Monday's Tip Sheet
December 10, 2017
Game of the Night: Blazers at Warriors ? 10:35 PM EST
Golden State (21-6 SU, 13-14 ATS) returns home following a perfect 6-0 road trip. In spite of Stephen Curry spraining his ankle last Monday in a comeback victory at New Orleans, the Warriors came through with a pair of wins at Charlotte and Detroit in the final two games. Kevin Durant stepped up by posting a triple-double in a 101-87 triumph at Charlotte, followed by a 36-point, 10-rebound effort in Friday?s 102-98 victory at Detroit. The Warriors failed to cash against the Pistons as 5 ?-point favorites, but Steve Kerr?s squad finished the trip at 4-2 ATS.
For as well as the Warriors played on the road, the Blazers (13-12 SU, 9-13-3 ATS) were equally as bad at home. Portland concluded its four-game homestand at 0-4 SU/ATS, capped off by a 124-117 defeat to Houston on Saturday. The Blazers did cash as 8 ?-point underdogs, but were outscored, 40-19 in the fourth quarter against the Rockets. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to score 63 points, but the Portland backcourt couldn?t slow down Houston star James Harden, who torched the Blazers for 48 points.
The Warriors and Blazers are hooking up for the first time this season after Golden State pulled off the four-game sweep of Portland in the opening round of the playoffs last season. Portland dropped all eight matchups with Golden State last season, but managed a 2-2 ATS record at Oracle Arena. The last time the Blazers won by the Bay came in November 2013, as Terry Stotts? club has dropped 10 straight visits to Oakland.
Another Playoff Rematch
The Celtics and Bulls met in the first round of last season?s playoffs, but it?s pretty much a lock that Chicago will be in the lottery this season. Boston (23-5 SU, 20-7-1 ATS) avenged a home loss to Detroit by beating the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, 91-81 on Sunday as one-point favorites. The Celtics also bounced back from a three-point defeat at San Antonio on Friday as Brad Stevens? team has yet to lose consecutive games since starting the 0-2.
Chicago (5-20 SU, 12-12-1 ATS) has a long way to go to reach the .500 mark, but the Bulls have played better of late by covering in three straight games. The Bulls blew a double-digit lead at Indiana last Wednesday in a 98-96 loss as 10-point ?dogs, but bounced back with back-to-back wins over Charlotte and New York. Chicago dropped six of 10 meetings with Boston last season, including three straight defeats at the United Center in the playoffs.
Rolling Raptors
Toronto (16-7 SU, 13-10 ATS) is hitting its stride by winning its sixth consecutive game on Sunday in a 102-87 triumph at Sacramento as nine-point favorites. The Raptors remain on the west coast to face the Clippers at Staples Center as Toronto looks to improve on a 2-0 SU/ATS record with no rest this season. Dwane Casey?s squad lost their first two road games of the season against Western Conference opponents (San Antonio and Golden State), but the Raptors have won seven of their past eight on the highway against Western foes.
The Clippers (9-15 SU, 10-14 ATS) snapped a four-game skid in Saturday?s buzzer-beating victory over the Wizards, 113-112. Lou Williams hit the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds to give Los Angeles only its third home victory since the start of November. Since beginning the season at 4-0 ATS, the Clippers own a dreadful 0-6 ATS off a cover, while posting a 1-2 SU/ATS record as a home underdog this season.
Sky Rocketing
Only three teams have won at least 20 games this season, as Houston (20-4 SU, 14-10 ATS) joined Boston and Golden State in this elite class. The Rockets rallied to beat the Blazers on Saturday night to sweep their three-game road swing which also included double-digit victories against the Lakers and Jazz. During Houston?s nine-game winning streak, eight of those victories came by at least 10 points, while compiling a 3-2 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite.
New Orleans invades Houston as the Pelicans (14-13 SU, 14-12-1 ATS) are coming off a home victory over the 76ers on Sunday. The Pelicans trailed by eight points heading into the fourth quarter before picking up their third win in the last eight games. New Orleans also cashed its seventh consecutive OVER, but three of four meetings with Houston last season finished UNDER the total.
Risky Grizzness
It?s been a tough go for Memphis (8-18 SU, 9-16-1 ATS), who has lost 14 of the past 15 games. The Grizzlies are coming off a pair of home setbacks to Toronto and Oklahoma City, as Memphis led in the fourth quarter in each of those defeats. After starting the season 4-0 at FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies have slipped to a horrendous 1-10 record in their past 11 home contests as the Heat head to Memphis.
Miami (12-13 SU, 9-14-2 ATS) wraps up a three-game swing after knocking off Brooklyn in Mexico City on Saturday, 101-89 as 2 ?-point favorites. Erik Spoelstra?s club moved to 7-1 to the UNDER in their last eight games, while allowing less than 100 points for the first time in the past six contests. The road team won each of the two meetings last season between the Heat and Grizzlies as they played a home-and-home set last November.
Thunder Struck
For as discombobulated of a start to the season for Oklahoma City (12-13 SU, 8-17 ATS), the Thunder has managed to win four of their last five games. OKC swept a three-game homestand from Minnesota, San Antonio, and Utah before falling to Brooklyn in Mexico City last Thursday night. Billy Donovan?s squad rallied past the Grizzlies in overtime on Saturday, 102-101, but failed to cover as 4 ?-point favorites to fall to 0-8 ATS the last eight games. OKC has slumped to an amazing 0-10 ATS the last 10 contests in the favorite role, while the team hopes to get Paul George back in the lineup after missing the past two games with a calf injury.
The Hornets (9-16 SU, 10-14-1 ATS) will happy to hit the highway following an inexcusable 1-3 SU/ATS homestand. The final two losses came to the Bulls and Lakers, while falling to 1-7 in the past eight games overall. Charlotte has won just once away from Spectrum Center this season in 11 road contests, but the Hornets swept the Thunder last season, including a 12-point victory at Oklahoma City in April.
