Without a huge selection today, I like Brooklyn getting 7 points away at Indiana. They will be without Kyrie Irving here, but they’ve actually performed well in his absence this season.

He is the only one injured for this matchup and I’d expect them to be relatively rested after 1 game in 5 days. Their road form has been rather pedestrian this season, but they appear to be improving of late.

Indiana have really regressed recently, losing each of their last 5 games and narrowly winning in OT before that. Oladipo’s return seems to have messed up the rotation a bit and they’re struggling to find their footing.

This has all the makings of a game that Indiana should win, but I’d expect Brooklyn to keep it close. Especially through the key number of 7, I’ll take Brooklyn plus the points.

I also like Denver here, laying a relatively modest 7 points at home to San Antonio. The Nuggets appear to have dropped off a bit lately, but a lot of this can be attributed to injuries.

They’ve got their starting five back together here and could be poised for a strong second half run. They are a very strong 20-6 at home, especially when compared to San Antonio’s abysmal 8-18 on the road.

This is the 4^th game in a gruelling 7-game road trip for the Spurs, where they’ve already lost the previous 3 by 8 or more points. They’ve let up over 120 points in each of those games, indicative of a team that is now old and slow.

I expect them to really struggle in the altitude environment and can see Denver pouring it on here. This line probably goes up before tip-off, so get in quick if you also like Denver.

I’m going with the contrarian play here, taking Utah +4.5 points. A ton of early action has come in on Houston, but I see Utah sticking around here.

The Rockets have gone all-in on the small ball movement, which works well against some teams. That said, it doesn’t look like a great strategy against Rudy Gobert and the Jazz.

I think Utah can punish them on the interior here, getting second chance points and winning the rebound battle. Utah also expect to be fully healthy here, while Houston look to be without the services of Eric Gordon.

You can make the case that Utah are the better of these two sides and that 4.5 points is too many here. They’ll be motivated to avenge their playoff loss and I expect this one to go down to the wire.

I’m working under the assumption that Jimmy Butler will be out injured for this one. Miami have had a huge roster shake-up over the last week and it’s tough to know what we’ll see out of their rotation.

Portland, on the other hand, should enter this matchup extremely motivated. They had a controversial loss to Utah last time out and should be looking to right that wrong here.

They’ve been much better at home than away this season, picking up a 14-11 record thus far. Despite their high standing out East, life on the road has been tough for Miami, going just 12-14 on the season.

Especially with Miami decimated on the wing through injury, the matchups favour Portland in this one. I expect big games from both Dame and CJ here, propelling their team over the line and covering a modest 3-point spread.

I’m going with a major contrarian play here, taking Orlando +9 points. Despite 80% of the action coming in on Milwaukee, the line has moved in Orlando’s favour by half a point.

This suggests to me that the sharps think the Magic are undervalued here, which I’m inclined to agree with. They aren’t world beaters by any means, but they’re still above .500 at home.

Their recent form has been nothing short of terrible, which could mean they’ve hit their nadir in value. Milwaukee also had a very high-profile win last time out, meaning they’re primed for a letdown game here.

I also like some of the matchups for Orlando in this one, particularly in the frontcourt. I expect them to do enough to limit Giannis here, ultimately keeping this one close and within 9 points.

Another play I like here is the rock-solid Pacers laying 2.5 points at home to New Orleans. Indiana have been one of the best home sides in the NBA this season, going an impressive 18-7 thus far.

In the midst of a relatively poor season, New Orleans are only 11-15 on the road. Moreover, this is the final game of a gruelling 4-game road trip, which could lead to some fatigue issues.

The only notable injury for Indiana is T.J. Warren, while both Zion and Ingram are questionable for New Orleans. A line of 2.5 points would suggest that the Pelicans are the better team on a neutral court, something I don’t agree with.

Indiana has some favourable matchups here and a very strong home court advantage. They’re the better of these two sides and the value is on them covering a very small line here.

Nobody is giving Detroit any hope right now and that’s part of the reason why I’m taking them here. Teams can perform well the first few games after a big trade, largely due to the Ewing theory.

I think they’ll be motivated here after the Drummond trade and we’ll see a ton of energy from most of their young players. Their injury list is relatively small here, with Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris the two expected absences.

There may also be a few in the OKC camp that aren’t too happy about not being traded. Especially coming up against a poor Detroit side, I don’t expect huge levels of motivation here.

Detroit has looked somewhat better of late, getting impressive wins over Denver and Phoenix. I think they’ll play hard here and likely come within the current 12-point line.

The current line is set at Miami -1.5, which I can see changing drastically before tip-off. Miami have made a ton of changes to their roster this week, which could mean they struggle here.

They traded each of Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Justise Winslow away, really impacting their wing rotation. Jimmy Butler is officially doubtful for this one, while Andre Iguodala won’t play pending a physical.

This significantly worsens their depth against a Sacramento side that is largely injury free. Moreover, the Heat haven’t been an impressive road side all season, actually registering a below .500 record of 12-13.

The Kings are far from a good home side, but they are healthier and less fatigued than their opponents here. I like them as outright underdogs and can see them being favoured before tip-off, bet this early.

I’m going with the contrarian Chicago pick here, after 80% of early action came in on New Orleans. The Pelicans are far from a great road side, going just 10-15 straight up on the season.

They’re also dealing with a few potential absences here, with Zion questionable and Holiday part of trade talks. The Bulls have a few players on the injury report themselves, however most of these are to lower-end rotation players.

While they’ve been nothing special this season, Chicago has a passable 11-15 record at home. They can compete against the average to below average sides, a category which New Orleans has to fall into.

Either of these sides could make a big trade before tip-off, which makes the underdog more valuable here. This is probably a coin flip type of game, and I’ll gladly take the 4 points of insurance with Chicago.

No official line is out for this game, although early indications suggest it should be around 5.5-6 points. I like the Lakers at this number, especially with the busy week of transactions Houston have had.

Both Robert Covington and Jordan Bell are expected to play here, although there will be an adjustment period in their first game. Russell Westbrook is questionable for this one, which could make their depth even weaker.

The trade of Clint Capela signalled an intent to go small from Houston. While that can work against a lot of sides, the Lakers probably aren’t one of them.

They’ve dominated on the interior all season and I can see a big night from Anthony Davis here. If they can do an effective job containing Houston’s backcourt, I like the win and cover for LA at this proposed number.

The Raptors have quietly had an excellent season thus far, winning 36 of their 50 games. I like them to win at home against Indiana here, covering the -5.5 line in the process.

Indiana aren’t nearly the same team on the road, going just 13-12 on the season. Toronto are an elite 18-7 straight up at home, also going 16-9 against the spread.

The injury report for Toronto doesn’t look too bad, with only Marc Gasol confirmed out and Norman Powell questionable. The absence of T.J Warren should be big for Indiana here, especially with Oladipo still not back to full health.

I think Toronto have a pretty sizeable edge on the wing here, with Indiana lacking any real defender to stop Siakam. The majority of backers are also on Toronto here, so I’d recommend taking the 5.5 before it increases.

The Mavericks have gotten the overwhelming amount of early action here, with 79% of bettors picking Dallas. I’m opting for the contrarian approach and I’ll take this plucky Grizzlies side getting 5 points.

Memphis have made a ton of comments in the media about how strong they are in the media, even bashing former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala in the process. This puts a ton of pressure on them to perform, which should mean they have the motivational edge here.

Dallas are also far from healthy, dealing with several key injuries to their playmakers. Luka Doncic is out for at least the next week, while Barea and Seth Curry are both questionable.

This doesn’t bode well against a Memphis side that has looked increasingly dynamic of late. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 and shouldn’t have trouble scoring on Dallas here. Especially getting 5 points, I’d expect them to at least keep this competitive.

It’s slim pickings today, but I’ll take Denver here in what looks like the ultimate revenge spot. They suffered a heartbreaking loss to Portland in game 7 of the Conference Semis last year, which I’m sure they’re not completely over.

They’re playing at home here, where they’ve got a very solid 19-6 record on the season. Although they’ve improved of late, Portland are just 10-16 on the road thus far.

Paul Millsap remains out for Denver, but both Gary Harris and Jamal Murray are slated to return. This should prove huge against the dynamic Portland backcourt. I recommend checking the injury report prior to tip-off.

It isn’t a great scheduling spot for Denver, but I think the revenge factor overrides this. 4.5 points is a modest line for this dominant of a home side and I’d expect them to cover here.

This is another line that looks good on paper, but we’re dealing with slim pickings today. I think this is a solid situational spot for LA, given they laid an egg in their last home game against Portland.

They really want a dominant win at Staples to honour Kobe and this represents the perfect opportunity. The Spurs are a poor road side, going just 8-14 on the season so far.

LA have actually been better on the road this season, but they’re still an impressive 16-6 at home. They’ve had two full days off before this one and don’t appear to have any key injuries holding them back.

Given their weakness on the wing, San Antonio also don’t match up well with a LeBron-led side. I can see a comfortable Lakers win here and don’t mind laying the 12 points.

I like the look of Indiana here, laying 4 points at home to a banged-up Mavericks side. Dallas is without star man Luka Doncic and Guard Seth Curry here, with Porzingis and Hardaway Jnr both also appearing on the injury report.

Indiana, on the other hand, appear to be getting healthier. Victor Oladipo returned from his long-term absence last week, while Malcolm Brogdon also appears to be over his ailments.

The Pacers should also be well-rested here, having played just once since last Thursday. This will be the third game and plane trip in 4 nights for Dallas, who I’d expect to be fatigued in this spot.

Quietly, Indiana has also managed a very impressive 18-6 home record this season. I think their dynamic backcourt overpowers Dallas here, doing enough to secure both the win and the cover.

One of the more obvious recent fades has been betting against the 76ers away from home. They’re a dreadful 9-17 straight up, going just 7-17-2 ATS. I plan to continue fading them here, taking the Heat -3.5 points.

Miami has one of the best home court records in the NBA, going an impressive 21-3 thus far. They’re also 16-7-1 ATS, having cashed tickets for punters all season.

The Sixers appear to be battling a few key injuries here, with Horford, Simmons, and Scott all appearing on the latest injury report. Miami are essentially injury-free for this one, with Kendrick Nunn returning last time out.

It’s tough to pinpoint Philly’s road struggles this season, but Miami definitely isn’t a team they want to face right now. Given their reputations, I suspect some of the Sixers players enjoyed a few Super Bowl after parties last night too. In sticking with recent trends, I’ll take Miami at a relatively modest line here.

The Pistons are one of the toughest teams in the NBA to back right now, yet that’s part of the reason why I’m backing them here. All the action is coming in on Denver right now and I can see the +2.5 improving before tip-off.

Having lost each of their last 5 games by double digits, one could argue the Pistons are at their nadir in value. The Nuggets are a decent 7-3 in their last 10, although they’ll be without Millsap, Murray, and Porter here.

Denver aren’t quite as good on the road, although 15-9 is still a fairly impressive mark. They managed a win away at Milwaukee last time out, meaning this has all the makings of a letdown game.

This is their third game in four nights and they’re playing at a very unfamiliar early time zone. The situational spot is just poor for Denver here, so I’ll take the 2.5 with Detroit.

The Bucks have been the best team in the NBA thus far, but I think this line is a bit inflated. Phoenix are much better on the road than they are at home, having gone 14-8 ATS thus far.

Milwaukee have also been battling a few key injuries, with George Hill out and Giannis and DiVincenzo both day-to-day. Phoenix enter this clash essentially injury free, with Saric the only rotation player expected to miss.

Both of these sides have only played twice in the last week, so I can’t see fatigue being a major issue here. 75% of the early money has also come in on Milwaukee, so taking Phoenix is solid as a contrarian play.

Ultimately, Phoenix’s decent road form make them good value as heavy underdogs here. They’re unlikely to win, but they’ve got a good shot at keeping it under 13.

I like Miami here, currently getting a generous 1.5 points away at Orlando. The Heat are comfortably the better of these two sides, going 32-15, compared to the 21-27 record of their opponents.

Their road form has been somewhat questionable, although a trip to Orlando certainly isn’t too far. Orlando are slightly over .500 at home this season and have only won 3 of their last 10 games overall.

They’re battling a few key injuries here, with Evan ‘Don’t Google Me’ Fournier potentially missing here. He joins Jonathan Isaac and Al Farouq Aminu on the sidelines, leaving Orlando decimated on the wing.

Jimmy Butler is probably the best player on the floor here and I can see him dominating this game on both ends. I also see Bam Adebayo really limiting Nikola Vucevic, greatly improving Miami’s chances of winning this outright.

I’m planning to take the Celtics here, currently laying 3 points at home to the Sixers. This is assuming that Kemba Walker plays, who is questionable here with a sore left knee.

The Sixers are a truly atrocious road side, compiling a miserable 9-16 road record thus far. This doesn’t bode well going into Bean Town, taking on a Celtics side that are 19-5 at home.

Philly do have an advantage on the interior, but both Embiid and Horford have been battling injuries of late. This puts a ton of offensive pressure on Ben Simmons, who doesn’t match up great with Boston’s plethora of wings.

This is also a revenge spot for the Celtics, who have been beaten twice already this season by Philly. I expect a relatively close game here, with some late offensive fireworks getting Boston the win and cover.