Art Aronson – AAA Sports NBA Picks & Plays

This is an 8* on BUTLER

Butler looks to get back on track here as all of a sudden they’ve dropped three in a row. They were 15-1 with the only loss coming by 1 point to current #1 Baylor. But the competition is fierce here in the Big East and the Bulldogs have already lost to the two teams that will be their main competition. That would be Seton Hall and Villanova. We were on ‘Nova against Butler on Tuesday and that was a 76-61 game the Bulldogs were never really in. Thankfully, tonight the schedule lessens up with a visit by Marquette. The Golden Eagles just aren’t as good as Seton Hall or Villanova, even though they do hold a win over the latter. They are also 1-5 straight up and against the spread their last six visits to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Can’t see Butler losing again. They give up 54.1 points/game at home. With this not being a large spread, we’ll lay it. Play on BUTLER

AAA

This is a 10* on SIENA

The jumbled mess that is the MAAC figures to untangle itself over the next month. One team to keep an eye on is Siena. Though only 3-4 in conference action, the Saints have been favored in all but one game -- a loss at Rider. Virtually every game has been close with four of the seven games decided by three points or fewer. A three-game road trip ended with a 72-71 loss at Niagara on Sunday, but Siena gets a reprieve here in the form of a home date with Marist, who is likely the MAAC’s worst team. The Red Foxes are 4-13 overall and that’s after going 2-0 last week with home victories over Iona and Manhattan. Siena figures to put an end to that win streak tonight as they are a perfect 7-0 at home and averaging 76.9 points/game. Marist averaged 79 points in its two victories last week, but that number is misleading as the 75-73 win over Manhattan went to overtime. On the season, the Red Foxes are averaging a paltry 55.6 points/game on the road. Expect this game to quickly turn into a blowout. 10* SIENA

AAA

This is a 10* on PHOENIX

More than half of the games have already been played this NBA season and it very much looks like the top seven in the Western Conference have really solidified themselves. What order those seven teams finish in is still to be determined as is who is going to get the #8 spot. The Suns and Spurs are both contenders (for the #8 spot) and meet Friday in the Alamo. San Antonio, who hasn’t missed the playoffs since the late 1990’s, currently has the position after knocking off New Orleans in Zion Williamson’s debut Wednesday. Phoenix has the second longest active playoff drought in the league (2010) but has the feel of an improved team this year. Despite being eight games below .500, the Suns are very much a competitive team. They just faced the Spurs earlier in the week, at home, and lost by two points. So this is a revenge game and they are 18-9 ATS the L27 games in that situation. After losing by two to the Spurs Monday, it was a far worse showing vs. Indiana on Wednesday. But this is a team that’s gone 4-2 SU its last six on the road including an upset over Boston. While the Spurs are on a three-game win streak, all three wins have been by five points or less. Play on PHOENIX

AAA

This is an 8* on NEW YORK

Despite losing the Finals MVP (Kawhi Leonard) to the Clippers and a myriad of holdovers to various injuries, the Raptors have persevered into 2020 with the third best record in the Eastern Conference. They’re as healthy now as they’ve been all season and that’s resulted in a five-game win streak where they’ve averaged 124.2 points/game. But tonight’s game is far trickier than its looks with the Knicks having covered three straight. New York played both Philadelphia and the Lakers tough here at home, losing those games by only three and eight points. In between, they went to Cleveland and picked up a 20-point victory. This is a pretty decent number that Toronto is laying here. Though they’ve yet to drop a game as a road favorite this season (9-0 straight up), they just failed to cover in Atlanta as 8.5-point favorites (won by 5) and that’s the only time they’ve been asked to lay more in a road game than what they are laying for this one.  Play on NEW YORK

AAA