Xam’s Daily Gems:
Hurricanes Money Line -178
The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in hockey currently, as evidenced by their 46 points and 4th place standing in the conference. The Hurricanes, led by Sebastian Aho, are one of the best scoring teams in the league. They currently rank 4th in the league in shots. This is a team that loves to shoot early and often. They have won 4 in a row and have one of the best Power Play units in the league as well. They’ve scored 4 or more goals in 6of their last 9 games. The Capitals haven’t had as much success offensively this year. The key in this game will be keeping Alex Ovechkin in check. The Capitals have given up 3 goals or more in 5 straight games. The Hurricanes are not the type of team you want to face when you’re struggling defensively. If the Hurricanes can keep the pressure on Washington, they should be able to do enough to come out with the win in this divisional matchup.
Hawks/Pacers Under 262 Points -110
This is slated to be the highest total in NBA history. As one could guess, neither team plays much defense. The Hawks are giving up on average 123 points per game and the Pacers are giving up 124 points per game on average. However, this total is just insane. For this game to hit this average, the teams would have to average over 65 points a quarter! Even with two good offenses and two teams that rarely play defense, that’s a lot to ask for. The stars and role players all have to be on for this to hit. It’s asking for a lot of consistency throughout the entire game. One slowdown in gameplay or a few minutes with slower scoring can send this game under. The Hawks have scored 119 or less points in 4 of their last 6 games. The Pacers have also been playing better defense of late. In their last 8 games, they’ve given up 117 or less points 6 times. It doesn’t sound like much, but a little bit of defense is all we need!
Clippers -1 -108
The Clippers have won 4 straight games and all of them are by 9 points or more. They got off to a slow start with James Harden, but the team is really rounding into shape. Their defense has improved as well, giving up 106 or less points in 3 of their last 4 games. The Clippers should also be well rested for this game. They’ve only played once since January 1st. This is a team that’s hitting their stride, and you can argue they have the 3 best players in this game. They’re only giving up 112 points per game, so they should be able to contain the Pelicans best offensive players in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Despite being at home, the Pelicans may be the more tired team in this game, as this will be their 3rd game in 4 nights.
Pistons +10 -112
The Pistons may be the laughingstock of the NBA, but they’re secretly been playing much more competitively in their last few games. The Pistons nearly beat the Nets, took the Celtics to OT on the road, beat a quality Raptors team, and had a wild OT game in Utah which saw them score a whopping 148 points. The Warriors have lost 4 of their last 5 games and are coming off a brutal loss last night after being up by double digits in the 4th quarter. Now, players are speaking out and are frustrated about their roles with the team. This is an older team that just doesn’t seem to have a lot of confidence right now. The Warriors also got solid production from Klay Thompson last night, which is unlikely to happen again tonight. On the 2nd night of a back-to-back and 3rd game in 4 nights, this is the perfect spot for a letdown, especially after a tough loss. The Pistons are averaging 118 points per game in their last 10, and facing a Warriors team giving up about 116 points per game, they should be able to keep their offensive success going. If they can prevent Steph Curry from going off, they should be able to play enough defense to cover the spread.
Donte DiVincenzo Over 2.5 Made 3s -128
DiVencenzo has been a revelation from deep this year. In his last 10 games, he’s averaging almost 46% from beyond the arc. He also seems to like shooting on the road, as he’s hitting about 47% of shots from beyond the arc on the road. His usage numbers have also gone up a bit since the trade of Immanuel Quickley. This game has a high projected total and the Knicks are underdogs going into this game, which implies the Knicks will need to hit a lot of shots, and they’ll need to hit their 3s to stay in this game against Philly.
James Harden Over 13.5 Rebounds + Assists -128
James Harden has really turned it on of late. He’s averaging over 10 rebounds and over 5 assists in his last 10 games. Again we’re looking at a game with a high projected total, and the Clippers certainly have plenty of playmakers. Harden should get his chances to dish and have rebound opportunities. His usage has also gone slightly up during his streak of good play. He’s averaging 36 minutes in his last 5 games. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he should get plenty of chances tonight. He should be fairly rested for this game as well, considering the CLippers have only played one game since January 1st.
Jalen Duren Over 13.5 Points -128
Duren has been on a scoring tear recently. He’s averaging just under 15 points per game over his last 10 games. He’s also scored 12 or more points in every game since November 30th. The Warriors got shredded yesterday and are on the 2nd day of a back-to-back. The Warriors have given up plenty of points all year to centers. Duren has also seen his usage spike recently, averaging over 33 minutes per game in his last 10. As long as he stays out of foul trouble, he should have no issues producing against a team that has struggled against centers all year.