Sunday: 2-2
Orlando is under performing in their last 10 games and the last 14 games for the Cavs starts when they host the Magic Monday night. It's tough to not take the Magic over the Cavs asking them to win by 12 or more. With only 11 games remaining for the Magic, 7 of which are below .500 teams, it's a problem whether you see these guys come out firing. They still have a shot at the top seed and again with 7 sub .500 teams it's pretty good motivation to gun for it. With no real health issue for this team, they do seem to struggle in form but hopefully regain it in this game. The Magic averages win margin is 14 in the 3 games they played the Cavs. Cleveland doesn't have much offensive firepower that they can stage huge comebacks but with the Magic having several lapses in both offense in defense the last 10 games, I won't be surprised if they ended up with a push or a crazy cover at the end game. No play at the moment here as both are bad ATS teams, I do like the UNDER 194.0 in this situation but only as a lean. Magic plays a good chunk of half court sets and they pass the ball around more eating a bit more from the clock. Cavs is offensively challenged with no real scorer anywhere. They should have a problem with the Magic's size and defensive pressure.
Grizzlies have the Celtics in two days and should be looking forward to avenge that 6 point overtime loss they had at home. Anyway, the Jazz isn't exactly a team to bet on specially on the road but with this much points, it sure is enticing and I'm not biting. I'm playing Memphis Grizzlies -7.5. Jazz is playing the second of a back to back which they're not really good at (6-10-1 ATS). They are 3-5 SU and 4-4 ATS on the road with an average losing margin of 14 points! Line is just about right here since they are playing a 24-10 SU, 12-12 ATS home team who's still hustling to hang on to the 8th spot in the West. In the 3 games they played earlier this season, Rudy Gay has come out huge for them and so is Deron which pretty much evens the playing field. Where the Grizzlies gets their advantage is that, Zach Randolph thrives against the Jazz' bigs and Utah's Millsap and AJ struggles offensively. A good lean for the total is the OVER 203.0 since the Jazz has given up 100+ points on the road after the Allstar break and the Grizzlies is just a team that has guys who can shoot and score pretty well.
Brutal schedule for the Warriors and it looks easy to get on the Spurs but the hard part is knowing who Pop will field and who he'll give the day off. They've beaten the Warriors thrice this season and has 7 games ahead of the 2nd seed and it's a pretty good guess that there'll be a starter or two to be resting. Then again, it doesn't even make it any easier to take the Warriors either. You guys should've seen how scary the Spurs bench is when they shoot at home even scary if a team who plays bad defense like the Warriors plays them. At the moment I'm leaning on the UNDER 211.0 basing it largely on the fact that both teams have played it close to the total in their 3 meetings (2 went over) and that they are a combined home-road o/u of 28-41-0.
I know it's a tough schedule to be playing a second game of a back to back in Denver specially when the home team will be rested. I had the UNDER in their game against OKC thinking that they'll drag it out and have a heart breaking loss but instead won it SU. I don't really see them winning SU in Denver but 12.5 points is just one too many for the Nuggets specially when they are probably looking ahead to hosting the Spurs again. I'm playing the Toronto Raptors +12.5 and it should go down a point or half a point nearing game time because of their win. You also got to love the Raptors playing better on the second of a back to back (at least covering wise) since they are 8-6 ATS. Raptors looks good at the moment winning two in a row and giving they have the firepower to keep it within covering distance.
BOL.