Have a few play [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] s [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] of the day...<p>1/13 TOP PLAYS:
Denver @ Minnesota 8:05 PM EST
Denver +13 over Minnesota (4.5 Units)
You may need to start getting used to the words that you are about to hear, and that is that the Denver Nuggets are a terrific play right now... the fact is, those lovable 9-27 Nuggets are turning from an assortment of young potential into an actual team that plays exceptional defense and has the ability to hang with most teams on any given night... in their last six games overall, the Nuggets have limited the opposition to 87 points or less, including contests against the likes of Sacramento, Dallas, and Portland... meanwhile, as shocking as it may seem, the Denver Nuggets have developed a pretty impressive frontline that should certainly be able to hold their own against Kevin Garnett and company... the trio of Juwan Howard, Nene Hilario, and Rodney White have been spectacular in 2003, as the three have combined to average over 51 points and over 22 rebounds in each of Denver's first six contests of 2003... Howard has provided incredible consistency for the Nuggets on the offensive end, scoring at least 19 points or more in eleven consecutive games dating back to mid-December... and with Hilario and White becoming more productive with each subsequent start, it is becoming apparent that the Nuggets have some serious talent on this team...
The combination of this offensive improvement with Denver's already suffocating defense has resulted in a team that has won three of their last six games straight up, and are a very impressive 6-1 ATS in their last seven contests... with the Nuggets now 4-0 ATS in their last four games as a double-digit dog, and against a Minnesota team that is not as strong as previous incarnations, we have serious doubts about the Timberwolves being able to cover a 13-point spread tonight, even if Wally World has returned to the lineup...
You see, while the Nuggets have played inspired defense throughout the course of this year, it seems the Timberwolves have forgotten how to do the same... in their last eight games, Minnesota has allowed at least 94 points per game, and a gaudy average of 101.5 ppg... and while the Nuggets won't hit triple-digits, the fact that Minnesota is playing less than adequate D makes their mission of winning by 14+ points virtually impossible to fulfill... Minnesota is just 3-4 SU in their last seven games (as opposed to 3-3 for Denver), and each of their three wins have come by 7 points or less... and as a favorite of more than six points, the Wolves are not only 0-3 ATS this season (including a contest against the Nugs), but they are a horrid 1-11 ATS in their last twelve games dating back to last season...
In two head-to-head contests this season, Minnesota was able to emerge victorious on each occasion, but only by a combined 14 points, the margin they would need in order to cover tonight's contest... and as shocking as it may seem given Minnesota's home dominance over the past several seasons, the Nuggets have actually won two of their last five visits to Minnesota straight up, and have lost by more than 13 points just once, with the final margin in that contest being 14 points... needless to say, we have a very difficult time seeing the Timberwolves winning this game by double-digits, let alone a whopping 14 points... look for the Nuggets to keep this close throughout the entire contest before finally falling by five...
FINAL PREDICTION: MINNESOTA 89, DENVER 84
New York @ Chicago 8:35 PM EST
Chicago -1.5 over New York (4 Units)
The tide is being turned quite a bit this season in the NBA, as perennial doormats such as the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Chicago Bulls have matured into teams that are terrific plays at home, all possessing winning records on the season... the Bulls in particular have displayed some serious mojo on their home floor as of late, winning nine of their last thirteen games at home to move their overall home mark to 12-7 on the year... Perhaps what is most impressive about Chicago at home this season is that they have gotten the job done against losing teams, going a perfect 5-0 SU (and 4-1 ATS, losing by a half point) at home this season...
Despite playing some very solid ball as of late, New York's 13-21 record certainly classifies them as a losing team... and while we have enjoyed playing New York as a heavy dog over the past couple of weeks, the fact remains that the Knicks are still losing games, as their 1-4 SU mark in their past five games would attest... additionally, the fact that the Knicks have now allowed 102.8 ppg in their last four on the road doesn't bode well against a Chicago team that has scored 104+ points in their last two games against the Knicks, and have covered four straight in the head-to-head series...
In addition to their 4-0 ATS mark against the Knicks, the Bulls have covered eight of their last ten games overall against the Knicks, have won three out of the last four games straight up, and are a perfect 4-0 ATS (3-0 SU) at home against Latrell Sprewell and company... additionally, the home team has won every one of the last seven games in this series straight up, save for the Bulls coming into New York and knocking off the Knicks in their final meeting of last season... it seems that the balance of power in this series has shifted towards the Bulls, and considering that the talent gap between these two teams might be even for the first time in years, we expect the Bulls to continue their winning ways against the boys from the Big Apple..
The result of being a bad team for several years (such as the Bulls have been) is that you are rarely put in the role of being favored... however, in the rare occasions where oddsmakers have installed the Bulls as a pick or a favorite, Chicago has come through with flying colors, going an impressive 8-2 ATS, with one of those ATS losses coming by a mere half point... look for the Bulls to continue to reward their backers with yet another win and cover as a favorite...
FINAL PREDICTION: CHICAGO 103, NEW YORK 94
<p>OTHER PLAYS (no analysis):
Cleveland @ Portland 10:05 PM EST
Portland -13 over Cleveland (1 Unit)
Portland/Cleveland Under 187.5 (4 Units)
<p>Detroit @ Orlando 7:05 PM EST
Detroit +3 over Orlando (3 Units)
<p>Boston @ Houston 8:35 PM EST
Houston -6.5 over Boston (2.5 Units)
Houston/Boston Under 180.5 (1.5 Units)
<p>Memphis @ Golden State 10:35 PM EST
Golden State -7 over Memphis (1.5 Units)
