Sports Picks & Predictions

We don’t quite know who will be available for the Clippers this afternoon but we just think this is a good spot for a strong effort from the Clippers. They had their absolute worst game of the season yesterday in a head-scratching loss to the Grizzlies. The team did not give much effort at all and it was a real sorry game for the home team. Just don’t see any other scenario other than a max effort from the players who do take the court tonight. This is a very good team even if the two main players are out of the lineup, and this is a very winnable game against one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Clippers have been good in bounce back situations as they are 6-0 ATS after an ATS loss and 6-0 ATS after a loss of 10 or more points. This looks like a double-digit win for the home team to us.

Things are looking up for the Pelicans. Team chemistry is starting to go well and they have won four straight against a tough schedule. They have Williamson joining the team likely at some point in the next couple weeks. They have really amped up the defensive intensity and everyone seems dialed in right now. They also have some former Lakers on the team who will want to play well against their old team. LA has covered in only two of their last nine games, and they are overvalued by the oddsmakers again tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #293 Tennessee Volunteers over Indiana Hoosiers (Gator Bowl, 7p.m., Thursday, January 2 ESPN) Tennessee has had a remarkable turnaround winning 5 straight games to close out the regular season and get the fan base back on board. Both teams have a lot of experience, but I believe the best unit on the field will be the Tennessee defense. Tennessee is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against Big 10 teams. Their last 3 bowl appearances have come against Big 10 teams and they have won those games by 17, 39, and 14 points. Indiana did not finish the season well, losing 2 of their last 3 games with only a 3 point victory against Purdue during this span.

The Kings have lost seven straight. They have been deceptively competitive during this stretch, however, despite a lack of covers. They have lost by double-digits only once during that stretch. During the dog days of the NBA season bad teams can take games off and you never know when it will happen. But the Kings are in desperation mode to stop this losing streak, and a win over the Clippers could really put that bad stretch in the rearview mirror. The Clippers have been dealing with the flu bug. That is normally an overhyped angle for handicapping because these guys are professionals and can play through it. But for a team like the Clippers that doesn’t really care about the regular season, they might not give their all here. And Pat Beverley is out here, and he is kind of the sparkplug for this team and a leader that doesn’t get the credit he deserves. We think that hurts the favorite tonight. LA’s last five opponents: Houston, San Antonio, OKC, LA Lakers, and Utah. This Kings team on a seven-game losing streak isn’t going to really move the needle for them. And we think this spread has been inflated as well.

The Cavs have won three straight against lousy opponents, and make no mistake about it: this team isn’t any good. These teams played earlier in the month, in this same arena, and the Celtics won by 22 without barely breaking a sweat. Really don’t see any reason why this game would be different. The Celtics played on Christmas while the Cavs have had extra time off, but Boston is at home and had the day off yesterday. This team is playing its best basketball since two seasons ago and they shouldn’t take anything for granted after the disaster that was last season. They have some of the best coaching in the NBA, and we think they will come to play today. Boston has traditionally been one of the best betting teams in the league (you can point to the coaching as a reason). They have won and covered all but two games this month. They should dominate this one today.

Utah has gotten off to another slow start this season, as they did last season, but they turned it around last year and we are starting to see the signs it’s happening again as they have won five of six. Portland has won four of five also, but they have played a home-heavy schedule. They are 6-10 on the road this season while Utah is 11-3 at home. Portland is 1-5 ATS in their last six as an underdog, and when they are getting beat in these situations it’s normally well beyond the spread. Utah is just the better team despite the slow start and they have one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA. We think they roll tonight with a comfortable 7+-point win.

10 Unit Play. Take #722 Butler -2 over Purdue (2:30p.m., Saturday, December 21 BTN) TOP COLLEGE HOOPS PLAY Purdue lost a ton of scoring last year when Carson Edwards left, and they will have trouble keeping pace with Butler in this game. The Bulldogs have a ton of quality wins this season included bating Stanford and Florida. Purdue beat Virginia but they have struggled in their other big games losing to Florida State, Texas, Marquette, and Nebraska. Butler is better than all 4 of those teams. Butler dominated Indiana last year before losing on a freak play to end the game and they have a bad taste in their month from that Crossroads Classic. Butler is 45-20 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 67 neutral site games. Purdue is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog.

The Clippers are finally getting fully healthy and could very possibly have the full roster at their disposal tonight. This team has been kind of a work in progress with load management and injuries, but we think at full strength that this team is the best in the NBA. We think this is a game where they will want to flex their muscles a bit in front of a national audience. We think with these teams at their best, which we are likely to see tonight, that LA is the clear superior team. The Rockets have been winning, but they are overrated by the oddsmakers recently as they have covered in only one of their last five games. The Clippers, on the other hand, have covered in five of six and this team has been playing some of its best basketball of the season lately, a couple hiccups aside. Los Angeles doesn’t care much about the regular season, but this game for sure will be important for them and we think they put their best foot forward tonight in what we see as a comfortable win by the home team.

You have to look to play against the Cavs when they are favored against anyone this season. This is one of the worst teams in the NBA. They haven’t been favored many times this season but are 0-2 ATS when laying points. We think this is a very winnable game for the road team, who should have Batum back tonight. Charlotte has won and covered in four of their last five games. They are 5-1 ATS on the second half of a back-to-back, so the lack of rest doesn’t worry us too much tonight.

The Pistons are kind of under the radar right now but playing well, winning three of their last four, including a big win at Houston last time out. Even though they can be inconsistent, they are clearly the better team here, and they are facing a Washington team that has dropped seven of their last eight and already has no hope for the season. Even with some injury concerns tonight we expect this Detroit team to take care of business and stay hot.

This game is in Mexico City. Dallas has a lot of international players, so they should feel right at home here! The Mavs have been getting the job done in the favorite role as they are 8-1 ATS in their last nine when laying points. This team has been covering lines like crazy lately but are staying under the radar because of all the other big stories in the NBA this season. The Pistons are just so inconsistent, and we don’t think they will do well in this setting that they aren’t used to. We think there’s a great chance for a Dallas double-digit win here.

Phoenix started their season off hot then went into a bit of a lull. But they have got their groove back lately and this team has covered in four of its last five. After a four-game road trip they came back home in that tricky first game after a road trip and walloped the Timberwolves. Now they face an even bigger step down in competition against the Grizzlies. Memphis is a very bad team this season. They are getting a lot of points on a nightly basis from the oddsmakers but can’t cover any lines. They are coming off a win and a cover last time out against the Warriors, and they should be content tonight and won’t play desperate since not on a losing streak. This looks very much like a double-digit win for the home team.

10 Unit Play. Take #119 Wisconsin Badgers over Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10 Championship Game, 8p.m., Saturday, December 7 FOX) Sooner or later Ohio State is going to have a competitive game. They clobbered Michigan last week, but Wisconsin did the same thing to the Wolverines as well this season. The line opened at -18 but has bet down a little since 12/1/19 and I still think Wisconsin gives them a game and easily covers this spread. Penn State and Wisconsin both had to play in Columbus and getting to face them in Indianapolis will be a much different atmosphere. The underdog has covered the spread in 5 of the last 8 meetings (1 push). Wisconsin is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record.  

When all is said and done we think the Clippers have a great chance to win the championship this season, and they will likely have to get through this Bucks team to achieve that goal. But at this point the Bucks are way ahead of the curve while the Clippers are still figuring a lot of things out on the go. The Clippers, smartly, don’t seem to care much about the regular season and are forward thinking with their gameplans for the playoffs. We just think the Bucks are in a much better spot for a big win tonight.

The Suns were one of the strongest ATS teams to start out the season, but they have fallen off a cliff recently. They have covered in only two of their last nine games, and they are in a real tough spot here, coming in on a back-to-back after getting blown out in Orlando last night. This will not only be a back-to-back but their third game in four nights, and fatigue is starting to become a real issue at this point of the season. The Pelicans haven’t had great results, either, but they have played a very tough schedule with recent games against Dallas, OKC (X2), Lakers, Clippers and Jazz. Their last win was Nov. 21, against this same Phoenix team, in Arizona, and they won by 3. They are rested with the night off last night and at home in this matchup, and we think this is a great chance for a rare comfortable win. The Pelicans have covered in seven of the last nine meetings between these clubs, and we expect that trend to hold strong tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #746 Louisville over Michigan (7:30p.m., Tuesday, December 3 ESPN) NONCONFERENCE TOP PLAY Louisville is the No. 1 team in the country and are a legit final four team under year team with Chris Mack. Michigan has skyrocketed up the polls currently at No. 4 in the country after winning the Battle for Atlantis last week. They went from unranked to No. 4 in the country, but I am still not completely sold on them. This will be their first true road game of the season and I am always weary on teams traveling from out of the country over Thanksgiving. I have seen these teams come out flat and not have much energy and expect that to be the case this evening. Michigan has solidified their NCAA Tournament bid at the end of the season beating North Carolina and Gonzaga might not be that great of a victory, as a believe both of those teams are fringe top 20 teams. Louisville is 10-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 games against Big 10 teams. They have a great frontcourt led by Joran Nwora, who will come up big tonight as the best player on the floor. Louisville wins this game by 8-10 points giving us another top play winner on Tuesday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #476 Seattle Seahawks over Minnesota Vikings (8:15p.m., Monday, December 2 ESPN) The Seahawks have not played at home since November 3 and they have been outstanding of late winning 4 straight games. Minnesota is a quiet 8-3 but I still do not trust QB Cousins to win big primetime games in December. These two teams met in Seattle on Monday Night Football last year and the Seahawks dominated that game winning by 14 points. The Seahawks have won 6 straight games against NFC teams. Minnesota is 2-10 ATS in their last 12 Monday Night games. Seattle is 10-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 Monday Night games.

10 Unit Play. Take #419 Arizona Wildcats over Arizona State Sun Devils (10p.m., Saturday, November 30 ESPN) Arizona State is coming off a huge win against Oregon last Saturday, but now we have an inflated line in a rivalry game. The Wildcats are playing their final game of the season Saturday night and expect them to be competitive for 60 minutes. Arizona State has lost 4 of their last 5 games and they have home losses to USC and Colorado. Arizona State has only beaten 1 team all season (Kent State) by over tonight’s posted number. The Territorial Cup will remain with the Sun Devils but they win by just 7-10 points. The underdog is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games between Arizona and Arizona State.

The Rockets haven’t been good when laying big points as they are 1-3 ATS when laying eight or more points. The Hawks are a perfect 4-0 ATS when getting double-digit points this season, so they normally show up against the top teams. Atlanta has lost nine straight yet they have covered in three of their last four and lost to the Pacers in OT last time out. This team has talent and they will try hard tonight to stop the bleeding and we think this one has a great chance to come in under double digits.

Portland just doesn’t seem to have it this season. They are 6-12 on the season and, although they have played a road-heavy schedule so far, they are just 1-4 at home. They are just coming off a disastrous road trip where they went 2-4 with only wins over the struggling Bulls and Spurs. This will be the tricky first game home after a long road trip. This is a game where the home team sometimes struggles as the players often have their minds on their life off the court and there are plenty of distractions. The Thunder have been a good betting team at 10-6 ATS, and this new mix of players has had their moments. They have been playing strong defense for sure. This looks like a very winnable game for the road team, and with the day off tomorrow we think the Thunder will be the more focused team in this matchup, They also have revenge for an October loss in OKC in a game that was very close. We see this one as close also and think the road team will do what needs to be done to eek out a close win at the final buzzer.

Washington has covered in five of the last six matchups, and they look primed for another cover tonight. This team is 9-4-1 ATS this season. That’s a great betting recipe for success when a team isn’t getting wins on the court but covering numbers. They can hold value for a long time since they escape the public’s radar. They are a perfect 6-0 ATS when getting four or more points this season, and it looks like they are being underestimated again tonight against a Denver team that is overvalued despite their 12-3 record as they are just 7-7-1 ATS.

Philly hasn’t been any good on the road, where they are 4-5 on the season, while the Raptors are a perfect 6-0 at home. The Raptors were expected to take a step back this season after losing Kawhi Leonard, but they have way exceeded expectations so far. They are 11-4 and have been profitable ATS at 9-6. We think they are being undervalued here again by the oddsmakers. Some very nice value on an early-season line.

We think this is a good spot for the Grizzlies on Saturday. The Lakers come in on a back-to-back after the second part of their home-and-home against the Thunder and this just feels like a letdown spot for them as they take a step down in competition. While the Lakers are coming in with no rest, the Grizzlies have had three nights off and they should be primed for a strong showing as an underdog. They had won three straight, including a win at home vs. Utah, so we know they can compete here if focused. But they come off two bad losses so they will likely be really focused on a strong performance here. We think they will get it.

The main reason we like this play is that the Pistons should not be laying this many points to anyone. This team has currently lost five straight and they haven’t covered in any of those contests. Atlanta has lost seven of eight. They have had a ridiculously tough schedule, however. In their last three games, they finished off a five-game road trip with visits to Staples to face the Clippers and Lakers and then came back home to face Miami. That’s probably the three best teams in the NBA. But now they are going way down in class tonight. They seem to normally play well against Detroit and have covered three straight meetings and five of six. This is the biggest favorite Detroit has been all season, and they are 1-3 ATS as a favorite at any number so far.

The Suns are one of the best betting teams in the league at 9-3 ATS on the season. We think they are undervalued here again tonight. They are being punished too much by the oddsmakers are a back-to-back here, and this team is young and so is the season, so we don’t think it’s as big of a deal as the oddsmakers do. We just can’t help but remember the last time these teams squared off, last month, with one of the more one-sided second halves we have seen this season with the Suns outscoring the Kings 70-36 in the second half of a rout. We think Phoenix matches up well here tonight also.  They have covered in five of the last seven meetings. We think they have a great chance to win this outright, and we had the Suns, who we think are a better team, laying one point on our line.

10 Unit Play. Take #476 Los Angeles Chargers over Kansas City Chiefs (8:15p.m., Monday, November 18 ESPN) The NFL is back in Mexico City and this game should go off as planned unlike the 2018 version. Kansas City has been exposed of late with a suspect defense and thus QB Mahomes and company are going to have to score points in order to win this game. We will grab the points and expect QB Rivers and company to win this game straight-up. The Chargers have the better defense and should be able to get pressure on QB Mahomes. The Chiefs have just not been the same team of late, having lost 4 of their last 6 games. The Chargers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played during the month of November. Kansas City is 2-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games played during the month of November.

The Pacers are just the better team in this matchup right now. Brooklyn gpt a lot of attention this offseason for some big moves, but they are being lined like a superstar team right now but Durant will not be here until likely next season. Right now they are just another decent team trying to find their way. Remember, Kyrie Irving never did much to lead his team to big places before he teamed up with LeBron. They have lost three of four coming into this game and they are just 5-7 ATS, which tells us the bookies have them overvalued. Irving is banged up right now but will probably go and LeVert is a key player for Brooklyn who has missed some time. Indiana has been pretty good even while they wait for Oladipo to rejoin the lineup. They have lost two straight coming into this game, but that was at Houston and vs. Milwaukee, and we think they have a much better chance to succeed here against lesser competition. The Pacers are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings and 5-0 ATS the last five meetings in Brooklyn. They tend to play well here, and we see that being the situation again tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #361 Southern Cal Trojans over California Golden Bears (11p.m., Saturday, November 16 FS1) The Golden Bears have not been the same team as they were at the start of the season. They did beat Washington State last time out, but I do not see them winning another game when they are an underdog. USC has played a brutal schedule in 2019 and they have a chance for 8 wins should they win out. Clay Helton still has the respect of his players and expect them to go all out for him in the remaining two games. USC has covered the spread in 6 of their last 7 games in Berkeley. Cal is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.

This isn’t the biggest matchup for the Clippers this season, but this is probably the biggest game so far, because Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are expected to play together for the first time. Kawhi is fully integrated as the leader of the team now. And George seemed to fit in perfectly in scoring 30+ in his debut, even though it was a losing effort. Even if these guys don’t instantly click, which there is no reason to indicate that they won’t, after all Kawhi chose George as his preferred running mate, the rest of the team should rise up and play their best here. This team truly seems to be buying into the team mentality, and even though the Clips have gotten off to a slow start, at full strength we don’t think there’s a better team in the NBA. They are coming off two tough losses, at Houston in a game they didn’t play well in, and at New Orleans on the second of a back-to-back. They won’t take Atlanta lightly. The Hawks are on the fourth game of a rough road trip and were routed by a lesser Suns team last time out. The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games, and we expect to see the best version of this LA team on Saturday night.

We are getting good value on the Spurs here in what is a very winnable game for them. They come into this one having lost three straight and five of six. They have had a very tricky schedule, however, and we think this team will be fine and there is no reason to panic. This team is one of the best coached in the league, and they don’t often go on extended losing streaks, and we have a feeling they will just come into Orlando and take care of business in a professional manner. They are certainly the better team in this matchup. If the Spurs had played to expectations so far they would be at least PK here. We have them as a slight favorite in this game, so getting this many points is just icing on the cake. And it’s not like Orlando has been dominating or anything, they have endured a lousy start to the season and are 4-7 so far on the year. Also, the Spurs always seem to play well here in Orlando, where they have covered in six of the last eight meetings.

The Clippers have played a home heavy schedule so far. They are just 1-2 on the road this season, and their lone win was against Golden State, which turned out to be not that special as the Warriors just aren’t good this season. This is their biggest road test so far. Westbrook is out for the Rockets, but this is still a very good team. It looks like Kawhi will play tonight for the Clippers, but George will probably debut for Los Angeles tomorrow, and it seems like this team has a bit of distraction for that situation heading into this game. The Rockets are a team that seems to care more about the regular season and seeding while the Clips want to be healthy for the playoffs. We think they will take this game far more seriously tonight, and we have a short line here for a Rockets team that has won four straight and is playing with a lot of confidence.

We really like what we have seen from Phoenix so far this season and this looks like a legit strong team. Last year the Kings got off to a hot start and were in the playoff discussion until falling off a cliff later in the season. But this strong play looks sustainable for the Suns barring injury. But we think that they are in over their heads tonight against a Lakers squad that is one of the best three teams in the league and looks much more together at this early point in the season than we assumed heading into the new season. The Suns have had a fairly easy schedule thus far and we think the Lakers will come into this one with a sense or purpose after a rare home loss last time out against Toronto. An angry and focused LA team should be too much for this upstart Suns club tonight, and we expect them to score a comfortable victory. They have also covered in seven of the last nine in this series!

Golden State was getting some very big lines there for awhile but they have covered three of four games and the bookies seemed to have backed off here a bit as we thought this one would come in at double digits. We think there’s a great chance Utah could win this one by 10+. After a two-game slide the Jazz are playing well again and they come in on a two-game win streak with impressive victories over the two best teams in the East, Philly and Milwaukee. Utah has covered in six straight meetings in this series, and we think they will take some pleasure in kicking the Warriors while they are down tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #742 Texas A&M over ULM (8p.m., Monday, November 11 SECN+) We will side with the home team in this battle of unbeaten teams tonight in College Station. The Aggies were not that impressive in their opening game and did not come close to covering the 27.5 number against Northwestern State. I expect a 20+ point victory tonight and that will be more than enough to cover this spread. ULM is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a victory in their previous game. A&M is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #179 Tennessee Volunteers over Kentucky Wildcats (7:30p.m., Saturday, November 9 SECN) This is an important game for both team as the winner will likely reach bowl eligibility and the loser will struggle to win 6 games. Tennessee is 20-2 in their last 22 games against Kentucky (17-5 ATS). Tennessee will enter having won 2 straight games and covered the spread in 4 straight games. Kentucky is terrible on offense and I do not believe they can be one-dimensional in this game and beat Tennessee. The Volunteers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games in Lexington. Kentucky is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games played during the month of November.

The Spurs have covered in five of the last six meetings, and we think this line is short again today. We like both of these teams, but on their home court we think the Spurs are the better squad. The Spurs are healthy and they are 4-1 at home this season, and this team just is under the radar right now we think because we had this line handicapped at 4.5 and think there is nice value here at this small number. Boston is 3-1 on the road but the only legit team they played was Philly, and that was their lone loss. They beat New York, Cleveland and Charlotte, three of the NBA’s worst teams. We see the Spurs likely winning this one by 5+.

Orlando is off to a slow start this season but they have had just a brutal schedule. They have lost four straight, and that stretch of games was particularly tough. They lost to Milwaukee and Denver at home and then fell to OKC and Dallas on the road. But make no mistake, this is a solid club. They are just off to a bad start against a tough schedule. They have mostly taken care of business against lousy teams, and that is the case tonight as Memphis isn’t a good team. We had this game handicapped at 9 with a lean to the Magic even at that number so we are thrilled that the bookies are underestimating the home team tonight. The Grizzlies have been getting much better lines from the oddsmakers but still are playing under expectations. We think this is a get right game for Orlando and expect a double-digit win tonight.

The Spurs have covered in six of the last eight meetings in this series. While the Spurs may not be as good as they were during their peak years, this is a very stable franchise and they have one of the best home-court advantages in the entire NBA. OKC is going through a lot of changes in this transition season. The Spurs are coming off two losses so we are getting some nice value here as last season this line would have been about 3, but the Thunder aren’t close to the same team as last season with Westbrook out to Houston. The Spurs are 3-1 this season at home while OKC is winless on the road, and we think the Spurs have a great chance for a 7+-point win tonight.

Kawhi is out tonight and we think these are the best two teams in basketball. But with their star out of the lineup, the Bucks are the much better squad. This is a chance to make a statement for them. It’s likely that Leonard is sitting out here and will play tomorrow in the more important conference matchup against Portland on TNT. While this Clippers team plays hard every night, we think they will really bring their best effort on Thursday while this move by Doc Rivers shows that this game is just not as important to the team, and that can have a mental effect on the squad as a whole.

Dallas has had a tough schedule to open the season. They are coming off a tough OT loss to the Lakers. They should be highly motivated to get back on track here tonight against one of the worst teams in the NBA and the easiest matchup on their schedule so far. Every game counts in the West, especially for a team like Dallas that could be on the fringes of playoff eligibility in April. They are 2-0 on the road this season, so early indications are that this team is ready to compete in road games. We see them notching a comfortable win tonight.

We went against the Magic last night and they were blown out of the water at home by Milwaukee. Now they face a good team off an embarrassing loss. Denver was blown out in New Orleans last time out, giving the Pelicans their first win of the season. Mike Malone called his team out publicly for lack of effort. When your boss calls you out for lack of effort, you are going to give a better effort next time out… right? Me neither! But we think the Nuggets players will respond tonight. Good teams off a bad loss are normally a good bet in the NBA as they give better effort next time, and with their coach calling them out we think the Nuggets will bring their A Game. They were off Friday while the Magic were getting rolled by the Bucks, and you would think Orlando would want to play their best game against a conference foe. But this team has gotten off to a real slow start and they have covered only one line this season, but two points against the lowly Knicks. We think Denver will flex their muscles a bit in this one and they should cruise to a comfortable win.

10 Unit Play. Take #372 Florida Gators over Georgia Bulldogs (3:30p.m., Saturday, November 2 CBS) Florida always has a big location advantage in this game since Jacksonville in much closer to Gainesville than is Athens. Georgia has not been playing well on offense of late and this is the best defense they will face to this point of the season. Florida has played well in all of their games this season and I do not see them getting blown out in this game. The Gators are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a bye week. Florida is also 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Orlando has gotten off to a real slow start for a team that is on the rise and they have covered in just one of their four games so far. Their defense has been good but this team just can’t generate any offense right now. Milwaukee is averaging 119 points on offense thus far. We don’t think the Magic defense will be able to slow them down, and we for sure don’t see their offense being able to keep up. Milwaukee should have extra motivation after losing by double digits last time out at Boston. A motivated Bucks team is by far the best team in the East, and we see them taking their frustrations out on a Magic team that still seems to be figuring some things out in the early going of the season.

The Clips should have Kawhi back tonight to play against his old team, in case he needed any extra motivation after LA lost in Utah last night. The Spurs are 3-0 SU but 0-3 ATS, as the bookmakers have them overvalued at this point of the season. In the tough Western Conference, every game is important, and the Clippers will not want to lose two in a row to the teams they may be battling for seeding in the postseason. The Spurs are down this season from what we are used to, despite their current record, and the better team will get a comfortable win tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #269 Carolina Panthers over San Francisco 49ers (1p.m., Sunday, October 27 FOX) Carolina has made the wise decision to continue to ride QB Kyle Allen, as he is 4-0 in starts this season (4-0 ATS). Carolina has beaten San Francisco 6 straight games (6-0 ATS) and they need this game more in order to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints in their division. Still not sold on the 49ers offense and if Carolina does not beat themselves, they should be able to take this game down to the wire. The Panthers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games in San Francisco and 14-3 in the last 17 meetings. These trends just cannot be ignored especially when they are getting this many points.

We don’t think the Warriors are as bad as they looked in their opener at home against the Clippers. Los Angeles was dialed in for that game and made the Warriors look bad. But they are the stronger team here, and they will anxious to get the season back on track. Kerr will devise a gameplan to give Golden State the best chance for success here, and Curry give his teammates on the court the best chance to succeed. And the Warriors have covered five of the last six in OKC.

The Clippers have covered in seven of the last eight meetings in this series. And they have their best team ever right now. To us this is the clear cut best team in the NBA and Paul George hasn’t even started playing yet. We can tell that this team wants to get off to a strong start to the season. We don’t see them having a letdown tonight. They have a very tough schedule coming up and they need to win games like this. This Clippers team seems very bought in to the team goals and is playing very unselfish team basketball. The Suns have some issues right now with No. 1 draft pick Ayton getting suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA drug policy. He might win his appeal, but he won’t be available here tonight. Like any team, the Clippers will face some adversity during points in the season. But for right now this team looks extremely motivated. And it seems they are having fun. Don’t think there’s a lot of joy in Phoenix right now. This looks like a double-digit win to us.

10 Unit Play. Take #207 Notre Dame Fighting Irish over Michigan Wolverines (7:30p.m., Saturday, October 26 ABC) Still cannot believe that Michigan opened as the favorite in this game. The Wolverines do not win games against top 10 teams and they are not great on either side of the football. Notre Dame still has a chance to make the College Football Playoff if they can win out and they should be able to win in Ann Arbor against a team that lacks confidence. The fan base will turn on Michigan if things do not go well early. If just seems that Coach Harbaugh cannot win these type of games. Notre Dame 7-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. Michigan is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games. The underdog is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 games between the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines.

The Bulls have covered the last four matchups between these teams, and they have their best squad now compared to the one the last couple years. We see this team as a playoff contender and for sure a team on the rise. Memphis is facing a major rebuild and this team won’t get many wins this season. Both teams bombed out in their first game, but we think the Bulls had an off game while we think the Memphis result showed more of what they are. We had this line handicapped at -5, so we think there is some very nice value here. We think there’s a great chance for a comfortable win, and a double-digit win wouldn’t surprise us.

It was just one game, but on Tuesday at Staples Center, the Clippers sure looked like the clear-cut top team in the league. Now they face one of their biggest rivals in Golden State on TNT tonight. The Warriors are way down from what we are used to with Durant gone and Klay out for the season. This team also has questionable depth. Curry and Draymond will surely lead them to a lot of wins, but we think they are outmatched here in this game against what should be a very motivated Clippers club that won’t hesitate to kick Golden State when they are down.

10 Unit Play. Take Tennessee Titans over Los Angeles Chargers (4:05p.m., Sunday, October 20 CBS) We went against both of these teams last week and easily won both games. That being said the Chargers have no offensive line and were destroyed by a free agent quarterback last week in Devlin Hodges. Having no home field advantage is starting to take its toll on this team. It does not matter who starts for Tennessee at quarterback in this game, the Titans defense should dominate and win this game. Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 games overall. The favorite is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 games between the Chargers and Titans.

10 Unit Play. Take Purdue Boilermakers over Iowa Hawkeyes (12p.m., Saturday, October 19 ESPN2) BIG 10 TOP PLAY These two teams are heading in opposite directions and I just do not believe Iowa should be this big of a favorite. Purdue has righted the ship after losing their quarterback and they dominated Maryland last week in impressive fashion. Purdue has beaten Iowa two straight games and the visitor has dominated this series going 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings. Iowa is not explosive on offense and Purdue has played well in their last 7 quarters (last 3 against Penn State). Purdue was shell shocked early by Penn State but held their own after the first quarter and got a pass rush against them. Iowa is coming off back-to-back losses and have seen their hopes for a Big 10 Title Game appearance all but vanish. Iowa is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 conference games. Purdue is 15-7 ATS in their last 22 road games.

10 Unit Play. Take #276 Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions (8:15p.m., Monday, October 14 ESPN) This line is short, and we will ride the Packers at home playing a team that they hardly lose against. Detroit has won 4 straight games in this series, but Green Bay has still won 28 of the last 38 meetings. Detroit has played well this season, but I just believe Green Bay is better on both sides of the football. Detroit is 6-12 ATS in their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. The favorite is 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings between the Lions and Packers.

10 Unit Play. Take #152 Arizona Wildcats over Washington Huskies (11p.m., Saturday, October 12 FS1) The Huskies are overvalued this season and oddsmakers have yet to catch up with their current talent on the roster. The match-up has been dominated by the home team, as they have won 8 of the last 10 games (8-2 ATS). Washington has two bad losses on the season and Arizona will enter this game having won 4 straight games. Washington is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games. Arizona is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 home games. Both trends hold true tonight as Arizona wins this game straight-up.

10 Unit Play. Take #473 Green Bay Packers over Dallas Cowboys (4:25p.m., Sunday, October 6 FOX) Green Bay has dominated this series in recent years covering the spread in 6 of the last 8 games against Dallas. The Cowboys are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a winning record. QB Aaron Rodgers put up big numbers last week against Philadelphia but had trouble inside the 5 yard line and that bite them late in that game. Expect them to correct that this week and be able to take this game down to the wire. Dallas played an easy schedule to open the season and did not look well last week against New Orleans. Green Bay is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. The Packers win this game straight-up giving us another victory with an underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take #317 Texas Longhorns over West Virginia Mountaineers (3:30p.m., Saturday, October 5 ABC) Just do not believe much in West Virginia this year. They have a new coach and system and will struggle to win any of their remaining games in the Big 12. For Texas to become elite again these are the type of games they must dominate. Texas lost at the buzzer last year to West Virginia and that revenge will allow them to win this game big. QB Kelly Bryant took apart this team winning 38-7 and I expect QB Sam Ehlinger to do the same. West Virginia is 7-22 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 31 home games against teams with a winning road record.

10 Unit Play. Take #269 Seattle Seahawks over Arizona Cardinals (4:05p.m., Sunday, September 29 FOX) The Seahawks came out flat last time out against a desperate Saints team. Now they face a much less talented Cardinals team that has an unproven coach and quarterback. Arizona got torched last week against Carolina and a back-up quarterback and now must face a pro bowler in Russell Wilson. Seattle is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games in Arizona. The Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games. Seattle is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games. Kliff Kingsbury appears to be in over his head, as he could not win consistently in college and will struggle to survive as a head coach in the NFL.

10 Unit Play. Take #157 Kentucky Wildcats over South Carolina Gamecocks (7:30p.m., Saturday, September 28 SECN) The Will Muschamp Era is on life support. USC has yet to defeat a FBS team this year and they have been blown out in their 2 SEC games this year. Kentucky collapsed against Florida two weeks ago and there was a residual effect last week against Mississippi State. Expect them to bounce back in a big way on Saturday against a team they have dominated in recent years (6-0 ATS last 6 meetings). Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played during September.

10 Unit Play. Take Detroit Lions over Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m., Sunday, September 21 FOX) The Eagles are reeling now with a ton of injuries and did not have enough healthy bodies to practice on Wednesday. The Eagles have yet to look impressive this year, and now they face another solid quarterback that should be able to move the football on them. Detroit is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Philadelphia. The Eagles are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games. Take the points in this game as it will go down to the wire and be decided by a field goal.

10-Unit Play. #685. Take Winnipeg over Montreal (Saturday at 4:00 pm) As per your selection on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, we have to like the fact that they come into this game well-rested as they had their bye week. Not to mention, they get Andrew Harris back in the lineup and get to take on a Montreal team that gave up well over 100 yards on the ground last week to Saskatchewan. You could also argue the fact that this game means much more to Winnipeg than it does Montreal as the Bombers are clinging to a one-game lead for the top spot in the West while the Als are likely headed to the postseason (barring any crazy collapse) as a very low seed. It should be noted that the Bombers are en excellent play in September as they are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 played in September, while they are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 following a bye week and 13-3-1 ATS following an ATS win. The Als are just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 September games and 11-23 ATS in their last 34 home games and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 meetings when hosting Winnipeg. Winnipeg is far and away the better team and as they are the fresher team, we believe their talent will win out in this spot and help them cruise to an easy win.

10 Unit Play. Take #379 SMU Mustangs over TCU Horned Frogs (3:30 p.m., Saturday, September 21 FS1) The Frogs are coming off a dominating performance last week against Purdue, but they will not have the good fortune of playing a back-up quarterback in this game. SMU can put up points this year, and TCU will have trouble keeping up with them. SMU needs to contain the running game of TCU and force them to beat them through the air. The road team has covered 5 straight games in this matchup. TCU is 7-20 ATS in their last 27 home games.

10-Unit Play. Take #902 Milwaukee (-1.5 RL) over San Diego (7:40 p.m. Monday, September 16) Garrett Richards has a tough task tonight making his first start since July of 2018 against a Brewers team that is playing with a lot of confidence at the moment, despite losing NL MVP candidate Christian Yelich to a broken patella. Milwaukee has won nine of their last ten contests and I think Richards is going to have his hands full with this challenging lineup. Zach Davies will be on the bump for the Brew Crew and he has never lost to the Padres going 3-0 with a 3.58 ERA over 5 starts. The Brewers have won the last three starts that Davies has made and I think they will get the job done at home tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #965 Cleveland (-1.5 RL) over LA Angels (10:10 p.m. Monday, September 9) Cleveland is still on the outside of the playoffs looking in as they are 1.5 games outside of the Wild Card race and 5.5 back of the Twins. Sending Shane Bieber to the mound certainly helps their chances of picking up a win. Bieber already beat the Angels this season 6-2 allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits while throwing all 9 innings. He has held opponents to a .185 batting average on the road this while year going 8-4 with a 2.89 ERA and he may not have to face Mike Trout who has missed time recently with a toe injury. Rookie Patrick Sandoval will be on the mound still in search of his first major league win. Sandoval has only lasted 5 innings in his 6 appearances and Los Angeles has lost five out of the six games he has been a part of. I like the Indians to take another step towards the playoffs and get the win here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #358 Tennessee Volunteers over BYU Cougars (7p.m., Saturday, September 7 ESPN) I always like taking a team off an embarrassing loss in Week 1 and Tennessee fits that bill to a T. Tennessee played poorly on both sides of the ball but they still have talent and they did not suffer major injuries in their last loss last week to Georgia State. BYU did not look impressive at all either last week at home against Utah. Tennessee would have been a double-digit favorite had they beaten Georgia State last week but now enter around a field goal favorite. That gives us great value with this play. BYU is 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games against SEC teams. Tennessee bounces back to win this game big.

10-Unit Play. #685. Take Saskatchewan over Winnipeg (Saturday at 4:00 pm) As per your selection on the Saskatchewan Roughriders, we feel as if they are in a great position to sweep the home and home series with the Blue Bombers as Winnipeg is steal dealing with the loss of their QB and their starting running back in Andrew Harris. The Riders we feel have the positional advantages at all major positions including quarterback where we like Fajardo to continue to put up big numbers (300 yards passing and a touchdown last game) and outduel his counterpart Chris Streveler - who completed just 16 passes for 161 yards last week. The defenses were on full display last week as well and we see it being a similar game which means we side with the better defense and that's the Roughriders. This game has major implications on first overall in the West division, and we believe this is Saskatchewan's opportunity to take the division by the horns and run with it. Keep in mind, the Roughriders are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss, in their last 5 road games and following a SU win. The Bombers are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 following a SU loss.

10 Unit Play. Take #207 Oregon Ducks over Auburn Tigers (7:30p.m., Saturday, August 31 ABC) It is now or never for this Oregon team and the PAC-12 Conference all-together. Oregon has experience on both sides of the football and a quarterback offensive line combo that may be the best in the country. Auburn is just a middle of the pack team this year in the SEC and they have a coach that is on the hot seat. The SEC still have better players in the trenches but I just do not believe a freshman quarterback can walk into this type of game and beat this experience Ducks team. Oregon is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played during the month of August. Auburn is 3-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 nonconference games.

10-Unit Play. Take #907 LA Dodgers (-1.5 RL) over Arizona (9:40 p.m. Thursday, August 29)

The Dodgers are 20 games up in the standings against the Diamondbacks and I think they will extend that lead with a win tonight. Hyun-Jin Ryu is a front runner for the National League Cy Young award and some of his best work this season has come against Arizona. Ryu has beaten the Diamondbacks all three times he has faced them this season allowing just one run over 20 innings while holding them to a .169 batting average, which uncludes one start at Chase Field where he threw 7 shutout innings and yielded just three hits. Merrill Kelly will take the ball for Arizona and even though he has had some nice moments this season he could be fatiguing towards the end of his first major league season. Kelly has had back to back months of an ERA over 6 and he has allowed 6 runs or more in four out of his last six starts. I think the Dodgers keep it rolling and pick up the win in this contest.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #965 Minnesota (-1.5 RL) over Chicago (AL) (8:10 p.m. Wednesday, August 28) Minnesota has the best road record in all of baseball and they will need to pick up another win to maintain their slim margin over the Cleveland Indians. I like the Twins chances since they have beaten the White Sox nine out of the fourteen times they have played and because Jake Odorizzi will be on six days rest. When Odorizzi has been on six days rest this season he is 5-0 with a 1.00 ERA and he has been solid in two starts against the White Sox this season with a 2.61 ERA. Ross Detwiler will be on the bump for Chicago and he has made seven starts and five relief appearances this season for the White Sox and hasn't been very effective in either role. He has faced the Twins three different times this season totaling 10 innings and has allowed 3 home runs, 1 in each appearance, and I think Minnesota will bop a couple more home runs in this game. I like the Twins to get the win in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #688. Take Toronto over Montreal (Sunday at 6:30 pm) As per your selection on the Toronto Argonauts, we are going to back them here in this spot as we were impressed with their offense last week vs a good Edmonton defense. They were coming off a bye and put up 26 on the leagues No.1 defense, so we believe they have corrected the issues and will be able to score points against this Montreal defense. Defensively, we are expecting the Argos to play a much better game than they did last time out and going against a Montreal offense that has been known to sputter at times, the Argos should be in a prime position for a bounce-back game. On the flip side, Montreal is coming off a massive come from behind victory away to Calgary. In that game, they scored a last-second touchdown, hit the 2pt conversion then recovered an onside kick and tied it with a FG with 2 seconds remaining. That's a lot of effort to exert in a game that they shouldn't have even been in. This game also marks Montreal's second straight road game, and flying west across the country is one thing, now they have to fly further east to Moncton for this neutral-site game. The Als are just 4-10 ATS vs a team with a losing record and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Week 11 games. This is going to be a stinker of a game, but we believe the Argos will keep this close and possibly pull off the upset.

10-Unit Play. Take #916 Cleveland (-1.5 RL) over Kansas City (7:10 p.m. Friday, August 23)

Cleveland has to have a bitter taste in their mouth as they return home for their final series with the Royals after being swept by the Mets in New York and I think they are going to take it out on them. The Indians have beaten the Royals 10 out of the 16 times they have met this year and Zach Plesac is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA against Kansas City over three starts. Jakob Junis will be on the mound for the Royals and the Indians have had his number when facing him this year. Junis is 1-3 with a 6.52 ERA over 5 starts against Cleveland having allowed at least 4 earned runs in 4 of those starts. The Indians are still chasing the Twins for first place in the American League Central and I think they inch closer with a win against the Royals in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #260 Oakland Raiders over Green Bay Packers (8p.m., Thursday, August 22) The wrong team is favored in this game and we will gladly take the points. QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to play in this game but he was also expected to play last week and did not. Either way his limited action will not be enough to allow Green Bay to cover this number. Oakland has just three quarterbacks on the roster and they have looked impressive all exhibition season long entering this game at 2-0. Nathan Peterman looks like a different quarterback in Oakland and the Raiders have a major edge in the second and third strings. Green Bay opens the season with two divisional games and thus I do not expect them to show much in this game.

10-Unit Play. Take #959 Tampa Bay (-1.5 RL) over Baltimore (7:05 p.m. Thursday, August 22)

Tampa Bay has beaten the Orioles eight out of the twelve times they have faced each other this year and I expect the Rays to pick up another win in this matchup. Ryan Yarbrough has been lights out in his three appearances in August allowing just one earned run on 10 hits over 19.2 innings pitched with Tampa winning all three of those contests. Yarbrough has been really good on the road this season as well going 9-1 with a 2.22 ERA across 56.2 innings and I think he can shut down the Orioles offense that has been lackluster for most of the season. Asher Wojciechowski will be on the mound for Baltimore and he has been roughed up in four August starts going 0-3 with a 6.63 ERA. I think the Rays continue their push for the playoffs with a victory in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #901 Washington (-1.5 RL) over Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. Tuesday, August 20)

Washington put it on Pittsburgh last night and I think they will keep it rolling in this one. The Nationals have bopped 12 home runs in their last two games, scored 62 runs in their last 5 games, and with the way Chris Archer has pitched this season I can see them producing like that tonight. Archer is 0-4 with a 5.26 ERA over his last twelve starts and is having a hard time getting guys out. Stephen Strasburg will be on the bump for Washington and he is looking to set a career high in victories going for his 16th win. Strasburg has fared well against the Pirates in his career going 6-2 with a 2.40 ERA over 9 starts and I like him to pick up another win in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #681. Take Winnipeg over BC (Thursday at 8:30 pm)

Huge spot for us tonight as we look to extend the perfect season to 11-0!

As per your selection on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, look we had no problem going against them last week as they got the win but failed to cover the number. This week is a whole different ball game as they will put up a boatload of points against a piss poor BC defense. You know the Bombers offense is hungry to put up points as they were essentially shut out, as they scored two punt returns and four field goals. Nichols will have big day against a BC defense that ranks dead last in points allowed per game with 35.5. On the flip side, BC's Super Bowl was essentially last week and while many thought they were going to pull off the big upset over Hamilton, they faltered down the stretch and choked the game aways. That's a huge demoralizing loss for this team and now they have to play their third road game in five weeks and their second road game in 5 days. That's just too quick of a turn around to forget the sting of the Hamilton defeat. This is going to be a mailed-in effort and the finger point is going to start in BC (if it hasn't already). Winnipeg is going to win big and we are going to be on it. The Bombers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games, and 5-1 ATS in their last 6 following a SU win. They've also gone 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 meetings vs BC including 4-1-1 ATS at home. The Lions are just 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs the West and 1-4 ATS in their last five vs a team with a winning record.

10-Unit Play. Take #953 Atlanta (-1.5 RL) over Miami (6:10 p.m. Saturday, August 10)

The Braves knew they had a good pitcher in Mike Soroka but I don't think they expected him to be quite this good. Not only will Soroka be in the running for Rookie of the Year honors, but he will be in the discussion for the National League Cy Young as he has the third lowest ERA in the NL. Soroka has done his best work on the road as he is 6-0 with a 1.45 ERA over 12 starts, which includes going 2-0 at Marlins Park where he has allowed just one earned run while holding the Marlins to a .115 batting average across 15 innings. Sandy Alcantara will toe the rubber for Miami tonight and he hasn't been the same pitcher he was in the first half of the season. Over his last 7 starts, Alcantara is 0-4 with an ERA over 7 and he will have his hands full with the Braves lineup that doesn't have a weak spot. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies have been on fire recently and I think they will continue their hot hitting and lead Atlanta to another win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #681. Take Calgary over Winnipeg (Thursday at 8:30 pm) As per your selection on the Calgary Stampeders, we have three words for you. Too. Many. Points. This game is a matchup between the leagues best and with Calgary getting more than a touchdown we are inclined to believe they can keep this one close for the duration of the game. Look, Winnipeg is struggling lately, dropping b2b games against Hamilton and Toronto, the last was by way of a blown 20-point lead. There are leaks in that team and we aren't going to be caught betting them when they fall flat on their face. Calgary is finally starting to resemble the dominant team we expected them to be from the previous few seasons, despite having to start Arbuckle at QB over the injured Levi-Mitchell. Arbuckle will get the start tonight, but we expect him to continue to do what he does best and that is move the ball downfield and limit the turnovers. The running game for Calgary will play a huge roll in this game, as will their defense who is among the top units (specifically cornerbacks) in the league. Calgary is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs the West. Winnipeg is 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 meetings while hosting the Stamps and 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 August games. This spread is way too high and we believe Calgary has a chance to win outright. Grab the points and let's extend the run to 10-0!

10-Unit Play. Take #960 LA Dodgers (-1.5 RL) over St. Louis (10:10 p.m. Tuesday, August 6)

The Dodgers have the best record in all of baseball (75-40) in large part because they rarely lose at home (44-15) and I think they will pick up another dub in tonight's matchup. Clayton Kershaw has yet to lose a game at Dodgers Stadium this season as he is 7-0 with a 2.35 ERA over 11 starts. Kershaw has been dynamite over his last four starts going 6 innings in each while allowing a total of 5 runs and I think he will deliver against a Cardinals team he hasn't faced at all this season. Miles Mikolas hasn't been nearly as good this year as he was last year especially on the road where he is 2-6 with a 6.75 ERA over 11 starts, and I don't think it will get any better against the dangerous LA lineup. I think Kershaw and the Dodgers keep it rolling in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #976 Philadelphia (-1.5 RL) over Chicago (AL) (7:05 p.m. Friday, August 2)

Philadelphia is in the thick of the National League Wild Card race and needs to win games at home against lesser opponents if they want to be playing in the postseason. Enter the Chicago White Sox with their 46-60 overall record and with them being 13 games under .500 on the road. Jason Vargas will be making his first start for the Phillies after being acquired a couple of days ago from the division rival New York Mets. Vargas has been dealing lately and it will help that Yoan Mocada is on the injured list and won't be in the lineup for Chicago. Ivan Nova will have the ball for the White Sox and has been pitching better as well but I think the Phillies lineup will be able to do some damage. Take the Phillies in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #692. Take Saskatchewan over Hamilton (Thursday at 9:30 pm)

Huge spot for us tonight as we look to extend the perfect season to 9-0!

As per your selection on Saskatchewan Rough Riders minus the points, we had no problem backing the Tiger-Cats last week against the leagues best team and they rewarded us by winning outright. However, without their signal-caller and top receiver, the Tiger-Cats are in a very tough spot in this matchup and we believe the Roughriders are going to exact some revenge in a big way here tonight. Sask just completed a two-game sweep against the lowly Lions, but in those meetings, the offense showed up when called upon and so did the defense. The Tiger-Cats won't be as potent on offense without their top two guys, so we believe the Riders defense - a very good unit at that, can shut the door and limit the production. We love the fact that Saskatchewan has won 17 of the last 19 home games vs Hamilton, and has covered the spread in six of the last 7 at home. This is a great spot to jump on Saskatchewan and we will be bringing home another win with our first GOTY selection.

10-Unit Play. Take #924 NY Yankees (-1.5 RL) over Arizona (7:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 30)

The Yankees were served a piece of humble pie this weekend when they lost three of four games to the Red Sox in Boston, but I think they are going to bounce back at home against an Arizona team that is reeling right now. The Yankees are 21 games over .500 at home and J.A Happ will be on the mound looking to add another win to his total. Happ has pitched very well against the Diamondbacks in his career going 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA over 6 appearances (5 starts) and I think he will come through tonight. Rookie Taylor Clarke will be making his 12 starts of the year but he hasn't faced a lineup quite like the Yankees and I think he will be overwhelmed. I like the Yanks in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #686. Take Hamilton over Winnipeg (Friday at 7:00 pm)

Hugely important play for us tonight in this spot! Let's keep the momentum and undefeated season going in style.

As per your selection on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats plus the points, we believe Hamilton should be slight favorites in this game, so we are going to grab the points as an extra cushion. Look, Hamilton is the CFL's best offensive team as they've posted an average of 37.4 points per game. You have a QB-WR duo of Masoli and Banks who are up near the top of the list in terms of offensive production, with Banks leading the CFL in receiving yards with 506 on 36 catches. Hamilton has defended their home field well this season and as they come off a bye last week, we expect them to come out hungry and ready to fight for every inch as we see this as a statement game for them against the team plenty of people are calling the best overall team in the league. Hamilton has posted a 4-0 ATS record in their last 4 home games, and they are an insane 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 Friday games. Winnipeg comes into this game on the heels of dismantling of Ottawa at home by a 31-1 score. Ottawa is barely a team, so don't let the score or the performance fool you into thinking anything other than a complete mismatch. Winnipeg does have its fair share of struggles and we don't envision a scenario where Matt Nichols completes another franchise-high 19-passes in a row and 86.2 percent completions. That won't happen on the road against a good Tiger-Cats defense. This is a statement game for Hamilton and we will gladly take the points as we believe this line should be close to a PK if not a Hamilton favorite.

10-Unit Play. Take #920 Cleveland (-1.5 RL) over Detroit (7:10 p.m. Thursday, July 18) There was talk of the Indians being sellers at the trade deadline when they were struggling, but they have turned things around and are just four games behind the Twins for the American Central lead. Cleveland has owned Detroit this season winning 11 of the 12 matchups and with Trevor Bauer taking the mound I think they will win this one and complete the sweep. Cleveland has won six of the last seven starts Bauer has made and he has 57 strikeouts over those games. Matthew Boyd has pitched well for the Tigers this year but he is catching the Indians at the wrong time as they are getting contributions all throughout their lineup and Jose Ramirez is starting to produce for the tribe. I like Cleveland to get it done in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #925 Washington (-1.5 RL) over Baltimore (7:05 p.m. Tuesday, July 16)

The Baltimore Orioles knew this season was going to be a rebuilding year and they have had their struggles. Enter the Washington Nationals that are their interstate rivals and are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball right now. The Nationals have won 30 of 42 games to climb into second place in the National League East and I think they will dispose of the Orioles in this one. Austin Voth will be making a spot start for Max Scherzer who was placed on the disabled list with a back strain. Asher Wojciechowski will be making his third start for the O's and I don't think he will be able to limit the Washington offense that has been clicking lately. Take the Nats here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #966 Cleveland (-1.5 RL) over Detroit (7:10 p.m. Monday, July 15)

Cleveland has dominated Detroit so far in the season series taking eight of the nine matchups they have had and I think there will be another Cleveland win tonight. The Indians are starting to make their move as they have been chasing the Twins for most of the season, winning seven of their last nine games. Adam Plutko will be on the mound for the Indians and he already beat the Tigers this year when he allowed 2 earned runs over 6 innings in a 13-4 win and I think he can match that performance in this one. Daniel Norris will have the ball for Detroit and he has lost his last three starts allowing 14 earned runs over 17 innings. I like the Indians here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. #688. Take Hamilton -4 over  Calgary (Saturday at 7:00 pm). As per your selection on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, we believe that last week's loss to Montreal was a not only a letdown spot for the Ti-Cats, but it will serve as a wake-up call for the team to let them know they haven't won anything yet. They come into this game with an extra two days of preparation and rest and they now have the film on what to expect from Stamps quarterback Nick Arbuckle. Hamilton - outside of the 36 points allowed last week had given up just 24 points total in their first two games. They do have a good defensive unit and we believe they are going to stand up and take this challenge head-on and succeed. Offensively, Hamilton is still among the top offenses in the league and they are led by QB Masoli who leads the CFL in passing with 94 completions in 134 attempts for 1,325 yards in four games. He's also thrown seven touchdowns. This is a great spot for the TiCats to bounce back in front of their home fans in a prime time CFL spot. The Stamps on the other hand, sure they beat up on a Saskatchewan team who was on a super short week and isn't really all that good. They may have chalked up 379 yards of offense, but that was buoyed by three interceptions by their defense (extra possessions). We don't expect them to win the turnover margin by that much in this spot. The TiCats have been a good bet in Week 5 as they are 3-0-1 ATS and they are also 4-2 ATS in their last 6 home games.

7-Unit Play. #102. Competition: Women's World Cup. Take England +180 to Qualify for Next Round vs the USA (Tuesday @ 3:00 pm). Includes  90 Minutes + Injury Time + Extra Time and/or Penalties if required. For this selection to win, England must win by any means and advance to the next round.

As per your selection England to qualify for the next round - available on 5Dimes - we believe it's time for another team to step up and end the US' reign as the best team in the world. Look, England has looked great at times this tournament and then a little sloppy for moments, but the one thing remains constant - they play great defense and we believe that is going to be the key here as they shut down the US. England has kept four straight clean sheets and their last goal allowed came in the opening group stage game. They've also scored more at least 2 goals in three straight and four of their five tournament games, which tells us that they can attack when needed and be potent enough to finish their chances. I wrote about England having a solid shot at redemption this tournament after falling in the Semi's in 2015, so the Lionesses know that this is their shot at redemption and we see them taking it vs a US team that is coming off a very emotional game vs France - one where they were on the back foot for most of the game, and one where a fluke free-kick and a counter attack were the difference. (We had over 2.5 goals so we aren't complaining). The point is, we've seen the US field better versions of their squad and this year, the attack looks very stagnant and as was on display vs France and Spain - the defense can be had - it's only a matter of taking your chances - and that's something England does well - scoring 2.67 goals across their last three games. It's going to be a battle, but ultimately we believe England is the more complete team on the field and at this price we need to make this a max play.

10-Unit Play. #101. Competition: Women's World Cup. Take Australia -150 to Qualify for Next Round vs Norway (Saturday @ 3:00 pm). Includes 90 Minutes + Injury Time + Extra Time and/or Penalties if required. For this selection to win, Australia must win by any means and advance to the next round.

As per your selection on Australia to advance to the next round - this selection can be found on Bovada - we simply believe that Australia is the better and more complete team and they will show their class in this matchup against a Norway team that has benefitted from extreme fortune to be in this spot. Look, Australia had their one letdown game against Italy in the opener, but as they stormed back against Brazil from 2-0 down and as they tore apart Jamaica 4-1, this team has shown me that they are resilient and that they have the attacking power required to outscore opponents when the game calls for it. Now they get to take on a Norway team who have benefitted from 2 own goals and 2 penalties, they've simply scored two of their own goals from open play. In a knockout round against a good opponent like Australia, we don't believe they are going to just find their offensive form and dominate. IT should be noted that Australia boasts an unbeaten record against Norway including a 4-3 win at the Algarve Cup in Feb 2018. We look for Australia to dominate possession in this game and continue their goal-scoring run to get them into the next round.

The Warriors can win this game and be right back in the driver’s seat for the series. They have been here before and had some scares in the postseason before, but they have so much experience and they won’t be scared and will just take care of business. They get some help tonight as Klay Thompson should be back in the lineup, and they know there’s a chance that Durant could be back for Game 5. They know there’s no reason to panic. We think scoring will be a lot better for the home team from Game 3 with Klay back here, and Toronto has shown they are hot on offense as well. But we think the Warriors will play with a purpose here with their backs against the wall, and we think they take care of business tonight.

Everyone remembers the last game in an NBA playoff series, and the Bucks were routed in Game 4 in Toronto. We will give this team a mulligan, however, as we think they just had a bad game. It happens to the best of teams. But if Game 3 had gone a little different, this could easily be an elimination game for the Bucks. We think this is a great spot for them to rebound, and we don’t at all think that the Raptors have the momentum in this series. The Bucks will play their best at home and have a chance to close it out in Game 6 in Toronto. We took the over last time out as these teams had just come off Double OT and were tired. They should be more well rested here, and we expect a lower-scoring game. We think the defenses will really step up as this is a crucial game in what is now a 3-game series. And we think there’s a decent chance this could be a blowout and that the Raptors will be held to a real low score.

The advantage goes to the better team when two teams are tired, and after the long Game 3 with two overtimes we think that gives the Bucks the advantage here in Game 4. Toronto needed an almost superhuman effort to win Game 3, and we think the Bucks had an off game. But this team is focused and determined and we don’t see them losing this game. We saw what happened after the Denver/Portland four OT game when defense went out the window in the following game with tired legs. We expect to see a similar result here and we think the scoring will be way up from what we saw in regulation in Game 3. We expect more shots to drop, and we think Milwaukee will do everything they can to ensure that they have a chance to close this out in Game 5 back at home, especially now that their probable NBA Finals opponent is already waiting and resting after Golden State swept the Blazers (and they have major injuries they are hoping for extra time to heal).

Golden State is playing some of their best basketball of the season right now. Maybe some of these players hate Kevin Durant and want to win in spite of him, but they have rallied around each other and things have been working out great. Portland, at the end of Game 3, reminded me of the old Clippers team when they would be close in the playoffs at the end of a game. They just completely fell apart and had no control of the ball. They were just hoisting prayer shots up. They were basically panicking with their season on the line and the Warriors were cool, calm and collected. Portland needed that Game 3 to have any chance in this series. They are sunk now. And with a good chance to win heading into the fourth and with the way they played (and something isn’t right with Lillard right now), we don’t see how they can pick themselves up and be competitive here in this elimination game.

The Bucks have now covered in six of the last seven meetings after covers in Games 1 and 2. We think that both conference finals series are kind of mismatches, but especially this one. The Bucks just seem like a team built for the postseason while the Raptors seem more like a regular season club. Just look at what happened with Toronto last season, getting swept by the Cavs when it looked like they had their best team ever and Cleveland struggled all through the regular season. But the Bucks haven’t really faced much adversity in these playoffs and they have made things look easy. We think there’s a good chance that this series could end in a sweep as well, and we think there is nice value here getting the plus points in a game that the Bucks could easily win outright. After their slow start in Game 1 they have looked like the clear superior team here, and we don’t think the change in venue will make a difference for Toronto.

Game 3 is the most pivotal in a seven-game series. That is especially the case for the Blazers here as they are down 2-0. A loss here would be devastating to their chances in this series. We don’t think they have much of a chance to win this series, but the Warriors are without Durant and they are not as strong as they have been in past years. They have lost the competitive fire a little bit also, which is natural. Portland played well enough to win in Game 2, but the Warriors staged an epic comeback. But the home court will be kinder to the Blazers, and we expect them to win here tonight. These conference finals have been without much drama so far and we expect the refs to give the home team the close calls tonight. Sweeps in both series would be horrible for the bottom line.

The Bucks were obviously rusty at the start of Game 1 and they went down big to the Raptors early before getting it all together and rallying for the cover. Toronto had come in in better playing form having finished their last series in seven games, but now the Bucks have shaken off the rust and we expect a more complete game from them. We expect the Bucks to have a lot better offensive night, and the total has been adjusted down from Game 1. We think there is value on the over, and we think there’s a great chance that the Bucks could win this one by 10+ if they play as well as they did in the second half in Game 1 all the way through here in Game 2.

We couldn’t be happier with this line. The number we had in our mind was around 9, but we knew the bookies would not open with that big of a number. We think the Raptors are getting a little extra shading with the line here because everyone and their mother saw Leonard’s amazing buzzer-beater on SportsCenter. But we think this Game 1 will be pretty one-sided. The Bucks have looked much more impressive than the Raptors in this postseason. They have been chilling for awhile while the Raps finished a grueling seven-game series on Sunday. The Bucks seem incredibly focused in this postseason so we don’t see them being rusty with the time off. But Toronto could sure use some more rest coming into this one. The Bucks won and covered in three of four meetings this season, and two of those games were blowouts. We think they have a very good chance to win this by double-digits. The Bucks were one of the best ATS teams in the NBA at home this season, and we think they are underrated once again tonight. We expect them to take a statement here tonight with a tour de force in Game 1. We also think this total is too high and we think this will be a low-scoring game like Games 1 were for these teams in the last round.

10-Unit Play. Take #916 Boston (-1.5 RL) over Seattle (1:05 p.m. Saturday, May 11)

Boston is over .500 for the first time this season and that is where I think they will spend the rest of their season. The Red Sox have won the last 4 times Rick Porcello has taken the mound and I think he will lead them to a victory in today's early start time. Porcello has been much better when pitching at home this season going 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA over three starts as compared to being 0-2 with a 7.11 ERA on the road. Boston hit three home runs last night and with the way Felix Hernandez has been pitching recently I think they will hit some today. Hernandez has allowed 4 runs or more in three of his last four starts allowing 6 home runs over that span and he is 0-2 with a 6.16 ERA on the road this season. Boston is 8-2 in their last 10 games and I think they will keep it rolling today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

Kevin Durant has been playing out of his mind in the postseason and the rest of the Warriors supporting cast has been a disappointment most of the time. But this is the defending NBA champ and the current NBA dynasty, and they still have Curry, Thompson and Green, and a solid team all around. They also have a great coach. We think they will do what they can to make this a competitive game. Curry isn’t going to stay cold forever, and with more responsibility tonight we think he has a great game and takes control. We expect a close game here tonight.

Boston hasn’t played well in this series and this season has been a disappointment and there will probably be a shakeup once this team gets bounced in this series. But this team does have heart, and we don’t think they will roll over like some other teams would facing insurmountable odds. We can see the Celtics leaving it all on the court tonight in this elimination game. We have to think Coach Brad Stevens will have his team compete for four quarters and we just think this is too many points as this is the biggest value for Boston during this entire series.

The Sixers have been very competitive in this series but Toronto gutted out a Game 4 win in Philly and now the series has turned into a best-of-3, with Toronto having two games at home. They were always our pick to win this series and they just have a deeper team and more experience in the postseason. The Sixers have not played well here in Toronto has they are 1-5 ATS in their last six visits, and we have a feeling the Raps will break this series open tonight with a comfortable win and put the Sixers on the brink of elimination.

This is really crunch time for the Celtics and they need a win here or there is a good chance this series will slip away. Boston is one of the better defensive teams in the league but they didn’t play well in that regard in the last two games. But they are much better than they have showed, and we expect them to batten down the hatches tonight and play a great defensive game. In Game 1 they held the Bucks to 90 points, and although they may not hold them to that low of a score we think they will make adjustments here as they have one of the best coaches in the league. We expect a very strong showing from the home team tonight.