Brian Edwards Sports

B.E.’s bullish on the Mavs -4 at Orlando + Quick Hitters

by · Published · Updated

Brian is on the Mavs -4 at Orlando tonight.

Published on Friday, 2/21/20, at 6:02 p.m. Eastern.

I like Dallas tonight -4 at Orlando.

Rick Carlisle’s team has been dynamite on the road all season, compiling an 18-8 straight-up record and a 17-6-2 against-the-spread mark.

On the flip side, Orlando has limped to an abysmal 10-17-1 ATS record in 28 home games. The Magic slumped into the All-Star break, going 4-10 SU and 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games.

My four other picks in the NBA tonight can be found here.

**Quick Hitters**

—Bad Beat last night in San Francisco at Gonzaga!

—FADE ALERT: Toledo is mired in a 2-15-1 ATS slump in its 18 games since Dec. 8. The Rockets were 3.5-point road favorites at Western Michigan (BetOnline) as of this publishing.

—DraftKings has props and totals for NBA triple-doubles.

–There’s no early line for Florida at Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Saturday. That’s because UK sophomore guard Ashton Hagans, who is the Wildcats’ best perimeter defender and the SEC’s assists leader, is ‘questionable’ with a thigh contusion. Where I come from, we translate thigh contusion as a Charley Horse. You?

–Clint Capela won’t be making his Atlanta debut for a few more weeks. Speaking of my Hawks, Trae Young dropped a 50-burger on the Heat in last night’s 129-124 win as 6.5-point home underdogs. I mentioned the San Francisco Bad Beat at Gonzaga. There was a brutal one in the NBA last night, too. Brooklyn lost by eight at Philadelphia in overtime as a seven-point road underdog. The line was 8.5 points until around lunch when Ben Simmons popped up on the injury report (back stiffness), prompting oddsmakers to adjust to -7.5 and eventually -7 (and -6.5 at some shops).

–Just me, or do you find it strange when a player CAN go in the All-Star Game but then sits for the first game after the All-Star break? Count Kemba Walker in with Simmons on that, as the UConn product is ‘out’ of tonight’s game at Minnesota. So is Karl-Anthony Towns, who is out indefinitely with a fracture in his left wrist.

–Kyrie Irving has decided to shut it down and have season-ending shoulder injury. Shocker.

–I love me some Kendrick Perkins as an NBA analyst on ESPN. Dude keeps it real! When it was stunningly announced that Irving — who is a baller but also a me-first, high-volume shooter that’s a complete clown off the court — is now the VP of the NBA’s Player’s Association earlier this week, Perkins opined that this development is like “the blind leading the blind. Thank God I’m retired now.”

–You know what else I like? Cold Budweisers and a steak medium rare. On that note, it’s time I go get me some of both. Happy Friday, ya’ll!

–Some tweets with a few early spreads and trends for Saturday’s college hoops action….

 

Share this post:

Tags: