THE SPORTS ADVISORS
Atlanta (22-12, 19-15 ATS) at Orlando (28-8, 23-12-1 ATS)
The Hawks seek to avenge Wednesday’s home loss to the Magic when they head east to Orlando in this clash of Southeast Division foes.
Atlanta suffered just its third home loss in 18 games this season when it fell 106-102 to the Magic as a two-point home favorite. It was the Hawks’ third consecutive non-cover following a 13-4 ATS run, but they’re still 10-3 SU in their last 13 games, though 10 of those contests were played at home. Atlanta has scored 102 points or more in five of its last six outings.
With Wednesday’s upset win, the Magic are now 28-6 since staring the year with consecutive losses, which included a season-opening home setback against the Hawks. Orlando has been money in the bank lately, too, going 17-5 ATS in its last 22 games, including 7-2 ATS at home. Speaking of home, Stan Van Gundy’s squad has won 10 in a row inside Amway Arena and is 15-3 on its own floor this season (11-7 ATS). Also, the SU winner is 14-2 ATS in the Magic’s last 16 outings overall.
These rivals have alternated SU and ATS wins and losses in their last six meetings, with the visitor going 3-0 SU and ATS in the last three. That includes the Hawks’ 99-85 win in Orlando on opening night as an eight-point underdog. The pup has cashed in six of the last eight series clashes, and Atlanta is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 trips to Amway Arena.
The Hawks are on ATS streaks of 6-2 on the road, 5-0 as an underdog, 11-1 as an underdog of 5 to 10½ points and 4-1 when playing on one day of rest. However, they’re 5-11 ATS in their last 16 divisional battles. Meanwhile, the Magic are on pointspread upticks of 20-8-1 overall, 5-1 at home, 11-4 as a favorite, 11-2 following a SU win, 8-1 against winning clubs and 17-8-1 versus Southeast Division rivals.
The over is 5-1 in Atlanta’s last six games overall, but otherwise the team is on “under” streaks of 6-1-1 on the road, 6-0 on Friday, 6-2-1 as an underdog and 9-1 when playing on one day of rest. For Orlando, the under stretches include 4-0 at home, 10-3 as a favorite, 6-2 on Friday and 20-7-1 against divisional foes.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Boston (29-8, 19-18 ATS) at Cleveland (28-6, 24-10 ATS)
The freefalling Celtics trek west looking to get back on track and hand the Cavaliers their first home loss of the season in a clash of Eastern Conference powers.
Boston is coming off Wednesday’s 89-85 setback to Houston as a 10-point home favorite, the team’s third consecutive SU and ATS defeat and its sixth loss in the last eight games (2-6 ATS) since reeling off a club-record 19 consecutive wins. The Celtics, who play at Toronto on Sunday, are in the midst of a stretch where they’re playing eight of 10 games on the road in an 18-day span. Doc Rivers’ squad has scored between 83 and 89 points six times during its current 2-6 slump, but it has topped 100 points in 15 of its last 21 victories, including the last five wins in a row.
Cleveland ran its home record to 18-0 SU and 14-4 ATS with Wednesday’s 111-81 rout of Charlotte as a 14-point favorite. Although the Cavaliers have split their last four games, they’re still on a 19-3 roll (16-6 ATS). At home, LeBron James and his crew are outscoring their visitors by an average of 16 points per game (105-89).
These teams played a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series against each other last spring, with Boston prevailing while the Cavaliers went 6-1 ATS. They also opened this season against each other in Boston, with the Celtics winning 90-85 but Cleveland covering as a six-point underdog. The Cavs are 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings, including six consecutive spread-covers. Going back further, Cleveland is 16-5-2 ATS in the last 23 series clashes (4-1 ATS in the last five at home), but the underdog is on a 10-4-1 ATS roll.
Boston is 37-16 ATS in its last 53 games as underdog (37-14 ATS as a road pup) and 6-1 ATS in its last seven Friday outings. However, the C’s are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road tilts. Cleveland is on ATS tears 36-16 overall, 20-7 at home, 24-8 as a favorite, 11-3 after a double-digit win, 5-0 on Fridays, 21-8 against the Eastern Conference and 19-7 versus the Atlantic Division. The only negatives for the Cavs: They’re 1-4 ATS in their last five games played on one day of rest and 0-4 ATS in their last four following a victory.
Boston has topped the total in four of its last five against Central Division opponents, but is otherwise in the midst of “under” stretches of 6-2 overall, 6-1 on the road, 9-3 on Friday, 9-3 as an underdog and 4-1 when going on one day of rest. For the Cavs, the under is on runs of 4-1 on Friday and 7-2 after a one-day respite.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CLEVELAND and UNDER
Detroit (21-12, 15-18 ATS) at Denver (25-12, 21-15-1 ATS)
The Pistons continue a four-game Western Conference road swing with a stop at the Pepsi Center in Denver, as they try to halt the Nuggets’ five-game overall winning streak.
Detroit came up short in Portland on Wednesday, falling 84-83 as a 2½-point underdog, snapping the team’s seven-game winning streak. The Pistons haven’t hit the century mark in scoring in seven straight games, tallying 90 or less six times during this stretch. However, they’ve turned up the heat defensively, allowing just 83.4 ppg over the last seven.
Playing its first game since star forward Carmelo Anthony broke his hand, Denver took care of the Heat 108-97 on Wednesday, cashing as a 5½-point home favorite. Not only are the Nuggets on a five-game winning streak – averaging 116.8 ppg – but they’ve won eight of their last 10 (6-4 ATS), going 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS at home during this run.
The Pistons have won the last four meetings in this rivalry (3-1 ATS), sweeping the season series last year with a 98-93 win in Denver as a two-point underdog and a 136-120 victory at home as a 4½-point chalk. Also, Detroit is 12-4 ATS in the last 16 series tussles (6-2 ATS in its last eight trips to Denver), while the home team is 7-2 SU and ATS in the last nine battles. Finally, the SU winner has covered the number in each of the last 10.
Despite cashing in four of its last six overall, Detroit is mired in ATS funks of 0-5 on Friday, 1-4 against both the Western Conference and Northwest Division, 0-5 after a SU loss and 2-7 when playing on one day of rest. The Nuggets are on pointspread streaks of 4-1 at home, 4-1 against the East and 7-1 when playing on one day of rest, but they’re 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine against the Central Division, and they’ve failed to cover in four straight games on Friday.
The under is 9-4 in the last 13 Pistons-Nuggets clashes, including 5-1 in the last six meetings at the Pepsi Center. Additionally, Detroit is on “under” stretches of 5-2 overall, 8-2 on the road, 4-1 against Northwest Division foes and 10-3 after a SU loss. Conversely, the Nuggets carry nothing but “over” trends, including 8-0 overall, 4-0 at home, 5-0 when playing on one day of rest, 13-3 after a SU win, 10-3 on Friday, 49-24-1 against the Eastern Conference and 19-7 versus the Central division.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
