Charlotte's nine-game winning streak just hit a wall against Detroit in a 110-104 loss, but don’t you dare write them off yet. The Hornet’s Nest just put together their longest run in over 25 years, a 9-game win streak and a league leading stretch of performances.

Over their last fifteen games, Charlotte has posted the league's best record AND the 2nd best offensive rating. Yeah, you read that right. The same franchise that ranked 29th in offensive efficiency last season is now lighting up scoreboards. They have the highest 3-point percentage during this stretch, which is even more impressive considering they’re also Top-5 in attempts.

The core of this transformation? For starters, LaMelo Ball is finally operating at full speed, putting up 19.1 points and 7.5 assists per game while ranking in the 90th percentile for plus/minus. When the three-ball isn't falling, he's attacking the rim and collapsing defenses, creating wide-open looks for his teammates.

Speaking of which, rookie Kon Knueppel is shooting an absurd 51.3% from deep when sharing the floor with Ball. Knueppel himself has been the revelation of Charlotte's season. Drafted as a shooting specialist, he's exceeded every projection. The kid leads all NBA wings with 174 total threes made and ranks in the 91st percentile for effective field goal percentage at 61.5%.

Then there's Brandon Miller, leading the team at 20.3 points per game, Miller's offensive arsenal is impressive, but his defensive impact has been the real surprise. He ranks in the 98th percentile for blocks among wings, providing clutch secondary rim protection. His ability to screen for Ball and pop for deep threes has become a staple of Charlotte's attack, including a ridiculous highlight over Victor Wembanyama.

Lastly, let’s look at Moussa Diabaté. Coach Lee has compared his tenacity to Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace, and the numbers justify the lofty comparison. Diabaté ranks second in the league in offensive rebound percentage at 17%, fueling Charlotte's fourth-ranked second-chance offense. He is literally fighting for his team.

At 25-29, Charlotte holds the 10th seed and the final Play-In spot, just four games back of seventh. Their playoff odds have moved to -120 on FanDuel, meaning the market expects them to reach the playoffs after winning just 19 games last year. If they maintain their recent form, bypassing the Play-In entirely isn't out of the question.

✨ NEW: NBA First Basket Sheet

Stop guessing on first basket props.

Our new First Basket sheet gives you everything you need to identify the most consistent opening scorers before tipoff:

Team/Opp Tip Win % – See which teams control the opening possession
1st Shot Attempt % – Know who's getting the first look
1st FG Made % – Track who actually converts when it matter
Full Shot Chart - On Desktop, expand a player to see where they shoot

No fluff. No guesswork. Just the numbers that separate sharp plays from coin flips.

🏀 NBA Bets to Lock in Tonight

Tonight’s slate may be small, but the underlying metrics point to value in an under and two strong favorites.

Mavericks at Suns Under 227.5 (-115 on BetRivers)

This is a classic pace versus efficiency battle. Dallas ranks 4th in the NBA in pace at 102.5 possessions per game, constantly looking to push in transition where they rank 5th in efficiency. The Mavericks want to run, but here's the problem: they can't score in the half-court to save their lives, ranking 27th in offensive rating and 27th in half-court points per 100 possessions.

Phoenix is built to exploit exactly this weakness. The Suns rank 8th in defensive rating at 112.3 and are elite at forcing turnovers. More importantly, Phoenix plays at the 22nd slowest pace in the NBA at 99.02 possessions per game. When Dallas can't get out and run, they struggle to generate quality looks against set defenses.

The recent trends hammer this home. Dallas has gone Under in 11 of their last 16 games, a 68.7% clip. Current projections suggest a 112-108 final in favor of Phoenix, totaling just 220 points. Phoenix's ability to control tempo combined with Dallas's half-court ineptitude makes this Under a strong play.

Rockets -7.5 vs Clippers (-110)

Houston's home dominance meets a severely undermanned Clippers squad in what should be a rebounding massacre. The Rockets are 17-6 at the Toyota Center this season, and their physical identity is perfectly suited to exploit LA's biggest weakness: the glass.

The matchup breakdown is stark. Houston ranks 1st in the NBA in total rebounds at 48.8 per game and 1st in offensive rebounding percentage at 40%. Meanwhile, the Clippers rank 29th in total rebounds at just 40.7 per game and 28th in offensive rebounding. That's an 8.1 rebound differential per game, which translates directly into extra possessions and second-chance points.

The injury situation tilts this further. LA is missing both Bradley Beal and new signing Darius Garland, their one-for-one replacement for James Harden. Houston's elite perimeter defense should limit LA's primary offensive strength: outside shooting (10th in three-point percentage at 36.8%). Take the points on the Rockets at Home.

Spurs -7.5 at Lakers (-102)

This spread might look large for a road favorite, but the statistical mismatch justifies the number. San Antonio's 3rd-ranked defense is well equipped to neutralize the Lakers, and LA's injury report makes this an uphill battle.

The Lakers lead the NBA in effective field goal percentage at the rim (74.3%) and rank 1st in mid-range efficiency (48.3%). Their offensive identity is built around interior scoring and getting to the free throw line, where they rank 1st in free throw rate at 25.5%. The problem? The Spurs' elite interior defense, ranking 3rd in rim protection, directly counters LA's primary weapon.

The absence of Luka (hamstring) is catastrophic for the Lakers' offensive structure. Without their primary facilitator, LA loses the perimeter gravity that creates driving lanes and open rim attempts. LeBron James will shoulder the playmaking load, averaging 8.8 assists in games without Luka, but it will be a tough ask against San Antonio's 3rd-ranked defense.

The Spurs are 10-5 in their last 15 games and 6-4 against the spread in their last 10. LA's 22nd-ranked defense (116.5 defensive rating) won't be able to slow down San Antonio's balanced attack (10th in offensive rating).

🌲 The Pine Line

🐶 America’s unofficial mascot is having the time of his life. Protect this man at all cost.

📺️ What does a MLB and NHL team have in common? A mission to ensure their fans can actually watch games.

🏎️ No expense spared for this Super Bowl ad. “The Mission begins” for the newest F1 team.

🥊 The Last Stylebender knows the end is near. He’s ready for his post-athlete DJ phase.

🏏 For the sake of cricket. A $4.4 Billion shared broadcast deal may have saved this highly anticipated matchup.

🥌 Winter Olympics Curling Futures

by Ed Egros - Follow on X @EdWithSports

You’ve been lying awake at night, tossing and turning.  Family and friends are left feeling helpless, worried about your well-being.  

Your therapist is baffled, co-workers are annoyed by your distractions, and nothing, but nothing, can solve the burning question that’s plagued your mind for weeks:

What Winter Olympic curling futures bets should I place?

Dear reader, your prayers have been answered.  

So, grab your broom, polish your slider, and let’s make some money!  Because if you’re not betting on curling, what are you even doing with your life?

Curling Schedule and Tips

The men’s team competition starts Wednesday, while the women start Thursday.  Each side has ten teams all playing against each other in a round-robin format.  The top four teams advance to the semifinals, where the top three teams all earn medals.

For futures, betting on a team to win a medal does have lower odds, but you take out the natural variance that happens when two matches decide who wins gold.

But betting on who wins gold means larger payouts, so risk tolerance is important here.

Using Jaxon’s AI tools, here’s who will “clean” up:

Women’s Tournament: Switzerland to Win Gold (+130)

Canada is the favorite in the field because of their skip: Rachel Homan.  She’s competing in her third Olympics, has won 20 Grand Slam of Curling Titles (most of any skip) and her team has won the last two World Women’s Curling Championships.

However, the Olympics have been less kind to her, having failed to make the podium in either year.  The Swiss may not have Olympic success either, but Silvana Tirinzoni and company won the previous four world titles before this latest Canadian run.  

With a larger payout and similar skill levels, I’m backing the Swiss to take home the gold.

Men’s Tournament: USA to Medal (7/1)

Great Britain is roughly even money to win gold because skip Bruce Mouat led Scotland to a couple of World Championships.  He also finished second in the 2022 Olympics, narrowly losing to Sweden 5-4.  

Canada has the second-shortest odds and might be a value play to win gold at nearly 2/1.  Currently second in the world rankings, every member of the team has Olympic experience.  Even skip Brad Jacobs was part of the last Canadian team to win gold in 2014.

After that, choosing a third-place team may be more wide open.  Team USA is young, with all four members in their 20s.  But inexperience does not necessarily mean less talented.  They did upset five-time Olympian John Shuster and his team during qualifying to get this far.

Team USA is also sixth in the world rankings, formidable enough to contend.  

There may also be a “halo effect” after the fantastic run of the American mixed doubles team.  If the Stars and Stripes are saving their best work for the biggest stage, it may be best to seize the opportunity right now.  

Key Takeaway

Canada has more curling Olympic gold medals and overall medals than any other nation. Betting on history to repeat itself may be wise, but don't look past Team USA men or the Swiss women to win big.

And remember: when your friends judge you and ask why you're so invested in watching people aggressively scrub ice, let them judge!  They'll never understand, but at least you'll be cashing tickets.

⏱️ Short on time?

Hit the Parlay Generator on the homepage for instant picks with clear reasoning and direct betting links. Run it as-is or tweak the legs to match your risk tolerance!

👉️ Try the Parlay Generator