The 14-20 Blazers travel to the 9-24 Knicks, currently laying 3.5 points. In a day that appears very devoid of options, Portland look like one of the better bets available.

Portland have looked like a much better team of late and now appear likely to secure a playoff spot out West. New York are still one of the worst sides in the NBA, going a pretty poor 4-12 at home thus far.

The Knicks tend to really struggle against perimeter threats, which is far from ideal against Portland. Damian Lillard is easily the best player on the floor here, with CJ McCollum a capable sidekick.

I can see the Knicks really struggling to contain the Portland backcourt here, especially with their injuries. Dennis Smith and Wayne Ellington have been ruled out, while Ntilikina, Dotson, and Bullock are all questionable.

Not only do Portland have a strong talent edge, they’re healthier, have a coaching advantage and should be more motivated here. Laying just 3.5 points, the straight up win and cover are definitely fairly correlated.

The 26-7 Lake Show host the 13-20 Suns here, currently laying 11 points. I’d expect all of LA’s key players to play here, meaning they’re good value to cover against the falling Suns.

Phoenix have fallen off a cliff of late, winning just 2 of their last 10 and covering only 4 times over that same period. LA remain one of the better home sides in the NBA, compiling an 11-4 record so far.

I think they’ve got some pretty significant matchup advantages here, particularly in the frontcourt. As solid as Kelly Oubre has been this season, he just isn’t a quality matchup for LeBron James.

As far as the starting lineups go, they’ll probably have Saric matched up on AD in the early going. This is another very poor matchup, one which I’d expect to be exploited early and often.

Without Ayton and Kaminsky, the depth of Phoenix’s front court will surely be tested here. The big and athletic Lakers are one of their worst matchups in the league and I’d expect them to lose pretty comfortably.

The 21-12 Pacers host the 23-12 Sixers here, currently getting 1 point as an underdog. I really like the matchup for Philly here and will take them at this relatively low number.

Philly have admittedly been an awful road team this year, compiling a miserable 7-10 record away from home. Indiana has also been great at home, going 14-3 thus far. I think this hot start actually overvalues Indiana’s home court, giving value to Philly here.

The Sixers enter this one in full health, with all of their key players expected to play. Indiana are still contending with the injury to Oladipo, while Malcolm Brogdon is also questionable here.

The Pacers have struggled to generate consistent offence at times this season and I can see them struggling here. Philly have one of the best defensive units in the NBA and I’d expect them to really limit Indiana at the rim.

They should be well rested after two days off and motivated after suffering rare consecutive losses. At just one point, a straight up win is very likely to secure the cover here.

The 22-11 Rockets host the 23-9 Nuggets here, currently laying 1 point. As long as each of their big 3 play here, I like Houston at this relatively modest number.

These two teams are definitely pretty even and I think this short of a line really overvalues Denver. If the Nuggets have any major weakness, it is their inability to guard elite wing players.

They’ve struggled mightily in the past against James Harden and I can see more of the same here. This is only compounded by the fact that Gary Harris is 50/50 for this game and could be limited if he does play.

With Jokic at Center, Denver is also far from an elite rim protecting team. Not only could this prove hazardous against Harden, it isn’t ideal against the likes of Westbrook and Capela either.

While Denver are a decent road side at 8-5, they aren’t anywhere near as good as they are at home. Houston have been a very solid 11-4 at home thus far and appear much more likely to lay an egg on the road.

This is a favourable matchup for them and represents a chance at a statement win in the game of the day. At another very small line, I’d back them to both win and cover.

The 11-20 Wolves host the 16-15 Nets here, currently getting 1.5 points. Given the myriad of injuries they’re dealing with, I’m inclined to fade them and back Brooklyn.

Minnesota have been one of the worst home sides in the NBA this season, compiling a dismal 3-11 record thus far. Brooklyn have been fairly competent on the road, with their record hovering around .500.

The Wolves have been battling a ton of injuries of late, most notably to star big man Karl Anthony Towns. He is questionable to play here with a knee injury, with Andrew Wiggins also questionable and Jake Layman already ruled out.

Despite being without Kyrie Irving for a prolonged period, Brooklyn have looked like a more complete team of late. Spencer Dinwiddie has been excellent as the offensive focal point, while the role players have really stepped up.

This is only the second game of their road trip and they’ll get a full two days off afterwards, so I don’t anticipate fatigue being an issue either. They’re a more consistent and talented side than these injured Wolves and I’d expect them to cover a relatively modest spread here.

The 20-12 Jazz host the 12-21 Pistons here, currently laying 9.5 points. Especially with star big man Blake Griffin unlikely to play, I like Utah to win and cover.

They’re still one of the NBA’s most formidable home sides, compiling an early 12-3 record. They tend to dominate lesser sides at home, a moniker which can be applied to this middling Detroit side.

They are close to full health here, with Mike Conley’s long-term injury the only remaining absence. New addition Jordan Clarkson should really help their second unit and I’d expect him to play a key role here.

With Griffin unlikely to play, I’m not sure how Detroit reliably generates offence here. Andre Drummond is a solid offensive Center, but I’d expect him to be nullified by Rudy Gobert.

The Pistons haven’t been that great on the defensive end of late, which doesn’t bode well against Utah’s talented wing players. I can see Donovan Mitchell controlling the pace of play here, with solid secondary contributions from Bogdanovic and Ingles.

Currently set at 9.5 points, I can see this line only going up with the Griffin injury news. Expect Utah to continue their strong home form as they claim this one by double digits.

The 22-10 Raptors host the 16-15 Thunder here, currently laying 2.5 points. Despite being on a back-to-back, I think Toronto have more than enough quality for the win and cover.

They’ve proven to be one of the best home teams in the NBA, going 13-4 straight up and 11-6 ATS. They do have a few key injuries heading into this one, although I think their depth and elite coaching can make up for this.

OKC has been on a decent 7-3 run of late, but I believe they’re overvalued in the market as a result. They’re just 5-9 on the road this season and have tended to struggle outside of Oklahoma. They’ve also been battling the injury bug of late, with both Gallinari and Schroder ruled out of this one.

Ultimately, I expect the elite guard play from Lowry and VanVleet to guide Toronto to another home victory. Laying just 2.5 points, I also think they’re very solid value to cover the spread.

The 24-7 Lakers host the 21-10 Mavericks here, currently laying 3 points. This line appears awfully low to me and there’s a definite chance that it rises before tip-off.

Both sides are playing a back-to-back, but I can’t see any of the major players sitting out here, especially for LA. They’ve been a strong 10-4 at home this season and I like their matchup against this upstart Dallas side.

The Mavericks are incredibly reliant on Luka and can really struggle to get going if he isn’t 100%. Unfortunately, he comes up against a very tough wing matchup here against both LeBron and Danny Green.

I think they can limit him on the offensive end, making it much more difficult for Dallas to score. Anthony Davis also has a favourable matchup against Porzingis, one which I’d expect him to exploit repeatedly.

LA have more top-end talent of these two sides and also possess the depth needed to win on a back-to-back. 3 points is fairly light with LA being comfortably the better side and I’d recommend this line up to 4.5.

The 21-9 Nuggets host the 12-20 Grizzlies here, currently laying 9 points. Denver were very flat against New Orleans on Christmas and I expect a much better effort here.

They’re still one of the better home sides in the NBA, compiling a 13-4 record thus far. Memphis are nothing special on the road, going just 6-8 straight up and 7-7 ATS.

I also like the matchups for Denver here, particularly on the interior. I’d expect Jokic to have a field day against Valanciunas, while Paul Millsap is also expected to go here.

Memphis have really struggled to guard on the perimeter, which doesn’t bode well against a guy like Jamal Murray. I can see him controlling this game from the outset, leading to a dominant offensive display.

I think the Christmas day performance was a bit of an aberration for Denver, one which I expect them to right at the first opportunity. The line has come in from 10 to 9 and I see good value in pulling the trigger here.

The 21-10 Rockets host the 16-10 Nets here, currently laying 9 points. As with Denver, Houston suffered an embarrassing defeat on Christmas Day, one which I’d expect them to avenge here.

They’re one of the better home sides in the NBA, going 10-4 thus far. Brooklyn aren’t any great shakes on the road either, sporting a below .500 record at 7-8.

The Nets remain without their starting backcourt, with both Irving and LeVert already ruled out for this one. Spencer Dinwiddie has carried the load admirably, but he tends to struggle against top sides like Houston.

On defence, I’m not sure this Brooklyn side is well equipped to stop the duo of Harden and Westbrook. They’ve struggled against dynamic playmaking guards all season and these are two of the most difficult they’ll face.

They looked really out of sorts last time out, putting up just 82 points against the lowly Nets. They’ll come up against a much tougher test in Houston, one which I’m not sure they’re ready for.

Houston losing on Christmas was a major storyline, but I view this as a blip in an otherwise solid season. Expect them to put the clamps on Brooklyn here, with strong days from Russ and Harden leading to the win and cover.

The 22-8 Heat host the 21-10 Pacers here, currently laying 5 points. Miami have proven to be one of the best home sides in the NBA and I like them again here.

The Heat have gone a very strong 13-1 at home thus far, including an impressive 11-3 ATS record. Indiana are very much a mediocre road side, going just 7-7 straight up and ATS.

The Pacers are also dealing with a few cluster injuries on the wing here. Not only is Oladipo still out, but both Jeremy Lamb and Malcolm Brogdon are questionable. This is especially dangerous against a Miami side that is very strong on the perimeter.

Miami also enter this clash fairly well rested, having been at home for the past 9 days and only playing twice. This has allowed them to heal to the point where Justise Winslow is the only injury concern.

I also think the Heat have a pretty strong advantage here in terms of coaching. Erik Spoelstra has been a wizard in close games this year, while Nate McMillan still leaves a lot to be desired.

In a matchup between two solid sides, I think Miami’s top-end talent and coaching advantage gives them the edge here. Combine that with their stout home record and they’re good value laying just 5 points.

The 8-24 Warriors host the 11-19 Suns here, currently getting 2.5 points as a home underdog. The market may be starting to overvalue Golden State after 3 straight wins and this could be a good time to fade them.

This is a huge letdown spot for Golden State after their emotional win over Houston on Christmas. They’ve got a back-to-back in Utah tomorrow, a game they could very well be looking ahead to.

Phoenix have been a terrible 2-8 in their last 10, although they do have a positive ATS record in that time span. This tells me that they’re playing in relatively close games but can’t quite get the job done.

Having dealt with a ton of injuries all season, they’re finally approaching full health. Kelly Oubre is very likely to play here, meaning Ayton is the only rotation player projected to miss.

Phoenix ran Golden State off the court earlier this season and they’ve got the matchup edge to do it again here. They’ve got much more talent on the wing and a big like Aron Baynes should pose problems inside.

I’d expect a big game from Devin Booker here, one which propels Phoenix to get the win and cover.

The 11-20 Pistons host the 9-20 Wizards in this one, currently laying 6.5 points. These two sides are a lot closer than that line would suggest and I’ll gladly take Washington plus the points.

Detroit have been a nightmare for punters to bet on all season, only covering 11 out of 30 games. They’re below .500 at home, while Washington has a solid 10-7 road record against the number.

The Pistons are also dealing with a few key injuries here, particularly in their backcourt. Luke Kennard has already been ruled out, while both Derrick Rose and Bruce Brown are questionable with lower leg injuries.

Even Blake Griffin was listed on the injury report for this one, currently listed as questionable with an illness. At the very least, this is a freeroll for Wizards backers that likely hasn’t been factored into the line.

The Bryant and Bertans injuries are a negative for Washington, although neither of those players would fit this matchup well. I expect the Wiz to go for an up tempo approach here and they can put up points on this inconsistent Detroit defence.

This has the makings of a pretty even game that should be close late. Getting 6.5 points is too good to pass up and likely opens up hedging opportunities late on.

The 12-18 Kings host the 10-20 Wolves in this one, currently laying 4.5 points. Minnesota has looked absolutely dreadful of late and I’m keen to fade them again here.

First and foremost, Karl Anthony Towns is still on the injury report with a knee injury. He’s missed the last fortnight and I can’t see him playing here.

Even if he did come back, I’d imagine he’d be both limited and on a minutes restriction. To compound their injury woes, both Jake Layman and Shabazz Napier are expected to miss this one.

After their relatively poor start to the campaign, Sacramento have also looked much better of late. They now have a positive ATS record on the season and are a respectable .500 at home.

Minnesota have lost each of their last 11 games and haven’t looked particularly competitive while doing so. This is the final game of their 4-game Christmas road trip and I can see a bit of a letdown here as they look forward to going home.

The Kings enter this one almost fully healthy after the return of De’Aaron Fox. Their recent record hasn’t been great, but a lot of this was due to a relatively tough 5-game road trip. Especially if KAT doesn’t play, I think they’re great value at this modest 4.5 number.

The 22-10 Sixers host the 27-4 Bucks here, currently getting 3 points as an underdog. This line has moved 2 points from the +1 opener and I see some value on Philly.

First and foremost, they’re one of the best home teams in the NBA. They’ve compiled a 15-2 record at the Wells Fargo Center, compared to just 7-8 on the road.

I also really like the matchup for them in this spot. Milwaukee may be the deeper of these two sides, but Philly have more top-end talent.

Everything in Milwaukee centres around Giannis and the Sixers are one of the teams best geared to stop him. Al Horford has had immense success guarding him in the past, while Embiid is protecting the rim at elite levels.

This Philly team is also excellent at guarding the perimeter. They’ve got a very switchable starting five and should be able to limit the Bucks from 3. If they can limit Giannis inside and take away the 3, I expect them to do enough offensively to win outright.

I think these two sides are closer than this line would suggest and the Sixers have a decent shot at winning here. That said, I’ll gladly take the 3 points of insurance at the current line.

The 21-8 Nuggets welcome the 8-23 Pelicans here, currently laying 9.5 points. New Orleans has been a dumpster fire all season and I just don’t see them hanging with Denver here.

While the Pelicans finally appear somewhat healthy, it’ll take some time for these guys to adjust to playing together. They’ve had almost no success on the road all year, going just 4-12 straight up and only 5-11 against largely inflated spreads.

On the flipside, Denver continues to be one of the toughest places to play in the NBA. They’ve compiled an impressive 13-3 home record, building on their breakout season last year.

In addition to being a very deep team, they’ve also had some fortunate injury luck so far. They enter this clash essentially fully healthy, allowing them to play up tempo in the altitude.

Despite having such a stellar season, the Nuggets still aren’t getting a ton of attention from the national media. In the Christmas night cap game, I expect them to come out very motivated to run up the score in the first half, before the east coast go to bed.

The full game line of 9.5 also seems appealing, but the better value play is the first half line if you can get it -5 or less.

The 12-17 Magic host the 12-19 Bulls here, currently laying 4 points. This Magic team has looked good with their starting 5 healthy and I think they win and cover here.

Orlando have been very respectable at home this season, going 8-6 compared to 6-9 on the road for Chicago. They’re also just 11-14 ATS, which is partially why I think they’re undervalued.

I think they’ve got a noticeable talent edge on the wing with guys like Fournier, Gordon, and Isaac. Chicago has been really injured in this area all season and I expect this matchup advantage to allow Orlando to control the game.

I also think the Magic have a very strong coaching edge, with Steve Clifford over Jim Boylen. He should be able to exploit these advantages and maximise their chances of winning, particularly against Boylen’s curious rotations.

While it isn’t an ideal spot for Orlando, both sides have a pretty sizeable break before their next game. I think their talent advantage wins out here and they cover a relatively modest 4-point spread.

The 21-8 Heat host the 18-11 Jazz, currently laying 4.5 points. Miami have been the better team thus far and also have a favourable spot here, making this line seem appealing.

Utah are in their final game of a relatively successful road trip and fatigue could easily be an issue here. I can see them struggling to score against Miami’s stout defence, particularly with Mike Conley slated to miss this one.

The Heat have also been one of the best home sides in the NBA, compiling a 12-1 record thus far. They’ve covered in 11 of those 13 games, yet don’t appear to be too overvalued judging by this line.

They’ve also got the best player on the floor in this matchup in Jimmy Butler, who should enjoy some success against Utah’s poor defensive wings. Bam Adebayo has quietly emerged as one of the best bigs in the NBA and I’d expect him to contain counterpart Rudy Gobert here.

Miami is a versatile and well-coached team that has been outstanding at home this season. Given the injury to Conley and Utah’s road struggles so far, I don’t see them keeping it to 4 or less in this one.

The 14-14 Thunder host the 22-9 Clippers here, getting 2.5 points as a home underdog. Given their impressive recent form and the expected resting of Kawhi, I like them to pull off the upset here.

OKC have moved into playoff position out West, winning 7 of their last 10 games. They’ve also been a strong side for punters to back all year, going 17-11 ATS.

They’re essentially fully healthy for this one, with only fringe rotation player Hamidou Diallo set to miss. They’ll have a full three days of rest until their next game, meaning they can afford to give the starters more minutes here.

For the Clippers, this is essentially a textbook letdown spot. They had a big win in San Antonio last night, allowing Kawhi to get a modicum of revenge.

I’d expect him to sit this one out, really putting the pressure on PG against his former side. They’ve got a huge Christmas day matchup with the Lakers, so I could see them being somewhat distracted here.

OKC have been getting especially good play from their backcourt of late, which I see continuing here. They’ve got every chance of pulling off the home upset, but I’ll gladly take them with 2.5 insurance points.

The 24-5 Lakers host the 19-8 Nuggets here, laying 6points as a home favourite. I dislike the travel spot for LA here and will take the Nuggets plus a relatively handy margin.

The Lakers return here from a gruelling 5-game road trip, still adjusting to being back on West Coast time. By contrast, Denver have just had a 5-game homestand and enter this clash very well rested.

The injury report also suggests that LeBron is doubtful to play here due to a muscle strain. His absence would be huge and negate LA’s only real advantage over Denver.

This is also a great opportunity for Denver to get revenge after suffering a home loss to the Lakers earlier this month. They were actually favoured in that game, which indicates how much the market has shifted in the last 3 weeks.

If either LeBron or AD is limited here, I’d expect LA to have a tough time against this well-rounded Nuggets side. I actually see this line going down significantly before tip-off, so I’d monitor the injury report and back them at this healthy spread ASAP.