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The Portland Trail Blazers are traveling to Toronto for a match up with the Raptors after they lost to the Pacers at home two nights ago. In a game where the winner was decided in the final seconds, the Trail Blazers worked as a team to force the Pacers into turnovers, especially with Zach Randolph’s effort in the lane. On the other side of the court, Toronto was beaten by a hot Chicago team by only three points. The Raptors executed fairly good team defense, and they are likely to continue this trend tonight. The pick for this Portland – Toronto match up is Portland +9 for 4 units.

The Seattle Supersonics are hosting the Golden State Warriors tonight after the latter’s valuable victory over New Orleans/Oklahoma Hornets last night. The Supersonics beat the Hornets a day earlier, too, with much better gameplay than the Warriors implemented.  However Seattle suffers from scoring problems nowadays, having excessive turnovers to turn the match into a mess. Tonight, the Warriors’ defensive strength is likely to determine the result of the game. Expected as an ordinary game, the pick is Under 209.5 for 4 units.

The Atlanta Hawks are turning their route from Los Angeles to Sacramento to challenge the Kings in Arco Arena, having lost to Los Angeles on Friday night. Whenever the Hawks concede 100+ points, they have difficulty in dealing with the situation since they do not have key players who can score 40 to pick up the slack. Joe Johnson remains solid, but that is not enough for Atlanta playing against quality teams away from home. In tonight’s game, Sacramento’s scoring problem may become a factor again.  Lacking Ron Artest will eventually affect the Kings at home, but in a fighting game, the pick is Under 195.5 for 4 units.

The Houston Rockets are turning their route from Charlotte to Washington tonight after they smashed the Bobcats by 92-62, conceding the least points this season thus far. Using Yao Ming in the lane effectively converts the Rockets into a special team. On the other side of the court, the Wizards beat Philadelphia, who are not in good condition despite recovering efforts by superstar Allen Iverson. Tonight, it is clear that Gilbert Arenas will be forced to take hard shots behind the hands of the Rockets’ team. Under 192 is the pick for this match for 4 units.

Indiana Pacers are traveling to LeBron’s territory for a match up with the Cavaliers tonight after they won against the Trail Blazers in a game pretty much void of defense. The Pacers easily reached 100 points, but also let the Trail Blazers score close to them, allowing easy baskets. Cleveland, after a long break, is returning to the court with the hopes of winning tonight’s game. Expecting a fruitful game for the away team, Indiana +7.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Dallas Mavericks are waiting for the Denver Nuggets at home after they lost a valuable game against Detroit two nights ago, when they managed to score only 82 points while they allowed the Pistons’ guards to penetrate into their lane. The eratic form of German superstar Dirk Nowitzki seems to be a key factor in the teams performance. Denver, however, are sitting on a firing stone, and as they showed up with 123 points last night against Miami, they would like to steal a win from the Mavs. They can do this with sufficient effort by Carmelo Anthony, but they had better find a way to decrease the number of points they concede in a game. This team does have an advantage in the United Airlines Center, so a close game with Denver +7.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Detroit Pistons are traveling to Orlando tonight to meet with the Magic after a remarkable victory over Dallas, continuing their winning trend. The Detroit/Dallas game was low scoring, with the Pistons stopping the Dallas main game players. On the other hand, the Magic are doing it tough in defense at the moment despite great efforts by Dwight Howard, a promising nominee for the most valuable player of the year. The Magic lost to Indiana by 14 points 2 days ago, lacking the ability to score and this is likely to continue against a tired but strong team.  This game seems to be a close one, so Detroit +4.5 handicap is the pick for 4 units.

The Indiana Pacers are returning home after a valuable win against the Magic two nights ago, and they look to get an easy win over the Portland Trail Blazers to continue their winning streak. Having been able to force Orlando to take uncomfortable shots on Wednesday night, the Pacers indicated they can step up in all areas of defense when motivated to do so. On the other side of the court is a team with pretty much only one genuine player: Zach Randolph. Portland, against a moderate defensive team like Milwaukee, were able to score 94 points including the overtime period, with signs of having difficulty sending the ball to the opposite basket. They must twice as hard as they did against the Bucks since Indiana defense is not a child’s toy. The pick for this game is Under 188.5 for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Clippers are leaving home for San Antonio to challenge the Spurs, who beat Charlotte in an away game two nights ago after showing excellent team defense, led by Tim Duncan, the great power forward in the league. Solid defense means stopping the opponent’s players on the court legally, and the Spurs are probably the best for that. However, the Clippers maintain good morale after beating Miami on Tuesday night in a come from behind victory. Elton Brand and Chris Kaman are helping each other in the lane, so it may be somewhat difficult for the San Antonio guards to penetrate into the paint of the Clippers. Also, the away team does have one of the best guards in the league. Livingston is a top shelf player, but he may take some responsibility to lead his team against Tony Parker’s play making role in the Spurs. The Clippers must force the game until the dead minutes, so Los Angeles +8.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Phoenix Suns are traveling to the East, visiting New Jersey for a match up with the Nets after they beat the Kings in Arco Arena two nights ago. Scoring is what the Suns do the best in the league, and after Amare Stoudamire’s return from injury, they became a harder team in the paint, so they can defend some “soft” guards with ease. With Steve Nash’s leadership and Shawn Marion’s aggressiveness in the power forward position, the Suns would like to return home with a win against the Nets, who lost to Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night scoring only 75 points. Jason Kidd has slipping form nowadays, and Vince Carter cannot help but concede points. Expected as a hard fight between two victory-seeking teams, the pick for this match is Under 209.5 points for 5 units.

In today’s dogfight, the Mavericks and the Pistons are meeting in a blockbuster. The home team, Dallas Mavericks, have won 14 of their last 15 matches, having lost to Gilbert Arenas’ Washington Wizards three nights ago, ending twelve straight wins. They last managed to beat the Nets at home after careful gameplay. On the other side of the court, the Detroit Pistons are looking for a win after a surprising loss to the Trailblazers in the Palace, when they were able to score only 85 points. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton constitute one of the best guard couples in the NBA, but that may not be enough to carry the team to the win against opponents with high scoring potential. Tonight, defensive strengths of these two teams are going to be evaluated again, and a hard match up between Rasheed Wallace and Dirk Nowitzki will be paramount. Under 191 is the pick for this match for 4 units.

Miami Heat are turning their route from Los Angeles to Sacramento’s Arco Arena to challenge the Kings after they lost to the Clippers at the Staples Center in a tight game. Missing Shaq, the Heat try to recover by Alonso Mourning’s shot blocking efforts, but it is apparent that a dominant player is really needed for this team to have wide open shots for Dwayne Wade and the others, especially when playing against teams that can dominate the paint. The Kings, after a loss to Phoenix, would like to come back with strict defense and stable offense. Ron Artest’s injury affects this team dramatically when they are fighting to win games. The Heat are one of them, and the home team’s plans to triumph may be very tough. Tonight’s game is going to be a close one, so Miami +5.5 handicap is the pick for 4 units.

Orlando Magic are returning home for a match up with the Indiana Pacers after they stole a win from Sacramento two nights ago. Having Dwight Howard fully fit in the paint, the Magic are a good defensive team, but they sometimes suffer from inefficiency in scoring. On the other hand they tend to stop their opponent before conceding baskets in such cases. The Pacers look for a win to prove that they are still aiming for the playoffs, and Orlando would be the best team to perform their gameplay on. They slow down the tempo, causing the opponent guards to be stuck in the paint after screens, and find comfortable positions for Jermaine O’Neal to go for the basket. This game seems to be a very defensive one, so Under 187.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the Toronto Raptors tonight having suffered an exhaustive loss against the Rockets in Houston three nights ago. When nobody but LeBron is on the court for the Cavs, it becomes very tough for them to win. The other players need to take responsibility in defense, and preventing opponent guards from penetrating into their paint. Ilgauskas, being an experienced center, must step up with Drew Gooden not only in defense but also in attack. The Raptors are a fairly good offensive team, and they can take some defensive measures as well. Toronto would seek for a win, but this will be somewhat challenging at Cavs’ home. Toronto +8.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Atlanta Hawks are changing their route from Seattle to Denver after yesterday’s loss over the Supersonics. The Hawks, always being an offensive team, were not able to put the ball into the basket with fairly low shooting percentage, only some of which was caused by the Sonics defense. Joe Johnson continues his steady condition, but Josh Smith must do better in offense so that the Hawks reach 100 points. When they are able to do this, their chances of winning increases rapidly since they can keep their opponent under 100 points often. However, the Nuggets are on a good roll now and Carmelo Anthony seeks for a team whose paint is a comfortable place to score from. Denver do have Marcus Camby in the lane, so the Hawks’ plans to score high may deflect again. Nonetheless, a close game is expected for Atlanta’s last chance to win away before returning home. Atlanta +11 is the pick for 3 units.

The Portland Trail Blazers are traveling to Detroit for a match up with the Pistons after they were hit by Atlanta two nights ago at home. Having difficulty reaching 100 points, even against soft defensive teams, the Trail Blazers hardly seem to have a chance when they challenge one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Pistons, due to the latter’s great performance in their last few matches. Detroit knows how to implement great defense, and they will seek for an easy win tonight. Expected as a comfortable game for the home team, Under 193.5 is the pick for this game for 4 Units.

The Seattle Supersonics are meeting the Atlanta Hawks for their second consecutive home game after a close loss at the hands of Utah two nights ago. Ray Allen’s efforts really make this team a better one, but they do not show up when time comes to defending their own basket. They rarely concede less than 100 points in a game due to their confidence that they will score 100+ points in every game. However, this may be erroneous if they are in a match up with other high scoring teams. The Hawks, having beaten Portland on Sunday night, are looking forward to stealing another win from the West coast, and they know they have to score well in order to get a victory. Their defensive capability is slightly better than the Sonics, but this game is likely to be an offensive game with both teams not struggling to penetrate into the other’s paint. Over 201.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Clippers are hosting the Miami Heat for their second win in a row after they smashed Orlando Magic two nights ago, who were on an outstanding roll before that game. When Elton Brand works hard in the paint, it is very tough to beat the Clippers at home. Their opponent, the Miami Heat, is returning from a 3-day rest after beating Memphis with careful gameplay in defense, and they would like to return home with another win in their pockets. However, this game is going to be very hard for Miami guards Dwayne Wade and Jason Williams since they might get blocked whenever they attempt to use Clippers’ paint in the game. Two towers of the home team Elton Brand and Chris Kaman will be waiting for the Heat to be trapped in the paint, and having fastbreaks after Heat turnovers. In a tactical game, the Clippers have advantage, thus Clippers –6.5 is the pick for 3 units.

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Here are today’s picks for you:

The Memphis Grizzlies are traveling to New York to challenge the Knicks tonight after a three day long break for the entire team, a preparation period before their visit to East. The latter team lost against Detroit and Toronto both with high scores, and forced the game until the last minutes of play in the fourth quarter. However, defensive weakness of this team becomes visible when they challenge teams with scoring ability. Tonight, that will be harder for the home team to score well against a good defensive team even though they currently do not have their biggest superstar, Pau Gasol. The Grizzlies’ aim is to win this game by stopping easy baskets in the paint. The pick for this game is Under 195 for 4 units.

The San Antonio Spurs are hosting the Golden State Warriors tonight, two days after they beat Sacramento at Arco Arena with excellent defensive play after a poor loss to the Mavericks the previous night. The Spurs, even though lack of Ginobili affects the offensive creativity of the team, are doing very well in the half court when they are defending their basket. The strength of their opponent does not seem to matter as they go for a stable rhythm in their games; get Duncan into the paint and use him effectively. On the other side of the court are the Warriors, and having lost to Milwaukee two nights ago would like to push for a win. They tend to score well, but in defense they cannot be expected to stop the San Antonio crew. The home team does have a huge advantage, but this will probably not result in dramatic difference in the game score. Therefore the pick is Golden State +8.5 for 4 units

The Milwaukee Bucks are off to Utah for their next match, to challenge the Jazz after a victory over Golden State on Saturday night. Having been able to score as many as 115 points, they left no chance for the home team to come back when the final countdown began. Utah Jazz, after a flashing start to the season, seems to be lazier on the court, but this doesn’t mean that they will lose games against opponents that score well. The Jazz ruled out Seattle, a similar team to the Bucks, two nights ago when they managed to score 109 points, two more than their opponent. They can do the same job tonight, if only because of the home crowd advantage. A high scoring game can be expected considering the offensive desire of the Bucks, but their chances of winning this match is really limited. The pick is Over 207.5 for 4 units.

Detrot Pistons are traveling to Charlotte for a match up with the Bobcats after they won against Knicks with a final half comeback. Defensive momentum of this team is currently high, and they would like to stop their opponents before they penetrate into the paint. Rasheed Wallace and Nazr Mohammed are two role players who can do this job. On the other side of the court, the Bobcats are looking for a win in order to convince the crowd that they drafted Morrison for a solid reason: to win. However, it will be very hard for the entire team to score against the Pistons tonight, even at home. Therefore, the pick is Under 191.5 for 4 units.

The Atlanta Hawks are heading towards Portland to play a tough game with the Trail Blazers, who forced Orlando in their previous match to a struggling position allowing the Magic to score only 91 points. When Zach Randolph puts in, they tend to go close to winning matches. The Hawks, however, play a high tempo game when they are in front. They weren’t able to do it against Cleveland in their last match, conceding 62 points in the first half of the game. Joe Johnson and Josh Howard have to step up if the Hawks want a win before returning home tonight. Expected as a fight between two equal opponents, the pick for this game is Under 189.5 points for 4 units.

The Los Angeles Clippers are hosting the Orlando Magic in the Staples Center after they lost to their “rival in the city”, the Lakers, last night. A slight form slip in the entire Clippers crew was observed due to inefficient basketball from Sam Cassell, the man who is expected to organize game flow in every part of the game. However, after they lost yesterday, they would like to defeat the Magic, the hottest team after Dallas Mavericks in the league at the moment, and maintain their hopes for being a promising team for the playoffs. Their last chance is a good one since the Magic encountered a similar breakdown against Portland, scoring 91 points in the whole game. Some defensive flaws in the Magic paint may result in dramatic baskets, hard to recover against a concentrated team. Clippers –1.5 is the pick for 3 Units.

Toronto Raptors are turning their route from Boston to New York to challenge the Knicks tonight two days after they won against the Celtics, scoring as many as 108 points in the game. Playing careless defense makes this team go and force the opposite basket, but they cannot help conceding points either. The Knicks, on the toher hand, lost to Detroit yesterday night in a game whose first half ws led by them. With the start of third period, when most of their shots were missed, they were not able to come back and indicated the loss of self esteem could result in such defeats. For tonight’s game, it won’t be hard for both teams to send the ball to the opposite basket, so a high scoring game with Over 204.5 points the pick for 4 units.

The Houston Rockets are hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers after the latter’s victory over the Hawks in Atlanta last night. Fighting against the Hawks frontcourt players Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, LeBron James led the team with efforts of Gooden and Ilgauskas. However, the Rockets are not one of those teams Cleveland can deliver 100+ points to. The Rockets, even though they lost some momentum in thier last few games, are still a high standard defensive team, and would like to force the Cavs into black holes on the court. The pick for this game is Under 179.5 for 4 units.

The Seattle Supersonics are traveling to Utah to challenge the Jazz after a substantial victory over the Pacers, which made the entire Sonics team fresh their self confidence. Not working too hard in defense but working more in the opposite basket, the Supersonics had their way to high scores, and they are expected to do this again against the Jazz, who lost to Los Angeles Lakers two days ago in which they were not able to put their hands in front of Kobe Bryant’s hot hands, conceding 132 points. The chance of comeback from the home team is always there, but Seatle won’t let the game get away. Seattle +8 handicap is the pick for this game at 4 units.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are traveling to Atlanta to challenge the Hawks after they lost to New York Knicks at home two nights ago when they had difficulty in defense rather than their high scoring offensive gameplay. LeBron  James’ poor gameplay is apparent to not lead the team when he is down on rebounds and assists and to mobilize his teammates to the opposite basket. On the Hawks side, they won a spiritual victory over the Bobcats in a game they scored 99 points, a fairly high score against a moderate team. Jush Smith and Joe Johnson are in good condition now, and a high scoring game can be expected. Over 188.5 is the pick for 4 units.

The Detroit Pistons are returning home from Miami, where they gathered a substantial victory over Dwayne Wade’s Miami Heat last night remembering what defense is and how it can be best implemented on the court. Having conceded 85 points, they managed to finish the match in front of the Heat, who had a two game winning streak beforehand. Isaah Thomas’ New York Knicks are going to look for a win in Detroit after they won against Cleveland two days ago. Lack of self esteem is the biggest rival of the Knicks, and this may show up on the entire team tonight. They don’t have defensive capability, but can score as many points as they can. However, the Pistons with good defensive play, should cruise to a comfortable win tonight. Detroit -7 is the pick for 4 units.

The Milwaukee Bucks are turning their route from Los Angeles to Phoenix tonight, two days after they won against the Lakers at the Staples Center. Michael Redd’s effective scoring play helped the Bucks in Los Angeles, and this form should be expected to continue against the Suns because Phoenix guards Steve Nash, Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa (if he is on the court) are not very good in the backcourt. One of the biggest flaws in the Bucks defense is that they don’t have any solutions for the Suns’ Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudamire, who can dominate the paint tonight. Nonetheless, not much defensive work will be produced tonight, Milwaukee +10 is the pick for 4 units.