There are 11 games on Friday's NBA betting slate, including a pair of games that are going to be televised nationally by ESPN.
In the early game at 8:00 p.m. (ET), the Dallas Mavericks will hit the road to take on the Philadelphia 76ers.
Dallas is hot right now, having won five straight games and going 4-1 against the spread in that stretch. Three of the team's guards – Jason Terry, Rodrique Beaubois and Delonte West – are all expected to miss this one though, which could put the Mavs behind the eight-ball right away.
Philadelphia lost its final two home games before hitting the road for a three-game stretch this week, and this game precedes a four-game road trip for the 76ers.
The Mavericks are a rock solid 17-6-1 ATS in their last 24 road games, and 37-16-2 ATS in their last 55 games overall. Last year, Dallas took the two games in this series, both outright and ATS, including a 101-93 decision here at Wells Fargo Center.
Immediately following the Mavs and Sixers, the Los Angeles Lakers will tip it off at home against a stingy Phoenix Suns outfit.
Kobe Bryant is going to be hoping for a heck of a lot better offensive effort than the 10 points he put up against the Atlanta Hawks in LA's most recent game. Even with that dud of a game though, Bryant still comes into this one leading the league in scoring at 28.7 PPG.
The Suns continue to remain competitive in the West, but they just haven't found ways to close out a lot of tight games. They blew a 15-point lead to Atlanta on Wednesday night at home in a 101-99 loss, and that marked the team's third straight loss both SU and ATS.
The Lakers are costing NBA bettors this year with just a 13-16 ATS record, but they are 9-5 ATS at home, including posting three straight wins and covers here at Staples Center.
This Western Conference clash tips at 10:30 (ET).
Are you all caught up with Linsanity? Jeremy Lin has been taking the NBA by storm ever since he was installed in the starting lineup for the New York Knicks, and he is averaging 24.4 PPG and 9.1 APG since taking over as their starting point guard.
The problem that Lin has is that he turns the ball over far too much. He has had five games with at least six turnovers, though in the end, the Knicks are still 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in the seven games that he has been heavily involved in.
New York takes on the New Orleans Hornets at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night in an 8:00 (ET) tip.
Perhaps the most important game of the night pits the Denver Nuggets against the Memphis Grizzlies. These two teams are both fighting in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race as we near the halfway point of the season.
Denver has an amazing 10-5 ATS record that it is working on, but will ikely be without Danilo Gallinari, Nene Hilario and Timofey Mozgov for Friday's contest.
Memphis, which is still at least a few weeks away from getting Zach Randolph back in the fold, has won four out of five SU and is 3-2 ATS in that stretch.
Expect a high-scoring game in this one. These two have played five of their last six 'over' the total, and all but one of those games featured at least 215 points. The home team is also 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in those five clashes.
In 7:00 (ET) tips on Friday night, the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Orlando Magic, while the Charlotte Bobcats and Toronto Raptors meet in a clash of Eastern Conference bottom feeders.
The Sacramento Kings face the Detroit Pistons in a 7:30 (ET) tip, while at the same time, LeBron James makes another return to Quicken Loans Arena to lead his Miami Heat against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves try to quell the Houston Rockets' 11-3 mark at the Toyota Center at 8:00 (ET), while the Oklahoma City Thunder try to improve their 10-1 mark at home against the Golden State Warriors in that time slot as well. The Washington Wizards also continue their West Coast swing at the Utah Jazz at 9:00 (ET).