have beaten in this streak. They beat the Lakers after LeBron was injured just 10-minutes in. They have wins over OKC, Houston, Cleveland, Sacramento, Toronto, Orlando and Miami. Other than Miami, none of those teams have a winning record and four of those teams are in the bottom 6 of the entire NBA. The Clippers are 14-6 SU at home with the 5th best point differential of +7.3PPG which gets a cover here. L.A. has the 2nd best offensive efficiency numbers at home and average 117PPG on their home court. Atlanta is 19th in road defensive efficiency rankings and will have a hard time stopping the Clippers in this one. LA is rested and ready…LAY IT!

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Suns -4 over LA Lakers, 10:15 PM ET - Several Sports Books have come out with a line on this game of Phoenix minus 4-points but we don’t expect that to be the number at tipoff. The Lakers are without LeBron James and Anthony Davis which makes them a below average team in the West. The Suns on the other hand are one of the best in the West and would have been favored by 4-points here had LeBron been playing. With that said we will lay up to 9-points with the Suns if this line moves. Phoenix is 14-8 SU at home with the 3rd best average point differential of plus +7.5PPG on the season. The Lakers are just 4-5 SU their last nine road games and only two of those wins came against a team with an above .500 record. The Lakers are just 3-3 SU when playing without rest this season and this factor becomes magnified now without LeBron in the lineup. The Suns take care of business against the leagues best teams as they hold a 11-1 ATS record their last twelve games against teams with an above .600 winning percentage.

ASA top play on 10* Philadelphia 76ers -6.5 over Sacramento Kings, 8 PM ET - We rarely pass up an opportunity to play on an elite NBA team off an embarrassing loss which is the case for the 76ers in this situation. Philly was just beaten by the Bucks at home and will be eager to atone here. The Sixers are 18-4 SU at home with the 4th best margin of victory of +7.2PPG. They hold the 3rd best defensive efficiency rating at home and the 12th best offensive efficiency. While the 76ers are in a great situation (at home, rested and off a home loss) the Kings are in a bad situation. Sacramento is off a HUGE upset win over the Celtics as a 7-point dog, playing the second night of a back-to-back, playing their 3rd in four nights and 5th game in eight days. The Kings have the 24th worst road differential in the NBA at minus -5.4PPG, rank 27th in road defensive efficiency and 16th in offensive efficiency. The Kings are 2-6 SU, 4-4 ATS when playing without rest with a negative differential of minus -8.2PPG. Philly 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS at home when coming off a loss. Easy call for a BIG win by Philadelphia.

ASA top play on 10* Indiana Pacers +4 over Miami Heat, 8 PM ET - This line opened higher than it currently sits, then received a volume of money on the Heat and yet the line moved down. That’s a great first indicator the Pacers are the play here. Looking at each teams last ten games we find completely opposite results. Miami is 8-2 SU their last ten games while the Pacers are 2-8 SU. But on closer inspection we see the Heat have just two wins in that stretch over teams with winning records and one of them came against 21-20 Atlanta. Indiana has played a brutally tough schedule recently with games against the Nets, Nuggets twice, Suns, Lakers, 76ers, Knicks and Celtics. In comparison the Pacers were getting similar points at Denver, at the Lakers and at Philly. Despite a 12-8 SU home record the Heat have an average margin of victory of just 0.6PPG which is 16th worst in the NBA. Pacers have a negative road differential of -0.2PPG which is well within this point spread. Grab the points.

ASA top play on 10* Charlotte Hornets +8 over LA Lakers, 10:40 PM ET - Typically, a solid situation is betting against teams off games in the higher altitude of Denver if they are playing without rest such as the Hornets tonight. But we are going contrarian for a couple key reasons. First off, the Hornets were down big early and barely played the starters in the second half so fatigue won’t be an issue. Secondly, the line value is obvious as the Hornets were just plus +6.5-points at Denver who is rated higher than the Lakers, who are laying 8-points here. The Lakers are average or below in most offensive categories including efficiency which they rank 15th in. Los Angeles is 18th in scoring and 22nd in 3-point percentage shooting. L.A. has the 4th most wins in the NBA (easy first half schedule) but their average point differential is just +6PPG. Charlotte is above .500 this season and getting great play from their young talent including LaMelo Ball. The Hornets have won 4 of their last five games and 6 of their last nine. Charlotte is 8-11 SU on the road with an average point differential of minus -2.9PPG. The Hornets have been great off a loss recently with a 6-0 ATS run. Any time you play the Lakers it’s a big game so expect Charlotte to be dialed in tonight. Lakers 1-4 ATS their last five off a win of 10+ points.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 222.5 San Antonio Spurs @ Chicago Bulls, 8PM ET - We are betting value here and will side with Vegas on this Over. This line opened 227.5 which is a ton of value compared to the current number. We are betting the oddsmakers had the correct number to begin with. The correction in the number is based on the Spurs current stretch of games that has resulted in 4 of five Unders but let’s consider who they’ve played in that stretch. The Spurs recently played Detroit, Orlando and OKC who are bottom seven of the NBA in scoring and offensive efficiency. They had a game against Dallas who is middle of the pack in scoring and Philadelphia who is 7th in points allowed per game defensively. Now the Spurs face a Bulls team that is the 6th fastest paced team in the NBA and 11th in scoring at 114.4PPG. Chicago is coming off a game last night and they have averaged 225.5PPG this year when playing without rest. The Bulls just scored 118 and 123 in their last two games after a pair of lower scoring games so the offense is back on track. San Antonio is average or slightly below in most offensive categories, but the Bulls defense isn’t great, allowing 114.3PPG (24th) and 47.4% shooting (23rd). Let’s not forget, an average NBA game this season finishes with 224-points and this number is below that. Bet OVER

ASA top play on 10* Portland Trailblazers -120 over New Orleans Pelicans, 10 PM ET - The Blazers get some much-needed help back in their lineup with the return of CJ McCollum. McCollum was having a career year before his injury averaging 26.7PPG on 44.1% shooting from beyond the arc and over 47% from the field. He provides an additional scoring option the Blazers so desperately need to go along with Damian Lillard who scored 43 against the Pelicans the last time these teams met. Both teams have been bad defensively ranking 28th and 29th in defensive efficiency but both rank in the top 6 when it comes to offensive efficiency. The scheduling dynamics favor the Blazers who are off a disappointing loss at Minnesota while the Pelicans are off a 135-scoring output and win against the Clippers. Portland is a solid 10-6 off a loss this year, 6-2 at home in that situation. New Orleans is just 5-12 SU on the road this year with the 22nd worst road differential in the league at minus -3.3PPG. The NBA is driven by 3-point shooting and this is where the Blazers have a key advantage as they shoot 38% from beyond the arc which is 8th best in the NBA and the Pelicans allow 39% 3-point shooting which is 28th worse in the league. Pelicans just 1-6 ATS when coming off a game in which they score 125 or more points, while Portland is 8-3 ATS their last eleven at home against a sub .400 road team.

ASA top play on 10* Charlotte Hornets -3 over Sacramento Kings, 7 PM ET - The Hornets are quietly playing well right now with three straight wins to climb over the .500 record for the season. Charlotte recently beat Minnesota, Detroit and Toronto who are all very comparable to this Kings team. The Hornets have been very solid at home with a 6-1 SU record their last seven home games AND they won those games by an average of 11PPG. Sacramento has not been a good road team this year with a 6-11 SU record and one of the worst road differentials in the NBA at minus -5.7PPG. The Kings are 1-6 SU their last seven road games, and that one win came against the Pistons who are one of the worst teams in the NBA. Not only that, those six losses all came by more than the tonight’s spread. Sacramento is 1-7 ATS their last eight as a dog. Charlotte takes care of business when it comes to weaker teams with a 6-1 ATS run versus teams with a losing record. Easy call here with Charlotte by double-digits.

ASA top play on 10* New Orleans Pelicans +6 over LA Clippers, 8 PM ET - Obviously, the Clippers are one of the better road teams in the NBA at 12-8 SU with a point differential of +5.6PPG, but they’ve struggled of late with a 1-4 SU record their last five away from home. New Orleans is 2-3 SU their last five home games and one of those wins came against the Utah Jazz as a +7-point underdog. The Pelicans are 11-10 SU on their home floor this season and also have a positive plus/minus of +2.2PPG (12th best in the NBA). The Pelicans have cashed 7 of the last ten meetings in this series overall and 20 of the last twenty-seven in New Orleans. Based on our line analysis and the money moves on this game we are siding with the home team here plus the points.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 240 Sacramento Kings @ Atlanta Hawks, 7:30PM ET - The Kings are average in road offensive efficiency, ranking 15th BUT they are HORRIBLE defensively on the road, ranking 27th in defensive efficiency allowing 1.171PPP. The Hawks at home have the 12th best offensive efficiency numbers in the league but are 22nd in defensive efficiency. In other words, both are solid offensively and bad defensively. The Kings are 9th in pace while the Hawks are 22nd. Both teams are top 10 in offensive efficiency and both average over 112PPG. Defense is another matter as they both rank in the bottom 8 teams in the NBA in defensive efficiency, the Kings are last. The Kings have gone Over in 48 of their last 71 games overall, 38-18 Over their last 56 when a dog. The Hawks are on a 12-3 Over streak and have played Over in 35 of their last 50 at home against a team with a losing record. Vegas has set this number this high to scare you off. Don’t let it…BET OVER!

ASA top play on 10* Memphis Grizzlies +3.5 over Denver Nuggets, 8 PM ET - Both teams are trending up right now as the Nuggets have won four straight, while the Grizzlies have won 3 of their last four. We like the fact the Grizz have played a game after the All-Star break (beat Washington) while Denver has yet to play. Memphis has a pair of great games against two of the best teams in the NBA at home recently as they beat the Clippers bad (122-94) and lost by 1-point to Milwaukee. The Grizzlies have covered four in a row overall and have cashed 5 of the last six against the Nuggets in Memphis. The break couldn’t have come at a worse time for Denver who had won four in a row. The line on this game is the “tell” though as the Nuggets were just a -3.5-point favorites at Indiana who we rate higher than Memphis. Why the low number? In contrarian fashion we will be the opposite of the way Vegas wants you to bet. Back the home dog here.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -2.5 over Boston Celtics, 7:35 PM ET - Brooklyn is the team to beat in the East and Boston has certainly slipped in our power rankings since the start of the season. The Celtics went into the All-Star break on a 4-game winning streak but prior to that had been just average. In comparison the Nets have played extremely well in their last ten games going 9-1 SU with an average differential of +10PPG. Brooklyn has shot 51% over that ten-game span and face a Celtics defense that 17th in defensive field goal percentage at 46.7%. The Nets are the 2nd best 3-point percentage shooting team in the league too at 40.7% which has helped them average 121PPG. The line on this game is clearly off as the Celtics were recently a +4.5-points underdog at home to the Clippers and the Nets rate near even to the LA in our metrics, meaning the Nets should be at least -4.5 here. When laying -4.5-points or less this season the Nets are 100% or 6-0 ATS. Bet the Nets at home in this one.

ASA top play on 10* San Antonio Spurs +4.5 over Dallas Mavericks, 8:30PM ET - We like the Spurs here and the points in this Texas showdown. When you think of the Mavs you think of offense and points, but the reality is, they rank just 4-spots higher in total offense than the Spurs do and both are in the bottom half of the NBA in scoring. The big advantage the Spurs have here is defense. San Antonio ranks 10th in points allowed per game compared to the Mavericks ranking 18th. The Spurs can also exploit the Mavericks on the glass with the 10th best offensive rebounding margin in the NBA, going up against the Mavs 22nd ranked defensive unit. The Spurs limped into the All-Star break but were hampered by injuries. Dallas won 8 of their last twelve games which is why this line is what it is and offering value. San Antonio has been incredible on the road this season with a 9-4 SU record and a +3.9PPG average margin of victory which is 9th best in the NBA. Dallas on the other hand has a negative differential at home of minus -2.2PPG which ranks 20th. Easy call with the Spurs here and the points.

ASA top play on 10* Phoenix Sun -6.5 over Golden State Warriors, 10PM ET - The Warriors could feel the effects of a close game last night in Portland where the key starters saw 30+ minutes of action, while the Suns were at home resting. Phoenix is coming off an impressive win over the Lakers in which Devin Booker was ejected in the 3rd quarter and the second unit played the majority of the 4th quarter in a convincing road win. Golden State relies heavily on Steph Curry to carry the offensive load while Draymond Green does all the dirty work on the defensive end of the court. The Warriors are 3-6 SU their last nine road games and have a loss here earlier this season by 21-points. The Warriors rank 23rd in the NBA with a negative road point differential of minus -4.3PPG. Phoenix is 11-6 SU at home and have the 3rd best average margin of victory at home of +7.2PPG. Both teams are near even when it comes to offensive statistics, but the Suns hold a decisive advantage defensively allowing 5 less points per game than Golden State and rank 2nd in the NBA in 3-point percentage defense. Golden State is 6-17-1 ATS their last 24 games playing without rest and that trend continues here.

ASA top play on 10* Brooklyn Nets -8 over Houston Rockets, 7:30 PM ET - This game sets up very similar to when we bet on the Nets over the Warriors in KD’s first game back in the Bay when Brooklyn handled Golden State. James Harden will play with a chip on his shoulder tonight back in Houston for the first time since being traded to the Nets. The NBA is driven by 3-point shooting and the Nets are the 2nd best shooting team from beyond the arc this season at 40.5%. Houston is LAST in the league in 3-point shooting at 33%. Brooklyn will have their way offensively here with the highest scoring offense in the NBA at 120.8PPG going up against a Rockets defense that gives up 112.2PPG (18th). The Rockets are clearly reeling right now with 11-straight losses and 8 of those beats came against teams with sub .500 records. Brooklyn has won and covered 6 straight road games and they’ll get another big win here.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 215.5 NY Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs, 8:35 PM ET - Both teams have favored the Under on the season with a combined 25-40 Under record and tonight they add to that record. These two teams are similar in many regards including poor offense ranking 21st (Spurs) and 29th (Knicks) in scoring in the NBA. When it comes to offensive efficiency the Spurs are 21st in the league while the Knicks are 23rd. It’s also no secret both teams like to play defense. The Knicks allow just 104PPG on the year which is the best overall number in the NBA while the Spurs give up 111.7PPG which ranks 12th. New York has the 2nd best defensive efficiency numbers allowing just 1.081-points per possession, the Spurs give up 1.108PPP which is 11th best in the NBA. The other important factor here is pace of play. The Knicks are the slowest paced team in the NBA at 96.2 possessions per game so playing slow is a priority for New York. The Spurs are 12th in pace of play but they are coming off a game last night so expect them to play at a slower tempo here. In fact, in games that the Spurs have played without rest the average total points scored in those contests is just 205.8PPG. San Antonio is on a 4-1 Under run at home and have stayed Under in 6 of their last eight overall. New York is on a ridiculous 14-3 Under streak their last 17 road games. Bet UNDER in the Knicks vs. Spurs.

ASA top play on 10* OVER 226 Denver Nuggets @ Chicago Bulls, 8 PM ET - Points shouldn’t be a problem for these two teams tonight as both average 114+ points per game and rank in the top 8 in overall scoring. The interesting part though is both teams score in different fashions. The Bulls get their points with volume scoring opportunities as they are the 4th fastest paced team in the NBA. The Nuggets don’t play fast, but score with the 5th most efficient offense in the NBA at 1.17-points per possession. Another reason for plenty of scoring here is the lack of defense by both teams. You have to scroll down the defensive efficiency list to 14th to find the Bulls and 20th for the Nuggets. Chicago has the 9th best 3-point shooting FG percentage in the NBA, Denver is 5th. Both teams rank 7th or higher in overall field-goal percentage. Nuggets on 20-6 Over streak as a road favorite, Bulls 7-3 to the Over their last ten as a home dog.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 223 Golden State Warriors @ LA Lakers, 8 PM ET - Our analytics don’t see these two rivals combining for more than 218 total points in this contest. You’ll be surprised to know that neither of these two teams rank in the top half of the NBA when it comes to offensive efficiency. The Warriors (18th) average 1.11PPP while the Lakers (19th) average 1.109PPP. In their last five games the Lakers have been worse yet averaging 1.029PPP which is 29th in the league, barely above the Timberwolves. On the other end of the court though both teams have been outstanding this season when it comes to defense. The Lakers are the #1 rated defensive efficiency team in the league while the Warriors are 4th. Inside their DEFF numbers a couple key stats that stand out are each teams FG% defense as they Warriors rank 2nd overall in the NBA, the Lakers 5th. Golden State is coming off a high scoring game against a bad defensive team in Charlotte, but prior to that game had totaled less than 220 total points in three straight games. As we mentioned before the Lakers offense has been atrocious without Anthony Davis in the lineup as L.A. has failed to reach 100-points in three of their last five games and 102 or less in four of five. Golden State on 5-1 Under run their last six road games, Lakers Under in 5 of their last six.

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 215 NY Knicks @ Detroit Pistons, 8 PM ET - This certainly isn’t a marquee game on the ticket Sunday but it’s one that offers the best opportunity to win. Let’s start with pace of play first. These two teams are two of the slowest paced teams in the NBA and neither want to get up and down here. In fact, the Knicks are the slowest paced team in the NBA at 96.1 possessions per game, while the Pistons are the 6th slowest. When it comes to offense both teams struggle as the Pistons average just 108PPG which ranks 25th in the NBA. Detroit is 28th in field goal percentage and 25th in 3-point percentage. The Pistons are 25th in offensive efficiency rating averaging .979-points per possession. New York has similar numbers when it comes to offense as they score just 104.7PPG (29th), shot just 45.1% (24th) and 36.4% from beyond the 3-point line. The Knicks are also one of the worst offensive efficiency teams in the league ranking 23rd. Defensively the Knicks are 3rd in the NBA in points allowed per possession at 1.087PPP while the Pistons are 19th at 1.123PPP. The Knicks are 4-13 Under on the road this season while the Pistons are 6-9 Under at home. Pistons on 5-1 Under run overall, while Knicks on 21-9 Under streak last 30 games. These two don’t reach 210 total points here.