After a rough night last night, we're looking to get right back in the win column with a couple of winners on the Tuesday NBA slate. Tonight's featured TNT doubleheader should be an exciting one, as we're going to see the return of Paul George when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Utah Jazz.
1. Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers - 7:00 p.m. ET
The Sixers have been a bit up and down since acquiring James Harden, but they'll definitely get up for this meeting with the Bucks. This is exactly the type of game that Harden was acquired for, with Philadelphia knowing that it needed to bring in a stud in order to truly compete with the Eastern Conference's elite. Milwaukee also happens to be just 18-34 against the spread when playing on the road in a game with a line of +3 to -3 under head coach Mike Budenholzer. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is 37-21 against the spread when playing at home after a game in which the team failed to cover over the last three seasons. Look for Joel Embiid to really dominate this game for the 76ers, and don't be surprised if Harden turns it on in this game. He'll have a tough defender on him in Jrue Holiday, but he should be able to find ways to impact the game.
THE PICK: 76ers -1
2. Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks - 7:30 p.m. ET
The Lakers will not have LeBron James when they take on the Mavericks tonight, but this spread still seems way too big. Russell Westbrook might not be the perfect fit for Los Angeles or anything, but he is at his best when he gets the keys to the offense. With LeBron and Anthony Davis out, this will surely be a game in which Westbrook gets to play his way. Los Angeles also happens to be 17-7 against the spread when coming off a road loss this season, and the Lakers have won those games by an average of 1.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Dallas is just 31-44 against the spread when coming off a home game since the start of last season. It'll also be interesting to see what type of energy the Mavericks play with here. Luka Doncic was probably looking forward to seeing LeBron on the floor in this game, but it isn't crazy to think that they'd overlook the shorthanded Lakers here.
THE PICK: Lakers +11.5
3. Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers - 10:00 p.m. ET
Everybody in the world is going to want to be on the Clippers in Paul George's return tonight, especially considering this Los Angeles team notably eliminated Utah from the postseason last year. However, George could be a little rusty in his return to action, and this Clippers team has been a nightmare in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Jazz are still one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and there's just no reason to believe that they won't show up for this type of game. The Clippers also happen to be just 3-16 against the spread when playing only their second game in five days this season, so this team isn't exactly at its best when it has too much rest. Utah is also 2-0 both straight-up and against the spread in this head-to-head series this year, and the Jazz have won those games by a combined 50 points.
THE PICK: Jazz -1
