*NBA(2u): Bulls -3(-110) vs Spurs–7 PM CT
The Bulls enter this game off of 3 straight wins and will have revenge on their minds tonight facing a Spurs team that beat them by 9 just a few weeks ago. The Bulls are dealing with injury issues and, unfortunately, they will be without Zach LaVine tonight. However, Demar DeRozan is playing some of the best basketball in the league right now, and Chicago has found plenty of pieces that have stepped up as of late. San Antonio comes into this game off of 2 straight impressive road wins, but with this being their 4th straight road game, I think this is the spot they slip up. Chicago is one of the top offenses in the NBA, while San Antonio is even worse defensively than their 18th efficiency rating would lead you to believe. This line is a stark overreaction to the LaVine injury and gives a 22-win Spurs team far too much credit. 2u plays are rare for me, but I’m backing the Bulls heavy here to kick off the week. At 3-3.5, I like this as a 2u play. At 4-4.5, I like this as a 1.5u play. At 5-5.5, I like this as a 1u play. I wouldn’t talk you off of playing this at 6, but that’s where I think we start to lose too much value.
*NBA(1u): Clippers 1H TT UNDER 55(-120) vs Warriors–9:30 PM CT
Without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, this Clippers team is simply not very good. They rank just 26th in offensive efficiency this season and now have to match up with the best defense in the league. Golden State is not in great current form, but they were able to win a primetime game against the Lakers the other night, which should get them back to playing their brand of basketball. With defenses like Miami and Dallas playing so well this year, it can’t be said enough how impressive it is that Golden State has held that #1 defensive efficiency rating for virtually the entirety of this season. I like Golden State to lock down a slow-paced, talentless offense in the 1st Half of this game.
