Starting with a realization – This is the home stretch. We spend a lot of the season fantasizing about what could be.. like a healthy Big 3 of Zion, BI, and CJ in New Orleans but now is the time to understand that teams are kicking it into drive, and many squads will be left in the dust. It’s time to be real, and that couldn’t apply to any team more than the Los Angeles Lakers. Every game from here on out is a playoff game. This is the most competitive (amount of good teams) I have ever seen the league as a whole and there are extremely interesting battles going on everywhere. After not making the playoffs in over a decade…the Kings are the 3 seed. Can they hold on? The defending champion Golden State Warriors are hardly in the play-in and don’t have their best player. The Top 4 in the East needs to be settled (Boston, Milwaukee, Philly, Cleveland) and then out of New York, Miami, Toronto, Brooklyn, and Atlanta someone is going to miss the playoffs! The West is even crazier. Out of SGA, Dame, Ant someone or multiple will likely be left out. People don’t like load management but it sure as hell makes things more interesting with the dynamic of some of these teams still needing to race up the standings. The injury report needs to be studied and we look for advantages here every night. The books don’t have the answers to all this either.
Here are some looks at today’s games and a few teams that need to be talked about:
We start with the Phoenix Suns. When I think about Phoenix going far in the playoffs I think about some of the best role players in the NBA in Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges. These are the guys that teams threw 4 first round draft picks at like it was nothing. This is the ultimate test of the star vs well balanced team debate/two bodies vs one. Don’t get it twisted, this is a top 5 defensive team in the NBA and they have two of the leagues best scorers with KD and Book. Still, this is a team of guys I don’t believe in. We know Chris Paul will miss at least one playoff game. Ayton has always been soft. Kd and Book get to write their own legacy.
Denver is still the best team in the NBA. They play in Cleveland tonight with no Aaron Gordon and potentially no Jamal Murray. Hard to see them winning. Gordon is one of the most underrated players in this league and his chemistry with Jokic is stellar. This is what makes them go. Without him you’re leaving Jokic with one of his worst matchups all season. Cavs -2
The Blazers may be excited about Dame’s freestyles on the plane but what is to like on the court? You just got shit on by the Wizards and you don’t have Anfernee and Nurkic tonight. Plus the travel issues.. All Kings tonight. I’m on ML in parlays.
ML Locks of the day — These teams will not lose. Magic & Mavericks. If you know who’s gonna win a game, use it for/in SOMETHING. The Dallas ML has gone from -900 to -1140 in the last two days. Get on the games early.
Toronto/New Orleans – The disappointing Pels head up north. All expectations are out the window. What do we know about the Pels? They play good defense and the offense goes as far as CJ and BI take it. Toronto is a good defensive team but Poeltl is more of an offensive addition so we have to see how this develops. Toronto is a team that I’m strongly BUYING and expect to make the playoffs. But tonight is not the night especially when it’s 6 points. Lean — Under 226.
Boston/Indiana — This one can go many ways. Everyone is playing for Boston, so if they are the best team in the league like some say.. they should win. Indiana is a dark horse and has performed extremely well with a healthy lineup. I really want to take them here but the line tells us Boston blowout. Tough stuff.
Philly/Memphis – As a Sixers to win the East bettor (amazing value) it would be great to come out of the gates hot with a win here. Memphis isn’t as good without Steven Adams and a game against Embiid should expose that. Philly has it all and I like -4 @ the house tonight.
Oklahoma City Thunder — As a Lakers fan, these are the guys I’m scared of. Best offense in the league over the last two weeks and somehow still undervalued. I don’t trust them as much on the road but I don’t like the direction the Jazz are headed in. No Colin Sexton tonight for Utah. I have OKC in a teaser at +8 and I’m already on +8 tomorrow in Phoenix. They will get it done AT LEAST once.
Lakers/Warriors — This is the part where we have fun. LA is going to win this game!! Bron and AD are healthy, we aren’t starting two point guards (Beasley is in), and no Wiggins or Curry for the Dubs. After the New Orleans game there is no reason to think LA wouldn’t cover the -6 but I’m choosing to go heavy on the ML in parlays.
West Coast Hoops 