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Wednesday's Tip Sheet
February 1, 2017
Game of the Night – Bulls at Thunder (-3, 207 ½) – 9:35 PM EST – ESPN
Oklahoma City (28-21 SU, 26-22-1 ATS) returns home after a pair of double-digit losses at Cleveland and San Antonio in the last three days. The Thunder trailed the Spurs last night by 18 points in the first half, but used a 24-4 run to grab a 73-70 lead in the third quarter. However, that advantage was short-lived as San Antonio pulled away for a 108-94 triumph as 9 ½-point favorites to hand OKC its 9th road loss in its last 13 tries.
The biggest soap opera in the league this season has taken place in Chicago (24-25 SU, 23-26 ATS), as the Bulls have failed to find consistency following a roster overhaul in the offseason. The Bulls snapped a two-game skid with a 121-108 home triumph over the 76ers on Sunday as Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 28 points following his 1-for-13 performance two nights earlier against Miami. Fred Hoiberg’s team has slumped to a 2-5 ATS mark in spite of covering as seven-point favorites against Philadelphia as the Bulls embark on a six-game road swing against Western Conference foes.
These teams are meeting for the second time in less than a month, as the Thunder crushed the Bulls as one-point favorites at the United Center, 109-94 on January 9. OKC scorched Chicago from the floor by shooting 56%, while receiving 42 points from the frontcourt duo of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. However, Kanter is sidelined with a broken wrist, but the Thunder limited Butler to one point on 0-for-6 shooting. Chicago snapped a five-game skid at Chesapeake Energy Arena last season with a 105-96 triumph on Christmas Day.
Where’s the Love?
If you’re talking about Kevin Love, he is going to miss his second straight game with a back injury. However, the Cavaliers are looking beat Love’s former team, the Timberwolves when the two teams meet up at Quicken Loans Arena. The defending champions are scuffling at the moment in spite of an Eastern Conference-best 32-15 record as the Cavs have dropped four of their past six games. Cleveland owns the second-worst ATS mark in the league at 19-26-2, including a 3-12 ATS record in January.
The Wolves are sitting in last place of the Northwest division, but Minnesota is playing better of late by winning five of its previous seven games. Minnesota is listed as an underdog for the first time in the last seven contests, as the Wolves covered in their last underdog opportunity at San Antonio on January 17 in a 122-114 defeat. The Cavaliers have won each of the past four matchups with the Wolves since December 2014, as three of those games finished OVER the total.
Top of the Atlantic
The race for first place in the Atlantic division has tightened up between Boston and Toronto as the Celtics have pulled into the top spot by one half-game. The two squads hook up at TD Garden tonight as the Raptors are fresh off an overtime victory over the Pelicans last night. Toronto won without top scorer DeMar DeRozan, who will be out again this evening with a lingering ankle injury. In Tuesday’s victory, Kyle Lowry stepped up with a game-high 33 points and the game-winning jumper in the final seconds of overtime.
The Celtics seek their fifth consecutive victory after holding off the Pistons on Monday, 113-109, but Detroit cashed as five-point underdogs. Isaiah Thomas continued his All-Star season as the diminutive guard poured in 41 points for his fourth game this season of 40 points or more. The Celtics have had their issues with the Raptors this season by losing each of the first two meetings, including a 114-106 setback at Air Canada Center in early January.
Fired Up
The Heat were left for dead following an 11-30 start to the season, but Miami seeks its ninth consecutive victory tonight against Atlanta. Following Monday’s 104-96 triumph over Brooklyn, the Heat have won six straight games at American Airlines Arena, while topping the 100-point mark in seven wins during this streak.
The Hawks have had several days off since Sunday’s four-overtime marathon victory over the Knicks, but Atlanta failed to cash as 6 ½-point favorites. Atlanta is rolling on the highway of late by capturing wins in six of the past seven games away from Philips Arena. The Hawks have won each of the first two meetings with the Heat this season, but Miami covered each time in the underdog role.
Buzz Kill
The Hornets can’t buy a win away from home as Charlotte suffered not only its fifth straight loss overall, but its eighth consecutive road defeat in last night’s 115-98 setback at Portland. Things don’t get any easier for Steve Clifford’s squad as the Hornets travel to Golden State tonight to face the Warriors. These teams met last Wednesday in Charlotte as the Warriors held off the Hornets, 113-103 to barely cover as 9 ½-point road favorites.
Stephen Curry is listed as probable after missing Sunday’s victory at Portland with an illness, as the Warriors have covered in each of their past four home wins. Golden State has turned into a solid UNDER team of late by cashing the UNDER in eight of the last nine games, although the lone OVER in this stretch came in Saturday’s 144-98 blowout of the Clippers.
Texas Two-Step
Although both the Mavericks and 76ers have won 18 games apiece this season, these two squads are on fire from an ATS standpoint. Philadelphia has compiled a solid 13-3 ATS mark in the past 16 games, while winning 10 games in January, which equaled its season total from last season. The 76ers head to Dallas tonight looking to improve on a 9-5 ATS record on the road since the start of December. However, leading scorer Joel Embiid is out tonight with a knee injury, but the Sixers have won three of the last four games without the former Kansas standout.
The Mavericks are fresh off a pair of impressive victories in a two-day span by knocking off San Antonio as heavy road underdogs on Sunday, followed by a 104-97 triumph over Cleveland on Monday. Dallas has cashed in eight of the past 10 games, including five consecutive covers at American Airlines Center. The Mavs have captured seven straight meetings with the 76ers, including blowouts in each of the last two home matchups.
Head-to-Head Trends
-- Indiana travels to Orlando as the Pacers have owned the Magic this season with a pair of home victories. Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Pacers have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Magic, including three victories in Orlando.
-- The battle of New York City pits two underachieving teams as the Knicks and Nets meet at Barclays Center. New York cruised past Brooklyn in its first meeting at Madison Square Garden in November, as the home team has won each of the past five matchups.
-- The Pelicans travel to Detroit after last night’s two-point overtime setback at Toronto. New Orleans has had its way with Detroit over the years by winning eight consecutive meetings, as the teams hook up for the first time this season.
-- Memphis and Denver have played some exciting games in their recent matchups, including a one-point triumph by the Grizzlies back in November. The Grizzlies have won six of the last seven meetings with the Nuggets, but each of the past five matchups have been decided by seven point or less.
-- Milwaukee begins a three-game road swing in Utah as the Bucks have dropped eight of their last nine contests. Playing the Jazz isn’t the cure to Milwaukee’s ills as the Bucks have lost four straight matchups with Utah since January 2015.
-- The Clippers have cruised past the Suns in two meetings this season at home as Los Angeles visits Phoenix. The Suns have won each of the last two home matchups with L.A., but have dropped six straight games at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
February 1, 2017
Game of the Night – Bulls at Thunder (-3, 207 ½) – 9:35 PM EST – ESPN
Oklahoma City (28-21 SU, 26-22-1 ATS) returns home after a pair of double-digit losses at Cleveland and San Antonio in the last three days. The Thunder trailed the Spurs last night by 18 points in the first half, but used a 24-4 run to grab a 73-70 lead in the third quarter. However, that advantage was short-lived as San Antonio pulled away for a 108-94 triumph as 9 ½-point favorites to hand OKC its 9th road loss in its last 13 tries.
The biggest soap opera in the league this season has taken place in Chicago (24-25 SU, 23-26 ATS), as the Bulls have failed to find consistency following a roster overhaul in the offseason. The Bulls snapped a two-game skid with a 121-108 home triumph over the 76ers on Sunday as Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 28 points following his 1-for-13 performance two nights earlier against Miami. Fred Hoiberg’s team has slumped to a 2-5 ATS mark in spite of covering as seven-point favorites against Philadelphia as the Bulls embark on a six-game road swing against Western Conference foes.
These teams are meeting for the second time in less than a month, as the Thunder crushed the Bulls as one-point favorites at the United Center, 109-94 on January 9. OKC scorched Chicago from the floor by shooting 56%, while receiving 42 points from the frontcourt duo of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. However, Kanter is sidelined with a broken wrist, but the Thunder limited Butler to one point on 0-for-6 shooting. Chicago snapped a five-game skid at Chesapeake Energy Arena last season with a 105-96 triumph on Christmas Day.
Where’s the Love?
If you’re talking about Kevin Love, he is going to miss his second straight game with a back injury. However, the Cavaliers are looking beat Love’s former team, the Timberwolves when the two teams meet up at Quicken Loans Arena. The defending champions are scuffling at the moment in spite of an Eastern Conference-best 32-15 record as the Cavs have dropped four of their past six games. Cleveland owns the second-worst ATS mark in the league at 19-26-2, including a 3-12 ATS record in January.
The Wolves are sitting in last place of the Northwest division, but Minnesota is playing better of late by winning five of its previous seven games. Minnesota is listed as an underdog for the first time in the last seven contests, as the Wolves covered in their last underdog opportunity at San Antonio on January 17 in a 122-114 defeat. The Cavaliers have won each of the past four matchups with the Wolves since December 2014, as three of those games finished OVER the total.
Top of the Atlantic
The race for first place in the Atlantic division has tightened up between Boston and Toronto as the Celtics have pulled into the top spot by one half-game. The two squads hook up at TD Garden tonight as the Raptors are fresh off an overtime victory over the Pelicans last night. Toronto won without top scorer DeMar DeRozan, who will be out again this evening with a lingering ankle injury. In Tuesday’s victory, Kyle Lowry stepped up with a game-high 33 points and the game-winning jumper in the final seconds of overtime.
The Celtics seek their fifth consecutive victory after holding off the Pistons on Monday, 113-109, but Detroit cashed as five-point underdogs. Isaiah Thomas continued his All-Star season as the diminutive guard poured in 41 points for his fourth game this season of 40 points or more. The Celtics have had their issues with the Raptors this season by losing each of the first two meetings, including a 114-106 setback at Air Canada Center in early January.
Fired Up
The Heat were left for dead following an 11-30 start to the season, but Miami seeks its ninth consecutive victory tonight against Atlanta. Following Monday’s 104-96 triumph over Brooklyn, the Heat have won six straight games at American Airlines Arena, while topping the 100-point mark in seven wins during this streak.
The Hawks have had several days off since Sunday’s four-overtime marathon victory over the Knicks, but Atlanta failed to cash as 6 ½-point favorites. Atlanta is rolling on the highway of late by capturing wins in six of the past seven games away from Philips Arena. The Hawks have won each of the first two meetings with the Heat this season, but Miami covered each time in the underdog role.
Buzz Kill
The Hornets can’t buy a win away from home as Charlotte suffered not only its fifth straight loss overall, but its eighth consecutive road defeat in last night’s 115-98 setback at Portland. Things don’t get any easier for Steve Clifford’s squad as the Hornets travel to Golden State tonight to face the Warriors. These teams met last Wednesday in Charlotte as the Warriors held off the Hornets, 113-103 to barely cover as 9 ½-point road favorites.
Stephen Curry is listed as probable after missing Sunday’s victory at Portland with an illness, as the Warriors have covered in each of their past four home wins. Golden State has turned into a solid UNDER team of late by cashing the UNDER in eight of the last nine games, although the lone OVER in this stretch came in Saturday’s 144-98 blowout of the Clippers.
Texas Two-Step
Although both the Mavericks and 76ers have won 18 games apiece this season, these two squads are on fire from an ATS standpoint. Philadelphia has compiled a solid 13-3 ATS mark in the past 16 games, while winning 10 games in January, which equaled its season total from last season. The 76ers head to Dallas tonight looking to improve on a 9-5 ATS record on the road since the start of December. However, leading scorer Joel Embiid is out tonight with a knee injury, but the Sixers have won three of the last four games without the former Kansas standout.
The Mavericks are fresh off a pair of impressive victories in a two-day span by knocking off San Antonio as heavy road underdogs on Sunday, followed by a 104-97 triumph over Cleveland on Monday. Dallas has cashed in eight of the past 10 games, including five consecutive covers at American Airlines Center. The Mavs have captured seven straight meetings with the 76ers, including blowouts in each of the last two home matchups.
Head-to-Head Trends
-- Indiana travels to Orlando as the Pacers have owned the Magic this season with a pair of home victories. Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Pacers have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Magic, including three victories in Orlando.
-- The battle of New York City pits two underachieving teams as the Knicks and Nets meet at Barclays Center. New York cruised past Brooklyn in its first meeting at Madison Square Garden in November, as the home team has won each of the past five matchups.
-- The Pelicans travel to Detroit after last night’s two-point overtime setback at Toronto. New Orleans has had its way with Detroit over the years by winning eight consecutive meetings, as the teams hook up for the first time this season.
-- Memphis and Denver have played some exciting games in their recent matchups, including a one-point triumph by the Grizzlies back in November. The Grizzlies have won six of the last seven meetings with the Nuggets, but each of the past five matchups have been decided by seven point or less.
-- Milwaukee begins a three-game road swing in Utah as the Bucks have dropped eight of their last nine contests. Playing the Jazz isn’t the cure to Milwaukee’s ills as the Bucks have lost four straight matchups with Utah since January 2015.
-- The Clippers have cruised past the Suns in two meetings this season at home as Los Angeles visits Phoenix. The Suns have won each of the last two home matchups with L.A., but have dropped six straight games at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
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