Monday NBA Preview, Prediction and Odds for March 19 2019

Tuesday NBA action has six games on deck for March 19, 2019.

The Charlotte Hornets will fight for their playoff lives against the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets look to solidify their hold of their respective playoff positions against separate foes while the Warriors, Rockets and Bucks face ousted teams in their own games as well.

Let’s take a look at the action around the league:

Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks

The Houston Rockets visit the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

The Rockets are no longer a James Harden show. Since Harden’s 30-point streak ended last February 25th, the Rockets are 10-1 SU. In their last game, Houston bested Minnesota 117-102 on Sunday. Harden scored “only” 20 points but dished off 10 dimes in that contest with Chris Paul scoring 25 with 10 assists and Clint Capela adding 20 points with 13 boards.

Harden leads the league in scoring with 35.9 points per game. He is also putting up 6.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Capela is averaging a double-double with 16.7 points and 12. Rebounds while also leading the team with 1.6 shot blocks per game. CP3 is also contributing 15.7 points and 8.2 assists while newcomer Kenneth Faried has been a huge boost with 14.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

The Rockets are 12th in the league in teams scoring at 112.9 points per game. However, they are third to the last in passing with 21.0 assists per game and they are also ranked only 28th off the glass with 41.6 rebounds per game. Houston has the 12th best scoring defense in the NBA at 109.9 opponent points per game allowed.

The Hawks are all but mathematically out in the running for the playoffs. Atlanta is now one of the teams that are playing the spoilers role in the closing part of the season. However, the Hawks have struggled in that role as they have dropped five out of their last seven games, including Sunday’s 91-101 defeat to the Orlando Magic.

John Collins leads the Hawks with 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds while rookie Trae Young is finishing his season strong at 18.4 points and 7.7 assists per game. Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore are contributing 13.2 and 12.3 points per game while Dewayne Dedmon is scoring 10.6 points, grabbing 7.5 rebounds and blocking 1.1 shots per game.

Atlanta is ranked 14th in the league in scoring at 112.5 points per game. The Hawks are 9th in passing at 25.6 assists per game and they are also 12th off the glass with 46.0 rebounds per contest. Atlanta is the worst team in the NBA when it comes to scoring defense as they have allowed their opponents to score an average of 118.5 points per game.

Houston is 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played. The Rockets are 4-0 SU in their last four road games played. Atlanta is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. The Hawks are 3-3 SU in their last six home games. Head to head, the Hawks are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games against the Rockets.

The Hawks have made improvements after the All-Star break but the Rockets have found the form that almost eliminated the Warriors in last season’s Western Conference Finals. The Rockets have won five in a row on the road while the Hawks have split their last eight games at home. Houston has outscored their opponents by an average of 6.4 points in their last five games played. The Rockets need this game more than the Hawks do.

I’m picking the Houston Rockets to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 3/19/19.

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The Rockets are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games played. Houston is 2-1-1 ATS in their last four road games. The Hawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played. Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in their last six home games played. Head to head, the Hawks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings against the Rockets.

The Rockets are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games against the Southeast Division, 4-0 ATs in their last four games against teams from the East and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five road games. The Hawks are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games against the Western Conference, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games and 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. The Rockets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in Atlanta. The Hawks have played well against the spread but the Rockets have won five out of their last seven games by double digits. I’ll eat the reasonable chalk here and roll with the road team.

Prediction: Rockets -7.5

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The total has gone under in seven out of the last 10 games played by the Rockets. The under is 3-1 in the Rockets’ last four games on the road. The over is 7-3 in the Hawks’ last 10 games played overall and the over is also 4-2 in Atlanta’s last six games at home. Head to head, the under is 4-2 in the last six meeting between the Rockets and Hawks.

The trends point to the under but styles make fights here. The Hawks are allowing the most points in the league while the Rockets have a high-powered offense led by the league’s top scorer. I’m going against the trends in this one and am expecting a high-scoring game with little or no defense played.

Prediction: Over 232.5

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Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers hit the road on Tuesday night as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

How bad can it get for the Lakers? LeBron James had the worst fourth quarter of his career on Sunday, going 4-15 from the field and getting his potential game winner blocked by Mario Hezonja in a 123-124 loss to the New York Knicks. James will miss the playoffs for the first time since his second season in the league and will go to the summer with plenty to think about.

James leads the Lakers with 27.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game but those numbers have gone for naught in a disappointing season by his team. Kyle Kuzma is scoring 18.6 points and grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game while Javale McGee is scoring 11.2 points, hauling down 6.8 rebounds and blocking 1.9 shots per game. Rajon Rondo has done a good quarterbacking job with 7.7 assists per game while also scoring 9.1 points per game.

The Lakers are ranked 16th in team scoring at 111.9 points per game. They are also 12th in passing at 25.3 assists per game and are ranked 10th in rebounding at 46.1 boards per contest. Los Angeles has the 6th worst scoring defense in the league at 114.0 opponent points per game allowed.

The Bucks have already clinched a playoff spot but Milwaukee won’t be content with that. Milwaukee currently has the best record in the entire NBA and they are closing in on clinching home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Bucks lost to the Sixers the last time out though, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring a career-high 52 points.

Antetokounmpo is making a strong case for MVP with 27.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. First-time all-star Khris Middleton is providing help with 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Guards Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon are scoring 15.8 and 15.6 points per game for the Bucks. Meanwhile, Brook Lopez is scoring 12.2 points and blocking 2.2 shots per game.

Milwaukee is the 2nd highest scoring team in the league at 117.7 points per game. The Bucks are averaging 26.0 assists per game which is 7th best in the NBA. They are also the top-ranked rebounding team in the league at 49.3 rebounds per game. Milwaukee also has the 9th best scoring defense with 108.6 opponent points per game allowed.

Los Angeles is 2-8 SU in their last 10 games played and the Lakers are 1-4 SU in their last five games on the road. Milwaukee is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. The Bucks are 2-1 SU in their last three games at home. Head to head, the Bucks are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games versus the Lakers.

The Lakers are going to miss the playoff again. Meanwhile, it will be strange to see the playoff without LeBron James who hasn’t been just a fixture in the playoffs but has made the NBA Finals in each of the previous eight seasons. It’s been a disappointing season that has been marred by various injuries including the groin injury to James that started the Lakers’ troubles.

The Bucks meanwhile have been lights out this season. Antetokounmpo has continued to develop and is now a virtually unstoppable force. The Lakers are just 13-23 SU on the road while the Bucks have the best home record at 27-6 SU this season.

Knowing King James, he’d want to come back strong after a disappointing performance last Sunday. But then not only can he not do it alone, he hasn’t been the same dominant force we’ve seen in previous seasons. On the other hand, Antetokounmpo has been a beast on both ends of the floor and is showing no signs of let up at this stage of the season.

I’m picking the Milwaukee Bucks to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on 3/19/19.

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The Lakers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in their last five games on the road. The Bucks are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games. Milwaukee is 2-1 ATS in their last three home games played. Head to head, the Lakers are 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games versus the Bucks.

Los Angeles is 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning home record, 0-5 ATS in their last five games when playing on one day rest, 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning SU record, 1-8 ATS in their last nine road games and 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall. The Bucks are 5-0 ATS in their last five Tuesday games, 4-1 ATS in their last five games against an opponent with a losing SU record and 11-4 ATS when allowing at least 100 points in their previous game. Anywhere you look at it, the Lakers are struggling. Not to mention they are missing key players. I don’t see how they pull off this win in Milwaukee.

Prediction: Bucks -13

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The under is 5-3 in the Lakers’ last eight games played. Los Angeles has seen the total go under is 3 out of their last five games played, The over is 7-3 in Milwaukee’s last 10 games played and the total has gone over in two out of the last three games played by the Bucks. Head to head, the over is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the Lakers and Bucks.

The over is 8-0 in the Lakers’ last eight games against opponents with a winning SU record. The over is also 4-0 in the Bucks’ last four games after their opponent allows more than 100 points in their previous game. The Lakers are just going through the motions now and they never had elite defense in the first place. The Bucks are one of the top scoring teams in the league. With Los Angeles already out of the playoffs, they should offer little resistance here.

Prediction: Over 236

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Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets

The Sixers travel to the Hive to take on the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on Tuesday night.

Philadelphia clinched a playoff spot with a huge road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The Sixers survived a career-high 52 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo and got an impressive 40 points and 15 rebounds from All-Star center Joel Embiid and 27 points from Jimmy Butler. The Sixers currently sit at third place in the East and are looking to solidify their hold of that position.

Embiid leads the team with 27.3 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Jimmy Butler is scoring 18.7 points while also averaging 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Ben Simmons is having an all-around season with 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while new addition Tobias Harris is putting up 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

The Sixers are 4th in the NBA in team scoring at 115.1 points per game. They are ranked 3rd in passing at 27.1 assists per game. Philadelphia is also 4th in the league in rebounding at 47.5 boards hauled per contest. The Sixers are 17th in scoring defense at 111.7 points per game allowed.

The Hornets are fighting for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte suffered a big blow with an 18-point loss to the 8th seeded Heat last Sunday. The Hornets are now two games behind Miami and will have to bring their A-game with the rest of the way with a tougher schedule ahead.

Kemba Walker leads Charlotte with 25.0 points, 5.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Jeremy Lamb is having a good season with 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while Marvin Williams is contributing 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Cody Zeller leads Charlotte with 6.8 rebounds and he is also scoring 10.1 points per game.

The Sixers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played. Philadelphia is 3-2 SU in their last five road games played. The Hornets are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played and Charlotte is 1-4 SU in their last five road games. Head to head, the Sixers are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Hornets.

The Sixers have much more talent in their roster. Their starting unit of Embiid, Harris, Simmons, Butler and J.J. Redick shot 52% from the floor against the Bucks. However, the Sixers are expected to rest Embiid in this game which gives the Hornets some hope of pulling off the upset.

The Hornets have relied pretty much on Kemba Walker for years. While Walkers has never failed to deliver, he will need all the support he can get from his team to make the Hornets a true elite in the NBA. But while the Hornets have made the playoffs in recent years, they have not been able to go on a deep run because of roster depth or the lack of it.

Even without Embiid, the Sixers have so much more talent than the Hornets. Philly is a pedestal 17-16 SU on the road this season while Charlotte is 21-14 SU at home this season. The Sixers won the first three meetings between these two teams but by an aggregate winning margin of only six points.

I’m picking the Philadelphia 76ers to beat the Charlotte Hornets on 3/19/19.

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Philadelphia is 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games played and are 2-3 ATS in their last five games played on the road. Charlotte is 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games played and the Hornets are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Hornets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games but the Sixers are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against the Hornets.

The Sixers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games against an opponent with a losing record and Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 100 points in their previous game.Charlotte is 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games after a loss of more than 10 points, 18-38-4 ATS in their last 60 games against teams with a winning record and 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall. Philly is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in Charlotte and 7-2 ATS in their last 9 head to head games. The Sixers have owned the Hornets in recent memory and they have the better lineup here.

Prediction: Sixers +1

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The under is 8-2 in the Sixers’ last 10 games played. The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by Philadelphia. The under is 4-2 in the last six games played by the Hornets. Charlotte has seen the total go under in three out of their last five home games. Head to head, the under is 6-4 in the last 10 games between the Sixers and Hornets.

The under is 5-0 in the last five Tuesday games played by the Sixers, 6-0 in their last six games after an ATS win and 6-1 in their last seven games against an opponent with a losing SU record. The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Hornets against Eastern Conference teams. Embiid is resting this game while Charlotte has struggled on offense as of late. I don’t think they are going over the total here.

Prediction: Under 224.5

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NBA Quick Picks and Predictions

• Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves, Prediction: Golden State Warriors
• Brooklyn Nets +155 vs Sacramento Kings -175, Prediction: Sacramento Kings
• Indiana Pacers +175 vs Los Angeles Clippers -205, Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers

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