MetroBet looks at a pair of NBA games on the Tuesday night slate with odds info and advice.
Philadelphia 76ers (-7) at Los Angeles Lakers
Moneyline: Sixers -290, Lakers +245
Betting Total: 231 points
The undermanned Los Angeles Lakers 26-24 look up against it on Tuesday night as the Philadelphia 76ers (32-18) pay a visit to the Staples Center.
L.A. has clearly missed the presence of LeBron James, who has been out for 16 games with a groin strain. The Lakers are 6-10 without the four-time former MVP. Lonzo Ball (9.9 points per game, 5.4 assists per game) wrenching his ankle against the Rockets last week, which will sideline him for four-to-six weeks, is just another crushing blow to L.A.’s playoff hopes. Kyle Kuzma (19.1 points per game), who missed his team’s 116-102 win over the Suns on Sunday, has a hip strain and is questionable for Tuesday’s matchup against the Sixers.
Philly exits a 16-point loss to the Denver Nuggets, but there’s reason to believe they will rebound, starting with the return of Jimmy Butler. The All-Star shooting guard was held out of three straight games due to a sprained wrist but is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday night.
Per Covers.com, the Sixers are 10-4 against the spread in their last 14 games following a straight-up setback, and have covered in seven of their last 10 games off a loss against the spread. Furthermore, Philly is 21-8 against the spread in their last 29 games against Pacific Division opponents, while the Lakers are 5-15-1 against the spread in their last 21 matchups with Eastern Conference foes.
The play: Sixers spread
Milwaukee Bucks (-7.5) at Detroit Pistons
Moneyline: Bucks -310, Pistons +260
Betting Total: 217.5 points
The Milwaukee Bucks (35-13) and the Detroit Pistons (21-27), NBA Central rivals, meet for the fourth and final time this season on Tuesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and company handled Detroit rather easily in both home games this year, but their first meeting at Little Caesars Arena was only a three-point Milwaukee victory. The spread may be too large for the Bucks to cover, but they could be sitting on a solid bounce-back game after dropping a 118-112 decision to the Thunder on Sunday night (12-2 against the spread in their last 14 games following a straight-up loss. MetroBet will hand out a play on the total instead.
This matchup has been playing low for a while now, as the Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Detroit, and is 5-1-1 overall in their last seven contests. The Under has cashed in five straight Pistons games, and is 10-3 in Milwaukee’s last 13 road games.
The play: Bucks vs. Pistons Under
