NBA Monday Betting Picks – San Antonio Setting a Standard

Hoop Hopes – Ricky Rothstein makes his picks for tonight’s NBA action!

San Antonio Spurs at LA Clippers
San Antonio remains the standard against which all teams must measure themselves. Champions come and go, but there seems something eternal as the desert itself about the Spurs, and their incredible ability to just keep winning and winning and winning.

The Spurs have won four straight, and have the best points differential in the NBA at +10.1. The Spurs aren’t always reliable against the spread when they play lesser teams but tonight, when it travel to the Staples Center to take on the Clippers, San Antonio knows this is a statement game. Both teams have full squads with no injury concerns, and a win over San Antonio, a long-time hex team of the Clippers, would mean so much to Blake Griffin and co. That’s exactly why San Antonio won’t let it happen.
Hoop Hope 1 | San Antonio -2.5

Detroit at Indiana
On paper, the Pistons are a good matchup against the Pacers. The Pacers defend the basket just like Davy Crockett defended the Alamo, and nobody’s getting through without paying a price. Detroit has the frontcourt size to dare that Pacer defense, and take them on at their own game.

However. Before playing Indiana, the Pistons have to pull themselves together after losing a home-court heartbreaker against Portland last night. The Pistons were the better team but Portland managed to force overtime after coming back in the fourth. And then, when it looked like Detroit was going to close it out, Damian drained the winning basket. It’s not easy to process that, get on a plane and take on the best team in the league. My dollar says it doesn’t happen.
Hoop Hope 2 |Indiana -10.0

Philadelphia at Brooklyn
The return of point guard Deron Williams has stopped the slide in Brooklyn, but the Nets still have a long way to go if they’re to deliver on their early season promise. The fact they play in the Atlantic Division helps, but the team’s sheer bad luck in terms of injury is heartbreaking for them. Center Brook Lopez is the latest man to call for the stretcher-bearers, having injured his ankle in a loss on Friday at Detroit.

Brooklyn is a hot favorite at home against the Sixers, currently suffering a miserable six-game losing streak, but ten is a big number to cover, not least against a team with as big a forecourt as Philadelphia. Neither of these teams will shoot the lights out – Under 207 is the bet.
Hoop Hope 3 |Under 207

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