Sign In $
NBA

Friday’s Tip Sheet

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read

Lakers at Heat – 7:05 PM EST

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have turned into the top duo in the NBA as the Lakers (22-3 SU, 16-9 ATS) share the best record in the league with the Bucks. Davis is averaging 27.2 points per game and James is putting up 25.8 points per game, making them the only two teammates in the NBA to each average at least 25 points a contest.

The Lakers improved to 12-1 on the road following Wednesday’s 96-87 victory over the Magic as 8 ½-point road favorites. Los Angeles built a 23-point advantage before Orlando tied the game in the second half, but the Lakers pulled away for its 12th consecutive away victory. Interestingly enough, the Lakers have yet to lose a game away from Staples Center as their only “road” loss came to the Clippers in the season opener.

The Heat (18-6 SU, 15-8-1 ATS) have yet to drop a game at American Airlines Arena this season by racking up an 11-0 home mark. The latest triumph came in comeback fashion on Tuesday as Miami knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the final minute to force overtime against Atlanta. The Heat scored the first 16 points of overtime to stun the Hawks, 135-121 and pick up the cover as eight-point favorites. Both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo registered triple-doubles for the Heat, who have defeated only one team at home with a winning record this season (Houston on November 3).

The Lakers cruised past the Heat at Staples Center on November 8 in a 95-80 rout as eight-point favorites. The 80-point output was the lowest for Miami on the season, as the Heat were limited to 34 points in the second half. The Lakers limited the Heat to 6-of-35 shooting from three-point range, while Davis and James combined to score 51 points in the win. Miami is currently on an 8-1 run to the UNDER, while Los Angeles is 7-3 to the UNDER in the past 10 games.

Rockets at Magic – 7:05 PM EST

Houston is in a dogfight for the top spot in the Southwest division alongside surging Dallas as the Rockets (16-8 SU, 11-13 ATS) wrap up their mini two-game road swing. The Rockets failed to cover as a double-digit favorite for the third consecutive game, but Houston rallied past Cleveland on Wednesday, 116-110 to bounce back from a buzzer-beating loss to Sacramento. James Harden continued his scoring barrage by putting up 55 points, including hitting 10 three-pointers to mark the fourth time this season he has scored at least 50 points.

The Magic (11-13 SU, 10-13-1 ATS) are in the midst of a rough three-game stretch against three of the top teams in the league. Orlando dropped a 110-101 decision at Milwaukee on Monday night, but cashed as 13-point underdogs for its fourth consecutive cover. The Magic saw that ATS hot streak come to an end in Wednesday’s 96-87 setback to the Lakers as Orlando scored only nine points in the opening quarter. Orlando was limited to below 100 points for the 12th time this season, which is the most in the league so far.

It’s been a tough go for the Magic in the role of a home underdog, who has compiled a 1-4 SU/ATS mark in five opportunities, while scoring 91 points or less in all four losses. The Rockets are 8-12 ATS this season in the favorite role, although five of those non-covers have come as double-digit chalk. Houston owns a 2-6 ATS ledger as a road favorite, but have won in two of its past three visits at Orlando dating back to 2017.

Warriors at Jazz – 9:05 PM EST

It’s not even mid-December, but Utah (14-11 SU, 10-15 ATS) seeks its third win already this season against Golden State (5-21 SU, 11-15 ATS). The Jazz went into Chase Center on November 11 and knocked off the Warriors, 122-108 as eight-point road favorites, led by Rudy Gobert’s 25 points on an efficient 11-of-12 shooting from the floor. Utah edged Golden State at home 11 days later as hefty 16-point favorites in a 113-109 triumph, marking the first cover for the Warriors against the Jazz in eight meetings.

The Jazz have dropped six of their last nine games, but are coming off a victory at Minnesota on Wednesday, 127-116 as slim one-point road underdogs. Donovan Mitchell paced the Jazz with 30 points, as Utah returns home seeking consecutive wins for the first time since November 22 and 23. Utah is currently on a 4-1 run to the OVER in its past five games played in Salt Lake City, while allowing at least 109 points in five of its past six home contests.

Golden State continues its miserable season due to a litany of injuries, but the Warriors showed some moxie in Wednesday’s overtime setback to the Knicks. Steve Kerr’s team erased a 20-point third quarter deficit to force the extra session, but Golden State fell short as five-point favorites, 124-122 to fall to 2-9 the last 11 games with the only two wins coming against Chicago in this stretch. The Warriors have put together a 4-3 ATS record as a double-digit underdog this season, while the Jazz are 5-8 ATS in their last 13 opportunities in the favorite role.

Clippers at Timberwolves – 9:35 PM EST

Los Angeles (19-7 SU, 15-11 ATS) continues its six-game road trip as the Clippers remain 3 ½ games behind the Lakers for the top spot in the Pacific division. Kawhi Leonard shined in his return to Toronto on Wednesday night as the Clippers dominated the defending champion Raptors, 112-92 to cash easily as 2 ½-point favorites. Leonard was one of seven Clippers to score in double-figures with 23 points, while Paul George struggled from downtown by hitting only 2-of-12 shots from three-point range.

The Clippers seek their fourth straight victory as L.A. has done a better job of covering on the road recently. Doc Rivers’ club began the season with a dreadful 2-7 ATS mark away from Staples Center, but the Clips have cashed three in a row on the highway, while allowing under 100 points in consecutive games for the second time in 2019.

The Timberwolves (10-14 SU, 9-14-1 ATS) have not had a December to remember as Minnesota has lost all six games this month. Minnesota was off to a promising start, but their defensive numbers have been horrific of late by allowing at least 115 points in six straight games and yielding 125 or more in each of the past four contests. The OVER has hit in five consecutive affairs for Minnesota, as the Wolves have slumped to a 3-8 record at Target Center with the last home victory coming on November 13 against San Antonio.

You can reach Kevin Rogers via e-mail at rogers@vegasinsider.com

Kevin Rogers can be followed on Twitter at virogers.


Nba News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•