Sports Picks & Predictions

3* NBA Situational ATS Line Mistake on Rockets -

Houston is showing great value here at basically a pick'em at home against the Clippers. The Rockets come in off a 107-87 win over the Lakers on Thursday and will be playing just their 2nd game in the last 4 days. The Clippers on the other hand are not only playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set, but their 3rd in the last 4 days.

LA also finds themselves coming off a huge game at San Antonio last night, which they invested a lot of energy, as their core 4 of Griffin, Jordan, Paul and Redddick all played at least 33 minutes. Clippers aren't a deep team and I look for them to struggle with the pace that the Rockets play with, especially with this game being playing in Houston. 

Another key factor here is the Rockets have had their fair share of success in this series and many will recall they eliminated LA from the playoffs last year. Houston also won 109-105 at Los Angeles back on 11/7. The Rockets have had their struggles early, but are playing much better of late. Houston is 8-4 over their last 12 and have won 4 straight at home. 

Clippers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after scoring 100 or more points in 3 straight games, while the Rockets are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 home games off a road win and 11-2 ATS in their last 13 off a road win by 10 or more points. Take Houston! 

5* NCAAB No Limit Game of the Month on Drake + 

I really like the value we are getting with the Bulldogs in a in-state matchup that will be played on a neutral court. While Drake is just 4-6 overall, they have been competitive in almost every game. Out of their 6 defeats, 4 have come by 8-points or less and they haven't lost one by more than the number listed here. 

Iowa is a good team, but I think this is a tough spot for the Hawkeyes. This will be their first game since losing 82-83 at Iowa State on 12/10, a game where they blew a 20-point lead and had a major collapse in the final minutes. Those kind of losses are difficult to come back from and adding to this is there figures to be some rust with the long lay off off. Keep in mind that while Iowa is 13-3 SU in the last 16 meetings against Drake, the Bulldogs have gone 10-5-1 ATS in these matchups. 

Iowa is also a team that typically underperforms in neutral site games, as they are just 3-11 in their last 14 on a neutral site. Hawkeyes are also just 1-9 ATS in their last 10 away from home after making 10 or more 3-pointers in 2 straight games. The Bulldogs on the other hand are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 after playing 2 straight games as an underdog and 33-14 ATS in their last 47 off a road cover where they lost straight up as an underdog. Take Drake! 

4* NCAAB Undervalued Underdog on Santa Clara +

My money will be on the Broncos as a decently priced road dog when they travel to take on Nevada tonight. Santa Clara got off to a miserable start, as they opened the season 0-7. However, they have bounced back nicely and won 4 straight, which includes a 62-45 win over Boston College as a 6-point dog.

You also have to keep in mind the Broncos played a tough schedule early and are actually the more battle-tested team in this matchup. You might also remember they took a very good Arizona team to the wire, losing 73-75 as a 24-point dog. 

Nevada is 7-3, but their wins have not been impressive to this point and the Wolf Pack were dealt a big blow leading up to this game, as talented big man A.J. West left the team. West was averaging 9.6 ppg, but his biggest impact game on the defensive end, where he was leading the team with 7.7 rpg and nearly 2 blocks a game. His loss is going to throw off the chemistry they had going with their rotation and leave them thin inside. 

The Wolf Pack come into this game off a 79-71 win at home against Drake, but are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 off a SU win. Nevada is also just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games, 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games and 5-21 ATS in their last 26 against a team that's won fewer than 40% of their games. Take Santa Clara! 

5* Hawks/Celtics NBA Vegas Insider Top Play on Celtics -

I think we are seeing some great value here on Boston as a relatively small home favorite against the Hawks. The Celtics come into this game having lost back-to-back games, but haven't dropped 3 straight since the opening week of the season. Keep in mind Boston's two losses came at home against the red-hot Cavaliers and then at Detroit on no rest. Expect to see a highly motivated Celtics team take the floor tonight. 

Atlanta comes into this game off a 21-pont blowout win at home against the 76ers, which is definitely playing into this small line. However, the Hawks are a team that has not been playing well and shouldn't get any credit for beating a horrible Philadelphia team. Even with the win Atlanta is just 7-10 in their last 17 games. 

The home team has had a decisive edge in this series. Boston won at home 106-93 on 11/13 and Atlanta returned the favor with a 121-97 win at home on 11/24. The home team has now won 6 of the last 7 overall. 

The Celtics are 40-27 ATS when revenging a loss to an opponent over the last 2 seasons and are a perfect 2-0 ATS off a road loss by 3-points or less. Atlanta is just 1-3 ATS as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season, 1-7 ATS in their last 8 off a S& win, 0-2 ATS off a home win where they scored 110 or more points and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 against a team with a winning record. Take Boston! 

3* NBA Situational No Doubt ATS Blowout on Knicks -

The Knicks come into this game having won 2 straight after a miserable 2-8 stretch and I look for them to come out extremely motivated to get a win against the 76ers. New York already defeated Philadelphia 99-87 at home earlier this season and that was a more lopsided game than the final would suggest, as the Knicks went into the 4th quarter leading by 23 points. New York is now 4-1 against the 76ers over the last 2 seasons and all 4 wins have come by at least 7 points. 

The key here is Philadelphia is getting some love from the books for playing at home, but the 76ers have little to no home court advantage. In fact, Philadelphia is 1-10 SU and 3-7 ATS at home this season. A big reason why I like the fade of the 76ers tonight, is we find Philadelphia in a brutal scheduling spot, as this will be their 6th game in the last 9 days and could have their eyes looking ahead to Sunday's showdown against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. 

Knicks are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 off a cover, 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 road games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 on the road against a team with a losing home record and a perfect 6-0 in their last 6 against division opponents. Philadelphia on the other hand is 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 home games against a team with a losing home record, 0-6-1 ATS in their last 7 off a SU loss and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 division games. Take New York! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Raptors/Hornets UNDER

The Raptors and Hornets both come into this game off a lopsided loss in their last contest and their poor play defensively is to blame. Toronto gave up 106 points in a 16-point defeat at Indiana on Monday and Charlotte allowed 113 last night in a 15-point defeat at Orlando. 

The big key here is that these were uncharacteristic defensive performances for both teams. The Raptors had held each of their previous 4 opponents to 94 or less points, while the Hornets had allowed a team to eclipse the century mark just once in their previous 9 games and that was the Warriors.

Adding to this is the fact that Toronto is only giving up 95.9 ppg on the road and Charlotte is allowing just 96.4 ppg at home. It's also worth noting that these two teams have combined for less than 200 points in 6 of their last 7 meetings and the lone exception came in overtime where they totaled 206. 

UNDER is 6-0 in the Raptors last 6 road games, 5-0 in their last 5 against the Eastern Conference, 8-3 in their last 11 off 2 days of rest and 4-1 in their last 5 off a SU loss. UNDER is also 6-1 in the Hornets last 7 home games against a team with a winning road record, 5-1 in their last 6 when playing on 0 days of rest, 32-18 in their last 50 home games after playing their previous on the road and 29-12 in their last 41 as a home favorite of 6 points or less. Take the UNDER! 

4* NCAAB No Doubt ATS Annihilator on Texas Tech -

South Dakota State comes into this game with an impressive 9-1 SU record and perfect 7-0 ATS mark (not all games played had lines), which includes a recent 84-70 win at Minnesota as a 2.5-point dog. I believe it has the Jackrabbits way overvalued here in what is going to be there biggest test of the season.

Keep in mind that Texas Tech is also off to a strong start, as they come in 6-1 with their only loss being against a very good Utah team on a neutral court. The Red Raiders also made easy work of Minnesota, beating the Gophers 81-68 on a neutral court. 

A big key to this matchup will be defense and I look for Texas Tech to have a big advantage on that side of the ball, especially playing at home. The Red Raiders come in allowing 66.4 ppg against opponents that on average have scored 77.2 ppg. While South Dakota State is only giving up 64.3 ppg, their opponents are only scoring 66.4 ppg on average. 

The Red Raiders are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference home games and 14-3 ATS in their last 17 when playing with 5 or 6 days of rest. We also find strong system in play, as home teams with a line of +3 to -3, who are coming off a win by 15 or more points against an opponent that has scored 75 or more in 3 straight games are 24-6 (80%) ATS over the last 5 seasons. BET TEXAS TECH! 

3* NBA Situational Undervalued Underdog on Nets +

We are seeing a big overreaction here with the Heat coming into this game off a 100-88 blowout win at Atlanta, while the Nets enter off a 82-105 blowout loss at home to the Magic. Brooklyn has lost 2 straight overall, but haven't dropped 3 in a row since they opened the season 0-7. Miami on the other hand has not won back-to-back road games all season. 

The Nets are clearly going to be motivated playing at home off that embarrassing home loss. Keep in mind they recently followed up a 98-114 defeat at home to the Warriors with a 110-105 win over the Rockets as a 5-point home dog. As for the Heat, they could find it difficult to get up for this game. Miami will be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and 5th in the last 8 days overall. Heat also could be looking forward to a 4-game home-stand. 

Miami is just 2-14 ATS in their last 16 off a road win and 0-9 ATS in their last 9 off an upset win as a road underdog. The Nets are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 after losing 2 out of their last 3, 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games and 4-1 ATS in last 5 at home vs a team with a losing road record. Take Brooklyn! 

5* NBA Southeast Total of the Month on Hornets/Magic UNDER 

The books have set this total too high for this division matchup. Both of these teams come into this game playing extremely well on the defensive end. Charlotte is allowing just 91.6 ppg over their last 5 and Orlando is giving up just 95.4 ppg in their last 5. 

Just 1.5 games separate these two teams in the Southeast and that should have both playing with a lot of energy on the defensive side of the ball. We have seen several low-scoring games when these two face off against division opponents. Charlotte has seen an average combined score of 188.6 in their 5 division games and the Magic average a combined score of just 191 in division matchups. It's also worth noting that each of the last 3 meetings between these two teams last year saw a combined score of 196 or less with both games in Orlando finishing with 188 or less. 

UNDER is 12-2-2 in the Hornets last 16 against an opponent who scored 100+ points in their previous games, 11-4 in their last 15 following a SU loss and 6-1 in their last 7 against the Eastern Conference. UNDER is also 4-1 in Orlando's last 5 home games, 5-1-1 in their last 7 against a team with a winning record and 7-1 in their last 8 division games. Take the UNDER! 

5* VCU/Georgia Tech NCAAB Vegas Insider on Georgia Tech -

The Yellow Jackets are showing some great value here at basically a pick'em at home against VCU. The Rams come into this contest off a 71-76 loss to Florida State and are now just 1-3 on the road compared to 4-0 at home. Georgia Tech has played their best basketball at home, as the Yellow Jackets are 4-1 and outscoring opponents on their home floor by 16.4 ppg. 

The Yellow Jackets have really been impressive on the offensive end at home, as they come in averaging 87.4 ppg and are shooting 49.2% from the field at home. VCU only averages 69.2 ppg on the road and are shooting a mere 40.8% away from home. Defensively these two teams are pretty equal, but I would give the slight edge to the Yellow Jackets, as they are holding opponents to 41.9% shooting against them at home, where the Rams are allowing 45.5% on the road. Georgia Tech should also control the glass, as they are outrebounding opponents by 12 rpg, while VCU is only outrebounding opponents by 2 rpg. 

The Rams are just 7-17 ATS in their last 24 off a SU loss and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after a game where they failed to cover the spread. The Yellow Jackets are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 as a home favorite of 3-points or less. Take Georgia Tech! 

4* Cavs/Celtics NBATV ATS Annihilator on Cavs - 

The Cavaliers come into their showdown against the Celtics off their most impressive performance of the season, as they went into Orlando last Friday and destroyed the Magic 111-76. However, Cleveland is just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games and I don't see them being overvalued here, as Boston is getting a lot of love right now. The Celtics have gone 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games and gained a lot of respect with their double-overtime loss against the Warriors and win the very next night on the road against a red-hot Charlotte team. 

With Iman Shumpert playing for the first time this season in the win over the Magic and Kyrie Irving expected back during their upcoming 3-game home stand, I get the feeling the Cavaliers are on the verge of going on a big run and want to be playing their best basketball when they go on the road next week to face the Warriors on Christmas Day. 

I look for LeBron James and the Cavaliers to treat this as a statement game against the Celtics and we can expect to see the best out of Cleveland with them coming off 3-days of rest and this being a televised game on NBATV. 

Boston is just 4-13 ATS in their last 17 home games after playing 2 straight games as an underdog, while the Cavaliers are 41-21 ATS in their last 62 when playing only their 2nd game in 7 days and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when playing with 3 or more days of rest. 

Adding to all of this is a strong system, as Teams with a line of +3 to -3 who are coming off an upset win as a road dog are just 103-160 (39%) ATS over the last 5 seasons. Take Cleveland! 

5* Western Conference Game of the Month on Rockets -

It might not seem like much, but with a win Houston can move above .500 for the first time this season. I believe it's a big deal for the Rockets, who have put their ugly struggles behind them and started playing up to their potential. Houston is 7-2 over their last 9 games a very profitable 5-1 ATS in their last 6. 

One of the reasons we are seeing a small line here is the fact that the Denver has already beat the Rockets twice this season. They won 107-98 as a 6.5-point home dog on 11/13 and 105-85 as a 10.5-point road dog on 10/28. That double-revenge works more in the favor of the Rockets than the Nuggets and it's important to note that both of those victories came prior to Houston's recent surge. 

Denver has historically been a good home team, but that's not the case this season. The Nuggets are just 4-7 at home and were fortunate to win their last home game in a 111-108 overtime win against Minnesota (trailed by 15 at half). Denver is just 3-9 in their last 12 and all 3 wins came by 3-points or less (easily could be riding 12-game losing streak). 

While the Nuggets haven't played since Friday, they are just 3-14 ATS over the last 2 seasons when playing with 2 days of rest. Denver is also just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games and 8-18 in their last 26 as a home dog. Adding to this, we see that favorites revenging 2 losses as a favorite are 133-81 (70%) ATS when coming off a home win since 1996. Take Houston! 

3* NBA Situational ATS No Brainer on Grizzlies -

This Grizzlies are showing some great value here as a mere 3.5-point home favorite against the Wizards. Memphis is being way undervalued coming into this game off back-to-back losses, while Washington is being overvalued due to covering 2 straight, including a 114-111 win at Dallas as a 6.5-point dog on Saturday. 

While Washington was able to beat the Mavericks on the road, this is a team that's poised to take a step back with the recent injury to Bradley Beal, who has missed the last two. Beal is a major part of the offense, averaging 19.8 ppg and one of their biggest 3-point threats at 38.9% and a team best 2.2 made 3-pointers per game. Keep in mind the Wizards are also without Drew Gooden, Alan Anderson and Nene right now. Tough spot for Washington's depleted roster, as this will be their 3rd straight on the road and 6th game overall in the last 9 days. 

Memphis is a team that has had some ugly losses, but they continue to bounce back. The Grizzlies back-to-back losses is their only losing streak in the last month. Grizzlies are playing in the 2nd of a back-to-back set, but are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 when playing on no rest. Wizards are 0-4 ATS last 4 off a SU win and 3-18 ATS in their last 21 off a win by 6-points or less. Take Memphis! 

4* NBA Situational Over/Under Total Annihilator on UNDER

These two teams just played on Friday and I cashed in on the UNDER 204 with ease in a 94-90 win by Oklahoma City. While the books have adjusted the total for the rematch, there's still a ton of value on the UNDER in this one. 

Oklahoma City has gone UNDER the total in 8 of their last 9 games, including each of their last 4 at home. The Jazz have gone UNDER in each of their last 2 and 7 of 11 overall. These two teams also have a history of low-scoring games, as each of the last 6 in the series have finished below the mark. Having just played 2 days ago against each other only adds to the likelihood of another low-scoring game, as both teams are very familiar with what the other wants to do offensively.

UNDER is 11-3 in Utah's last 14 against a team with a winning record and 7-2 in their last 9 against the Western Conference. UNDER is also 6-0 in the Thunder's last 6 against a team with a losing record and 9-1 in their last 10 off a SU win. Take the UNDER!  

3* NCAAB ATS No Brainer on Nebraska 

The Cornhuskers have one of the best homecourt advantages that not a lot people know about and we are finding Nebraska showing great value here as a pick'em at home against Rhode Island. The Cornhuskers are simply being way undervalued off an ugly 16-point road loss at Creighton.

Keep in mind that Nebraska's 4 losses this season have all come against quality opponents in Villanova, Cincinnati, Miami and Creighton. The only loss at home is to the Hurricanes by 5-points as a 5.5-point underdog. Rhode Island is 6-3 but have yet to play a true road game and have already lost at home twice as a favorite to Valparaiso and Providence. They also have a 23-point loss on a neutral site against Maryland. 

Rhode Island is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 in a game with a low total set at 130 to 139.5 points, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games (1-4 L5 vs team w/ winning home record) and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 off a SU win. Cornhuskers are 27-13-1 ATS in their last 41 home games, 11-3 ATS in their last 14 at home after playing a game as a road dog and 6-0 ATS in their last 6 as a home favorite or pick'em of 3 points or less. Take Nebraska! 

5* NCAAB Non-Conference Game of the Month on Colorado -

Colorado is showing great value here as a 5-point favorite against BYU. The Buffaloes come into this game 7-1 with their only loss come against a very good Iowa State team, which they only lost by 6-points on a neutral site. Colorado is 5-0 at home and are winning at home by an average score of 86.0 to 67.6. 

BYU comes in with a respectable 6-2 record, but their strong start has been aided by an easy schedule to this point. Their only real test was at Utah and they lost that game 75-83 and it wasn't that close, as they trailed by 23 points at the half. The Cougars also lost their only other true road game at Long Beach State. 

The Buffaloes are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 off 5 or more consecutive wins, 9-3 ATS in their last 12 home games against a team with a losing road record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 against the WCC. BYU on the other hand is just 9-23 ATS in their last 32 road games when they come in having covered 4 of their last 5 games and 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after leading by 15+ points at the half of their last contest. Take Colorado! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Pacers/Pistons UNDER

I'm expecting a defensive showdown tonight between these two Central Division rivals, as both of these teams can really get after it on the defensive side of the ball. After giving up 120+ points during a 3-game losing streak, the Pacers responded by allowing just 83 in a 13-point win over the Heat last night. I look for Indiana to carry over that effort on the defensive side of the ball against a Pistons team that only averages 98.4 ppg. 

Detroit has held 4 of their last 5 opponents to 95 or less and are giving up just 96.2 ppg at home on the season. The Pistons will be especially motivated in this one, after losing at home to the Pacers by 12 earlier this season. Keep in mind that earlier meeting saw a combined 176 points in a 94-82 Indiana win. 

UNDER is 41-26 in the Pacers last 67 games off a home win, 24-9 in their last 33 against a team with a winning record and 4-1 in their last 5 road games against a team that's won 60% or more of their home games. UNDER is also 6-0 in the Pistons last 6 against at team that's won more than 60% of their games and 5-1 in their last 6 when playing on 0 days of rest. Take the UNDER 201! 

4* Celtics/Hornets NBA ATS Heavy Hitter on Hornets -

The Celtics gave the Warriors all they could handle in a 119-124 double-overtime loss at home last night. As impressive as that performance was, it has Boston in line for a major letdown on the road in a back-to-back set against a red-hot Charlotte team that comes in having won 4 straight and 9 of their last 11 overall. 

The Hornets have been especially good at home this season, where they are 10-3 and outscoring opponents by 8.2 ppg. A big reason for their success at home is their defense. Charlotte is allowing just 96.3 ppg at home on the season and have their last two opponents to 82.5 ppg and 37.7% shooting. 

Hornets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 against a team with a winning record, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 following a SU win and 8-0 ATS in their last 8 home games when coming off 2 straight games in which they made 9 or more 3-pointers. Take Charlotte! 

3* NCAAB Situational Undervalued Underdog on Cincinnati +

The Bearcats are showing great value here against the Musketeers as a decently priced road dog on Saturday. Cincinnati is 8-1 and their only loss of the season is a 2-point defeat to Butler. Xavier has opened an impressive 9-0 and are winning by an average of 19.2 ppg. However, this will be the Musketeers biggest challenge of the season. On top of that, this is a big rivalry game. 

Xavier comes in averaging an impressive 83.2 ppg, but will be going up against a stingy Cincinnati defense that is allowing just 58.4 ppg against teams who on average score 71.2 ppg. The Bearcats are also allowing opponents to shoot just 36.1% from the field and are outrebounding opponents by 10 boards a game. 

The Bearcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games overall, 13-4 ATS in their last 17 road games after playing 3 or more straight games at home and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games against a team that's won more than 60% of their home games. Take Cincinnati! 

4* NBA Western Conference ATS Heavy Hitter on Suns -

I backed the Suns on Wednesday in an unfortunate non-cover where Phoenix won 107-104 as a 4-point favorite, despite going into the 4th quarter leading by 11. As tough as that loss was to swallow, I'm firing back with the Suns at home against the Blazers.

Phoenix will be playing with a lot of confidence after 2 straight wins and need to keep it going, as they were just 1-8 in their previous 9. There's a good chance the Suns get back a big piece tonight, as Tyson Chandler has been upgraded to questionable after missing the previous 7 games with a hamstring injury. 

A big key here is the Suns are catching the Blazers in a bad spot scheduling wise. Portland will be playing their 4th straight on the road and 3rd in the last 4 nights. On top of this, Phoenix has shown they matchup well with the Blazers, as they won 110-92 at home on 10/30 and the very next night went to Portland and won 101-90. Overall the Suns are 4-1 SU at home against the Blazers over the last 3 seasons and Portland is just 4-9 away from home this year. 

Blazers are 9-23 ATS in their last 32 off a road loss, 5-15 ATS in their last 20 off 2 or more consecutive road defeats and 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against a team with a winning home record. Take Phoenix! 

3* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Thunder/Jazz UNDER

I believe the books have set the mark too high for this matchup. Oklahoma City has gone UNDER the total in 7 of their last 8 games. One of the reasons we are seeing a high total here is the Jazz have gone over in 4 of their last 5, but they come in off a game against the Knicks where they allowed just 85 points at home for a combined score of 191. 

These two teams played at Utah earlier this season and combined for 200 points and that was with the Thunder shooting a ridiculous 54.5% from the field and 40.7% from behind the 3-point line. Oklahoma City also had a 40-point outburst in the 2nd quarter. The game still went UNDER the posted total of 201 and that's now 5 straight in the series and 3 in a row at Utah where they have gone UNDER the total. 

A key factor here is that we have the Thunder coming into this game playing in the 2nd of a back-to-back set, as they hosted the Hawks last night. It's also OKC's 3rd game in 4 nights and 5 different players played 30+ minutes last night. The Thunder aren't going to have the legs to push the pace in this one and tired legs typically leads to poorer shooting from the outside. 

UNDER is 10-0 in the Thunder's last 10 after scoring 100+ in 2 straight games and 8-0 in their last 8 after 2 straight wins. UNDER is also 10-3 in the Jazz's last 13 against a team with a winning record and 11-4 in their last 15 off a SU win by more than 10 points. Take the UNDER! 

5* NBA Vegas Insider Game of the Month on Pelicans -

It's been about as bad a start to the season as you could imagine for the Pelicans, who surprised just about everyone when they snuck into the Western Conference playoffs last year. A big reason for New Orleans' struggles has been injuries and that's where the value lies in the Pelicans laying just 2.5-points at home against the Wizards. 

New Orleans is almost back to full strength. Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole returned recently and they are expected to get back Kendrick Perkins, who has been sidelined since October. While the return of Evans and Cole didn't pay off immediately, the Pelicans did have an impressive 114-108 win at home over the Cavaliers last Friday. While they followed that up with a 93-111 loss to the Celtics, that's the only game New Orleans has played in the last 7 days. The Pelicans are fresh, hungry and extremely motivated. 

While New Orleans is getting healthy, the Wizards are dealing with numerous injuries right now, most notably in the front court. Nene and Drew Gooden are both expected to be out and Kris Humphries is questionable. Being thin in the front court is not what you want against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans. I look for Davis to dominate this game and let's not forget the Wizards are just 3-7 in their last 10 games. 

Washington is 11-22 ATS in their last 33 when playing 6 or more games in 10 days, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 against the Western Conference and 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against a team with a losing home record. The Pelicans are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 home games against a team with a winning road record and 11-2 ATS in their last 13 home games played on Friday night. Take New Orleans! 

4* Bulls/Clippers TNT ATS Annihilator on Bulls +

Chicago is showing some great value here as a home dog against the Clippers. The Bulls come into this game having lost 3 straight and all 3 losses have been a result of poor play in the 4th quarter. The Bulls were outscored 30-21 in the final period of a 6-point loss to the Hornets, gave up 42 to the Suns to turn a 16-point lead into a 2-point loss and last night were outscored 25-30 at Boston. 

This is the opportune time for Chicago to bounce back playing at home in a prime time matchup on TNT. When matched up with the best teams in the NBA at home the Bulls have delivered. Chicago has a 97-95 win over the Cavaliers, 104-98 win against the Thunder, 96-95 win against the Pacers and 92-89 win over the Spurs. I expect that trend to continue here against the Clippers. 

Los Angeles comes in having won 3 straight and 6 of 7 overall but a lot of their recent success has to do with a soft schedule. Their 6 wins during this stretch have come against the Pelicans, Timberwolves (twice), Blazers, Magic and Bucks. The lone loss was a 8-point defeat at home to the Pacers and prior to this recent stretch they had lost 8 of their previous 11. This is also a tough spot for the Clippers, who will be playing their 3rd straight on the road in a span of 4 days, and come in off no rest after playing last night in Milwaukee. 

Road teams with a line of +3 to -3 who are coming off 3 straight games that went over the total, who are averaging 102+ points/game against an opponent that allowing 98-102 ppg are just 6-27 (18%) ATS over the last 5 seasons. Take Chicago! 

4* Bulls/Clippers TNT Total Dominator on UNDER

I think we are seeing an inflated total here due to the fact that both teams come in having eclipsed the total in each of their last 3 games. The key thing to note is that these games have barely gone over for both teams. in the Clippers 3-0 over run two of those games only went over by 6 points or less. As for the Bulls, their last 3 games have all gone over by a combined 7.5 points and all 3 can be pinpointed to poor defensive effort in the 4th quarter, as Chicago has allowed 30, 42 and 30 in the final period of their last 3 games.

With this being a prime time game on TNT and these two teams being two of the more respected clubs in the NBA, I think we are going to get max defensive effort from both sides. I especially expect to see the Bulls get after it on that side of the ball on their home floor after losing 3 straight.

When the Bulls have hosted whats considered to be an elite opponent, it's resumed in a low scoring game. Chicago beat Cleveland at home 97-95, Oklahoma City 104-98, Indiana 96-95 and the Spurs 92-89. All 4 of which went under the total set for that game by at least 6 points.

UNDER is 8-0 this season in Bulls' games when they come in having played their previous game on the road, 7-1 in their last 8 against the Western Conference, 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games and 13-2-1 in their last 16 after scoring 100+ in their last game. UNDER is also 4-1 in the Clippers last 5 when playing on 0 days of rest and 5-1 in their last 6 when facing a team that allowed 100+ in their previous game. Take the UNDER!  

5* Non-Conference Game of the Year on Suns - 

I think we are getting some exceptional value here on the Suns as a mere 4-point home favorite against the Magic. Phoenix has lost 8 of their last 10 games, but will be taking the floor with a ton of confidence after a thrilling 103-101 win at Chicago last time out, where the Suns outscored the Bulls by 18 points in the 4th quarter for the improbable win. 

While Phoenix's 2-8 record of their last 10 games is concerning, we can pinpoint their poor play to a brutal schedule, as 9 of their last 11 games have come on the road and one of their home games was against the Warriors. This is an ideal bounce back spot for Phoenix off that big win in Chicago and they are catching the Magic in a horrible spot. 

Orlando is simply getting too much respect here due to the fact that they have won 6 of their last 7 and are 6-0-1 ATS during this stretch. However, the Magic are primed for a letdown in what will be their 5th straight road game in the last 9 days. Adding to this is the fact that Orlando is playing in the 2nd game of back-to-back set that saw them play last night in the thin air of Denver. They pulled out an ugly 85-74 win, but you could see the signs of fatigue. I believe they have nothing left in the tank and will get blown out by a hungry Suns team tonight. 

Suns are 27-13 ATS in their last 40 off a road win and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games against a team with a losing road record. Orlando on the other hand is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 after allowing less than 75 points and 0-1 ATS this season after scoring 85 or less. Take Phoenix! 

3* NCAAB No Doubt ATS Rout on Creighton -

The Bluejays are showing big time value here as a mere 5-point home favorite against the Cornhuskers. Creighton is in a prime bounce back spot after dropping back-to-back games in heartbreaking fashion. The Bluejays lost 77-79 at home to Arizona State and then fell 65-68 at Loyola-Illinois in their most recent contest. I don't see Creighton losing 3 straight, especially with this game being played at home and the back-to-back loses have provided a very favorable line to back the Bluejays. 

Nebraska has a couple of impressive loses of late against Cincinnati (61-65) and Miami (72-77), but those strong showings were a result of those teams not shooting well. The  Bearcats only shot 38.9% against the Cornhuskers and the Hurricanes made just 41.4%. I don't see that being the case here with Creighton coming into this game having made 52.3% of their field goal attempts at home. It's also worth noting that in Nebraska's only other true road game this season, they allowed Villanova to shoot 49.2% in a 24-point blowout loss. 

Nebraska is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 road games as an underdog or pick'em and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games after playing their previous game at home. The Bluejays on the other hand are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 after losing 2 of their last 3 and 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games. Take Creighton! 

4* NCAAB Situational ATS No Brainer on Toledo -

The Rockets are showing some great value here as a mere 2-point road favorite against Detroit. Toledo comes into this game having won 2 straight, including a big 71-69 road win at Wisconsin-Green Bay as a 2-point underdog. I look for the Rockets to carry over that momentum against a Detroit team that is picked to finish behind Wisc-GB in the Horizon League. 

Defense is one thing that travels well in all sports and the Rockets come into this game allowing just 71.5 ppg and are holding opposing teams to just 42.9% shooting from the field. I look for their ability to get stops to be the difference in this game, as the Titans don't play any defense. Detroit comes into this game allowing a ridiculous 84.2 ppg and have allowed 95+ on 3 separate occasions. Opposing teams are shooting 46.3% from the field and a ridiculous 43.9% from behind the 3-point line. 

Toledo is 23-7 ATS in their last 30 road games off a road win and 20-8 ATS in their last 28 off an upset win as a road underdog. The Rockets are also a dominant 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games when they come in having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games. Take Toledo! 

3* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Heat/Hornets UNDER

I'm expecting a low-scoring affair between these two Southeast rivals on Wednesday as first place in the division is up for grabs. Miami is coming off a rare high-scoring game in a 103-114 loss at home to the Wizards on Monday. It was only the 4th time this season that a game involving the Heat finished over the total, as the under is 15-4 in their 19 games to this point. 

It also marked the first time that Miami eclipsed the 100-point mark in 8 games and they barely did so despite shooting a ridiculous 59.4% from the field. At the same time the Heat allowed the Wizards to shoot 50% from the field, only the 2nd time all season they have allowed a team to shoot 50% or better. The only other time was against the Kings back on 11/19 and they followed that up by allowing 91 points and 37.8% shooting in their newt game. 

Not only is this a prime spot for Miami to bounce back with a strong defensive effort, but we can also expect to see the Heat offense struggle here against a stingy Hornets defense that is allowing just 97.6 ppg and holding teams to 43.9% shooting at home. 

The last time these two teams faced off in Charlotte, they combined for a mere 154 points, which was the 3rd time in the last 4 meetings at Charlotte that they combined for 185 or less. UNDER is 11-1 in Heat's last 12 after a home game where both teams scored 100+ points and 14-4 in the Hornets last 18 home games off 2 or more consecutive wins. Take the UNDER! 

4* Bulls/Suns NBA ATS Vegas Insider on Bulls +

I really like the value we are getting with the Bulls in this spot. Chicago comes into this game off back-to-back losses, the first time this season they have lost consecutive games. The Bulls can't be happy about either defeat. They were outscored by 9-points in a 6-point loss to the Hornets on Saturday and then got outscored by 18 in a 2-point loss to the Suns on Monday. Needless to say the Bulls are going to be extremely motivated when they take the floor tonight against the Celtics. 

Boston has been playing quality basketball of late with 5 wins in their last 7 games, but I think this is going to be a tough spot for the Celtics to match the intensity of the Bulls. Boston is returning home after a 5-game road trip, putting them in a prime spot to relax in their first game back at home. The other big concern here for the Celtics is their game on deck against the Warriors, as every team wants to be the ones that end Golden State's perfect start to the season. 

Bulls are 20-9 ATS in their last 29 road games after playing their previous game at home, 10-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams from the Atlantic and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 off a SU loss. Take Chicago! 

5* Western Conference Total of the Month on Thunder/Grizzlies UNDER

These two teams combined for 236 points in the Grizzlies 122-114 win at home back on Nov. 16 and it's resulted in an inflated total in the rematch. That was only the second time in the last 10 meetings that these two teams combined for more than 200 points. 

One of the big reasons that we consistently see lower-scoring games between these two teams, is the familiarity they have of one another. This will be the 40th meeting between these two teams since the beginning of the 2010-11 season, which is the most of any two teams in the league during this stretch. 

While the first meeting saw a lot of offense, I think both defenses come to play this time around. Memphis has held 6 of their last 8 opponents under 100 points and the Thunder have allowed a team to eclipse the century mark just once in their last 6 games. It's also worth noting that both teams come in not shooting the ball well, especially from long distance. The Grizzlies are just 24.9% from the 3-point line in their last 4 games and OKC is only hitting 29.6% in their last 4.

UNDER is 13-4 in the Grizzlies last 17 home games off a home win, 17-5 in their last 22 after a close win by 3 points or less and 15-5 in their last 20 with a total set at 200 or more points. The UNDER is also 5-0 in the Thunder's last 5 road games against a team that has won more than 60% of their home games, and 7-0 in their last 7 off a SU win. Take the UNDER! 

4* NCAAB ATS Vegas Insider on Northern Iowa -

The Panthers come into this game off an ugly 15-point loss (67-82) at Richmond on Saturday and I believe it has them showing some great value here as a small road favorite against George Mason in a huge bounce back spot. The defeat snapped a 5-game winning streak for Northern Iowa, which included that big 71-67 home win over then No. 1 North Carolina. 

George Mason has a couple of surprising wins over Ole Miss and Oklahoma State, but outside of that they have been inconsistent. The Patriots have a number of ugly losses on their resume, losing to the likes of Colgate, Mercer, Manhattan and Towson State.

Defensively, George Mason comes in allowing just 63.9 ppg, but that has a lot to do with who they have played, as the Patriots opponents thus far are only averaging 69.9 ppg. Northern Iowa has one of the more efficient offenses in the country, as they are averaging 79.9 ppg and shooting 51.6% from the field and 43.6% from long distances. I just don't see George Mason being able to slow down the Panthers and do enough here offensively to keep this game close enough to cover. 

Northern Iowa is 9-1 ATS in their last 10 after playing their previous game on the road and 12-3 ATS in their last 15 road games after 3 straight games where they committed 14 or fewer turnovers . The Panthers are also 16-4 ATS in their last 20 against teams who allow 64 or less points/game and 10-1 ATS in their last 11 against teams who average 64 or less points per game. Take Northern Iowa! 

3* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on OVER

The Pelicans and Celtics should have no problem eclipsing this high total tonight. Boston comes in averaging 102.7 ppg on the season and are allowing 100.5 ppg on the road. New Orleans is scoring 110.1 ppg at home and giving up 111.7 ppg at home. 

Both teams come in having scored at least 100 points in 3 straight games and the Pelicans have allowed 100+ in 7 straight. Boston has played good defense at times, but this is not a good spot for them. The Celtics will be playing their 5th straight road game and have two huge home games on deck against the Bulls and Warriors. 

OVER is 34-16 in Boston's last 50 road games with a total set at 210 or more points and 13-1 in the Pelicans last 14 home games after scoring 100 or more points in 2 straight games. Take the OVER! 

4* Oklahoma/Villanova NCAAB ATS No Brainer on Oklahoma +

I really like the value here with Oklahoma catching points in this neutral site showdown between two Top 10 teams that have yet to lose on the season. Oklahoma has had some cupcake games along the way to their 5-0 start, but they also have signature wins on their resume. The Sooners won 84-78 at Memphis to open the season and embarrassed Wisconsin 65-48 at home. 

While Villanova has been equally impressive in route to their 7-0 start, this will be the Wildcats biggest challenge to date and I think the Sooners have the offensive fire-power to pull off the upset. Oklahoma comes in averaging a ridiculous 88.2 ppg on 48.9% shooting from the field and 44.6% shooting from long distance. Villanova isn't far behind at 79.0 ppg, but are only 30.9% from long distance and will be facing an Oklahoma defense that is holding opponents to just 25.4% shooting on 3-pointers. 

Oklahoma is a perfect 7-0 ATS over the last 3 seasons after playing 2 straight games as a home favorite and are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 against excellent teams who are shooting 45% or better from the field and holding opponents to 42% or worse. 

We also find a strong system in playing backing the Sooners. Underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who are coming off 2 straight covers as a favorite against an opponent off 2 straight covers as a double-digit favorite are 30-8 (79%) ATS since 1997. Take Oklahoma! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Cavs/Heat UNDER 191.5

These two teams combined for 194 points in an earlier meeting this season in Cleveland and both teams are coming off games in which the final score was more than the total listed for this matchup. This might have some looking to play the over, but I think the smart play here is to take the UNDER. 

Those that have watched Miami know that the Heat are built on defense. Miami only averages 96.3 ppg offensively, but are allowing just 92.6 ppg on the defensive side of the floor. They are holding opponents to just 41.0% shooting from the field. The Heat should be able to impose their will defensively in this one, as they catch a tired Cavaliers team playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back road set that saw them play an overtime game last night at New Orleans. 

Cleveland lost to the Pelicans and have no dropped 2 straight. LeBron James does not take lightly to losing and certainly doesn't want to lose against his former team and close friends. However, James played 45 minutes last night and knows that his team's only chance here is to turn this into a defensive battle, as they don't have the legs to get into a shootout. 

UNDER is 12-3 in the Cavaliers last 15 road games when they come in having failed to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 games and 4-1 in their last 5 when the starting 5 combined for more than 160 minutes in the previous game when playing on 0 days rest. UNDER is also 9-2 in Miami's 11 home games and 23-9 in their last 32 off a SU win. Take the UNDER! 

3* NCAAB No Doubt ATS Rout on Illinois -

I think we are getting some decent value here on the Fighting Illini at home against an inferior opponent. Illinois comes into this game off back-to-back losses against two top notch programs in Iowa State and Notre Dame. They failed to cover the spread in both contests, but were competitive in both, losing by just 11 to Iowa State and 5 to Notre Dame. 

Needless to say the Illini are going to be highly motivated for a win and Western Carolina is a team I think they can run up the score on. We have already seen the Catamounts lose by 25 at Cincinnati and 23 at South Carolina. Their offense really struggled in both of those games, as they shot just 37.1% from the field against the Bearcats and 28.4% against the Gamecocks. That's a good sign that they just don't have the talent to play with the big boys and while Illinois isn't an elite power 5 team, they should have no problem winning here by at least 12 points. 

Western Carolina is just 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after playing 2 straight games as an underdog and 1-7  ATS in their last 8 non-conference games (rarely have lined games). Illinois is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 against a team with a losing record and are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games after playing their previous game at home. Take Illinois! 

5* Cavs/Pelicans NBA on ESPN Vegas Insider on Pelicans +

Cleveland lost 85-97 at home to the Wizards on Tuesday and the perception here is that they are going to bounce back with a win, which has resulted in an inflated line and some great value here with the Pelicans at home in a prime time game on ESPN. 

The Cavaliers haven't been playing well of late. They are just 5-4 in their last 9 games and each of their last 2 wins have been less than impressive. They won by a final of just 95-90 at Charlotte and 90-88 at Brooklyn. 

New Orleans comes in having lost 4 straight, but there's reason to be optimistic about this team turning the corner and getting back to playing like they did a year ago when they made the playoffs. The Pelicans recently got back Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole, two big pieces of the offense that can take pressure off Anthony Davis. Look for New Orleans to lay everything they have into this game and I fully expect them to get the win. 

Cleveland is just 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games after playing 2 straight games as a home favorite, while the Pelicans are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 after losing 4 or 5 of their previous 6 and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 against a team with a winning record. Take New Orleans! 

4* Ark/WF NCAAB ATS Heavy Hitter on Arkansas +

Love the value we are getting here with the Razorbacks as a decently priced road dog against Wake Forest. Arkansas is just 3-3 and have yet to secure a signature win, which is going to have them coming out extremely motivated here against a Demon Deacon team that already has wins over Indiana and UCLA. 

The Razorbacks have been competitive in all 3 losses, as each has come by 10-points or less. Wake Forest on the other hand hasn't really blown anyone out. The Demon Deacons largest margin of victory is 8-points at Bucknell. They only beat Maryland Baltimore County by 5 at home, Rutgers by 1 on the road and lost at home to Richmond 82-91. It's also worth noting that these two teams played last year at Arkansas and the Razorbacks won convincingly 83-53. I know it's not the same teams, but you can see the value. 

Wake Forest last game was at Rutgers and the Demon Deacons are just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 after playing their last game on the road. Wake Forest is also just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 against the SEC. Take Arkansas! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Magic/Jazz UNDER 191

The books have set the total too high for Thursday's matchup between the Magic and Jazz. A big reason for that is these two teams recently played in Orlando on 11/13 and the two combined for 195 points with a total of just 189.5. It was only the 2nd time in the last 5 meetings that these two went over the total and each of the last two games played in Utah have finished under the mark. 

There's plenty of reason to expect a low-scoring game. While the Magic are giving up 99.6 ppg on the season, they have been much better of late on that side of the ball. Orlando has held each of their last 4 opponents to 93 or less. Utah is far from an explosive offensive team and are scoring just 94.5 ppg at home. The Jazz are also very good defensively, allowing just 94.0 ppg and we can expect to see Utah really get after it defensively tonight with that recent loss to the Magic fresh on their minds. 

UNDER is 9-2 in the Magic's last 11 off back-to-back upset wins as an underdog and 3-1 this season when listed as a road dog of 6 points or less. UNDER is 3-0 this season after the Jazz allow 105 or more points in their previous game, 8-1 in their last 9 after allowing 100+ in 3 straight and 4-0 this season when listed as a home favorite of 6 points or less. Take the UNDER! 

3* Heat/Thunder TNT Total Dominator on UNDER

Not surprised here to see the books set a big number for the total of this nationally televised matchup between the Heat and Thunder tonight. A big reason for that is the Thunder come in averaging 108.9 ppg and have scored 100+ in 5 straight. 

As good as Oklahoma City has been offensively, Miami has been equally good defensively. The Heat come in allowing just 92.5 ppg. Clearly when this team wants to get it after it on the defensive side of the ball, they can shut teams down. I think it's safe to say that given the talent on OKC and this being a nationally televised home game, we can expect to see max effort defensively from Miami. 

The UNDER is 5-1 in Oklahoma City's 6 games this season against strong defensive teams who are holding opponents to 43% or worse shooting, 6-0 in their 6 games against teams who are called for 21 or fewer fouls/game and 5-1 in their last 6 against teams who average 53 or more rebounds. UNDER is 9-2 in Miami's 11 games this season against teams who attempt 18 or more 3-point shots, 8-1 in their 9 against strong free throw shooting teams, making 76% or more of their attempts (don't foul often) and 6-2 in their 8 games against teams who average 99+ points/game. Take the UNDER! 

3* Gonz/Wash St Late Night NCAAB ATS Annihilator on Gonzaga -

This may seem like a lot of points for Gonzaga to be laying on the road against a Washington State team that has started out 4-0, but that's exactly where the value lies in this game. The Cougars are not anywhere close to as good as their 4-0 start might lead on and will be exposed here against the Bulldogs. Keep in mind that Gonzaga is a team many believe is at worst a Sweet 16 club, while Washington State is picked to finish in the bottom three of the Pac-12. 

The easiest way to see the gap here between these two teams is to look at their games against Northern Arizona, who each played at home. Gonzaga won 91-52 as a 25-point favorite, while the Cougars won 82-70 as a 10.5-point favorite.

That game against Northern Arizona is arguably the best team Washington State has played, so this is a huge jump up in competition and one I don't think they are ready for. Keep in mind these two teams have played each of the last two years and the Bulldogs won both by at least 15 points. I don't see any reason to expect a different outcome in this one. Take Gonzaga! 

5* Indiana/Duke Big/Ten ACC Vegas Insider Top Play on Indiana +

Even against a top caliber opponent like Indiana, the books are going to shade the line in favor of Duke, especially at home. I absolutely love the value we are getting with the Hoosiers as a double-digit dog against the Blue Devils tonight. Indiana is 5-2, but could just as easily be 7-0. Their two losses, both against quality teams in Wake Forest and UNLV, have come by a combined 7-points. 

Duke's only played 3 legit opponents this season. They lost to Kentucky 63-74 and barely held on for wins against VCU (79-71) and Georgetown (86-84), failing to cover the spread in all 3. Indiana isn't just capable of covering this spread, but I could see them winning this game outright and ending Duke's 15-year non-conference home winning streak. 

Part of the reason we are seeing a big number here is the fact that Indiana is just 2-4 ATS in their last 5 lined games. However, that actually sets them up in a very profitable spot, as the Hoosiers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 when they come in having failed to cover the spread in 4 or 5 of their last 6 games. It's also worth noting that Duke comes in off a 85-52 win against Utah State and are just 2-5 ATS in they last 7 off a SU win by more than 20 points. Take Indiana! 

4* FSU/Iowa NCAAB ATS Heavy Hitter on Iowa -

Iowa is showing some great value here as a relatively small home favorite. The Hawkeyes have one of the more underrated home court advantages, as they are 29-8 at home over the last 3 seasons, which includes a 2-0 start to this year. 

After a couple of hard fought losses against Dayton (77-82) and Notre Dame (62-68), Iowa responded with a 84-61 blowout win over Wichita State as a mere 5-point favorite. When the Hawkeyes get their offense going they are extremely tough to beat. Florida State has allowed each of their last 3 opponents to shoot at least 46% from the field and that's concerning given they haven't really played anyone. The Seminoles biggest test so far this season was a neutral court game against Hofstra and they lost 77-82 as a 8-point favorite. 

The Seminoles are a mere 9-21 ATS in their last 30 after playing 3 straight games as a favorite, 9-23-1 ATS in their last 33 against a team with a winning percentage over 60% and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 against the Big Ten. Take Iowa! 

3* NBA Undervalued Underdog on Pelicans +

While the Pelicans fell 104-113 at home last night to the Grizzlies, I saw some real positive signs from this team, as they built up a 14-point lead against a Memphis team that has been playing their best basketball of the season. I also think we are about to see New Orleans go on a run, as they are getting closer to full strength. They got back Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole last night and Evans responded with a team-high 20 points to go with 10 assists. 

The Rockets managed to pull out a 116-111 win at New York two games ago, but had to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit. They followed it up with a 105-116 loss at Detroit. Houston continues to fall behind big early in games and I have yet to see any kind of signs that this team is back to the form from last year. Opponents have figured out how to pick apart the Rockets defense and I look for the Pelicans to do just that and win this game outright. 

Houston is 0-9 ATS as a home favorite this season and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 following a loss. Pelicans are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 after forcing 8 or fewer turnovers in their previous game and 11-2 ATS in their last 13 after failing to cover the spread in 3 out of their last 4 games. Take New Orleans! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Warriors/Hornets UNDER

The books have been forced to set the totals high in every Warriors game, as Golden State has scored at least 100 points in every game. That might have you thinking the over is the smart play in this one, but I think we could see Golden State's streak of 100+ points come to an end tonight. 

Charlotte knows that they can't afford to get into a shootout with Golden State, especially with them missing one of their top scorers in Al Jefferson. The Hornets are going to do everything in their power to slow this game down and make the Warriors work for everything they get offensively. Charlotte has been locked in defensively in their last 2 games, holding the Cavaliers to 95 and the Bucks to just 82. They come in allowing just 97.1 ppg at home and are catching the Warriors in a good spot, playing their 2nd straight on the road and first trip to the east coast this season. 

UNDER is 28-13 in the Warriors last 41 off a road win and 6-2 in their last 8 against the Eastern Conference. UNDER is also 11-2 in the Hornets last 13 when playing with 2 days of rest, 10-4 in their last 14 home games and a perfect 5-0 in their last 5 at home against a team with a winning road record. Take the UNDER! 

4* Maryland/UNC NCAAB ATS Heavy Hitter on Maryland +

I think we are seeing some exceptional value here with the Terrapins, as North Carolina is getting too much respect here simply for playing at home. I actually think Maryland is the more talented of the two teams and have an excellent shot at pulling off the upset.

The Tar Heels came into the season ranked No.1 and we have already seen them lose on the road to UNI and struggled to put away the likes of Northwestern and Kansas State. I just don't think this team is as good as the hype surrounding them and the fact that they haven't covered 4 straight is a good sing they are consistently being overvalued by the books.

The Terrapins are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 against the ACC, 5-2 ATS in their last 7 against a team with a winning record and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games. North Carolina on the other hand is 4-10-2 ATS in their last 16 home games, 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 against a team that's won more than 60% of their games and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games against a team with a winning road record. Take Maryland! 

5* NBA Non-Conf Game of the Month on Nets +

Brooklyn is showing great value here as a home dog against the Suns. The Nets have been playing much better basketball since their 0-7 start. While they are just 4-6 since, you have to keep in mind that they have played 7 of their last 10 on the road. They were also competitive in all 6 losses during this stretch and have won all 3 of their home games. 

Phoenix comes in off a 107-102 win at Toronto on Sunday, but are just 3-4 on the road on the season and just 1-4 over their last 5 overall. Tough spot for the Suns to get motivated after a big road win, especially with them missing a key piece in center Tyson Chandler. Brook Lopez should be able to have his way inside for Brooklyn with Chandler sidelined and that's going to open up everything else. 

Another key factor here is the Nets have really been getting after it defensively at home. During their current 3-game winning streak at the Barclays Center they are allowing just 90.7 ppg and holding opponents to just 39.4% shooting from the field. Phoenix on the other hand has allowed 100+ in 3 straight and are allowing 106.4 ppg on the road, where opposing teams are shooting just under 47% from the field. 

The Nets are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 when they come in having lost 2 of their last 3, 7-1 ATS in their last 8 after covering in their last game and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 against the Western Conference. Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 against a team that's won fewer than 40% of their games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100+ points in their previous game. Take Brooklyn! 

3* NCAAB Undervalued Underdog on Oakland +

I really like the value we are getting here with the Golden Grizzlies as a decently priced road dog against Georgia. Oakland is 3-2 with their only two losses coming on the road against a couple of quality teams in Colorado State by 6 and Southern Illinois by 9. The Bulldogs are 2-2 and have struggled in their 3 home games. They lost outright to UT Chattanooga as 10.5-point favorite and barely held on for a 49-46 win over High Point as a 9-point favorite. 

Twice this season Georgia has shot worse than 30% from the field and both of those came at home against Murray State and High Point. The Golden Grizzlies come into this game shooting lights out, hitting 50% or better from the field in each of their last 3 games. They also have held each of their last 2 opponents under 32% from the field. 

The Golden Grizzlies are 12-4 ATS in their last 19 after allowing 30 points or less in the 1st half of 2 straight games and 12-2 ATS in their last 14 when leading by 10+ at the half in their last 2 games. They are also 17-5 ATS in their last 22 road games off a win by 15 or more points and 14-5 ATS in their last 19 against teams who force 14 or fewer turnovers per game. Take Oakland! 

3* NBA Oddsmakers Error on Kings +

While the Kings come into this game having lost 2 straight and 5 of their last 7 overall, a big reason for that is they have played 6 of 7 on the road. They have also been without their best player in DeMarcus Cousins for the last 3. There's a good chance Cousins returns tonight, but either way I like the Kings to win at home. 

Motivation will definitely be there for Sacramento, as they should rally around Rajon Rondo, who got a lot of grief for not fitting in Dallas last year. Rondo has been playing very well to start the season, as he leads the league with 11.0 assists/game. If anything, look for Rondo to play with a chip on his shoulder in this one. 

Dallas was able to escape with a 92-81 win at home against the Nuggets in their last game, but the offense continued to struggle, as they have scored 96 or fewer in 3 straight. They also benefited from a 5-point 3rd quarter by Denver, where they turned a 4-point halftime deficit into a 16-point lead. 

Mavericks are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 after a win by more than 10 points, while the Kings are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 off a SU loss and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after a game where they failed to cover the spread. Take Sacramento! 

4* Clemson/Minnesota NCAAB Vegas Insider on Minnesota -

The Golden Gophers are showing some great value here as a mere 1.5-point home favorite against Clemson. Minnesota is being undervalued due to having failed to cover the spread in 4 straight games, while the Tigers are getting too much respect for a blowout 76-58 win over Rutgers. 

Minnesota is a perfect 3-0 at home and have a bigger edge on their home floor than this line would indicate. This will be Clemson's first true road game of the season, and we have already seen them lose a neutral site matchup to UMass by 17 points as a 7.5-point favorite. 

Tigers are just 2-6 ATS in their last 8 versus the Big Ten, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 against a team with a winning record and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games against a team with a winning home record. Take Minnesota! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Nuggets/Bucks OVER

Both of these teams come into this game off extremely low-scoring games. The Bucks combined for just 169 points in a 82-87 loss at Charlotte and Denver combined for only 173 in a 81-92 loss at Dallas. The key here is that both teams had an awful offensive quarter. Milwaukee scored just 9-points in the 2nd quarter against the Hornets and the Nuggets managed just 5 points in the 3rd quarter against the Mavericks. 

I believe the results have created some great value here as too much attention is being paid to the offenses and not what these two defenses are allowing. Denver is giving up 103.7 ppg and the Bucks are even worse at 105.0 ppg. Prior to their last game, Milwaukee had seen the OVER cash in 8 straight games. I just don't see the defensive intensity being there in this matchup, as the Nuggets are playing their 3rd in 4 nights and the Bucks are in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set. 

OVER is 12-5 in the Nuggets last 17 when playing against a team with a losing record, 7-1 in the Bucks last 8 off a SU loss, 5-2 in their last 7 when playing on no rest and a perfect 7-0 in their last 7 after playing 2 straight games as an underdog. Take the OVER! 

3* Providence/Mich St NCAAB Late Night Bailout on Providence +

Not a surprise here to see Michigan State being overvalued by the books after their perfect 6-0 start which has included 4 straight wins by double-digits, plus that earlier victory against Kansas. However, Providence is not a team they should be giving 8-points to. 

The Friars are also 6-0 and have some impressive wins on their early resume, including a 69-65 victory over Arizona on a neutral court in their last game. Providence won that game outright as a 5.5-point underdog and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they pulled off the upset over the Spartans.

The Friars are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 neutral court games when listed as a underdog or pick'em and 11-3 ATS in all tournament games over the last 3 years. They are also 13-4 ATS in their last 17 against elite teams like Michigan State, who are shooting 45% or better from the field and holding opponents to 42% or worse. Take Providence! 

3* Celtics/Magic NBA Over/Under Total Dominator on UNDER

I think we are seeing some great value here on the under with this total set over the 200 mark. Orlando has really played well defensively at home, where they are allowing just 94.0 ppg over their last 7. Boston also gets after it on the defensive end, as they are only giving up 96.9 ppg on the season. 

All 4 meetings last year saw a combined score of 201 or less, so these two have a history of low-scoring games. Another key here is that both team are coming in off a day of rest, so they should have plenty of energy to get back in transition.

UNDER is 22-8 in the Celtics last 30 off a blowout win by 30 or more points and 32-17 in the Magic's last 49 after playing 2 straight at home. We also find a strong system in play. The UNDER is 36-13 (74%) since 1996 in games with a total of 200 to 209.5, where you have a team that covered the spread in their last game and playing 6 or more in 10 days. Take the UNDER! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Hawks/Spurs UNDER

I'm expecting a low-scoring defensive battle on Saturday between the Hawks and Spurs. Given the scheduling scenario we have here, neither of these teams are going to be looking to push the pace offensively. 

Atlanta is an absolutely brutal spot, playing their 4th game in 5 nights with this being the 2nd game of a back-to-back road set. They also come in off a high-scoring game last night at Memphis in a 116-101 win. The Spurs are also playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set and 3rd in the last 4 days overall. San Antonio has been really playing well defensively. They have held 4 straight opponents to 84 or less points are allowing just 84.9 ppg at home on the season. 

UNDER is 30-18 in the Spurs last 48 as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points and 11-4 in their last 15 when playing on no rest. UNDER is 9-4 in the Hawks last 13 off a win and 4-1 in their last 5 when playing on no rest. Take the UNDER! 

3* NBA Undervalued Underdog on Wizards +

After back-to-back ugly losses on the road against the Hornets and Celtics, I look for the Wizards to bounce back with one of their best efforts of the early season at home against the Raptors on Saturday. Washington is being way undervalued due to losing their last 2 in blowout fashion, while Toronto is getting a little too much respect following a huge 103-99 win at home against the Cavaliers. 

The Wizards swept the Raptors at home in the playoffs last year and won both games at home convincingly. They were also at least a 4.5-point favorite in both of those meetings, so you can see the value here with them as a home dog. The Underdog has had the advantage in this series, covering 7 of the last 10. 

We also see the Raptors are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when playing on 2 days of rest, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when playing on Saturday and 0-7 ATS in their last 7 against the Southeast division. Take Washington! 

3* NCAAB Oddsmakers Error on Hawaii +

The Rainbow Warriors are showing some solid value here as dog against the Red Raiders. Texas Tech is in a prime letdown spot after an impressive showing in the Puerto Rico Tipoff, which saw them close out with wins over Mississippi State and Minnesota. That game against the Gophers was a big one for this team and their head coach, who previously was the head coach for Minnesota. 

Tough spot for the Red Raiders to play well off the mini vacation to Puerto Rico and Thanksgiving break. Keep in mind this is a team that only beat High Point by just 4 points in their only home game so far this season. Hawaii is 4-0 and have a talented team that's capable of contending for the title in the Big West Conference. I look for the Warriors to be the much more motivated team and to keep this one close throughout. 

The Warriors are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 after scoring 85 or more points in their previous game and a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 85+ at home. They are also a strong 10-1 ATS in their last 11 after a game where they failed to cover the number. Take Hawaii! 

3* NCAAB Oddsmakers Error on UAB -

This is going to be a long season for Illinois on the hardwood. The Fighting Illini are just 2-3 to start the season with losses at home against the likes of North Florida (81-93) and UT-Chattanooga (77-81). Illinois nearly had another bad loss at home in their last game, as they barely escaped with a 82-79 win over Chicago State. 

It's not a big surprise to see the Illini struggling. They lost 4 key contributors from last year and are without three of their top returnees due to injury in Tracy Abrams, Kendrick Nunn and Jaylon Tate. I look for Illinois to have a tough time keeping it competitive here against a talented UAB team that returns all 5 starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team that pulled off that huge upset over No. 3 seed Iowa State. 

Adding to this is a great system backing the Blazers. Favorites that have allowed 30 points or less in the first half of 2 straight games, who have have two or more returning starters than their opponent are 43-10 (81%) ATS in the first 5 games over the last 5 seasons (perfect 3-0 this season). Take UAB! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Spurs/Nuggets OVER

We are seeing some great value here with this total, as it's been set too low based on the last 3 games for San Antonio. The Spurs combined for just 174 against Memphis, 182 against Phoenix and 171 against Dallas in their last 3. Key thing there is all 3 came at home, where they have been much better on that side of the ball. San Antonio is giving up 96.9 ppg on the road, compared to 90.5 ppg overall. 

Denver has scored at least 97 in 5 straight and allowed 109 or more in each of their last 4. The Nuggets are giving up 105.3 ppg and surrendered 109 to the Spurs in San Antonio back on 11/18. That game finished with a combined score of 207, which is a good sign we will see a similar type scoring output now that these two teams are playing in Denver. 

Each of the last 4 games in the series has seen a combined score of at least 207. We also see that the OVER is 23-12 in the Nuggets last 35 when revenging a same season loss and 13-3 in their last 16 against strong defensive teams that are allowing a shooting percentage of 43% or worse. Take the OVER! 

3* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Jazz/Clippers UNDER

The books have set the total too high for this matchup. Utah comes into this game averaging 94.6 ppg and are shooting just 43.1% from the field. Their only hope of winning games is to make them ugly and let their defense do most of the work. The Jazz are giving up just 93.8 ppg against teams who average 100.2. After allowing 100+ in each of their last 2, I look for Utah to come out extremely motivated defensively tonight. 

The Clippers are known for being a high-scoring attack, but are only averaging 103.6 ppg against teams that allow 102.0 ppg. LA put up 111 last night against the Nuggets, but in their two games prior they scored just 91 at Portland and 80 at home against the Raptors. Given the Clippers are playing in the second game of a back-to-back set and 3rd in the last 4 nights overall, this is not a spot where they are going to look to push the tempo. It's also worth noting they have been playing much better defensively of late. They held Toronto to just 91 points and the Nuggets to only 94. 

UNDER is 28-13 in the Clippers last 41 home games against a team with a losing record and 4-0 in their last 4 against the Northwest. UNDER is also 6-0 in Utah's last 6 off a double-digit loss at home and 4-0 in their last 4 against the Western Conference. Take the UNDER! 

4* Wizards/Hornets NBA ATS Heavy Hitter on Wizards +

This line is begging for you to take the Hornets as a small 3-point home favorite, as Charlotte comes in having won 3 straight and are 6-1 at home this season. The Wizards will be playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set and just lost 106-123 at home last night to the Pacers. I believe the value is with Washington as a dog in a prime bounce back spot. 

The thing to keep in mind with the Hornets strong play of late is its come against some weak competition. Their 3-game winning streak features the likes of the Nets, 76ers, and Kings. Keep in mind they trailed Sacramento by 22 points before they lost big man DeMarcus Cousins to an injury. 

Another factor here is the Wizards have won each of the last 2 in the series and the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 overall. We also see the Wizards are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 road games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days and 8-2 in their last 10 road games against a team with a winning record. Take Washington! 

5* NCAAB Vegas Insider Game of the Month on Syracuse -

Syracuse has opened the season 3-0, but failed to cover last time out against Elon at home, winning by only 11 as a 17-point favorite. I believe that's created some value here, though I don't think it's going to matter. The Orange should have their way against Charlotte and cruise here to a 20+ point win. 

It's not often you get a common opponent this early in the season, but that's what we have here with both teams having played Elon. I mentioned Syracuse beat them by 11, well the 49ers lost at home to Elon 74-85. That final score is very misleading, as Charlotte trailed in that game by 35-points early in the 2nd half. 

Syracuse is 22-8 ATS in their last 30 games away from home in the month of November and 21-9 ATS in their last 30 on the road after 3 straight wins by 10 or more points. The Orange are also 13-2 ATS in their last 15 road games against bad defensive teams that are allowing opponents to shoot 45 or better from the field.

Adding to this is the fact that favorites off 2 consecutive wins by 10 or more points with 2 or more returning starters than their opponent are 26-5 (84%) ATS in the first 5 games of the season over the last 5 years. Take Syracuse! 

5* Celtics/Hawks NBA Vegas Insider Top Play on Hawks -

Atlanta comes into this contest off a 97-109 loss at Cleveland, where they failed to cover as a 5.5-point underdog. The Hawks are now just 1-4 in their last 5 SU and 1-6 in their last 7 ATS. I believe this has Atlanta showing excellent value here at home against the Celtics. 

The Hawks are going to be extremely motivated to get a win after their recent poor play and are well rested with this being just their second game in the last six days. Atlanta will also be out for revenge against the Celtics after a 93-106 loss at Boston back on 11/13. The thing to keep in mind with that game, is the Hawks were a 1-point road favorite, which means they should be around a 7-point home favorite against the Celtics. 

The Hawks are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 when revenging a loss where they allowed 100 or more points, 12-4 ATS in their last 16 off a SU loss by more than 10 points and 11-5 ATS in their last 16 home games against a team with a winning road record. We also see a strong system in play. Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are revenging a same season loss to an opponent that is coming in off a division road loss are 25-6 (81%) ATS over the last 5 seasons. Take Atlanta! 

4* NCAAB No Doubt ATS Rout on Arizona St -

I lost going against Marquette last night with LSU, but I think we are seeing even better value here fading the Golden Eagles. Marquette squeaked out a 81-80 win, despite shooting 51.7% from the field and holding LSU to just 37.0%. I look for the Golden Eagles to return to the form from their previous game, which saw them lose at home by 28-points (61-89) to Iowa. 

Arizona State got their season started off on the wrong foot with a 63-66 loss at home to Sacramento State, but have since won 3 straight, including a 83-74 victory against Belmont and a 79-76 win over NC State last night. The Sun Devils are a team on the rise under first year head coach Bobby Hurley and return 4 starters. They also added in four junior college transfers to help out right away, giving them some much-needed depth, which is key in these tournaments where they have to play back-to-back games. 

Adding to this is a huge system in favor of the Sun Devils. Favorites who had a winning record the previous season with 2 or more starters returning than their opponent are 109-58 (65%) ATS over the last 5 seasons in the first 5 games of year. Take Arizona State! 

3* Knicks/Heat NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on UNDER

Both the Knicks and Heat come into this contest playing some of their best basketball of the early season. New York has won 4 straight and 6 of 8 overall, while Miami has won 5 of their last 6. I look for both teams to come out highly motivated for this game and I expect max effort here on the defensive side of the ball. 

Those that have watched the Heat play, know that this is a strong defensive team. Miami comes in allowing just 92.9 ppg (3rd). Opponents are shooting just 41.1% from the field and 30.8% from long-distance. The key here is we are catching Miami in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set, so they won't be looking to push the pace. The Heat are also averaging just 97.7 ppg against teams that give up an average of 100.7. 

The Knicks are also coming into this one with tired legs. While New York had yesterday off, this will be their 3rd road game in the last 4 days. New York is only giving up 979 ppg against teams that average 101.6 ppg and have held their opponents to 95 or less in 6 of their last 8. 

UNDER is 10-1 in Miami's last 11 and 8-3 in New York's last 11. UNDER is 31-19 in Miami's last 50 with a total set at 190 to 199.5 and 7-0 in their last 7 off a SU win. UNDER is also 6-1-1 in Knicks last 8 when playing with 1 day of rest and 15-5-1 in their las t21 against a team with a winning record. Take the UNDER! 

4* NBA Situational ATS Heavy Hitter on Magic +

We are seeing some exceptional value here with Orlando catching near double-digits against the Cavaliers. No surprise here to see an inflated line on Cleveland after back-to-back blowout wins at home over the Bucks (115-100) and Hawks (109-97). Also playing into this line is the fact that the Magic come in off a 91-97 home loss as a 3-point favorite and have failed to cover 3 straight and 5 of 6 overall. 

It would be one thing for the Cavaliers to be laying this big of a number if they were healthy, but Cleveland is far from full strength. Starters Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert haven't played a game this season and now backup point guard Mo Williams and starting center Timofey Mozgov are sidelined with injuries. Given the injuries and the fact that they are coming off a big game against the Hawks, this is an ideal spot for the Cavaliers to come out flat against a team they have won 10 straight against. 

The Magic are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 road games when they come in having failed to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 and have actually won these games by an average score of 98.1 to 97.4. Cleveland on the other hand is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 off 2 or more consecutive wins. Take Orlando! 

4* NCAAB No Doubt ATS Blowout on LSU -

I played against Marquette in their last game against Iowa and won easily, as the Golden Eagles got destroyed at home 61-89 as a 4-point underdog. While I don't think it will be quite as big a blowout, I fully expect LSU to win here by double-digits. 

Marquette's defense against the Hawkeyes wasn't even close to being good enough to compete with a quality opponent. They allowed Iowa to shoot 54.5% from the field and will now face an LSU team that comes in shooting 49.2% after their first 3 games. Marquette will have no answer for the Tigers' freshman duo of Antonio Blakeney (19.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Ben Simmons (18.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 4.7 apg). LSU should also be able to keep the Golden Eagles offense in check. Opponents are shooting just 38.7% from the field and 28.8% from long-distance against them this season. 

Marquette is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 after allowing 80 or more points in their previous game, 2-12 ATS in their last 14 against a team with a winning record and 3-14 ATS in their last 17 overall. Tigers are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 against the Big East and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 after failing to cover the spread in their previous contest. Take LSU! 

4* NBA Over/Under Total Dominator on Celtics/Nets UNDER

We are seeing some great value here with a high total in Sunday's showdown between the Nets and Celtics. These two teams just played Friday in Boston with the Celtics winning 120-95. The total for that game was an identical 204.5 and they eclipsed it by just 10.5 points with Boston shooting a ridiculous 58.6% from the field. 

I look for a much stronger effort from the Nets in the quick rematch. They actually only had one bad stretch against Boston on Friday, where they allowed 43 points in the 2nd quarter. Brooklyn also realizes they can't get into a track meet with the Celtics, so expect them to try and keep the tempo down in this one. 

UNDER is 20-6 in the Nets last 26 after allowing 100+ in 2 straight games and 22-9 in their last 31 off a road loss. UNDER is also 45-19 in Boston's last 64 after leading by 20 or more at the half of their previous game and 23-9 in their last 32 off a 20+ point over a division opponent. Take the UNDER! 

3* Georgetown/Duke NCAAB ATS Annihilator on Duke - 

The Blue Devils have failed to cover a spread (0-3) in the early portion of the season and are coming into this game off a hard-fought 79-71 win against VCU, which followed a 63-74 loss to Kentucky. I look for Duke to respond in a big way here against Georgetown. The Hoyas come in off a 71-61 win over Wisconsin, but the Badgers are way down this year from last season. Georgetown did play Maryland tough in their previous contest, but they also lost at home to Redford. 

Duke is simply the far superior team and I look for coach K to draw up a gameplan to limit the Hoya's most important player in D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera. On the flip side of this, the Blue Devils have too much offensive fire-power for Georgetown to contain. Duke is scoring 86.7 ppg and shooting 47.6% from the field. 

The Hoyas are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 off a win and 1-8 ATS in their last 9 after covering 2 of their last 3. The Blue Devils are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 non-conference away games and 7-0 ATS in their last 7 road games after going under the total in 2 straight games. Take Duke! 

4* NBA No Doubt ATS Annihilator on Pacers -

Indiana comes into this game quietly playing extremely well. The Pacers have won 7 of their last 9 overall and have been vastly underrated during this stretch, as they are 8-1 ATS. I think the books have once again missed the mark in Saturday's home game against the struggling Bucks. Milwaukee has dropped  4 of 5 and will be playing their 3rd straight on the road, where they are just 2-4 and getting outscored by an average of 6.3 ppg. 

Offensively these two teams are putting up similar numbers, but I think Indiana has been the better of the two. The Bucks are averaging just 96.9 ppg against teams that on average have allowed 101.1 ppg. The Pacers on the other hand are scoring 97.7 ppg against teams that allow 98.2. Defensively there's a clear edge for Indiana, as they are allowing just 95.2 ppg, where Detroit is giving up 103.7. The Pistons have been especially bad defensively of late, allowing 103+ in each of their last 4. 

Milwaukee is just 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 after allowing 100 or more points and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games against at team with a winning home record. Indiana is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 against the Eastern Conference, 7-0 ATS in their last 7 when playing with 2 days of rest and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games against a team that's won fewer than 40% of their road games. Take Indiana! 

3* NCAAB ATS No Brainer on Washington -

The Huskies are coming into the 2015 season with a re-newed since of energy after landing a big time recruiting class that is easily the best to this point under head coach Lorenzo Romar. The key here is not a lot of people are aware of how talented this Washington team is, as there's not much attention on them after last year's disappointing campaign that saw them go 16-15 overall and just 5-13 in the Pac-12. 

Washington's new blood has already proven themselves against a quality opponent, as they stunned Texas on a neutral court 77-71 as a 11-point underdog. They followed that up with a 33-point home win over Mount Saint Mary's. I look for the Huskies to have no problem covering this number against Penn. The Quakers are a long way from home and have not played anyone close to as talented as Washington. Penn won 76-75 over Robert Morris, who later lost by 62-points at Cincinnati. They also beat Delaware State by just 6, who has since lost at Nebraska by 15. 

The Quakers are just 6-17 ATS in their last 23 against a team with a winning record and have lost these by an average of 15 ppg. We also see that home favorites of 10 to 19.5 points from a major div 1 conference against a team from a mid-major conference are 151-81 (65%) ATS since 1997 when coming off a home win where they scored 85 or more points. Take Washington! 

3* NBA Situational Oddsmakers Error on Suns -

Phoenix comes into this game off a disappointing performance at home against the Bulls in prime time game on ESPN Wednesday, losing 97-103 as a 3-point favorite. That sets the Suns up for a big bounce back effort on the road against the Nuggets, a team they just beat at home by 24-points (105-81). 

Denver has played better of late, but I'm confident when I say this is one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are 6-6 right now, but there 6 wins have come against the Rockets (twice), Lakers, Bucks, Blazers and Pelicans. They have lost at home by 17 to the Timberwolves and 12 to the Jazz. They are giving up 103.1 ppg with opposing teams averaging a ridiculous 56.5 points in the 1st half. Phoenix on the other hand is allowing just 43.2 ppg in the 1st half. I look for the Suns to get out to an early lead and cruise to another easy win over Denver. 

The Nuggets are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 home games off a road loss by 10 or more points, while the Suns are 16-4 ATS in their last 20 as a road favorite of 6 points or less. Take Phoenix! 

5* NBA Southwest Division Game of the Month on Grizzlies -

The Grizzlies are showing excellent value here against the Rockets at home. Houston was able to snap a 4-game losing streak with a 108-103 home win over the Trail Blazers in their first game after the firing of head coach Kevin McHale. What's getting overlooked is the fact that the Rockets trailed by as many as 17 in the 3rd quarter and needed a 30-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. 

I just don't think the firing of McHale is going to magically fix the problems that led to the Rockets poor start. I certainly don't like their chances of going on the road and beating a Memphis team that has turned the corner and are playing up to their potential after a slow start. The Grizzlies have won 3 straight and are averaging an impressive 112.3 ppg during this stretch. Their improved play all started when they made the trade to land Mario Chalmers from Miami. 

When Memphis is playing well, they are extremely difficult to beat at home, which is a big reason why I like them so much tonight. The Grizzlies should be able to score at will against a Rockets defense that is allowing 108.1 ppg. Memphis did an excellent job keeping Harden in check last year, limiting him to just 19.3 ppg in their 4 meetings. Harden had 45 against the Blazers and they barely won, so the Grizzlies should have no problem covering if they continue to limit him like they did a year ago. 

Underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who are allowing 103 or more points/game against an opponent that scored 110 or more in their last game are just 28-63 ATS over the last 5 seasons. That's a 69% system in favor of the Grizzlies. Take Memphis! 

4* NCAAB ATS Vegas Insider on Kansas State -

The Wildcats shouldn't have any problem taking care of business at home against South Dakota. Kansas State is flying under the radar after last year's 15-17 campaign and that was evident by the fact that they were just a 4.5-point favorite at home against Columbia last time out. The Wildcats went on to win that game 81-71. Keep in mind that's a talented Columbia team that basically returns 5 starters with the players they got back from last year's injury plagued season. 

As for South Dakota, the Coyotes are a middle-of-the-pack at best team in the Summit League. They are coming off their first winning season in 4 years (17-16), but lost 3 starters , including two of their top scorers in Tyler Larson and Brandon Bos.

The big questions for the Wildcats coming into this season was whether or not senior Justin Edwards and junior Wesley Iwundu could make the kind of improvements in the offseason to get K-State back on track. So far they look to have answered the call. Iwundu is averaging 19.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 4 apg, while Edwards is right behind at 18.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.5 apg. 

South Dakota simply doesn't have the talent or experience to go on the road and compete with a power 5 team like Kansas State. The Coyotes have already lost to Wright State (69-77) and Northern Illinois (65-72) and barely held on to beat Cal State Northridge 76-72. Take Kansas State!

3* NCAAB Afternoon ATS Annihilator on Florida State -

While Hofstra is the favorite to win the Colonial, I don't think the Pride are going to be able to hang with a Florida State team that I believe is flying under the radar right now. The Seminoles are coming off a disappointing 17-16 season, where they went just 8-10 in the ACC, but they should be greatly improved with their top 6 scores (all 5 starters) back, as well as 8 players in total with starting experience. 

Not only does Florida State return a wealth of talent an experience, they landed a Top 10 ranked recruiting class, led by 6'7 combo guard/forward Dwayne Bacon and 6'5 guard Malik Beasley. It hasn't taken long for these two to make their presence felt. Bacon is averaging a team-best 25.0 ppg to with 8.5 rpg. Beasley is right behind him at 21.0 ppg. Sophomore point guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (NBA potential) is enjoying the new additions, as he's averaging a near double-double with 12.0 ppg and 8.0 apg. 

Hofstra likes to get out an push the tempo, as they have scored 96 points in each of their first two games, but that's not going to work against a solid defensive team like Florida State. The Pride also aren't very good defensively (allowed Canisius to score 85 or 48% shooting). Seminoles will score at will and make more than enough stops to win here by double-digits. Take Florida State!

5* Iowa/Marquette NCAAB Vegas Insider Top Play on Iowa -

The Hawkeyes will go on the road to take on a Marquette team that hasn't looked impressive at all in their first two games. The Golden Eagles lost their opener at home against Belmont 80-83 as a 6-point favorite and then barely squeaked by IUPUI 75-71 as a 13.5-point favorite. The same IUPUI team that just lost by 23-points last night at NC State (Wolfpack lost at home earlier this year to William & Mary).

Simply put this is not a good Marquette team. They went just 13-19 last year and lost a lot of key pieces from that team. Only 5 scholarship players returned and just 3 who averaged more than 20 minutes a game. Iowa isn't a great team by any means, but are an experienced bunch with 4 starters back from last year. The Hawkeyes have made easy work of their first two opponents, winning by 17 over Gardner Webb and 35 against Coppin State. Iowa played extremely well on the road last year and will not be intimated playing away from home against an inexperienced Golden Eagles team. 

Marquette is 1-8 over the last 3 seasons when listed as a home dog and are 0-7 ATS during this stretch as a home dog of 6 points or less and 0-7 ATS at home in the month of November. Take Iowa! 

3* Kings/Heat NBA Heavy Hitter on Heat -

I think this is a great spot to back Miami at home against the Kings. Sacramento has played better of late, but fell to 0-3 on the road with last night's 6-point loss at Atlanta. The Kings are a very disciplined team and lack composure, I think they struggle to bounce on no rest against a well-rested and motivated Miami squad. Keep in mind Sacramento is a long way from home, making the back-to-back that much more difficult.

The Heat lost their last game at home 91-103 as a 8.5-point favorite against the Timberwolves. It was only their second loss at home this season. The first was a 92-98 defeat to the Hawks. In their next home game following the defeat to Atlanta, they destroyed a really good Toronto team 96-76.

Miami comes into this game having played just once in the last 6 days and have the 76ers on deck Saturday, so there's no reason for them not to give their best effort off a loss. Keep in mind they haven't lost consecutive games this season and 5 of their 6 wins have come by double-digits. 

Another important note is that the Kings may be without their best player in DeMarcus Cousins, who could end up being suspended for an elbow thrown against Al Hoford last night. Without Cousins this came could get real ugly in a hurry, but even if he plays I still see Miami winning by double-digits. 

Sacramento is 4-13 ATS in their last 17 road games after giving up 100 or more points in 3 straight games and 3-12 ATS in their last 15 off a loss by 6 points or less. The Heat are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 off a loss, 7-1 ATS in their last 8 against the Pacific and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games against a team with a losing record. Take Miami!

5* Bulls/Suns ESPN ATS No Brainer on Suns -

The Suns are showing some great value here as a small home favorite in Wednesday's nationally televised matchup against the Bulls on ESPN. While both teams come in riding 3-game winning streaks, Phoenix has been the more impressive team during this stretch. Chicago barely escaped with home wins over the Hornets (102-97) and Pacers (96-95), while the Suns have won 3 straight at home by at least 14 points. 

The key here is that Chicago is a team that is a heavily backed team by the public and it's why we aren't seeing Phoenix as a bigger home favorite in this matchup. I believe this will be a tough spot for the Bulls, who will be making their first trip out west and doing so without starting point guard Derrick Rose. At the same time, the Bulls have a much bigger game on deck against the undefeated Warriors on Friday. 

Chicago has gone 2-2 on the road, but their 2 wins have come against two of the worst teams in the league in the Nets and 76ers. Their 2 road losses were a 94-98 defeat at Detroit and 105-130 loss at Charlotte. 

Suns are 5-2 ATS at home this season, 15-4 ATS in their last 19 off a win by 10 or more points and 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 against a team with a winning record. Chicago is 1-5 ATS in last 6 versus a team with a winning record, 0-5 ATS in their last 5 off a SU win and 0-10 ATS in their last 10 road games against teams who average 53 or more rebounds/game. Take Phoenix! 

3* NBA Situational Oddsmakers Error on Magic -

With the Timberwolves coming off a 103-91 win at Miami last night as a 8.5-point underdog to improve to 5-1 on the road this season, we are seeing Minnesota way overvalued in a bad spot. The Timberwolves will be playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back road set and are 0-2 this season when playing with no rest. 

Orlando on the other hand comes into this game well rested, as they have had the last 3 days off. The Magic will be hungry for a win following a 9-point loss at Washington in their last game. Since opening the season 0-3, Orlando has gone 5-3 and have not dropped back-to-back games. The Magic could be getting back a key piece for this contest, as there looks to be a good chance Victor Oladipo returns after missing the last 2. 

Minnesota is just 10-22 ATS in their last 32 off a win by 10 or more points and 0-8 ATS in their last 8 against teams who are averaging 56 or more rebounds/game. Magic are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 against the Northwest, 4-1 ATS in last 5 at home, 4-1 ATS in last 5 off a loss and 5-1 ATS in last 6 off 3 or more days of rest. Take Orlando! 

4* Illinois/Providence NCAAB Heavy Hitter on Providence -

The Friars are worth a look at home tonight against the Fighting Illini. Providence got a good test in their opener against Harvard and won 76-64 as a 10-point favorite. They did so despite shooting just 39.7% from the field and allowing the Crimson to shoot 45.3%.

I look for the Friars to have a much stronger showing offensively here against an Illinois team that has really struggled defensively in their first two games. The Fighting Illini allowed North Florida to shoot 52.2% in a 81-93 home loss to open the season. They then gave up 74 points in a 6-point win at home against North Dakota State.

That's a bad sign for a team that will be playing their first road game of the season and facing arguably the best point guard in the country in Kris Dunn, who averaged 15.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 7.5 apg last year.

Keep in mind the Illini lost 4 key contributors from last year in Crosby (7.8 ppg) Egwu (6.5 ppg), Rice (16.5 ppg) and Starks (7.7 ppg). On top of that, Tracy Abrams was lost for the year in the summer and Jaylon Tate, Kendrick Nunn and Leron Black could all be out. Black is the only one with a chance to play, as he's questionable with a knee injury. 

Illinois is just 2-6 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games and 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 road games. The Friars are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games and 19-9-1 ATS in their last 29 home games. Take Providence! 

5* Cavs/Pistons NBA Vegas Insider Top Play on OVER 

I look for the Cavaliers and Pistons to have no problem eclipsing the total set for this one. Cleveland comes in averaging 102.8 ppg and are catching the Pistons in a tough spot. Detroit has had just 1-day off after concluding a lengthy 6-game west coast road trip.

The Cavaliers come in on 2 full days of rest and will be able to push the tempo and take advantage of the tired legs of the Pistons. It's also important to note we catch Cleveland coming off a loss, so we know they will be highly motivated to bounce back with a win. 

The key here is I loo for Detroit to keep pace offensively at home. Cleveland has allowed at least 97 points in 4 of their last 5 and Detroit is averaging a respectable 96.6 ppg. It's also worth noting that each of the final 3 meetings between these two teams last year saw a combined score of 195 or more. 

OVER is 19-8 in the Pistons last 27 home games when playing their 3rd game in 4 days, 26-12 in their last 38 as a home dog and 11-2 in their last 13 home games off a road loss by 10 or more points. OVER is 39-17-1 in Cleveland's las 57 when playing with 2 days of rest and 4-1 in last 5 off a game where they failed to cover. Take the OVER! 

3* NBA Undervalued Underdog on Bucks +

I like the value we are getting here with Milwaukee as a road dog against the Wizards. There's a good chance Washington won't have leading scorer Bradley Beal (22.7 ppg), as he's nursing a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the last 2 games (didn't practice Monday). Even if he plays, I still like Milwaukee, as I don't see him being at full strength. 

The Wizards were able to overcome the loss of Beal in 108-99 win at home against Orlando on Saturday, but that was a much closer game than the final score would indicate. Washington only led by 3 going into the 4th quarter and trailed with less than 5 minutes to go. The Magic were also without one of their best players in Oladipo. Prior to that win, Washington had lost 3 straight and 4 of 5 overall. 

The Bucks will come into this riding a huge wave of momentum after defeating the Cavaliers 108-105 at home on Saturday. It was Milwaukee's 5th win in their last 7 games overall. On top of that, the Bucks will be out for revenge from a 113-118 home loss to the Wizards back on 10/30. 

The Bucks are 20-9 ATS in their last 29 road games revenging a loss and 15-4 ATS in their last 19 when revenging a loss where they allowed 110 or more points. Wizards on the other hand are just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 off a SU win and 0-5 ATS in their last 5 off a cover. Take Milwaukee!

4* Oklahoma/Memphis NCAAB Heavy Hitter on Oklahoma -

These two teams may appear to be evenly matched with Memphis having the home court edge, but I don't think that's the case at all. The Sooners are one of the elite teams in the country and should be able to over-power a Memphis program that looks to be on the decline. 

Oklahoma returns 4 starters, including the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year in Buddy Hield, who turned the opportunity to go to the NBA. He's going to be the best player on the floor in this game and that makes the Sooners an easy pick here for me with this relatively small spread.

Memphis has the looks of a team headed to the NIT at the end of the year. The Tigers went just 18-14 last year and the recruiting just isn't the same as it once was. While the Sooners get back their best player, Memphis lost leading scorer Austin Nichols and don't have anyone returning who averaged double-figures a year ago. 

Memphis doesn't rebound well, which is evident by the 21 offensive rebounds they gave up in their opener against Southern Miss. They aren't going to be able to score as easily in transition against the Sooners and Oklahoma won't give them 19 turnovers. 

Another thing I like here is the Sooners will be highly motivated in this game, as they are 0-6 in their 6 previous meetings with Memphis. It's also worth noting the Tigers are 1-9 ATS over the last 2 seasons when listed as an underdog and have lost these games by an average score of 58.7 to 71.9. Take Oklahoma! 

5* NBA Central Division Game of the Month on Pacers +

The Pacers are showing some excellent value here as a 6-point road dog against division rival Chicago. Indiana has really come on strong since their 0-3 start, winning 6 of their last 7. They come into this one riding a 3-game winning streak and should have no problem keeping it close against the Bulls. 

Chicago is 6-3 and have won 2 straight, but they aren't dominating teams. Their only 2 wins by more than 6-points have come against two of the worst teams in the league in the Nets and 76ers. Indiana's only loss during their recent surge is a 4-point defeat at Cleveland. Adding to this is the fact that the Bulls are 1-4 ATS at home, while the Pacers are 3-1 ATS on the road. 

Indiana is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 road games in the month of November, 5-0 ATS in their last 5 against a team with a winning record, 6-0 ATS in their last 6 against the Eastern Conference and 6-0 ATS in their last 6 when playing with 2 days rest. These trends add up to form a dynamite 27-1 system in favor of the Pacers. Take Indiana! 

4* Virginia/G Washington ESPN2 ATS Annihilator on Virginia -

The Cavaliers don't get the type of respect they deserve based on their style of play, but head coach Tony Bennett once again has one of the top teams in the country. Virginia opened up their season with a dominating 86-48 win at home against Morgan State. They did so with top returning scorer, Malcolm Brogdown scoring just 5 points. 

While the Cavaliers lost Justin Anderson and Darion Atkins from last year's squad, they are a deep team and have added in a couple of physical big guys in freshman Jarred Reuter and Jack Salt (red-shirt last year). They also added transfer Darius Thompson from Tennessee and he started the opener and scored 12 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. 

George Washington is a middle of the pack team in the A-10 and are simply out-classed here by the Cavaliers. The Colonials only beat Lafayette by 9 at home in their opener. All but 2 of their 27 made field goals came inside the 3-point line. George Washington isn't going to get those easy looks inside against a stout Virginia defense. 

These two teams played last year and Virginia won 59-42 at home, as they held the Colonials to just 32.7% shooting from the field. The Cavaliers are 28-13 ATS in their last 51 road games with a total set at 129.5 or less and 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 road games against a team with a winning home record. George Washington is just 7-19 ATS in their last 26 against a team with a winning record and 3-13 ATS in their last 26 against a team that's won more than 60% of their games. Take Virginia! 

3* NCAAB Late Night ATS Bailout on UCLA -

After getting upset at home in overtime by Monmouth (81-84) in their opener, I look for the Bruins to come out and lay a beating on Cal Poly tonight. UCLA beat themselves more than anything against Monmouth. The Bruins had a 60-37 edge on the boards, but were careless with the basketball (23 turnovers) and shot just 37.7% from the field. 

Only reason we aren't seeing a bigger spread here is Cal Poly comes in off a strong showing at UNLV on Friday, losing 72-74 as a 6.5-point underdog. I just don't see them being able to match the intensity of UCLA in this spot. As long as the Bruins don't go ice cold from the field again, they should have no problem winning here by double-digits. 

Cal Poly hasn't exactly fared well after a close loss. In fact, they are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games off a loss by 3 points or less. The Bruins are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 off a SU loss and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 against the Big West Conference. Take UCLA! 

4* NBA Situational Total Dominator on Pistons/Lakers UNDER

I'm not expecting much fireworks offensively tonight with the Pistons and Lakers. Detroit has scored 96 or less in each of their last 3 games, while LA has scored 99 or less in 4 straight. With the Pistons having lost 3 straight and the Lakers on a 4-game slide, both should bring some intensity not the defensive end to snap their respective losing streaks.

Key here is that neither of these teams will be looking to push the tempo. Detroit is playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back and their 6th and final game of a lengthy 6-game west coast trip. The Lakers had yesterday off, but are returning home from a 5-game road trip. This will be LA's 4th game in 6 nights. 

These two teams also have a history of not lighting up the scoreboard when they face off against each other. The UNDER is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. We also see that the UNDER is 10-4 in Pistons last 14 against the Western Conference and 11-4 in their last 15 road games against a team with a losing home record. UNDER is 8-1-1 in Lakers last 10 home games off a road trip of 7 or more days and 4-0 in their last 4 against the Eastern Conference. Take the UNDER! 

4* NBA Situational ATS No Doubt Rout on Wizards -

This is a perfect spot to back the Wizards at home. With Washington having had the last 3 days off to stir over their recent 3-game losing streak, we know we are going to get the best the Wizards have to offer on their home floor tonight. 

At the same time, we catch the Magic in a great spot to fade. Orlando was able to overcome the absence of Victor Oladipo with a 102-93 win at home against the Jazz last night. The thing to keep in mind is the Magic caught Utah in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set. Now it's Orlando playing on the road with no rest. On top of the back-to-back here for the Magic, this will be their 3rd game in 4 days and 6th in the last 9. With a 3-day break of their own following this game, I don't see this team showing up in Washington tonight looking for a win. 

Wizards are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when playing with 3 or more days of rest, while the Magic are just 7-15 ATS in their last 22 when their 5 starters combine for more than 160 minutes the previous day. We also find a strong system backing Washington based on the 125 points they allowed to OKC in their last game. Favorites who are scoring 102+ ppg against an opponent that averages 98-102 ppg, after allowing 120 or more in their previous game, are 54-24 (69%) ATS since 1996. Take Washington! 

3* NCAAB ATS Heavy Hitter on VMI +

This is more of a fade of Penn State than it is a play on VMI. The Nittany Lions went just 18-16 overall and 4-14 in the Big Ten last year. Things figure to get worse this season, as Penn State loses their leading scorer and All-Big 10 guard D.J. Newbill, who averaged 20.7 ppg.

The Nittany Lions as a team only averaged 66.9 ppg. They also lose key contributors in John Johnson (7.4 ppg), Geno Thorpe (8.7 ppg) and Ross Travis (5.5 ppg). Combined that's well over half (42.3 ppg) of their scoring gone from last year. Penn State doesn't have anyone close to Newbill's talent and scoring is going to be tough for this team. 

VMI went just 11-19 last year, but are just 2 years removed from a 22-win season. Things just never went as planned last year. This is a team that likes to play fast. The Keydets averaged 81 ppg and should continue to be a force offensively this year. VMI gets back their leading scorer in QJ Peterson (19.6 ppg), as well as Tim Marshall (11.7 ppg) and Julian Eleby (11.1 ppg). The Keydets not only have the offensive fire-power to keep it close, but could pull off the upset. Take VMI! 

4* NCAAB Opening Night ATS Annihilator on Wisconsin -

This may seem like a lot of points for the Badgers to be laying after losing two NBA draft picks in Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, as well as 3 other key pieces from last year's team that lost to Duke in the championship game, but I think we are going to see Wisconsin win here in a blowout. 

The Badgers get back two really good players in junior point guard Bronson Koening and junior forward Nigel Hayes. They also add in red-shirt freshman Ethan Happ, who got a lot of praise for his work on scout team last year (sat out because he knew playing time would be limited). Wisconsin also runs more of a system offensively that has proven they can plug in and produce. 

The other factor here that I like is head coach Bo Ryan has said this will be his last season. I think there's going to be some extra energy in the building for Ryan's last home opener. Most importantly, Western Illinois is a really bad team. The Leathernecks went just 8-20 last year and are the consensus pick to finish last in the Summit League. Take Wisconsin! 

3* NCAAB Undervalued Underdog on Belmont +

Marquette landed a big time recruiting class that has built up some excitement around this years team, but you have to keep in mind this is a team that went just 4-14 in the Big East last year and lost their leading scorer in Matt Carlino, as well as 3 other key contributors. The future is bright, but I believe it's going to take some time for these young kids to make a serious impact. 

Belmont on the other hand is a team that really came on strong last year, which included a win over highly-regarded Murray State in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Tournament. The Bruins would lose their first game as a 15-seed to Virginia, but they played the Cavaliers tough, losing by just 12 points (only trailed by 2 with just over 4 minutes to play). Belmont has 4 starters back, including their top 3 scorers. 

Experience is huge early in the year and I'll gladly take the 5-points here with the spread, but I think there's a good chance the Bruins win this game outright. Take Belmont! 

5* NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month on Bulls -

I'm expecting a dominating performance at home from the Bulls tonight against the Hornets. Chicago most lopsided loss of the season came at Charlotte last week in a 105-130 defeat. That loss didn't sit well with the Bulls, as they allowed the Hornets to shoot 51.6% from the field, easily the worst mark they have given up in 2015. Last season the Bulls followed up a 91-101 loss at Charlotte with a 98-86 home win 10 days later, which is what I'm expecting here. 

Not only will Chicago be out for revenge, but they are going to be motivated off an ugly loss at home to the Timberwolves in their last home game. Their only home defeat of the season. The key here is the Bulls will have the fresher legs, as they come into this game off a 3-day break. Charlotte on the other hand will be playing their 3rd in 4 days and 4th road game in their last 5 overall. 

Bulls are 18-6 ATS in their last 24 when revenge a road loss of 10 or more points and are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games against a team with a losing road record. Take Chicago! 

3* NBA Over/Under Total Dominator on Hawks/Celtics OVER

I'm expecting a frantic pace in tonight's game against the Hawks and Celtics. Boston comes in averaging 101.1 ppg on 87 shots per game, while Atlanta is scoring 104.4 ppg on 84 shots. The Hawks have scored at least 101 points in each of their last 5 games and the Celtics are allowing 100.6 ppg at home. 

OVER is 10-1 in the Hawks last 11 after playing 3 straight games at home and the average combined score in these games has been 209.3. OVER is also 15-5 in the Hawks last 20 road games against teams who are shooting 43% or worse from the field and 13-2 in their last 15 road games against teams that average 53 or more rebounds/game. 

Adding to all of this is a strong system. The OVER is 46-12 (79%) over the last 5 seasons in games with two up-tempo teams that average 82 or more shots/game, who both also struggle to rebound the ball (-3 to -5.5 rebounds/game). Take the OVER! 

3* Jazz/Heat NBA ATS Main Event on Jazz +

I think we are seeing a bit of an inflated line here on the Heat, as I don't think there's a whole lot that separates these two teams. The numbers back it up. Miami is scoring 97.1 ppg and allowing 90.1 ppg. Utah is scoring 96.3 ppg and giving up just 89.7 ppg.

Utah has covered 4 of 5 on the road and I believe they are going to be the more motivated team here. The Jazz come in off a hard fought loss at Cleveland on Tuesday, while Miami has cruised in each of their last two games, defeating the Raptors by 20 and Lakers by 13. Utah hasn't lost consecutive games yet this season and wouldn't be surprised at all to see them win outright, as I actually think they are the better team. 

Miami is just 9-23 ATS in their last 32 home games after a cover as a double-digit favorite and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 after covering 3 of their last 4. Utah is 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 road games against at team that's won more than 60% of their home games and 13-3 in their last 16 road games off a game where they allowed 105 or more points. Take Utah! 

5* NBA Non-Conference Total of the Month on Pistons/Kings UNDER

Each of the last 4 meetings between these two teams has finished UNDER the total and given the circumstances I believe that streak continues tonight. Detroit is one of the most improved teams in the league and will be motivated coming off a loss at Golden State last time out. However, I don't see the Pistons playing at a fast pace. Detroit is playing their 4th straight on the road in their West Coast trip and 3rd in the last 4 nights overall. 

Betting the UNDER with the Kings might not seem like a wise move, given Sacramento is allowing 110.6 ppg and opposing teams are shooting 49.3% from the field. The key here is the Kings held a players only meeting on Tuesday, which I believe is going to result in max effort here defensively, as they try to put an end to a 6-game losing streak on their home floor. 

One thing to keep in mind with Sacramento's poor defensive start, is 6 of their first 8 games have come against some strong offensive teams in the Clippers (twice), Suns, Rockets, Warriors and Spurs. Their 8 opponents as a whole combine to average 103.5 ppg. Detroit is only scoring 99.0 ppg and shooting just 42.7% from the field. 

UNDER is 5-1 in the Kings last 6 home games against a team that's won more than 60% of their road games, 13-4 in the Pistons last 17 road games after playing their previous game as a road dog, 23-10 in their last 33 against the Western Conference and 10-4 in their last 14 road games against a team with a losing home record. 

We also find a strong system in play, as the UNDER is 50-21 (70%) over the last 5 seasons when you have a team that has covered at least 4 of their last 6, playing their 4th road game in 7 days and a total set at 200 or more points. Take the UNDER! 

4* Pacers/Celtics NBA Heavy Hitter on Celtics -

Indiana has won 4 of 5 and covered all 5 over their last 5 games. I believe it has the Pacers overvalued on the road against a Celtics team that is playing with confidence after back-to-back wins. Boston won 99-83 last night at Milwaukee.

Only Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder logged more than 30 minutes, so I don't think playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back is going to hurt them here. Keep in mind the Pacers aren't in a great scheduling spot either, as this will be their 3rd game in 4 nights. 

The big key here is we are getting a great line to back the Celtics at home and we know they are going to be motivated for this game. Boston lost a heartbreaker at Indiana 98-100 last Wednesday and will be out for revenge with the defeat fresh in their minds. 

The Celtics are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games when playing in the 2nd game of a back-to-back set and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 when coming into a game of 2 or more consecutive wins. Indiana on the other hand is just 5-19 ATS in their last 24 road games after playing 5 straight games where their opponents shot 42% or worse from the field. Take Boston! 

4* NBA Situational ATS Annihilator on Pelicans -

After a disappointing and surprising 0-6 start to the season, I believe this is the perfect situation for the Pelicans to get their first win of the season. New Orleans lost at Dallas 98-107 on Saturday, despite taking a 6-point lead into the half. The defense fell apart in the final two quarters, allowing the Mavericks to score 65 second half points. 

That loss certainly hasn't set well with the Pelicans and I look for them to come out extremely motivated to get their revenge on the Mavericks at home. Dallas on the other hand isn't going to be as motivated against a team they just beat, especially playing on the road with a big home game on deck tomorrow against the Clippers, who they have some revenge against after losing at LA 88-104 earlier this season. 

Mavericks are just 8-18 ATS in their last 26 road games when listed as an underdog, 8-20 ATS in their last 28 off a SU win and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 when playing with 2 days rest. Pelicans are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 home games against a team with a winning road record and 20-8 ATS in their last 28 off a road loss. Take New Orleans!

4* NBA Undervalued Underdog on Wolves +

The Hawks are coming into this contest overvalued. Atlanta has won 7 straight overall and covered the spread in each of their last 4 games. Keep in mind they were just a 7-point home favorite last week against the Nets, who are arguably the worst team in the league. 

Minnesota has got off to a respectable 3-2 start and will be coming into this game with a lot of confidence after a 102-93 overtime win at Chicago as a 9-point underdog on Saturday. The Timberwolves largest defeat is a 84-96 loss to Miami and they were competitive throughout that game. 

While both teams come in off a day of rest, I think Minnesota is going to be the fresher of the two teams. The Timberwolves are playing just their 3rd game in 7 days, while Atlanta will be playing their 5th game in the last 7 days. 

Timberwolves are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against a team that's won more than 60% of their games and 4-0 in their last 4 road games. Atlanta is just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games and 1-3-1 in their last 5 off a SU win by more than 10 points. Take Minnesota!

3* NBA Over/Under Total Annihilator on Raptors/Heat UNDER 

I'm expecting both teams to come out a bit sluggish on offense here and a big reason for that is the energy that I look for both teams to bring to the defensive end. Toronto will be motivated off a 87-92 loss at Orlando on Friday, which was their first loss of the season. Miami will also be looking to bounce back, as they fell 87-90 at Indiana on Friday. 

Both of these teams have really been good on the defensive end this year. The Raptors are allowing just 95.0 ppg against teams that are averaging 101.5 ppg, while the Heat are giving up only 92.8 ppg against teams that are averaging 100.6. A big reason why the UNDER is 4-2 in Toronto's 6 games and 5-1 in Miami's 6 contests. 

UNDER is 34-14 in the Heat's last 48 games against teams scoring 99 or more points/game and 9-1 in their last 10 versus teams that are outrebounding opponents by 3 or more boards per game. UNDER is also 10-2 in Miami's last 12 games played on Sunday. Take the UNDER! 

3* NBA Oddsmakers Error on Jazz -

I look for the Jazz to be the much more motivated team in this one. Utah has got off to a respectable 3-2 start given they have played 4 of their first 5 on the road, but they were embarrassed in their lone home game by Portland 92-108. That performance hasn't sat well with this team and I think they come out and take advantage of a Memphis team that isn't playing well on either side of the ball to start the season.

I also think the Grizzlies are going to have a hard time not looking ahead to Monday's showdown against the Clippers. LA's twitter account took a shot at Memphis for their 50-point loss to Golden State and it hasn't sat well with the players (story on ESPN about it). You also have to take into account this is the Grizzlies 4th straight road game in a span of just 6 day, which will make it difficult for them to match the energy of the Jazz. Utah is also a very difficult place to play, only adding to the value here with the Jazz at basically a pick'em at home. 

Grizzlies are just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games overall and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 against the Western Conference. Utah is 4-1-1 ATS last 6 at home and 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 versus the Western Conference. The Jazz are also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings with Memphis. Take Utah! 

4* Wizards/Hawks NBA ATS Heavy Hitter on Wizards +

There's a reason the Hawks are only a 4-point favorite in this one. You would expect it to be more given they have won 6 straight and covered each of their last 3, especially with Washington losing by 20 last night at Boston. However, the situation here greatly favors the Wizards and I really like the value we are getting with Washington. 

While both teams are playing in the second games of a back-to-back set, this is a much tougher spot for the Hawks, who will be playing their 4th game in 5 nights and fresh off a fast paced game last night against the Pelicans where the two teams combined for 236 points. All 5 starters recorded at least 30 minutes and I wouldn't be surprised at all if we saw the Hawks rest some of those starters tonight. 

The Wizards aren't going to care who takes the floor, they are going to be highly motivated to test themselves against the defending Southeast champs and out for revenge after they were eliminated by Atlanta in the playoffs last year. Bradley Beal was the only Washington starter to play more than 30 minutes (31) and I think a lot of that had to do with this team making sure they were ready to go tonight against the Hawks. 

Road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points who are averaging 103+ points/game are 34-11 (76%) ATS since 1996 after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. The Wizards are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games vs a team with a winning home record and Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games. Take Washington! 

3* NBA Undervalued Underdog on Bucks +

I think we are seeing some great value here with Bucks as a 2-point underdog against the Knicks on Friday. Milwaukee is going to be out for revenge from an ugly 97-122 home loss to New York in their season opener. The key thing to keep in mind about that result, is the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo was suspended for that game. He's averaged a team-high 21.3 ppg in the 4 games since. Milwaukee has also got back their two 1st round picks from last year since that game in Jabari Parker and Tyler Ennis. 

Prior to losing to the Knicks in the opener, Milwaukee had won 4 straight in the series, which included two wins at New York. We have already seen the Knicks drop both home games this season and they are just 4-14 ATS in their last 18 home games in the 1st half of the season over the last 2 years. 

Bucks are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 when revenging a loss where they allowed 110 or more points and 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 road games against a team that's won fewer than 40% of their home games. Take Milwaukee!