(Straight-Up, Against the Spread, Over/Under)
1) San Antonio (49-10, 34-23-2, 29-30)
Weekly Recap: The Spurs continue to roll with a three straight home victories over the Thunder, Nets, and Grizzlies, although Gregg Popovich's club failed to cover each game. The offense keeps clicking since a 71-point effort at Philadelphia on February 11 by scoring at least 100 points in four of the last six games.
Weekly Outlook: The best in the West will be without point guard Tony Parker, who is sidelined with a calf injury for two to four weeks. San Antonio finishes a home-and-home set with Memphis at FedEx Forum on Tuesday night. The Spurs turn around on Wednesday to take on the league's worst team at Cleveland, before returning to AT&T Center for four games. The homestand begins with the Heat on Friday, followed by a visit from the Lakers on Sunday.
2) Dallas (43-16, 33-24-2, 35-24)
Weekly Recap: If it wasn't for the Spurs, the Mavericks would be leading the Southwest Division with room to spare. Dallas took care of Utah at home, the fifth straight SU/ATS win for the Mavs. Rick Carlisle's team knocked off a pair of also-rans in Washington and Toronto, while rallying from a 22-3 deficit in a blowout of the Raptors.
Weekly Outlook: Dallas wraps up a three-game road trip at Philadelphia on Tuesday, followed by a two-game homestand that starts against Indiana on Friday. The week concludes with a Sunday meeting with Memphis, as the Mavs look to split the season series at two apiece with a win.
3) L.A. Lakers (42-19, 29-31-1, 25-36)
Weekly Recap: The Lakers rebounded nicely from a horrid ending to their Grammys road trip with four consecutive wins over the Hawks, Blazers, Clippers, and Thunder. The offense saw a nice jolt with three straight 100+ point efforts at home, while cashing each time as a favorite.
Weekly Outlook: The Purple and Gold finishes up a brief two-game road trip at Minnesota on Tuesday. Los Angeles returns home for a matchup with Charlotte on Friday, while the Lakers hit the highway for four games starting Sunday against the Spurs.
4) Oklahoma City (36-22, 29-29, 34-24)
Weekly Recap: Following a 23-point blowout of the Clippers on Tuesday, the Thunder dropped three games to the Spurs, Magic, and Thunder. Oklahoma City dealt swingman Jeff Green to Boston in a four-player trade, as the Thunder has lost three straight games for the first time all season.
Weekly Outlook: The Thunder looks to rebound against the Pacers on Wednesday, as OKC won at Conseco Fieldhouse in overtime on November 26. Oklahoma City heads to Atlanta on Friday, as the Thunder is just 4-6 ATS the last ten games on the highway. The week wraps up back at home against Phoenix on Sunday, with the road team splitting the first two meetings this season.
5) New Orleans (35-26, 29-31-1, 21-40)
Weekly Recap: The Hornets overcame a three-game losing streak to end the first half with consecutive convincing victories over the Clippers and Wolves. New Orleans couldn't finish the week unbeaten after blowing a double-digit halftime lead in a close home loss to Houston as six-point 'chalk.'
Weekly Outlook: New Orleans hits the highway for five games starting Tuesday in Toronto, as the Hornets are riding a 3-11 ATS streak. The Hornets head to New York on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Memphis on Friday. The week concludes at Cleveland on Sunday, as the Cavs have covered five straight games as a home underdog.
6) Denver (34-26, 27-30-3, 32-27-1)
Weekly Recap: The Carmelo Anthony era came to a halt last Monday night with the superstar's trade to New York. The Nuggets responded with home victories over the Grizzlies and Celtics, before falling in overtime at Portland. Denver managed covered in all three games, as the acquisitions of Raymond Felton and Danillo Gallinari paid dividends in the last two games.
Weekly Outlook: It's a busy week for the Nuggets, who host the Hawks on Monday night. Denver battles Charlotte on Wednesday, looking to avenge a road loss to the Bobcats in early December. The Nuggets head on the road for three games starting on Thursday in Utah, followed by a Saturday trip to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers.
7) Portland (33-26, 28-28-3, 28-30-1)
Weekly Recap: The Blazers continued a five-game homestand with three ATS losses to the Lakers, Nuggets, and Hawks. Portland split a pair of overtime games against Los Angeles and Denver, while going 'over' in each game. The Blazers struggled in their first game with Gerald Wallace on Sunday, falling to the road-weary Hawks.
Weekly Outlook: Portland hosts Houston on Tuesday, looking for the three-game season sweep of the Rockets. The Blazers turn around on Wednesday for a trip to Sacramento, as the road team is 2-0 SU/ATS this season. Nate McMillan's team comes back to the Rose Garden on Saturday to host the Bobcats, as Charlotte comes in with no rest.
8) Memphis (33-28, 38-22-1, 29-32)
Weekly Recap: The Grizzlies rebounded from an ugly loss at Denver to beat the Wolves and Kings as favorites. Memphis cashed tickets in a seven-point defeat at San Antonio, as the Grizzlies continue to play without Rudy Gay, who is out the next three weeks with a shoulder injury.
Weekly Outlook: Memphis returns to FedEx Forum to host San Antonio, looking to beat the Spurs for the first time in three meetings this season. All three opponents this week are divisional rivals for the Grizzlies, who take on the Hornets (Friday), followed by a visit to Dallas on Sunday.
9) Utah (32-28, 26-33-1, 31-29)
Weekly Recap: The Jazz moved on from the Deron Williams tenure with a 1-2 SU/ATS road swing. Utah's only victory came at Indiana, while the Jazz lost to a fractured Pistons team as road favorites on Saturday. With the loss at Detroit, Utah has dropped five of its past six games.
Weekly Outlook: Utah returns home for three games starting Monday night against Boston, as the Celtics play the final game of a four-game road swing. The Jazz hosts the Nuggets on Thursday, followed by a home contest with the Kings on Saturday. Utah hopes to improve on an 0-5 ATS run at Energy Solutions Arena, as each loss came as a favorite.
10) Phoenix (30-27, 26-29-2, 29-28)
Weekly Recap: Very quietly, the Suns have surged back into the playoff race following a 3-0 SU/ATS week after beating the Hawks, Raptors, and Pacers. The offense has picked up as well with over 100 points scored in nine of the last 10 games.
Weekly Outlook: The Suns continue their East Coast swing at New Jersey on Monday, looking for a fourth straight cover on the highway. Phoenix heads to Boston on Wednesday, while making stops in Milwaukee (Friday) and Oklahoma City (Sunday) to conclude the trip.
