Jazz and Nuggets on TNT

Nuggets & Jazz Look to Make Playoff Noise

Two of the NBA’s best small-market teams will finally get to show their stuff on the national stage this Thursday when the Denver Nuggets (42-18 SU, 33-27 ATS) host the Utah Jazz (34-26 SU, 31-27-2 ATS). The Nuggets are near the top of the Western Conference, while the Jazz are in sixth place at press time.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT LINE: Nuggets -7; O/U: 225.

The Nuggets have made great strides over the past four years under head coach Mike Malone. They’re not as fast as other teams, but they play with effort on defense. They have one of the league’s leading MVP candidates in center Nikola Jokic, also in his fourth year in the NBA. Jokic is putting up 23.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per 36 minutes this season.

On Thursday, Jokic will run into Rudy Gobert, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Gobert (17.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks/36) is the anchor of this Jazz ensemble. He absolutely should have been invited to the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, his team lacks overall scoring punch outside of Donovan Mitchell (24.4 points/36), leaving them in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

The Jazz's Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points against the Clippers. He has poured in 20 or more in 20 of his last 21 contests. Mitchell was 10-for-22 from the field and 9-for-12 from the free-throw line. The 12 attempts matched his second-highest total of the season. Ricky Rubio (hamstring) departed the victory over the Clippers and his availability for Thursday contest is uncertain.

The Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic recorded 36 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to narrowly miss his 13th triple-double of the season in the win over the Thunder. Jokic the leading reason why Denver has turned into one of the top teams in the West. Will Barton scored 23 points against Oklahoma City after recording just three versus the Clippers two nights earlier.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 114, Jazz 105

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Utah Jazz
Utah is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 10 games
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
Utah is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Utah's last 15 games when playing Denver
Utah is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games
Denver is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 11 games at home
Denver is 7-13-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Utah
Denver is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Denver's last 15 games when playing Utah
Denver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games when playing at home against Utah

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NHL -- Showdown Between Eastern Conference’s Top Teams

Lightning and Bruins Have Talent to Win Stanley Cup

Tonight, hockey fans will get a preview of what is likely to be a late-round Eastern Conference matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins have been two of the most consistent teams all year. That consistency has put them atop the Eastern Conference. These two clubs are truly the cream of the crop in the East.

TV: 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, TVA; LINE: Bruins -120; O/U: 6.5 Over -115.

The Boston Bruins have been on a roll of late. They’ve collected at least one point in each of their last 14 games and have won eight of their last nine matchups. Tukka Rask has been all-world over that stretch and they’ve surrendered just five goals in their last three games. He’s now up to an impressive .920 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average. It won’t be easy going up against a potent Lightning lineup. Tampa Bay enters Thursday’s matchup in first place in the NHL. It’s hard to believe how good Jon Cooper’s group has been this season as they’ve already eclipsed the 100-point mark. Nikita Kucherov is sure to be at the center of the action on Thursday.

The Bruins sit 19 points behind Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division, but are just one ahead of Toronto for second place and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay set a franchise record on Wednesday with its 10th straight victory as it coughed up a two-goal lead. Then defenseman Victor Hedman scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers as it matched Boston's 14-game point streak (12-0-2), all this month. Nikita Kucherov set up Hedman's game-winner for his third assist of the contest and league-leading 104th point of the season for the Lightning, who can reach 50 wins on Thursday.

This, Than, and a Dart Throw

The Lightning are 49-11-4 on the season. Kucherov is four points shy of matching the franchise single-season record set in 2006-07 by Vincent Lecavalier. Brayden Point reached 80 for the first time in his career on Wednesday with an assist. Captain Steven Stamkos added a pair of assists in the win, giving him 16 of his 77 points in his last 10 games. J.T. Miller has scored in three of his last four contests. Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his 29th win on Wednesday. He is 9-0-2 with a .950 save percentage in February. Backup Louis Domingue has won a franchise-best 11 straight starts. The Lightning were 6-for-6 on the penalty kill during Wednesday's win. They are 25-for-25 over their last seven contests.

The Bruins are 37-17-9 on the season. Brad Marchand has picked up his production level in David Pastrnak's absence. He has collected 17 of his team-high 74 points in the last 11 contests. He scored one goal and set up two others on Tuesday. Krejci also has been a major factor during Boston's 14-game run. He has registered five goals and 10 assists over the last 12 contests to push his season total to 55 points. Marcus Johansson notched an assist in his team debut on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Lightning 2

NHL Betting Odds & Trends

Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Tampa Bay is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Tampa Bay is 5-15 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Boston

Boston Bruins
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Boston is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

Get your NHL odds at Bovada today.

Three NBA Finals Underdogs Worth Considering

These Three Teams Have Talent and Value

The Golden State Warriors are by far the favorites to win the NBA Finals for
a fourth time in five seasons, as they sit atop the Western Conference yet
again. But behind the Warriors are some interesting teams that find themselves
playing some excellent basketball as the second half of the season heats up.
These three teams are dangerous and could be worth a serious look for NBA
futures bettors heading into the stretch run.

Oklahoma City
Thunder +2500

Oklahoma City has been a real roller coaster ride over the last few years,
with the team losing all hope after losing Kevin Durant to the Golden State
Warriors. They thought the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony would
be an instant cure, but the Thunder only regained their footing after getting
rid of Anthony. Now, George is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate, with
Russell Westbrook still causing plenty of havoc on his own.

NBA betting odds to win the Finals have the Thunder at a juicy +2500 to win it all, even though the Thunder could be a tough matchup for the Warriors later in the playoffs. George is one of the few players in the league who can match up with Kevin Durant on both ends of the floor, while Steven Adams gives them one of the few big men in the league who can make a tangible difference against Golden State.

Houston Rockets
+1300

Buried in all the confetti of yet another Warriors championship last season was the fact that they were against the ropes against the Houston Rockets in last year's Western Conference Finals. The Warriors were down 3-2 in that series before a Chris Paul injury and some historically bad three-point shooting derailed the Rockets once and for all.

This year, the Rockets haven't been playing to their full potential, but
should be getting some of their most important players back from injury ahead
of the playoffs. Chris Paul has had his minutes restricted somewhat but appears
to be ready to aim for revenge against the Warriors, while James Harden has
shown that he can score any amount necessary to keep the Rockets in games. At
those odds, the revenge-minded Rockets are another strong contender to dethrone
the Warriors.

Milwaukee Bucks
+1000

If an Eastern Conference team is going to shock the world and win the NBA Finals this season, the Bucks might just be the team with the best chance to do it. The reason for that opportunity is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has taken the league by storm with his combination of size and otherworldly athleticism. As long as his recent knee soreness isn't a long-term issue, the Bucks may just be the class of the Eastern Conference.

More importantly, they might be the perfect team to stop the Warriors.
Giannis is a more athletic version of Durant, while role players like Khris
Middleton are just the right guys to cancel out Klay Thompson. Based on roster
strength alone, the Bucks might be the most underrated team in the league right
now.

Bookie Industry News: Future of Integrity in Sports

Many fans are concern about the integrity of the sport that they love, especially after the Supreme Court opened the door for each state to legalize sports betting. Major sports leagues joined into the sports wagering bandwagon even after years of trying to avoid it. However, the future of integrity in sports is still unclear.

At present, the MLB, NHL, and the NBA signed deals with MGM Resorts. In addition, the NFL signed up with Caesars Entertainment. More leagues are more likely to sign deals with gambling firms soon.

However, Nevada never paid a single penny to sports leagues since it started taking sports wagers in 1949. At present, lawmakers from various states didn’t include an integrity fee in their proposed bills.

Future of Integrity

Senior vice president of MLB Bryan Seeley told sports news outlets that casinos don’t want to pay integrity fee to sports leagues. In addition, the casinos don’t want to notify leagues of suspicious or abnormal betting on sports.

Seeley wants sports organization to have access to betting data. They want to use the data to monitor problems that casinos might miss. In addition, Seeley said wants data to sport integrity problems.

Some bookie pay per head providers don’t want to share their data with sports leagues. However, the increase in mobile betting use also increases the chances of integrity incident. A bet where a few people can influence the result can lead to an integrity risk. While it is hard to fix a nine-inning game, Seeley said that some people can fix the outcome of one at-bat.

Sports leagues want gambling firms to change with the times. The latter should follow DraftKings’ lead by using bookie software that supports royalty fee. On the other hand, some lawmakers are in favor of the gambling companies and don’t want to include integrity fees in their bills.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Preview

Pelicans vs. Lakers NBA Preview & Pick

Wednesday, February 27 at 10:30
PM ET

STAPLES Center

Coverage: ESPN

LINE: Lakers -5.5; O/U: 239

The Los Angeles Lakers clash with
the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, desperate to get a win. The Lakers
are just 4-9 since Lonzo Ball went out with an injury, losing by an average of
16.8 points per game and they're now three games behind the Spurs for eighth
place in the Western Conference standings.

Recent Takeaways

The Pelicans are coming off a
tough 111-110 home loss against the 76ers last Monday, when their late comeback
came up just short. The Pelicans outscored the Sixers 27-18 in the fourth
quarter but poor 3-point shooting on the night cost them. The Pels did force 19
turnovers but they won't beat the Lakers going 5-for-28 (17.9 percent) from
beyond the arc again.

After losing 110-105 against the
Grizzlies last Monday, the Lakers are now 1-4 in their last five games,
including a 128-115 road loss against the Pelicans last Saturday.

Brandon Ingram led the way in
Memphis with 32 points and six rebounds, LeBron James had a triple-double with
24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and Kyle Kuzma added 22 points but the
rest of the team combined for 27 points (14 from Reggie Bullock) and the
Grizzlies outrebounded the Lakers 62-48.

X-Factor

After losing to the Grizzlies
LeBron James said: "If you're still allowing distractions to affect the
way you play, this is the wrong franchise to be a part of and you should just
come in and be like, 'Listen, I can't do this.'" 

James certainly wasn't referring
to Brandon Ingram, who's one of the few Lakers playing like he's trying to get
to the playoffs. 

Ingram in February (eight games):
21.1 points on 49.6% FG's, 41.2% 3's, 76.4% FT's, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists.

Last three games: 29.3 points on
56.6% FG's, 60% 3's and 75.9% FT's, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

NBA Trends:

The New Orleans Pelicans are:

6-1 ATS in their last seven games
following a straight up loss

6-2 ATS in their last eight games
when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game

8-3 ATS in their last 11 games
after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game

The Los Angeles Lakers are:

6-13-2 ATS in their last 21 home
games against a team with a losing road record

1-5-1 ATS in their last seven
games against a team with a losing straight up record

1-5 ATS in their last six games
when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game

1-5 ATS in their last six games
after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game

These two teams met on Saturday
and the Pelicans beat the Lakers 128-115 in New Orleans, without Anthony Davis.
Jrue Holiday hit five 3-pointers and scored 27 points and former Laker Julius
Randle had 24 points. Randle also played well against the 76ers, scoring 19
points and he needs to have a big game in Los Angeles if the Pelicans want to
beat the Lakers again.

Brandon Ingram carried the Lakers
with 29 points but the Pelicans forced 23 turnovers and led most of the game
and by as many as 20 points.

It will be interesting to see the
reaction that Anthony Davis gets from the Los Angeles crowd if he plays, the
Lakers clearly want him and their fans will make sure he knows. 

Davis can still be a
difference-maker in this game, he had 18 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes
against the 76ers last Monday and although the Pelicans will reportedly keep
cutting his playing time, he's productive with the minutes he gets and it
wouldn't surprise if New Orleans wins this game outright.

NBA Pick: Pelicans +5.5 (-110) at Jazz Sports

Check odds here: Jazz Sports

Bruins and Sharks Do Battle Tuesday Night

Both Teams Jockeying for Playoff Position

In what could easily be a Stanley Cup Final preview, the
streaking Boston Bruins will host the San Jose Sharks at the TD Garden on
Tuesday. Boston is one of the hottest teams in the league right now, having
secured at least one point in 13 straight games and winning nine of those
matchups. Conversely, the Sharks have gone on a bit of a run of their own,
winning seven of their last 10 games and inching within three points of the
Calgary Flames for top spot in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, NBCS California (San Jose), NESN (Boston); LINE: Sharks -113; O/U: 6 Over -133.

It was just one week ago that the Bruins defeated the Sharks
in an exciting 6-5 final in San Jose. It was an epic night for long-time
veteran Joe Thorton, who registered a hat-trick, but it wasn’t enough to stop
the surging Bruins. Since then, the Bruins have only continued to win. They’ve
now pulled away from Eastern Conference Wild Card Spot and have been able to
maintain a slim three-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Sharks will be out for revenge in a game that they likely should have won against the Bruins. They were up late in the third, but surrendered a last-minute tying goal and ultimately the OT winner. We’ll be eager to see how they respond.

This, That and a Dart Throw

The San Jose Sharks are 38-18-8 on the season. Nyquist, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, put together back-to-back seasons of 28 and 27 goals in 2013-15 and scored 21 times last season. Nyquist may play alongside Joe Thornton, who had a hat trick against the Bruins last week could be playing his last game in Boston. The Bruins are the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 1997. Sharks captain Joe Pavelski has six goals and five assists in his last seven games, including one and two versus Boston.

The Boston Bruins are 37-19-9 on the Season. Marcus Johansson scored a career-high 24 goals in 2016-17. He then spent two injury-ravaged seasons with New Jersey. That included sitting out more than 2 1/2 months when he took an elbow to the head from Boston's Brad Marchand that gave him a concussion. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the incident will not be an issue going forward for Johansson. Johansson has scored in six games and had as many assists over the past 13 games.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Sharks 3

NHL Betting Odds & Trends

San Jose Sharks
San Jose is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
San Jose is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games
San Jose is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
San Jose is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of San Jose's last 15 games on the road
San Jose is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
San Jose is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games when playing Boston
San Jose is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston

Boston Bruins
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing San Jose
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 11 games when playing at home against San Jose

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Duke vs. Virginia Tech Free NCAA Basketball Pick

Duke vs. Virginia Tech Meet in Key ACC Clash

Tuesday, February 26 at 7:00 PM ET

Cassell Coliseum

Coverage: ESPN

Line: Duke -3.5

Total: 144

The Duke Blue Devils clash with the Virginia Tech Hokies in a big
ACC clash on Tuesday night. Duke bounced back from their tough home 88-72 loss
against North Carolina with a convincing 75-65 road win against Syracuse last
Saturday, while Virginia Tech is coming off an impressive 67-59 road win
against Notre Dame on Saturday.

Duke has lost two in a row at Cassell Coliseum and this will be a
big test for them, playing in a wild atmosphere, potentially without Zion
Williamson. Virginia Tech will likely miss Justin Robinson, so it will be
interesting to see what adjustments these teams will make.

Virginia Tech forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. will be the player to
watch in this game, as he's averaging 24.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.0
assists, while shooting 71.4 percent from the field in his last three games,
after scoring at least 20 points in all those contests.

Guard Alex O'Connell can be a difference-maker for Duke, he set
career-highs in points (20) and made three-pointers (5), and tied a career-high
in minutes (34) against Syracuse. His 3-point shooting was just what Duke
needed against the Syracuse zone and he made the most of the opportunity that
was given to him without Zion Williamson in the lineup. Can O'Connell continue
that level of play on Tuesday? A big game from him would really help Duke in
this one.

Virginia Tech doesn't have great 3-point defense (35.8 percent,
11th in the ACC in conference play), so if O'Connell continues his hot
shooting, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and Tre Jones can get lanes to penetrate
against a two-point defense that allows 48.0 percent two-point shooting in
conference play, (ninth in the ACC).

Zion Williamson update

Zion Williamson is officially listed as day-to-day with a 'mild' knee sprain suffered in the first minute of Wednesday's game against North Carolina and he is not expected to play against Virginia Tech, as he's resting ahead of Saturday's contest against Miami.

NCAA Basketball Trends:

The Duke Blue Devils are:

7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win

4-1 ATS in their last five road games against a team with a
winning home record

4-1 ATS in their last five road games

The Virginia Tech Hokies are:

2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win

2-7 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a winning
percentage above .600

2-7 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a winning
straight up record

1-4-1 ATS in their last six games overall

1-5 ATS in their last six home games

Zion Williamson and Justin Robinson could miss this game, so which
absence will make the most impact? The answer to this question can help
determine the outcome of this contest. I expect a close game throughout, Duke
has to keep Virginia Tech off the offensive glass but I still see them doing
enough to get the win and cover because they just have too many weapons on
offense.

NCAA Basketball Pick: Duke -3.5 (-110) at Jazz Sports

Check odds here: Jazz Sports

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies NBA Preview

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies NBA Preview & Pick

Monday, February 25 at 8:00 PM ET

FedExForum

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FS Southeast (Memphis) LINE: Lakers -5 O/U: 222.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Memphis Grizzlies, desperate for win as they're still out of a playoff spot.

Pelicans crush Lakers

The Lakers appeared to turn a corner when they pulled off an epic
comeback in their 111-106 home win against the Rockets, rallying from a
19-point deficit in the third quarter to eventually win and get back to .500.
LeBron James, who said he had activated "playoff mode" for the final
third of the season, had 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

But then the Lakers took a step back to square one in Saturday's
128-115 road loss to the Pelicans, who were without their star Anthony Davis.
James finished with 27 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds but he couldn't
will his teammates to a victory and he had some interesting comments after the
game.

"How many know what's at stake if you've never been
there?" James told reporters after the loss. "It's kind of a fine
line when you talk about that, because when you've never been there or know
what it takes to actually shoot for something like that, sometimes you're
afraid to get uncomfortable."

Complicated road ahead for Los Angeles

If the Lakers are going to make a playoff push, their defense has
to play way better. The other problem they have is their schedule, as it
doesn't exactly favor them in the final 23 games. The Lakers have 11 contests
on the road, including tonight's clash in Memphis and a five-game road trip
starting March 12 in Chicago.

Los Angeles is just 12-18 on the road this season and they will
only have seven games against teams unlikely to make the playoffs, as they have
to face the Golden State, Oklahoma City and Boston in this stretch, as well as
two games against Milwaukee and MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The only apparent advantage the Lakers will have is their
competition for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. As
of this writing, the Lakers are three games behind the Clippers and two games
behind the Kings and they still have some games against them.

The Clippers, who traded their star Tobias Harris to the 76ers at the deadline, will play the Lakers twice. The Kings, who are led by the dynamic backcourt of De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, play the Lakers once. Los Angeles is 1-1 against the Clippers and 2-1 against Sacramento this season and the head-to-head tiebreakers are will be extremely important in determining who secures the last playoff spot.

NBA Trends:

The Los Angeles Lakers are:

4-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss

4-1 ATS in their last five games against Western Conference
opponents

The Memphis Grizzlies are:

7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up loss

6-17 ATS in their last 23 games following an ATS loss

7-20 ATS in their last 27 games after allowing 100 points or more
in their previous game

3-15 ATS in their last 18 games after scoring 100 points or more
in their previous game

The Lakers are in this spot partly due to James wanting to trade half
the team for Anthony Davis and his 17-game absence due to injury. As the leader
of this team, James has to make sure the Lakers are ready for the future and
stop throwing his teammates under the bus.

It all starts against a Grizzlies that has lost four straight and
five of their last six, including a 112-107 road setback against the Cavs last
Saturday. This is a must-win game if the Lakers want to make the playoffs and I
see James coming out fired up, so I like them to get off to a fast start.

NBA Pick: Lakers 1st half -2
(-115) at Jazz Sports

Check odds here: Jazz Sports

NBA Free Monday Betting Pick- Mavericks at Clippers

Mavs on 4 Game Losing Streak

The Dallas Mavericks head to the West Coast this Monday night in a late 10:30 p.m. tip against the Los Angeles Clippers on NBA TV. BetAnySports has the Clippers as 3.5-point home favorites with the total set at 230 points.

The Mavericks bring a four-game losing streak into Monday night’s contest both straight-up and against the spread. Going back to a loss to Milwaukee at home on Feb. 8, they are 1-5 both SU and ATS in their last six games with the total going OVER or ending as a PUSH in four of those contests. Dallas is 26-33 SU overall, but it improves to 34-24-1 ATS. It has a 22-14 record this season ATS at BetAnySports when closing as an underdog.

Dirk Nowitzki was able to turn back the clock a bit in Sunday’s loss with a season-high 15 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. posted 21 points in the losing effort as the Mavericks’ top scorer. He helped fill the void left by Luka Doncic, who has missed his last two starts with an ankle injury. Doncic has been the team’s leading scorer this season with 20.7 points per game, but he remains day-to-day for this contest.

Clippers Look to Bounce Back From Denver Shellacking

The Clippers were on the wrong end of Sunday’s 123-96 loss to Denver closing as nine-point road underdogs on BetAnySports’ betting line. The total stayed UNDER 235 points in that game after going OVER in their previous four outings. Los Angeles is 16-12 SU on its home court this season as part of an overall record of 33-28. It is also 33-28 ATS with a 15-13 record ATS at home. The Clippers are a profitable 21-10 this season ATS when closing as favorites.

LA traded
Tobias Harris to Philadelphia earlier in February, so Lou Williams is now the
team’s top scorer with 19.9 PPG. He put up a game-high 24 points in Sunday’s
losing effort with the Clippers going 30-for 87 from the field and just
3-for-21 from three-point range. This was a far cry from a team shooting
percentage of 47.0 from the field and 38.3 from outside the perimeter. Los
Angeles is averaging 113.9 points a game which is ranked seventh in the NBA.

Even if Doncic is able to go, Dallas will be hard-pressed to keep this game closer than the current 5.5-point spread. The Clippers should shoot the ball much better on Monday night with the game being played on their home court.

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Dallas's last 23 games
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Dallas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games
LA Clippers is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
LA Clippers is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas

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Tennessee Vols Travel to Face LSU Tigers

LSU and Tennessee Jockeying for SEC & NCAA Seeding

Two of the Southeastern Conference's best will face off in Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon. This should be a exciting game as both teams can play with anyone in the nation. The Volunteers lead the league in defensive rebounding at 27.6 per game. The Tigers top the SEC on the offensive glass grabbing 13.2 per game.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN; LINE: Tennessee -1; O/U: 157.

Fifth-ranked Tennessee did not need its best effort to rebound from a loss for the first time since Thanksgiving. They must come up with a better performance Saturday afternoon when they travel to play No. 15 LSU. The first-place Volunteers followed up their loss at Kentucky by shooting just 41.1 percent and scoring a season-low 58 points. They ended up with a 12-point victory over last-place Vanderbilt on Tuesday. That type of effort will not work against the talented Tigers.

The Volunteers hold a one-game lead over Kentucky and LSU in the SEC with five games left. They will again lean on forward Grant Williams. He scored 16 in an 84-61 rout of LSU last season. In that game, Tennessee shot 54.1% from the field and drained 12-of-25 from 3-point range. The Tigers are unbeaten on the road in SEC. They have dropped two of six on their home court this season. The last one was Wednesday's 82-77 loss against Florida.

This, That, and a Dart Throw

The Tennessee Volunteers are 24-2 on the season and 21-1 in the SEC. The Volunteers are among the nations leaders in field-goal percentage at 50.7%. They have connected on just 40.9% the last two games. Including an abysmal 13-of-46 from 3-point range. Williams tops the team in scoring at 19.1 ppg and rebounding at 7.6 rpg. Guard Admiral Schofield is chipping in 16.5 ppg and is a major threat. G Jordan Bone (13.2 points) is 12-of-20 from the field the last two games and leads the SEC in assists (6.5).

The LSU Tigers are 21-5 on the season and 11-2 in the SEC. Guard Tremont Waters tops the Tigers in scoring at 15.7%, assists at 5.9 apg, and steals at 3.0 spg. That leads the SEC. He was limited to 3-of-12 shooting for an SEC game low of 10 points against Florida on Wednesday. Forward Naz Reid adds 13.8 ppg and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per contest. He posted his third double-double in six games. He had 16 points and 15 Windexes before fouling out Wednesday. Guard Skylar Mays scored 18 against Florida to raise his season average to 13.2 ppg. Guard Javonte Smart throws in 10.2 ppg and was 2-of-8 from the field Wednesday. F Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.8 rebounds, 6.0 rebounds) is 18-of-24 from the field the last five games.

PREDICTION: LSU 78, Tennessee 72

SEC Basketball Betting Odds & Trends

Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Tennessee is 20-1 SU in its last 21 games
Tennessee is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Tennessee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tennessee's last 5 games on the road
Tennessee is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing LSU
Tennessee is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing LSU
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games when playing LSU
Tennessee is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against LSU
Tennessee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LSU
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tennessee's last 5 games when playing on the road against LSU

LSU Tigers
LSU is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LSU's last 14 games
LSU is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Tennessee
LSU is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LSU's last 5 games when playing Tennessee
LSU is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Tennessee
LSU is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Tennessee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LSU's last 5 games when playing at home against Tennessee

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