Raptors to Overrun Heat, Hawks to Trump Wizards

Wizards No Match for Hawks

For all of you out there who think that the Hawks are set to lose again because Al Horford is out with a sprained ankle: have you seen the Wizards play? Washington has gone 1-8 SU in their last 9 games and 2-7 ATS in their last 9 roadies. In the process they’ve been shut down, being forced to take the UNDER in 7-of-10. With Horford, the Hawks would roll the Wizards. Without him? Expect the same result.

Atlanta is still 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games at home, and the line has already moved in their favor. This team is a three-horse carriage, and the two horses they still have in play are dominant scoring beasts. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith will destroy the porous perimeter defense of the lowly Wizards, who allow 102.8 points per game. Don’t get suckered by the Horford injury. The Hawks will cover.

NBA Betting Pick: Atlanta -7.5 (UNDER 200)

Raptors Are Too Big For Heat

The Raptors are struggling without Jose Calderon, but that is to be expected. Falling 2-5 SU in their past 7 games is far from acceptable for the Raptor fans out there. Now that they face Miami, whom they are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings, would be on the top of the menu when trying to get Toronto back on a winning track.

Despite having Wade, the shooting on Miami is ridiculously inconsistent. Slashing to the basket won’t help either with Bosh and O’Neal combining with Andrea Bagnarni to defend the interior. This is simply a matchup where the Heat don’t have the personnel to overcome the sheer size of the Raptors. Unless the Heat have one of those nights were they get hot from the perimeter, then the Raptors should control the tempo of this game and pull out a nice victory on the road against the betting spread.

NBA Free pick: Toronto +3 (UNDER 188)

Cleveland to Cover Against Detroit

The betting community is getting wise to setting lines against the Pistons. Opening at minus-4 for the Pistons, the spread moved by a point-and-a-half away from the Pistons and back towards Cleveland. When you host a team that is 5-0 SU in their last five games, then that’s bound to happen. I’ve always loved the Cavs against Detroit against the spread ever since that brilliant Game 5 performance. With Mo Williams and the Cavs coming together, and the Pistons still in seeming limbo since acquiring the “me-first” Allen Iverson, Cleveland looks like a sharp play tonight.

Very rarely do I advise taking the OVER in a Detroit Pistons game, but this is a matchup where the Pistons will have to play catch-up with a Cleveland team that will look to run the score. With Iverson in the game, and Rasheed up to no good, the Pistons will be lighting the board in an effort to keep pace. Bet the OVER and on Cleveland!

NBA Free Pick: Cleveland +2.5 (OVER 190)