NBA Tuesday betting preview: Fade Nets in road chalk spot

We hit our headlining NBA bet on Monday but fell short with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers, who both coughed up fourth-quarter leads in losses against the spread. Here are our best bets from Tuesday's slate:

Nets (-9, 231) at Pistons

Betting on big favorites has been a cheat code for NBA bettors against almost every team this season. The Detroit Pistons are one of the exceptions. They're the only team in the league with a positive record as a 9-point underdog or greater (4-1 ATS), with ATS wins against the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, and Lakers - the three best clubs in the NBA by net rating.

Conversely, the Brooklyn Nets are 1-2 ATS when giving that many points and an abysmal 4-12 ATS when favored by more than 4.5 points - the worst record by any team with at least three such games. They've also lost three of their last four games without Kevin Durant, who will miss Tuesday's contest due to health and safety protocols.

Detroit is a stellar 7-2 ATS as a home 'dog this year with consecutive outright wins against the Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. The Pistons shouldn't be catching so many points against a shorthanded Brooklyn squad.

Pick: Pistons +9

Warriors at Spurs (-1.5, 230)

Are we sure the Golden State Warriors aren't better than the San Antonio Spurs? Yes, they lost to them on Monday, but they covered five of their prior seven games behind superb play from Stephen Curry, who casually dropped 57 points on Saturday and has put together MVP numbers for ninth-seeded Golden State.

The Warriors also rank higher in net rating than San Antonio, which lost three of its last four before Monday's win. That could be trouble for the Spurs on Tuesday; the last seven teams to lose the first of consecutive matchups have gone 5-2 ATS in the rematch, while Golden State is 19-10 ATS in revenge games in the Steve Kerr era.

Home-court advantage has been worth roughly 0.56 points this year, according to Jeff Sagarin of USA Today. That would suggest the Spurs are a point better on a neutral court, which doesn't tell the full story ahead of Tuesday's rematch.

Pick: Warriors +1.5

Celtics at Jazz (-5, 220.5)

Has there been any easier way to make money this NBA season than betting on the Jazz? They're a league-best 17-7 ATS with a 14-2 ATS record since Jan. 8, from which point they own the NBA's top net rating (+13.5) and rebounding rate (53.6%).

Those extra possessions have fueled a surprisingly deadly 3-point attack for Utah, which scores a league-high 44.5% of its points from deep - many coming unassisted. That could play a factor against a Boston Celtics defense that has found much of its defensive success against spot-up shooting teams.

Boston's offense also faces a tough test against the Jazz, who can afford to force Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown off their spots with Rudy Gobert patrolling the paint. This line simply doesn't reflect how well Utah is playing.

Pick: Jazz -5

(Odds source: theScore Bet)

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.