Monday 12-25-17 Free Plays / Trends / Betting Info / Etc

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 16

Monday's games
Steelers (11-3) @ Texans (4-10)— Pittsburgh is without Shazier/Brown now, key playmaker on both sides of ball. Steelers need to keep winning to get #2 seed and first-round bye- they’re 9-1 in last ten games, 2-4 vs spread as road favorites. Houston lost four in row, 7 of last 8 games; they’re 3-4 at home, 1-1 as home underdogs. Texans lost 45-7 in Jacksonville LW and looked disinterested; in their last five games, they’ve lost field position by 13-13-14-4-13 points, and are down to #2 QB Yates. Steelers are 3-2 vs Texans, splitting pair of games played here, last of which was in 2011. AFC North non-divisional road favorites are 2-3 vs spread; AFC South home underdogs are 3-2. Over is 8-4 in last 12 Houston games, 3-1-1 in Steelers’ last five games.

Raiders (6-8) @ Eagles (12-2)— Eagles clinched a first round bye, need win for #1 seed in NFC. Philly is 11-1 in its last 12 games; they’re 5-1 as home favorites this year, with five wins by 10+ points. Eagles scored 31+ points in seven of last eight games. Oakland lost last two games, needs couple wins and lot of help to make playoffs- they were outscored 26-0 in first half the last two weeks. Raiders are 2-4 in true road games, 1-3 as road underdogs, with losses by 17-6-20-11 points. Teams split 12 meetings; Raiders are 2-4 in six visits here- they beat Philly in SB XV. NFC East non-divisional home favorites are 6-5 vs spread; AFC West road underdogs are 4-4. Last five Oakland games stayed under the total; over is 7-5 in last dozen Eagle games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NFL

Week 16

Trend Report

Monday, December 25

PITTSBURGH @ HOUSTON
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Houston is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home

OAKLAND @ PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games
Oakland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, December 25

Philadelphia @ New York

Game 701-702
December 25, 2017 @ 12:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
119.847
New York
118.312
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+3); Under

Cleveland @ Golden State

Game 703-704
December 25, 2017 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
122.204
Golden State
124.133
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 2
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 5
216
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+5); Over

Washington @ Boston

Game 705-706
December 25, 2017 @ 5:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
117.522
Boston
125.919
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 8 1/2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 4 1/2
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-4 1/2); Under

Houston @ Oklahoma City

Game 707-708
December 25, 2017 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
127.505
Oklahoma City
120.412
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 7
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-2); Over

Minnesota @ LA Lakers

Game 709-710
December 25, 2017 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
119.706
LA Lakers
118.822
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 5
216
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+5); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, December 25

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PHILADELPHIA (14 - 18) at NEW YORK (17 - 15) - 12/25/2017, 12:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games this season.
NEW YORK is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games in the first half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 65-48 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 57-37 ATS (+16.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (24 - 9) at GOLDEN STATE (26 - 7) - 12/25/2017, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 94-66 ATS (+21.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 8-8 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (18 - 15) at BOSTON (27 - 9) - 12/25/2017, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-5 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (25 - 6) at OKLAHOMA CITY (18 - 15) - 12/25/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 100-62 ATS (+31.8 Units) in road games off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
HOUSTON is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 86-60 ATS (+20.0 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) after allowing 90 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-38 ATS (-18.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-4 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (20 - 13) at LA LAKERS (11 - 20) - 12/25/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 48-77 ATS (-36.7 Units) after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 20-32 ATS (-15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 4-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-3 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA

Monday, December 25

Knicks won seven of last nine games with Philly; under is 3-1 in last four series games. Sixers are covered five of last six series games. 76ers lost five in row, nine of last ten games; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as road underdogs. Five of Sixers’ last seven games went over total. Knicks won five of their last seven games; they are 7-1 as home favorites. Six of last eight New York games went over the total.

Warriors won five of their last six games with Cleveland; last four series games went over total. Cavaliers are 1-3 vs spread in their last four visits here. Cleveland won 19 of its last 21 games; they’re 4-0 as road underdogs. Four of their last six games went over the total. Golden State won 11 of its last 12 games; they’re 7-9 vs spread as favorites at home. Six of their last eight games stayed under total.

Home side won last ten Wizard-Celtic games; Washington is 0-6 vs spread in last six visits to Beantown. Seven of last ten series games went over total. Washington won four of its last six games; they’re 8-3 as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games stayed under total. Celtics are 5-5 in their last ten games, 2-4-1 vs spread in last seven games as home favorites. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games.

Thunder lost seven of last eight games with Houston, which covered its last four games in this arena (under 3-1). Rockets lost their last two games after a 14-game win streak; Houston is 8-3 as road favorites. Eight of their last nine games went over total. Oklahoma City won its last four games; they’re 6-9-1 vs spread at home, 1-0 as underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under total.

Home side won last six Minnesota-Laker games; Wolves are 1-4 vs spread in last five series games played here. Seven of last eight series games went over total. Minnesota won four of its last five games; they’re 4-2-1 vs spread as road favorites. Five of their last six games went over total. Lakers lost five of their last six games; they’re 6-6 as home underdogs. Five of their last six games went over total.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA

Monday, December 25

Trend Report

PHILADELPHIA @ NEW YORK
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Philadelphia is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

CLEVELAND @ GOLDEN STATE
Cleveland is 19-2 SU in its last 21 games
Cleveland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Golden State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Golden State is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home

WASHINGTON @ BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

HOUSTON @ OKLAHOMA CITY
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

MINNESOTA @ LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 8 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Minnesota

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NBA Christmas Day quintuple-header betting preview and odds

Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks (-2.5, 210)

The New York Knicks hope for another boost from the crowd at Madison Square Garden before beginning a stretch loaded with road games. The Knicks, who are 15-5 at home and 2-10 on the road, host the reeling Philadelphia 76ers in a Christmas Day matchup on Monday.

Following its 52nd game on Christmas (22-29), New York plays 16 of its next 20 on the road, where its woes continued with a 104-101 setback at Detroit on Friday. "We just have to play our game," center Enes Kanter told reporters. "Look at their roster, if they stay healthy, they're going to do really good things. I think they've been way better than what they've been." Kanter was likely referencing the Sixers' issues without star center Joel Embiid, who returned from a three-game layoff but was limited to 14 points in 23 minutes in Saturday's 102-86 loss to Toronto. Philadelphia, which hopes to have Embiid ready for a complete effort on Christmas, has dropped five in a row overall and is 1-7 when its big man sits.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN, NBCSN Philadelphia, MSG (New York)

LINE HISTORY: The Knicks opened as 1.5-point home favoites and that line was bumped up to -2.5. The total hit betting boards at 214 and was dropped all of the way down to 210.

INJURY REPORT:

76ers - SF J. Redick (Questionable, Hamstring), SG F. Korkmaz (Questionable, Foot), SG J. Anderson (Early Jan, Shin), PG M. Fultz (Early Jan, Shoulder).

Knicks - C E. Kanter (Probable, Face), SF T. Hardaway Jr. (Early Jan, Leg).

ABOUT THE 76ERS (14-18 SU, 16-15-1 ATS, 17-15 O/U): Embiid was still bothered by a sore lower back in Saturday's loss and he picked up a technical foul as frustrations began to bubble up."He wants to do so much more and he can't," coach Brett Brown told reporters of Embiid. "He just hasn't practiced or, recently, played. There was a rhythm and a fluid side of his game that he was searching for." Fellow youngster Ben Simmons was held to 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting in the loss, his first outing during the losing streak in which he shot below 50 percent.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (17-15 SU, 19-13 ATS, 16-16 O/U): Although he needed 28 shots to get there, Kristaps Porzingis' 29-point effort in Friday's loss was a positive step for the 7-3 star, who missed two games due to a groin injury before going 0-for-11 from the floor in a win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The Knicks were 16-13 before last season's Christmas Day game but a loss on the holiday to the Celtics kicked off a 1-10 swoon, and Porzingis is hoping for a better experience. "Of course, it's always fun to play on Christmas Day," Porzingis told the media. "It's always a big game. I remember last year we were playing against Boston, it was really fun. We lost the game. But it was a good experience. My whole family is here again. They're a young team that's fun to watch and I think we're the same way so it's going to be entertaining."

TRENDS:

* 76ers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Knicks are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games.
* Under is 6-1 in 76ers' last 7 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Under is 5-1 in Knicks' last 6 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* 76ers are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.




Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-5, 219)

The Golden State Warriors will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day, but the meeting will be missing some star power. Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is expected to remain out while recovering from an ankle injury and Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas is not quite ready to make his season debut.

Curry missed the last eight games and the team has no plans to rush him back for the marquee matchup. "If we weren't playing Cleveland on Christmas and I told you Steph hasn't even played in a 3-on-3 game, he hasn't had any contact at all and the game is 48 hours from now, you'd say, 'Steph's not going to play," Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Saturday. "But because it's the magnitude of the game, everybody wants to know, but we can't let that affect our judgement. He can't play. It would be completely irresponsible if he did." Thomas was brought in from the Boston Celtics in the trade that sent away Kyrie Irving over the summer but has been battling a hip injury and will not make a targeted Christmas return. "That was a target for my kids," Thomas told reporters. "So they mad, but I'm fine with it. I have no rhythm, so there is no way I can play in an actual game right now and be very effective like I'm used to being. Slowly that will come back and I'll get a feel for it. I also got to get in some shape."

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 7.5-point home favorites and that number has tilted towards the Cavs, down to -5. The total hit betting boards at 221 and has been reduced to 219.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - SG J. Smith (Questionable, Knee), PG I. Thomas (Early Jan, Hip), PG D. Rose (Out Indefinitely, Ankle), SG I. Shumpert (Late Jan, Knee).

Warriors - C Z. Pachulia (Questionable, Shoulder), PG S. Livingston (Questionable, Knee), PG S. Curry (Early Jan, Ankle).

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (24-9 SU, 11-21-1 ATS, 16-16-1 O/U): Cleveland, which fell 4-1 in the NBA Finals to the Warriors last spring in the third straight Finals meeting between the teams, comes in hot with wins in 19 of its last 21 games. The Cavaliers bounced back from a rare loss by edging the Chicago Bulls 115-112 on Thursday behind 34 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals from LeBron James. The superstar forward, who averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Finals last spring, is carrying Cleveland once again by putting up 28.4 points on 57 percent shooting, 9.2 assists and 8.2 rebounds.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (26-7 SU, 15-18 ATS, 16-17 O/U): Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have been carrying the load while Golden State battles through a series of injuries but finally hit a cold spell as the team's 11-game winning streak came to a halt with a 96-81 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Thompson and Durant combined to go 1-of-15 from 3-point range, and the team shot 3-of-27 from 3-point range. "Sometimes the ball doesn't go in the hole," Kerr told reporters. "Sometimes when the ball doesn't go in the hole, it affects the body language and energy of the guys. We had some good shots early that didn't go in. It just didn't happen for us. But I'm really proud of our guys. Eleven in a row, given all the injuries. It's hell of a streak. We'll flush this one down the toilet and move on."

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 6-1 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Over is 7-0 in Warriors last 7 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.




Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics (-4.5, 206)

The Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics moved beyond bad losses with blowout wins and both seek to win a second straight contest when they renew a heated rivalry in a Christmas Day affair in Boston. The Celtics followed up a one-point home loss to a depleted Miami Heat squad with a nine-point setback at Madison Square Garden before righting the ship with a 117-92 rout of Chicago on Saturday.

"I thought obviously we looked fresher; we looked like we had our legs under us," Boston coach Brad Stevens told reporters. "We were excited to play coming off those two tough losses. And that's a good basketball team. I mean, and they were really playing at a high level. You could see that in the first half." The Wizards suffered their second-highest margin of defeat at Brooklyn - a 119-84 loss - on Friday before bouncing back at home against the injury-ravaged Orlando Magic. Mike Scott led a balanced attack with 18 points and Washington shot 54.7 en route to the 130-103 triumph. The teams split four heated meetings last season, including one that saw tensions spill into a shouting match in the back hall of TD Garden, and then squared off in a back-and-forth Eastern Conference Semifinals won by the Celtics in seven games.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Celtics opened as 4.5-point home favorite and the spread has yet to move off the opening number. The total hit betting boards at 204.5 and has been bumped up slightly to 206.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards - SG S. Mac (Out For Season, Achilles).

Celtics - PF M. Morris (Probable, Knee), PG S. Larkin (Questionable, Knee), SF G. Hayward (Out Indefinitley, Ankle).

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (18-15 SU, 16-17 ATS, 11-22 O/U): Scott's recent accuracy has been among the most notable aspects of Washington's season, and he rebounded from a rare off night to make 7-of-8 shots - including his one 3-point try - against the Magic. "Healthy, confidence, work on my game a lot," he told reporters when discussing the hottest stretch of his six-year career. "With a lot of repetition comes confidence." Excluding a 3-for-8 effort in the loss to the Nets, Scott is 60-for-80 in a nine-game span while making more than half of his 27 3-point attempts.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (27-9 SU, 22-12-2 ATS, 19-17 O/U): Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown scored a combined 45 points and made 9-of-13 3-pointers in Saturday's win. Irving has made 23-of-48 triples over a five-game span and is averaging 28.5 points over his past 11 outings. "I think that's the one thing that gets lost in all the handles and all the different moves and the plays that end up on YouTube, is how – how skilled he is shooting the ball," Stevens said. "He's just a tremendous shooter. He's got beautiful touch. He doesn't miss when you're just doing shooting without defense. He's an elite shooter. So it doesn't surprise me when he goes on runs. You almost like you take for granted how good he is."

TRENDS:

* Wizards are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
* Celtics are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 6-1 in Wizards last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 12-3 in Celtics last 15 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Wizards are 0-9 ATS in the last 9 meetings in Boston.




Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (+3, 216.5)

The Houston Rockets finally hit a rough patch despite James Harden's historic performances and dropped the last two after winning 14 in a row. Harden will try to post his third straight 50-plus outing and lead the Rockets to a win when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day.

Harden became the first player since Kobe Bryant in 207 to reach 50 in back-to-back games when he went for 51 against the Lakers on Wednesday and hit that number again against the Clippers on Friday, but he also joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to reach 50 points in consecutive losses. "We lost," Harden told reporters when asked about his historic scoring binge. "It doesn't matter." The Thunder are finally beginning to surge with wins in four straight games as the roles become more clearly defined for their three star players. "We're playing well," forward Paul George told reporters after a 103-89 win at the Utah Jazz on Saturday. "We're playing for one another. Our defense is holding up and offensively we're starting to get a little flow."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 4-point road favorites and that number has been bet down slightly to 3. The total hit betting boards at 215 and has been bet up to 216.5 as of Christmas Eve.

INJURY REPORT:

Rockets - C C. Capela (Questionable, Heel), PG C. Paul (Doubtful, Hip), SF T. Williams (Out Indefinitely, Knee), PF L. Mbah a Moute (Early Jan, Shoulder).

Thunder - No injuries to report.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (25-6 SU, 16-14-1 ATS, 17-14 O/U): The last two games were finished without point guard Chris Paul, who left in the fourth quarter on Wednesday with a left adductor strain and sat out Friday. The All-Star is day-to-day and remains questionable for Monday's marquee matchup. "Our aura is not right," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after Friday's setback. "These guys are a little tired. We've got to get guys back. This is an episode, a couple of episodes. The last two games, we just didn't play well enough and without the spirit and all that. Guys are kind of a little dead. Whether it's tiredness or whether they're into themselves a little too much, I don't know. We'll work on it, but obviously it's not good enough."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (18-15 SU, 12-21 ATS, 13-20 O/U): Carmelo Anthony is adjusting to his role playing off the ball and Paul George is turning into a defensive stopper for Oklahoma City, but Russell Westbrook is still running the show. Westbrook is averaging 29.8 points on 59.8 percent shooting with 9.5 assists and nine rebounds during the four-game winning streak, and collected his fifth triple-double of the month in Saturday's win. George showed off his defensive prowess with six steals against the Jazz and has multiple thefts in each of the last seven contests.

TRENDS:

* Rockets are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games.
* Thunder are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Over is 7-0 in Rockets last 7 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 7-0 in Thunder last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Rockets are 12-3 ATS in the last 15 meetings.




Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers (+5, 216)

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped five of their last six games, with the losses coming by an average of five points. The Lakers will try to end the mounting frustration over close losses with a win on Christmas Day when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Los Angeles was playing the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday after a 113-106 loss at defending champion Golden State on Friday and missed a pair of 3-point attempts in the final seconds while falling at home 95-92 to Portland on Saturday. "Going in I told the guys we've gotta be ready, we've gotta be professionals," Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters. "We're gonna be tired. It's our job to be ready. I didn't think we did a good job of that. I thought guys on our bench were pouting. I thought there was too much feeling sorry for ourselves as opposed to being professionals." The Timberwolves are trying to sweep a three-game road trip and earn their fourth consecutive win after knocking off Denver and Phoenix in the first two stops. "Just find ways to win," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "This is a tough league. I know everyone says, 'Well, you should win this game, you should win that game.' It doesn't work like that. That's not how the league is."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The T-Wolves opened as 4-point road faves and when it was announced that Lonzo Ball would miss the game the line jumped slightly to 5. The total hit betting boards at 213.5 and has been bumped up significantly to 216.

INJURY REPORT:

Timberwolves - PF N. Bjelica (Questionable, Foot), C J. Patton (Out Indefinitely, Toe).

Lakers - G L. Ball (Out, Shoulder), C B. Lopez (Mid Jan, Ankle).

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (20-13 SU, 14-17-2 ATS, 18-14-1 O/U): Minnesota's recent winning streak is being sparked by an uptick in production from veteran swingman Jimmy Butler, who is averaging 31.3 points on 54.5 percent shooting over the last three games. "Jimmy Butler," Thibodeau told reporters when asked how his team was able to pull out a 115-106 win at Phoenix on Saturday. "Jimmy Butler was not going to let us lose the game and you can't say enough about what he does for this team. He has changed everything for us." Butler is averaging 26.3 points this month - up from 16.2 in October and 17.9 in November - and the Timberwolves are 7-4 in 11 December games.

ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-20 SU, 16-15 ATS, 16-15 O/U): Los Angeles shot 42.4 percent from the floor in Saturday's loss while ending a seven-game streak of scoring at least 106 points, and rookie Kyle Kuzma finally began to cool off. Kuzma matched Jordan Clarkson with a team-high 18 points but was just 6-of-19 from the floor after averaging 27.5 points on 60.9 percent shooting in the previous four contests. Fellow rookie Lonzo Ball came up two rebounds shy of a triple-double on Saturday but went 4-of-13 from the floor after appearing to break through with a 9-of-16 effort in Friday's setback.

TRENDS:

* Timberwolves are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
* Lakers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 7-1 in Timberwolves last 8 vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
* Over is 5-1 in Lakers last 6 overall.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.