The playoff and play-in picture in the Eastern Conference still has not been settled. The Hawks, Knicks and Heat are all 38-31 and they hold the 4-6 slots. No other team can catch those three. The Wizards who are the 10th seed, are only a game behind the Hornets for the 8th seed. And at the top of the conference, the third-seeded Bucks are only a game behind the Nets for the second in the East.
In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets are only a game behind the Clippers for the third seed. The Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks are currently holding on to the fifth and sixth seeds respectively, but the Lakers are only a game behind the both of them. The Spurs will be the 10th seed in the West while the ninth-seeded Grizzlies can still catch the Warriors for the eight seed.
Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks (-6.5) Total: 240
Big game in Atlanta tonight for both teams. When they met earlier this week, the Wizards lost by a single point without Bradley Beal. They were 8-point underdogs in that game. Beal will be out again tonight and just like earlier this week, this line is high enough for the public to load up on the Wizards. Atlanta has two wins over the Wizards this season, with both by single digits. I think they win tonight and I’m backing them to cover the number this time.
Edge: Hawks -6.5
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Brooklyn Nets (-4.5) Total: 233.5
The Brooklyn Nets are not the type of team to worry about playoff positioning. They figure to be there at the end, regardless of the journey.
When these teams met earlier this season, the Nets won and got the ATS cover in overtime. Tonight’s game doesn’t mean much for the Spurs; they’re locked into their play-in spot. I think Brooklyn will use tonight as a tune up especially if they can get some good minutes from James Harden, who is listed as questionable. Brooklyn will likely be the most bet team in the NBA tonight, but there is no way you can fade them.
Edge: Nets -4.5
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz (-2.5) Total: 234.5
The Trail Blazers and Jazz meet up in Utah in Wednesday’s marquee matchup. Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley will both be out for Utah. Damian Lillard should be a heavily rostered DFS option. The Jazz have a pair of double-digit wins over the Trail Blazers this season but that won’t matter tonight. Portland is super hot right now, having won 8 of their last 10 games. They are playing like a team that will make noise in the playoffs. The Jazz are rolling along as well; they’ve won 5 of their last 6 games, and will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
This game opened up with the Jazz as a 4.5 point home favorite. Sharp money has come in on the Trail Blazers, dropping the number to -2 on PointsBet. The Trail Blazers are 10-4 ATS as road dogs this season. The Jazz are 22-11-1 ATS as home favorites this season. The Point Total in this game opened up as 235 and has dipped to 234 at some shops. I think this number will continue to trend down, so you want to catch the best of it.
Edge Finder Tip: Both matchups between Portland and Utah have fallen Under the number this season.
Edge: Under 234.5
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