Indiana is a different team at home and so is the Milwaukee Bucks. The Deers have taken down some heavyweights in Milwaukee and Indiana has lost some nasty defeats away from home. However, in this series the away team has seemed to have the advantage and nothing showcases this better than the destruction job that Milwaukee pulled off against Indiana, last month. Nevertheless, Milwaukee is riding a hot hand and they have put together some impressive wins at the Bradley Center in particular, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors in back-to-back games. It is without question, the Bucks are looking to make a late playoff push and this game situationally sets them up perfectly to gain ground on the Pacers. Milwaukee is just 2.5 games behind Indiana and they are half of a game out of the playoffs altogether. This is a very dangerous basketball team led by a prolific talent in Giannis Antetuokumpo who has been leading the charge all season long. With a road trip on the horizon, Milwaukee will treat every home game as a first-class chance to keep their playoff hopes a float. Look for the Deers to run wild.

The numbers reflect everything you need to know in this one. Cleveland has one of the better records in all of the NBA but they have been a loss when taken against the spread, on the year. This type of phenomenon tends to occur with blue-chip teams such as the Cavaliers and they are an even more risky play when they are away from home. Spotting road points a whole can put any taker at a great risk but when doing so against a basketball team with a home court presence and likely inflated points, we will have to take those points most times. This is certainly one of those times. It is possible that by the time this market closes, Detroit can be taking back double the amount of points they were initially spotted. Detroit in their last meeting with Cleveland was favored by five points and they dominated. The Pistons won by 16 points and even with Cleveland coming in off a nasty skid, they are still viewed to be short-priced by much of the consensus. Tremendous value on the Pistons.

Both of these teams need a win on Wednesday night given the tight race in both conferences, but it is hard to see Boston turning things around after blowing big leads in its last two losses. Golden State gets to enjoy just one night at home before heading back out on the road for its next two games and I like its chances to make the most of the opportunity.

What I am really counting on in this matchup is that road fatigue and frustration continue to build for the Celtics as they fall to Golden State both SU and ATS this Wednesday night.

With this fixture transpiring in Houston, the assumption here is that the Rockets will bring it against the Notes. However, takers should be careful as they are likely spotting inflated points to the Jazz by virtue of Houston’s strong home court presence. In addition, the Rockets have one of the game’s premiere players in James Harden. His presence on the court could actually drive the price of any market be that he is more familiar to the betting public. There are no “names” on Utah’s rolls, they play sound team basketball. In this situation, is actually quite tempting to go Money Line here be that it is a rare opportunity to take back Utah at such a good price. The Jazz have the defense that can cause havoc for virtually any team in this league and one cannot assume that Houston would be impervious to such a feat because they are at home. The Jazz with points is a quality play and given the fact we are likely getting more than we should, we will gladly step in on Utah.

As of late we have been especially keen on Philadelphia as they have been traditionally undervalued. In this situation, Milwaukee seems to be the better option to lay by virtue of their performance portfolio overall against the spread. However, it seems the market may be finally catching up to the Sixers and no longer exposing itself to overlays like they have when Philadelphia was a much weaker basketball club. On paper, Milwaukee should blow out the 76ers and given the fact the Deers have re-emerged with a huge home win against Toronto, it is shocking that the public has not overemphasized this victory. Nevertheless, the Sixers have been strong overall in the City of Brotherly Love as a whole as of late but given the fact they are recovering from a demolition job suffered against the Pistons, we have yet to see how that loss affects the psyche of this young basketball team. In this instance, we advise takers to stay clear of the points.

Given the fact the Pelicans have acquired the firepower and have to yet produce a result that is quantifiable, this team should not be spotting this kind of lumber given their road woes. Sure, the Lakers are undoubtedly one of the weakest teams in the NBA but New Orleans was struggling mightily before DeMarcus Cousins arrived. Needless to say, not much has changed since. The Lakers will enter this game with nothing to lose and thus are all the more dangerous as their stock is through the floor and the expectations are non-existent. The same cannot be said for the Pelicans. Despite being on the outside looking in in the Western Conference playoff picture, many spectators are expecting a late push from the dynamic duo of Cousins and Davis. In a situation such as this one, the Pelicans are prone to spot an inflated number and we will go ahead and take advantage.

We will continue our assault on the Hornets and once again fade Charlotte on the road. Denver has taken their current status in the NBA Playoff race very seriously and this is reflected in the results manifested on their road trip. Now, the journey gets a bit smoother as they will enjoy an extended home stand with a manageable schedule. Their first opponent? A Charlotte club who as we mentioned previously has had a plethora of problems on the road. We are not typically chalk players but when the shoe fits we will wear it. We will stay clear of the Hornets until they can prove they can even cover when they are outside the Queen City. Charlotte’s field goal efficiency percentages are one of the worst in the NBA and this is especially bad news considering the Nuggets are marksmen with a catalytic offense. If Denver gets hot, they can easily bury this team and thus we will gladly spot the points here.

The spot here that the Sixers come in, once again allows us to take action Philadelphia where they offer tremendous value and upside. As a result of the continued perils the Knicks have undergone, it was only a matter of time before chaos broke out within the Knicks ranks. Such an event has finally occurred as the Knicks have thrown up the white flag with the release of Brandon Jennings and the likely dismissal of Derrick Rose. As for the Sixers, they continue to show improvement and they are clearly becoming a more cohesive unit with each game they play. At home, the Sixers play with a chip on their shoulder and it has yielded some admirable results. We have been in this exact situation before, nearly two months ago with Philly taking back the same amount of points against their arch rivals. We went for Philly on the Money Line and we were successful. We will do that once again, Sixers outright is our call.

We have done it before and we will do it again, fade Charlotte on the road. The Hornets have been an excellent team to lay when they are away from home and when they are spotting points they are an even better target. The stock on the Suns is through the floor to say the least. With this being said, the market assessment of this outfit is rather cautious given the fact no one likely wants to buy a piece of the Suns given their status at this point. The fact remains, though the Suns have performed terribly this year in the wins and losses department, they remain a near .500 team in against the spread markets. In fact, the Suns have been a better play from this angle when compared to the Hornets who have a better overall record. Not too long ago Charlotte was sitting in a position to own a playoff seed but due to a nasty skid they embarked upon before the All-Star break, the Hornets find themselves in a dog fight for post-season contention. Currently, Charlotte is on the outside looking in and this contest can easily be another snare for the Hornets to get caught in.

The impressive victory orchestrated by the Nuggets remains understated as they overall generated a 20-plus point cover last night where their demolition job of the Bulls at the United Center. The general betting public perceives this as a bit of a fluke but the Nuggets have overall been riding a hot hand since coming off the All-Star break. The Nuggets do one thing better than every other team in the NBA, they are most physical on the boards. This is bad news for the Bucks be that they are without the services of Power Forward Jabari Parker who has been shelved yet again with a nagging ACL injury. The Nuggets create second chances for themselves better than any other team in the NBA which is extremely dangerous considering the potency of their offense. Milwaukee should be on upset alert.

The Cavaliers come into this showdown in better overall form and the road team in this matchup has a significant edge in the last several meetings, but Boston is still a very good team that should be feeling rather desperate to post a very big win.

Despite some unfavorable trends on the total line, I still like the OVER on Wednesday night. However, my top play is Boston at home with the win both SU and ATS.

The stock in Oklahoma City continues to rise with each win they acquire. This contest is a game of significance for both teams in that Oklahoma City can inch ever close to the Jazz in the Northwest Division race with a win here. With this fixture transpiring in Oklahoma City, the assumption here is that the Thunder will certainly be successful in doing so. When you back this up with the fact that OKC has asserted themselves recently in this series in particular, this seems even more likely. However, Utah’s sole win in the previous six meetings occurred earlier this season in Salt Lake City where the Jazz would thrash the Thunder at home. The Jazz would follow this up with a two-point loss at OKC in January. Bottom line, this is not the same Jazz team of old OKC has teed off on. This team is rugged and nasty on the defensive side of things and given the fact Oklahoma City has always been an offense-first club, the Thunder better be prepared for a fight this evening. Don’t be shocked if the Jazz win yet again.

Given the forecast of a slim margin of victory separating the two participants, we will go ahead and nullify the juice and save five cents by taking Dallas outright as opposed to taking back a point. Very simply, Dallas has been a formidable team on their own court this year and despite their overall ghastly record, they have been around .500 at the American Airlines Arena. Given the soaring stock of Miami as a result of their recent exploits, this line tells us all we need to know. Despite all the hyperbole, the Heat should not be trusted in this market with substantial points but nevertheless it may appear to be a quality play by virtue of the fact it appears to be a rather friendly price. The fact remains, Miami has defeated Houston on the road while also losing to Orlando at home. This team is very inconsistent and given the fact they just ransacked a quality team in Indiana at home, this fixture sets them up perfectly for a let-down against a weaker opponent in comparison.

If there was ever a time to hop aboard the Pelicans it would be now. New Orleans is just 3.5 games out of the playoffs behind eighth seed Denver and they now certainly have the firepower to make a run for the postseason. The combination of Cousins and Davis is a frightening proposition for any team to battle, including Westbrook and company. The fact remains the transaction though it is blockbuster in nature has not spawn the reaction that we believed would have taken place. Instead, much of the betting public are smothering the Thunder at a perceived low price given their strength playing in Oklahoma City. However, the price is likely right given the fact this is a much more improved version of the New Orleans Pelicans. With Oladipo as an uncertainty at this point, Oklahoma City’s ability to shoot the long ball and essentially exploit New Orleans’ front court strength comes in to question. Much value on the Pelicans.

The Knicks have been nothing close to what many were expecting to see in 2016 after all the transactions they made in the off-season. As a result, the Knickerbockers were bound to come undone and enter in to a state of disenfranchisement. Needless to say, this phenomenon has certainly materialized to a harrowing degree. The 76ers are a team we frequently like to back as they are almost always undervalued and taking back more points than they should be. Recent events would reinforce this notion. The bottom line is this, even if the Knicks have been economical this year against the spread, you can almost always expect to pay a premium when they are Madison Square Garden. Even leading analysts won’t deny this one. Philly has not been the Sixers of old and before the market catches up to them, we will continue to ride the Sixers even when much of the public seems to be on-board in this rare occasion.

This should be a very entertaining matchup with both lineups well rested and ready to go. While it will be tough for the Clippers to extend their current SU winning streak to five games, I do see them keeping things close against their division rivals all night long.

Golden State continually goes up against inflated total lines, especially when it faces another high scoring team. I believe that the 230-point total line for this game sets up the perfect opportunity to cash in on the UNDER with just enough rust in both team’s shooting given the extended time off.

Very simply, we are not going to lay off out assault on Portland on the road as they have been the authors of some rather dismal displays when they are away from the Moda Center. In their previous three away from Rip City, the Blazers are 1-2 SU and their one win came as a one-point defeat of the Dallas Mavericks where they failed to cover a 2.5-point spread. In terms of caliber, Orlando is very similar to that of Dallas. The Magic like the Mavs are a team that fell far from grace despite owning some excellent talent in their ranks. Nevertheless with Portland’s road woes certainly quantified, they are a risky play to spot points here and given the number is so small, we might as well reduce the juice and take the Magic outright.

In this situation, the academic move seems to play on the Wizards given the fact they are riding a hot hand, especially when the Pacers are having great difficulty as of late in the loss department. The candid home court advantage indigenous to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse seems to have been placed on a moratorium and the Central Division was not shy to take advantage. However, it is worth noting that Washington is 9-16 on the road this year away from the Capital. Like Indiana, the Wizards are strong on their own court. Their two previous wins in this series both came in DC. Indiana is obviously looking for a win and they need some form of momentum heading in to the break. But that’s not why we like them here. Given this match takes place on a day of limited action, books are bound to be extra sharp. This number may seem like a bit of a gift given the stocks of both teams at the moment, but we assure anyone looking here that this is no farce. Don’t be shocked if Indiana pulls the upset.

There has to be some concern with Miami’s last two losses, but it is hard to completely discount that incredible 13-game run when accessing this team’s overall form coming into Wednesday’s tilt. Houston has been a very good team at home this season SU, but it has been inconsistent when it comes to covering the spread.

While I do not think that Miami has enough juice to win this game SU, I do think that the Heat can regain enough of their recent winning form to keep things closer than the current nine-point spread.

The lack of faith in Brooklyn is certainly justifiable and understandable. The Nets have been a train wreck and they have played uninspired basketball all season long. However, Milwaukee has many documented woes on the road this year and for what it’s worth Brooklyn has won seven of their nine scarce victories in BK this year. The Nets have also defeated Indiana in Brooklyn, as well so this is a team that knows how to beat good teams on their own floor. The Nets are bound to take back inflated points because no one wants a piece of them. That alone is a reason to always give the Nets a second look, against as team as consistent as Milwaukee it is an even better play.