Wednesday's Tip Sheet
Game of the Night: Warriors at Thunder
Old teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook meet up for the first time this season as Golden State concludes its four-game road trip at Oklahoma City. The Warriors (13-4 SU, 7-10 ATS) have failed to cover on this swing in spite of coming off high-scoring victories at Philadelphia and Brooklyn on a back-to-back. In fact, Golden State has gone 0-4 ATS since a 6-0 ATS run, but Steve Kerr’s squad has won nine times in this stretch with the only loss coming at red-hot Boston last Thursday.
The Thunder (7-9 SU, 7-9 ATS) suffered its fifth consecutive road loss in Monday’s 114-107 setback at New Orleans as three-point favorites. Oklahoma City led 17-2 early before New Orleans rallied back as Westbrook posted a triple-double (22 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists) in spite of the Thunder falling to 0-7 SU/ATS on the road this season to Western Conference opponents. At home, OKC has won two of three games against the West, although those victories have come against below .500 teams (Clippers and Mavericks).
In Durant’s first season with the Warriors, Golden State pulled off the four-game season sweep of Oklahoma City, as all four victories came by double-digits. Since OKC jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over Golden State in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the Warriors have won seven consecutive meetings with the Thunder, including each of the past three visits to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Shooting for Seventeen
The Celtics (16-2 SU, 15-2-1 ATS) began the season at 0-2 and things looked bleak following Gordon Hayward’s gruesome leg injury. However, Boston has figured out how to put things together and not lose since by posting an incredible 16-game winning streak, while covering 14 times in this stretch. The most recent triumph came in Monday’s 110-102 overtime victory at Dallas to barely cash as 6 ½-point favorites. Boston improved to 9-1 ATS away from TD Garden thanks to 47 points on 16-of-22 shooting from guard Kyrie Irving, while overcoming a double-digit deficit for the third straight game.
Boston heads to Miami for the second time this season as the Celtics edged the Heat in the first matchup last month, 96-90. Miami (7-9 SU, 5-9-2 ATS) looks to rebound from a 25-point home loss to Indiana on Sunday as 5 ½-point favorites, its third setback in the past four games. The Heat have failed to cash one ticket at American Airlines Arena this season by going 0-6-2 ATS, while dropping eight straight meetings with the Celtics since 2015.
Roll the Ball Out
The Rockets and Nuggets can light up the scoreboard on any given night as the two Western Conference squads meet up at Toyota Center. Houston (13-4 SU, 10-7 ATS) swept the four-game series from Denver last season, but the Nuggets covered in both losses at Toyota Center. The Rockets return home following a pair of road blowouts over the Suns and Grizzlies, while winning eight of their past nine games overall.
The Nuggets (10-7 SU, 7-10 ATS) won its first road game since October 29 as Denver knocked off Sacramento, 114-98 on Monday as five-point favorites. Paul Millsap sat out with a wrist injury as the Nuggets’ forward will have surgery and miss at least three months. Denver has struggled in the underdog role this season by going 1-3 SU/ATS, while putting together a 3-5 SU and 3-6 ATS record away from Pepsi Center.
Quick Change
Ten days ago, the Cavaliers (10-7 SU, 6-10-1 ATS) sat below the .500 mark, but Cleveland has rebounded with five consecutive victories. The Cavs are fresh off their biggest blowout of the season, a 116-88 rout of the Pistons on Monday as 1½-point favorites, as Tyronn Lue’s squad posted 73 points in the first half. Cleveland returns to Quicken Loans Arena to face Brooklyn, looking to avenge a 112-107 setback at Barclays Center on October 25 as 7½-point favorites.
The Nets (6-10 SU, 9-7 ATS) have actually been a solid team to back on the highway of late by compiling a 3-1 ATS record in their last four road games. Brooklyn heads to Cleveland off consecutive covers, while cashing as 11½-point underdogs against Golden State on Sunday, 118-111. In the last three visits to Cleveland, the Nets have been listed as 17, 16 ½, and 17-point underdogs, but opened as 11-point ‘dogs on Wednesday.
Buzz Thrill
The Hornets (7-9 SU, 7-8-1 ATS) have built a nice home-court advantage by winning six of their eight games at Spectrum Center this season. Charlotte pulled away from Minnesota on Monday, 118-102 to easily cash as 2 ½-point favorites, as the Hornets seek their second three-game winning streak of the season on Wednesday against Washington. The Hornets struggled against the Wizards last season by dropping three of four matchups against their division rivals, but the lone victory came in Charlotte.
The up-and-down season continues for the Wizards (10-7 SU, 9-8 ATS), who snapped a two-game skid in Monday’s 99-88 triumph at Milwaukee. Washington has finished UNDER the total in nine consecutive contests, while allowing seven of those opponents to 96 points or less. The Wizards have performed well on the highway recently by winning four of their past five away from Capital One Arena, while owning a strong 5-1 ATS mark as a road underdog this season.
Head-to-Head Matchups
The 76ers continue a six-game homestand as the Blazers invade Philadelphia. Since a 1-2 ATS start, the Sixers have covered 11 of their past 13 games, while cashing in each of the past four matchups with Portland. The Blazers have hit the UNDER in eight straight games, while winning four of five overall.
It’s been a rough go for the Clippers, who look to snap a nine-game losing streak as Los Angeles travels to Atlanta. The Hawks have lost six of their past seven contests, while going 0-2 ATS since a 5-1 ATS run. Los Angeles swept Atlanta last season, while winning in each of the past two visits to Philips Arena.
Toronto has owned New York the last few seasons by capturing eight straight meetings, including a 107-84 blowout last Saturday at Air Canada Center. The Raptors seek their fifth straight win at Madison Square Garden dating back to February 2016, as Toronto is riding a 5-0 SU/ATS hot streak. The Knicks have cashed in seven consecutive home games, while winning six times in this stretch.
The two teams sitting under .500 in the Southwest division hook up in Memphis as the Grizzlies host the Mavericks. Dallas dropped a heartbreaker to Boston in overtime on Monday as one of its three victories this season came against Memphis at home on October 25. The Grizzlies look to snap a five-game losing streak, while not winning yet on their current four-game homestand (0-3 SU/ATS).
Orlando is also suffering through a five-game skid, as the Magic embark on a four-game road trip that begins in Minnesota. The Wolves have also stumbled of late by losing in a back-to-back set against Detroit and Charlotte, but Minnesota pulled off the two-game sweep of Orlando last season.
The Spurs have taken six of the last seven meetings with the Pelicans as San Antonio heads to New Orleans. However, the Spurs have failed to cover in five straight road contests, while the Pelicans have struggled as a home favorite this season at 1-4 ATS.
Milwaukee has swept Phoenix in each of the past two seasons, including a 137-112 blowout in the Valley last season. The Bucks start a four-game Western swing, but are 0-3 ATS in their last three tries in the favorite role. The Suns are seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season after beating the Lakers and Bulls.
The Bulls won a pair of low-scoring affairs against the Jazz last season, as Chicago heads to Utah with no rest. Utah returns home following a 1-3 road swing, as the Jazz have lost four of their past five games in Salt Lake City.
The Kings are 1-5 since beating the Thunder and 76ers at home as the Lakers travel north on I-5 to face Sacramento. Los Angeles has lost two of three times on the road with no rest, while splitting four games with Sacramento last season.
