Sports Picks & Predictions

15* NBA Friday Late-Night BAILOUT on Portland Trail Blazers -2.5 

The Portland Trail Blazers have one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA.  Playing the Pacific Northwest gives them that advantage, plus their fans are always loyal.  They have gone 19-7 SU & 16-10 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by 8.0 points per game. 

The New Orleans Pelicans are just 6-18 SU & 9-14-1 ATS on the road this season.  The Pelicans are coming off a tough 140-147 road loss to the defending champion Warriors, who were playing the 2nd of a back-to-back.  I always like fading teams after they play the Warriors because it’s impossible for them to be as emotionally invested as they were against the Warriors, meaning it’s a hangover spot whether win or lose. 

Portland is 10-1 ATS in home games after scoring 105 points or more in five straight games over the last two seasons.  New Orleans is 2-11 ATS after playing two consecutive road games this season.  The Pelicans are 0-7 ATS in their last seven Friday games.  The Blazers are 35-16-1 ATS in their last 52 home games.  Roll with the Blazers Friday.

20* Maryland/Ohio State Big Ten No-Brainer on Ohio State -2.5 

The Ohio State Buckeyes come in highly motivated for a victory here tonight.  They have lost three straight coming in with two of those on the road.  The only home loss came to Michigan State, which has now won 19 straight Big Ten games.  It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Buckeyes, who have failed to cover six of their last seven coming in and have dropped out of the Top 25. 

It’s also time to ‘sell high’ on the Maryland Terrapins, who have won six straight coming in and are now ranked No. 19 in the country.  But they’ve played six of their last eight games at home with their two road wins coming against the likes of Rutgers and Minnesota.  Rutgers is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, and Minnesota just lost to previously winless Illinois by 30-plus. 

Ohio State is favored for good reason here despite being the unranked team against the ranked team.  Oddsmakers are definitely tipping their hand.  It’s worth noting that Ohio State beat Maryland 91-69 at home last year as 5-point favorites.  Getting them as only 2.5-point favorites here is a huge value and one of my favorite bets in the Big Ten this season. 

The favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Ohio State is 30-15 ATS in its last 45 games after having lost three of its last four games.  The Buckeyes are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 home games after failing to cover four of their last five ATS.  Chris Holtmann is 12-3 ATS after playing a game as an underdog in all games he has coached.  Holtmann is 6-0 ATS vs. teams who average 6 or less steals per game after 15-plus game as the coach of the Buckeyes.  Bet Ohio State Friday.

15* CBB Thursday Late-Night BAILOUT on Santa Clara +16 

The Santa Clara Broncos have been flying under the radar for weeks.  They are 7-2 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Their two losses came on the road to Gonzaga and BYU, and they easily covered in a 6-point loss at BYU as 13-point dogs. 

It’s not like their seven wins have been all against weak competition, either, during this stretch.  They beat USC by 10 as 8.5-point dogs, beat Washington State by 8 as 8-point dogs, and topped San Diego by 12 as 6-point dogs.  With how well they are playing, they certainly should not be catching 16 points to St. Mary’s. 

The Gaels have notoriously competed with Gonzaga for WCC supremacy over the years.  But this St. Mary’s team is way down, and it’s probably the worst team that they’ve had under Randy Bennett that I can remember.  The Gaels are just 11-7 this season.  They have home losses to Harvard and UC-Irvine, and road losses to Western Kentucky, San Francisco and Utah State.  Santa Clara is more than capable of hanging with them. 

St. Mary’s is 1-8 ATS in home games vs. teams who force 12 or fewer turnovers per game over the last three seasons.  The Gaels are 0-7 ATS in home games off a road win by 10 points or more over the last three years.  Santa Clara is 7-0 ATS after having won four or five of their last six games this season.  The Broncos are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 road games.  Roll with Santa Clara Thursday. 

20* NBA Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Charlotte Hornets -2 

I love the situation for the Charlotte Hornets tonight.  They return home following a tough six-game road trip in which they managed to pull off two upsets at Phoenix and at San Antonio.  And now they’ve had two full days to recover and rest. 

They have also had extra time to get ready for revenge on Sacramento.  The Hornets lost to the Kings on the 5th game of that trip 97-104 on January 12th just five days ago.  Well, they were playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after losing in Portland the previous night, so it wasn’t a good spot for them.  This is a great spot for the Hornets now. 

The Hornets are 14-8 at home this season, while the Kings are 9-11 on the road.  The Hornets have gone 5-2 SU in their last seven meetings with the Kings.  And given the chance at quick revenge here tonight, I fully expect Kemba Walker and company to get the job done at home. 

Charlotte is 10-2 ATS in home games after having lost two of their last three games this season.  The Kings are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.  Sacramento is 16-39-3 ATS in its last 58 games when playing on two days’ rest.  Bet the Hornets Thursday. 

20* 76ers/Pacers TNT Thursday No-Brainer on Indiana -2.5 

At 29-14 this season, the Indiana Pacers are legitimately one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.  They are just 2.5 games out of first place in the East.  But for two full seasons now, this team has not gotten the respect they deserve.  And I certainly think this is a cheap price on them as only 2.5-point home favorites over the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. 

No team is playing better than the Pacers over the past month and a half.  The Pacers are 16-4 SU & 12-8 ATS in their last 20 games overall.  They come in rested and ready to go tonight as this will be just their 2nd game in 6 days with the only other game resulting in a 34-point blowout home win over the Suns. 

The 76ers are in a tough spot here.  They are coming off an emotional home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves as Jimmy Butler got revenge on his former team.  It’s a 76ers team that has been a money burner on the road, going 10-12 SU & 8-14 ATS on the highway this year while losing by 4.6 points per game.  The Pacers are 15-5 SU & 11-9 ATS at home, winning by 10.3 points per game on average. 

The Pacers are 11-3 SU & 10-4 ATS in their last 14 meetings with the 76ers, including their 113-101 road win over Philadelphia in their last meeting this season.  The 76ers are 0-7 ATS in road games off a win by 10 points or more this season, losing by a whopping 18.9 points per game on average.  Take the Pacers Thursday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Los Angeles Clippers -1.5 

The Los Angeles Clippers had the best record in the Western Conference through November.  But then they went through a rough patch with some injuries in early December.  Once Lou Williams came back, they proceeded to go on a 7-3 SU & 8-2 ATS run from late December through early January.   

But the Clippers have since dropped three straight games, and I expect them to be highly motivated for a victory Wednesday night when they host the Utah Jazz.  I think we’re getting good value here with the Clippers as only 1.5-point home favorites because they have lost three straight, while the Jazz have won four straight coming in.   

But those four wins for the Jazz came against the Magic, the Lebron-Less Lakers, the Bulls and the Pistons all at home.  The wins over the Bulls and Pistons in their last two games came down to the wire, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that the Jazz are playing without their top three point guards in Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum and Raul Neto. 

Plays against underdogs who are coming off 3 or more consecutive wins, who win between 51% and 60% of their games playing another winning team are 77-39 ATS over the last 5 seasons.  Utah is 15-28 ATS as a road dog of 6 points or less over the last three seasons.   I think this is a good time to 'buy low' on the Clippers and 'sell high' on the Jazz tonight.  Bet the Clippers Wednesday. 

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Missouri +1.5 

The Missouri Tigers should not be home underdogs to the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight.  The Tigers are one of the most improved teams in the SEC as they are 9-5 this season, including 7-2 at home.  They were a dog in four of their five losses to Iowa State, K-State, Tennessee and South Carolina, and they were only a 2-point favorite in a 2-point loss to Temple. 

The Tigers have certainly been through the gauntlet as they also have impressive wins over Oregon State, UCF, Xavier and Illinois.  And now they’ll be highly motivated for their first conference win after losing to Tennessee and at South Carolina to open their SEC slate.  This is a game they can handle. 

Alabama has only played three true road games this season.  They lost at UCF and at LSU, while beating a bad Stephen F. Austin team.  UCF is a common opponent, and while Missouri beat UCF, Alabama lost to the Knights. 

Missouri is 8-1 ATS in home games after having lost two of their last three games over the past three seasons.  The home team is 7-2 SU in the last nine meetings.  Missouri is 7-2 ATS in its last nine meetings with Alabama.  The Crimson Tide are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.  The Tigers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games.  Missouri is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five home games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Tigers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight Wednesday games.  Roll with Missouri Wednesday. 

20* Raptors/Celtics ESPN No-Brainer on Boston -2 

The Boston Celtics come in highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They have lost three straight, but all three came on the road.  Now they’re back home with Toronto coming to down on National TV.  Look for the Celtics to bounce back in a big way tonight. 

The Celtics also have some good injury news as Kyrie Irvin returns to the lineup tonight, and Marcus Smart and Aaron Baynes could both be available as well.  The Raptors are missing Jonas Valanciunas, and OG Anunoby, and could be without Fred VanVleet and C.J. Miles. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  The home team is a perfect 9-0 SU in the last nine meetings.  The home team is 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings.  And Boston basically just has to win this game to cover the small 2-point spread. 

The Celtics are 35-16 ATS in their last 51 home games overall.  Boston is 12-3 ATS at home when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  The Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last eight road games.  Toronto is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in its previous game.  Bet the Celtics Wednesday. 

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Iowa -2 

The Northern Iowa Panthers played a brutal non-conference schedule that got them ready for MVC play, which will be much easier for them.  And that has proven to be the case as they have played well in their first four MVC games. 

Indeed, the Panthers are 2-2 SU & 3-1 ATS while outscoring their four opponents by a combined 13 points.  And now they host a team they can certainly handle in Indiana State, which has some ugly conference losses with a 35-point loss at Loyola and a 15-point home loss to Missouri State. 

Bradley is the only common opponent of these teams.  Northern Iowa won 65-47 at Bradley, while Indiana State only beat Bradley 65-60 at home.  Comparing common opponents is a great way to figure out how good teams really are, and we’ll get a lot more comparisons here in the coming weeks with conference play in full swing. 

Indiana State is 4-13 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the last three seasons.  Northern Iowa is 27-13 ATS in its lsat 40 games as a home favorite of 3 points or less or PK.  The Sycamores are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 MVC games.  The Panthers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight MVC games.  Take Northern Iowa Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Boston College +12 

I think this is a clearly letdown spot for Louisville.  They are coming off a shocking 21-point win at North Carolina as 11-point dogs.  And now they are getting a ton of love from oddsmakers as 12-point favorites over Boston College tonight because of that result.   

It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Cardinals and ‘buy low’ on Boston College, which is riding a four-game losing streak into play.  Two of those losses came by a combined 4 points, and they covered in an 11-point loss at Virginia Tech in a game they led at halftime.  Their only blowout defeat came at the hands of Virginia, which is one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball.   

This is a veteran Boston College team with four players scoring 12 or more points per game.  Ky Bowman (20.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG) is an absolute stud, and complementing him are Winston Tabbs (14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG), Nik Popovic (13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG) and Jordan Chapman (12.1 PPG).  They have the horses to hang with Louisville, which will not be 100% focused for this game off their win over UNC.   

Plays on road dogs or PK (Boston College) - off three straight conference losses, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a winning team are 55-25 (68.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Eagles are 6-0 ATS after having lost four of their last five games over the past three seasons.  Jim Christian is 13-2 ATS after having lost four of his last five games as the coach of the Eagles.  Take Boston College Wednesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Ole Miss -3 

What more does Ole Miss have to do to get some respect from oddsmakers?  All the Rebels have done is go 13-2 SU & 14-1 ATS under first-year head coach Kermit Davis.  And now they are only 3-point home favorites over LSU tonight.  Sign me up. 

“Kermit Davis is one of the best coaches in our country,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “They are terrifically offensively efficient.  What he has been able to do was give them a little more discipline offensively. They are valuing possessions more.” 

The Rebels are shooting 49.9% from the field, 38.2% from 3-point range and 76.1% on free throws this season.  They are averaging 79.8 points per game while recording an assist on 57% of their made baskets.  The top three scorers on the team all shoot between 40% and 42% from 3-point range. 

LSU has more turnovers (221) than assists (219) this season.  That’s going to make it difficult for the Tigers to win consistently on the road in SEC play.  I think they’re getting way too much credit for their overtime win at Arkansas last time out against a rebuilding Razorbacks team that lost seven of their top eight scores from a year ago. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings.  Ole Miss is 5-1 SU In its last six home meetings with LSU, outscoring the Tigers by an average of 12.2 points per game.  The Rebels are 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games.  The Tigers are 2-8-3 ATS in their last 13 road games.  The Rebels are 9-0 ATS as a favorite this season.  Roll with Ole Miss Tuesday. 

20* Timberwolves/76ers NBA TV ANNIHILATOR on Minnesota +6.5 

Jimmy Butler faces his former team in the Minnesota Timberwolves here for the first time tonight.  It’s pretty easy to see which team will be more motivated.  Butler pushed his way out, thinking the Timberwolves didn’t have the pieces to win a championship.  Well, they’ve been just fine without him, and they’ll want to prove that in a big way tonight. 

The Timberwolves are 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  They have been playing with a ton of energy since interim coach Ryan Saunders took over for Tom Thibodeau.  And now they’ve had two days’ rest to get ready for the 76ers. 

Philadelphia is not playing well enough at all to warrant being this big of a favorite.  The 76ers are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall.  They lost by 17 as 3.5-point road favorites at Washington, were upset at home by Atlanta as 10.5-point favorites, and barely escaped with a 3-point win at New York as 9-point favorites. 

Plays against home teams (Philadelphia) - in a game involving two average teams (-3/+3 PPG differential) after 42 or more games, off a close win by 3 points or less are 34-11 (75.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The 76ers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Timberwolves are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 gams vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet the Timberwolves Tuesday. 

20* Kentucky/Georgia ESPN No-Brainer on Georgia +8.5

Tom Crean has the Georgia Bulldogs playing some great basketball here of late.  They have been greatly undervalued, as evidenced by the fact that the Bulldogs are 6-3 SU & 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall.   

Two of their three losses during this stretch came against arguably the two best teams in the conference in Tennessee and Auburn, both on the road.  The other was a 2-point home loss as 3-point dogs to Arizona State.  The Bulldogs are now 7-1 SU & 7-1 ATS at home this season. 

Kentucky is 1-3 SU & 1-3 ATS on the road this season.  The Wildcats have been way overvalued in recent weeks as they are 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall.  They lost at Alabama as 5-point favorites, failed to cover in an 11-point home win over Texas A&M as 14.5-point favorites, and also didn’t cover in a 9-point home win over Vanderbilt as 13-point favorites.  Georgia just beat Vanderbilt by 19 in its last home game. 

The Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS after allowing 85 points or more over the last three seasons.  Georgia is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games after allowing more than 90 points in its previous game.  The Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games.  The home team is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings.  Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last five trips to Georgia.  Take Georgia Tuesday. 

15* Pelicans/Clippers NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -2.5 

The Los Angeles Clippers come in highly motivated for a victory.  They have lost two straight, which put to a halt a great run they were on in going 7-3 SU & 8-2 ATS in their previous 10 games.  I expect them to start a new winning streak with a win and cover at home over the Pelicans tonight. 

The Clippers have held serve on their home court this year, going 14-7 SU & 13-8 ATS in their 21 games in Los Angeles.  The Pelicans have really struggled on the road, going 5-17 SU & 8-14 ATS in their 22 games away from New Orleans. 

New Orleans is 1-8 ATS in road games after scoring 105 points or more in four straight games this season.  The Pelicans are 3-13 ATS off a road loss this season.  The Clippers are 17-7 ATS as favorites this season.  New Orleans is 1-14 ATS vs. good 3-point shooting teams who make 36% or more of their attempts this season.  Take the Clippers Monday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Sacramento Kings -2.5 

The Sacramento Kings are one of the most improved teams in the NBA.  They currently sit at 22-21 and have been playing some of their best basketball here of late.  They are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  They haven’t lost a game by double-digits in any of their last 12 games, so they have been competitive night in and night out. 

I love the situation for the Kings tonight.  They are rested after having yesterday off.  The Kings play at the 2nd-fastest pace in the NBA, so they will certainly test the tired legs of the Portland Trail Blazers, who will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a loss in altitude in Denver last night.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Kings tonight. 

Plays on favorites (Sacramento) - after going under the total by more than 24 points in their previous game, in a game involving two marginal winning teams (51% to 60%) are 23-3 (88.5%) ATS over the last five seasons. 

Sacramento is 20-7 ATS in its last 27 games when playing on one days’ rest.  The Kings are 6-1 ATS in their last seven Monday games.  Sacramento is 4-0 ATS in its last four home games.  Bet the Kings Monday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE MONTH on Pittsburgh +6 

I fully expect Florida State to let Duke beat them twice tonight.  The Seminoles lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer to the Blue Devils on Saturday, 78-80 at home.  They will suffer a hangover from that defeat against the No. 1 ranked team in the country.  I don’t expect them to show up at all tonight at Pittsburgh. 

This Florida State team has been overrated all season.  The Seminoles are just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  They have narrow home wins over Purdue (by 1) and Miami (by 6), as well as a narrow win over LSU (by 3) on a neutral.  They lost to Villanova (by 6) on a neutral, and lost by 13 at Virginia.  They are 0-2 ATS in their two true road games this season. 

Conversely, Pitt has been underrated all season and remains underrated tonight.  The Panthers are 11-5 SU & 11-4 ATS this season.  They upset Louisville at home and only lost by 6 at NC State as 11-point dogs in their last two ACC games coming in.  Jeff Capel is doing a tremendous job in his first season on the job in returning the Panthers to relevance. 

Pitt is 8-2 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  Florida State is 0-8 ATS as a road favorite or PK over the last three seasons.  The Seminoles are actually losing by 5.5 points per game in this spot.  The Seminoles are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 ACC games.  The Panthers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss.  The Panthers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with Pittsburgh Monday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Indiana -2 

The Indiana Hoosiers come in highly motivated for a victory tonight off back-to-back tough road losses at Michigan and at Maryland, two of the best teams in the Big Ten.  They should be able to get back in the win column at home tonight against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

The magic in Bloomington is back under Archie Miller.  The Hoosiers have gone 10-0 at home this season, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 21.9 points per game.  They have beaten the likes of Marquette, Northwestern, Louisville and Illinois at home this season. 

The secret is out on Nebraska.  They were covering machines last year, and they opened this season as covering machines again by going 9-2-1 ATS in their first 12 lined games.  But they have been getting too much respect from the books of late now, going 0-2-1 ATS in their last three games.  They lost at Maryland by  2 as 2-point dogs, lost at Iowa by 9 as 2-point favorites, and failed to cover as 10.5-point favorites in a 6-point home win over lowly Penn State.  The Huskers are 1-3 in true road games this season with their only win coming by 2 points over Clemson. 

Indiana is 6-0 ATS at home when playing against a team with a winning record after 15-plus games over the last two seasons.  The Hoosiers are 8-1 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  Indiana is 7-0 ATS in home games off three consecutive conference games over the last two seasons.  The Hoosiers are 6-0 ATS off a road loss to a conference foe over the last two years.  These four trends combine for a 27-1 system backing the Hoosiers tonight.  Bet Indiana Monday. 

20* Northwestern/Michigan Big Ten No-Brainer on Northwestern +12.5 

I love the situation for the Northwestern Wildcats tonight.  They will be out for revenge from their 60-62 home loss to Michigan as 5-point underdogs back on December 4th.  Now they are catching a whopping 12.5 points on the road in the rematch. 

Michigan could not possibly be more overvalued right now.  It is one of two remaining unbeaten teams at 16-0 alongside Virginia.  With that perfect record comes expectations from oddsmakers that are very hard to live up to.  The Wolverines had failed to cover five straight prior to three straight covers, but those three have come by a combined 5.5 points, so they’ve been very fortunate. 

This series has been a nail biter in recent meetings.  Indeed, each of the last eight meetings have been decided by 11 points or fewer, making for a perfect 8-0 system pertaining to this 12.5-point spread.  Five of those eight were decided by 4 points or less, and two went into overtime. 

Plays on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points (Northwestern) - off an upset loss to a conference opponent as a home favorite against a team that’s off a road win against a conference opponent are 48-19 (71.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet Northwestern Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Atlanta Hawks +10 

The Atlanta Hawks want to avenge one of their worst losses of the season to the Milwaukee Bucks just over a week ago.  They lost 112-144 at Milwaukee as 13.5-point dogs on January 4th.  Now they are catching 10 points at home in the rematch, and I expect a much better effort from them. 

The Hawks have played a lot better since that defeat.  They are 2-2 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  They blasted the Heat 106-82 as 6.5-point home dogs in their only home game during this stretch.  They only lost by 3 at Toronto as 13.5-point dogs, and upset the 76ers by 2 as 10.5-point road dogs.  Their only non-cover came on the 2nd of a back-to-back. 

The Bucks are dealing with a ton of injuries right now.  Giannis missed last game with a hip injury, and although he’s supposed to return tonight, I expect the Bucks to be cautious with him.  Eric Bledsoe is dealing with a hamstring injury.  The Hawks get Taurean Prince back from injury and Jeremy Lin is probable as well.  Prince (15.0 PPG) has missed the last 18 games with an ankle injury. 

Milwaukee is 1-11 ATS vs. teams who allow 110-plus points per game in the 2nd half of the season over the last three seasons.  The Bucks are 25-48 ATS in their last 73 games as a favorite of 10 or more points.  Plays on underdogs (Atlanta) - revenging a same-season loss, off a huge upset win as a road dog of 10 points or more are 24-5 (82.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Hawks Sunday. 

15* NBA Saturday Late-Night BAILOUT on Sacramento Kings -5 

The Sacramento Kings are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  They enter play Saturday at 21-21 and in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference.  Even when they lose games, they are competitive now. 

That’s evident by the fact that their last six losses have all come by single-digits, and they have come against the likes of the Clippers, Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets, Warriors and Suns.  Five of those six teams are playoff squads in the Western Conference.  They had a chance to win all six of those games in the closing minutes. 

The Charlotte Hornets are really struggling right now.  They are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  They are coming off a 96-127 loss in Portland last night, making this the 2nd of a back-to-back for them.  They are now just 1-6 SU & 1-6 ATS in their last six road games, losing four times by 13 points or more.  They will now be playing their 5th consecutive road game as they continue this brutal six-game trip. 

The Kings will certainly test the Hornets’ tired legs as they play at the 2nd-fastest pace in the NBA.  The Hornets are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Charlotte is 6-21-1 ATS in its last 28 games following a loss by more than 10 points.  The Kings are 22-6 ATS in their last 28 vs. Eastern Conference opponents, including a perfect 11-0 ATS in their last 11 vs. NBA Southeast Division foes. Roll with the Kings Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on New Orleans Pelicans +2 

This is a very tough spot for the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after their home loss to the Dallas Mavericks last night.  And now they have to play the Pelicans, who will test their tired legs as they play at the 6th-fastest pace in the NBA. 

That pace has gotten even faster since getting starting PG Elfrid Payton back from injury.  The Pelicans also get Nikola Mirotic back from injury, and now they are as healthy as they’ve been all season.  This is going to be a dangerous team moving forward, and that has already started to show as the Pelicans are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall with wins by 35, 19 and 16 points. 

The Pelicans, conversely, are well-rested and ready to go tonight.  They will be playing on two days’ rest, and this will also be just their 4th game in 10 days.  It will be the 8th game in 14 days for the Timberwolves for comparison’s sake, so it’s easy to see them starting to wear down now. 

New Orleans is 27-13 ATS off two or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games when playing on two days rest.  New Orleans is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games following a win by more than 10 points.  The Timberwolves are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games playing on zero rest.  Roll with the Pelicans Saturday. 

20* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Georgia Tech +10 

I think Syracuse is starting to become overvalued after going 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  Those four wins came against Arkansas State, St. Bonaventure, Notre Dame and Clemson.  All four of those teams are down this season from previous years.  It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Orange. 

I just don’t like the spot for Syracuse.  In the back of their minds, they know they have their biggest game of the season on deck at Duke on Monday night.  I can’t help but think they are going to be looking ahead to that huge showdown. 

Georgia Tech has been impressive this season, especially of late.  They are 4-0 ATS in all road games this season, only losing by 13 at Tennessee as 15.5-point dogs, losing by 6 at Northwestern as 8-point dogs, winning at Arkansas outright by 4 as 9-point dogs, and only losing to St. John’s by 3 as 3.5-point dogs on a neutral.  They also only lost by 3 to Virginia Tech as 7-point home dogs last time out.  They’ve shown they can hang with some of the best teams in the country, and Syracuse certainly is just mediocre. 

Georgia Tech clearly causes Syracuse trouble as evidenced by their dominance against the spread in this series.  Indeed, the Yellow Jackets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings with Syracuse with three outright upsets.  Georgia Tech is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games following a loss.  The Yellow Jackets are 40-18-1 ATS in their last 59 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Syracuse is 0-6 ATS off four or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  Roll with Georgia Tech Saturday. 

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on Davidson -2.5 

The Davidson Wildcats are loaded once again this season.  They are off to an 11-4 start with their only losses all coming on the road to Purdue, Temple, Wake Forest and UNC.  But they have handled their business at home and have one of the best home-court advantages in the country. 

The Wildcats are 7-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents by 15.4 points per game on the season.  VCU is 1-2 in true road games this season and will have its hands full here against the Wildcats.  I think Davidson is showing tremendous value as only 2.5-point home favorites today in a game they basically just have to win to cover. 

VCU comes in getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers for its four-game winning streak and identical 11-4 record.  But those four wins have come against Wichita State, Rider, Fordham and La Salle, not exactly a gauntlet.  This will be one for their stiffest tests of the season here Saturday. 

Davidson is 9-1 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last two seasons.  The Wildcats are 70-38 ATS in their last 108 games when the line is +3 to -3.  Davidson is 6-0 ATS in home games off two or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons, winning by 21.3 points per game on average.  The Wildcats are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 vs. Atlantic 10 opponents.  Take Davidson Saturday. 

20* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Oklahoma -3.5 

Oklahoma comes into this game highly motivated for a victory after losing two of its last three coming in.  Those losses were understandable as they both came on the road against arguably the two best teams in the Big 12 in Kansas (by 7) and Texas Tech (by 7).  They were in both of those games in the closing seconds with a chance to win. 

Oklahoma is a perfect 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by a whopping 15.5 points per game.  They have beaten Oklahoma State by 10, Creighton by 13, USC by 11 and Wichita State by 32 at home.  They also beat Wofford by 11 and North Texas by 16, two small conference schools that are actually very good.  So they’ve beaten all six opponents by double-digits at home this year. 

What really stands out to me about his game is that Oklahoma has played the 2nd-toughest schedule in the country, while TCU has only played the 130th-toughest.  So I think TCU is being overvalued due to its 12-2 record, but they’ve only played two true road games, winning a close one at SMU and losing by 9 at Kansas.  Oklahoma also gets an extra day to prepare after playing on Tuesday, while TCU played Kansas on Wednesday.  And after facing the Jayhawks and losing to them on the road, this easily could be a hangover spot for the Horned Frogs. 

Oklahoma is 7-0 SU in its last seven home meetings with TCU, winning those seven games by 15 points per game on average.  All seven wins have come by at least 5 points.  The Sooners are 9-0 ATS as favorites this season.  Oklahoma is 10-1 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  The Sooners are 12-2-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  Take Oklahoma Saturday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Texas +1 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are now getting way too much respect from oddsmakers after their 14-1 start to the season.  It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Red Raiders as they are now road favorites at Texas when they shouldn’t be Saturday. 

Texas Tech has opened 3-0 in Big 12 play, but all three games weren’t decided until the final seconds.  They won by 3 at West Virginia as 4.5-point favorites, won by 6 over Kansas State as 11.5-point favorites, and won by 7 at home over Oklahoma as 7-point favorites in a game they were never even close to covering until the final seconds.  And being overvalued has shown as the Red Raiders are just 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games overall. 

Texas will come into this game highly motivated for a victory after an upset loss at Oklahoma State last time out.  That followed up two solid performances to open Big 12 play with a 20-point win at Kansas State and a 7-point home win over West Virginia.  Now the Longhorns are back home here where they simply don’t lose to Texas Tech. 

Indeed, Texas is 21-0 SU in its last 21 home meetings with Texas Tech dating back to 1992, which is as far back as I could find.  So the streak could be even longer.  But we’ll use that streak for betting and package purposes today.  Simply put, the Longhorns should not be underdogs in this matchup.  Bet Texas Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on West Virginia -5.5 

The West Virginia Mountaineers come into this game against Oklahoma State Saturday highly motivated for a victory.  They have opened 0-3 in Big 12 play, but could easily be 3-0 as their three losses have come by 3 to Texas Tech, by 7 at Texas and by 2 at Kansas State.  They finally get a team they can handle here in Oklahoma State. 

Indeed, the Cowboys are the worst team in the Big 12, period.  They are just 7-8 this season with very few quality wins other than their upset home victory over Texas last week.  I think they will be feeling fat and happy after winning their first Big 12 game in upset fashion.  The Mountaineers will clearly want this game more, and this is a scary team when they are motivated. 

Plays on home teams (WVU) - off a cover where they lost straight up as an underdog, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a losing team are 46-18 (71.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

The Cowboys are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Oklahoma State is 0-4 ATS in its last four games following a win.  West Virginia is 7-3-1 ATS in its last 11 games following a loss.  The Mountaineers are 5-1 ATS in their last six Big 12 games.  Bet West Virginia Saturday. 

15* Purdue/Wisconsin Big Ten No-Brainer on Wisconsin -2.5 

I believe we are getting the Wisconsin Badgers at a very cheap price Friday night at home against the Purdue Boilermakers.  The Badgers are a veteran team that returned five starters this season, while the Boilermakers are in rebuilding mode with just one returning starters. 

That has come to fruition as the Badgers are 11-4 this season.  Their four losses have come to Marquette, Virginia, Minnesota and Western Kentucky with three of those on the road.  They’ve also beaten Penn State by 21 on the road, Iowa by 6 on the road, Oklahoma by 20 on the road, Xavier by 9 on the road, and NC State by 4 at home.  They have been through the gauntlet. 

Purdue is just 9-6 this season, and its inexperience is starting to show.  It is really showing on the road as the Boilermakers are 0-4 SU & 1-3 ATS in true road games this season.  They have also lost to Virginia Tech and Notre Dame on a neutral. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series recently as the home team is 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Wisconsin upset Purdue 57-53 at home as 11-point dogs last season.  The Badgers are 8-1 ATS off four straight games committing 11 or fewer turnovers over the last two seasons.  Wisconsin is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 vs. Big Ten opponents.  Purdue is 7-18-1 ATS in its last 26 vs. Big Ten foes.  Roll with Wisconsin Friday. 

15* NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Minnesota Timberwolves -4.5 

Two teams with huge home/road splits square off in Minnesota tonight.  The Timberwolves have certainly been taking care of their home court this season, going 14-6 SU & 13-7 ATS in Minnesota.  Dallas has been awful on the road, going 3-18 SU. 

The Timberwolves are playing some great basketball coming into this game.  They are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall, winning by 17 over Orlando and by 22 over the Lakers, both at home.  They also went on the road and upset the Thunder as 8.5-point dogs.  Yet, they continue getting no respect from oddsmakers here as only 4.5-point home favorites. 

The Mavericks are not playing well, going 1-3 SU & 1-3 ATS in their last four games with their only win coming at home against Phoenix, which has the worst record in the Western Conference.  They lost by 21 at Boston and by 10 at home to the Lakers.  They were down 15-plus in the 4th quarter against the 76ers but only lost by 6.  The Mavs are just 4-11 SU in their last 15 games overall. 

Minnesota is a perfect 10-0 ATS in January home games over the last two seasons.  They are outscoring the opposition by a whopping 16.6 points pre game in these January home games.  The favorite is 17-5 ATS in the last 22 meetings.  The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Take the Timberwolves Friday. 

20* Pacers/Knicks ESPN No-Brainer on New York +9 

The Knicks have already lost twice to the Pacers this season, so they’ll be playing with double revenge.  They lost by 6 at home and by 11 on the road, so they were competitive in both games.  And now they are catching 9 points at home tonight, which is simply too much. 

The Knicks should be motivated not only for revenge, but also because this is a National TV game on ESPN, and they are rarely on National TV.  They also come in on two days’ rest, so they will be fresh and ready to go.  I expect one of their best efforts of the season tonight. 

The Pacers will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days.  They will also be playing their 5th straight road game, and in their 5th different city in 8 days.  It’s a brutal scheduling spot for them.  It’s worth noting that two of their best players are questionable to play tonight in Myles Turner (shoulder) and Darren Collison (leg). 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings.  The Knicks are 3-1 SU in their last four home meetings with the Pacers with their only loss coming by 6 points.  The home team is 20-7 ATS in the last 27 meetings, and Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last five trips to New York.  The Pacers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.  New York is 36-17 ATS in its last 54 Friday games.  Bet the Knicks Friday. 

15* Pistons/Kings NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Sacramento -5 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Sacramento Kings tonight.  They have gone just 2-6 SU & 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall.  But all six losses came by single-digits as they were in every game with a chance to win in the 4th quarter.  And five of the losses have come against playoff teams in the Clippers, Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets and Warriors. 

Now the Kings get a team they can handle tonight in the Detroit Pistons, who are 4-15 SU & 5-13-1 ATS in their last 19 games overall.  It’s a tired Detroit team that will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 10 days after a 100-113 road loss to the Lebron-less Lakers last night.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Kings, who play at the 2nd-fastest pace in the NBA and will test their tired legs tonight. 

Sacramento is 15-6 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5 this season.  The Kings are 12-4 ATS vs. a team with a losing record this season.  Sacramento is 21-6 ATS in its last 27 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  The Pistons are 0-6 ATS in their last six after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.  Detroit is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games.  Roll with the Kings Thursday. 

15* Clippers/Nuggets Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Los Angeles +6 

As long as Lou Williams has been healthy and in the lineup, the Clippers have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season.  They got off to the best record in the West after about a month with him, then he got hurt and they struggled for a few weeks.  But he returned from injury, and the Clippers have gone 7-3 SU & 8-2 ATS in their 10 games since.  Each of their last six wins have come by 9 points or more. 

The Denver Nuggets are starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers.  They have simply been fortunate in close games this season, which is why they are 27-12.  They are only outscoring the opposition by 5.0 points per game on the season.  It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Nuggets while they have the best record in the Western Conference.  They have gone just 3-6 ATS in their last nine games overall as they haven’t been able to meet the massive expectations they’ve set for themselves. 

The Clippers are 12-3 ATS off a blowout win by 15 points or more over the last two seasons.  Los Angeles is 8-0 ATS in its last eight when its opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.  The Nuggets are 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. Western Conference opponents.  Take the Clippers Thursday.

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Illinois +9.5 

The Illinois Fighting Illini will relish the opportunity to face the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines at home tonight.  It will be a great atmosphere in Champaign tonight, and I fully expect one of the best efforts of the season tonight from the Fighting Illini. 

It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Wolverines, who are one of the only remaining unbeaten teams in the country at 15-0 this season.  The betting public sees that 15-0 record and automatically bets Michigan, which forces oddsmakers to shade the line towards Michigan.  We saw 15-0 Houston lose last night, and don’t be surprised if 15-0 Michigan goes down tonight.  But we don’t even need Illinois to win, we just need them to stay within 9.5 points. 

I’ve been impressed with Illinois in its last two Big Ten games coming in.  They only lost by 8 as 11-point dogs at Indiana, and by 2 as 7.5-point dogs at Northwestern.  Well, Michigan only won by 2 as 5-point favorites at Northwestern.  And the Wolverines have only played two true road games this season.  The odds are starting to catch up with the Wolverines as they are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall, with their two covers coming by just 2 points each. 

The betting public wants nothing to do with this 4-11 Illinois team, which is why it’s time to ‘buy low’ on them.  But they have faced a brutal schedule with nine of their 15 games on the road.  They are 4-2 at home this season with their two losses coming by 8 and 2 points.  They have beaten Evansville by 39 as 16-point favorites and E. Tennessee State by 18 as 6.5-point favorites.  They also beat UNLV at home. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 26-10-1 ATS in the last 37 meetings.  Illinois is 13-4 SU & 10-7 ATS in its last 17 home meetings with Michigan.  The Wolverines are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games off three or more consecutive home games.  Bet Illinois Thursday. 

15* AAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Tulsa +7.5 

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane just aren’t getting any respect from oddsmakers, especially when they’re at home.  The Golden Hurricane have gone 11-4 this season with all four of their losses coming on the road to Houston, Utah, Nevada and Southern Illinois.  They were competitive in all but one of those games, too. 

Tulsa is a perfect 9-0 at home this season.  They have upset home wins over both Oklahoma State as 2-point dogs and Kansas State as 6.5-point dogs, two Power 5 teams from the Big 12.  And now they will give Cincinnati a run for its money tonight. 

The Bearcats aren’t nearly as strong as they have been in years’ past.  They have gone just 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in true road games this season with their only win coming 65-61 as 7-point favorites at UNLV, failing to cover.  They also lost 59-70 as 2.5-point dogs at Mississippi State and 71-73 as 17.5-point favorites in a shocking upset loss at East Carolina.  This team clearly has some problems on the road. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Tulsa only lost 55-57 as 9.5-point dogs and won 70-68 as 1.5-point favorites in its last two home meetings with Cincinnati.  And this is the best Tulsa team that head coach Frank Haith has had yet, while it’s one of the worst Cincinnati teams that had coach Mick Cronin has had in recent memory. 

Tulsa is 9-1 ATS in home games vs. teams who are called for 17 or fewer fouls per game over the last three seasons.  The Golden Hurricane are 21-9 ATS off a home win over the last three seasons.  Tulsa is 19-9 ATS when playing only its 2nd game in 8 days over the last three years.  The Bearcats are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Take Tulsa Thursday. 

15* NBA Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Chicago Bulls +9.5 

The Bulls are as healthy as they’ve been at any point this season.  It’s no surprise that they are starting to cover some spreads and be more competitive.  Indeed, the Bulls are 5-3 ATS in their last eight games overall coming into this showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.  They are well-rested and ready to go playing on two days’ rest as well. 

The Bulls have been doing their best work on the road of late.  Chicago is 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.  That includes outright upsets at San Antonio 98-93 as 9-point dogs, at Cleveland 112-92 as 1-point dogs and at Washington 101-92 as 4.5-point dogs.  They also gave the Raptors are run for their money in a 89-95 loss at 10.5-point dogs. 

Portland will be playing its 4th game in 6 days tonight.  The Blazers are starting to get bored playing five of their last six games at home.  They failed to cover as 11.5-point favorites against the Knicks in their last home game, and I think they won’t be exactly excited to play the Bulls tonight, either. 

Chicago is 13-3 ATS in road games with a total of 200 to 209.5 over the last two seasons.  The Bulls are 19-8 ATS in road games when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days over the last three years.  The Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings. 

Plays against home favorites (Portland) - who score 102 or more points pre game against a team that scores 98-102 PPG, after scoring 110 points or more in two straight games are 71-34 (67.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Bulls Wednesday. 

15* TCU/Kansas ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Kansas -5 

It’s safe to say the Kansas Jayhawks will be highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They are coming off just their second loss of the season, and one of their worst losses in recent memory.  They lost 60-77 at Iowa State over the weekend and committed a season-high 24 turnovers to basically give the game away. 

“The thing that is good about getting beat rather than getting edged,” said Kansas head coach Bill Self, “is it’s very evident we have deficiencies and they need to be worked on.”  It’s also safe to say the Jayhawks will have had a couple of very productive practices Monday and Tuesday leading up to this game. 

TCU is overvalued right now due to its 12-1 start this season and the fact that the Horned Frogs have covered eight of their last nine spreads coming in.  To only be catching 5 points at Kansas is showing how much respect the Horned Frogs are getting right now.  And they have feasted on a very weak schedule with only one true road game thus far, and even their neutral court games have been against soft competition. 

Kansas has already been through the gauntlet and is battle-tested heading into the Big 12.  Sagarin has Kansas as playing the toughest schedule in the country thus far.  They have already faced the likes of Michigan State, Marquette, Tennessee, Villanova, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Iowa State. 

TCU has played the 151st-ranked schedule.  They have only faced one team in the Top 50, while Kansas has already faced six teams in the Top 25 of Sagarin’s ratings, going 5-1 against them.  KenPom has Kansas as playing the 3rd-toughest schedule, with TCU 186th.  So both show Kansas with a massive advantage in strength of schedule thus far. 

Kansas is 14-3 ATS off two or more consecutive ATS losses over the last three seasons.  The Jayhawks are 41-24 ATS in their last 65 games following a road loss.  Self is 14-3 ATS in home games after scoring 60 points or less in all games he has coached.  The Jayhawks are 34-16-3 ATS in their last 53 games following a loss.  Take Kansas Wednesday. 

20* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Ohio State -5

The Ohio State Buckeyes should come back highly motivated for a victory tonight after blowing a big lead against Michigan State at home over the weekend.  Head coach Chris Holtmann was not happy with their effort in the second half, and I expect his players to respond in a big way tonight. 

“We’re certainly not there yet,” Holtmann said afterward. “You let a team shoot 76 percent on your home floor and score 50 points in the second half, then you’ve got a long ways to go.  That’s a fact for us.” 

Now the Buckeyes get to take out their frustration on Big Ten bottom feeder Rutgers tonight.  The Scarlet Knights have lost five of their past seven games overall with their only two wins coming at home against Maine and Columbia.  They lost by 11 at home to Michigan State and by 14 at home to Maryland, and they only beat Columbia by 3 as 11-point favorites. 

Ohio State certainly did not take Rutgers lightly in their two meetings last season.  The Buckeyes won 68-46 as basically identical 6-point road favorites last year.  And they came back and won 79-52 as 14.5-point home favorites in their second meeting.  Given those two results, and the fact that Ohio State is every bit as good as it was a year ago, the Buckeyes should have no problem covering this generous 5.5-point spread tonight. 

Rutgers is 3-11 ATS in home games after having lost four or five of their last six games over the past three seasons.  Hortmann is 13-3 ATS in road games in all games he has coached at Ohio State.  Holtmann is 12-2 ATS after playing a game as an underdog at Ohio State.  The Scarlet Knights are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.  Bet Ohio State Wednesday. 

20* UNC/NC State ESPN No-Brainer on NC State -1 

What more does NC State have to do to start getting some respect from the books? Until they do, I’m going to continue to ride them as they’ve treated me very well this season.  The Wolfpack returned three starters from last year, and underrated head coach Kevin Keatts brought in some great transfers that are really paying dividends this season. 

Indeed, the Wolfpack are 13-1 SU this season.  Their only loss came on the road at Wisconsin 75-79 as 6-point dogs.  And you know this team is underrated when you consider they have gone 11-3 ATS this season.  They are elite offensively, scoring 89.2 points per game on 52.1% shooting, including 40.9% from 3-point range.  And they are very good defensively as well, holding opponents to 66.0 points and 42.4% shooting.  They are outscoring the opposition by 23.2 points per game on average this year, including 29.8 points per game at home where they are 10-0. 

North Carolina is 3-2 in true road games this season.  They beat Wofford Elon and Pitt, but lost to the two best teams they’ve faced on the road in Michigan (67-84) and Kentucky (72-80).  I strongly believe that NC State is one of the best teams in the country and as good as both Michigan and Kentucky, or close to them.  That will show on the court tonight. 

NC State is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games overall.  The Wolfpack are 5-0 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  It's worth noting the Wolfpack get four days to prepare for UNC, while the Tar Heels only get two days to prepare after playing on Saturday.  That's a nice advantage for the home team here that will pay off.  Take NC State Tuesday. 

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Southern Illinois -1 

The Southern Illinois Salukis are one of the best teams in the MVC.  They returned all five starters this season.  The problem is, they lost one of their key starters to a suspension after seven games.  Armon Fletcher (11.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG) has missed the last eight games because of the suspension, but he makes his return tonight. 

The loss of Fletcher was huge as he shoots 58% from the floor and 47.8% from 3-point range.  They went 5-2 with him in the first seven games with one of their only losses coming 59-71 at Kentucky as 18.5-point dogs.  They have gone just 4-4 without him.  They’ve managed to open 2-0 in MVC play without him with wins against Missouri State and Northern Iowa.  And they’ll be a dangerous team moving forward with him now. 

Conversely, Drake just lost its best player to a season-ending injury in the MVC opener against Evansville.  The Bulldogs were upset by Evansville 77-82 on the road, and they also lost 74-85 to Loyola-Chicago at home in their first full game without him.  PG Nick Norton (14.0 PPG, 5.9 APG, 40% 3-pointers) is irreplaceable.  He has a triple-double this season and had 17 assists in one game.  He was the leader of this team, and he’ll be missed greatly moving forward. 

Southern Illinois has actually played its best basketball on the road this season, going a perfect 6-0 ATS with its only straight up losses coming to Kentucky by 12 as 18.5-point dogs and Buffalo by 8 as 13-point dogs, which are two of the better teams in the country.  I think being a veteran team with five returning starters is the reason the Salukis have had so much success on the road this year.  They improve to 7-0 ATS in road games with a win and cover tonight.  Roll with Southern Illinois Tuesday. 

20* NBA Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Miami Heat -1 

The Miami Heat are coming off one of their worst losses of the season.  They lost 82-106 at Atlanta as 6.5-point favorites on Sunday.  It’s safe to say that the Heat will come back highly motivated for a victory tonight at home against the Denver Nuggets. 

It was clearly an aberration for the Heat, who have been playing great basketball for weeks.  Indeed, the Heat are 12-6 SU & 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 games overall.  And the Heat have owned tonight’s opponent, the Denver Nuggets, in recent meetings.  They are 5-2 SU & 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Nuggets. 

Denver is in an awful spot here tonight.  The Nuggets will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 5th game in 8 days here.  They will also be playing in their 4th different city in six days.  Now they’re up against a rested Heat team that will be playing only their 4th game in 9 days.  The Nuggets won’t have much left in the tank off their 113-125 shootout loss in Houston last night. 

Miami is 11-2 ATS vs. poor pressure defensive teams that force 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season.  Denver is 0-7 ATS after allowing 115 points or more this season.  The Nuggets are 1-9 ATS after scoring 110 points or more in three straight games this season.  The Nuggets are 0-8 ATS off a combined score of 235 points or more this season.  Bet the Heat Tuesday.

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Missouri +8 

The No. 3 ranked Tennessee Vols are one of the best teams in the country, no question.  But they are getting a ton of respect from oddsmakers now and it’s time to ’sell high’ on them, especially off their 96-50 home win over Georgia on Saturday.  They will have had just two days to get ready for Missouri now. 

Meanwhile, Missouri has been off since December 29th, getting plenty of time to game plan for Tennessee.  That’s a huge advantage for them.  The Tigers should be highly motivated for a victory in their SEC opener tonight at home. 

This is a Missouri team that has been grossly underrated of late, and has won me a couple bets in the process.  They have gone 6-0 SU & 4-0-2 ATS in their last six games overall.  I won with them as 2-point home dogs in their 71-56 win over Xavier.  I also won with them as a pick ‘em in their 79-63 win over Illinois on a neutral during this stretch.  Now they put their name on the map here by giving Tennessee a run for its money. 

Missouri is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games as a home dog of 6.5 to 9 points.  Tennessee is 1-8 ATS after two straight games where they made 78% of their free throws or better over the last two seasons.  The Vols are 26-44 ATS in their last 70 road games off four consecutive wins.  The Tigers are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six home games.  The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Take Missouri Tuesday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Minnesota -1.5 

The Minnesota Golden Gophers should be bigger favorites at home over the Maryland Terrapins tonight.  This is one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten as the Gophers returned five starters from last year and a ton of experience. 

It has led to a 12-2 start for the Gophers, whose two losses both came on the road at Ohio State and Boston College.  They have also beaten both Wisconsin and Washington on the road, as well as Nebraska and Oklahoma State at home.  And they should be able to handle Maryland at home tonight. 

The Terrapins are also a quality team at 12-3 this season, but they’ve done most of their damage at home.  They have only played three true road games this season, losing at Purdue and winning at Rutgers and Navy. This will be their stiffest road test yet as I believe Minnesota is one of the best teams in the Big Ten this year, but they’re not being treated like it by oddsmakers. 

Minnesota is 8-0 SU at home this season and basically just needs to win this game to cover the 1.5-point spread.  Mark Turgeon is 9-18 ATS off a win by 10 points or more against a conference opponent as the coach of Maryland.  The Terrapins are getting way too much respect from the books tonight.  Bet Minnesota Tuesday. 

15* NBA Monday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Sacramento Kings -5 

The Sacramento Kings will be highly motivated for a victory at home Monday night.  They have lost four straight coming in, but all four losses came by 7 points or less to the Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets and Warriors, four playoff teams in the Western Conference.  I expect them to take out their frustrations on the lowly Magic tonight. 

This is a bad spot for the Magic, who will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 9 days, which is one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  This is a Magic team that is 1-5 SU & 1-5 ATS in its last six road games with all five losses coming by 10 points or more.  They have no depth, so this back-to-back really hurt them. 

Making matters worse for the Magic is that their conditioning will really be tested against a Kings team that ranks 2nd in the NBA in pace at 106.3 possessions per game.  The Magic are 26th in pace at 100 possessions per game.  Sacramento will control the tempo playing at home, and Orlando won’t be able to keep up. 

The Kings have owned the Magic, going 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Sacramento is also 20-6 ATS in its last 26 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  The Kings are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. NBA Southeast Division foes.  Take the Kings Monday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on New Orleans Pelicans -5.5 

The Pelicans took out a few weeks’ worth of frustration with their 133-98 win over the Cavaliers on Saturday.  And now they look to put a winning streak together here for the first time since mid-December.  It’s time for them to turn the corner now that they are healthier than they’ve been in quite some time.  They will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days, while the Grizzlies will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days. 

The Pelicans should have their way with a Grizzlies team that is really struggling right now.  The Grizzlies are just 2-10 SU & 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  Yet they continue getting a ton of respect from oddsmakers. The Grizzlies have been held to less than 100 points in 11 of their last 17 games, and 107 or fewer in 20 straight.   

The Grizzlies just can’t score the ball, and that’s a tough way to win in today’s NBA.  There has been some infighting as well as the Grizzlies called a players’ only meeting following their 94-101 home loss to Detroit as 6.5-point favorites.  They proceeded to lose their next two games 100-109 as 4-point home favorites against Brooklyn, and 88-108 as 8.5-point road dogs at San Antonio.  Clearly, the players’ only meeting only made things worse. 

Memphis is 0-9 ATS after trailing its previous game by 20 or more points at the half over the last two seasons.  As stated before, the Grizzlies are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  Bet the Pelicans Monday.

20* Miami/Louisville ACC No-Brainer on Louisville -6 

The Louisville Cardinals have faced a brutal schedule this season and have managed a 9-4 record in Chris Mack’s first year on the job.  Their four losses have come to Tennessee, Marquette, Indiana and Kentucky with three of those on the road.  They have also beaten Michigan State, so it’s safe to say they are battle-tested heading into ACC play. 

Now the Cardinals will be highly motivated for a win in their ACC opener Sunday against one of the worst teams in the ACC in Miami.  And the Cardinals have been great at home this season, going 8-1 while outscoring their opponents by 16.3 points per game on average.  Their only home loss came to Kentucky. 

Miami just isn’t that good this season, as evidenced by their 8-5 record and 4-9 ATS mark.  The Hurricanes have losses to Yale, Rutgers and Pennsylvania.  They have only played one true road game this season, and that was their 75-89 loss at Pennsylvania as 5.5-point favorites.  They also have some concerning wins as they beat Bethune-Cookman by 8 as 27-point home favorites, Houston Baptist by 7 as 20.5-point home favorites and Campbell by 11 as 19-point home favorites. 

Miami is 1-8 ATS vs. good teams that outscore their opponents by 4-plus points per game this season.  The Hurricanes are 1-7 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 77-plus points per game this year.  Miami is 7-20 ATS in its last 27 games overall.  The Hurricanes are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. ACC opponents.  The Cardinals are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  Louisville is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games following a double-digit home loss.  Bet Louisville Sunday. 

20* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Los Angeles Clippers -6.5 

The Los Angeles Clippers are back healthy and playing like they did to start the season where they at one point at had the best record in the Western Conference.  The Clippers are 5-3 SU & 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall.  They should handle the Magic with ease today at home. 

The Magic will have spent last night in Los Angeles, which is always a scary proposition.  Chances are they stayed out late and won’t be feeling 100% for this 12:35 Pacific tip.  The Magic have lost four of their last five road games by double-digits, losing by 25 at Dallas, by 10 at Chicago, by 25 at Charlotte and by 17 at Minnesota. 

The Clippers have owned the Magic in recent meetings, including their 120-95 road win as 3.5-point favorites in their first meeting this season.  The Clippers have now won 10 straight meetings with the Magic by an average of 13.6 points per game. 

The Magic are 1-5 ATS in their last six vs. Western Conference opponents.  The Clippers are 6-0 ATS in their last six when their opponent scores more than 100 points in their previous game.  The favorite is 21-5-2 ATS in the last 28 meetings.  Bet the Clippers Sunday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Portland Trail Blazers +1 

I realize the Blazers are playing the second of a back-to-back here.  But they’ll be motivated after blowing a lead to the Thunder and losing 109-111.  And I don’t worry about back-to-backs with this team as much because they have one of the best benches in the NBA.  I think they can overcome the situation considering it’s an even worse spot for the Rockets. 

Indeed, the Rockets are coming off a huge, emotional win over the Warriors on a last-second 3-pointer from James Harden in OT.  They wanted revenge on the Warriors from losing in seven games to them in the Western Conference Finals last year, and they got it.  Now I fully expect them to suffer a letdown here in this clear hangover spot for them against the Blazers tonight. 

James harden has to be running on fumes right now.  He’s being asked to do so much for this team with both Chris Paul and Eric Gordon out.  And backups PG Austin Rivers is questionable tonight with a neck injury as well.  Sooner rather than later, these injuries are going to catch up to this team, and I think it’s tonight. 

Houston is 1-8 ATS in road games after playing its last game on the road this season.  The Rockets are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.  Portland is 29-14 ATS in its last 43 home games.  I don’t expect the Rockets to show up at all tonight.  Bet the Blazers Saturday. 

20* Kansas/Iowa State Big 12 No-Brainer on Iowa State -1 

The Iowa State Cyclones have one of the best home-court advantages in the country at Hilton Coliseum.  And they clearly aren’t afraid of Kansas, having gone 5-5 SU & 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings with them.   

There’s a reason Iowa State is favored here despite being unranked with Kansas being the No. 6 team in the country.  Kansas is clearly overrated as they are 12-1, but seven of their wins have come by single-digits.  They aren’t blowing teams out, and they have been fortunate in close games.  Kansas has only played one true road game this season at Arizona State, and that was their only loss this season by a final of 76-80. 

Iowa State has done a good job of getting to 11-2 this season with all of their injuries and suspensions.  Four key players have miss significant time as Lindell Wigginton has missed 10 games, Cameron Lard has missed 7, Zoran Talley Jr. has missed 7 and Solomon Young has missed 11.  But all four are back healthy now, and this is going to be a dangerous team moving forward. 

The Cyclones are 8-2-2 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Jayhawks are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  Kansas is 1-6 ATS in its last seven Saturday games.  The Jayhawks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Cyclones are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet Iowa State Saturday. 

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Illinois State -5 

Illinois State is an experienced team that returned four starters this season.  Evansville is in rebuilding mode with just one returning starter.  But both teams sit at 7-7 on the season, so they are looked at as close to even teams.  That’s not the case at all. 

Illinois State has played the much tougher schedule this year, and they come in undervalued after losing five of their last six.  Well, those five losses have come to Ole Miss, San Diego State, Illinois-Chicago, UCF and Valpo with three of those true road games.  They also beat BYU before that, and have beaten Akron and Boise State while losing to Georgia.  Another loss came to Belmont in a true road game, which is one of the best non-power 5 teams in the country. 

Evansville has been a great home team through the years, but a terrible road team.  And that has been the case again this year.  Evansville is 0-6 in true road games this season while losing by 11.7 points per game on average. 

The Redbirds are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Illinois State is 17-7-1 ATS in its last 25 games following a loss.  The Redbirds are 6-1 ATS in their last seven vs. MVC opponents.  Now that they’re into the MVC portion of the schedule, the competition gets weaker and they will get stronger.  Take Illinois State Saturday. 

15* CBB BLOWOUT GAME OF THE DAY on TCU -7.5 

The TCU Horned Frogs are legit Big 12 title contenders this season.  They returned three starters and a ton of experience.  That has led to an 11-1 start this season.  This team continues to be grossly undervalued, as evidenced by their perfect 8-0 ATS run over their last eight games overall coming in. 

Now the Horned Frogs will be highly motivated for their home opener against Baylor, especially since they’ve been off since Christmas Day.  It’s safe to say they know Baylor inside and out having nearly two weeks to prepare for them. 

This is a rebuilding Baylor team that returned just one starter from last year.  That has been evidenced by their shaky 8-4 start to the season.  They lost to Texas Southern outright as 22-point home favorites.  They only beat Prairie View A&M by 11 as 16.5-point home favorites.  They only beat South Dakota by 6 as 14-point home favorites.  They were upset by Stephen F. Austin as 13.5-point home favorites.  Those four results alone show that they are a rebuilding team, and there have been other poor results as well. 

Baylor is 4-18 ATS in its last 22 games off a cover as a double-digit favorite.  The Bears are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a win.  Baylor is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games following an ATS win.  The Horned Frogs are 10-0-1 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win.  TCU is 6-0 ATS in its last six home games.  The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings.  The Horned Frogs are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games overall.  These last four trends combine for a perfect 31-0 system backing the Horned Frogs.  Roll with TCU Saturday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Boston College +16.5 

The No. 10 Virginia Tech Hokies are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers today as 16.5-point favorites over the Boston College Eagles.  They are getting this respect due to their Top 10 ranking, but they will be hard-pressed to put away the Eagles by this margin. 

Boston College is one of the most improved teams in the country this season. They returned four starters and are off to a 9-3 start.  Most impressively, the Eagles have played their best on the road, going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS on the highway.  They beat last year’s Final Four Cinderella in Loyola 78-66 as 4-point dogs on a neutral, handled Wyoming 88-76 as 8-point favorites on a neutral, and upset DePaul 65-62 as 4.5-point road dogs. 

Boston College has clearly played the tougher schedule of these two teams, and their three losses have all come by 7 points or fewer.  Virginia Tech lost to Penn State, and their only other decent wins have come against Washington, Notre Dame and Purdue.  But Purdue and Notre Dame are way down this year. 

I think Boston College is getting docked too much for its upset loss to Hartford last time out, but it was a clear lookahead spot with their ACC opener against the Hokies on deck.  Well, the Eagles are 21-4 ATS in their last 25 road games off an upset loss as a favorite, and 15-2 ATS in their last 17 road games off an upset loss as a home favorite.  The Eagles are 7-0 ATS in their last seven trips to Virginia Tech.  The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take Boston College Saturday. 

20* Michigan State/Ohio State Big Ten Early ANNIHILATOR on Ohio State +3 

The Ohio State Buckeyes are getting zero respect at home here today as underdogs to the Michigan State Spartans.  The Buckeyes are 12-1 this season and one of the best teams in the country.  Keep in mind they went 15-3 in the Big Ten last year as well. 

Michigan State will be without one of its best players today in Joshua Langford, who is averaging 15.0 points per game this season.  His absence is a big one as he’s one of their three best players, and it’s not being factored into this line enough. 

Home-court advantage is not being factored in enough, either.  The home team is 13-1 SU in the last 14 meetings in this series.  The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Michigan State is 1-10 ATS in road games off five or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  Bet Ohio State Saturday. 

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on New York Knicks +8.5 

The betting public wants nothing to do with the Knicks right now.  That’s because they are only 1-13 SU & 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Knicks now, which I did in their last game as they covered as 14-point dogs at Denver in a 7-point loss. 

Now the Knicks are catching 8.5 points against a Los Angeles Lakers team that is without both Lebron James and Raton Rondo, and could be without Kyle Kuzma, who left last game with a back injury and didn’t return.  It’s likely he sits this one out as well, meaning the Lakers will be without their two best players in James and Kuzma. 

Teams with Lebron James on them have now gone just 1-14 SU in the last 15 games he has missed.  The Lakers managed to blow a 4th quarter lead against the Thunder the other night as they looked lost in the final period without him.  And the Knicks are as healthy as they’ve been at any point this season.  Plus, they are rested and ready to go playing on two days’ rest. 

Los Angeles tends to play to its level of competition.  The Lakers are 2-10 ATS vs. poor teams who are outscored by 3-plus points per game this season.  The Knicks are 35-17-1 ATS in their last 53 Friday games.  Los Angeles is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 vs. Eastern Conference opponents. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (New York) - in non-conference games, off three or more consecutive road losses are 33-8 (80.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  We’re getting great value on the road dog Knicks, who will be thrilled to play in Staples Center tonight on a big stage.  Take the Knicks Friday. 

20* Thunder/Blazers ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Portland +1 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off an emotional come from behind victory over the Lebron-less Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.  Paul George was booed for not signing with the Lakers in the offseason.  And he played his heart out, as did the rest of the team, yet the Thunder still needed a big finish in the 4th to beat the Lakers without Lebron.  This is now a clear letdown spot for them. 

The Thunder now run into a buzz saw in the Blazers, who are 3-1 in their last four games with road wins over the Warriors and Kings, and a blowout home win by 36 points over the 76ers.  Their only loss came the game after they beat Golden State as the Warriors got their revenge in a home-and-home situation.  That’s understandable. 

Portland has had one of the better home-court advantages in the NBA for years, and they are consistently undervalued at home.  The Blazers are 14-6 SU & 12-8 ATS at home this year.  And the Blazers own the Thunder, going 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  They should not be home dogs to the Thunder in this matchup tonight. 

Portland is 11-1 ATS in home games after going under the total in three consecutive games over the past three seasons.  It is winning by 10.7 points per game in this spot.  The Thunder are 7-21 ATS in their last 28 vs. NBA Northwest Division opponents.  Portland is 29-13 ATS in its last 42 home games dating back to last season.  Bet the Blazers Friday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Los Angeles Clippers -4 

The Los Angeles Clippers will be highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They have lost two straight coming in to the Spurs and 76ers.  Look for them to take out their frustration on the Phoenix Suns, who have the worst record in the Western Conference at 9-30 this season. 

The Clippers have been taking out their frustrations on the Suns for years.  Indeed, the Clippers are 10-0 SU & 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  They have won those 10 games by a whopping 14.3 points per game on average, and all 10 have come by 4 points or more with eight by double-digits. 

I think this line is lower than it should be simply because the Clippers only beat the Suns 123-119 on December 10th in their last meeting.  Keep in mind the Clippers were favored by 9.5 points on the road in that game, so we’re essentially getting 5.5 points of value.  And the Clippers are now as healthy as they’ve been at any point this season. 

The Clippers are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 Friday games.  The Suns are 7-21 ATS in their last 28 vs. NBA Pacific Division opponents.  Los Angeles is 14-6 ATS as a favorite this season.  Phoenix is 1-12 ATS in Friday home games over the past two seasons, losing by 16.0 points per game on average.  Bet the Clippers Friday. 

15* NBA Friday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Orlando Magic +5.5 

The Timberwolves have some key injuries right now that are really hampering them.  Starting PG Jeff Teague (ankle) has been out for weeks and remains questionable to return tonight, backup PG Derrick Rose is doubtful with an ankle injury, and now Robert Covington just popped up with an ankle injury that will be keeping him out tonight. 

All these injuries have been taking their toll on the Timberwolves.  It’s no wonder they are just 4-9 SU & 5-8 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  These aren’t big names, so the injuries aren’t getting factored into the lines enough.  And once again the Timberwolves are getting too much respect tonight as 5.5-point favorites over the Magic. 

Orlando comes in playing very well going 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in its last four games overall.  That includes a 29-point home win over Toronto and a 28-point road win at Chicago.  Their only loss during this stretch came on the 2nd of a back-to-back at Charlotte, which is understandable.  The Magic have played their best basketball on the road this season, going 9-9 SU & 11-5-2 ATS. 

The Magic own the Timberwolves, going 7-4 SU & 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Two of those losses came in overtime.  Orlando is 7-0 ATS in road games off a road game this season.  The Magic are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games when playing on one days’ rest.  Orlando is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 trips to Minnesota.  The underdog is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Take the Magic Friday. 

15* Rockets/Warriors TNT Late-Night BAILOUT on Golden State -8 

The Houston Rockets are without both Chris Paul and Eric Gordon tonight.  They will miss both of their playmaking ability against a team the caliber of the Golden State Warriors tonight.  I don’t give the Rockets much of a chance here because James Harden is going to have to do too much, and going one-on-one against Golden State does not work. 

The Rockets are starting to get some respect from oddsmakers because they’ve been able to win without Paul recently.  They are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  But four of those five games have come at home.  The Rockets are just 8-10 SU & 7-11 ATS on the road this season. 

The Warriors are as healthy as they’ve been at any point this season, and it’s starting to show.  They got their Big 4 back and hitting on all cylinders.  They are coming off back-to-back double-digit road wins at Portland (115-105) and at Phoenix (132-109).  And now they’re rested and ready to go having two days’ rest coming in. 

Plays against underdogs (Houston) - off three or more consecutive wins, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a winning teams are 75-38 (66.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Rockets lost their final two games to the Warriors in the seven-game series last season without Paul by 29 and 9 points.  The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Take the Warriors Thursday. 

20* Raptors/Spurs TNT Thursday No-Brainer on San Antonio -1.5 

The San Antonio Spurs have been flying under the radar for weeks.  They are 10-3 SU & 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  And once again they are getting zero respect from oddsmakers tonight as only 1.5-point home favorites over the Toronto Raptors. 

It’s a Raptors team that is already without Jonas Valanciunas and could be without Kyle Lowry, who is questionable with a back injury.  Lowry has missed eight of the past nine games, and the Raptors are just 2-7 ATS without him this season. 

I think the Spurs will be extra motivated tonight, also.  They feel like they were scorned by Kawhi Leonard, and he forced his way out of San Antonio with the trade that brought DeMar DeRozan to the Alamo city.  DeRozan will also be extra motivated, and his team will have his back here. 

The Spurs are 15-5 SU & 14-6 ATS at home this season.  San Antonio is 16-4 ATS at home when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  The Spurs are 12-1 ATS in home games after covering six or seven of their last eight against the spread over the last three seasons.  The Raptors are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games.  San Antonio is 6-0 ATS in its last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Bet the Spurs Thursday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on NC State -1.5 

The NC State Wolfpack are one of the best teams in the country that nobody is talking about.  Head coach Kevin Keatts is doing a tremendous job with his three returning starters and several key transfers that are playing big roles this season.  They are scoring 89.4 points per game on 52.6% shooting this season, and giving up just 64.8 points per game on 42.1% shooting.  They shoot 41.4% from 3-point range as a team. 

The Wolfpack are off to a 12-1 start this year.  Their only loss came on the road at Wisconsin 75-79 as 6-point underdogs.  They have beaten the likes of Auburn, Penn State and Vanderbilt along the way while going 10-3 ATS in their 13 games, a sign of just how undervalued they’ve been. 

Miami is a mess.  The Hurricanes are just 8-4 SU & 4-8 ATS this season.  They have lost to Seton Hall, Rutgers, Yale and Pennsylvania.  They also have narrow wins over Bethune-Cookman (78-70) as 27-point home favorites, Fresno State (78-76) as 8-point neutral court favorites, Houston Baptist (80-73) as 20.5-point home favorites and Campbell (73-62) as 19-point favorites.  Letting those teams hang around is a sign that they just aren’t that good. 

Miami is 1-7 ATS vs. good teams who outscore their opponents by 4-plus points per game this season.  The Hurricanes are 11-29 ATS in their last 40 home games.  Miami is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 games overall.  The Hurricanes are 2-7 ATS in their last nine vs. ACC opponents.  The road team is 9-4-2 ATS in the last 15 meetings.  Roll with NC State Thursday. 

15* Thunder/Lakers ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles +6 

Lebron James is obviously worth a lot to the point spread, but not this much.  I think the books have adjusted too much.  This Lakers team still has a lot of talent without James, and they won without him pulling off the upset at home over the Kings last time out. 

Now the Lakers are rested and ready to win without him again tonight.  They will be playing on two days’ rest here after having Monday and Tuesday off.  They should be primed for a big effort against a Thunder team that will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days and their 11th game in 20 days. 

The lack of rest for the Thunder is starting to show.  They have gone just 2-3 SU & 2-3 ATS in their last five games overall.  Their only two wins came on the road at Phoenix and at home against Dallas.  They actually trailed Phoenix in the fourth quarter before pulling away late.  And the win over the Mavs was a revenge spot after losing to the Mavs the night before. 

The Lakers are 28-15 ATS after having lost two of their last three games over the past two seasons.  The Thunder are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last five games vs. a team with a winning record.  The home team is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.  Take the Lakers Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Villanova -11.5 

Oddsmakers just don’t price Villanova correctly despite winning two national championships the last three years.  It’s hard to believe, but that’s been the case.  The Wildcats are 36-16 ATS in their last 52 games overall, including 20-7 ATS in their last 27 home games.  Just this season alone, the Wildcats are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall. 

Now Villanova will be highly motivated for their conference opener tonight against DePaul.  It’s a DePaul team the Wildcats have dominated.  Indeed, Villanova is 16-0 SU in its last 16 meetings with DePaul.  In fact, The Wildcats have won 11 of their last 12 meetings with the Blue Demons by 13 or more points.  They won by 18 on the road and by 31 at home in their two meetings last year. 

DePaul has an 8-4 record thus far, but they are clearly not that good.  Their eight wins have come against Bethune-Cookman, Morgan State, PennState, Cleveland State, Florida A&M, Chicago State, Illinois-Chicago and Incarnate Word.  They have lost to the four best teams they’ve faced in Notre Dame, Northwestern, Boston College and Xavier.  They went 0-4 SU & 0-3-1 ATS against those four teams.  And now Villanova will be the best team they’ve faced yet. 

Villanova is 9-0 ATS vs. teams who shoot 45% or better and allow 42% or less over the last two seasons.  The Wildcats are 12-1 ATS vs. good rebounding teams who outrebound their opponents by 4-plus boards per game over the last two seasons.  Villanova is 8-0 ATS in its last eight home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  These three trends combine for a 29-1 system backing the Wildcats tonight.  Roll with Villanova Wednesday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on New Orleans Pelicans +1 

The New Orleans Pelicans are as healthy as they have been all season.  They’ll be a dangerous team moving forward because of it as they sit at just 17-21 and undervalued because of their record.  But that record is largely due to their lack of health. 

Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic and Elfrid Payton have all missed significant time this season.  But Davis is healthy, and Payton has only played in seven games but just recently returned.  They played great with him to start the season, and his absence has been big.  Mirotic is the only player on the injury report now. 

Speaking of injuries, the Nets have a plethora of them right now.  They have been without leading scorer Caris LeVert and have been without him for some time.  But now they are without two key role players in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (9.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG) and Allen Crabbe (9.5 PPG).  The strength of this team was their depth, but now that depth is being really tested. 

The Pelicans have owned the Nets, going 9-1 SU in the last 10 meetings.  And that’s significant because they just have to win the game to cover tonight as they are actually underdogs.  This is one of the biggest line mistakes I’ve seen this season.  Bet the Pelicans Wednesday. 

15* Missouri Valley PLAY OF THE DAY on Drake -2 

The Drake Bulldogs have been one of the most underrated teams in the country this season.  They are 11-2 SU & 10-1 ATS this season, including 5-2 SU & 6-1 ATS in all road games.  And once again they’re not getting the respect they deserve here as only 2-point favorites over Evansville. 

This is an Evansville team that returned just one starter this season and simply is not very good.  The Purple Aces are just 6-7 this season despite playing a very easy schedule.  They don’t have an impressive win yet as they were favored in five of those six victories. 

Drake is 10-0 ATS in its last 10 games overall.  It has upset wins over Boise State, North Dakota State, New Mexico State and San Diego with three of those four coming on the road.  Its two losses this season have come on the road to Colorado and Iowa State, and they played Iowa State very tough and only lost by 9 as 13.5-point dogs in a game that they actually led in the second half before the Cyclones pulled away late.  They’ll handle the Purple Aces tonight.  Take Drake. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Maryland -1 

It should be a rowdy atmosphere at Maryland tonight with No. 24 Nebraska coming to down.  And I think it’s telling that Maryland is favored in this game, as they should be despite being unranked.  They should take down the Huskers at home tonight. 

Maryland is 10-3 this season with its three losses coming to Virginia (71-76), Purdue (60-62) and Seton Hall (74-78) by a combined 11 points.  That’s how close they are to being 13-0.  And if they were, they would be a much bigger favorite tonight.  None of those were bad losses. 

Nebraska is 11-2, but it is getting too much credit for its wins over Oklahoma State and Clemson.  Both of those two teams are way down this season.  They lost to the two best teams they’ve faced in Minnesota (by 7) and Texas Tech (by 18).  And I think Maryland is close to being as good as both those teams, if not better. 

Maryland is 21-7 ATS in its last 28 home games after covering four of their last five ATS.  The Terrapins are 4-1 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning record.  The days of Nebraska being undervalued are over.  They’ve gone 34-16-1 ATS in their last 51 games overall.  The betting public has caught on by now.  Bet Maryland Wednesday. 

15* 76ers/Clippers NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -2.5 

Lou Williams returned from injury and the Clippers have been playing some great basketball since.  They have gone 4-2 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games since Williams came back.  One of those losses was a 2-point loss at Golden State as 11-point dogs.  

I expect the Clippers to be highly motivated for a win off their upset home loss to the Spurs last time out.  They should be rested and ready to go after having the last two days off.  They also have two more days off following this game, so I expect them to give max effort given that this is their only game in a five-day span. 

Meanwhile, the Clippers are in a tougher spot here playing their 4th consecutive road game.  They have a 5th tomorrow night against the Suns as well, so they’ll be looking to conserve some energy and play their starters less minutes.  They are coming off an ugly 95-125 road loss to the Blazers and are just 7-11 SU & 6-12 ATS in road games this season. 

The Clippers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Los Angeles is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 home games.  Philadelphia is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 road games.  The 76ers are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Roll with the Clippers Tuesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on New York Knicks +14 

The Knicks could not possibly be more undervalued than they are right now.  They have gone 1-12 SU & 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games overall coming in.  So we’ll ‘buy low’ on them, knowing that the betting public wants nothing to do with them.  That forces oddsmakers to set their lines higher than they should be, and we’re getting some great value on them as 14-point dogs now. 

The Nuggets have been overvalued here down the stretch.  They have gone 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall, losing by 21 to the Clippers, by 8 to the Spurs, only beating the Spurs by 3 and the Suns by 4.  And now they’re being asked to lay a whopping 14 points to the Knicks tonight.  It’s simply too much. 

Plays on any team (New York) - in a game involving two teams who score at least 102 points per game, off three straight losses by 10 points or more are 54-24 (69.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Knicks Tuesday. 

20* NBA Western Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Memphis Grizzlies +5 

The Houston Rockets are already without Chris Paul.  And now they will be without Eric Gordon, who suffered a knee injury last game.  This team has been terrible without Paul, and they can’t afford to lose Gordon.  Paul and Gordon combine to average 30.3 points and 10.2 assists per game.  They just aren’t deep enough to overcome their absences. 

Memphis is fully healthy and one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  They are so much better when both Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are healthy, and they have added some nice pieces around them.  And this is a rested Grizzlies team that will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days and only their 3rd game in 8 days. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Memphis) - a well rested team playing four or less games in 10 days, in December games are 44-21 (67.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Grizzlies Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday UPSET SHOCKER on Dallas Mavericks +3 

The Dallas Mavericks have one of the biggest home/road splits in the NBA.  They are 14-3 at home compared to 2-15 on the road.  They should not be home underdogs to the Thunder tonight considering they are 13-4 ATS at home and winning by 8.0 points per game on average in Dallas this season. 

The Mavericks are certainly happy to be back home after playing six of their last eight on the road.  That’s a big reason why they went just 1-7 in their last eight games overall.  But they suffered several close losses to great teams along the way, losing by 4 at the Clippers, by 4 at the Warriors, by 3 at the Blazers and by 2 at the Pelicans.  It’s safe to say they’ll be highly motivated for a win tonight to get back in the win column. 

The Mavericks have had the Thunder’s number in recent meetings.  Indeed, the Mavericks are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  That includes 111-96 and 97-81 victories in their last two home meetings with the Thunder.  They are 3-2 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five home meetings with both of their losses coming by a single point.  They have outscored the Thunder by an average of 8.8 points per game in those five meetings in Dallas. 

The Mavericks are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 home games overall.  The Thunder are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 Sunday games.  The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Dallas is 8-0 ATS at home when the line is +3 to -3 this season.  Take the Mavericks Sunday. 

20* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Miami Heat -3.5 

The Miami Heat are flying under the radar right now.  They have gone 10-4 SU & 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall to get to .500 on the season.  I expect them to continue to roll tonight at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Timberwolves have started to struggle of late.  They are 3-7 SU & 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  That includes losses to the Pistons, Hawks, Suns and Kings.  A big reason for their struggles has been the injury to starting PG Jeff Teague.  And now they are expected to be without backup PG Derrick Rose, who has been absolutely huge for them this season. 

I always like fading teams who spent Saturday night in big cities.  Well, there’s not many more distracting cities than South Beach, Miami.  You can bet these Timberwolves players were out partying last night.  They won’t be focused for this game at all.  Plus, the Timberwolves are just 4-13 SU & 7-10 ATS on the road this season. 

Minnesota is 1-9 ATS in road games after a combined score of 235 or more points over the last two seasons.  The Heat are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following a win.  Miami is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 games overall.  The Heat are 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings.  Miami is 8-1 ATS in its last nine vs. Western Conference opponents.  Bet the Heat Sunday. 

20* Spurs/Clippers NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -3.5 

Lou Williams returned from injury and the Clippers have been rolling ever since.  They are 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall with their only loss coming 127-129 at Golden State as 11-point underdogs.  I think they continue rolling tonight as short home favorites over the Spurs. 

The spot favors the Clippers.  Both the Spurs and Clippers are on back-to-backs, but the Clippers don’t have to travel after facing the Lakers at Staples Center last night.  The Spurs do have to travel after their 99-102 loss at Denver last night in the altitude.  Playing in high elevation last night will have certainly taken its toll on the Spurs, and don’t be surprised if Greg Popovich rests a starter or two tonight. 

The Spurs have one of the biggest home/road splits in the NBA.  They are 14-5 at home compared to just 5-12 on the road.  They are giving up a whopping 114.9 points per game and 48.5% shooting on the road.  The Clippers are 12-4 SU & 11-5 ATS at home this year, scoring 117.3 points per game and shooting 47.6% from the floor. 

The Spurs are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 road games following two more more consecutive ATS wins.  Los Angeles is 9-1 ATS in home games with a total of 220 or more this season.  The Spurs are 8-18-1 ATS in their last 27 road games overall.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Clippers Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Utah +7.5 

Nevada went into Christmas Break feeling fat and happy due to their 12-0 record and No. 6 national ranking.  And with that ranking comes expectations for oddsmakers that are very tough to live up to.  It started to show prior to the break. 

Nevada has gone 0-3-1 ATS in its last four games overall.  They won all four games straight up, but all four were by 8 points or less, including three by 6 points or fewer.  And it’s not like it was that tough of a schedule as the four opponents were ASU, Grand Canyon, South Dakota State and Akron.  Now they are laying 7.5 points on the road to Utah, which is simply too much. 

Utah will be chomping at the bit to try and get a win over a Top 10 team here.  The Utes have had one of the best home-court advantages in the country over time as well.  They are 5-0 at home this season and winning by nearly 20 points per game on average. 

Utah is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 home games off an ATS loss.  Utah’s head coach s 23-9 ATS in Saturday home games as the coach of the Utes.  Take Utah Saturday. 

20* CBB Saturday Early ANNIHILATOR on BYU +10 

I like the situation for BYU today.  They return from Christmas Break motivated after losing two hard-fought games against UNLV and San Diego State in their two games prior to the break.  They’ll be laying it all on the line to get a win today. 

Mississippi State returns from Christmas Break feeling fat and happy with their 11-1 record and No. 19 ranking nationally.  There were signs going into the break that were not good.  They only beat Wofford by 11 and Wright State by 4 both at home in their final two games before the break. 

Now the Bulldogs take a big step up in class here against BYU.  Home teams don’t have much of an advantage over Christmas Break because students return home to see their families, and the arenas just aren’t as rowdy.  The Bulldogs won’t enjoy the normal home-court advantage they’ll get when the students return to class. 

Mississippi State is 2-9 ATS after playing two consecutive home games over the last two seasons.  The Bulldogs are 2-9 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 77-plus points per game over the last two years.  Plays on road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points (BYU) - explosive offensive team that scores 84-plus points per game, after a combined score of 165 or more in two straight games are 26-5 (83.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet BYU Saturday. 

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Phoenix Suns +7 

It’s nice to see what the Phoenix Suns are capable of when they’re fully engaged and healthy.  And that has come to fruition here over the last couple weeks.  The Suns are 5-2 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall with their two losses both coming on the road by a combined 11 points. 

They have played so well despite five of their last seven games on the road.  They have pulled off four outright upsets.  They beat the Mavs by 10 as 6-point home dogs and the Timberwolves by 8 as 7.5-point home dogs.  They also went on the road and won by 8 at Boston as 11.5-point dogs and by 2 at Orlando as 5.5-point dogs.  And now the Suns are still getting no respect from oddsmakers as 7-point home dogs tonight. 

Phoenix will be playing with triple-revenge as this will be the 4th and final meeting between these teams.  From October 28th to November 17th in a span of three weeks, the Thunder beat the Suns three times by 7, 17 and 10 points.  The Suns were not playing well at all then, but this is a different team now and they’ll be highly motivated to get a win to avoid the season sweep. 

The Suns are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Phoenix is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games when its opponent allows 100 points or more in its previous game.  Roll with the Suns Friday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Orlando Magic +7 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Magic tonight at home.  They have lost four straight both SU and ATS and are just 1-7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.  And now they are catching 7 points at home because of their recent struggles.  I expect them to be max motivated with the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors coming to town tonight. 

The Raptors are certainly vulnerable right now.  They have been overvalued for a month now due to having the best record in the East.  The Raptors are just 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  They are also just 6-6 SU in their last 12 games. 

The reason the Raptors have been vulnerable of late is due to all their injuries.  They have been without both Jonas Valanciunas and Norman Powell for a while now, and Kyle Lowry has sat out a few gams with a back injury.  Lowry is their most important player as they’ve been able to win consistently without Kawhi Leonard, but not when Lowry has been out of the lineup.  They are just 1-5 ATS in the six games Lowry has missed. 

The Magic will be looking to avenge a 91-93 home loss as identical 7-point dogs to the Raptors on November 20th in their first and only meeting this season.  The Magic are 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings, and 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in Orlando.  The home team is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Magic are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents. 

Plays on underdogs (Orlando) - after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points total in their last three games, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a winning team are 46-19 (70.8%) ATS over the last five seasons. Take the Magic Friday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Charlotte Hornets -4.5 

I absolutely love the spot for the Charlotte Hornets tonight.  This is a home-and-home situation, and the Hornets lost 132-134 at Brooklyn on Wednesday.  And now they get to play two days later with the revenge-minded Hornets only laying 4.5 points at home over the Nets tonight.  They’ll get their revenge with a win and cover at home here. 

It’s definitely time to ’sell high’ on the Nets, who have gone 9-1 SU in their last 10 games overall.  That’s why this line is lower than it should be.  They have mostly beaten up on a weak schedule during this stretch with seven of their 10 games coming at home as well.  We’ll ‘buy low’ on the Hornets, who are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall. 

The Hornets are 12-7 at home this year.  Their offense has been explosive at home, scoring 114.3 points per game on 47.3% shooting.  The Nets are only scoring 106.8 points per game on the road on 44.2% shooting this season. 

Plays on home favorites (Charlotte) - revenging a loss where opponent scores 100 or more points, off two or more consecutive road losses are 75-35 (68.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Hornets Friday. 

15* Lakers/Kings NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Sacramento -3.5 

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a huge 127-101 upset win as 9-point underdogs over the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.  This is the ultimate letdown spot for them tonight as now they hit the road to take on the Sacramento Kings two days later. 

Making matters worse for the Lakers is the fact that they lost LeBron James to a groin injury in that win, and now James will be sitting this game out.  But the injuries don’t stop there.  The Lakers are also expected to be without Rajon Rondo and Michael Beasley, and their top two centers in Tyson Chandler and JaVale McGee are questionable. 

Yes, the Kings are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after their loss to the Clippers last night, but all 13 players saw action and nobody played more than 30 minutes in that game.  So they should be fresh and ready to go with the Lakers coming to town, especially since they had two days off prior to that Clippers game.  This is also a very young team that can handle these back-to-back situations better than most teams. 

The Lakers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games following a win.  The Kings are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.  Sacramento is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games following an ATS loss.  The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Kings are 14-2 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5 this season. 

Plays on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Sacramento) - revenging a same-season loss vs. opponent that’s off a win by 20 points or more over a division rival are 48-19 (71.6%) ATS since 1996.  Take the Kings Thursday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on New York Knicks +14.5 

This is one of my favorite situations in the NBA.  It’s a home-and-home situation where these teams just met in New York on Christmas Day, and now they’ll meet in Milwaukee two days later.  I always like backing the team that lost the first game in these home-and-home situations, and that would be the Knicks here Thursday. 

After losing 95-109 as 10-point home underdogs in the first meeting, the Knicks are now catching 14.5 points in the rematch.  It’s simply too much.  They’ll be the more motivated team after losing that first meeting, while the Bucks won’t be motivated at all after just beating the Knicks on National TV.  I expect the Bucks to simply be going through the motions. 

The Knicks played the Bucks tough outside of the 3rd quarter, where they were outscored 36-22.  That proved to be the difference in the game.  And the Knicks haven’t lost by more than 14 points to the Bucks yet this season.  They lost by 11 in their first meeting in Milwaukee on October 22nd, won outright as 8-point home dogs by 2 in their 2nd meeting on December 1st, then obviously lost by 14 two days ago.  In fact, the Bucks haven’t won any of their last 11 meetings with the Knicks by more than 14 points, making for an 11-0 system backing the Knicks pertaining to this 14.5-point spread. 

New York is 22-11 ATS when revenging a home loss vs. opponent over the last two seasons.  Milwaukee is 21-48 ATS in its last 69 games as a favorite of 10 or more points.  The Bucks are 14-29 ATS in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last three seasons.  Milwaukee is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games following a win.  The underdog is 10-4-1 ATS in the last 15 meetings.  The road team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet the Knicks Thursday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on San Antonio Spurs -3.5 

The San Antonio Spurs have been flying under the radar over the past three weeks.  They have gone 7-2 SU & 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall.  They are better than they get credit for, and I’ll gladly lay the short number with them at home here tonight against the Denver Nuggets. 

The Nuggets are simply getting too much respect from the books after going 11-3 SU & 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games overall.  But they are missing three starters in Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and Will Barton, and it’s simply going to be hard for them to keep up this pace now.  They just lost by 21 last time out to the Clippers on the road, and they’ll be hard-pressed to keep this game even competitive against the Spurs. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 6-0 SU in the last six meetings.  The Spurs are a perfect 11-0 SU In their last 11 home meetings with the Nuggets.  They have won their last eight home meetings with the Nuggets by a whopping 17.1 points per game on average. 

The Spurs are 8-1 ATS in home games vs. good offensive teams that score 110-plus points per game this season.  They are beating these teams by 16.9 points per game on average.  Denver is 1-10 ATS in road games vs. Southwest Division opponents over the last two seasons.  They are losing by 12.7 points pre game in this spot.  San Antonio is 22-8 ATS in its last 30 home games overall.  Bet the Spurs Wednesday. 

15* Lakers/Warriors ABC ANNIHILATOR on Los Angeles +9 

The Golden State Warriors have been overvalued all season.  That’s what happens when you win three titles in the last four years.  They are just 14-20 ATS on the season.  And they have been even more overvalued since getting Stephen Curry and Draymond Green back in the lineup.  Asking them to win by double-digits to cover this number against the Lakers is simply asking too much. 

Indeed, the Warriors are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They only won by 8 as 9.5-point home favorites over the Timberwolves, lost outright to the Raptors as 8-point home favorites, only won by 5 as 7.5-point road favorites at Sacramento, lost by 5 as 2-point favorites at Utah, won by 4 as 11-point home favorites against the Mavericks and won by 2 as 11-point home favorites against the Clippers. 

The Lakers played the Warriors very tough last season. They went 3-1 ATS and didn’t lose once by more than 11 points.  They took the Warriors to overtime twice, and only lost by 7 points at Golden State as 11.5-point dogs.  And now they have Lebron James and are way better than last year’s Lakers.  And you can bet James wants to prove to the Warriors that he now has a team that can beat them in the playoffs. 

The Warriors are 1-13 ATS in Tuesday games over the last two seasons.  Golden State is 2-10 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season.  The Lakers are 24-10 ATS vs. good teams who outscore their opponents by 3-plus points per game over the last two seasons.  The Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.  Take the Lakers Tuesday.

20* Bucks/Knicks ESPN Early Riser on New York +10 

The Milwaukee Bucks are way overvalued as 10-point road favorites over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day.  This is a rare chance for the Knicks to showcase their talents on National TV, and they’ll be highly motivated for a victory here Tuesday.  I expect one of their biggest efforts of the season. 

We’ll ‘buy low’ on the Knicks, who are certainly undervalued after going 1-9 SU & 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  But they are finally as healthy as they have been at any other point this season with only Kristaps Porzingis expected to miss this game.  And we’ll ’sell high’ on the Bucks, who are are off to a fast 22-10 start and sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. 

The Knicks have played the Bucks tough in their two meetings this season.  They covered as 11.5-point road underdogs in an 11-point loss.  And they won outright in overtime 136-134 as 8-point home dogs to the Bucks on December 1st.  I think the Knicks will have an excellent chance to win this game outright as well, let alone stay within this massive 10-point spread at home. 

Milwaukee is 20-48 ATS in its last 68 games as a favorite of 10 or more points.  Plays against favorites of 10 or more points (Milwaukee) - an excellent offensive team that scores more than 102 points per game against a bad defensive team that allows more than 102 points per game, after scoring 90 points or less last game are 25-6 (80.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Knicks Tuesday.

15* Bucknell/TCU ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Bucknell +13 

Bucknell got to play before TCU last night.  TCU finished its game after midnight.  I always think that’s an advantage to play before your opponent in these tournaments.  You get more rest, plus you get to watch your opponent after the game and scout them.  It seems obvious, but I don’t think it gets factored enough into the line. 

We’ll certainly ‘sell high’ on TCU, which is now 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall since getting upset by Lipscomb 64-73 as 12.5-point home favorites on November 20th.  But those six wins have come against some bad opponents.  Bucknell will give them more of a run for their money than this line suggests. 

Bucknell has done well to get to 5-5 this season.  Check out these upsets the’ve pulled off.  Bucknell won 88-85 as 10-point road dogs at St. Bonaventure, 69-61 as 10.5-point road dogs at Vermont, 92-79 as a pick’ ‘em at LaSalle, and yesterday they upset Rhode Island 84-82 as 6-point dogs.  And I haven’t even mentioned their most impressive performance yet, which came in a losing effort.  Bucknell only lost 71-73 as 19-point road dogs at Ohio State, which is one of the best teams in the country. 

Bucknell is 20-9 ATS in its last 29 games overall.  The Bison are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games vs. good passing teams that average 16 or more assists per game.  Bucknell is 8-1 ATS vs. good teams who outscore their opponents by 4-plus points per game over the last three seasons.  The Bison are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  TCU is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games after forcing 19 or more turnovers in three consecutive games coming in.  Roll with Bucknell Sunday. 

20* Clippers/Warriors NBA Sunday No-Brainer on Los Angeles +10.5 

The Clippers are undervalued right now.  They lost six of seven and a large part of that streak was due to the injury to Lou Williams.  But Williams returned two games ago, and it’s no surprise the Clippers have won their two games since his return by a combined 25 points over Dallas and Denver.  Williams is the team’s third-leading scorer at 17.1 PPG and a vital part of their team as he injects life into the bench and closes out games.  Williams has 32 points and 15 assists combined in his two games since returning. 

Both the Clippers and Warriors played last night, so both will be on the 2nd of a back-to-back, but that favors the Clippers.  They are a deep team which has been a big reason for their success, largely due to how well Williams plays off the bench.  The Warriors rely heavily on their big four and play them big minutes, and there’s no doubt that Clippers are the more rested team. 

The Clippers blew out the Nuggets by 21 points last night so they were able to rest their starters.  Only one player played more than 26 minutes for them, and that was youngster Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.  Meanwhile, the Warriors were in a dog fight with the Mavericks last night, winning 120-116.  That will have taken its toll as their big four in Curry (39:29), Durant (36:51), Green (35:15) and Thompson (33:00) all were forced to play big minutes.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the deep Clippers tonight. 

I also think it’s a big look-ahead spot for the Warriors.  They have the much-anticipated Christmas Day game with Lebron James and the Lakers on deck.  The Clippers will be the more motivated team tonight as everyone gets up for the defending champs, and they already beat them 121-116 as 4-point home dogs in their first meeting this season.  And they tend to play the Warriors tough on the road as their two meetings before that they only lost by 7 as 10.5-point road dogs and upset the Warriors by 19 as 12-point road dogs. 

The Clippers are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 road games after covering three of their last four ATS over the last three seasons.  Los Angeles is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 vs. NBA Pacific Division opponents.  The Clippers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Warriors are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 vs. Western Conference opponents.  Golden State is 9-19 ATS in its last 28 Sunday games.  The road team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet the Clippers Sunday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Boston Celtics -6.5 

The Boston Celtics had a lengthy team meeting after Friday night’s home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.  It was necessary after the Celtics suffered their third consecutive loss, which actually followed up an eight-game losing streak.  I look for them to respond in a big way tonight at home against the Hornets now that they have cleared the air amongst themselves. 

I think a big reason for their recent struggles has been the absence of center Al Horford, who has missed the past six games with a sore knee.  But Horford is expected to return tonight, and he means everything to this team.  He is a tremendous passer who can stretch the floor and open things up in the lane for all of their other playmakers like Irving, Tatum and Brown.  Marcus Morris has missed the past two games and could return tonight as well as he is listed as questionable.  They are close to full strength now. 

The Celtics simply own the Hornets, going 7-1 SU & 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight meetings.  Those seven wins have come by an average of 10.4 points per game.  They actually lost by 5 at Charlotte in their lone meeting this season.  But the Celtics are 30-10 ATS when revenging a loss over the last two seasons.  They are 27-7 ATS when revenging a loss where opponent scored more than 100 points over the last two seasons.  Boston is 23-8 ATS in its last 31 home games.  Roll with the Celtics Sunday. 

15* NBA BLOWOUT GAME OF THE DAY on Indiana Pacers -9.5 

This one is about as obvious as it gets tonight.  The Wizards are coming off a triple-overtime victory over the Suns yesterday.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Pacers tonight.  Bradley Beal (53:56), Trevor Ariza (54:10), Jeff Green (48:58) and Tomas Satorasnky (48:07) all plays huge minutes last night.  Otto Porter is out due to injury, and John Wall is questionable after missing last night with an illness. 

The Pacers come in playing very well.  They have gone 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  Their two losses during this stretch came by a combined 4 points, and one was on the road to Toronto.  Seven of their eight wins have come by 8 points or more, including five by double-digits.  Given the awful situation for the Wizards tonight off the triple-OT game, the Pacers should have no problem beating them by double-digits to get the cover. 

The Wizards are just 4-14 SU & 4-14 ATS on the road this season, getting outscored by 10.8 points per game on average.  The Pacers are 28-8 ATS after having lost two of their last three games over the past two seasons.  Washington is 0-10 ATS in road games after a combined score of 215 points or more in three straight games this season.  The Wizards are 0-7 ATS in road games vs. good shooting teams who make 46% of their shots or better this season.  Washington is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on zero rest.  Take the Pacers Sunday. 

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Miami Heat +3 

The Miami Heat are undervalued once again as home underdogs to the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.  This is a Heat team that has gone 5-2 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven games despite playing six of those seven on the road.   

The Heat beat the Rockets 101-99 Thursday as 3-point dogs in their only home game during this stretch.  And now they are certainly rested and ready to go as this will be just the 2nd game in 6 days for Miami.  Look for another big performance from them here with the Bucks coming to down. 

The Bucks are a tired team and are in a clearly letdown spot.  Milwaukee will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back, their 3rd game in 4 days and their 8th game in 14 days.  They are coming off a huge 120-107 win in Boston in a revenge game after the Celtics knocked them out of the playoffs last year.  They won’t be nearly as motivated to face the Heat tonight as they were the Celtics. 

Few teams have been able to shut down Giannis and company like the Heat have.  Indeed, the Heat are a perfect 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings with the Bucks.  They have held the Bucks to just 90 points per game in those five meetings and have outscored them by an average of 11.8 points per game.  Given the favorable situation for the Heat and the bad one for the Bucks, their domination of this series will continue tonight.  Take the Heat Saturday. 

20* Illinois/Missouri Rivalry GAME OF THE WEEK on Missouri -1 

It’s time for Illinois’ five-game winning streak in this rivalry series to come to an end.  All five of those wins over Missouri have come by 9 points or less and by a combined 24 points, or an average of 4.8 points per game.  So the Tigers have suffered heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss in this series. 

It’s safe to say Missouri will be max motivated to end this streak.  And for once, they finally have the team to do it.  I have no doubt the Tigers are the better team this year and it will show on the court Saturday night. 

Missouri returned three starters and a ton of talent.  The Tigers are off to a 7-3 start this season with their only losses coming to Iowa State, Kansas State and Temple with two of those on the road.  They upset both UCF and Xavier at home, and also upset Oregon State on a neutral.  They have been battle-tested and I was very impressed with their 15-point win over Xavier last time out, their fourth straight victory and third straight by 15-plus points. 

Illinois only returned one starter this season in a rebuilding year.  That has been evident with a 4-7 start to the season with their only wins coming against Evansville, Mississippi Valley State, UNLV and East Tennessee State.  All four of those wins came at home.  Illinois is 0-6 in all road games true and neutral this season. 

Missouri makes 38.6% of their 3-point attempts this season.  Illinois is 2-10 ATS in road games vs. good 3-point shooting teams who make 37% or more of their attempts over the last three seasons.  The Fighting Illii are 4-12 ATS following an ATS win over the last two years.  The Tigers are 6-1-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Bet Missouri Saturday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Los Angeles Clippers -1 

I think the Clippers are back to being undervalued now after losing six of their last eight overall since being in first place in the Western Conference.  But a big reason for those struggles was the loss of perennial 6th man of the year Lou Williams.  But he is back health now and returned for their win over the Mavericks on Thursday. 

The Nuggets are overvalued due to winning four straight and 11 of their last 13 overall coming in.  They have managed to get by despite key injuries with three starters out in Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and Will Barton.  But I still believe it’s going to catch up with them sooner rather than later.  And their four-game winning streak was all at home, and now they hit the road here. 

The Clippers are 10-4 SU & 9-5 ATS at home this season.  The Nuggets are 13-3 at home compared to just 8-6 on the road.  And I have no doubt the Clippers will be the more motivated team here after their recent struggles.  They also will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days so they are rested and ready to go. 

Denver is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games following two consecutive home games.  The Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Los Angeles is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 home games.  The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet the Clippers Saturday. 

15* Ohio State/UCLA CBS Saturday No-Brainer on Ohio State -6 

Ohio State is one of the better teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 10-1 start under Chris Holtmann, who is already doing big things for the Buckeyes just as he did at Butler before him.  They went 25-9 last season and 15-3 in Big Ten play and certainly are a contender to win the Big Ten this season. 

UCLA is a mess under Steve Alford.  The Bruins are just 7-4 this season.  They lost by 20 to Michigan State, by 16 to North Carolina, by 29 to Cincinnati and were upset by Beltmont.  All seven of their wins have come at home, while they are 0-3 in either neutral or true road games. 

That 29-point loss at Cincinnati is a important.  That’s because that gives these teams a common opponent.  Well, Ohio State won 64-56 as 4.5-point dogs at Cincinnati earlier this season.  IUPU-Fort Wayne is also a common opponent.  Ohio State beat them by 46 while UCLA beat them by 25.  And given those results, the Buckeyes should have no problem covering this 6-point spread on a neutral against the Bruins today. 

Ohio State is 12-3 ATS vs. teams who average 6 or fewer steals per game over the last two seasons.  The Bruins are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Roll with Ohio State Saturday. 

15* Pelicans/Lakers ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -5 

The Los Angeles Lakers return home tonight highly motivated for a victory.  They are coming off back-to-back upset road losses to the Wizards and Nets to close out a tough road trip.  But the Lakers have had two days off since last playing on Tuesday to rest and recover.  They are now primed for a big performance at home tonight. 

The Pelicans are a mash unit right now.  Starters Elfrid Payton and Nikola Mirotic are out, while fellow starters Anthony Davis and Julius Randle are listed as questionable.  Well, the Lakers are getting healthier tonight as starter Brandon Ingram is expected to return from his ankle injury.  Backup PG Rajon Rondo has been upgraded to questionable and could make his return to the lineup as well. 

The Pelicans have been brutal on the road this season, going 4-12 SU and giving up 116.1 PPG.  The Lakers are 11-4 at home and scoring 113.8 PPG and should be able to do whatever they want to offensively against a putrid Pelicans defense.  And with all of their injuries right now, this New Orleans offense just isn’t hitting on all cylinders. 

New Orleans is 3-12 ATS after playing a road game this season.  Los Angeles is 19-8 ATS after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last two years.  The Pelicans are 0-6 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win.  New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last five Friday games.  Los Angeles is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games following an ATS loss.  The favorite is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet the Lakers Friday. 

15* NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Portland Trail Blazers -2 

The Portland Trail Blazers are too good at home to only be laying two points to the Utah Jazz tonight.  They are 12-4 SU & 11-5 ATS at home this season and winning by 8.3 points per game on average.  The Blazers are 28-10 ATS in their last 38 home games overall. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series too as the home team is 9-2 SU & 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  And this is clearly a letdown spot for the Jazz, who are coming off a huge upset win over the defending champion Warriors on Wednesday and won’t be nearly as motivated to face the Blazers tonight.  Take the Blazers Friday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on San Antonio Spurs -4 

The San Antonio Spurs are a lot better than they get credit for.  And they are certainly better at home than on the road.  They come in playing well going 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  And I still think they’re undervalued as only 4-point home favorites over the Timberwolves tonight. 

One of my favorite trends with this Spurs team is that they are 13-1 ATS when revenging a loss this season, including a perfect 11-0 ATS when revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 points or more this season.  They are also 10-0 ATS when revenging a road loss this season.  They are winning by an average of 16.2 PPG in this 10-0 situation. 

Well, the Spurs just suffered one of their worst losses of the season 89-128 at Minnesota on November 28th.  So they’ll be highly motivated to avenge that defeat.  And they should be able to against a Timberwolves team that has been atrocious on the road, going 2-12 SU & 5-9 ATS while losing by 7.6 PPG.   

The Timberwolves will also be without starting PG Jeff Teague tonight.  Meanwhile, the Spurs are as healthy as they’ve been at any point this season, which is a big reason why they are playing so well coming into this game.  Their strong play continues tonight in this revenge spot.  Bet the Spurs Friday. 

20* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Marquette -2.5 

Buffalo’s 11-0 start to the season and winning streak comes to an end tonight.  It’s been a good run for the Bulls, but this is by far their stiffest test of the season here against a Top 25 team in Marquette.  And the Golden Eagles are only laying 2.5 points at home tonight, which is an absolute gift. 

Buffalo is coming off a huge 71-59 upset win as 3.5-point dogs at Syracuse just a few days ago on Tuesday.  I don’t think they’ll be able to follow up that win with the kind of effort it’s going to take to beat Marquette tonight.  Syracuse is way down this season and was upset at home in its previous game while barely beating Georgetown by one point in its home game prior to that.  The fact of the matter is that win over Syracuse just wan’t that impressive. 

Marquette is 9-2 this season with its only losses coming in a true road game at Indiana and on a neutral to top-ranked Kansas.  But the Golden Eagles have one of the best home-court advantages in the country.  They are 8-0 at home this season and winning by 18.5 points per game.  They have beaten Kansas State (by 12) and Wisconsin (by 5) at home this season already, two quality Power 5 conference teams.  So they are battle-tested as they also have a neutral court win over Louisville. 

Buffalo is 0-8 ATS in its last eight road games vs. Big East opponents, losing by 23.0 PPG on average.  Marquette is 6-0 ATS after playing three consecutive home games over the past two seasons.  Take Marquette Friday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on New York Knicks -2.5 

The New York Knicks will be highly motivated for a victory at home tonight.  They have lost eight of their last nine coming in and have played a brutal road schedule with five of their last eight on the road.  Their last two home games were both on the second of a back-to-back, too, so their home schedule has been rough. 

But now the Knicks are undervalued and it’s time to ‘buy low’ on them here.  They are back home and had yesterday off to rest and regroup, and they should be able to handle a bad Atlanta Hawks team that is just 7-23 overall this season, including 2-14 on the road and losing by 12.4 PPG on average away from home. 

The Knicks have already beaten the Hawks twice this season.  They won 126-107 as 4-point home favorites in their first meeting, and 112-107 as 1.5-point road favorites in their second meeting.  So when you compare this 2.5-point spread to that -4 number they were laying against the Hawks in their first home meeting, there’s some clear value here with the Knicks. 

Atlanta is 0-7 ATS against Atlantic division opponents this season and losing by 16.7 PPG on average.  The Hawks are 2-15 ATS in their last 17 Friday games.  Atlanta is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  New York is 35-16-1 ATS in its last 52 Friday games.  Roll with the Knicks Friday. 

15* CBB Friday Undervalued Underdog on UC-Irvine +8.5 

UC-Irvine has been a Big West powerhouse, finishing no worse than second in the conference over the last five years.  And now the Anteaters returned all five starters this season and are one of the better non-Power 5 teams in the country. 

The Anteaters are off to an 11-2 start this season with their only losses coming to two other non-Power 5 powerhouses in Utah State and Toledo.  They have outright upsets in true road games at Texas A&M as 4.5-point dogs and at St. Mary’s as 6.5-point dogs.  And now they are catching too many points tonight at Butler as 8.5-point dogs, which is their largest underdog role this season. 

Butler just hasn’t been that impressive at 8-3 SU & 4-7 ATS this season.  It’s a Butler team that lost two starters from last season, including their best player in Kelan Martin (21.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG).  They have already been upset by Dayton, Saint Louis and Indiana.  Heck, they are coming off a 76-67 home win of Presbyterian on Tuesday as 21-point favorites.  If Presbyterian can stay within 9 of them, I think UC-Irvine will have a chance to pull the upset, let alone stay within 8.5 points. 

Butler is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games vs. a team that wins more than 80% of their games.  Plays on road teams (UC-Irvine) - after allowing 55 points or less in three straight games, with two-plus more starters returning from last year than their opponent are 52-20 (72.2%) ATS since 1997.  The Anteaters are an impressive 10-1 ATS in their last 11 road games.  Roll with UC-Irvine Friday. 

20* Rockets/Heat TNT Thursday No-Brainer on Miami +3.5 

The spot couldn’t be better for the Miami Heat tonight.  They’ve had three days off to rest and recover from a tough six-game road trip. Impressively, the Heat went 4-2 SU & 5-1 ATS on that road trip, pulling off outright upsets over the Clippers, Grizzlies and Pelicans, while also playing the Lakers right down to the wire and covering.  Now they’ll be motivated to beat another Western Conference team at home tonight. 

The spot couldn’t be much worse for the Houston Rockets.  The Rockets will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  They beat the Wizards at home last night in an absolute shootout, setting the NBA record for made 3’s (26) in a game.  Off that record-setting performance, it’s only human nature for them to have a letdown here. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Miami) - a well-rested team playing four or less games in 10 days, in December games are 43-17 (71.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

The Rockets are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.  Miami is 6-0 ATS in its last six vs. NBA Southwest Division opponents.  The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight vs. Western Conference foes.  Miami is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on three or more days’ rest.  Take the Heat Thursday. 

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Houston -4 

The Houston Cougars are 10-0 and the No. 21 ranked team in the country.  They have a 23-game home winning streak in tact.  So laying only 4 points at home with them here against Utah State tonight is certainly a discount as I expect them to extend that home winning streak to 24 while covering this short number. 

The Cougars have beaten all comers by at least 4 points this season.  They have beaten the likes of Oregon, LSU and Saint Louis at home, as well as both BYU and Oklahoma State on the road.  And that BYU game is significant because it gives these teams a common opponent.   

Houston won 76-62 at BYU, while Utah State lost 80-95 at BYU.  The Aggies also lost to Arizona State on a neutral.  No question the Aggies are a quality team in the Mountain West, but this is a big step up in class for them, and when they’ve stepped up they’ve lost.  Their best win this season came against a down St. Mary’s team on a neutral. 

Utah State is 0-8 ATS in road games after scoring 85 points or more over the last three seasons.  Houston is 7-0 ATS off two straight games as a home favorite over the last three years.  The Cougars are 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  These three trends combine for a perfect 21-0 system backing the Cougars.  Roll with Houston Thursday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Portland Trail Blazers -6 

I love the spot for the Portland Trail Blazers tonight.  They want revenge from an 83-92 loss at Memphis on December 12th exactly one week ago today.  And they’re home here tonight where they have been playing great basketball up against a short-handed Grizzlies team. 

The Blazers are 11-4 SU & 10-5 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 8.4 points per game.  They are fully healthy right now and really playing well at home of late, going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three home games with a 22-point win over Phoenix, and 8-point win over Minnesota and a 6-point win over Toronto.  Dating back further, Portland is 27-10 ATS in its last 37 home gams. 

The Grizzlies are stuck on the struggle bus right now.  They are 1-5 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall. And they are coming off a 17-point loss to the defending champion Warriors, and I always like fading teams after facing the Warriors.  PG Mike Conley hasn’t been healthy for weeks as he continues to battle a hamstring injury and is questionable tonight.  He means everything to this team.  And this is a tired Grizzlies team playing their 8th game in 13 days. 

Memphis is 6-18 ATS when playing 8 or more games in 14 days over the past two seasons.  Plays on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Portland) - after a game where they covered the spread, in a game involving two marginal winning teams (51% to 60%) are 72-23 (75.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Blazers Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Chicago Bulls +2 

It’s time to ’sell high’ on the Brooklyn Nets and ‘buy low’ on the Chicago Bulls tonight.  The Nets have won six straight coming into this game and are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall.  And now they are rare road favorites tonight when they have only been favored on the road once this season, and that was at Phoenix. 

It’s an awful spot for the Nets.  They are coming off a huge upset home win over the Lakers last night, so they are clearly in line for a letdown.  Plus, they will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days here.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Bulls tonight. 

We’ll ‘buy low’ on a Bulls team that is just 3-15 SU in its last 18 games overall.  They are also coming off a 25-point loss at Oklahoma City.  That followed up an upset win at San Antonio as 9-point dogs to show what they were capable of.  And the Bulls are as healthy as they’ve been all season with Markkanen, Portis and Dunn all recently returning to the lineup.  They should be a money-maker in the short-term moving forward. 

Brooklyn is 12-27 ATS in its last 39 road games off three or more consecutive ATS wins.  The Nets are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games playing on zero rest.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take the Bulls Wednesday. 

20* Auburn/NC State ESPN 2 No-Brainer on NC State +2 

NC State is loaded this season.  The Wolfpack brought back three starters from last year, and then added in some tremendous college-ready transfers in Devon Daniels, C.J. Bryce, Blake Harris, Wyatt Walker and Eric Lockett.  They brought back senior Torin Dorn, sharp-shooter Braxton Beverly and junior Markell Johnson, who led the ACC with 7.3 assists per game last year. 

The Wolfpack are off to a 9-1 start this season with their only loss coming 75-79 at Wisconsin as 6-point dogs.  They have been undervalued all season as they are 8-2 ATS.  They are outscoring opponents by a whopping 25.3 points per game on the year with an offense that puts up 88.9 points per game on 51.5% shooting, and a defense that allows just 63.6 points per game on 40.9% shooting. 

Dorn (16.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 45.8% 3-pointers this season) and Johnson (12.3 PPG, 4.3 APG, 47.5% 3-pointers) are doing their thing, while Bryce (12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 42.9% 3-pointers) and Daniels (9.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG) are contributing right away as transfers.  As you can see, all of their top scorers shoot the lights out from 3-point range, and that’s a big reason why their offense is so efficient. 

It will be a packed house tonight for the Wolfpack in anticipation of the No. 7 Auburn Tigers coming to town.  That Top 10 ranking has had the Tigers grossly overvalued here of late as they are 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall, failing to cover the spread by a combined 35 points in those three games.  That includes their narrow 75-71 win over UAB as 20.5-point favorites last time out. 

Auburn lost its toughest game to Duke, and it doesn’t have many impressive wins this season.  Their best wins have come against Arizona, Xavier and Washington.  Well, Arizona and Xavier are way down this year, and Washington was a home game.  In fact, this will be the first true road game all season for Auburn.  I love fading teams in their first true road game of the season, especially when they haven’t had one this late in the season. 

Auburn is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games with a total of 155 to 159.5.  NC State is 9-1 ATS in home games with a total of 150 to 159.5 over the lats two seasons.  The Wolfpack are 10-1 ATS in home games after having won five or six of their last seven games over the past three seasons.  The Tigers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  These four trends combine for a 33-2 system backing the Wolfpack tonight.  Take NC State Wednesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday Night Line Mistake on Dallas Mavericks +5 

The Dallas Mavericks will be highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They are coming off back-to-back upset losses to the Suns and Kings, which followed up 12-3 run that has the Mavericks sitting in first place in their division right now.  They are rested and ready to go as they’ll be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days tonight. 

I think the Nuggets are in a big letdown spot tonight.  They have managed to win three straight at home over the Grizzlies, Thunder and Raptors despite playing without three starters in Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and Will Barton.  Teams can play well in the short-term with injuries, but it catches up to them over the long haul due to depth issues.  I think it starts catching up for the Nuggets tonight, especially off their big win over the Raptors last time out as they won’t be nearly as motivated to face the Mavs. 

Dallas had Denver’s number last season, going 2-2 SU & 4-0 ATS in their four meetings.  Their two losses came on the road by only 2 and 3 points, and they won their two home meetings with the Nuggets by 17 and 11 points.  And you have to consider that the Nuggets are in a lot worse shape right now than they were last year, while the Mavericks are one of the most improved teams in the NBA and almost 100% healthy. 

The Nuggets are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 vs. NBA Southwest Division opponents, while the Mavericks are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 vs. NBA Northwest Division foes.  Dallas is 29-11 ATS in its lsat 40 games following an ATS loss, and 5-1 ATS in its last six games following a SU loss.  Take the Mavericks Tuesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday UPSET SHOCKER on Missouri +3 

Xavier is getting too much respect for what it has done in the past, including a 29-6 season last year.  But they lost nearly everyone in G Trevon Bluiett, G J.P. Macura, F Kerem Kanter, F Kaiser Gates and F Sean O’Mara from last year’s team.  They also lost head coach Chris Mack to Louisville.  Their leading returning scorer averaged just 8.7 PPG and they are clearly rebuilding. 

That has been evident in Xavier’s 7-4 SU & 4-6 ATS start tot he season.  And they’ve only played one true road game this season, which was a 15-point loss at Cincinnati as 6.5-point dogs.  They also lost to SDSU and Auburn on a neutral, as well as Wisconsin at home.  Their seven wins have come against IUPUI, Evansville, Illinois, Miami Ohio, Oakland, Ohio and Eastern Kentucky with six of those wins coming at home. 

Missouri is an improved team this season with three returning starters and some nice talent for Cuonzo Martin.  The Tigers are 6-3 with two of their losses coming on the road to very good Iowa State and Kansas State teams.  They did lose at home to Temple 77-79, but Temple is arguably the best team in the AAC.  They beat UCF, another AAC title contender outright as underdogs.  They also upset Oregon State on a neutral.  They should not be home dogs to Xavier tonight. 

The Tigers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five home games.  The Musketeers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Xavier is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games following a win.  My final factor favoring Missouri is that they have had 10 days off to prepare for Xavier, while the Musketeers only have two days to get ready for the Tigers after playing on Saturday.  Roll with Missouri Tuesday.