It took Golden State (50-9 SU, 27-30-2 ATS) 55 games last season to reach the 50-win plateau, while this season’s roster needed 59 games following Monday’s 119-108 triumph at Philadelphia. The Warriors failed to cover as 14-point favorites, the fourth time in five games that Steve Kerr’s squad hasn’t taken home the cash. Kevin Durant returned from a one-game absence to lead Golden State with 27 points, while Stephen Curry scored 19 points in spite of not hitting a three-pointer in 11 attempts.
Washington (34-23 SU, 32-25 ATS) is winless since the All-Star break following losses to Philadelphia and Utah. In Sunday’s 102-92 home defeat to the Jazz, the backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to score 45 points, but Wall turned the ball over nine times. The Wizards dropped to 19-2 in their last 21 games at the Verizon Center, as Scott Brooks’ team scored its fewest points at home since a 92-85 victory over Denver on December 8.
Golden State has captured 10 of the past 11 matchups with Washington since 2011, including six straight wins at the Verizon Center. The Warriors have topped the 100-point mark in each of the last six visits to D.C., including a 134-121 shootout victory last February. Curry lit the Wizards up for 51 points in that win, including drilling 11-of-15 shots from downtown.
The Wizards own a 5-2 ATS mark in its last seven opportunities in the underdog role, but is 4-4 ATS this season when receiving points at home. Since suffering their Christmas Day meltdown at Cleveland, the Warriors have compiled a solid 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS mark as a single-digit road favorite in the last six tries.
The Thunder are hanging around in the Northwest division race with the Jazz as the two teams hook up tonight in Oklahoma City. Utah holds a three-game edge after blowing out Washington on Sunday night, as the Jazz look for a perfect 3-0 road trip with a victory. Quin Snyder’s team has turned into a dangerous squad away from Salt Lake City by winning seven of the last 10 road games, while holding four of the past five away opponents to 95 points or fewer.
OKC tries to finish off its homestand at 4-0 following wins over the Knicks, Lakers, and Pelicans. The offense has turned it on at home of late by topping the 105-point mark in six consecutive games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Seven of the last nine home games have sailed OVER the total, but both contests against the Jazz this season have finished UNDER the total. The Thunder seek their 11th straight home win over the Jazz since 2011, while going 7-2-1 ATS in this stretch.
Both the Pistons and Blazers sit below the .500 mark heading towards March as each club lost on Sunday. Detroit lost at home for the third time in the last 12 tries in Sunday’s 104-98 setback to Boston as two-point underdogs, but the Pistons have won and covered in each of their past six opportunities as a home favorite. The Pistons outlasted the Blazers in their last meeting at the Moda Center in January, 125-124 in two overtimes, led by Reggie Jackson’s 31 points on 13-of-26 shooting from the floor.
Portland’s road woes continued in Sunday’s 112-106 setback at Toronto, as the Blazers fell to 10-21 on the highway. Terry Stotts’ club dropped to 1-5 SU/ATS the last six opportunities as a road underdog, while owning a dreadful 1-7 ATS mark in the past eight games overall. Portland is listed as a road ‘dog at Detroit for the first time since January 2010, as the Pistons are 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS the past six home matchups with the Blazers.
The Bulls are turning things around at the right time by winning four straight games to forge above the .500 mark. Chicago dominated Cleveland on Saturday night, 117-99 as six-point underdogs to beat the Cavaliers for the third time this season, as Jimmy Butler posted a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. During this winning streak, Chicago has knocked off three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference (Cleveland, Boston, and Toronto), as the Bulls host the Nuggets tonight.
Denver has put together an inconsistent February with a 5-7 mark, coming off Sunday’s seven-point home setback to Memphis. The Nuggets have struggled on the highway recently by dropping five of their last six games away from Pepsi Center with the only victory coming over the lowly Knicks on February 10. The home team has won seven consecutive games between the Nuggets and Bulls, as Denver outlasted Chicago, 110-107 in late November at Pepsi Center.
Phoenix has lost 12 of its last 15 games as the Suns look to close out their three-game road trip at Memphis with a victory. The Suns have been competitive in each loss, falling in overtime at Chicago, while dropping a four-point decision at Milwaukee on Sunday. Phoenix last won on the road at Sacramento at the buzzer on February 3, while allowing at least 100 points in 21 of the past 22 contests overall.
The Grizzlies return to FedEx Forum after rallying to beat the Nuggets on Sunday for only their second win in the last five games. Memphis has lost two straight home contests, but beat Phoenix at FedEx Forum on February 8 by a 110-91 count as 7 ½-point favorites. The Grizzlies are 2-0 this season against the Suns with both victories coming by double-digits, but Memphis is listed as a favorite of 10 points or more for the first time this season.
The Lakers look to snap a four-game skid after dropping the last three contests by 17 points or more. San Antonio ran Los Angeles at Staples Center on Sunday, 119-98 to suffer its fifth home loss in the last seven tries. The Lakers host the Hornets, looking to avenge a 117-113 setback at Charlotte in December as Los Angeles squandered a 14-point halftime lead.
The Hornets ended a 12-game road losing streak in Saturday’s blowout win at Sacramento, as Charlotte continues a seven-game road swing. Charlotte is playing its second game in Los Angeles in three days after falling short in overtime to the Clippers on Sunday, 124-121 as 10 ½-point underdogs, the third cover in the last four games. In spite of dropping 13 of their last 15 games overall, the Hornets have played better of late, but meltdown losses at Toronto and Detroit isn’t helping its playoff chances.
