Sports Picks & Predictions

The Pacers have won three straight. They are playing really good basketball right now and shooting the ball extremely well. They have shot the ball better than 50% in two of their last three games. The Pacers got off to a slow start to the season and they are in No. 9 place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They need to keep winning to avoid dropping out of play-in contention. The Clippers have been playing well. This seems like the type of game where they may slip up, however. They have been at home for a long time. This is their first road game since March 25. They are without three key players tonight in Kawhi, Pat Bev and Ibaka. The public is all over the Clippers in this one and we think the bookies have set the number to make LA appealing. We expect a high scoring game here and we think the Pacers have a great chance to win outright.

This is a bad spot for the Clippers, who are coming in on a back-to-back after facing the Suns on Thursday. They have faced a who’s who of teams that will be in the WCF in recent games: Phoenix, Portland, LA Lakers and Denver. Throw in a recent game against potential Finals opponent Milwaukee, and we don’t think this Houston team is going to move the meter for the Clippers. They probably won’t have the energy to give 100% here even if they were inclined to, which we don’t think they will be. And who know who will take the court for LA as they often have a scratch in back-to-backs. Houston was off on Thursday. They have been playing much better lately and are coming off a win over Dallas and an easy cover against Phoenix. They are 3-0 ATS when getting this range of points as an underdog and 5-0 ATS on the road against above-.500 opponents.

We have been patiently waiting for the Raptors to turn the corner. This team has a solid roster and there is no reason this team shouldn’t be making a playoff push. Well, with that game last time out, the dominating win over Golden State that was one of the biggest wins of the season in the NBA, maybe now is the time they start to turn it on. Sometimes all you are missing in the NBA is confidence, and they should have plenty of that after dismantling the Warriors. The Wizards are going nowhere fast, and who know which games they choose to give max effort in. We get the feeling Toronto will be the more motivated team tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #802 Baylor over Houston (5:14p.m., Saturday, April 3 CBS) Baylor cleared a major hurdle by getting to the Final Four and expect them to play a more relaxed game against Houston. The Cougars are an outstanding defensive team, but I just do not believe that they will be able to match Baylor’s high-powered offense to keep the deficit in single digits. Baylor is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 neutral site games when they are the favorite. Houston got all that they could handle from Rutgers in the round of 32 and I see do not believe they can keep up in scoring with the Bears.

The Magic are playing well. They are coming off a confidence-boosting win in LA against the Clippers and they have covered in seven of their last nine games overall. This young team plays solid defense and lately they have been able to put together enough offense to stay competitive. The Pelicans have Zion and Ball on the injury report tonight. If one or both can’t go that will help us a lot. We think Orlando can keep this close regardless of the status of those players. The Pelicans have not been good as a big favorite this season. They are 1-5 ATS when laying 7.5 or more points. They could be in a letdown spot after one of their biggest wins of the season against Boston. They are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning percentage below .400. Orlando has also covered in all of the last four meetings. We expect a close game here.

10 Unit Play. Take #628 Michigan over Florida State (5p.m., Sunday, March 28 CBS) This is not as strong of Seminole team as they have been in the last couple of years. Michigan has had good recent success against FSU and expect that to carry over into this game as well. Florida State has some shaky losses this season to UNC, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech (twice) and if Michigan can shoot it well from the arc they will take care of business. Florida State is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 neutral site games. Michigan is 17-7 ATS in their last 24 games. This team has adjusted to life without Isaiah Livers and will make a deep run this weekend with a good chance to make the Final Four.

10 Unit Play. Take #647 Syracuse over Houston (9:55p.m., Saturday, March 27 TBS) Syracuse is playing outstanding now and the same cannot be said for Houston. The Cougars needed a late run to put away Rutgers on Sunday and I do not see them blowing out the Orange in this game. The Cuse have won 5 of their last 6 games and playing against a 2-3 zone is something Coach Sampson has struggled with in the past. Syracuse is 18-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 neutral site games when they are an underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take #308958 Richmond Spiders -11 over Elon Phoenix (4p.m., Saturday, March 27 NBC Sports Washington/FLO SPORTS) FCS GAME OF THE YEAR We have faded the Phoenix the last two weeks and easily won both games and now we look to complete the trifecta on Saturday. These two teams met two weeks ago in Elon and Richmond won that game 38-14. The selection just comes down to the fact the Phoenix are using their third or fourth string quarterback. Neither one is any good and expect the Spiders to stock the box and force them to beat them through the air, something they have not been capable of doing in 2021. Elon is getting beat up and they are 1-4 on the season with 3 of those losses coming by at least 21 points. Richmond will dominate this game for 60 minutes and win by 20+ points.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This Dallas team seems to be rounding into form after a real slow start to the season. They have had a real relaxed schedule lately so they should have a lot of energy for this game. They have wins over the Blazers, Clippers and Nuggets in their last six games, so they are battle tested. Indiana has covered only three of their last 10 games and this team just isn’t in top form right now while Dallas is playing their best ball of the season. Not to mention they have covered in six of the last eight meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #611 Mississippi State over Richmond (6p.m., Thursday, March 24 ESPN2) Richmond had know business winning their first-round match-up against Toledo but they did and now find themselves up against a better team in Mississippi State. Richmond still has injury issues and that will not go away in this game. The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive win against Saint Louis last time out (a No. 1 seed) and they are better at 4 of the 5 positions on the court with Richmond’s current roster. The Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games. The Spiders did not perform well down the stretch losing their final 3 games before the NIT began and that included a loss to Saint Louis, a team Mississippi State just beat.

We had the Celtics as a slight favorite in this game so we think there is good value. Boston had a team meeting the other day and then came out and dominated an Orlando team that had been playing well on Sunday. They played earlier in the day, so the back-to-back here was not so brutal. Memphis had the day off Sunday but they are playing their third game in four nights just like the Celtics, so we think the rest factor is pretty even here. Memphis has lost four of their last six games, so they aren’t in top form right now. The game yesterday against Orlando for Boston might be a turning point as this team seems determined to save their season after a slow start. And you have to remember this is one of the best coached teams in the NBA and they have been one of the best betting clubs in the NBA for years. We could see them going on a run after a real slow start to the second half of the season. Boston has a strong history in this series as they are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #801 Wisconsin over Baylor (2:40p.m., Sunday, March 20 CBS) Wisconsin finally put together a complete game on Friday and expect that to carryover into Sunday against the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears. Baylor just has not been the same team since coming off a long pause and I do not see them blowing out this experienced Wisconsin team. The Badgers are getting better contributions from their guards and if they can make shots from the arc, they can win this game straight-up. Wisconsin is 15-5 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 22 NCAA Tournament games when they are an underdog. Baylor is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games when they are the favorite.

The Hawks have been playing great basketball lately and they have won seven straight games even though they don’t get the press as more popular teams around the league. They have really stepped things up on the defensive end and they are playing as a cohesive unit during this stretch. Sometimes coaching can make all the difference. The Lakers have been playing well also, but they are always overvalued by the oddsmakers and we think that is the difference here as the value lies with the visitors. We expect a low-scoring, close game here.

Dallas is quietly starting to play really well and they have won six of their last eight games overall. They are doing this pretty quietly as other stories dominate the news wire. But they are coming off a very impressive win over the Clippers on Wednesday. They also have wins over Denver and Brooklyn during this stretch, so they haven’t been playing only scrubs. Portland is coming off their rematch with New Orleans and will be playing their fifth game in seven nights. We think this is a real bad spot for Portland.

10 Unit Play. Take #753 Rutgers over Clemson (9:20p.m., Friday, March 19 TBS) NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR I just like the talent on Rutgers better than the talent on Clemson. The Scarlet Knights are the only higher seed to be favored against a lower seed and it is for good reason. Both teams lost games they should not have lost this season but feel Rutgers will be playing with a renewed confidence, as they broke the NCAA Tournament drought of 30 years in 2021. Rutgers has great balance on offense and played in a much better conference this season. Clemson did not do much damage away from home once ACC play started and I am just not sure they can score enough points to keep pace with Rutgers. The Tigers are 3-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. Rutgers is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

Wow we have come a long way to see the Celtics posted as decent sized underdogs at home. We will take it. The Celtics are finally getting healthy and cohesive. They have won five of their last six games. Utah has lost three of four and they aren’t playing like the dominant force that we saw earlier in the season. That’s not a knock on Utah – it’s tough to keep that level of performance up all season long and even the best teams go through down points of the season. We had this line handicapped at PK so we think there is real nice value in the home dog as we think this game is a coin flip as to who wins SU.

10 Unit Play. Take #606 Alabama over Tennessee (1p.m., Saturday, March 12 ESPN) Alabama is the best team in the SEC this season and expect them to make the finals of the SEC Tournament in Nashville, TV. Tennessee may be without John Fulkerson, as he was taken to the hospital after a brutal foul in their game Friday against Florida. That is a big loss for this team if he is not 100% and Alabama will be able to take advantage of that. Tennessee has underachieved this season and just do not have much confidence in a Rich Barnes led team. When Alabama is making three-point shots they are one of the best teams in the country and they will enter having won 4 straight games with the last three coming by double-digits. Alabama is 22-9 ATS in their last 31 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

We think this is a great spot for the home team getting points tonight. The Sixers are a very average road team at 9-9 on the season. They are missing two of their top players tonight. The Wizards got off to a real slow start to the season and they lost confidence from a lot of bettors. But they have turned a corner and have been playing much better of late. They have won six of their last 10 despite a slip up last night. They normally play well in this series and have covered in five of the last six meetings. We had the Sixers laying a single point here so nice value tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #813 Ohio State over Purdue (2p.m., Friday, March 12 BTN) Conference Tournament Game of the Year Ohio State is just a better all-around team that Purdue in 2021. The Buckeyes had a brutal schedule down the stretch but were able to right the ship yesterday against Minnesota. Purdue had a much easier schedule to close out the regular season and they have not played a team has strong as Ohio State since January 22. They have been feasting on bad teams of late and thus they have an inflated conference record. Ohio State is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. The favorite is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Ohio State and Purdue. The Boilers will need to shoot it well form the arc to cover this spread and I do not expect that to happen.

Both of these teams can score. Only one can play defense, though, and that’s Memphis. And we believe that will be the difference in the game as we expect a rested Grizzlies team to make some stops down the stretch. Both teams are rested and that should help the defense instead of the offense, which could be out of rhythm early and rusty. Memphis is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series. We think they are the better team at this point and expect the defense to step up and lead them to the win tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #616 Siena over Iona (5p.m., Wednesday, March 10 ESPN+) The Saints are the No. 1 seed in the MAAC tournament this week in Atlantic City. They enter having won 4 of their last 5 games and should be able to take down the Rick Pitino led Gaels. The underdog is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 games between Iona and Siena. The Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #738 TCU over Texas (7p.m., Sunday, March 7 ESPN+) Texas does not have much to play for in this game and thus I do not believe they will be all that motivated to play a Sunday night game in Fort Worth. Texas got blown out last year in their regular season finale in a shocking upset and I believe that this game will do down to the wire as well. TCU likes to keep games in the sixties and if they do that today they should be able to cover the spread. This will be the Longhorns fourth straight road game and that will eventually catch up with them and cause a flat spot. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between Texas and TCU. Texas is 3-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 12 games. TCU is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight-up loss in their previous game.  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #651 Duke over North Carolina (6p.m., Saturday, March 6 ESPN) Duke just needs this game in the worst way and it would not surprise me if they get it. North Carolina does not shoot it well form the arc and I just do not believe they are good enough to beat Duke twice this season. North Carolina has lost 2 of their last 3 games and both came against teams that will likely not make the NCAA Tournament come March. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 3-13 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 home games against a team with a road winning percentage under .400.

The Hawks have not been good on the favorite role as they are 0-4 in their last four as a lined favorite. They failed to top the Century Mark in their last two games against Miami, and now they face another good defensive team in the Magic tonight. Orlando has lost four straight after a three-game winning streak. This team is not as bad as they have looked at times this season, and this is a very winnable game for them as their problem is scoring and the Hawks aren’t in very good form offensively right now and we think they are ripe for an upset here.

It’s very rare we take the Lakers. We mostly look to fade them as they are often overvalued by the oddsmakers and bet blindly by public bettors. But this line tonight seems fair. The Lakers played well last two games in dominant wins. They have Schroeder back, and he is a big difference maker on this team. This squad went through a rough patch recently, and they want to keep this winning streak intact and they should be more focused. Seeding will be important in the West playoffs this season. The Lakers are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #644 Purdue over Wisconsin (9p.m., Tuesday, March 2 ESPN2) Sill not sure why Wisconsin is getting this much respect from the oddsmakers. Now they travel to West Lafayette, a place they have not had much success at for decades. Purdue has won 3 straight games and they have solidified their spot in the NCAA Tournament and now have a chance to improve their seed for the Big 10 conference tournament with two home wins. Wisconsin had a great chance to beat Illinois on Saturday without Ayo Dosunmu, but they came out flat. The final score of 74-69 and the shooting stats are very misleading, as they never led in that game and Trice scored 19 points in the final 2:30 of the game to make their 3-point shooting stats better than what they appeared to be. The favorite is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 games between Wisconsin and Purdue. The home team is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 7 games. Purdue is 9-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 13 games.

We are going against the Wizards here just because they have had a brutal schedule lately. They are on a back to back while the Celtics are rested. They are playing their third game in four nights. They are coming off a tough road trip where they had success. But they also had a brutal back-to-back last week on Monday and Tuesday with the Lakers and Clippers. They got blown out of the building by LAC on the second end of that back-to-back, and we could see the same thing happening here tonight. The Wizards are 3-12-1 in the last 16 meetings here in Boston. Maybe the Celtics turned the corner in this season as they gutted out a win last time vs. Indiana that could be a springboard for this team to start playing better consistently. We just don’t see the Wizards having much gas in the tank for this one, and the Celtics should be extra motivated as they are coming off a bad recent losing streak.

10 Unit Play. Take #750 Kansas over Baylor (8p.m., Saturday, February 27 ESPN) The Bears were not impressive at all this week in the first game back after coming off a long covid pause. Kansas has been much better of late and should have beaten Texas on Tuesday in Austin. Just do not believe Baylor can run the table in the Big 12 and one of the next two games (or both) will trip them up. Iowa State is terrible, and they struggled to beat them in Waco, winning by just 5 points. The Jayhawks have won 5 of their last 6 games and I see them taking this game down to the wire with a great chance to win it. The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games between Baylor and Kansas. Kansas is 5-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games.

The Timberwolves are a dumpster fire right now and they haven’t covered in six straight games despite some very generous odds from the linesmakers. These teams both got off to a slow start. The Wizards are a developing team that took awhile to gel, but they seem to have gotten there and lately have been playing playoff-worthy basketball though they have a lot of ground to make up, But they have covered in six of their last seven games. They are coming off a road trip that included wins over the Lakers, Nuggets and Blazers. Impressive. We had this line handicapped at 8, so there is really great value here as the home team is being lined according to record and not recent form. Not to mention the Wizards are 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Washington and 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall.

We like to go with a good team that was embarrassed in their last game. We also like to go with the losing team when teams go against each other back-to-back this season. We have both scenarios tonight as these teams rematch from last night, where Memphis scored a near 30-point win. This Clippers team sometimes plays a bad game. This is the team that has looked like one of the best in the NBA many nights but yet lost to the Mavs earlier in the season by almost 50. It’s just one game. And the Clippers have shown the ability to bounce back after a bad game. This team has great depth and they are normally competitive when their stars are out or resting. The Grizzlies don’t have the same kind of depth. There are no indications that the Clippers won’t suit up their A Team tonight, and they should bring their A Game. The Clippers have been great in back-to-backs and are 5-0 ATS in their last five games playing on zero rest. Great chance for a dominating effort by the road team tonight.

The Wizards are playing real well lately. They are coming off a blowout loss to the Clippers. But LA is the second best team in the NBA right now and they were on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights and they were competitive to a point then just ran out of gas. But they are rested with Wednesday off and we think they will get back to the stellar basketball they have been playing, winning five of their last six, with some impressive wins on that resume. It has taken some time for this team to come together, but they are playing to their potential lately and we see them being competitive here in this road matchup as well.

The Wizards are playing well right now. They are 4-0 ATS in their last four games. They won all those games SU, including matchups against Denver, Portland and Boston. No pushovers there. This is probably a game they have been looking forward to as almost all teams have their visit to the defending champs circled. The Lakers haven’t been playing up to oddsmaker expectations as they are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games. They aren’t in top form with losses in three of their last four. We think the Wizards come to play tonight and expect a close game.

10 Unit Play. Take #658 Minnesota over Illinois (3:30p.m., Saturday, February 20 FOX) Top College Basketball Play of the Day The Gophers are just a different team when playing at the Barn. They are 13-1 at home this season and also have revenge on their minds after getting blown out by Illinois earlier this season. The Illini have won 6 straight games but 4 of those wins have gone right down to the wire and this game should be no different. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Illinois and Minnesota. Minnesota is 4-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games as a home underdog.

The Rockets haven’t covered in six games. This team is dealing with a bunch of injuries, and they don’t have any firepower tonight. The Sixers are coming off a game where they were beaten pretty good by the Jazz, and we think they will come out with their A Game here tonight. This one looks like a blowout. The Rockets have failed to cover in all but one game in the last eight meetings. We see Houston getting a real low team point total in this game, and we think this should be a very easy win for the home team.

If you follow our picks, you know we love to bet against the Lakers and rarely take them. But we think there is some value tonight. LA is coming off a bad loss to the Nuggets, one of their worst games of the year. They don’t want a repeat performance. A loss here would be bad as the Wolves are one of the worst teams in the West. LeBron will likely play here even though Davis is out for the foreseeable future. But this team has a lot more depth this season, and we think they will play a great team game tonight against an overmatched opponent.

Top end teams in the west will always get up to play the Lakers. But the Nuggets have a lot of extra motivation here on Sunday. Not only did LA dump them from the playoff last season, but the Lakers just crushed Denver in LA less than two weeks ago. Denver played well in the first half but then were totally embarrassed in the second half as they were outscored 68-35. That one had to sting and we are sure Denver will put together more of a complete game here at home. They have double revenge in this one while this is just another game for the Lakers, who get their best shot from teams every night. The Lakers are having about the best start of a season any fan could ask for at 21-6. But look at their ATS record: 13-14. This team is overrated by the oddsmakers and their lines are shaded in every game. We have Denver favored in this one. This is probably one of the Lakers toughest regular season matchups.

10 Unit Play. Take #826 Maryland Terrapins over Minnesota Golden Gophers (7p.m., Sunday, February 14 FS1) Big 10 Game of the Year Maryland will complete the season sweep of Minnesota at College Park, MD on Sunday. Both teams still have a shot to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large and will be well rested for this game having not played since Monday. Minnesota has won two straight home games but before that lost three straight and were only competitive in one of those losses. Minnesota has not fared well on the road going 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. I expect homecourt will start to matter more down the stretch before the conference tournament and Maryland will get the win on Sunday.

10 Unit Play. Take #747 Providence over DePaul (8p.m., Saturday, February 13 FS1) Top College Basketball Play of the Day. Providence is coming off a nice win over Connecticut and now should be able two in a row with a road win in Chicago against DePaul. The Blue Demons sit at the bottom of the Big East Standing and they are just 1-8 in conference play. Providence has more talent than their current record would indicate and expect them to pull away late and win this game by close to double-digits. The road team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games between Providence and DePaul. The Blue Demons are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when they are an underdog.

The Lakers are winning but not playing championship basketball right now. It was inevitable. They finished up the 2019-20 season what seemed like a month ago, and they were one of the teams that was against starting the new NBA season in December. But the Lakers came out of the gates strong and showed their Bubble championship was no fluke. But they have covered only two of their last eight games. They went to OT in their last two games, at home, against Detroit and this Thunder squad. They have been winning but haven’t looked great doing it, all while being overvalued by the oddsmakers like they always are. OKC led that game, on Monday, most of the way through. We think them keeping it close will motivate them to do better tonight, and it’s hard to beat the same team twice back to back even when one is one of the best teams in the NBA and one is one of the worst. But the Thunder, lacking talent, play good team basketball. They have a winning ATS record this season. Also, Anthony Davis is questionable again for tonight with an achillies injury. OKC has also covered four straight here in LA against the Lakers.

The Magic have covered in only one of their last six games. This team is just not playing well, and despite getting some favorable lines from the oddsmakers, they are still playing well below expectations. They face a tough test tonight in Portland. The Blazers have been up and down this season, but they have won two of three and covered in four of their last six. They are coming off a long road trip which saw them notch a win in Philly, so that is the type of win that can start things going in the right direction. Neither team has been good defensively, but the Blazers have one of the best offenses in the league, while Orlando has one of the worst, and that should be the difference tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #102 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Kansas City Chiefs (6:30p.m., Sunday, February 7 CBS) SUPER BOWL 55. Just feel Tampa Bay is the better all-around team and Tom Brady seems to be the destined winner of this game. Tampa Bay has won three straight road games to get to this point or being the first team ever to host the Super Bowl in their own stadium. Kansas City is loaded on offense, but they have offensive line injuries, and the Buccaneers have a pass rush capable of putting pressure on QB Mahomes for the entire 60-minute game. Kansas City has been winning games of late, but they have not been covering the spread and I just do not see them being able to move the football at will against this Tampa Bay defense.

These two teams met earlier this season and Kansas City jumped out big before Tampa Bay rallied, and had they gotten a stop might have been able to win that game. Tampa Bay has gotten revenge on two teams in the playoffs and I expect them to get revenge on Kansas City as well. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games between Tampa Bay and Kansas City. The Chiefs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. The Buccaneers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog. Tampa wins this game straight-up and gives Brady his 7th Super Bowl.

10 Unit Play. Take #764 Georgia Tech over Notre Dame (8p.m., Saturday, February 6 ACCN) The Irish are 4-6 in ACC play, but those wins have come against the bottom teams in the league (BC, Miami, Pitt, & Wake). Georgia Tech is very experienced, and they have played better than their record would indicate. The last game against Louisville might have been the worst they have played all season long and expect them to bounce back in a big way at home. They could have easily beaten Duke and Virginis and dominated Florida State. Experience, better talent, and playing at home will allow Georgia Tech to win this game by double-digits. Georgia Tech is 22-7 ATS in their last 29 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

These teams played last time out and the Wizards won outright as a big dog without Russell Westbrook. He will be back tonight and this team should take care of business once again or at least keep this one close. The Wizards match up well here. The Heat have won one of their last eight games. So why are they favored by this much? Washington has a bad reputation with bettors and they have started off the season slow with Covid issues and getting a new star into the mix. But this is too many points for what should be another close game.

This is a revenge game for the Nuggets, who lost in the Conference Finals to these Lakers last year. The Nuggets have won six of seven games, and this will be their first game of Feb so they are extremely well rested and have had plenty of time to focus on this game, which is probably their biggest of the season so far. The Lakers have covered in just one of their last five games. This team is always overvalued by the oddsmakers. Even in seasons where they are great SU, they often have a negative ATS record. We feel they are overvalued here as all the motivation lies with the Nuggets, while this is just another game for LA. And the Lakers are back home after a long road trip, which can often be a tricky situation for players who have personal business to attend to and could be distracted from the game.

The Clippers are just getting to where they want to be. Last season they had chemistry issues and their main guys didn’t have an appropriate time to build together. Now the Nets are in that same situation, while the Clippers are playing their best basketball of the Kawhi era. The Clippers are playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now, and they are covering too with a 7-2 ATS record in their last nine. This is probably a game they have had circled for awhile. The Nets are a darned good team, but they are still working out issues, and we think the better team will take care of business tonight.

The Lakers started the season better than we expected after winning the NBA Finals what seems like last week. But they have hit the wall lately, with consecutive losses, a legit one at Philly and then a concerning blowout at Detroit. Things don’t get easier tonight as they face one of their biggest rivals as the road trip drags on. Anthony Davis is questionable here, but even if he does play we think the Celtics have a great chance here. They always get up for the Lakers, when they come to town, and they are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #670 Oklahoma State over Arkansas (4p.m., Saturday, January 30 ESPN2) This play is about going against Arkansas, as they appear to be overrated again this year after playing a weak nonconference schedule. They have only beaten the bottom teams in the SEC, and I think they will struggle to make the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys continue to improve and will enter this game having won 3 of their last 4 Big 12 games. Cade Cunningham is probable for this game and that will put them over the top and allow them to win this game by close to double digits. Arkansas is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Oklahoma State is 8-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games played on Saturday.

The Kings are 1-4 on the road this season. They are in for a tough task tonight to get their second road win. The Magic are off to a slow start. But this is a better ballclub than they have played so far. And they are better than the Kings. They have showed promise lately. They have won two of their last four, but they were very competitive in all those games, losing to the Pacers on the road in OT and losing to Charlotte by 3 in the first game of a back-to-back against them where they won by 9 the following night. The Kings have won one of their last five, against the Knicks, and they have covered in only two of their last 10 despite some very favorable lines from the oddsmakers. The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five as a home favorite and we think they are undervalued here tonight.

Utah has been playing as well as anybody in the league lately, but we think the oddsmakers have overpriced them here. The Knicks are much improved this season and they have the No. 1 defense in the NBA for points allowed. They have covered in four of their last five games, so they are playing beyond the oddsmakers expectations right now but they aren’t on the radar of casual bettors. For Utah this is a bad spot. They are coming off a win against Golden State and have two matchups against Dallas upcoming. So they won’t be focused on an out of conference team that is not a playoff contender. They don’t need to give full effort here and probably won’t, and they can still win. But that Knicks defense should keep the score respectable and keep them within double digits.  

These teams played Friday and OKC was one missed free throw at the end of the game of covering. We expect them to get the cover tonight. The Clips have been playing as well as any team in the NBA. But we just don’t see them blowing out the Thunder in consecutive matchups. OKC was down big in that last game and fought hard to make it respectable. LA goes on the road after this and we think they will be distracted here and just don’t see them bringing their A Game today. We think OKC keeps this within double digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #312 Green Bay Packers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3:05p.m., Sunday, January 24 FOX) This line has been creeping down since it opened Sunday night and I now like the Packers even more. QB Brady has played in cold weather for most of his career but he just is not playing at the same level as QB Rodgers is now. Tampa Bay benefited greatly from 4 New Orleans turnovers last week and I just do not believe Green Bay will do the same thing. The Packers have not only been winning games of late, they also have been covering the spread in those games as well. Now we get them at home (with fans) and a low number. Green Bay is 8-1 straight-up at home this year (6-3 ATS) and I see them jumping out early and winning this game by double-digits. Tampa Bay is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played during the month of January. Green Bay is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played during January. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 matchups between the Buccaneers and Packers.

Utah is playing the best basketball in the NBA right now, and it’s not even close for second. They have won and covered in seven straight, and this team looks like it is playing with a chip on its shoulder. That chip should still be there tonight after they were embarrassed on live TV Thursday by the TNT crew. Utah always seems to have the Warriors’ number as they have covered in eight of the last 10 meetings. Golden State is better this year, but they are inconsistent, and they were spanked by the Knicks last time out so they are not in great form.

Both teams are playing well but we think the motivation lies with the home team here. The Lakers are defending champs and they don’t have anything to prove. This is a marquee national TV game but just another matchup for them. After flaming out in the postseason last season, the Bucks have a lot to prove and they will want to show they are one of the best teams in the NBA. Plus, the bookies always shade the lines for the Lakers, and we think that is the case here as we had this line handicapped at 3.5. Milwaukee has covered in five of the last six meetings.

Utah is quietly playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. They have won five straight and covered in all of those games. Four of those five were on the road. We think they are undervalued again tonight, especially under the key number of 7 for NBA betting. New Orleans has lost four of five and they didn’t cover in any of those losses. One of these teams is trying to figure things out, while one is in midseason form, and the number is more than fair here for the favorite.

Going to ride the hot team here as the Jazz have won four straight and covered in all those games. This team has notoriously gotten off to slow starts in recent years, but this year is different and they seen very focused and determined. The Nuggets are 4-8 ATS to start the season, so this team has been a bit overrated at the beginning of the season. The Jazz are 6-2 this season away from home and have been very good in this role. We think with both teams bringing their A Game that the Jazz are the better team.

We had Houston when these teams played on Thursday and the Rockets won outright. We normally would go the other way when the home team loses like this in the first game but we just think this line is out of whack. The Spurs are now 0-3 ATS this season as a favorite of three or more, and this team just isn’t good enough to be laying big points. The Rockets got rid of their team cancer in Harden that was holding them back. This team lost a lot of talent when he left town, but now they can focus on maximizing the talent they do have on the team and they are underrated a bit by the oddsmakers now.

10 Unit Play. Take #302 Green Bay Packers over Los Angeles Rams (4:35p.m., Saturday, January 16 FOX) NFL PLAYOFF GAME OF THE YEAR We used the 49ers has our top play last year right out of the gate in the Divisional Round and will follow that formula again in 2021. The Rams are banged up and the game time temperature for this game should be around 30 degrees. The Packers are rested and QB Rodgers knows the importance of having the No. 1 seed in the NFC (only had it 1 other time in his career). Green Bay is 13-1 in their last 14 home games. QB Rodgers has a 23-2 touchdown to interception ratio at home this year. Green Bay led the league in points this year and I just do not believe Los Angeles will be able to match them score for score in this game. The Rams are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games against the Packers. The favorite is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings as well. Green Bay is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games against teams with a winning record.

Just think this spread is an overreaction to a few things. First, the Rockets are in a state of disarray after the Harden trade and his comments blasting the team after losing twice to the Lakers. And those two losses to the World Champs hurt bettors confidence in this team. There hasn’t been much positive news out of this club all season. But we think this line is inflated. This is the most points the Spurs have laid all season. They are 0-2 ATS as a favorite of more than 3 points this season. This is not a good team, either. And we think the Rockets players will come out and play hard after Harden said they basically suck on his way out of town.

10 Unit Play. Take #150 New Orleans Saints over Chicago Bears (4:40p.m., Sunday, January 10 CBS) The Bears backed into the playoffs this season with a soft schedule down the stretch before getting pounded at home last week against the Packers. The Saints are simply better on both sides of the football and they will win this game by double-digits. New Orleans lost last year in the wildcard round and thus they will not take this game lightly. QB Trubisky has played better of late, but neither the coaching staff or fans have much confidence that he will perform well in this game. He is not the quarterback of the future and this may be the end of the road for him in Chicago as the starter. New Orleans is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 7 games against Chicago. The Saints are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.

We always like to back the Clippers after a loss. This team has a penchant for bouncing back from losses that stretches back to last season. They have covered after every loss this season, usually with a strong performance. This team has a clean injury sheet, and we think they will step up the defensive intensity here against a shorthanded Bulls team that has played six of their last seven on the road and is probably ready to get back home. This looks like a blowout to us.

Love the Hawks in this spot after the Ball Game in New Orleans last night. Some overhyped players played a big game and this is a letdown spot for Hornets. Atlanta has been inconsistent but this ia a very solid team, and we had this line at 7, so very nice value on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. Take #751 USC over Arizona State (7p.m., Saturday, January 9 PAC12N) The Sun Devils were missing 4 players on Thursday from their overtime loss to UCLA. Not going to try and speculate who will be playing this afternoon, but I just do not believe they can bounce back in less than 48 hours against a more talented USC team. The Trojans dominated the second half against the Wildcats on Thursday in route to their 14 point victory. They have great size that should be able to take advantage of the Sun Devils inside the paint. The Sun Devils got up for their game Thursday, but the second game back after missing key players is usually a lot tougher to maintain and that will be the case tonight. This ASU team already had chemistry issues before Thursday, and 3 of their 4 losses have come by 9 points or more. USC is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games. The Trojans are also 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games played on Saturday. ASU is 0-8 ATS in their last 8 home games.

Durant is out here but we think the Nets are a solid team without him and they have a great chance for the win here against a Sixers team that is on a back-to-back tonight. The Sixers have been hot to start off the season, but this team has had a manageable schedule and on this B2B we think they will be in a bad spot and likely lose to a Nets team that is still quality without their star.

The Bulls are coming in on a back-to-back and they had a big win over Portland on the road where they were down big but came back to win. They expended a lot of energy in that game, and we don’t think they will have a lot left in the tank to be competitive here tonight. The Kings started off the season with a 3-1 record but have lost three straight. The last game was against the Warriors, where they were embarrassed in a blowout loss. This seems like a get right game for them against a fatigued opponent, and we think there’s a great chance for a double-digit win by the home team tonight.

This isn’t your father’s Spurs team. This team has been getting worse every year for the last few years, and we think this might be a bottom out season where they don’t even sniff a playoff spot. This team is really struggling right now with four straight losses. They are in tough tonight against a Clippers team that might be the most motivated in the NBA here at the start of the season. They look like the second of third best team in the NBA this season and look even better than last year’s squad that flamed out in The Bubble. We think there’s a great chance for a double digit win here.

Cleveland has been playing well to start the season, but they are facing a team tonight that doesn’t get a lot of respect from the oddsmakers, and this line is too low in our opinion. Orlando has an identical 4-2 record than that of the Cavs and are also 4-2 ATS. This team is a playoff contender though, and we can’t say that about Cleveland. After beating Atlanta SU last time, this looks like a letdown spot for a Cavs team that won’t be as motivated by their opponent. Orlando is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

These teams played Friday, and Portland came out with a blowout victory. There are a lot of teams facing each other in consecutive games, and the team that lost the last time normally gives a better effort the next game. We think this one will be more competitive. The Blazers probably won’t come with as much intensity after the easy win, and the Warriors will probably come with much better effort and intensity.

10 Unit Play. Take #105 Green Bay Packers over Chicago Bears (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 3 FOX) The Packers will need to win this game to clinch the No. 1 seed and earn the only bye in the NFC. Green Bay has won 8 of the last 9 games against Chicago and crushed them in the first meeting in November at Lambeau Field. The favorite is 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings between Green Bay and Chicago. The Bears are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. QB Rodgers cements his legacy as the 2020 MVP with another outstanding performance and a double-digit Packers victory.

This is a rematch from the first game of the season, which was not long ago, so revenge could be a factor here. The Knicks are improved this season. They beat Milwaukee recently in a blowout win. They have won two of three and they held tough with Toronto last time out until the fourth quarter. This team need to be more consistent, but we think this is too many points tonight. The Knicks are playing with more confidence this season, and we think they will be a live dog when getting massive points in certain spots.

It’s hard to justify when a team lost by so many points like they did to Dallas, but this Clippers team is playing as good of basketball as any team in the NBA. They have had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA to start off the season, but they have won their games very comfortably. They have covered all their games except of course that Dallas loss. Utah is on a back-to-back here and they didn’t play well against the Suns last night. This team has covered only one game so far, and the Jazz are notorious for their slow starts. LA is playing with a chip on their shoulders and they look to prove all the doubters wrong that criticized them after last season’s flameout. We think they take care of business again tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #334 Clemson Tigers over Ohio State Buckeyes (8p.m., Friday, January 1 ESPN) Sugar Bowl This is a rematch of the semi-final game last year in which questionable officiating allowed Clemson to emerge victorious. But in 2020 I just do not see the same Ohio State team that have been so explosive in year’s past. Clemson had a 541-263 yardage edge against Notre Dame and that game was never in doubt after the first quarter. Everyone thinks Ohio State will be motivated for revenge and the diss that Dabo Sweeny gave them by ranking them No. 11 in the coaches poll, but in the end talent wins out.

The Raptors are winless on the season at 0-3. However, this is a championship contender team that has been one of the best ATS teams in the league the last couple years and this looks like a Get Right game for them. The Raptors have started off the season with games against three straight playoff contenders, and two of those games have been on the road, not in their new home base. The Knicks are a better team this year but this squad still has a long way to go, and they should face up against a very motivated Toronto team tonight. This very much has the look of a double-digit blowout game. The Knicks are 0-7 ATS in the last seven meetings away from the Garden and 2-8 ATS overall in the last 10 meetings.

The Bucks got their revenge over the Heat last night in a complete and utter blowout by almost 50 points. But now it’s time for the Heat to get some revenge from that horrible loss. The Bucks jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 30+ at halftime, and it was garbage time from there on out. But this NBA season is unique and we will see these types of back-to-backs often, and it is hard to beat a team two nights in a row, especially at their own place. The Heat have one of the NBA’s best coaches, and he should be able to make adjustments for his team to be more competitive. Milwaukee set an NBA record for made 3-pointers, and they isn’t going to happen two nights in a row. Miami is a proud team that was just in the NBA Finals, and we think they will bring their A Game here after that embarrassing result. The Bucks aren’t in midseason form right now as they just lost to the Knicks by 20. Jimmy Butler could conceivably be back here for Miami, so that would aid their chances for an outright win. The Bucks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 visits to Miami.

10 Unit Play. Take #312 Wake Forest Demon Deacons over Wisconsin Badgers (12p.m., Wednesday, December 30 ESPN) Duke Mayo Bowl We have faded Wisconsin in their last two games and easily covered both games. Wisconsin has quarterback issues, banged up wide receivers, and running backs that are not explosive. They have a solid defense, but they have yet to face an offense as up-tempo and explosive like Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are coming off a bad performance against the Cardinals, but that final score is a little misleading (Louisville scored 17 points in the last 17 minutes of that game). Wake Forest is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 bowl games. Wisconsin is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games as a favorite. If Wake Forest can take care of the football, they should be able to take this game down to the wire and win it straight-up.

We like to back a good team coming off a bad loss, and that is the case here with the Clippers tonight. They suffered one of the worst losses in franchise history last time out against the Mavs. They just didn’t come to play and it had to be embarrassing for the players. This team will come out well prepared tonight. They have had probably the toughest schedule in the league to start off the season and are at 2-1 against it, and they won’t overlook the Wolves after that effort against Dallas.

One of the best bets and the strongest trends in the NBA since we began handicapping almost 20 years ago is the Blazers ATS against the Lakers. They have covered 21 of the last 19 meetings in LA, and no matter the strength of the teams, they always bring their A Game when playing the Lakers. The Lakers are on a B2B, Anthony Davis is banged up, and this team is always overrated by the oddsmakers. We think the Blazers can win this one outright.

10 Unit Play. Take #480 Green Bay Packers over Tennessee Titans (8:20p.m., Sunday, December 27 NBC) Green Bay has the No. 1 seed in sight if they win this game tonight and I see no reason not to lay this small number with the best team in the NFC. QB Tannehill has played outstanding this season but he is not in the same league as Aaron Rogers, the likely MVP of the league. Green Bay has been jumping out early on teams of late and I see them doing the same as well in this game. They will need to stop the run-on defense, but their defense last been playing better of late as well. The Titans are 3-13 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 games played during Week 16 of the regular season. Green Bay is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. The Packers win this game by 7-10 points and lay claim to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

We are going to see some strange scheduling stuff in the NBA this season, and here we are. These teams played here yesterday. The Magic won, but we just don’t see that happening twice in a row on the Wizards home court. Washington is a team we are high on to start the season, and we don’t see them playing two bad games consecutively against the same team. And now we are getting points instead od laying them.

We went big on the Wizards in their first game at Philly and they lost but covered. The game was a lot closer than the final score indicated, and Washington led much of the way. We think this team is underrated by the oddsmakers to start the season, so that result was great for us to keep the value on this team. Westbrook is the perfect fit here, and this team has underrated young talent. We think they are motivated for a strong start to the season, and we think they bring their A Game tonight.

LeBron is hobbled but said he would likely play here. With or without him, we like the Mavs here to keep this one close with a chance for the outright win. As if they wouldn’t take this game seriously anyways against the defending champs, they lost their first game so they don’t want to fall to 0-2. We don’t think that prospect is as important to the Lakers, one of the teams that didn’t want the new NBA season to start in December. This team probably won’t be the No. 1 seed this season and they probably don’t need it. We don’t see them getting real serious for about 6-8 weeks. They are normally overvalued by the oddsmakers anyways, but we see them as a team to fade for sure until we see them consistently kicking it up into the midseason gear.

The Wizards are under the radar coming into this season. We think they are going to be pretty good and a solid ATS team to start the season. Russell Westbrook is a great addition to this team and he pairs with Beal extremely well. This team has some nice young talent, and Westbrook’s presence will help them develop and he will take a lot of pressure off Beal, who had a great season last year and should be even better with the pressure off him to carry the team this year. This team will be putting up some crazy numbers on offense and should be able to win a lot of shootouts. Watch out if they can play any defense. Philly got off to a slow start last season and we think that could be the case this season with a new coach and still a strange mix of players that has never figured the formula for success to match their talent.

Everyone is down on the Clippers. They did lose some depth but this team didn’t lose enough to warrant such a drop on confidence from the masses. This squad didn’t get to play together much during the season because of injuries and that lack of cohesion showed in the postseason, and the strange atmosphere of the Bubble didn’t help matters. In our minds the Clips are still the clear No. 2 squad in the west and a legit contender. The Lakers just finished their title run what seemed like yesterday and they will probably take some time to get into championship form. We expect a sluggish start from the champs this season. The Clippers seem to have more to prove here and more motivation tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #252 USC Trojans over Oregon Ducks (8p.m., Friday, December 18 FOX) Oregon was a late add to this game after Washington did not have enough healthy players. The Trojans have a major edge getting to play this game at their home stadium and I just do not trust Oregon enough to keep this close. Both teams have played down to the level of their competition, but USC tends to pull away late, whereas Oregon often loses close games. Losing to Cal and Oregon State is embarrassing for the Ducks and now they must face a team with better talent and experience than what they have. Oregon is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog. USC is 7-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 games between Oregon and USC.

10 Unit Play. Take #158 New York Giants over Arizona Cardinals (1p.m., Sunday, December 13 CBS) Just believe these two teams are heading in opposite directions. Arizona is a fluke play away from losing 5 straight games and they may need to win 3 of their last 4 to make the playoffs. The Giants have won 4 straight and have control of the NFC East since they own the tiebreaker with Washington. They are coming off their best performance of the year beating Seattle in the Emerald City last time out. It goes not matter who the Giants start at quarterback, they are going to win this game. Arizona has been easy to run on of late and Wayne Gallman should put up big numbers. Arizona is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite. The Giants are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take #818 Iowa over North Carolina (7:30p.m., Tuesday, December 8 ESPN) Nonconference Game of the Year Just believe Iowa is the more experienced and better shooting team in this game. This follows the pattern of success that we have had in recent years in this game, fading a team that played in a Holiday tournament last week compared to a team that is resting at home. Granted, North Carolina got to play in Ashville, but a few things happened last week in their second-place finish. One is Garrison Brooks got hurt and he has not been cleared to practice as of late Monday. Second, the refs will not bail them out in the semifinals like they did last week. These will not be ACC centric refs tonight, as this is a true home game for the Hawkeyes. Not going to talk much about Iowa’s game thus far, as they have all been blowout wins against cupcake opponents. But a couple of keys to follow, one is the 3-point line. North Carolina again, does not have a good shooting team from the arc, averaging under 30% and that will not get it done tonight. North Carolina will have to pound the glass to win this game and Iowa just has too much experience for that to happen. Finally, Fran McCaffery teams usually follow a pattern of starting the season hot before failing toward the end of conference season and make a quick out in the NCAA Tournament. That is okay for us tonight and expect them to remain undefeated. Iowa is 15-5 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 22 games as a favorite.  

10 Unit Play. Take #477 Buffalo Bills over San Francisco 49ers (8:15p.m., Monday, December 7 ESPN) Buffalo has already won in Arizona this season and now they get a huge advantage with the 49ers having to play on the road as well. Just not sold on the 49ers, especially on offense. QB Mullins has limitations and if Buffalo does not turn over the football, the 49ers will struggle to score points. Buffalo has gone 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against NFC teams. They have already beaten the Rams and Seahawks, and had the Cardinals beat before giving up a Hail Mary pass with just seconds remaining. They will make it 3 of 4 on Monday night against the NFC West with a double-digit victory.

10 Unit Play. Take #383 UCLA Bruins over Arizona State Sun Devils (10:30p.m., Saturday, December 5 FS1) Just cannot trust Arizona State laying points in this game. The Sun Devils have been off since November 7 and now have to play a team that is getting better in UCLA. The Bruins are 2-2 and both of their losses went down to the wire and I see them winning this game straight-up. UCLA was a mess last year but dominated ASU leading by over 30 points at one point in that game. The Bruins may also get back Dorian Thompson-Robinson and that will only enhance their chances of winning this game. UCLA is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 games against Arizona State.

10 Unit Play. Take #805 Wisconsin over Marquette (7p.m., Friday December 4 FS1) The Badgers are legit and are better than Marquette at 4 of the 5 positions on the court. I expect this line to go up throughout the day but it will not matter since Wisconsin wins this game by double digits. The Golden Eagles lost to Oklahoma State last time out at home by 8 points in a game that was not as close as that final would reflect. They are in a complete rebuild and have no home court advantage in this game. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games. Marquette is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a home underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take #148 Iowa Hawkeyes over Nebraska Cornhuskers (1p.m., Friday, November 27 FOX) The Hawkeyes have righted the ship winning 3 straight games in blowout fashion. Nebraska is terrible on both sides of the ball and I do not see things getting any better in this game. They cannot stop the run and they are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog. Iowa has won 5 straight in this series and winning their games by an average of 30 points is just hard to overlook. Penn State was just as desperate last week against Iowa and they got killed. Nebraska has quarterback issues and whoever gets the start will struggle to move the football against this Iowa defense. Nebraska is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games. Iowa is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing record.

10 Unit Play. Take #123 Washington Football Team over Dallas Cowboys (4:30p.m., Thursday, November 26 FOX) Nobody can handle prosperity in the NFC East and I look for this game to go down to the wire. Dallas had a medical emergency on Tuesday and thus they were not able to practice for a team already on a short week. Washington won the first meeting by 22 points and having a stable quarterback in Alex Smith should allow this team to win some games down the stretch. The underdog is 28-13 ATS in the last 41 meetings between Washington and Dallas.

NOTE: THIS IS A FIRST HALF PLAY. 

10 Unit Play. Take #395 Wisconsin Badgers (-3.5 First Half Line) over Northwestern Wildcats (3:30p.m., Saturday, November 21 ABC) Big Ten Game of the Year

Northwestern is 4-0, but they have started poorly in two of their four games. They would not have covered this number against Iowa or Nebraska, two teams that are inferior to Wisconsin. I expect Wisconsin to jump out early and feel great value lies with the first half line.

Wish this line came in under a touchdown for the game, but the Badgers dominated Michigan last week and thus we are left with this higher number. Wisconsin is clearly the second-best team in the league, and the winner of this game will likely reach the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. The Wildcats have not been as impressive since their 40-point victory over Maryland to open the season, grinding out games against Iowa, Nebraska, and Purdue to reach 4-0. Their defense is good, but they have yet to face a team like Wisconsin that can beat you on the ground or through the air. I just feel that Wisconsin is better on both sides of the football (healthier for this game compared to last) and will pull away in the second quarter to win this game by double-digits. Northwestern can only play at a certain pace. And if they get behind, they will struggle to come back if they are one-dimensional. Wisconsin is 17-7 ATS in their last 24 road games. Northwestern is 2-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #185 Oregon Ducks over Washington State Cougars (7p.m., Saturday, November 14 FOX) The Ducks have a chance to make the College Football Playoff and I just feel they are better on both sides of the ball in this game. Washington State has a new head coach, and they are very inexperienced at the quarterback position. The Cougars have been great against Oregon in recent years, but they no longer have Mike Leech and Anothy Gordon on the sidelines. The Ducks have covered the spread in 5 of their last 7 road games when they are the favorite. Oregon put up 35 points last week against a better defensive team in Stanford and they know they need to come out and dominate to break into the top 10 rankings. Wazzou is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a victory in their previous outing.

10 Unit Play. Take #260 Cleveland Browns over Las Vegas Raiders (1p.m., Sunday, November 1 CBS) Just feel the line is light and we will side with the home team looking for their sixth victory on the season. OBJ is out, but Cleveland still has a ton of weapons and QB Mayfield should be able to pick apart this suspect Raiders defense. Las Vegas has a ton of issues on both sides of the football and Cleveland usually does well when not playing Pittsburgh or Baltimore. The Raiders have allowed 30+ points in 5 of their last 6 games including 12 rushing touchdowns during this span. Cleveland is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against Las Vegas. The Raiders are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 AFC games.

10 Unit Play. Take #138 Cincinnati Bearcats over Memphis Tigers (12p.m., Saturday, October 31 ESPN) Really like this Cincinnati team and we will continue to use them with these low numbers. The Bearcats won in Dallas last week against SMU as a small underdog. Now they are back at home and face an easier team in Memphis. Payback is also on the line, as Memphis beat Cincinnati in back to back games last year to earn the Group of 5 New Year’s Six Bowl bid (Cincinnati covered both games). But this is not the same Memphis team, as they have a new coaching staff and gave up 500 total yards to Temple last week. The Bearcats has an outstanding defense allowing just 12.5 point per game and if they can score close to 30 points in this game they should easily cover. Cincinnati is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against Memphis. The Tigers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games.

10 Unit Play. Take #472 Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs (4:25p.m., Sunday, October 25 CBS) Denver is coming off a big victory at Foxborough last Sunday, a team the Chiefs struggled to beat. Now Kansas City must play in the Mile-High air on short rest against a team that is desperate to remain in the playoff race. Kansas City has dominated Denver in recent years but getting Drew Lock back should stabilize the Broncos offense. The Broncos are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played during the month of October.

10 Unit Play. Take #382 Nevada Wolf Pack over Wyoming Cowboys (7p.m., Saturday, October 24 CBSSN) Just believe that the wrong team is favored in this game. Nevada returns a ton of talent on both sides of the football including QB Strong, who played well as the season went on last year. They should be able to move the football on a Wyoming defense that does not return much talent and have the replace their defensive coordinator for the second straight year. Nevada is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. Jay Norvell lost his father this week and I think they play an inspired game in his honor.

10 Unit Play. Take #252 Carolina Panthers over Chicago Bears (1p.m., Sunday, October 18 FOX) The Bears are a fraud at 4-1 and I think there is a good chance they do not even make the playoffs come January. 3 of their 4 wins have come against the Lions, Giants, and Falcons. Carolina has won 3 straight games and Chicago is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games. Carolina is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played during the month of October. The Panthers have something going with a new coach and quarterback and we will ride them again on Sunday looking for their fourth straight wins.

10 Unit Play. Take #122 Wake Forest Demon Deacons over Virginia Cavaliers (4p.m., Saturday, October 17 ACCN) Just feel that the wrong team is favored in this game. Wake Forest needed some time off to get healthy and I feel their offensive is explosive and can score points with their up-tempo style. Virginia has quarterback injury issues, and they are coming off a home loss to NC State. They were not competitive in that game and they have lost 3 straight games to Wake Forest. Coach Clawson has won 4 straight games when they are an underdog of 3 points or less. This team played NC State much better than did Virginia and would have won that game if not for a couple of fluke plays. Virginia is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against Wake Forest. The underdog is 5-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 8 meetings between the Cavaliers and Demon Deacons. Wake Forest is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #320 North Carolina Tar Heels over Virginia Tech Hokies (12p.m. Saturday, October 10 ABC) Both teams return a ton of talent from 2019 but I just feel Carolina has a major edge at quarterback and that will be the difference in this game. Braxton Burnmeister has not looked good in either start this season and has not thrown for over 170 yards in either game. QB Hendon Hooker may play in this game but he will be rusty having not played a snap this season. Virginia Tech had covid issues last week holding out a bunch of players. Carolina did not look impressive last week but they had a ton of time off and playing last week should get them back in the groove for this game. The Tar Heels have a strong rushing defense and the better quarterback in this game. Those are two indicators that this is the right side to take. The home team has covered the spread in this series 4 of the last 5 games. Virginia Tech is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Carolina is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.   

10-Unit Play. Take #918 Atlanta (-1.5 RL) over Miami (2:05 p.m. Wednesday, October 7)

The Marlins had an early lead in yesterday's game, but they woke a sleeping giant when they plunked Robert Acuna in the bottom of the third inning that got the Braves going. Ian Anderson will be on the mound for Atlanta and the rookie has been great all season long. Anderson was sharp in his postseason debut allowing just 2 hits while striking out 9 over 6 innings of a 5-0 win against the Reds and I think he will come through again today. Pablo Lopez will be making his postseason debut and he has had mixed results against the Braves in this season and his career as he owns a 2-4 record with a 4.43 ERA across 8 starts. Atlanta is the more talented team and I think they get the win again today to take a 2-0 series lead.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports