Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Oklahoma City and Houston are both coming off underdog wins at home last night and we have to go with the more trustworthy team in the second of a back-to-back despite the travel aspect. The Thunder took care of Chicago in overtime which snapped a three-game losing streak and while they are 0-2 in their two previous games in the second leg of consecutive games in consecutive nights, those were against Minnesota and Boston. Oklahoma City is 3-6 on the road and those losses include games against Minnesota, Denver, Milwaukee, Boston and Memphis and overall, it has played the No. 8 ranked schedule in the NBA. The Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a losing home record. Houston is probably coming off the more impressive win last night as it defeated then 11-6 Atlanta and this is a situation that we want to avoid involving a very young team. The Rockets have lost their three previous games following a victory with those defeats coming by eight, seven and eight points. Houston is now 2-4 against the Eastern Conference while going just 2-10 against the Western Conference. The Rockets have a huge disadvantage down low as they are facing the No. 1 team in points in the paint and overall, Houston is ranked No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Rockets are 8-21 ATS in their last 29 games as a home underdog of six points or less. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are between +3 and - 3 in ppg scoring differential going up against teams that are -7 or worse in ppg scoring differential. This situation is 49-22 ATS (69 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (555) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Boise St. opens a two-game homestand on Saturday as the schedule takes a break after a lot of travel the last couple weeks. Boise St. owns a pair of quality wins over Pac 12 teams as it defeated Washington St. and Colorado by double-digits on neutral floors and the Broncos are back home for the first time since their season opener on November 9th which resulted in a two-point loss against South Dakota St. The Broncos have a lock down defense as they come in ranked No. 21 in defensive efficiency while allowing only 57.2 ppg which is No. 24 in the nation. This has led to some easy opportunities going the other way as the Broncos have led or finished tied with all five opponents in fastbreak points this season. Utah Valley is off to a 3-3 start, going undefeated at home but coming in 0-2 on the road and while one of those was an overtime loss at Wake Forest, the other came by 17 points at Utah St., another MWC team. The Wolverines have been average on both sides of the ball and have been a poor shooting team, hitting only 42 percent from the floor including 25.5 percent from long range which is No. 352 in the nation out of 363 Division I teams. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing 63 or fewer ppg and after allowing 65 points or less in three straight games going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74. This situation is 45-15 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (634) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The depleted Clippers return home following a 17-point loss at Golden St. on Wednesday which snapped a three-game winning streak and they are again without Kawhi Leonard who is back on the pine with his ankle injury. He made it back for three games and was barely an influence as he scored 25 points and grabbed seven boards in those games combined as he again joins Paul George on the bench. They have somehow stayed afloat with an 11-8 record and Los Angeles comes in at just 5-4 at home where it is middle of the league in defensive efficiency and overall, it is No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Clippers are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning road record. Denver survived overtime on Wednesday in Oklahoma City as it came in with losses in three of its previous four games but two of those losses were without Nikola Jokic in the lineup but he is back and the Nuggets will get Jamal Murray back tonight with the possibility of also having Michael Porter, Jr. return after missing the last game. They are a half-game ahead of Los Angeles in the overall standings in the crowded Western Conference where two games separates the top 10 teams. Denver has played 12 of 18 games on the highway and has been a successful 7-5 in those games and the Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Here, we play on road favorites after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after a loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 67-34 ATS (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (551) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The Grizzlies have lost two straight games and four of their last five and they are now a game out of first place in the Southwest Division with a chance to get back into a tie tonight. Memphis avoided a big absence in its lineup as Ja Morant missed just one game with a Grade 1 sprain in his left ankle after he had been considered week-to-week with the injury. That would have been a massive loss with Desmond Bane already out for at least a few weeks and while the Grizzlies lost in his return Tuesday, the backcourt is in much better shape. One of those losses came in New Orleans by 11 points so revenge is on the table tonight as well. Memphis is 6-2 at home and while known for the offense, the Grizzlies have the No. 5 defensive efficiency at home in the league. New Orleans has won its last two games by 45 and 19 points and going back, it has won five of its last six games and it is tied for second place with the Nuggets and Jazz in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Suns. Four of those wins have come at home and the Pelicans are 5-4 on the road and they will again be without a big piece of the lineup as C.J. McCollum has landed in the health and safety protocols of the league which is surprisingly still a thing. They won without him against the Spurs but that is a bad team in a current freefall. New Orleans is 11-27 ATS in its last 38 road games off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 198-131 ATS (60.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (532) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. Brooklyn is back to full strength and has won two of three games since the return of Kyrie Irving to the lineup after missing eight games which includes a 14-point win at Toronto on Wednesday. More importantly, the Nets have seen a spike in the production of Ben Simmons as he is averaging 14.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.4 apg over his last five games after being pretty much a no-show to start the season when he got back into the lineup. Obviously, there was a lot of rust involved and his presence will make this team better going forward. They are a game under .500 but well within the thick of the Eastern Conference and the Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Pacers have been a pleasant surprise as they are 10-7 on the season and had won nine of their previous 11 games before a 14-point loss at home against Minnesota on Wednesday. Their previous two home wins were against 5-13 Orlando and they are still well down in the rankings however as they are No. 24 in the Sagarin Ratings, the lowest mark of any team with a winning record as Indiana has played a schedule ranked No. 28 in the league. The offense has been solid but they are No. 17 in defensive efficiency and could have issues against a healthy Nets lineup. Indiana is 9-19 ATS in its last 28 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play on road favorites off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, playing their 3rd road game in five days. This situation is 33-7 ATS (82.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (533) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our CBB Friday Enforcer. Notre Dame is off to a 5-0 start and after missing the cover in its first four games, the Irish covered against Bowling Green last time out and now head out of South Bend for the first time this season. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski, who is averaging a team high 19.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg surrounded by four perimeter scorers and playmakers as the Irish possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with J.J. Starling, Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 52.8 ppg. They are No. 8 in the country in offensive efficiency. The Bonnies check in at 3-2 and have covered three straight games and are 4-1 ATS on the season but face their toughest opponent of the season. This is a surprise but have been coached up by Mark Schmidt once again despite a myriad of losses as they lost over 99 percent of their scoring and like a lot of teams, they are relying on transfer help but their situation is a lot different as the top three newcomers are all from lower level programs and do not have the roster to keep up here. St. Bonaventure is No. 137 in the nation in offensive efficiency and will have to go well above that to compete today. Here, we play against neutral court teams as an underdog in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after two straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (843) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Iowa St. went 2-22 in 2021 in one of the worst regressions in the country but the Cyclones did a 180 and finished 22-13 last season with one of the best turnarounds as they made it back to the Big Dance and won two games against LSU and Wisconsin before losing to Miami in the Sweet 16. Now it is an unknown group as the Cyclones lost a ton from last season, most notably their two best backcourt players and leading scorers Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter who averaged a combined 28.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 6.6 apg. Iowa St. has been picked to finish No. 8 in the 10-team Big 12 and while it is off to a 3-0 start, it has played no one. The Cyclones have three home blowout victories but they were not tested as their schedule comes into Thursday ranked No. 362 out of 363 teams. Now comes a real test. Villanova is expected to take a small step back but this is still a loaded team that took Michigan St. to the very end, a Spartans team that lost to Gonzaga and defeated Kentucky so this team has been tested. The loss to Michigan St. was disheartening as it really could have put that loss to Temple behind them but the Wildcats will build off that in a big game to get it back before facing some much bigger competition in this loaded tournament. The numbers have not been overly impressive but being tested in big this early in the season especially the comeback that almost happened against the Spartans. 10* (806) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT with our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Miami was able to get back to .500 following three straight home wins but it hit the road for a four-game roadtrip and lost all four of those games that included an overtime loss at Washington by a point so now back home, the Heat will get back on track with some motivation to boot. That trek dropped Miami to 1-7 on the road but they are a decent 6-4 at home that includes wins in five of their last six games. The absence of Jimmy Butler is obviously a big one as the injury list is a big one but the spot is too good and too important with four more road games on deck against three likely playoff teams in Atlanta, Boston (twice) and Memphis. While the offense has been inconsistent, the defense remains strong as Miami is No. 9 in scoring and No. 12 in defensive efficiency. Washington comes in on a two-game winning streak and has won six of its last seven games to move three games over .500 and are tied with Atlanta for first place in the Southeast Division. The Wizards are 7-4 at home and just 3-3 on the road and have injuries issues of their own with Bradley Beal questionable as well as point guard Monte Morris. Washington also brings in a strong defense but the offense has been one of the worst in the league as the Wizards are ranked No. 24 in offensive efficiency as well as No. 24 in floor percentage. The Wizards are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play on favorites after four or more consecutive unders, averaging between 108 and 114 ppg going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 61-29 ATS (67.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Miami Heat

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off a win at Memphis on Tuesday for its seventh straight win and of all of the surprise teams in the Western Conference, this has to rank right at the top. The Kings got off to the start many expected as they opened 0-4 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and are just a game and a half out of first place in the Western Conference. They possess the top ranked offense in the NBA in both scoring and shooting which has translated into the No. 1 ranked offensive efficiency team after finishing sixth worst in the league last season. The Tuesday win moved them to 4-3 on the road but are now playing the second of a back-to-back for only the second time this season and the first that involves two road games. Atlanta had won five of seven games but has lost two of its last three games including a 12-point loss at Cleveland on Monday but the Hawks are back home where they are 6-3 and it has been a mixed bag of quality wins and quality losses and at this point, we cannot put Sacramento into the elite category. The backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have carried the load to become one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference as they are averaging 47.7 ppg and 16.8 apg and will no doubt be able to run with this Kings team. The efficiency has not been there but has a good matchup tonight. Here, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 against the spread, playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 39-17 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. The Battle 4 Atlantis tips off on Wednesday with a great group of teams all ranked within the top 71 (Sagarin) and the final game of the day pits No. 23 Tennessee against No. 31 Butler and we are grabbing the Bulldogs in a very inflated line. Butler is off to a 3-1 start with the lone loss coming against Penn St. and the gameplan in that game was executed perfectly to slow it down against the up tempo and solid shooting Nittany Lions but the Bulldogs had a horrible shooting night as they hit only 34 percent from the floor including 22 percent from long range. It will be a similar gameplan here for Butler which is loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius have combined for 44.9 ppg and 8.6 apg while NC State transfer center Manny Bates is averaging 13.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.5 bpg. Tennessee rolled in its two wins over Tennessee Tech and Florida Gulf Coast as 36 and 21-point favorites respectively but were blown out against Colorado by 12 points as a 15-point favorite in its only game away from home. Out of 363 Division I teams, the Volunteers are No. 356 in shooting at 37.3 percent and they have put up a decent scoring average because of pace which Butler plans on limiting. Based on the power rankings, this is roughly a one-point line so there is a ton of value on the Bulldogs in a very winnable game. 10* (746) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Georgia Tech and Marquette square off in the consolation game of the Fort Myers Tipoff as both are coming off close losses to open the tournament. The Golden Eagles fell to 3-2 following a three-point loss against Mississippi St. which is ranked slightly ahead of them (No. 29 vs. No. 26) with their first loss coming against Purdue on the road by five points as an eight-point underdog and has rolled in its three wins are favorites, all by double-digits. This is a big game for Marquette in building a resume that lacks major conference teams on its remaining schedule and even though this is one of the worst ACC teams, it is still an ACC team. The Golden Eagles could be undefeated if they could have closed out the game in those two losses and should not have an issue in doing so here. Georgia Tech is coming off a disappointing 12-20 season last year including a 5-15 record in the ACC and not much returned with its leading scorer coming back with just 7.6 ppg. This is a bad shooting team as the Yellow Jackets are currently No. 344 in the country in effective field goal percentage, as they are hitting just 26.5 percent of their three-pointers and only 41.6 percent of their two-point attempts. Offensive rebounding will be key for Marquette as Georgia Tech is one of the 20 worst defensive rebounding teams in the country and the worst of any major conference team. These are all fair comparisons as they have played a very similar strength of schedule (No. 177 vs. No. 175). 10* (736) Marquette Golden Eagles

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Lakers have won three straight games after a 3-10 start to the season and they have won all three of these with LeBron James sitting on the bench so that is a storyline within itself and one of course that the talking heads are not talking about. Those games were all at home and now Los Angeles hits the road where it is 0-5 and getting outscored by 14 ppg and all of those have come by at least nine points. Overall, the Lakers have played the No. 23 ranked schedule in the NBA so it is not like they have been getting beat against an elite schedule and they step into elite tonight despite the Suns still being without Chris Paul. The Lakers are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games off a home win by 10 points or more. With Paul being out and the Suns still winning shows how good this roster is as Cameron Payne has filled in great and has not missed a beat. Phoenix has struggled somewhat of late by going just 4-5 over its last nine games but four of those losses were on the road and the one home loss came against Portland by a bucket and the Suns come into tonight with an 8-1 record at home. Despite those recent hiccups, Phoenix is still ranked No. 2 in the latest Sagarin ratings and it is No. 3 in offensive efficiency and No. 7 in defensive efficiency so they are playing at that elite level mentioned earlier. The Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a losing road record. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 off a home win by 20 points or more, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 52-21 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (578) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our CBB Tuesday Enforcer. It was an incredible season for Auburn last year, at least through the regular season, as it went 27-4 including a 15-3 SEC record and a regular season conference championship, but the Tigers were ousted in their first SEC Tournament game and then after a win over Jacksonville St. in the opening round of the Big Dance, they fell to Miami, Fla. in the second round. Their two best players from that team, top three NBA draft pick Jabari Smith and the top block leader in the country Walker Kessler, are gone which present two big gaps. The Tigers were top 25 in scoring but inefficient on offense and that has carried over into this season as they are shooting only 41.3 percent, No. 290 in the nation, including 25 percent from long range despite playing an easy schedule with all four games taking place at home. Bradley missed the postseason last year but it had a solid season at 17-14 including 11-7 in the MVC and the Braves are picked to finish second in the conference this season. They are off to a 3-1 start despite some early injuries and they are getting excellent value here as a huge underdog with a defense that can keep this lower scoring. Five of the Braves six players averaging double-digits in scoring will be making the trip to the Cancun Challenge so their depth is also an asset. After struggling at Utah St., they have looked more efficient the last two games as the chemistry is coming together. Here, we play against teams that averaged 62 or more shots per game last season, after three straight games allowing 37 percent shooting or less. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1997. 10* (665) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our CBB Tuesday Afternoon Dominator. Texas Tech is coming off a season where it reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth time in program history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time. The Red Raiders are tabbed for a fourth place finish in the Big 12 and they entered the week ranked No. 20 in the country but that will be short lived after losing to Creighton on Monday where the defense allowed the Bluejays to shoot 55 percent from the floor and they were not aggressive on offense as Texas Tech went to the free throw line only seven times. They come in as big favorites Tuesday because of the struggles of their opposition and they are definitely overvalued on a neutral floor going from an underdog yesterday to a double-digit favorite today but will be a publicly backed team here. Louisville fell to 0-4 on the season as it got run out of the gym in the second half against Arkansas. After trailing by eight points at halftime, the Cardinals pulled within five points at 43-38 with 14:26 left to play but the Razorbacks used a 17-0 run to pull away for the 26-point victory. They shot just 36 percent from the floor including a 4-12 effort from long range while committing 22 turnovers against the pressing defense of Arkansas. Prior to the trip out to Hawaii, Louisville became the first team since 1980-81 to lose their first three games of the season by one point and the Cardinals 0-3 start at home was the first time since 1940-41 that have accomplished this dubious feat of opening the season with three consecutive home losses. 10* (654) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah continues to roll along as it has won two straight games following a three-game losing streak to improve to 12-6 and have moved into the top spot in the Western Conference, not bad for a team coming into the season with the word tank linked to their name. The Jazz are No. 4 scoring offense in the league but are just No. 13 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. As mentioned prior to the last game, the Jazz have a 2.7 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. The Clippers have won two straight games to move three games over .500 and while sitting in No. 7 in the Western Conference, they are just 2.5 games out of first place in the very competitive conference. They have won four of their last five home games and bring in the No. 2 ranked scoring defense and No. 1 ranked shooting defense and will be out for revenge following a 110-102 lost to Utah here earlier in the month. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 41-13 ATS (75.9 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, we play against underdogs off two or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 142-88 ATS (61.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (570) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 3-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 78.7 ppg through the first three games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on 8-33 shooting 5-23 (24.2 percent) with all of his buckets but one being from around the rim. Once he gets going, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Ohio St. is also 3-0 but has played no one as the Buckeyes have been favored by at least 21 points in all three games, going 1-2 against the number. Ohio St. went 20-12 last season and was ousted by Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and this season, they have only one starter back and could struggle early against quality teams and this is certainly one of those. The Buckeyes are picked to finish No. 6 in the Big Ten Conference and while they possess a solid backcourt, they will be at a huge disadvantage down low. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams that had a winning percentage between .600 and .800 from last season, with three or more starters returning from last year than opponent. This situation is 30-9 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (796) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CBB Monday Afternoon Dominator. Akron is off to a 2-1 start to the season that included an overtime win over South Dakota St. with the one loss coming against Mississippi St. in Philadelphia and we are catching value here based on the Zips 0-3 record against the number. Enrique Freeman and Xavier Castaneda led Akron to the 2022 MAC Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and they have been selected to the All-Mac First and Second Team respectively. The Zips went 24-10 overall and 14-6 in the MAC and have been tabbed to finish No. 3 in the conference this season. Western Kentucky is 3-0 following a pair of non-Division I wins in its last two games and the numbers are inflated with a 127-point performance against Kentucky St. and this can be argued the Hilltoppers are a false favorite in this matchup and this should be closer to a pickem. This is a solid team as well that has four starters back including three players added to the All-C-USA First and Second Teams but the Hilltoppers will be facing their toughest test of the young season. The big, skewed stat is that they are holding their opponents to 29.8 percent shooting, which is No. 4 in the country but against a schedule that has been watered down. Here, we play against neutral court teams as a favorite or pickem averaging 78 or more ppg and after allowing 55 points or less going up against teams averaging between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) since 1997. 10* (773) Akron Zips

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Golden St. took care of the Knicks Friday night to improve to 7-1 at home but the Warriors are now back on the road where they are 0-8 and while this is a game they should and likely will win, they are laying too big of a number here. Three of those outright losses came when laying 7.5 or more points so it is not like they have been losing to just good teams as Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando are far from that. Putting it more into perspective as only one of those eight losses has been by fewer than seven points while getting outscored by over 10 ppg. Golden St. is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 road games when playing against a team with a losing record. Houston is not a very good team but it has not gotten a break early in the season as 11 of its 16 games have been on the road and overall, the Rockets have played the toughest schedule in the NBA, not only playing those road games but 11 of the games have come against the top half of the league. Yes, Golden St. is part of that group but this line is out of control simply because of the name and not the Warriors product that has been on the floor. Only one of the four home losses has been by double-digits and the Rockets are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 40-13 ATS (75.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. The athletic program at Texas A&M is in a sad state right now with the football team playing out the season after national championship aspirations and now the basketball program which came into the season ranked in the top 25 has lost the first two games of the Myrtle Beach Invitational and both were ugly. The Aggies lost to Murray St. by nine points as a 13.5-point favorite and then dropped the last game against Colorado by 28 points as a 6.5-point favorite and most troubling was the 103 points allowed for a team known for its stifling defense. This is inexcusable for a loaded team that only lost one key player from last season and after a day off, this team will be laser focused. Texas A&M is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games when playing their 3rd game in seven days. Loyola-Chicago has been much worse even though the record is a similar 2-2 on the season. The Ramblers opened the season with an overtime win over Fairleigh Dickinson as a 25.5-point favorite and then escaped at rival Illinois-Chicago by seven points as a 10.5-point favorite. The first two games of this tournament resulted in losses by losses by 19 and 22 points, both with the Ramblers being favored, and this is a team going in reverse. Loyola-Chicago was picked fourth in its first season in the Atlantic 10 and should be okay once conference season starts and the chemistry is not there yet after losing six scholarship players from the 25-win team from last season. The Ramblers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games away from home off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. 10* (707) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CBB Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Even though North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start, it has not been pretty as the Tar Heels have been unable to put away teams like a like a No. 1 team in the country should. They are 0-3 against the number and while the first two wins were by double-digits, there were moments that they could have ran away with the game but let UNC-Wilmington and Charleston hang around for a while and then there was a six point win over Gardner Webb as a 22.5-point favorite last time out. It is time to buckle down and now they face a worthy opponent that they need to lock down from the start. We are getting some great value here based on the winless cover record and the struggles in that last game and with the Phil Knight Invitational on deck, this is a pretty important game. James Madison has gotten off to a 4-0 start and has absolutely obliterated every team faced. The Dukes opened with a non-lined win over Valley Forge and then rolled over Hampton, Buffalo and Howard, the latter two on the road, and they covered those games by a combined 77 points. Impressive indeed but the schedule has been a cakewalk as it is ranked No. 314 out of 363 Division I teams and now they finally get tested and it could not be a worse spot facing a team that desperate to get its expected A game going. James Madison has been picked to finish No. 4 in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference so this is no doubt a very good team but not on the North Carolina level. 10* (668) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The surprising Jazz opened the season 10-3 but suffered through a three-game losing streak before a solid win last night at home against Phoenix although the Suns were once again without Chris Paul so Utah caught a break in that regard. The Jazz have a 3.2 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. Utah is now 11-6 and sitting in second place in the NBA Northwest Division, one game behind the opponent for tonight. They are ranked No. 3 in scoring but are just No. 14 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. Utah is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 road games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. Portland lost to Brooklyn on Thursday and has lost two of its last three games following a three-game winning streak. The Blazers are definitely another surprise team and they have had their good fortunes as well but are in a good spot here with a team playing a back-to-back. This is one of the better defenses in the NBA and on offense, after missing a ton of last season, Damian Lillard has played like the Damian Lillard of old and he is an integral part of that defense as well. The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 127-77 ATS (62.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (536) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the SOUTH DAKOTA ST. JACKRABBITS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. This is an interesting scheduling spot for both teams. South Dakota St. is playing its first true home game of the season after a 2-2 split on the highway. The Jackrabbits split at Akron and Boise St. then defeated St. Bonaventure on a neutral floor and in a tough spot, they had to travel to Arkansas the next night and were trounced against the Razorbacks by 15 points in a game that really was not that close. South Dakota St. is once again going to be a tough out in the Summit League after being the first team ever in the conference to go undefeated in the regular season and has been picked to finish No. 2 behind Oral Roberts. The Jackrabbits are the only team with a pair of players named to the All-Summit First Team in forward Luke Appel and guard Zeke Mayo. Stephen F. Austin went 14-4 in the WAC last season and 22-8 overall and will be another top team in the conference this season but will try to succeed without First Team All-WAC big man Gavin Kensmil, and Second Team All-WAC guard David Kachelries while losing four other players in the transfer portal. The Lumberjacks did receive transfer help to replenish the roster but will take some time to get the correct rotations and that was evident in their last game which resulted in a nine-point loss against Alcorn St. as 11-point favorites. This typically brings in a good bounce back spot but this is the first road game of the season and not an easy one. 10* (640) South Dakota Jackrabbits

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. We will preface with the fact North Texas finished with 16-2 record in C-USA last season and made a trip to the NIT. The Mean Green rode its stout defensive play to a program-record 25 wins and finished with the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the country at 55.7 ppg. They opened the season with an uninspiring win over Southern Nazarene by six points and used that defense when it travelled to St. Mary's and allowed 63 points but the offense stayed on the bus as they scored 33 points but the roster was hit by the flu bug. That should produce an inspiring bounce back effort from a team picked to finish No. 2 or No. 3 in the conference. Fresno St. finished 18-12 last season which was middle of the pack in the MWC and not much is expected this season as the Bulldogs have been tabbed to finish in the bottom third of the conference this season. That mediocrity was on display in the last two games against Santa Barbara on a neutral floor and at home against San Francisco where they lost the covers by a combined 13 points. The loss of center Orlando Robinson is evident after being the best player on both ends of the floor last season, averaging 19.2 ppg 8.2 rpg and 1.3 bpg. They were expecting the backcourt to carry the team this season, notably Isaiah Hill and Jemarl Baker but they have underwhelmed with those two averaging 12.3 ppg and having 13 turnovers to just 10 assists combined. 10* (626) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Florida Atlantic has gotten off to a 3-1 start that included a huge upset win at Florida by a bucket as a 12.5-point underdog and avoided a letdown with a win over Bryant but the defensive end was once again vulnerable as the Owls allowed 74 points and on the season they 76 ppg in their three games against non-Division 1 teams and that side could be a problem all season which brings a lot of teams into play, especially when laying numbers this big. Florida Atlantic has preseason All C-USA First Team guard Alijah Martin in its backcourt after leading the Owls with 13.9 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting to go with 5.3 rpg to lead the Owls. He has regressed somewhat so far and is in a tough matchup here. Detroit is 2-1 to start the season and should be 3-0 at it had Boston College on the ropes on the road but ended up losing by four points as an 8.5-point underdog. The Titans followed that up with a solid 14-point win over Ohio as a slight home underdog. While the Owls have an All-Conference player in the backcourt, Detroit possesses the best backcourt player on the floor Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 24.8 ppg overall after putting up 23.7 ppg through three games this season even though his percentages have been down. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. 10* (629) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The championship hangover has turned into a real thing for Golden St. as it dropped to 6-9 after a loss at Phoenix and it sitting in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference. The good news is that they are back home but just for one game and that is important because it makes this a near early season must win as they head back on the road Sunday where the Warriors are 0-8 on the season and grouped with Detroit and Orlando as the only winless road teams. No one would have predicted that but they are 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Denver by five points. Golden St. is outscoring opponents by over 10 ppg on its home floor and catches New York in a great spot. Golden St. is 23-9 ATS in its last 33 home games when playing against a team with a winning record. The Knicks have won two straight games to get back over .500 and both of those victories came on the road against Utah and Denver as underdogs which is a great play against spot. Obviously, New York will be fired up playing the reigning champions but every team does and six so far have not succeeded. The Knicks have succeeded this season against winning teams on the road but this is a different situation playing against a team searching for answers that still possesses one of the best rotations in the league despite the early struggles. The Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 64-30 ATS (68.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES for our CBB Friday Star Attraction. With its loss to Troy, Florida St. has lost its first three games of the season for the first time since the 2001-02 season and for the first time under head coach Leonard Hamilton. It was an ugly game that the Seminoles should have controlled from the start but instead, they took their first and only lead of the second half at 50-48 with just over 14 minutes left but Troy responded with a 12-2 run to pull away. Florida St. committed 19 turnovers and because of the short bench, it was forced to play more zone defense which was not a good matchup against Troy and that perimeter defense has to shore up against the Gators. Florida is off to a 2-1 start following a loss against Florida Atlantic on Monday and it now hits the road for the first time in what is a tough spot and laying a ton of points on top of it. This is obviously due to the early struggles of the Seminoles which have been favored in all three of those losses. Florida forward Colin Castleton is the best player on the floor after coming off consecutive 30-point efforts so this is where the Seminoles have to step up defensively but after Castleton, there are a lot of unknowns. This is a transition year for Florida as it is picked to finish between No. 6 and No. 8 in most preseason publications and the Gators have a new head coach in Todd Golden and will be relying on transfers and freshmen and that certainly showed in the last game against the Owls. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points team that had a winning record last season, with just two starters returning from last year in the first 10 games of the season. This situation is 27-8 ATS (77.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (830) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off its second best offensive performance in regulation in franchise history and the Kings are now overinflated tonight because of that. They scored 153 points against Brooklyn in the 32-point beatdown as they shot an improbable 60 percent for the game including 49 percent from long range but the defense still stunk as it has all season. Sacramento allowed the Nets to shoot 49 percent which is right around the season average allowed as it is ranked No. 29 in shooting defense and No. 27 in points allowed and overall, the Kings are No. 27 in defensive efficiency. The Kings are 8-25 ATS in their last 33 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. San Antonio started the season red hot and we expected a regression sooner rather than later and it has come quick as the Spurs have lost seven of their last eight games but to their credit, they have kept most games within reason and as of late, they have covered four of their last five games. Defensively, they are just as bad as the Kings which does not bode well but their offense does make up for it as they are a top half team in most offensive categories. Sacramento has been a favorite five times this season and this is easily the biggest number they have laid and the Spurs are the beneficiaries. San Antonio is 24-11 ATS in its last 35 road games against teams shooting 46 percent or better on the season and the Spurs are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after beating the spread by more than 24 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TOREROS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Utah St. is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Utah Valley, Bradley and Santa Clara while covering all three as favorites between seven and nine points but all of those games were at home. The Aggies hit the road for the first time and are still favored in that price range and they are getting too much respect here based on their early success at home. Utah St. lost nine games by seven points or fewer while 15 of its 18 wins came by double digits which gave the Aggies the designation of the unlikeliest team in the country according to KenPom. The Aggies are picked No. 7 in the Mountain West Conference and while they have won each game going away, we will see how they perform on the road with their best player Justin Bean gone from last season. San Diego is also off to a 3-0 start and while the Toreros have not dominated as big as Utah St. has, they have played a stronger slate and they do possess one quality win already. They defeated Florida Gulf Coast which had already defeated USC by 13 points on the road and while that could be considered a letdown for the Eagles, it was impressive, nonetheless. San Diego is a bottom half team in the West Coast Conference but that is the case every year in the top heavy league. The Toreros have four players averaging double figures, and they are all guards and they are led by Weber St. transfer guard Sigu Sisoho Jawara who missed the last game because of an illness, but is expected to play and he has averaged 19.5 ppg and 5.0 apg. 10* (758) San Diego Toreros

This is a play on the TEXAS ST. BOBCATS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Two teams with completely opposite expectations heading into the season square off with identical 2-1 records. UTSA has two wins on its home floor but both were against non-Division I teams Trinity and St. Mary's-Texas and were throttled at Texas A&M-CC by 20 points as a seven-point underdog. This is not a good team and have been picked to finish dead last in what is a very weak bottom half C-USA so the fact it is tabbed No. 11 is telling. The Roadrunners have had a lot of new faces leading the way, having lost four of its top five scorers from last season with the lone holdover being center Jacob Germany who is averaging 12.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg and he is the only double-digit scorer despite the easy schedule they have faced. Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting a mere 40.1 percent as a team from the floor while averaging just 65 ppg. Texas St. opened the season with a loss at Washington St. but has rebounded with a pair of wins including a road victory at Rhode Island as a 7.5-point underdog. The Bobcats are picked anywhere from first to third in the Sun Belt Conference and they are led by guard Mason Harrell who is a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player and will compete for Player of the Year honors. This team is obviously road tested and this is their shortest trip of the season in the I-35 rivalry and they should have no problem here as the talent level alone is worst a boatload of points and even though it is on the road, the rivalry is important. 10* (733) Texas St. Bobcats

This is a play on the RICHMOND SPIDERS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. We played against Richmond in its last game as it travelled to Charleston and blew a massive lead and fell in overtime but we will be backing the Spiders in their return back home. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and then defeated Northern Iowa by 13 points and while the Panthers won the MVC regular season championship last season, they are not good this season. Now they face another program with a rich recent history but is in a down year and the Spiders should be ready to bounce back here. They play a Princeton style offense which is tough to prepare for and Richmond will pick apart defenders with back-cuts all game long. Wichita St. opened the season with an easy victory against Central Arkansas but followed that up with a horrible nine-point loss to Alcorn St. as a 16-point favorite and that really come as no surprise. Seven players transferred out in what was a mass exodus in Wichita as head coach Isaac Brown is already feeling the heat after losing his four best players, including AAC Defensive Player of the Year Dexter Dennis. To their credit, the Shockers brought in some solid transfers to try and turn thigs around but they have yet to gel and that could take a while and now the group hits the road for the first time. The offense is still a work in progress, which has shot just 22.2 percent from long range and currently ranks No. 232 nationally in effective field goal percentage. 10* (724) Richmond Spiders

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. One look at the early season results seems to favor Southern Indiana here but we are going totally against that here in a great spot for Notre Dame. We won with the Screaming Eagles on Sunday in a big upset against Southern Illinois as a 10-point home underdog which was an ideal spot as this is the first season at the Division I level and that game was there first ever home game and it was an electric environment and this presents a big letdown spot even though this is a big name program they will be facing. A new look team coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference has relied on transfers and so far so good which included an eight-point loss at Missouri where that line was 19 points and are now getting fewer points against a team ranked higher than the Tigers. A typical fear in a game like this is looking past an inferior opponent but that will not be the case for Notre Dame which has not looked good in its first two games of the season. The Irish snuck past Radford by three points in their season opener as 18-point favorites and then were pushed again by Youngstown St. before eventually pulling away by seven points. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski surrounded by four perimeter scores and playmakers. They possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 42 ppg. 10* (694) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Iowa is coming off another solid season where it went 22-9 overall including a 12-8 record in the Big Ten and won the Big Ten Tournament Championship but are expected to take a step backward this season as it is picked No. 7 in the preseason poll. The Hawkeyes opened the season by blasting a pair of cupcakes and now hits the road for the first time and against a quality opponent. The loss of Keegan Murray is a big one to overcome and the backcourt will be tested with on-ball pressure which they have not seen yet and turnover will be a big key in this game which is basically a pickem. According to KenPom, Iowa has an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 114.2, which is the fifth-highest rating in the nation but have not faced a team that can stop anyone. Seton Hall is also coming off a pair of cupcake wins Monmouth and St. Peter's and it remains home looking for a quality resume-building victory. The Pirates worked the transfer portal well and nabbed a pair of power five players with Clemson transfer Al-Amir Dawes and Louisville transfer Dre Davis and both have already made their presence felt. It is a short sample size but through two games, new head coach Shaheen Holloway has shown his defensive coaching ability that he instilled while at St. Peter's which were a top 25 defense as St. Peter's as the Pirates are ranked No. 23 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, No. 3 in defensive shooting at 31.7 percent from the field and also have a defensive turnover rate of 29.9 which is No. 9 nationally. 10* (686) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Cleveland on Sunday and it is in a good spot here for another win before a pair of tough games on deck. The Timberwolves had lost six of seven games prior to that but four of those losses came against Phoenix twice, Milwaukee when it was healthy and Memphis so it was a tough stretch against some very good teams. It has been a very disappointing start for Minnesota that added pieces that should have it make a run in the Western Conference but at 6-8, it is sitting 3.5 games behind Portland in the Northwest Division. They are 2-3 on the road with the only bad loss coming at San Antonio. Orlando had won two straight games in big upsets over Dallas and Phoenix but lost to Charlotte on Monday and is likely for another regression that saw it start 2-9 in its first 11 games. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up bunch. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is still on the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having lost two of their last three games going up against an opponent after having won two of their last three games. This situation is 42-18 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Oakland is off to a disappointing 1-2 start as it opened by rolling of Defiance but then lost at home as a favorite against Bowling Green and remained home where it was blasted by Oklahoma St. by 29 points in a horrible spot as it welcomed the Cowboys that were coming off a one-point home upset loss to Southern Illinois. The Golden Grizzlies are much better than that and this line is telling us that Oklahoma St. and Toledo would be favored the same on a neutral floor and that is not the case. Oakland was picked a close fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll as it received a pair of first place votes after a fifth place finish last season where it went 19-11. The Golden Grizzlies return Preseason All-League First Team selection Jalen Moore who finished second in the country in assists last season with 7.8 per game after leading the country the prior season with 8.4 per game and he is 6.5 through the first three games this season. Toledo is coming off a pair of wins to open the season defeating Valparaiso at home 85-70 as a 13-point favorite and then taking out UAB by eight points on a neutral floor last Friday. The Rockets are a very solid team that are coming off a MAC Regular Season Championship last season and have been tabbed to finish second this season mostly due to the loss of guard Ryan Rollins. The offense has hummed through two games but the defense has struggled which makes this big underdog line, that has gone up since the opening, even more appealing. 10* (681) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 2-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 81 ppg through the first two games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on shooting 5-23 (21.7 percent) with all of his buckets made being from around the rim. Once he gets going, which should happen tonight, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Stanford is coming off an opening win against Pacific by just 10 points and then travelled to Milwaukee where it lost by 10 points against Wisconsin so the Cardinal are in the midst of a tough travel situation. There remain questions for the Cardinal on offense following a 36 percent shooting performance against the Badgers that included a 1-16 effort from long range. The one player that Stanford needs to get heavily involved in the offense is Harrison Ingram who was the Pac 12 Rookie of the Year but was very inconsistent and is off to a rough start this year, averaging just 6.5 ppg on a dismal 28.6 percent shooting from the floor. Do not expect anything of a rebound here against a stifling defense. 10* (645) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. New Mexico is coming off a pair of home wins to open the season and while this is the first road game for the Lobos, it is not a far journey out of Albuquerque. The first two games finished close to right on the number against Southern Utah and South Alabama but they were two big wins for a team that went 13-19 last season and has been picked fourth in the MWC. New Mexico, like so many other non-power five teams, have benefitted from the transfer portal and it shored up the interior with the additions of Morris Udeze and Josiah Allick and they have already made their presence felt. The return of playmakers Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn, Jr., both Preseason MWC All-Conference nominees, thrived in the up-and-down offense and New Mexico has a solid roster to become a sleeper in the conference. It was not too long ago that SMU was a national player but times have changed as the Mustangs have a new head coach in Rob Lanier and he inherits a roster that had heavy turnover and unlike their counterpart tonight, they have a lack of shot creators. SMU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce in its opener but failed against Dayton in its last game as it was that lack of offense that did the Mustangs in as they shot just 34 percent from the floor including 26 percent from long range. This is a rebuild in progress and SMU is at a big disadvantage in roster talent here. 10* (637) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Eastern Michigan opened the season with a non-inspiring win over Wayne St. but came back and gave Michigan all it could handle in a five-point loss on Friday as its roster got to full strength. The Eagles have one of the best prospects in the country in Emoni Bates who committed to Michigan St. when he was 16, transferred to Memphis where he played 16 games last season and is now at Eastern Michigan for one season before he heads to the NBA. He missed the opener because of a stemming felony charge but it was dropped and he was in the lineup against the Wolverines where he dropped 30 points on 12-19 shooting and should have another field day on Tuesday. Bradley cruised to a season opening win over Wisconsin Parkside but got blown out at Utah St. on Friday by 22 points in what was supposed to be a much closer game. The Braves are expected to be one of the top teams in the MVC this season as they have been picked as high as No. 2 in some preseason polls but that was prior to big loss. First Team All-MVC center Rienk Mast suffered a knee injury that could keep him out 4-8 weeks and his absence was on full display against the Aggies as the Braves were outrebounded 44-28. Bradley should be back to full strength once conference play starts barring any setback for Mast but right now, this is a team in transition and is laying too big of a number here. 10* (639) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Butler opened the season with a 36-point win over New Orleans under new head coach Thad Matta who is in his second stint with the Bulldogs. They had a rough season a year ago as they dealt with numerous injuries on their way to a 14-19 record including 6-14 record in the Big East Conference and they are pegged for a lower-tiered finish this upcoming season but this is a team loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius combined for 40 points in the opener but it was NC State transfer center Manny Bates that led the way with 25 points and 11 boards. Penn St. is off to 2-0 start with a pair of 25-point blowout wins over Winthrop and Loyola-Maryland and now it takes a step up in competition on Monday. Penn St. has lived off the three-point shot in the first two games as it shot 53 percent from long range against the Greyhounds with 16 makes which came after the Nittany Lions made 18 from deep in the opener and are shooting 50 percent on the season from behind the arc which is unsustainable. After finishing 7-13 in the Big Ten and 14-17 overall, Penn St. has been picked to finish No. 11 in the conference this season behind a good backcourt but very little down low so the small lineup will have trouble getting second chance points. 10* (877) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. It is only the third game in but this calls for desperate times in Tallahassee as the Seminoles have opened the season 0-2 with a home loss against Stetson by nine points and then travelled to Central Florida and lost by 14 points against a very good Knights team. The Florida St. home loss against the Hatters was shocking as a 17-point favorite and added to the fact was that it came in riding an 88-8 record at home going back to 2015. The Seminoles trailed by only three points with 4:40 remaining, but Stetson outscored Florida St. 15-9 to close the game and they will be out to get back on track here. This is a roster that has only five players back from last season but should start to gel after playing two games and this is a tall and athletic team with no scholarship player under 6'5". Troy is coming off a pair of wins to open the season by 20 and 54 points but both of those were non-lined game against non-D1 teams so those can be excluded in showing what the Trojans are made of. This is a roster short of experience so playing a pair of cupcakes was definitely good to get some sort of semblance of what they have as they bring back just one starter from the 20-win team from a season ago. This would have been a tough spot for Troy under normal circumstances but facing a red-faced Seminoles team that is not going to let up makes it that much worse. 10* (852) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Boston is rolling along as it has won six straight games to improve to 10-3 on the season and has a 3.5-game lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division and has moved to within a half-game of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference for first place. The Celtics are 5-1 at home with the only loss coming against Cleveland in overtime, one of two losses against the Cavaliers this season, and the offense has not skipped a beat with the new coaching staff in place. Boston leads the league in scoring with 119.5 ppg and they are also No. 1 in offensive efficiency. They have not been as strong on defense but have been good enough and are in a good spot here against a tired team playing their second game in two days. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a losing straight up record. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday and followed that up with a 10-point win over the Knicks on Sunday. This will be the second back-to-back for them this season, losing the second game of the first one by 10 points at home against Minnesota. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 6-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. The offense has been putting up a ton of points based on pace but it is just No. 21 in shooting including No. 25 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 18 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 2-5-2 ATS in their last nine games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-16 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Charleston coming off a game against North Carolina in which they led the Tar Heels in the second half before North Carolina pulled away for the 16-point win. The Cougars opened the season with a home win against UT-Chattanooga and are back home catching points which should not be the case. The Cougars are picked to finish fourth in the CAA and received one first place vote and this is a deep and experienced team that plays at a rapid pace with a 10-player rotation, nine of which have logged at least 15 minutes per game. Richmond has opened the season with a pair of wins at home and hits the road for the first time. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and while a 13-point win against Northern Iowa which won the MVC regular season championship last season to follow that up may look impressive, the Panthers are not the same team from last year. Richmond has top scorer Tyler Burton back from last season but the other top four scorers for the Spiders are gone and they have been tabbed to finish No. 7 in the Atlantic Ten Conference. Richmond won the A-10 Conference Tournament last season and then defeated Iowa in the first round of the Big Dance and that showing is sticking with them which is a big reason they come in as the favored team tonight. 10* (862) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. This is a sneaky good spot for Southern Indiana which enters its first season at the D-1 level and after travelling to Missouri in their first ever game at this level and losing by just eight points as a 19-point underdog, the Screaming Eagles are home for their first ever D-1 game. Coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference, they have enter the Ohio Valley Conference and have been pegged to finish seventh in the 10-team conference. This is not a D-2 roster as Southern Indiana added some key transfers that can help right way in Jeremiah Hernandez (Kent State), Nick Hittle (Indiana State), Trevor Lakes (Nebraska), Sam Mevis (Indiana State) and Peter Nwoke (Michigan State) with the first three combining for 34 points in the opener and it was Jelani Simmons, an All-GLVC Second Team selection last season, who poured in a team high 23 points. Southern Illinois opened the season by annihilating Arkansas-Little Rock by 31 points and then went to Oklahoma St. and defeated the Cowboys by a bucket and an eight-point underdog. The Cowboys did not hit a field goal in the last 4:10 of the game which was the obvious difference and the Salukis are going to be a problem for other MVC teams this season as they are picked to finish third in the conference and we just saw what they can do. This is a horrible letdown spot though and being favored by this many points in what is going to be a raucous environment is way too much. 10* (822) Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Game of the Week. New York is coming off a win over Detroit on Friday to get to .500 once again and it improved to 4-2 at home. The four wins have comes against some bad teams in the Pistons twice, the Magic and the Hornets while the two losses came against solid teams in Boston and Atlanta and the Knicks will be facing another team from that former group. Overall, the Knicks are 1-5 against the top ten teams and 5-1 against teams outside that top ten with the one defeat coming against Brooklyn. Their defense has been one of the best in the league as they are ranked No. 3 in shooting defense including No. 8 in three-point shooting defense and face a below average offense. New York is 28-14 ATS in its last 42 games when playing six or more games in 10 days. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday but the Raptors were again shorthanded playing without Pascal Siakam. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 5-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. As mentioned, the offense, despite scoring points because of pace, is just No. 22 in shooting including No. 28 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 28 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 1-5-2 ATS in their last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-14 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) New York Knicks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Dallas has been a non-cover disaster for bettors as it has failed to cover the number in seven straight games, going 4-3 straight up over that stretch. The Mavericks are coming off a mini two-game roadtrip to Orlando and Washington and lost those games by seven and eight points respectively as favorites to fall to 1-4 on the road. They head back home for the start of a five-game homestand to try and break that two-game slide and improve their 5-1 record in Dallas that includes four straight wins and we are getting value here based on the recent ATS skid. The Mavericks have played solid defense as they are No. 8 in defensive efficiency and while scoring has been down, this is mostly due to pace as the come in ranked No. 11 in offensive efficiency. Dallas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games off an upset loss as a road favorite over the last 3 seasons. Portland opened its six-game roadtrip with a split in Phoenix but has won its last three games including a solid win on Thursday at New Orleans by 11 points as a nine-point underdog. The Blazers have been one of the bigger surprises in the Western Conference as they are 9-3 and are currently in second place in the conference behind the more surprising Utah Jazz. They have gotten it done on the road with a 6-1 record which is also keeping this number down and Portland has been the best cover teams in the league at 10-2 ATS and this is a good spot to go against them in the final game of this trip that has had them on the road for the last 12 days. Portland is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games after allowing 100 points or less. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 102-59 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (516) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the WISCONSIN BADGERS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Stanford heads east to take part in the Brew City Battle and while this is a neutral site game, it is in Milwaukee and the Badgers will have the crowd on their side. The Cardinal defeated Pacific by only 10 points despite shooting 60 percent from the floor as it dominated down low but will not have that same luxury here. Forward Spencer Jones who averaged 11 ppg and 4.3 rpg missed the last game and is questionable and his defense will be missed if he cannot go. Wisconsin is coming off a 26-point win over South Dakota at home and while not playing at home, this is an easier trip. Combatting the Stanford size is forward Tyler Wahl who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and he is ready for a breakout season. This is a completely different environment for both teams playing on a baseball field and the Badgers should be better prepared as they embarked on a summer tour into France so not only do they have more experience playing together as a team in actual games, but they also have the edge of playing in non-typical arenas which should help with the shooting eyes. 10* (678) Wisconsin Badgers

This is a play on the GONZAGA BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This might be perceived as a sucker line by some as it is rare to see a Michigan St. team getting this many points but it is more a reason. Gonzaga rolled to a 41-point win over North Florida in its opening game as All-American Drew Timme led the way with 22 points on 10-19 shooting and behind him, this team is loaded with athleticism and depth in the backcourt with Rasir Bolton, Nolan Hickman, Malachi Smith and Hunter Sallis. Overall, this team is deep with an eight-man rotation that can rival any team in the nation and the relentless pace will be too much. The Spartans are sill very good but not on pace with some of the more recent editions and it may take a while to get the chemistry right. Michigan St. is coming off a relatively easy win over Northern Arizona by 18 points in its season opener and this is the beginning of a brutal seven-game stretch that will likely give the Spartans the No. 1 toughest ranked schedule in the country when all said and done. Gonzaga is too deep and talented for the Spartans this early in the season. 10* (640) Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This is a neutral site game in Philadelphia, part of the Barstool Invitational, and the Blazers are between a four and five-point favorite which does not seem close to enough. This is arguably one of the best UAB rosters in a very long time and it showed why it comes into the season as one of the top mid-major teams in the country as the Blazers hung 111 points on Alabama St. in their 44-point, season opening victory. UAB pushes the ball relentlessly and has one of the top backcourts in the country in Jelly Walker and Eric Gaines which we already knew would be a lethal combo but now they add in SE Missouri and ETSU transfer wing Ledarrius Brewer who put in 14 points in the opener after averaging just over that in his first four seasons. Toledo will be a top team in the MAC and also likes to run but there are some questions following the loss of Ryan Rollins. The frontcourt is solid but the Rockets will be tested much more than they were against Valparaiso in their opener. 10* (634) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Both Detroit and Boston College are coming off wins in their season openers although the Titans are coming off the must easier route. They defeated Rochester College by 28 points and while they take a step up in competition, they are the better team here getting points with one of the top scorers in the country. Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 25.8 ppg overall. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. Boston College won its opener on a buzzer beater against Cornell and this is a very raw team and could be without two key pieces again on Friday as forward Quinten Post, 8.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg last season and guard Demarr Langford, Jr., 11.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg, are both questionable which made the rotations hard to figure out against Cornell and will likely be the case again. 10* (631) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. UC Riverside is coming off a loss against Colorado on Monday by 16 points but after a very slow start, the Highlanders outscored the Buffaloes by a bucket in the second half in a very tough environment. The home team had several advantages coming into that game and it showed as Colorado went to the free throw line 26 times compared to only 10 times for Riverside and the Highlanders could not buy a long range bucket as they went 4-21 from behind the arc and had only seven assists. They take a big step down in competition here and while the line is certainly much lower, it can be argued the wrong team is favored here. UC Riverside has never made the NCAA Tournament and this could be a team to watch out for coming out of the Big West Conference as it is picked in the top half and is the third ranked team in the country to make the Big Dance among teams that never have. Loyola-Marymount opened the season with a 50-point win over Life Pacific but that was no indication of how this Lions team is and they are not expected to be very good. They have been tabbed to finish ninth in the 10-team West Coast Conference following a 10-18 season including a 3-12 conference record. This is not a very deep team with no true player that can take a game over as the Lions top returners are seniors Dameane Douglas (10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg in 13 games) and Keli Leaupepe (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and will be relying on a lot of transfers and while that did not affect the play on the court against the Warriors, that glorified exhibition win is driving this line with the public backing Loyola-Marymount which has steamed the number even more and again, this line does not seem right. 10* (621) UC Riverside Highlanders

This is a play on the DAVIDSON WILDCATS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. This will be the second game for Davidson after defeating Guilford College by 23 points on Monday which was not a spectacular win considering the Quakers are from Division III but for a team that lost some talent from last season, that first game is always big no matter the opponent. There is a new coach in place as longtime leader Bob McKillop retired and his son takes over who has been the lead assistant for a while and in the program for 14 years so there is no drop off. The Wildcats lost three starters but two great ones are back in guard Foster Loyer who is a preseason A-10 First Team selection and is coming off a 30-pojnt game in the opener and forward Sam Mennenga is a force down low. There is depth and transfer help and they are in much better shape than their Wednesday counterpart. Wright St. head coach Scott Nagy is in his 28th season as the head coach and he is entering a season of unknowns and he has rightly admitted it. "We're starting Wednesday against a good team. I don't know what that'll look like. There's still a lot of stuff for us to work on." Going into the season opener, the starting five is not set as the frontcourt is a big shortcoming while depth is an issue as the Raiders took a hit with the transfers of stars Tanner Holden and Grant Basile. They have been pegged to finish fourth in the Horizon League which is not saying much and they are underdogs here for a reason as there is potential but it will be a rough start especially with the early nonconference schedule that is a difficult one. Chemistry is always tough early in the season in college hoops with all of the turnover and that will be very evident here, especially playing against a team with a game under their belt. 10* (763) Davidson Wildcats

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a 4-1 homestand which is solid but it did not play particularly well as three of the wins were by three points or less and the Mavericks ended up 0-4-1 ATS and that is a streak we like to go against as they are due for a maximum effort especially against one of the worst teams in the league. Their schedule has been home heavy where they have played six of nine games and they come into Wednesday with a 1-2 road record with the two losses coming at New Orleans and Phoenix by a bucket apiece. While they have mostly won close games, the three losses could have gone eight way with two of those by two points and the other in overtime. Dallas is 20-5 ATS in its last 25 games after scoring 100 points or less. Orlando is off to a miserable start as it is 2-9 and while that includes a 0-6 record on the road, the Magic are just 2-3 at home and while that includes a win over Golden St., the Warriors have been playing awful everywhere. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and now No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero has been added to the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Orlando is 9-20 ATS in its last 29 home games after having lost four or five of their last six games. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a game where they failed to cover the spread going up against an opponent after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the MERCER BEARS for our CBB Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. East Carolina checks in as a home underdog for its season opener so it will likely be a popular play here based on playing in a better conference with what should be better players but this is depleted. The Pirates lost their top seven players that returned last season to either graduation or transfers so this is going to be a complete rebuild for new head coach Mike Schwartz who has a good pedigree and is coming off six years as an assistant at Tennessee so he has solid experience from a top level program but it is not going to happen overnight. He has a pair of transfers from Tennessee and Iowa St. that are expected to contribute right away but this is all about chemistry early on in the season which there will be a lack of. They return center Ludgy Debaut, guards Javon Small and RJ Felton, and forward Brandon Johnson which combined for 14.2 ppg with Felton leading the way with 5.1 ppg. Not ideal. Mercer presents a fairly significant challenge right out of the gate as it is coming off a 16-17 season including an 8-10 record in the SoCon. Head coach Greg Gary has compiled a 51-43 record during his tenure with the Bears and they bring back a good amount of experience which helps on the offensive end and defensively, they will be strong again and will utilize pressure against a team lacking in experience everywhere. The Bears were picked No. 6 in the preseason SoCon poll and actually received one first place vote so are a top half team in the conference that can start the season off with a solid win against a team from a better conference even though one of the worst as the Pirates were tabbed to finish No. 11 in the 11-team ACC. 10* (757) Mercer Bears

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. New Orleans fell to 5-4 on the season following a loss in Atlanta on Saturday in overtime. In fact, three of its four losses have come in overtime by a combined seven points and the Pelicans have followed up their three previous losses with wins next time out and this is another get well game before a trip to Chicago for their next game. The offense remains potent as they are No. 2 in scoring and No. 4 in shooting percentage and they have been strong down low, being ranked No. 2 in points in the paint. New Orleans should see little resistance from the Indiana defense. The Pelicans are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. The Pacers are coming off an upset win over Miami at home on Friday to make it three wins over their last four games, covering all four of those after a 1-4 straight up and ATS start. Indiana has won two straight games at home with the other victory coming against hapless Detroit and this is a tough spot to keep it going. The aforementioned defense is ranked No. 27 in points allowed and No. 21 in shooting percentage allowed and overall, the Pacers are No. 24 in defensive efficiency. Indiana has been better on offense but not enough to compensate as it is No. 9 in scoring thanks to pace but just No. 24 in shooting. Indiana is 8-18 ATS in its last 26 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a close home win by three points or less, in November games. this situation is 32-5 ATS (86.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (507) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS for our CBB Opening Night Enforcer. The Rams open the season in rebuilding mode as they have a new head coach in Archie Miller who replaces Jamion Christian after he was fired following finishes of No. 10 and No. 11 in the Atlantic Ten Conference the last two seasons and the cupboard is pretty bare. The Rams have only five players returning on the roster with just a combined 37 starts last season between Abdou Samb, Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Ishmael Leggett and Malik Martin with Leggett accounting for 30 of those so there is very little experience to work with. Rhode Island was pegged No. 9 in the preseason conference poll so clearly there are not many expectations heading into the new season. Quinnipiac is coming off a 12-16 season including a 7-13 record in the MAAC during the regular season but made a solid run in the conference tournament and things are looking up this year thanks to a combination of experienced veterans and newcomers to the program. The frontcourt does have some question marks but that is usually not a big issue early in the season, especially in this matchup, a they have a clear advantage up top. With the frontcourt consisting of mostly transfers and newcomers, the backcourt is the opposite as the Bobcats return six guards from last season, all of which have the ability to contribute. Five of the six returning guards averaged at least eight points per game last season and are led by senior Matt Balanc who was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. While this line will seem low to many, it is low for a reason and has actually gone up based mostly on name and not rosters. 10* (635) Quinnipiac Bobcats

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Utah on Friday and while looking good for a while, the Jazz were up by just two points late in the third quarter but outscored the Lakers 33-21 the rest of the way to win their third game over their last four. Utah is currently in third place in the Western Conference with its 7-3 record and it is the biggest surprise team in the Western Conference in the early going after what seemed to be a rebuilding or tanking year but that is definitely still in the cards. They play at a fast pace as they are No. 3 in scoring but only No. 17 in shooting and that is coming off a plus 50 percent shooting performance against the Lakers where they made a season-high 52 field goals. Utah is 6-20 ATS in its last 26 games after playing two consecutive road games. After a rough stretch of four straight losses, the Clippers have rebounded with three straight wins to get back over .500 at 5-4 and have some good momentum with a favorable line. The Clippers play at a slower pace that Utah as they are ranked near the bottom in scoring but make up for it with a solid shooting effort by hitting 46.8 percent from the floor. The absence of Kawhi Leonard is obviously a big loss but have made up for it with great balance down low and Paul George has picked is up after a slow start by averaging 31.7 ppg and 6.3 apg over his last three games. The Clippers are 24-10 ATS in their last 34 games after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread. Here, we play against underdogs off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. This situation is 33-13 ATS (71.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. We played against Utah in its last game at Dallas and while it lost outright, it stayed within the number to make it three straight covers. The Jazz are 6-3 which is still a solid start for a team expecting to rebuild as they are 4-0 at home but just 2-3 on the road and those two wins came in overtime albeit against good teams in Minnesota and New Orleans so those could have gone either way as the home teams came up small in the extra time. The offense has been fairly average however as the Jazz are No. 16 in offensive efficiency and No. 22 in floor percentage while the one big issue has been in transition as Utah is No. 25 in fast break efficiency. Utah is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games coming off a road loss. The Lakers have found something as they have won two straight games after opening the season 0-5 and while moving Russell Westbrook to coming off the bench might not seem like a big deal, it really has been as the rotations have been a lot cleaner and efficient and he gives them a better scoring option in those spots. The two victories have been impressive over solid teams in New Orleans and Denver and this is the third game of an important four-game homestand where they can make up some big ground. The offensive efficiency is still dead last in the league but that was because of the awful start and they have improved over the last three games and they have been excellent in transition, raking No. 2 in fast break points. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after beating the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games in the first half of the season. This situation is 61-28 ATS (68.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Toronto has been on a roll the last two games, defeating Atlanta and San Antonio by 30 and 43 points respectively, and the Raptors have won four of their last five games after a 1-2 start. They have won two in a row on the road but are 2-2 after losing at Brooklyn and Miami albeit by just a total of seven points. Those last two victories provide an ideal go against spot as it provides line value because the action will certainly favor their side. Despite a 5-3 record, they are ranked No. 15 in both shooting offense and shooting defense and while great in transition, they are just No. 21 in points in the paint. The Raptors are 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Dallas is coming off a win but non-cover against Utah last time out to make it two straight to move over .500 for the first time this season. The Mavericks are 4-3 but two of those losses came by a bucket at Phoenix and at New Orleans with the other defeat coming in overtime against Oklahoma City to they could very well be closer to undefeated than .500 if some of those breaks went their way. Two of their four wins came at home by nine and 41 points. Dallas is ranked No. 9 in scoring offense and has been very efficient as it is No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in floor percentage. Dallas is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 games as a home favorite of six points or less over the last two seasons. Gere, we play on home teams after allowing 105 points or less two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 130 points or more. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (542) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS as part of our NBA Friday Triple Play. Cleveland has been the surprise of the Eastern Conference as it is off to a 6-1 start which is still not good enough for first place because Milwaukee is 7-0 but the Cavaliers have been red hot. They have won their last six games, covering all of those but they have been pretty fortunate with three of those victories coming in overtime and four of the last five wins have come at home. They are banged up on the perimeter with point guard Darius Garland and shooting guard Donovan Mitchell dinged and are listed as questionable and while they should go, neither are 100 percent. The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. Detroit is off to a rough start as expected as it is 2-7 but both wins came at home, including one against Golden St., where it is 2-2 and one of those losses was by just five points against Atlanta. The Pistons have lost their last two games but those came against those 7-0 Bucks on the road so no harm there and they bring in a 3-1 ATS record at home. This is clearly a young team in transition but it is all about spots and this one is set up perfectly where they are getting the same number as the one against the Warriors as the Cavaliers recent ATS stretch is helping inflate it. Detroit is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games against teams shooting 39 percent or better from long range. Here, we play against road favorites with a winning percentage of .750 or better after beating the spread by 36 or more points total in their last five games, playing a team with a winning percentage of .250 or worse. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) since 1996. 10* (534) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. Memphis is one of many teams in the NBA expected to make a run to the top but have struggled early. The Grizzlies are 4-3 which is not horrible but the last two losses were bad ones at the overachieving Jazz and are now 2-3 on the road and we see value here in what is a great bounce back spot. The offense is humming along as they are No. 4 in scoring as they are again a great team in transition, ranked No. 8 in the league in fast break points and No. 7 in fast break efficiency. Memphis also has a big edge down low as it is No. 2 in points in the paint with 56 ppg and while the defense has struggled, they catch a short-handed Blazers team. The Grizzlies are 39-13 ATS in their last 52 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. Portland opened the season 4-0 before losing at home to Miami by 21 points yet rebounded after that with a 14-point win but that was against the 1-7 Rockets. The Blazers won that game without Damian Lillard who is out until later this month with a calf injury and that puts them in a tough spot playing against a solid team, especially one that is in need of a win after two favorite losses. Anfernee Simons now has to shoulder the load up top and he responded with a 30-point game against Houston but it is a big drop off after that. To their credit, the Blazers do own two solid win over Denver and Phoenix but those were at full strength and their 5-1 ATS record is giving us value here. The Blazers are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games following a straight up win of more than 10 points. Here, we play on road favorites coming off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite going up against an opponent off a home win. This situation is 51-21 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (519) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The Jazz have been one of the early season surprises in the league as they are off to a 6-2 start which includes a pair of back-to-back wins over Memphis in their last two games but those were at home where they are 4-0 to start the season. Utah is 2-2 on the road but those two wins came in overtime albeit against good teams in Minnesota and New Orleans so those could have gone either way as the home teams came up small in the extra time. The offense has been fairly average however as the Jazz are No. 16 in offensive efficiency and No. 22 in floor percentage while the one big issue has been in transition as Utah is No. 26 in fast break efficiency. Utah is 8-21 ATS in its last 29 games after having won three of their last four games. The Mavericks are just 3-3 but two of those losses came by a bucket at Phoenix and at New Orleans with the other defeat coming in overtime against Oklahoma City to they could very well be closer to undefeated than .500 is some of those breaks went their way. Two of their three wins came at home by nine and 41 points. Dallas is ranked No. 6 in scoring offense and has been very efficient as it is No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in floor percentage. The Mavericks have a scheduling advantage having two days off following their last two games being at home so they have not travelled in a week while Utah has to hit the road following a home game on Monday and note its last tine in this situation, it won at home against the Rockets and then lost at Denver by 16 points two days later. The Mavericks are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 home games. Here, we play against underdogs off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. This situation is 33-11 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Tuesday Star Attraction. Miami opened the season with four home games and went 1-3 before hitting the road for what was hoping to be a turnaround trip but after defeating Portland by 21 points to open, the Heat dropped the final two games against Golden St. and Sacramento. This does set up a revenge spot but they are now facing a team that is just as much in desperate mode but with a better roster to recover. Miami plays at a slower pace as it is No. 26 in scoring offense and No. 12 in scoring defense but the shooting percentages on both ends are not good. The slow start is being deemed due to too much individualism from the players whereas last season they played team basketball. Going back, Miami is 0-7 ATS in its last seven home games. The Warriors have also lost two straight games to fall to 3-4 on the season and those were two bad losses against two of the expected worst teams in the league in Charlotte and Detroit so Miami will have their attention tonight. Golden St. fell to 0-3 on the road following those two defeats with the other coming against Phoenix and it has been outscored by an average of 16.6 ppg on the highway and no doubt teams are out to scorch the reigning champs, this team should not be allowing this to happen. Golden St. is playing at a fast pace as it is No. 3 in the league in scoring but sitting No. 29 in points allowed yet it has outshot opponents from the floor based on effective field goal percentages. Here, we play on road teams after being beaten by the spread by more than 12 points in two consecutive games, in November games. this situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (571) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. We lost with the Nets Saturday but are back on them here in another get right game. Brooklyn has opened the campaign awful as is off to a 1-5 start to the season following that loss against the Pacers but we see some serious revenge here. The first five games were against teams all expected to make the playoffs and overall, the schedule is still ranked No. 9 in the league but above average teams should still have more than one win in those games and three of those were not even close with losses by 22, 10 and 11 points. Brooklyn is ranked No. 28 in point differential and No. 30 in defensive efficiency and its once top ranked offense is now No. 15 in efficiency. The Pacers opened the season by going 1-2 at home with the win coming against equally bad Detroit and started their five-game roadtrip with losses at Philadelphia and Chicago by 14 and 15 points respectively before playing at Washington on Friday that resulted in a win and then another upset over the Nets the following night. The defense has been atrocious as Indiana is ranked No. 26 in the league in points allowed and this is no surprise with so many new parts and young players dotting the roster. While the Brooklyn defense has been even worse, it has the more complete roster. We are getting excellent line value here as Indiana closed as 11-point underdogs in the first meeting. Indiana is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 games coming off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points revenging a straight up loss as a favorite of seven or more points going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (558) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota continues its early season run of playing a very soft schedule and while San Antonio is off to a great start by their standards, that will not withstand and we are now dealing with a very manageable number. The Timberwolves are 4-2 which is okay but they should actually have a better record based on playing the easiest schedule in the league thus far and it shows in the spreads as they have been favored by at least seven points in all six of their games. This is already the third meeting with the Spurs and after losing the first one, they got their revenge two nights later and then followed that up with a win over the Lakers on Friday and this is the final game against the nonelite crowd as they have games with Phoenix and Milwaukee on deck. This will not be a lookahead spot based on their average record and the fact Minnesota has already lost once to the Spurs so they cannot take them lightly. San Antonio is the early surprise of the season as it is 4-2 as well with every outright win coming as an underdog and this has been a team that has clearly been coached up. The Spurs defeated Chicago on Friday by five points as a five-point underdog but the Bulls were shorthanded with no Zach LaVine and Minnesota is fully healthy. The offense has been playing very well but the defense still has a lot to be desired as the Spurs are ranked No. 29 in scoring defense and No. 28 in shooting defense and are again facing a strong offense that hung 134 points on them in the most recent meeting. Here, we play against home underdogs revenging a road loss of 10 points or more, off an upset win as an underdog. This situation is 59-28 ATS (67.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (545) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS for our NBA Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Brooklyn has opened the campaign awful as is off to a 1-4 start to the season following an overtime loss against Dallas on Thursday but this is the game to get things right. The first five games were against teams all expected to make the playoffs and overall, the schedule is ranked No. 2 in the league but above average teams should still have more than one win in those games and three of those were not even close with losses by 22, 10 and 11 points. How ugly is it? Brooklyn is ranked No. 28 in point differential and No. 30 in defensive efficiency and its once top ranked offense is now No. 17 in efficiency. Clearly, it is early and the play of Ben Simmons has been anything but good yet there is so much time to get it right and this starts the stretch of five straight games where they will be significant favorites so this is a big week and a half coming up. Indiana is off to a poor start as well but this one was expected. The Pacers opened the season by going 1-2 at home with the win coming against equally bad Detroit and started their five-game roadtrip with losses at Philadelphia and Chicago by 14 and 15 points respectively before playing at Washington on Friday that resulted in a win. The defense has been atrocious as Indiana is ranked dead last in the league in points allowed and this is no surprise with so many new parts and young players dotting the roster. This is a big number but a justified one and the first complete effort from the Nets comes Saturday. Here, we play on teams after two or more consecutive losses in the first six games of the season, playoff team from last season who lost four or more of their last five games. This situation is 104-61 (63 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Month. The Lakers are 0-4 both straight up and against the number and they are obviously the talk of the league which is not a good thing. Yes, there is pressure but they are only four games in and the talent is too good for this team to be playing so poor and making this one more important is the fact they head back to Los Angeles for a four-game homestand and being 0-5 in front of that crowd is not ideal. We only care about the cover here though as this number is way too high as the public overreaction is working in our favor. The defense has not been great but it is one that can be worked around and it is the offense that needs to get it together. The Lakers are the second worst shooting team in the league at 41.6 percent and being in the mix with Detroit, Houston and Oklahoma City at the bottom of those rankings is not a good thing. Additionally, they are by far the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA at a mere 22.3 percent while averaging only eight makes per game but they have been at least better on the road in the two games compared to the two games at home. We won with Minnesota on Wednesday as it was able to win and cover the second game of a back-to-back with San Antonio and is again laying a big number at home. We know this is a very talented team but the Timberwolves have had the luxury of playing no one as they have played the easiest schedule thus far in the NBA. Many will put Los Angeles into this group but not quite yet and the fact it was getting five points at Denver in its last game and now are getting more than that which is too aggressive. The offense is in the top five in both shooting and scoring but that goes up against the strength of the Lakers as Los Angeles is top 11 in both and while both are small sample sizes, it is a benefit. While the Lakers have been brutal, it is too soon to lump them into the likes of those young teams like Utah and Oklahoma City and that is what this spread is telling us. Huge value on Los Angeles here. 10* (511) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Things have not started well for Miami as it is off to a 1-3 start and most troubling is the fact all four of those games were at home. Now the Heat hit the road on the west coast for the start of a three-game trip that includes a game at Golden St. on Thursday and while that would normally be a spot for this to constitute a lookahead, that is not going to happen with the brutal start. Hitting the road at this time may not seem ideal but heat coach Erik Spoelstra said playing on the road could be beneficial because of the bonding experience and that can help a team like this that has had past success and now dealing with some early adversity. Miami was an underdog 23 times last season and won 14 of those outright. Portland is coming off a win over Denver on Monday to improve to 4-0 and it is a surprise as the last time it opened 4-0 was 1999 and the Blazers are the lone undefeated team in the Western Conference. Damian Lillard finished with 31 points and eight assists for the Blazers and he has been on fire as he was the Western Conference Player of the Week prior to that and he is now averaging 33. 2 ppg on 50 percent shooting while averaging 5.5 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. The Blazers have impressively won all four games as underdogs and now they are in the role of favorites, albeit a small one, and we will take the value on the other side against the desperate team. This is the perfect contrarian spot with Miami 0-4 ATS and Portland 4-0 ATS. Here, we play against home favorites off a win against a division rival in the first half of the season. This situation is 82-43 ATS (65.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (555) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota is in revenge mode following a Monday loss against San Antonio and we are backing the Timberwolves again for a lot of the same reasons from Monday. Minnesota is off to a 2-2 start against three of the worst teams in the Western Conference and have a rematch with another. They failed to cover in their win over Oklahoma City as they won by seven as an 11-point favorite and then fell to Utah in overtime as an eight-point chalk and then bounced back with another win over the Thunder on Sunday before getting off to a slow start against the Spurs and could not recover. A 2-2 start against this opposition is not good on this easy initial portion of the schedule and a bounce back is important even early on in the season. San Antonio has started 3-1 as it lost its season opener at home against Charlotte by 27 points but has won the last three games on the road, covering all three numbers and winning outright as big underdogs. It is another transition year for San Antonio as it sent All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta and got Danilo Gallinari, who eventually got waived, three first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027 and a 2026 pick swap so it is clearly playing for the future even though it has not looked that way thus far. The offense has been efficient but the defense has been the opposite and despite a 3-1 record, the Spurs have been outshot and outscored overall through those four games. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 63-29 ATS (68.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (550) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Minnesota is off to a 2-1 start against two of the worst teams in the Western Conference and will be facing a fourth on Monday in a great situation as the Timberwolves are ready for another big breakout. They failed to cover in their win over Oklahoma City as they won by seven as an 11-point favorite and then fell to Utah in overtime as an eight-point chalk and then bounced back with another win over the Thunder on Sunday and we are not going to shy away from laying the big number here. Offseason moves have put Minnesota back on the map with the addition of Rudy Gobert and is teamed with Karl-Anthony Towns who finished fourth and third, respectively, the All-NBA voting for centers. In addition, this lineup is loaded with the backcourt of D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards along with defensive specialist Jaden McDaniels who has the length and wingspan that shuts down perimeter shooters. San Antonio has started 2-1 as it lost its season opener at home against Charlotte by 27 points but has won the last two games on the road, covering both numbers as underdogs. It is another transition year for San Antonio as it sent All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta and got Danilo Gallinari, who eventually got waived, three first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027 and a 2026 pick swap so it is clearly playing for the future. Yes, they have played great on the road in the last two games with the offense showing great signs but will be facing a very strong defense that is No. 6 in shooting percentage allowed. This is a very young Spurs team and after having 22 straight postseason appearances, the Spurs will likely miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. The future looks bright but not now and not in this spot. 10* (522) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. We are fading the Nuggets here after their big win at Golden St. last night which followed a season opening loss at Utah. The Nuggets are playing their first home game of the season which is obviously a big edge but this line seems short based on the fact they are playing a team expected not to do much this season and the number has already gone up from its opening making this a decent contrarian play in going against the obvious side. Jamal Murray is questionable again with a knee ailment and they are not going to rush him along as he is going to be a vital part of how far this team can go. The Thunder lost their season opener at Minnesota but covered the 11-point spread and now they are getting a shorter number against what is considered a better team which is part of the contrarian aspect. Oklahoma City caught a bad break before the season even began as No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren was lost for the season but the Thunder have a very underrated player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he scored 32 points while grabbing six rebounds, dishing five assists, and nabbing three steals in their opener. As a team, they shot just 38 percent from the floor but face a porous defense that has allowed 123 ppg on 49.1 percent shooting. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points off an road win scoring 110 or more points, team that had a winning record last season playing a team that had a losing season. This situation is 42-15 ATS (73.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (569) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the DETROIT PISTONS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week. Two likely non-playoff teams square off Wednesday with Detroit hosting its season opener before an already brutal schedule coming up. This is an important game for the Pistons as far as scheduling goes as they have three road games on deck followed by games against Atlanta (twice), Golden St. and Milwaukee (twice) so this is going to be the only game they will be favored in until maybe November 4 at home against Cleveland. Detroit is going trough a rebuild with a slew of young talent with Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren expecting to be big contributors. Getting Bojan Bogdanovic right before training camp was a solid acquisition of a veteran that can contribute and help develop the young roster. Detroit won three of the four meetings last season all of which would have covered this number. Orlando is in the same boat as it is rebuilding with a young core but are still a step behind and hitting the road six times in its first eight games is not ideal for a team that was 10-31 on the highway last season. There is no veteran leadership on this team and it would not be surprising to see the Magic tank again, which will not be hard, to be able to acquire the No. 1 draft pick for a second straight season. The Magic do have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season. No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero could be the real deal as he dominated the Summer League albeit just two games. top to bottom ,this is a bad roster and has a bad setup in the opener even though it is against another bad team, the logistics will play a big part. 10* (508) Detroit Pistons

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. This line has remained relatively steady between 6 and 6.5 with a slight majority of the action on the Lakers. Golden St. is starting the defense of its NBA Title so Tuesday the Warriors will be dropping their championship banner and receiving their championship rings and this has been a lucrative situation over the years. Milwaukee won in this spot last season on banner night but the Bucks were getting points at home against the Nets yet historically, going against the reigning champions for the first couple weeks of the season has been the way to go as the numbers are overpriced early on. It was a quiet offseason for the Warriors up until the Draymond Green/Jordan Poole fiasco and while that has been washed away for the part, it is time to focus on basketball and Golden St. is tied with the Clippers and Celtics at +600 to win the NBA Championship. It is just the first game of the season but this is a statement game for the Lakers that were the biggest disappointment in the NBA last season and they heard about it all summer. It did not help matters that they went 1-5 during the preseason and that has been a big headline but it means little as head coach Darvin Ham used several lineups to try and figure out the regular season planned and he stated the Lakers will be better equipped to win games after all their players return from the injuries that came about during the preseason. This team is not getting younger so the time to jump on is early when they are actually healthy and one positive that came from the preseason was an improved defense thanks to the additions of Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder. The Lakers will be a play against for many based on the struggles last season but this is the best time to buy. 10* (503) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Game Five continued the common theme of the series as a close game was opened up by a big, late run as Golden St. opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run and Boston could not recover. Going in, if you said Steph Curry would have 16 points and not make a single three-pointer, then Boston would be back home with a series advantage but Andrew Wiggins stepped up and gives the Warriors a shot on Thursday for their fourth NBA Title in the last eight years. Golden St. is just 4-5 on the road in the postseason, one win coming here in Game Four where Curry went off and obviously Boston has to contain him again to force a Game Seven. The other big difference was Golden St. committed only six turnovers compared to 18 for Boston. The Warriors are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Boston is coming off consecutive losses in the postseason for the first time and it will haver to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping three in a row from December 25-December 29. The Celtics have gone 4-0 since then following consecutive losses and are 16-3 over their last 19 games following a loss, covering 15 of those against the number. Boston returns home where honestly it has not been great in the playoffs with a 6-5 record but the positive energy here in a must win game needs to be taken advantage of. Jayson Tatum did his best, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while going 5-9 from long range, but the rest of the team combined to go just 6-23 (26.1 percent). Boston is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games off a road loss by 10 points or more. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 67-28 ATS (70.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (528) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Game of the Year. Steph Curry saved the day for the Warriors as he poured in 43 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists and it will likely take another effort like that here for the Warriors to take their first series lead. After four games, we are seeing Golden St. as fortunate to be tied in this series as Draymond Green has struggled with matchup disadvantages and Klay Thompson is a step or two slower and is not close to the same defender he was because of his past injuries. The Warriors are favored at home again thanks to their solid playoff record at home as they are 10-1 but the lone loss did come against Boston in what is turning into their toughest matchup in the postseason so far. The Warriors are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win. All four games of this series have been decided by double-digits and we are so overdue for a competitive game late as it was once again a blowout in the fourth quarter in Game Four that was the deciding factor. That favors the underdog obviously which gives us two outs here with the better team as the Celtics cane win outright or lose a close one. While the Warriors home record is outstanding, the Celtics are a very solid 8-3 on the road in the playoffs while going a mediocre 6-5 at home. The one common theme in this series as the team that won the points in the paint battle went on to win the game and Boston is coming off a Game four where it was just 19-47 from two-point range which directly affects the paint numbers and we should see the Celtics have a much better effort down low. The Celtics are 22-7-1 ATS in their last 30 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Boston is 10-2 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more this season and that includes a 16-point win at home following a loss in Game Two. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss against opponent off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog. This situation is 59-28 ATS (67.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (525) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Boston gained control of the Finals with a 116-100 win on Wednesday to give it a 2-1 lead in the series and can put Golden St. in a world of hurt with a Game Four victory. The Big Three for the Celtics came up big in Game Three as Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 27 points while Jayson Tatum added 26 points and Marcus Smart chipped in 24 points. The third quarter has been the downfall of the Celtics as they have been outscored 106-63 in the first three games coming out of halftime. They have dominated other nine quarters in total with a 261-219 advantage but have not completely dominated individually as six of those quarter were decided by six points or less, split between the two teams. Boston is 6-14 ATS in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season. Golden St. rallied to within four points at the end of the third quarter in Game Three but the Warriors managed only 11 points in the fourth quarter, the second time in this series they were crushed in the final quarter and that has been the difference just like how Boston has been dominated in the third quarter. Golden St. is 3-5 on the road in the postseason but three of those losses came right after a win on the highway and the Wednesday loss was the first one in the first of back-to-back road games. The Warriors are in a great spot as they have been perfect in the postseason following a loss, going 5-0 after a defeat, winning those games by an average of 15.4 ppg. Golden St. is 20-6 ATS revenging a road loss this season while going 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog. 10* (523) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Game of the Week. Golden St. got back into the series and avoided a 2-0 Finals deficit and while it lost home court advantage, it has new life. That being said, the Warriors are in a tough spot and not because of travel since both teams are doing the same thing, but because of being on the road against an elite defensive team looking for payback. The Warriors led by two points at halftime but outscored Boston by 21 points in the third quarter as the defense allowed only 14 points which put the game away. Golden St. is just 25-23 on the road and while going 10-1 at home in the postseason, the Warriors are just 3-4 on the highway in the playoffs. Their defense is really good and probably considered underrated since most everyone talks about the offense but the defensive rating goes down away from home. Golden St. is 4-12 ATS in road games when playing only its 2nd game in five days this season. Boston took Game One thanks to incredible efforts on both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter and while it allowed 107 points in Game Two, the defense played pretty well overall. The problem that the Celtics need to work is matching Golden St. down low. They have been outscored by 33 points in the first two games within the first 64 minutes with their lineup of two big men consisting of either Robert Williams, Grant Williams, Al Horford or Daniel Theus. Boston is 33-17 at home and while the playoff record is just 5-4, injuries played roles in some of those losses. The Celtics lead the league in defensive rating and steps up again at home. Boston is 10-1 ATS this season after scoring 95 points or less including 7-0 ATS after scoring 90 points or less this season. 10* (522) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Game One was typical of what we have seen throughout the playoffs where we have a team blowing a big lead only to get blown out. Golden St. had Boston against the wall as it took a 12-point lead after three quarters only to get outscored 40-16 in the fourth quarter. It was the first home loss in the playoffs for the Warriors which were 9-0 heading into Thursday and outscoring opponents by 13.4 ppg over that stretch. Now we can see what this team is capable of in a must win spot as one bad quarter cannot derail the mission they are on. The extra day off is good to kill off any Boston momentum and to make some necessary adjustments. Golden St. is 23-9 ATS in its last 32 home games after one or more consecutive losses. The three-point shooting for Boston was off the charts as it went 21-41 (51.2 percent) from long range and we do not expect to see that again. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were just 3-11 but most everyone else were lights out, mostly in that final quarter. The Celtics have won eight of their last 10 road games which is hard to do in the postseason against quality opponents but this has been an atypical postseason where we have seen it all. Boston does have to given a lot of credit for making important adjustments defensively in the fourth quarter and now the strong Warriors defense will have to do the same in Game Two. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 65-28 ATS (69.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (520) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Game of the Month. Boston knocked off top seed Miami to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in long time for this storied franchise. The Celtics have the No. 1 defense in the league, but the Warriors finished the regular season with the No. 2 offense so it is strength against strength and playing Game One on the road will be a tough one. Going through the Nets, Bucks and Heat has put this team battle tested but the matchup here is not one they have seen. The Celtics are 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. Golden St. is 9-0 at home in the playoffs, having outscored opponents by 13.4 ppg and have done it with an underrated defense that counters its great offense. The rest aspect is big here as the Warriors had two more days of rest before the Memphis and Dallas series and then went out and won each and this time, they have three more days of rest than the Celtics and the latter is moving cross country. The Warriors are 24-8-1 ATS in their last 33 home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 65-27 ATS (70.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Eastern Conf. Game of the Week. Miami has been able to maintain its home court advantage thanks to a win in Game Six in Boston and it is back home where this series comes down to one game. The Heat are 36-14 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense but we expect Boston to bounce back. Miami got a great effort from Jimmy Butler as he poured in 47 points and while that is great momentum, the Boston defense will make the adjustment. The Heat are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. Certainly, there is a lot on the line for not just now but Boston has gone 0-4 in its last four chances to make it the NBA Finals and the role from Butler to Jayson Tatum is key in this matchup. He is coming off a 30-point game and likely will need more as well as more help from the bench. Derrick White was the top guy off the bench in Game Six and that was basically it as the Celtics got only two other bench points. The Celtics are 6-0 ATS in their last six games following a straight up loss. Here, we play on favorites revenging a straight up loss as a home favorite of seven points or more, off an upset loss as a home favorite. This situation is 38-12 ATS (76 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (509) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The broken record continues. The awful NBA basketball postseason keeps chugging along and this series is right at the top. There have been leads by at least 20 points in each game and overall, of the 35 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 29 games have been decided by seven points or more with 22 of those being by double-digits with another taking place in the east on Wednesday. Boston took control of this series with a 13-point win in Game Five on the road and have a chance to meet the Warriors in the NBA Finals with a win on Friday at home. Because of the lead and the type of games we have seen, Boston is favored by its biggest amount in this series and a closer game either way cashes this one. Boston is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 home games after a win by 10 points or more. Despite opening with the home court advantage and having the top seed, Miami was not the favorite coming into this series and now it must win the final two games to advance. The Heat are coming off two bad games offensively and a lot of that can be put on Jimmy Butler. He has been injured but Boston has adjusted well as it is limiting his ability to drive and forcing him to take jumpers. The has scored 27 points the last three games combined following a 4-18 performance in Game Five and like Jayson Tatum in Game Four, the star needs to bring it. The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a double-digit loss at home. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss, off a home loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 116-66 ATS (63.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (505) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our Western Conference Game of the Week. Dallas played with an inspired effort on Tuesday following the horrific tragedy in Texas as it remained alive in this series with a 119-109 victory in Game Four where it led by as many as 29 points. The Mavericks shot 50 percent from the floor including 47 percent from long range which was their best offensive effort in the series but they are now back on the road where they shot a combined 44.2 percent in the first two games. Dallas is 26-24 on the road and has been outscored and outshot overall and finds itself in another difficult spot against a defense that prides its game on defense. Dallas did get extra production from its bench in Game Four but those efforts have been few and far-between. The Mavericks are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a winning home record. Golden St. definitely had a tough time on Tuesday as it was unable to close the series out but is still in great shape to make it to the NBA Finals. The Warriors return home where they are 39-10 including an 8-0 record in the postseason, outscoring opponents by an average of 15.4 ppg in those eight playoff games. As we have talked about before, this defense is the centerpiece which does not seem typical for this team but the Warriors are ranked No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Despite the loss, the Warriors still won the battle down low with a 44-36 advantage in the paint and they have done so in all four games and are still shooting over 60 percent from two-point range. Golden St. is 19-6 ATS revenging a road loss this season. 10* (504) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. The awful NBA basketball continues and this series is right at the top. There have been leads by at least 20 points in each game and overall, of the 33 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 27 games have been decided by seven points or more with 20 of those being by double-digits. Miami has been able to maintain its home court advantage thanks to a win in Game Three in Boston and it is back home where this series should continue to be more chippy. The Heat are 36-12 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense and has the edge with this line. Miami is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 home games after scoring 100 points or less this season. Boston picked up the must win in Game Four to prevent a 3-1 deficit in this series. We expected a big game from Jayson Tatum and he produced after an awful Game Two although he was just 1-7 from long range. Injuries have played a big role in this series and both teams have a key player questionable in Game five as Tyler Herro and Marcus Smart are both questionable but we will likely see both play. The Celtics are 28-20 on the road which is solid and they have been great against the top teams but catching Miami in this spot after that loss is a tough one. While Tatum bounced back, we will see the same from Jimmy Butler who scored only six points on just 3-14 shooting and this will be his game to take over. The Celtics are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. 10* (502) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. We played Dallas in Game Three with the thought it would do a better job with the interior defense as well as getting more production from the bench and while Spencer Dinwiddie helped the latter with 26 points, the Mavericks produced just two other points from their bench. Taking away the 11-23 from Luka Doncic, the rest of the team shot just 19-52 (36.5 percent) in Game Three and this has been the case throughout the entire series and against the Warriors, more results like that will lead to a very early exit for the Mavericks. The home floor has been good in the postseason but that is negated with this matchup as Dallas cannot compete against the fully healthy Warriors roster. Dallas is 2-12 ATS in its last 14 home games after having lost four or five of their last six games. After breaking down the tape, by someone else, it is clear the Warriors have a big advantage down low and it has not been fluky situations. The breakdown shows Dallas has been concerned with the outside shooting of the Warriors and their defense is not big enough down low or quick enough up top to counteract that as the defense has not been able to collapse which has led to numerous open looks down low for easy baskets. Golden St. has outscored the Mavericks 152-96 in the paint have converted on a whopping 60.9 percent of its two-point shots. The Warriors are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as an underdog. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after having lost three of their last four games going up against an opponent after having won five or six of their last seven games. This situation is 103-69 ATS (60 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (567) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Week. We have witnessed some awful basketball since the end of the first round in the NBA Playoffs. Of the 31 games played since the start of the Conference Semifinals, 25 games have been decided by seven points or more with 19 of those being by double-digits and those have been involving eight of the top teams in the league so that kind of disparity has been unwatchable. Game Three of this series ended up being a six-point win for Miami but that game was never in question as the Celtics never led and the Heat led by as many as 26 points. Each game is its own separate entity but it just shows these big spreads can be beat in the right spots. The Heat are 2-5 ATS in their last seven playoff games as an underdog. Boston had a scare with Jayson Tatum leaving the last game but did return and is listed as questionable but Celtics head coach Ime Udoka called the injury a stinger and said it is not serious so we can expect a big effort following his 10-point, six-turnover performance on Saturday. Boston is now 32-16 at home and this one has turned into a must win as a loss going back to Miami down 3-1 will be tough to overcome and the energy in TD Garden will be off the charts on Monday. The Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 64-27 ATS (70.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (566) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. The Mavericks missed a golden opportunity as it blew a 19-point lead and the Warriors took control in the second half, outscoring Dallas 68-45. The Mavericks were dominated in the paint in both games and that obviously has to change at home where they are 34-13 including a 5-1 record in the playoffs that includes five straight wins. Jalen Brunson is doing his best take some of the pressure off Luka Doncic but they still need other help as the Mavericks got just 13 points from its bench in Game Two. Dallas has been here before as it lost the first two games at Phoenix in the Western Conference Semifinals and then went on to win next two games at home to get back into the series. The Mavericks are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. Giving the Warriors a glimmer of hope is not ideal which Dallas did Friday and this is where a change of venue hurts Golden St. The Warriors are 24-22 on the highway including a 2-3 record in the postseason with those two wins coming by six points total and both could have gone the other way. The Warriors are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after beating the spread by 42 or more points total in their last seven games going up against an opponent after going over the total by more than 18 points in their previous game. this situation is 60-30 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (564) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Boston overcame an early 10-point deficit in Game Two to win by 25 points and stole home court advantage as it heads back home for Game Three. The Celtics are getting a lot of respect here as this is an eight-point line swing which is simply too much in a playoff game and value is on the road team. Boston shot 51.2 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from long range and it did show what it can do with a healthy roster. The Celtics are 32-15 at home but are two games under .500 against the number and have been average against the top teams. Boston is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 home games after a win by 10 points or more. Miami came out with good energy but lost it pretty quickly as the shots were not falling against the top ranked defense in the NBA and it will not get easier here but we are finally expecting a competitive game until the end, In Game Two, Miami made just 44.2 percent of its shots including 29.4 percent from behind the arc and the three-point shooting from both sides made the difference. The Heat are 26-20 on the road and are 16-10 ATS against teams with a winning record. It will be up to the defense to eliminate the hot Boston long range shooting. Miami is 16-5 ATS off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. Here, we play on road teams revenging a same season loss going up against an opponent off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog. This situation is 58-28 ATS (67.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (561) Miami Heat

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. The NBA playoffs remain almost unwatchable with the number of blowouts we have encountered and the Finals have been no different so far. Golden St. rolled in Game One as its biggest deficit was a bucket and it led by as many as 30 points in its 25-point victory. The Warriors shot 56 percent from the floor but it was far from a perfect game as they went just 10-16 from the free throw line while committing 15 turnovers so they do have to shore some things up. Golden St. is now 37-10 at home which includes a 7-0 record in the postseason with the average margin of victory being 16.3 ppg and while going against the Warriors will be a popular play based on the bounce theory, they are rolling too much and present a very tough matchup as proven in the first game. Golden St. is 15-5 ATS in home games after two or more consecutive wins this season. Dallas has lost four of its last five games on the road with the one victory being that blowout over Phoenix to clinch a spot in the Finals. Those defeats were by an average of 20.5 ppg and in Game One, no one was able to pick it up behind a bad game from Luka Doncic. The Dallas offense is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc while Golden St. is top three in all defensive categories and we expect the Warriors to put the clamps down once again. The Mavericks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a road underdog. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, winning between .600 and .750 of their games on the season. This situation is 96-47 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (648) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Boston lost Game One as it got off to a great start but the Celtics wore down in the second half as they were outscored 39-14 in the third quarter. They were already in a tough spot coming off a physical series against Milwaukee while playing with just one day of rest and they had to shift on the fly with Marcus Smart and Al Horford declared as out early Tuesday afternoon. Both are questionable with Smart the most likely to play and he will be a big presence to shore up the defense that allowed 49 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 53 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 5 steals in the loss and they will again step up in Game Two. Boston is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games off a road loss by 10 points or more. Miami came into the series as a +150 underdog to make it to the NBA Finals and with the Game One win, the Heat are now -130 for the series at Draft Kings Sportsbook which is no surprise at this point. Jimmy Butler was outstanding in Game One with 41 points, including going 17-18 from the free throw line, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in one of the best all-around efforts for a Heat player in the postseason in recent years. Miami is now 36-12 at home and one of those losses came against Boston in the lone regular season meeting played in Florida. The Heat are 7-0 at home in the postseason, winning by an average of 14.7 ppg, and that is putting the public behind Miami again here but Boston is in much better position than in Game One. Boston is now 20-5-1 ATS on the road against winning teams and is 16-8-2 ATS on the season as an underdog. 10* (543) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. For a series that went seven games, the Dallas/Phoenix series was one of the worst ever taking place in the postseason as the average margin of victory was 19.4 ppg and the closest game was decided by seven points. That being said, it might be difficult to figure out what we can expect here. What we do know is that Golden St. stepped up when it had to and defeated Memphis by 14 points at home in Game Six and this is a very veteran team and clearly knows what it is up against in Luka Doncic who once again stepped up in an elimination game. Golden St. cannot afford to get in that type of series and the number here is right to get out to a good start. Golden St. is 15-6 ATS in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season. Dallas won in impressive fashion over Phoenix in Game Seven but that was a Suns team that did not show up and that will be different here. The Mavericks lost the first three games in Phoenix before the Game Seven blowout and those defeats were by an average of 19 ppg. The Dallas offense is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc while Golden St. is top three in all defensive categories and the Warriors are 36-10 at home and while it was a split during the regular season here, Golden St. had just Steph Curry in the one loss. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six against the spread, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 61-27 ATS (69.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (540) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. This is a great situational spot for Miami in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals as the Heat have been off since Thursday after coasting in their first two series. Despite winning the regular season and having home court in this series, Miami is a +150 underdog which is a great value play and while Boston has shown it can win big road games, this will be the toughest one to take. The Heat are 35-12 at home while outscoring opponents by seven ppg. The Boston defense gets the most pub which is legit but Miami is ranked No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 4 in shooting defense and No. 2 in three-point shooting defense and has the edge against a weary Boston team. Miami is 14-5 ATS against teams outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg this season. Meanwhile Boston is coming off a grueling and physical series against Milwaukee with just one day of rest to try and prepare as well as tossing in the travel aspect. The Celtics easily took out Milwaukee in Game Seven at home as they went on a 38-point swing after falling behind by 10 points only to build a 28-point lead to never look back. Boston has been the best team in the NBA this season when facing good teams on the road, covering 20 of 25 against teams with a winning record but this situation is totally different. Boston 14-27 ATS in its last 41 games revenging a straight up loss as a favorite. Here, we play on home favorites playing with three or more days of rest, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. this situation is 131-79 ATS (62.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (536) Miami Heat

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Sunday Star Attraction. We won with Golden St. on Friday in a similar situation and we are backing the Suns in a same spot scenario. The Suns are the best team in the NBA with a 73-21 record and it was a pathetic display in a closeout game in Dallas as Phoenix lost by 27 points after an awful second quarter it could not recover from. The Suns managed only eight fast break points which has been an issue this series and a return home should get them energized as they are 37-10 at home that includes three wins in this series by an average of 15.7 ppg which is closely above their nearly +10 ppg scoring differential on their home floor. Phoenix is 7-0 ATS revenging a straight up loss as a road favorite this season. Dallas has been impressive with basically a one-man show as Luka Doncic has carried the Mavericks throughout the first two series when he has been on the floor. They are 25-22 on the road and while they have done a great job of bottling up Chris Paul, who is averaging just six assists per game in the series after averaging double-digits during the regular season but part of that has been because of foul trouble. The defense has been solid most of the season which has carried them here but that offense is hard to look past as Dallas is ranked No. 24 in scoring and No. 18 in shooting including No. 19 from behind the arc. Here, we play on home teams revenging a road loss of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 43-17 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (528) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Star Attraction. We made a horrible call with Golden St. on Wednesday as the Warriors forgot they had a game, losing by 39 points, trailing by as many as 55 points and never having a lead. That was a complete aberration as Golden St. is arguably the second best team in the playoffs when fully healthy and while the Warriors are not at 100 percent, their core in fine and a return home will energize them in this closeout game as the last thing they need it having to win a Game Seven on the road. The Warriors defense has been very solid in this series prior to Game Five as they allowed the Grizzlies to shoot just 41.7 percent in the first four games and this has been reminiscent of the regular season as Golden St. finished No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Golden St. is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 home games after one or more consecutive losses. As mentioned in the Game Five analysis, the Grizzlies has been very good without Ja Morant on the floor and of the 22 wins without him, there are only four quality victories and that includes the win on Wednesday. They are 28-18 on the road including a 2-3 record in the postseason. While they have a top level scoring offense, with the help of Morant, they are just No. 16 in the NBA in shooting and while they shot over 47 percent in Game Five, they had the luxury of Golden St. committing 22 turnovers. The Grizzlies are 8-15 ATS in their last 23 playoff games as an underdog. Here, we play on home teams revenging a road loss of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 42-17 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (518) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Phoenix has taken control of this series and will be out for the first road win from either team in this series as the host has won and covered the first five games which includes a 30-point win in Game Five. The defense played their best game of the series as they allowed the Mavericks to shoot just 38 percent from the floor and when that defense comes up like that and with the offense, the Suns are close to unbeatable. While they have a cushion where they cane lose and head home for a series finale, anything can happen in a Game Seven and bring in the No. 3 shooting defense inn the league so Tuesday was no fluke. Phoenix is 14-5 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3 this season. Dallas won its first two home games in this series by nine and 10 points despite getting outshot in both games as the Mavericks benefitted from 17 Phoenix turnovers in each game. The role players for Dallas has been the issue in this series and it was on fill display in Game Five where Luka Doncic scored 28 points and had only two other players behind him score in double-figures. He can take over a game but Phoenix has done a good job the last three games of limiting his scoring and there is not much behind that. Here, we play against home underdogs revenging a road loss of 30 points or more going against an opponent off a home win scoring 110 or more points. This situation is 54-22 ATS (71.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (513) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Western Conference Game of the Week. Following a pair of home wins, the Warriors have taken control of this series and can close it out Wednesday with a victory. Golden St. is 2-2 on the road in the postseason and are catching another break with the absence of Ja Morant who is out again with a knee injury. The Warriors defense has been very solid in this series as they have allowed the Grizzlies to shoot just 41.7 percent through the first four games and this has been reminiscent of the regular season as Golden St. finished No. 3 in points allowed, No. 2 in shooting defense and No. 3 in three-point shooting defense. Golden St. is 12-4 ATS off two or more consecutive home wins this season. While the series is not over, Memphis has a big hill to climb as it cannot afford a loss and has to win out without Morant. During the regular season, the Grizzlies were incredible without Morant as they won 22 of 24 games at one point in his absence but none of those were against a full strength Golden St. team. The Grizzlies took three of the four regular season meetings and in those three wins. Golden St. was not a full strength with Klay Thompson out for two and Steph Curry out for another. Memphis is 33-13 at home on the season but this spot is no good. The Grizzlies are 7-15 ATS in their last 22 playoff games as an underdog. Here, we play against underdogs off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .750. This situation is 63-19 ATS (76.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (509) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. Miami had this series under control after a pair of blowout wins at home and one win in Philadelphia would have likely put an end to it. The return of Joel Embiid has obviously gotten the Sixers rejuvenated but those two wins came at home and we expect home court to be the difference once again. The Heat were favored by 7.5 points in the first two meetings at home and that number has dropped to 3 in some places for Game Five based on the Embiid return and the possible momentum shift and that is a little too aggressive. Miami allowed the Sixers to shoot 51.1 percent in the two road games following a shooting percentage allowed of 44.2 percent in the two games at home. Overall, the Heat are 34-12 at home and the defense that is ranked in the top four in the top three defensive categories is even better at home. The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as a home favorite. Philadelphia has lost four of its last five road games where it is 29-17 on the season where the defense has been a real issue, allowing 107.5 ppg. The Sixers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play against underdogs in the second half of the season allowing between 104 and 108 ppg and after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 32-11 ATS (74.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (502) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Depending on the closing line, Milwaukee either ended up with a win, loss or push on Saturday as the Bucks blew a sizable, big lead and were down one with under a minute remaining but came through in the clutch to win by a bucket and now has a 2-1 series lead with home court fully on their side. The story in Game Two was the Boston defense but it was the Bucks defense that was on display in Game Three as they allowed a big fourth quarter but still forced the Boston offense to shoot just 37 percent from the floor. They only managed 40 percent shooting on their own but were able to dominate down low, outscoring the Celtics 52-32 down low in the paint. The Bucks are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Celtics can get home court back with a victory but they are in another tough spot as they had no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he has gotten progressively better highlighted by 42 points in Game Three. Boston comes in at 25-19 on the road and while it won and covered both games against Brooklyn away from home in the first round, it was not very dominant and the Celtics allowed the Nets to shoot 50.6 percent in those two road games. The aforementioned defense is ranked No. 1 in points allowed, shooting defense and three-point shooting defense and even without Kris Middleton, Milwaukee still has the balance to execute on its home floor where it is now 30-15. Here, we play against underdogs in the second half of the season allowing between 104 and 108 ppg and after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 31-11 ATS (73.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (582) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Philadelphia was able to steal a game in this series as it won Game Three by 20 points as it held Miami to 79 points, which was its second lowest scoring output on the season. We figure this is it for the Sixers however even though they have increased their shooting percentage in all three games and have Joel Embiid back as a Miami bounce back is imminent. Philadelphia had to go six games against a depleted Toronto team for most of the series and it is now 26-18 at home which is solid but the Sixers finished with just the seventh best home record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Philadelphia is 1-8 ATS in home games after having lost two of their last three games this season. Miami had a horrible effort in Game Two as it shot just 35.1 percent from the floor and failed to crack 80 points for just the second time this season. The Heat will make their adjustments to try and duplicate the 112.5 ppg average in the first two games. Miami had won 12 of its previous 14 games before the loss on Friday and it has been incredible following bad games this season as the Heat are 12-2 following a game where they failed to reach triple figures in scoring. Miami is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. Here, we play on underdogs revenging a road loss of 20 points or more, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite. This situation is 34-10 (77.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (579) Miami Heat

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE BUCKS for our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Milwaukee was able to steal home court advantage in this series thanks to a Game One win and after falling behind big early on Wednesday, the Bucks were unable to recover as they lost 109-86 which was their worst offensive performance of the season. Their previous low was 90 points scored back on December 18th against Cleveland so they will be out to get the offense back on track, the one that finished No. 3 in the league in scoring overall. They got a great dose of what the Boston defense is capable of when they limit shots as Milwaukee managed only 73 shot attempts and now they are back home where they have averaged close to 90 shots per game. the Bucks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. Boston comes in at 25-18 on the road and while it won and covered both games against Brooklyn away from home in the first round, it was not very dominant and the Celtics allowed the Nets to shoot 50.6 percent in those two road games. The aforementioned defense is ranked No. 1 in points allowed, shooting defense and three-point shooting defense so Milwaukee knows what is coming at it. The Celtics have been solid on the road against the top teams but did lose both regular season games at Milwaukee by more than what they are getting this Saturday. Here, we play against underdogs in the second half of the season allowing between 104 and 108 ppg and after allowing 105 points or less in two straight games going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 31-11 ATS (73.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (572) Milwaukee Bucks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Friday Enforcer. Dallas had Phoenix in a good spot following two-point lead at halftime and were looking good after halftime but the Suns went on an 11-0 fourth-quarter run that turned into a 23-2 rampage put the game away. The offensive performance was incredibly efficient as Phoenix shot a season-high and franchise playoff-record 64.5 percent from the floor and every player that took a shot from the field finished at 50 percent or better shooting, 11 players in total. Clearly, Dallas cannot keep up with this and while this series is likely going to the Suns, the Mavericks have to steal a game at home and this is the best opportunity as a 3-0 deficit will not have them focused for a Game Four. The Suns are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one day of rest. The Mavericks got another strong performance from Luka Doncic but as was the case in Game One, he got no support as he was 13-22 from the floor and the other four starters went a combined 10-25. Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Jalen Brunson scored a combined 15 points while committing 13 fouls and that is the help to no one. Dallas is 31-13 at home, which is six games better than its road record and the hope is that the home crown can get some of these role players more energized to get involved. The Mavericks are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better after three consecutive covers as a favorite, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 84-48 ATS (63.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (552) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Second Rd. Game of the Year. We won with Phoenix on Monday but we are switching sides here as the Suns were able to narrowly cover despite what seemed like a dominating performance. The Suns opened the game on a 20-6 run and Dallas had no answers as Phoenix put up 69 points in the first half while shooting nearly 64 percent from the field. It was a much different second half as they scored just 52 points but they had the edge from the free throw line that made the difference as they were 18-18 from the stripe as well as grabbing 13 offensive boards compared to seven for Dallas. Phoenix has a big home court edge but that is again playing into the number. The Suns are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one day of rest. Dallas wasted a huge effort from Luka Doncic who poured in 45 points and outscored the other four starters combined and that was the problem. He clearly cannot do it himself against the best team in the Western Conference and he needs help, especially against a team that has won 10 straight meetings. That winning streak needs to be discounted however as it goes back over two years and of those 10 losses by Dallas, eight were by single-digits so some of those could have gone the other way including three that were decided by a possession. Dallas is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games against teams outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg. Here, we play on road underdogs in the second half of the season shooting between 33 percent and 36.5 percent from long range and after 2 straight games making 16 or more three-point shots going up against teams allowing between 33 percent and 36.5 percent from long range. This situation is 32-8 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (543) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Tuesday Star Attraction. Boston came out really slow in this series as it fell behind early and could not recover as it fell behind as much as 17 points in the 12-point loss. The defense was up to the task as it allowed Milwaukee to shoot just 41 percent but the offense was awful, going 28-84 from the floor for just 33 percent shooting. The Celtics shot 36 percent from long range which is right at their average but they shot a mere 29 percent from inside the arc and that led to a big disparity in points in the paint 34-20. The biggest disappointment was Jaylen Brown who scored just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting and committed seven turnovers. Additionally, Boston was simply outrun, getting outscored 28-8 on fast break points. It is already a must win for Boston and it is 9-0 ATS after scoring 95 points or less this season. Milwaukee did what it had to do on the defensive end in Game One but we are not expecting that again and we should see a better defensive effort from Boston on Giannis Antetokounmpo who finished with a triple-double. After the win, the Bucks are now listed as the second favorite to win the Eastern Conference at +195, down from +400, and Boston is now listed at +225 according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks have already taken over the home court edge and that will be big when they head home but not in this spot. Milwaukee is 8-21 ATS in its last 29 road games in the second half of the season against teams outscoring their opponents by three or more ppg. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having covered four or five of their last six games against the spread, with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. This situation is 87-47 (64.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (532) Boston Celtics