Wednesday's Tip Sheet
November 18, 2015
Mavericks at Celtics (-4 ½, 204 ½) – 7:05 PM EST
Not many teams pull off a road sweep of the Thunder and Rockets on consecutive nights, but Boston (6-4 SU, 6-4 ATS) completed that feat as the Celtics go for their fourth straight win against the Mavericks. The Celtics used two big quarters in each highway triumph, outscoring Oklahoma City, 28-11 in the fourth period in Sunday’s 15-point rout, followed by a 32-13 outburst in the third quarter in Monday’s 111-95 blowout of Houston. Brad Stevens’ team is stepping up its defense by limiting six of their last eight opponents to less than 100 points, resulting in a 7-1 run to the ‘under.’
Dallas (7-4 SU, 6-5 ATS) wraps up a three-game road trip going for the sweep after beating Houston and Philadelphia. The Mavs failed to cover against the winless 76ers in Monday’s 92-86 victory as eight-point favorites, as Chandler Parsons busted out for a season-high 20 points after failing to score in double-figures in his first six games. Rick Carlisle’s club owns a 3-3 SU/ATS record in the underdog role this season, while winning nine of the last 10 meetings with the Celtics since 2010.
Pelicans at Thunder (-8 ½, 213 ½) – 8:05 PM EST
The nightmare start for New Orleans (1-10 SU, 2-9 ATS) continued in Tuesday’s 115-98 home defeat to Denver as six-point favorites, as star Anthony Davis exited the game with a shoulder injury in the first half. Davis is listed as questionable for tonight’s action as the Pelicans’ leading scorer has missed two games already for this banged-up team, who owns a 1-7 ATS record in the underdog role. New Orleans has allowed at least 100 points in 10 of 11 games this season, but the Pelicans won and covered three of four matchups with the Thunder last season.
Kevin Durant remains out for the Thunder (6-5 SU, 5-6 ATS) with a hamstring injury, as OKC is 1-2 SU/ATS with the former scoring champion sidelined. The Thunder fell short at Memphis on Monday in a 122-114 setback, giving up their most points in regulation this season. Russell Westbrook scored at least 40 points for the second time this season on Monday, while falling to 1-4 ATS on the highway. Oklahoma City has won and cashed in four of six home contests, as the Thunder is riding a 4-1 ‘under’ stretch in the last five at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Nuggets at Spurs (-13, 195 ½) – 8:35 PM EST
Mike Malone’s squad is playing with confidence as Denver (6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS) picked up its fourth victory in five tries in Tuesday’s 17-point rout at New Orleans. The Nuggets won for the third time away from the Pepsi Center, as all six road games for Denver have been decided by double-digits this season. Denver knocked down 15 three-pointers and shot 53% from the floor in the Big Easy, but are 0-2 SU/ATS with no rest this season, as both losses at Golden State and Phoenix came by over 15 points apiece.
The Spurs (8-2 SU, 7-3 ATS) go for their sixth consecutive win and a perfect 3-0 homestand following a pair of low-scoring victories over the Blazers and 76ers. San Antonio has been tenacious on the defensive end at home, not allowing more than 94 points in any of its four victories at the AT&T Center, resulting in a 3-1 mark to the ‘under.’ The Spurs completed the four-game sweep of the Nuggets last season, but Denver has cashed in three of the past four visits to San Antonio as an underdog since 2013.
Raptors at Jazz (-4 ½, 189) – 9:05 PM EST
Nobody has been able to knock off Golden State this season, but Toronto (7-5 SU, 8-4 ATS) gave it a great shot in a 115-110 setback last night at Oracle Arena. The Raptors lost their fifth game in their last seven tries, but managed a cover as 9 ½-point underdogs, improving to 3-1 ATS when receiving points this season. The defense has slipped of late for Dwane Casey’s club, yielding at least 100 points in four of the past five games since giving up triple-digits just once in the first seven contests. Toronto has dominated this series the last two seasons, capturing all four matchups, including a pair of double-digit victories at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The Jazz (5-5 SU, 7-3 ATS) have endured a road-heavy schedule so far, playing eight games away from Salt Lake City. How unkind are the NBA schedule makers to Quin Snyder’s team? Utah hasn’t played consecutive games at home yet, as the Jazz go back on the road to Dallas on Friday night after playing the last four contests on the highway, going 1-3 SU and 3-1 ATS. The Jazz avoided a winless trip by edging the Hawks on Sunday, 97-96 as three-point underdogs, as Utah has been held below 100 points in nine of 10 games this season.
Bulls at Suns (-2 ½, 199 ½) – 10:35 PM EST
Cleveland and Chicago (7-3 SU, 3-7 ATS) are the top two teams in the Central division, but those two contenders haven’t been great ATS squads this season. The Cavaliers have failed to cover eight straight games after last night’s loss at Detroit, while the Bulls are 2-6 ATS in the past eight contests. Chicago embarks on its annual Circus road trip, getting kicked out of the United Center for the next four games. The Bulls will start this trip without point guard Derrick Rose, who suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s 96-95 home victory over the Pacers, but failed to cover as 6 ½-point favorites.
Phoenix (6-4 SU, 7-3 ATS) tries to complete a perfect 4-0 homestand before a three-game road swing, coming off a 120-101 blowout of the Lakers on Monday as 11-point favorites. Since losing the season opener to the Mavericks, the Suns are an impressive 5-1 SU/ATS in their last six home contests, with all five victories coming by double-figures. Phoenix has had problems with Chicago at home through the years, losing three of the past four matchups, while the Bulls have covered in each of their last four visits to the Valley.
