Sports Picks & Predictions

Denver is almost unbeatable at home, and we expect another big performance tonight. The Lakers have surprised in the playoffs and they have looked good, but they will be facing, in our opinion, the best team in the west here, and they are taking a big step up in competition for the conference finals. The Lakers haven’t been good on the road this season. And they have had trouble in Denver in the last couple seasons, where they are 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings here. Denver is 21-9 ATS at home against above .500 teams, and they will be ready for another dominant performance tonight.

Philly had Boston right where they wanted them for Game 6 with a chance to close it out at home, but they couldn’t get the job done and now Boston is a decent favorite at home to win the series and they have all the momentum. Boston is one of the teams we love to trust as they usually win by more than the spread when they do win. And they are excellent as a favorite. Boston has tons of postseason experience and the guys know what they need to do here. We think they bring their A Game today.

We rarely ever bet on the Lakers, so you know we like them if that is the way we are moving on this game. Golden State has stunk on the road all season. They had some road heroics in the first round at Sacramento, but this is a lot better team they are facing tonight. The Lakers made the right moves at the deadline and they are gelling at the right time. The Warriors had a long season last year with their extended playoff run and we think this team will finally run out of gas here in Game 6. Golden State has been following the Zig Zag theory for NBA playoff betting as they are 1-5 ATS after a win. They haven’t covered in the last five games in Los Angeles.

Home court has held serve in this series so far, and we expect more of the same tonight. We think Denver is the better team and we expect a strong showing with one of the best home court advantages in the league. We doubt Booker will play like he has in the last couple games, and we think we will see some top performances from some of the role players on Denver.

Love the Nuggets in this spot. We feel they are clearly the better team. They were never going to sweep the Suns, but Phoenix got their win in Game 3 and played about the best game they could, but Denver was still in striking distance at the end. We expect a better effort from the road team in this one and not quite the same effort from the home team. We had the Nuggets as a one-point favorite in our handicapping, so excellent value here and the points could come in handy if the game goes down to the buzzer.

We absolutely love the Celtics in this spot. We think one of the best things that could have happened to this team for the series was to lose Game 1 at home. That has upped the intensity and the urgency for this team, and it showed in their dominating Game 2 performance. Embiid came back for the Sixers in Game 2 and played decently. But who knows how his health will hold up here. If this was the regular season, he would for sure be out for an extended period, and it’s never a great idea to rush a player back. But even if he is 100%, we still like Boston here. The Celtics normally cover when they win. This has been one of the safest teams to bet on for several years as they normally bring their A Game and they play great team basketball. This is a team that you can trust. And they know they have a great path to the championship this year with some contenders bowing out early. We really think this is an important game for Boston, and they are a tier above the Sixers, and we think they flex their muscles tonight and take back home court advantage in the series.

We were not impressed with what we saw from the Suns in the first round. They let the Clippers hang around in almost every game despite a banged up LA squad. They face a huge step up in competition here. Denver is flat out the better team, and they have the best player on the court. Jokic also has more help around him than ever before, and they are almost unbeatable at home. We think the home teams will win in this series, and there is great value in this line as the Suns are overvalued in the market right now.

We don’t see the Kings going down without a fight, and if they can scrap to a win here, then they have a great chance to close the series out at home. They have suffered only one blowout in this series, and we don’t see it happening again here. They have covered in 12 of the last 15 meetings here, and we don’t see them being intimidated. This team has played with a lot of confidence and swagger, and they are the team with nothing to lose tonight, so they can play free. We see another close game here.

Love the Kings in this spot. They were the much better team in the regular season, and this isn’t just a flash in the pan as this team will likely be good for years. Maybe we will be seeing a changing of the guard in this series for the top team in California. Golden State is 11-30 on the road this season, and we don’t expect them to suddenly fix their road woes in the postseason. They are also 5-13 in the last 18 meetings against Sacramento. The Kings won’t want to let a season worth of hard work to go to waste by giving up home court in Game 1, and we think the Warriors are getting too much respect in this Game 1 because of past accomplishments.

We were on the Wolves against the Lakers and were lucky to cover that one after one of the worst fourth quarter performances of the season. OKC looked great against the Pelicans and they didn’t look nervous or intimidated. They looked like a playoff team. Minnesota sure didn’t. We think the poor play late will carry over here and we think the internal problems the Wolves are facing will be too much to overcome here.

We can’t deny that the Timberwolves are a circus right now with everything going on with this team right now. But with all the negative media attention, plus the Lakers being one of the biggest public betting teams in all of sports, this line has been way over adjusted. Minnesota still had a solid team to bring to the court tonight, and they have covered in six of the last seven meetings and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 trips to LA to play the Lakers. Some very nice value in this line tonight.

Bad teams that are spunky and with fight are normally pretty good against the puckline. But not the Ducks. They are 37-42 ATS overall and 16-22 at home. Anaheim surprised the Avs last time out, but Colorado has won the previous seven meetings, all by multiple goals. Both teams played Saturday and enter on a back-to-back, but the Ducks played extra hockey as they lost in OT to the Coyotes. They are probably happy with that moral victory and they face a big step up in class here.

10 Unit Play. Take #962 Tampa Bay (-1.5 RL) over Oakland (6:40p.m., Friday, April 7 MLB.tv) The Rays are the only undefeated team in baseball, and they are playing one of the worst teams in the league tonight at Tropicana Field. All six of their victories came by at least 4 runs and tonight should be no different. Zach Eflin was outstanding in his first start this season and the same cannot be said for Ken Waldichuk. Oakland is 18-38 in their last 56 road games. Tampa Bay is 36-17 in their last 53 home games. The Rays are 19-7 in their last 26 home games against a left-handed starter.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Coyotes had their nice hot streak where they were very competitive at home for a stretch but the wheels have fallen off despite the venue. They have lost eight straight, and they have a goal differential of -15 in their last three games.  In their last match, they lost to this Kraken club here in Seattle 8-1. Seattle is still fighting for playoff position, so they have motivation here, while the Coyotes look like they are ready to pack it in for the season and they have been playing their worst hockey of a lousy season recently.

It’s not often that we see the Spurs listed as a favorite, but here we are. And we think it’s very justified for this game tonight. Both teams have skeleton rosters here. But the Spurs have the better roster here and home-court advantage. Plus, they are in a better state mentally than the Blazers. The Spurs have been tanking all season and they know what they are. The Blazers had high expectations this season and fell well below them, and this franchise will be facing a lot of changes soon. The Spurs are just further ahead in their plan and we think that translates on the court tonight. They also have a winning record as a rare favorite and have covered in five of the last seven meetings.

We liked the rested Clippers before we saw the Lakers use tons of energy last night vs. Utah, and now this looks like an even worse spot for them against the Clippers, a team that has owned them in recent years. The Clippers have won and covered five straight in the series. They are coming off two straight losses and they need a win badly here. The Lakers have played two grueling road games since the Clippers last played, and they needed OT last night to get by Utah, so this is a supersized back-to-back and their third game in four nights. Tough task against a Clippers team desperate for a win.

We have been all over the Coyotes puckline in home games this season. But this team has been overworked lately, and no one could blame them to not give 100% here in a game that would get ugly quickly. Not only is this a back-to-back for Arizona and their third game in four nights, but they played extended hockey last night with OT and a shootout. They lost that shootout to the Avs, and they looked out of gas there at the end of the game. Edmonton was off Sunday and they have won seven of eight in this series, five of which came by multiple goals.

The Sixers two best players are questionable here and this Philly team is reeling a bit. They have lost two straight and three of four, and those losses weren’t pretty. Denver has won and covered three straight and four of five, and it seems this team’s recent struggles are in the rearview mirror. Denver matches up well here and this team seems to have raised their level of play lately and in the last few games this team looks like a squad that can beat anyone. We think they will want to make a statement in this possible NBA Finals preview.

10 Unit Play. Take #645 Xavier over Texas (9:45p.m., Friday, March 24 CBS) NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR. Just feel this will be too big of stage for Texas and their interim coach. Rodney Terry still has not been given the full time gig yet and I feel that will be a detriment to them in this game. The Musketeers have had a ton of success in the NCAA Tournament and Sean Miller has had good success at this level as well. Texas has not been at this round since 2008 prior to this run and they have not had much NCAA Tournament success in the last 15 years. Xavier is a great offensive team and that is something Texas did not see much of in the Big 12 this season. Texas plays in the better conference but I still do not believe they have seen an offensive team like Xavier will show on Friday. Xavier is 25-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 35 NCAA tournament games. Texas is 2-11 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games. Teams have struggled to score all tournament long and giving up this many points does not bode well for Texas. Take the points, as Xavier does not need them and marches onto the Elite 8.

This is a strong revenge spot for the Clippers after the Thunder edged them here on Tuesday. Not only is this a revenge spot, but the Clippers are mad/frustrated with their performance on Tuesday as they had the ball with a near full shot clock down 1 at the end of the game and didn’t even get a shot off. Paul George will miss this game and all the others to end the regular season. But Kawhi and a deep roster around him should be able to pick up the slack against a Thunder team that has been playing above their heads recently.

Columbus got smacked around by Anaheim last time out and they are up against a much better team here on Sunday. They have won seven of their last nine and have looked good doing it, with three of their last four wins coming by double digits. Vegas lost last time out, and this looks like a great spot for them to bounce back with a multi-goal win.

There is some reverse line movement here as the majority of the cash is on the Sixers but the odds have moved the other way, which is always a good sign since we were really high on the Pacers to start off with. The Sixers are playing great, but they are on a back-to-back here and playing their third game in four nights, while the Pacers are well rested here with Friday off. Philly has been playing very well, but they should be tired here and we don’t see them giving 100%. These teams played two weeks ago, here in Indiana, and the Sixers had to rally for a four-point win. We think Indiana can do even better here and possibly win outright. Indiana needs to win games down the stretch to make the play in. So they will be the more motivated team. Philly traditionally struggles in this matchup as they are 0-4 ATS in the last four visits to Indiana and 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings overall.

10 Unit Play. Take #803 Duke over Tennessee (2:40p.m., Saturday, March CBS) Rick Barnes is a loser and we have faded him numerous times in the postseason and been highly successful doing it. Duke is playing as well as anybody in the country and will enter this game having won 9 straight games. The Blue Devils have the size to matchup with Tennessee and are much better on the perimeter without Zakai Zeigler playing. The Volunteers are 1-7 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. Duke is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

10-Unit Play Take LA Clippers -2.5 over Golden State (10 p.m. EST,  Wed March 15)

Something has finally clicked with the Clippers. After a season of trials and tribulations, this team finally is playing at the level that most expected coming into the season. And tonight is their most important game of the season as they are tied with the Warriors and a game behind the Suns. By the end of the weekend, if all goes according to plan, Los Angeles could see themselves in the Top 4 in the West. After a season of major ups and downs, LA is in a great position to get a decent seed and do some damage in the postseason. But they need a win tonight. And we think they do just that. This team is well rested and has had three nights off coming into this super important game. The Warriors are coming off consecutive wins over the Bucks and Suns. So they are in a letdown spot here. And this team has been horrible on the road this season. They are 7-26 on the road. And they are 8-23-1 ATS on the road. A healthy and clicking Clippers team is better than the Warriors, and we think they prove that on the court tonight.

Best of Luck, Doc's Sports

There is a chance this line could move through the day depending on the status of Damian Lillard for Portland, but we like the Knicks for a comfortable win even if the Blazers star plays. The Knicks are often underrated on the road, where they have played excellent basketball this season, and are 23-12 ATS on the road. This current road trip hasn’t gone the best, with a head-scratching loss in Charlotte and losses to playoff teams in the Clippers and Kings. So there will be a little bit or extra urgency here to salvage the road trip. Brunson will likely miss this game for the Knicks. But this is a more complete team than the Blazers, and we think New York will be fine without him. This is the Blazers first home game after a long road trip and that can often be tricky for a team as the players often have their minds on personal business rather than the task at hand.

The Pacers are not a great team. But they can score. And they will be highly motivated here as they are a couple games out of the Play In Tournament. They know that if they don’t get a convincing win here, that they don’t belong in the postseason. We think they get the job done. The Rockets are one of the most tanking teams right now, and they have covered only two of their last nine games. Both of those were against the Spurs, another tanking club, so maybe that was just a case of San Antonio wanting the loss more. They aren’t covering despite some very generous lines from the oddsmakers. Indiana has covered six of seven, so they have been a money machine lately and underrated by the oddsmakers. The Pacers are 21-13 ATS at home, and they normally take care of business against bad teams. The Rockets are 11-22 ATS on the road, where they normally get massive spreads like we see tonight. Houston normally doesn’t play well here and they are 4-11 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Indiana.

The Clippers have been a schizophrenic team, but when they start playing well they can string together some good games. They are healthy and they snapped their losing streak last time out vs. the Grizzlies. They also played well in a one-point loss at Sacramento before that. We think they are primed for a win and a cover here. Kawhi will no doubt want to play well against his former team, and this just looks like a game where the Clips Big Two could potentially go off for a big game. You know the Clippers stars like their rest, and this team has had two nights off.

10 Unit Play. Take #680 Wisconsin over Ohio State (6:30p.m., Wednesday, March 8 BTN) All season long the odds makers and metrics have overrated this Ohio State team. They were a quad 1 team for most of the season despite having a losing record. They won two home games down the stretch but they have won just 3 games since January 2nd. Wisconsin is playing for their NCAA Tournament lives and already beat this Ohio State team in Columbus back in February. The Badgers got right on offense on Sunday against Minnesota and look for that to continue on Wednesday. Ohio State is 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games following a loss in their previous game. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.

Portland has been on the wrong end of some blowouts lately, in five of their last six games. Orlando is sneaky good this season and they will not hesitate to take advantage of a team on a slump. They have won two straight and three of four in this series and we see another comfortable win here on Sunday.

10 Unit Play. Take #620 Auburn over Tennessee (2p.m., Saturday, March 4 ESPN) Unranked team that is favored against a ranked team is always a great indicator to play the favorite. Auburn played outstanding against Alabama last time out and they will win this game by close to double digits today. Just not been a fan of Tennessee this season and feel this lack on offensive punch to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament. Throw in the fact they lost their point guard for this game in Zakai Zeigler and I see them being a quick out in both the conference and NCAA Tournaments. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. Auburn is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss in their previous game. Auburn has revenge and is the more desperate team, needing a win to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We don’t get in the habit of taking NBA double-digit favorites, but we think it is justified in this situation. After the trade deadline, the Nets are sinking and will be lucky to make the play in once all is said and done for the regular season. This team is clearly looking towards next season. They have lost four straight, three by double digits, and two by 20+. In their last game, they allowed 142 to the Knicks. They have allowed 129 or more in three of their last four. That doesn’t bode well against what is, in our opinion, the best team in the league. This Boston team is a covering machine lately. This is one of the most poised, veteran clubs out there – not to mention one of the most talented – and they aren’t a team that is going to take many nights off or overlook an opponent. We think they bring their A Game here as the playoffs are quickly approaching. They are right on the heels of the Bucks for the No. 1 seed, so they know every game is important down the stretch. They have won the last three meetings by double digits (they have covered in six straight meetings), and they won by 40+ at the start of February against a stronger Nets team.  This one looks like blowout city to us.

This sets up as a nice revenge spot for the Heat’s win Monday in Philly. That was a rare cover for them recently, which shows the oddsmakers have been continuously overrating them. Philly is 14-6 ATS as a small favorite this season, and they are clearly the better team in this matchup. Miami has been one of the worst ATS teams all season and they continue to get too much respect from the oddsmakers. Revenge is an overrated handicapping angle in the NBA UNLESS these teams played recently, and that is certainly the case here.

The Clippers have been inconsistent but they still have been a better bet this season than the Wolves, and we think they will want to bring their A Game tonight and leave nothing to chance after a pair of OT losses to Sacramento and Denver. The Wolves have covered in only one of the last seven meetings to LA and we think they are in for a tough game tonight.

Love the Thunder in this spot. The Suns will be shorthanded as Durant will likely be postponing his Suns debut. The Thunder are on a back-to-back here but they have been solid in these situations at 4-3 ATS on the season. In fact, this is one of the best ATS teams in the NBA on the year. They are 8-2 ATS on the season when getting around this many points. They normally bring their A Game on the road against top teams, where they are 25-9-1 ATS in their last 35 against a team with a winning home record.

Teams will want to get off to a strong start for the stretch run after the all-star break, and we think this is a game that the Sixers will want to take very seriously. These teams are somewhat close together record wise but we think the Sixers are the much stronger team, and they should take care of business with a comfortable win here in front of the home faithful. Philly is one of the best betting teams this season at 34-23 ATS, while the Grizzlies have a losing ATS mark. The Sixers are a dominant home team at 23-8, while Memphis does their best work at home as well but is 11-17 on the road. The Sixers won and covered four straight before the break, and we think that momentum will continue here after. The Grizzlies have covered only one of their last six road contests. They have covered in only one of their last six visits to Philly. They are 9-19 ATS in road games this season, while the Sixers have been dominant, at 21-10 ATS at home. Memphis is 3-7 ATS when in an underdog role this season, and we think they come up well short of the cover here tonight

10 Unit Play. Take #101 Kansas City Chiefs over Philadelphia Eagles (6:30p.m., Sunday, February 12 FOX) All the talk is about the Eagles dominate run to reach the Super Bowl, but the odds makers are having no part of that. They have kept this game as a pick’em and I believe that the books wants Philadelphia money in this game. I believe that the difference in this game will come down to experience, something Kansas City has a major edge in at the quarterback and head coaching positions. Jalen Hurts did not throw the ball well in the conference championship and if the Chiefs can contain the rushing attack and make him beat them they should be in a good shape. Philadelphia has had a cake walk to reach the Super Bowl and just are not as battle tested as Kansas City is. Philadelphia is 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. Andy Reid earns his second Super Bowl victory, and this is one bittersweet coming against his former team. 

The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings against the Lakers in Los Angeles, As a small-market team they normally bring their A Game when playing under the bright lights in the big city, and we think that will be the case again tonight. LeBron broke the scoring record last time out and that is one of the biggest stories in the nation, and we think this could create a letdown spot for them. He is also listed as questionable tonight and his status will no doubt move this line, but we like the Bucks for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. The Bucks are in playoff form right now with eight straight wins, and the Lakers are still trying to figure things out.

The Coyotes have been profitable on the puckline this season, mainly as a home underdog and they are 12-8 ATS at home. With extra rest, they should be able to defend the home fortress tonight and keep this one close. Minnesota has a pair of extra time wins and three losses in their last five, so they aren’t in top form. Last time we saw the Coyotes at home, they upset the Blues 5-0. We think they will be competitive here. The Coyotes have covered the puckline in the last three meetings and we think they make it 4-for-4 here tonight as this team isn’t a total pushover anymore and the oddsmakers have been slow to adjust.

The Clippers are quietly one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won seven of nine and their two losses were by one in Milwaukee (in a game they led at one point by 20+) and in Cleveland on the second of a B2B when they rested half the team. Tonight they face a very vulnerable Nets team that not only is missing Durant, but they have other key players on the way out of town and others coming in via the Dallas trade. The Nets will try their hardest but they just don’t have the firepower to stay competitive here tonight. LA has covered in seven of their last eight, and we think this team won’t overlook the Nets since they had lots of struggles before things came together for this recent positive run.

The Clippers at full strength, which they will likely be tonight, have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA recently. They deserved the win last time out in Milwaukee and controlled most of that game but couldn’t hit any shots late and lost by one. That makes this game against a lesser opponent even more important. The Clippers have covered in six of their last seven games, with the only non cover coming in Cleveland in the game where a lot of key players sat out. With some of those types of games on the schedule, it makes full squad games like this more important, and we think they take care of business here tonight. The Clips have covered in seven of the last nine visits to MSG.

10 Unit Play. Take #666 Iowa over Illinois (2:30p.m., Saturday, February 2 FOX) BIG 10 GAME OF THE YEAR Iowa is the more desperate team in this contest, and they are finally getting healthy. They are 11-2 at home this season and have the best player on the floor in Kris Murray. He is averaging over 20 points per game and look for a big outing from him today in Iowa City. Illinois has been on a nice run of late, but most if not all of that damage has come against bad teams. This includes wins against Ohio State, Nebraska (2), Wisconsin (2) and Minnesota. Iowa is better than all of those teams. We have seen across the country over the last couple of weeks, that parity is here, and the more desperate team usually gets the win. That will be the case again today with Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 45-20 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 68 home games. They are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games. They get it done today by close to double-digits.

We like to back a good team after a bad and embarrassing loss as they normally bring their A Game in the next outing. That is the case for the Suns here. They were embarrassed at home by the Hawks last time out, 132-100. NBA players have a lot of pride and ego, and good teams don’t often fail to show up in consecutive games. And the Suns had been playing well as they had won six of seven entering that game. Boston has been winning, but they have covered only one of their last seven games as the oddsmakers are posting too high of spreads. They probably won’t be on their A Game against this out-of-conference foe. The Suns aren’t a big underdog often, but they are 5-2 ATS when getting five or more points. The Suns have also had great betting success here in Boston as they have covered in eight of the last 11 meetings. They have also covered in 10 of the last 14 meetings overall.

The Suns have won five of six. They are getting healthier and trending upwards. We think this line is more than fair for the home team tonight. The Raptors normally don’t play up to expectations when a small dog like this as they are 4-7 ATS when a dog of under 2.5 points. They are only 2-7 ATS in the last nine meetings in Phoenix and 5-14 ATS in the last 19 meetings overall. Since these teams don’t meet often, that is a trend that goes back years. We expect the home team to pull away late in the game.

10 Unit Play. Take #323 Cincinnati Bengals over Kansas City Chiefs (6:40p.m., Sunday, January 29 CBS) Everyone is on the Bengals, which is sometimes a scary proposition, but as the games dwindle down, the public usually gets the big games correct. The Chiefs opened up as a favorite, but the wise guys and public were having no part of that. Cincinnati is now favored and the line during the week keeps going up. Joe Burrow has beaten Kansas City all three times in his career including earlier this season. The Chiefs are 1-8 (ATS) 1 push in their last 10 home games. The Bengals have won 10 straight games and will earn another trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Cincinnati has offensive line issues, but that was not a factor last week in Buffalo. Kansas City has quarterback issues with Patrick Mahomes suffering a high ankle sprain against Jacksonville last time out. He will play but I expect the injury to be worse this week compared to last week. Cincinnati is 13-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Kansas City is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Joe Cool advances as we ride the public and the hot hand.

The Bucks are trending upward and have won four of five, including a big win over Indiana less than two weeks ago. The Bucks needed a rally as the Pacers played well in the first half. But Milwaukee ended up winning by double digits. We expect to see a more complete game from the Bucks here. They match up very well against the Pacers and have a strong history against them as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings. Five of those games were double digit blowouts. The Pacers started off the season strong but now might not even make the play in. They have covered only two of their last 10 games.

The Islanders are in a freefall and have lost eight of their last nine. Five of those losses were by multiple goals. Things won’t get any easier tonight as they face a Toronto team that has won five of eight and is playing very well. They tangled with their biggest rival on Saturday and lost as a big favorite in Montreal despite playing a hard-fought game. They will no doubt be looking to get back on track here. Toronto has won five of seven in the series, and four of those wins have come by multiple goals.

10 Unit Play. Take #318 San Francisco 49ers over Dallas Cowboys (6:30p.m., Sunday, January 22 FOX) The Cowboys played great last week against the Buccaneers, but I just do not believe they can follow that up with a second straight road victory. San Francisco has won 11 games in a row and have two extra days to prepare for this game. They have also covered the spread in 12 of their last 14 home games. Brock Purdy has been up to the challenge thus far and feel he will be playing with a lead most of this game. QB Prescott just had not been very consistent this season and playing his fourth straight road game will be too much to overcome. Dallas is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games played in January. San Francisco is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 divisional playoff games.

10 Unit Play. Take #786 Wright State over Cleveland State (7p.m., Saturday, January 21 ESPN+) Just feel the Vikings playing 4 straight road games will be the difference in this game. The Raiders are the much better offensive team scoring close to 80 points per game and that will allow them to cover this field goal spread. They also have the best player floor in Trey Calvin, who has scored 49 points per game in his last two outings. Cleveland State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Wright State is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This is an opponent that the Clippers normally play well against. They are 4-1 ATS in the last five visits to San Antonio and 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. LA has been playing horribly. They have been dealing with more injuries, a problem that has to this point derailed their season. But it looks like the Big 2 will be playing tonight, and this team is desperate for a win. They have lost many games lately, but they have had a tough schedule littered with playoff teams. Their last easy opponent was vs. Houston, and they won by 21. We think we could see s similar result here as if the Clippers don’t get a convincing win here then it might be time for heads to roll in LA. We think they bring their A Game tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #152 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Dallas Cowboys (8:15p.m., Monday, January 16 ABC) Do not trust either coach in this game, but I do trust the greatest quarterback of all time. Dallas has not played well on offense of later, struggling to run the football and turning over the ball at an alarming clip. Tom Brady is 7-0 in his career against Dallas. Tampa Bay won the first meeting this season by a score of 19-3 and that was in Dallas. The Cowboys do not play well on grass and it showed last week in Washington and will show this week in Tampa.

The Knicks are coming in on a back-to-back, but they have a winning record ATS in these situations, so we aren’t really worried about that aspect too much. They barely broke a sweat in a blowout at Detroit yesterday. The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won seven of eight and covered in six of those contests. The oddsmakers are punishing them too much here for the B2B. Toronto is 5-13 on the road this season and this will be another tough situation for them to get the win. They hosted the Knicks earlier in the month and lost by four. This one should see a larger margin of victory.

Note: there will likely be line movement in this game because of MVP favorite Jokic and his injury status. He is questionable with a wrist injury. We like the Clippers for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. We think Revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle. That is unless the teams played recently. And the Clippers no doubt remember that game last week in Denver where they got spanked, 122-91. The Nuggets have won six of seven, but they have been enjoying some home cooking lately. All those wins were at home, but they are just 2-4 in their last six road contests. Even though George is out tonight for the Clippers, this team is very deep with talent, but they just have not had consistent rotations. But they looked real good last time out in a double-digit home win vs. the Mavs, and wins and losses have come in bunches for this team. But they need to start stacking some wins together after the lackluster start to the season, and we expect them to bring their A Game tonight and for Kawhi to lead the way to a win and cover.

Oklahoma City was one of the best ATS teams last season, and they are doing it again as they are the No. 1 betting team this season at 25-16 ATS. This is the perfect betting team as they play hard almost every night yet keep it close more often than getting the outright win. They have covered in four of their last five games, and we expect them to keep this close tonight. OKC does most of their ATS damage as a big dog as they are 18-7 ATS when getting three or more points. If this line goes up to double digits, they are a perfect 5-0 ATS in those scenarios. While teams like the Lakers and Warriors get the best shot from other teams even when they aren’t high in the standings, OKC is a team they often overlook and we don’t see the Sixers bringing their A Game tonight. OKC has covered in four of the last five meetings in Philly.

Love the puckline here for the Kraken, one of the hottest teams in the NHL and one that is playing as well as any team in the league right now. They have won six straight entering this one. Those includes multiple-goal wins on the road at Toronto and Edmonton, so it’s not like this team is just beating up on a bunch of scrubs. They won’t be intimidated heading into Boston. Boston has won both lifetime meetings, but both were one-goal results and the last meeting went to OT. One of the key factors here why we like the road team is that Boston has been off since Sunday. While the rest was much needed, that is a long layoff in the middle of the season and it probably will throw their momentum off here. Boston doesn’t lose at home. But they do have close games here. The last three home games for the Bruins have all been one-goal games. We are expecting the same here on Thursday.

For Dallas, Luka Doncic is questionable for this matchup. If he plays, the line will move. But we like the Clippers to win this one by a comfortable margin despite the line movement. Paul George is out for LA but Kawhi should play. Tonight., we have to plug our noses and take the Clippers, who are on a 6-game losing streak. This is the worst losing streak in years. This team has been inconsistent. But this just has the feeling of a Must Win game, and we think LA will respond to the pressure tonight. It’s not like they have lost to scrubs, as all the losses were to playoff type teams. They played their best game of the bunch last time out vs. the Hawks, who eventually rallied for the win. But LA has covered in five of the last seven meetings, and this is a good familiar foe with which to halt the losing streak.

Two teams on winning streaks as the Bulls have won three straight and the Celtics have won two straight. But Boston has not been covering many lines as they have been overvalued by oddsmakers and they haven’t been playing at their top level. They have covered only one of their last four games. Chicago covered in all three of their recent wins. We expect a hard fought game here. The Bulls typically bring their A Game when playing Boston. They are 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings and they have covered four straight in Boston. We were planning to take the Bulls here and thought the line would be closer to 6, so there is excellent value here tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #470 Denver Broncos over Los Angeles Chargers (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 8 CBS) Denver has gotten clarity on their coaching situation and they played better last week. The Chargers do not have much to play for in this game and would not be surprised if they rest a few of their starters. Denver has won 4 of the last 7 meetings between these two teams and all 4 of those victories came as an underdog. The Broncos are 3-0 straight-up (3-0 ATS) as well in the last 3 games against the Chargers played in Denver. QB Wilson wants to finish the season on a high note and look for that to occur on Sunday.

We took the Celtics for a big play last time out against the Mavs after their embarrassing loss to the Thunder and they destroyed Dallas by nearly 30. Now we are going to back Dallas with the same philosophy, backing a good team after an embarrassing loss. They didn’t show up in that game, and they will no doubt produce a better effort here win or lose. They come in rested, while the Pelicans are on a B2B after a game they probably wanted more in Brooklyn last night that was hard fought but ended up a loss. New Orleans is not a very deep team, and they are missing two of their Big Three and we think their lineup will be lacking here in the B2B. Dallas has been an awful ATS team this season, but that can turn around. We think they have a great chance for a blowout here.

The Mavs have won seven in a row, while the Celtics have been blown out in two straight and lost to OKC by 30+ last time out. Yet the Celtics are still favored here on the road. That tells us a lot. We always like to take a good team after an embarrassing loss. The Celtics certainly fit the bill here as they are arguably the best team in the NBA. And that loss is certainly embarrassing, but it’s also forgivable. During the long grind of the NBA season, teams just don’t always show up to play. But after a real poor effort, we expect the Celtics to bring their A Game tonight in Dallas. The Celtics have covered in 12 of 17 meetings here and they are the much better team. We think they show it tonight.

This is the perfect revenge spot for the Bucks, who lost to Washington here on this same floor in a blowout Sunday. Antetokounmpo and Holiday, the Bucks two best players this season, missed that game but both should be back here. Milwaukee has lost five of six, so there should be a sense of urgency here tonight. Four of those losses were on the road, and three were to the other top teams in the east, so it’s not like they have been beaten by a bunch of bad teams. This looks like a good spot for a blowout win and revenge.

Montreal is in the worst form of any NHL team right now. They have lost eight of nine games. They have a goal differential of -17 in their last four games. Nashville is a solid team that has been playing .500 hockey in their last six games, but their three losses have come to Colorado (OT), Dallas by one goal, and Vegas (OT). So even in their losses they have been very competitive. But we don’t think they will pass up this chance for a big win here over a struggling team. In Montreal’s eight recent losses, only two have come by one goal. Nashville has won six of seven in this series, and three of the last four wins have come via multiple goals. This one looks like a major mismatch to us.

10 Unit Play. Take #277 Mississippi State Bulldogs over Illinois Fighting Illini (11a.m., Monday, January 2 ESPN2) ReliaQuest Bowl. Bowl Game of the Year. Just feel Mississippi State wants to send out the pirate with a win. The Bulldogs have most of their key players and have promoted from within to take over for Mike Leach next season. Mississippi State is making their 13th straight bowl appearance and I feel that Illinois got exposed during the second half of the season. They lost 3 of their last 4 games including two home games against so-so teams in Michigan State and Purdue. The Illini have a strong defense, but their competition was not of SEC caliber offenses, and they will be without CB Witherspoon for this game. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win in their previous game. The Fighting Illini are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game. Expect a low scoring game that the Bulldogs win straight-up and end the Mike Leach era on a positive note.

10 Unit Play. Take #128 Green Bay over Minnesota (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 1 CBS) The Packers continue to win games of late. We expect them to run the table and make the playoffs. Minnesota has already clinched the division and they luck in one score games continues to be impressive. When they lose, they seem to lose big and that is what we are looking for on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between Minnesota and Green Bay.

10 Unit Play. Take #729 Utah over Stanford (4p.m., Saturday, December 31 PAC-12N) The Cardinal just cannot put together a solid season under Jerod Hasse. He has had talented players and experience but has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament and this will be his last year at the farm. Utah continues to improve in year two of Craig Smith and they returned most of their talent from last season. They are 3-0 in conference play and do not have any bad losses on the season. They also have the best player on the floor in Branden Carlson and if they keep winning games like this, they will be an NCAA Tournament team coming March. The Tues are 17-6 ATS (1 push) after allowing less than 50 points to their opponent in their previous game. Stanford is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played on Saturdays. Maples Pavilion during the holiday break will not provide any atmosphere or home crowd edge for the home team. Utah wins this game straight-up.

Utah has not been playing great on the road and is 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. The Kings shine has worn off since the start of the season as this team has been inconsistent. But they are healthy here and this line is more than fair. This homestand hasn’t been the best, but they head on the road after the new year so we think this game is a priority to get a win and salvage the homestand. Utah hasn’t looked very good the last couple games and even lost to the Spurs. They are 7-13 on the road and we think they are in for another tough game tonight.

Boston has been the best team in the NBA to start the season, but now that the Clippers are healthy, they have possibly the strongest roster in the league. They should have most of the squad playing tonight, and this is just too many points. The Celtics were in a big slump but have won three straight, but wins over Minnesota and Houston don’t really move the needle. Just don’t think this club is in top form right now. The Clippers always seem to play well in Boston, where they are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings, and we think they bring their A Game tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #473 Las Vegas Raiders over Pittsburgh Steelers (8:15p.m., Saturday, December 24 NFLN) The Mike Tomlin consecutive winning seasons will come to an end in 2022. The Raiders are the much more talented team on offense, and they will win this game straight-up. Just do not believe the Steelers have the weapons to exploit this suspect Raiders defense. The Raiders went into Pittsburgh last season and won by 9 points and expect a similar performance in this game. Las Vegas is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against Pittsburgh. The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the Raiders and Steelers.

Brandon Ingram has been out for the Pels but now the main member of the Big 3, Zion Williamson, will join him as he has been placed in Health and Safety protocols. We have no doubt players will step up in his absence, but we don’t think they will cover this big number. The Pels haven’t been playing great even with Zion in the lineup as they have lost four straight both SU and ATS heading into this matchup. And now they have to face the Spurs without their two best players. San Antonio was looking like the worst team in the NBA for awhile as they lost nine straight and didn’t cover in any of them. But they have been playing a lot better recently. They come in with confidence after a blowout win at Houston. They have won four of six and covered in all those wins as an underdog. They have covered in all seven of their most recent visits to New Orleans, and they have one of the best coaches in the league that probably devised a nice gameplan here with two days off to maximize the chance of being competitive here.

This is a great spot for a dominating Leafs win. They are coming off a big three-goal home win over Tampa Bay. Philly has dropped five of seven and they haven’t looked like the same squad they did at the start of the year. Toronto normally brings their A Game when these teams face off. They have covered the puckline in all of the last four meetings, all Toronto wins. They have a goal differential of +12 in those games and won all by three goals. This one could get even uglier for the road team today.

Don’t get us wrong, the Magic are playing great basketball right now and their recent six-game winning streak has been impressive. Especially the last two games, a sweep of the best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics, in Boston. The streak also included a home win against these same Hawks. Atlanta is a much better home team (9-5) than road team (6-10). And this game was recent so this is a revenge spot for the Hawks. We have to remember that Orlando is only 11-20, so this current win streak includes more than half of their wins. They are Fat and Happy after the sweep of Boston. They are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights while the Hawks have had two days off. Orlando has covered only one of the last five visits to Atlanta and they are 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall. Expect Orlando to play strong in the first half and then wilt down the stretch.

10 Unit Play. Take #328 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Cincinnati Bengals (4:25p.m., Sunday, December 18 CBS) Hard to take Tampa Bay after their showing last week in San Francisco, but this team is desperate and needs to win their remaining home games. The Bengals have been a covering machine this season, but now they are the hunted and giving points on the road is never easy. I still like the Tampa Bay defense better than the Cincinnati defense. The Bengals struggle to handle prosperity and the law of averages will bite them in this game. Tampa Bay is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games against Cincinnati. The Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 games between the Bengals and Bucs.

10 Unit Play. Take #644 North Carolina over Ohio State (3p.m., Saturday, December 17 CBS) We will follow the line movement, as an unranked team favored against a ranked team is always a strong play. Carolina was terrible during the early portion of the season but now they are undervalued. This team needs a quality win in the worst way, and they will get it on Saturday in New York City. Ohio State is gritty, but they do not have the talent that UNC does and were very lucky to win their last home game against Rutgers. The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games between UNC and Ohio State. North Carolina is 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday. Ohio State is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a victory in their previous game.

Sacramento has had somewhat of a tough road trip as they have dropped three of five. But this will be their easiest matchup on this road swing, so we think they bring their A Game here. The Kings have one of the best offenses in the league, and Detroit has one of the worst defenses. While the Kings defense isn’t going to win many accolades, they are better than Detroit, and the Detroit offense is one of the lowest ranked in the NBA. Sacramento normally plays well against bad teams. They are 6-1 ATS in their last seven against losing teams. They are 7-1 ATS in their last eight on the road against teams with a losing home record. We think this is a great chance for a double digit win.

Love the line value here as we had the Rockets as a slight favorite. Miami is the second worst betting team in the NBA at 9-19-1 ATS. They are just barely better than the worst betting team, Dallas. They are coming in on a back-to-back here after OKC took them to the brink last night. They won but didn’t cover, and we don’t see them playing a better game than they did last night. The Rockets have been playing well and have won three of four. They are 15-12 ATS on the season, meaning they are surpassing oddsmakers expectations on a regular basis. The Rockets have covered six straight at home, and we think they have a great chance to win outright.

The Pelicans have won seven straight and are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. Utah has lost two straight and three of four, and the shine has come off their hot start a bit. New Orleans has a better offense and a much better defense, and they should dominate this game on both sides. This team looks very headstrong this season and we don’t think they will have a letdown after a pair of big wins over the Suns.

7-Unit Play Take Croatia +.5 (+110) over Argentina (2 p.m. EST, Tuesday Dec 13) (Graded after regulation time - 90min - plus injury time - need at least a draw at the end of regulation)

Croatia deserves to be here and their run to the final four isn’t a fluke. Not much has come easy for the Argentines in this tournament, and we don’t think they are going to roll into the final without a challenge. Croatia isn’t going to light up the scoreboard here, but they can keep Argentina away from scoring. They have allowed only three goals so far in this tournament, and they allowed only one to a better Brazil side. This total is set at only two goals, so that makes the value at getting a half goal on the spread even stronger. We would not be shocked if this one is scoreless at the end of regulation, but even if Argentina scores, we think that Croatia will find a way to get one through to sent it to extra time. We just don’t see any scenario where Argentina runs away with this.

We were on the Spurs for their last two wins, as we saw a slight upswing for them after losing nine games SU and ATS. Now they are fat and happy after two wins over Houston and Miami, two struggling teams, but now they are probably going to revert to their tanking ways and they face a true championship contender in Cleveland. Mitchell is questionable here. But we think the Cavs win by double digits whether he plays or not. This team plays excellent team basketball and the sum is greater than the individual parts. The Spurs are a struggling offensive team and the Cavs posses the No. 1 defense. San Antonio gives up more than 120 PPG, so we don’t think the Cavs will have any problem scoring enough to get this one over the posted number. Cleveland has covered in five of six meetings and four straight in San Antonio.

To say this road trip has been rough for the Clippers would be an understatement. They have lost two straight, against the Magic in OT and then at the Heat. This is a long season, but this seems like a very crucial game for the struggling Clippers. We never know who will start for LA as their two stars are never a sure thing to make it on the court. But it’s very likely the Big Two should play here. Even if one of them doesn’t, this line will likely swing, but we won’t be deterred if it does. We think this is a great chance for a double digit win even if PG or Kawhi sit. Washington is coming in on a back-to-back. They are banged up as well. They haven’t been playing well, either. But the biggest thing is that we expect the Clippers to play with a sense of urgency here as a loss or another bad game might be the time to hit the panic button. We don’t think that will be needed, however, as we expect a comfortable win and we think the stock will be rising in the coming weeks for LA. Oh yeah, and they have covered in five of the last six meetings, so they normally play well against this opponent.

Make no mistake, the Spurs have been playing some of the worst basketball in the NBA and have been making an art out of tanking. But this looks like a very winnable game for them and they are going to get a win and cover at a certain point. We think tonight is the night. This team shot out of the gate with some great performances and was once one of the better bets in the league. Then some injuries hit and they fell off the cliff. But we think the value has swung the other way now and they should be a favorite here. Houston has only one more win than the Spurs. They are 3-12 away from home. They are 3-7-1 in the last 11 meetings. The Spurs have had extended rest coming into this one and should get a couple of their injured soldiers back for this game, and we expect a rare win from the home team tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #101 Las Vegas Raiders over Los Angeles Rams (8:15p.m., Thursday, December 8 Amazon Prime) These two teams are heading in opposite directions, and I see a double digit victory for the visitor. The Raiders have won 3 straight games and played well last week against the Chargers, a game which was not as close as the final score would indicate. The Raiders have the much better offense with Derek Carr, Davonte Adams, and Josh Jacobs playing outstanding of late. The Rams are 3-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games as a home underdog. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Seattle had won seven straight before being embarrassed here on their home ice last time out Saturday vs. Florida. They had an off game, but they will be anxious to get back on track here, and this team is playing as good of hockey as any team in the NHL right now. They have a great chance to get back on the winning track here. The Canadiens are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third in four nights, while Seattle had two days to shake off that loss. And they didn’t have to leave Seattle. Montreal started off strong last night in Vancouver, but they looked fatigue and had all sorts of defensive lapses as they gave up seven goals from the second period to overtime. It’s hard to think that we won’t see that carry over here. The Canadiens have been playing well and they are fat and happy having won three of six, and this is one they might just take a mulligan on as they have three days off after this game.

10 Unit Play. Take #465 Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears (1p.m., Sunday, December 4 FOX) NFL GAME OF THE YEAR The Packers are in freefall now having lost 7 of their last 8 games. But Aaron Rodgers and company own the Bears having beaten them in 12 of the last 13 meetings (10-3 ATS). Green Bay played their best game of the season against Chicago earlier this season. The Packers are 24-5 against the Bears in games Aaron Rodgers has started. The Bears are in worse shape injury wise compared to the Packers and I just do not believe Justin Fields can win this game by himself. The favorite is 20-8 ATS in the last 29 games between Green Bay and Chicago. That includes Green Bay going 23-7 ATS in the last 30 meetings and 18-5 ATS in the last 23 games at Soldier Field.

Argentina got a gift for their first knockout stage game as the Socceroos were a surprise to advance this far. This team’s goal was to advance and they are probably just happy to be here. That makes them dangerous, but Argentina has looked better every game. They played one of the best games of any side in the tournament last time out with a dominant match vs. Poland that was way more lopsided than the final indicated as the Polish goalkeeper played hero ball. The Argentines now look primed for a deep run here and they have a great first opponent from which to get another dominant win.

The Jazz got off to a hot start but have cooled off big time and are now looking more like the team we expected to see entering the season. They also have some key injuries that are holding them back. They got a win last time out but that was their first in six games. Utah has excelled in the underdog role for betting purposes, but they are just 2-6 ATS as a favorite this season. Indiana is one of the best ATS teams in the league, and they quietly get the job done night in and night out. They are 8-3 ATS when getting more than three points as a dog. They are also 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Utah and 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings overall.

Just don’t think the Flames are playing well enough to warrant being this big of a favorite. They enter having lost three of four. Montreal has won two of three and three of five, so they are in stronger current form. We always like to look at the underdog when Canadian teams play. They normally always bring their A Game. It’s not a big sample size, but Montreal has been an underdog in all three Canadian matchups this season and won two outright and lost one in OT. They have also won the last three meetings, all as underdogs. The underdog is 12-5 in this series for the last 17 games. We see this being a close matchup and we think the Canadiens have a chance to win but we like the good value on the puckline.

Dallas is a very poor road team at 1-7 on the season. They have failed to cover in five straight on the road. Detroit is 8-3-2 ATS as an underdog of 7.5 or more, and they have served bettors well as a big underdog. Dallas is 2-11-1 ATS as a favorite of three or more points. At 5-14-1 ATS, this is the absolute worst ATS team in the league, cashing less than 27 percent of their games for bettors. Detroit’s only ATS loss in their last six games was last time out in a 30-point home loss to the Knicks. They will want to put in a much better effort in front of the home fans here. This is another inflated line for Dallas and this is an easy call to go against them.

Germany played a lot better in their second match, with a draw vs. Spain after losing to Japan in the first match. We saw with Argentina that a top side can lose their first game and bounce back., and now Germany is facing the worst side in the group with their fate on the line. There could be a scenario where the Germans may need goals for a tiebreaker, so we think they go all out here against a vulnerable side. Costa Rica is probably one of the worst sides in this World Cup despite a win vs. Japan. That followed a 7-0 loss to Spain. This is a side an aggressive German side can beat badly, and we expect them to make the most of their opportunities.

10 Unit Play. Take #720 Indiana -4 over North Carolina (9:15p.m., Wednesday, November 29 ESPN) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR We lost some points on this game when North Carolina was exposed in Portland over the weekend, but the brand of Carolina still holds weight with the general public. The Tar Heels have been overrated and did not do much until the NCAA Tournament last season. Everyone assume that they would pick up right where they left off in April but that has not been the case. Now they must face a rested Hoosiers team at home that is waiting for a marquee win under Mike Woodson. Indiana has a ton of talent, and they are playing at a much higher level than North Carolina is. The Tar Heels played a 4 overtime game on Sunday and I just do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game. Carolina has been terrible on offense and are 200+ in the country in assists per game. North Carolina is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on Wednesdays. Indiana is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 home games. This will be a double-digit victory for the home team and we expect to collect big in the process as well.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #266 Seattle Seahawks over Las Vegas Raiders (4:05p.m., Sunday, November 27 CBS) Just have no confidence in the Raiders to win back-to-back road games. Seattle is coming off a bye after playing in London last time out against Tampa Bay. Look for them to come back strong on Sunday, as they are 3-1 at home this season. Seattle has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 home games and are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against AFC teams. The home team has covered the spread in 7 of the last 9 meetings between Las Vegas and Seattle.

Minnesota has won five straight and they are playing with a lot of confidence right now. They are playing the best they have so far this season. Charlotte is just not a good team right now and will likely be missing a couple top players here. We think this game has blowout potential and the Wolves should win by double digits. Minnesota does well on the road against bad teams (8-2 ATS run) and we expect a dominant performance here. We have stayed away from the Wolves a lot this season because of a slow start but it looks like this team is figuring things out and the Wolves seem like a good Buy Low option right now for bettors.

7 Unit Play. Take #742 Wisconsin over Dayton (2:30p.m., Wednesday, November 23 ESPN2) Wisconsin had no business winning the Maui Invitational last season in Las Vegas and they are underrated again in this tournament. Dayton already has a loss to UNLV and I just do not trust Anthony Grant to win big games. The Badgers are well rested, and they have won all 3 games this season by double-digits. Expect this to be a low scoring game where Wisconsin grinds out a victory, something they did most of last season.

After a 5-game skid, the Cavs are swinging back in the other direction and have now won two straight. This team has been streaky lately but this looks like an excellent spot for them to continue their win streak against a Hawks team that plays better at home. The Hawks have dropped three of four ATS, and they got throttled by Boston on their recent homestand. The Cavs normally step up big at home in these marquee game type situations. Atlanta hasn’t had much luck here in Cleveland as they have covered in only one of their last six meetings. We see that trend continuing here on Monday.

10 Unit Play. Take #398 Baylor Bears over TCU Horned Frogs (12p.m., Saturday, November 19 FOX) It end’s tonight! TCU’s magical season comes to an end on Saturday in Waco, TX. The Frogs are coming off an impressive win on Saturday at Texas and now must go on the road again to play Baylor. Back-to-Back road games is always a tough bill to overcome and this will be one of the best defenses they will face in 2022. The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games between TCU and Baylor. The Bears are 21-4 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Sacramento is 10-3 ATS on the season and playing their best basketball of the season at the moment. This is starting to look an awful lot like a playoff team. They have won four straight: Golden State, Cleveland and Brooklyn were included in that bunch. They are coming off a 30+ point win over the Nets. They have the No. 2 offense in the NBA this season and are facing the league’s worst defense. We just think the Kings will be able to outscore the Spurs tonight. They have put up 120 or more in four straight and 153 against the Nets. They have also covered in 9 of 13 meetings and 4 of 5 in Sacramento.

The Bucks suffered their first loss of the season last time out at Atlanta. It was a blowout and an embarrassing loss. But this is a great bounce back spot for what has been the best team in the NBA. After a hot start, OKC has come back to earth a bit and has lost three straight SU and ATS. They are pretty much a one-man team with SGA leading the way, but the Bucks have the defensive pieces to slow him down. Both meetings last year were blowouts, and we expect more of the same here.

Buffalo has the No. 1 offense in the NHL thus far with 4.1 goals per game. Arizona has one of the worst defenses in the NHL, allowing 4.1 goals per game. We see Buffalo scoring a lot tonight and don’t think they will have any problem covering the puckline. Buffalo has had a strong start to the season. They have, however, lost two straight entering this one, but those were to two top teams and on the road. Last time we saw the Sabres at home, they had won three straight, two by multiple goals against teams much better than the Coyotes, while scoring 18 goals in the process. The Coyotes are coming off a big win at Washington, so they are Fat and Happy right now. We expect the Sabres at home to dominate here.

Boston has simply been the best team in the NHL up to this point, with a 10-2 record. They show no signs of slowing down. They suffered one of those losses last time out, so this team will put their best foot forward to get back on the winning track. That loss came against the Maple Leafs, a team well higher in the rankings than St. Louis. The blues are 3-6 and one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL this season. They have lost every game of their current six-game slide by multiple goals. This game looks bad for them also. Boston is 9-3 on the puckline this season. The Blues are 2-7. We think this one is blowout city tonight.

Florida will likely be much more of a player in the Stanley Cup chase than will San Jose, but the Panthers are not playing Cup-worthy hockey to start the season. They have been very mediocre thus far. They have been killing puckline bettors at 2-8 ATS, and they have a 5-4-1 record on the season. That is better than the Sharks, but San Jose is better than their record indicates, in our opinion. They had the strange start to the season with two games in Europe, and they haven’t found their footing since returning. But there are signs for optimism. Scoring has been their problem for most of the season, as the defense has been fine. But they have averaged four goals apiece in their last three, so things are looking up in that area. Florida has lost three of four and lost at Arizona 3-1 last time out. Both meetings last year were decided in overtime, and we think this will be a close one as well.

10 Unit Play. Take #255 Las Vegas Raiders over New Orleans Saints (1p.m., Sunday, October 30 CBS) The Raiders are a better team than their 2-4 record would indicate and now they get to play a team with major issues at quarterback. Las Vegas has won 2 straight games against New Orleans. Not a fan of hiring Dennis Allen and he needs to right the ship, as the Saints have lost 5 of their last 6 games. I do not look for it to happen in this game, as the roster of the Raiders is just better on both sides of the football. The Saints are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. The Raiders are 11-4 ATS over the last 15 games during Week 8 of the regular season.

These teams played here on Wednesday and Atlanta scored a five-point win. The Pistons are underrated and this is a possible play in tourney team. We don’t think they will play worse than Wednesday, and they were in that game all the way with a chance to win at the end. We think there’s a great chance they play even better as it’s tough to beat a team consecutive games like this.