We went 2-1 against the spread with our NBA picks over the weekend. Can we open the week with a perfect Monday?

Here are my favorite plays on tonight's schedule.

Hornets @ Spurs (-5, N/A)

How much is LaMelo Ball worth to the Hornets? That's the question ahead of this game for Charlotte, which lost its star rookie to a potential season-ending injury during Saturday's blowout loss to the Clippers.

It was the Hornets' third consecutive ATS defeat, while the Spurs have covered five of their last six games behind a balanced offense and a top-10 defense. Don't expect Charlotte to experience much success against the latter unit without Ball, who hasn't missed a game this year and leads the team in assists per game (6.1) and PER (18.54)

Pick: Spurs -5

Raptors (-8.5, 224.5) @ Rockets

After Sunday's loss to the Thunder, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas broke down just talking about the weight of losing 20 straight games - a stretch when the team has covered just twice. Does that sound like a club worth betting on tonight?

Even Christian Wood returning hasn't been enough for this squad, which owns the NBA's worst net rating (-15.6) during its losing streak, and the group has stayed within single digits during just four of those 20 contests.

The Raptors, meanwhile, are riding their own eight-game skid, but they've covered in three of those losses. This shouldn't be close.

Pick: Raptors -8.5

Hawks @ Clippers (-6.5, 223.5)

If you haven't been paying attention, you may have missed the Hawks' quiet resurgence. They're 8-0 straight up since firing Lloyd Pierce while producing a 6-2 ATS record and the NBA's second-best net rating (+11.4) in that span.

Defense is driving their improvement, and Atlanta ranks second in efficiency under interim head coach Nate McMillan after placing 24th over the first 34 games this campaign with Pierce. The Hawks have held three of their last four opponents under 95 points, and they're 5-2-1 to the under with McMillan at the helm.

The Clippers have been vulnerable in letdown spots this season, posting a 10-15 ATS record with six straight ATS losses following an outright win. Los Angeles blasted an undermanned Hornets team on Saturday, and it could slip up as a big favorite in this one.

Pick: Hawks +6.5

(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.