Sports Picks & Predictions

Charlotte is a really bad road team at 5-12 this season. They face a Clippers team tonight that has been playing well and will continue to provide betting value all season long because of the lack of big names on the roster. Preseason perception of this team was that this squad was a lottery team, and many think they will still fall short of the postseason, but we think, barring major injuries, that this will be a solid playoff team. They play unselfish basketball and the depth is great. They are the No. 3 earner in the NBA for betting, and we like this number again tonight on the south side of the NBA key betting number of 7. Both teams were off yesterday but the Hornets played the second of a back-to-back on Sunday, so this will be their third game in four nights, and this team is in the midst of a long road trip that can possibly sink their season unless they start to play better on the road. The Clippers have covered in seven of their last nine overall, and we think they are undervalued again here on Tuesday.

Boston has scored double-digit wins in their last two games, and we think they make it three straight tonight. Brooklyn has won three straight, but one of those wins was against the Bulls, and that was yesterday, which means they are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights tonight. This team hasn’t been good with no rest at 2-7 ATS. Boston has had two nights off heading into this game, and rest is becoming very crucial at this point of the season. The Celts should have Irving and Morris back tonight. We expect a strong performance.

Love the Suns in this spot. Phoenix has one more win at home than the Hornets do on the road! We think the wrong team is favored here. Charlotte is terrible on the road. They are coming in on a back-to-back after playing in the high altitude of Denver last night, and that is always tough as it takes a toll on the bodies of these players. The Suns have lost five straight, but they have played five strong playoff teams, and they have had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA lately. This is their most winnable game recently, and we think they put their best foot forward. This team is actually 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games and this young team is quietly playing a lot better and has a bright future ahead if these players continue to develop.

10 Unit Play. Take #617 St Johns over Georgetown (1p.m., Saturday, January 5 CBS) The Red Storm are for real and they continue to be undervalued by the odds makers. Both teams have played an easy schedule thus far in nonconference play. I just feel St Johns is farther along in year 4 of Chris Mullen compared to year 2 of Patrick Ewing. St Johns is still made from the officiating they received in New Jersey last Saturday and expect a similar performance to what we saw from them against Marquette during the week. St. Johns is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Big East games. Georgetown is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Big East games. The favorite is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings.

Miami has been a covering machine lately as they are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games. We think they are undervalued here again tonight. Miami is the kind of team that can hold betting value all year long because of their lack of star power, and we think there’s a good chance for a double-digit win tonight. Washington has covered only one of five meetings in this series. Of course, they are without John Wall, their best player, who has been lost for the season. The Wizards are 0-7 ATS as a dog of 6 or more points this season, meaning they have failed every chance in a situation like they are in tonight. They are only 4-16 on the road this season, and that was with Wall leading the way most of the season. This team just doesn’t have any identity this season, and we don’t expect them to show up in this one tonight.

We just think that this is too many points. The Warriors are playing well, but when that happens the numbers get too high and this team has been one of the worst bets in the NBA the last couple seasons because of that fact. They are 16-22 ATS on the season, and they have covered only two of their last seven. Houston is the hotter team right now. They have won 10 of 11 and are playing well without Chris Paul. We expect them to put their best foot forward tonight in what should be a very competitive game.

The Suns got smoked last time out against the Warriors, but this team has been playing hard lately and their young nucleus is starting to come together. They have covered in eight of their last 10 games, so they are playing above oddsmakers expectations. Philly comes in on a back-to-back and this is their third game in four nights, and they go home after this game, so this may be a letdown spot for them. This team has not been very good on the road this season, where they are 7-12 ATS on the season.

10 Unit Play. Take #606 St Johns over Marquette (7p.m., Tuesday, January 1 FS1) This game can go 1 of 2 ways for the Red Storm. They entered last Saturday undefeated and dominated for most of the game against Seton Hall. Missed some free throws and got hosed by the refs and they ended up losing at the buzzer but still covered the spread. Now this must regroup and make sure the conference season does not go down the drain. I think they will since they have the best player and Marquette has done most of their damage at home. The Golden Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. St. Johns is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 meetings with Marquette. This is a game the Red Storm need to save their season and they get it by 6-8 points.

10 Unit Play. Take #262 Michigan State Spartans over Oregon Ducks (3p.m., Monday, December 31 FOX Redbox Bowl) COLLEGE BOWL GAME OF THE YEAR. Never been a fan of Mario Cristobal as a head coach. He was a very uninspired hire and his recruiting greatness never seems to match his coaching ability. The same cannot be said about Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, as he gets the most out of his talent and this year is no exception. Oregon may have the edge on offense, but Michigan State has the best defense they have seen all season long and Sparty also had a huge edge in special teams. QB Herbert will play in this game but I believe he is already thinking about the NFL draft and is not that concerned about winning this game. Oregon has been the favorite in their last 3 bowl games and they have lost all of them straight-up (2 of them by double-digits). Michigan State dominated Washington State in their bowl game last year and expect a similar performance this year in a California bowl game. Oregon is 5-15 ATS ATS (1 push) in their last 21 games following a victory in their previous game. Michigan State is 7-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 neutral site games.

The Sixers have been bad on the road this season, but they are getting better as they played well in their last two road games in Utah and Boston, winning against the Jazz and falling to the Celtics in OT. The main reason we like this play is because the Sixers are well rested. They have had two days off coming into this one. The Blazers are on a back-to-back, and they will be playing their third game in four nights, with both of the previous games coming against the Warriors. Those were very important games for the Blazers, and now they face a rested out-of-conference foe. We just don’t see them giving that maximum effort that would be required in a game like this. Philly has covered in five of the last six meetings.

The Clippers are definitely out of their slump, and they have won four of five and covered in five straight. Both teams are playing in a back-to-back here and both are on their third game in four nights. But the Clippers have been home the whole time (last night they were the “road” team against the Lakers but in their own arena). The Spurs had to play in the high altitude in Denver, and that can really wear a team down. We think revenge is an overrated handicapping angle, but we do think the Clippers remember their absolute beatdown at the hands of the Spurs in San Antonio a couple weeks ago. We think this will be a perfect spot to get some payback tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #649 St Johns over Seton Hall (8:30p.m., Saturday, December 29 FSN) Top College Basketball Play of the Day We are not going into this game blindly. St Johns is undefeated, but they are not ranked and have not played a very good nonconference schedule. That being said they are much more talented than the Pirates who lost 4 straights off of last year’s team that reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Storm have the best player on the floor and I expect them to win this game straight-up in a game that goes down to the wire. The Pirates claim to fame is beating Kentucky, but the Wildcats have had an up and down season thus far. The Underdog has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings. St Johns is an NCAA Tournament team and they will start off Big East play with a road win to keep their undefeated streak in-tact.

We expect a big game from the Bucks, who were off on Friday, while the Nets played the second game of a grueling home-and-home with Charlotte, the first of which went to OT. So they are on a back-to-back here and playing their third game in four nights. We don’t see things going well for them. The Bucks are 23-8-1 ATS in this series, so they always seem to get up for this matchup. The early start time goes against the Nets here as well as the back-to-back. This looks like it could be a massive blowout as the Nets should be running on fumes here.

Brooklyn has the better record but we think the Hornets are the better team. Like many lousy teams, the Hornets are much better at home (12-7) than they are on the road (4-10). These teams played last time out in Brooklyn and the Hornets played well enough to win in a OT loss. We think revenge is way overrated in the NBA as a handicapping angle but it does come into play when the teams met recently, and that is certainly the case here. We think the Hornets will get a comfortable win here at home.

10 Unit Play. Take #238 Wisconsin Badgers over Miami Hurricanes (5:15p.m., Thursday, December 27 ESPN Pinstripe Bowl) Just do not see why Miami is favored in this no buzz rematch from a bowl game last year. Wisconsin picked apart Miami last year and their quarterback had a career game against them. I just get the feeling that they will rekindle some of that magic in this game against a warm weather team playing a late December game in New York City. Wisconsin has won 4 straight bowl games. Miami has lost three straight games and they are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 bowl games. Miami is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Big 10 teams. Grab the points and expect Wisconsin to win this game straight-up.

The Suns have now covered six straight games and this team is playing their best basketball of the season. They have won four out of their last six games, and they could have won another but fell at Washington in OT. On a back-to-back the next night they played their only lousy game recently, but that was to be expected after that barnburner of a game that was multiple overtimes in the nation’s capital. This team is completely healthy right now and they are really coming together as a team. Rookie Ayton is starting to show why he was the No. 1 pick in the draft, and Booker is a star. Orlando is 3-5 ATS this season as a favorite and this is tied with the biggest number they have laid all season. Just don’t think this team is good enough to be giving up a number like this, especially against a surging team like the Suns. Phoenix has covered in all of the last five meetings in Orlando.

Boston has a strong history in this series and they are the better ballclub. And the number is right here for a big win on Christmas. The Sixers haven’t covered a line in their last four trips to Boston and they are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings. Philly is great at home but they have struggled on the road, and they have very few quality wins away from home. They lost to Boston on the road in the season opener by almost 20 points. They were blown out in Milwaukee. Toronto (twice). San Antonio. Those were their toughest road games, and they lost by double digits in each. We think they have a very good chance to lose here by double digits. Boston has been a bit streaky and they followed up a long winning streak by losing three straight. But they got back on track last time out in a 16-point home win vs. Charlotte and they led that game by as many as 33 before taking their foot off the gas. They shot 50 percent from the field, and we think that hot shooting will carry over here. Philly has won two straight, but they were both at home. They are just 6-9 on the road, however, and they have covered just 5 of 15 away from home this season. Boston has been one of the best and most stable betting teams the last couple years, and we think they have a great chance to win this one by 10+ on Tuesday.

When the Clippers had Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Warriors seemed to take pleasure in running up the score on the Clippers. They liked to get into these guys heads, and it always worked. But this is a different Clippers team and they are mentally tougher than previous editions. They also play better team basketball, and the team has great depth. The Clips already won the first meeting between these teams, at home in overtime. LA is coming off one of their best games of the season yesterday in their win over Denver. That was an early game so eliminated some of the brunt of the back-to-back here. We see this being a competitive game.

Neither of these teams is in top form right now after both started off the season defying expectations to become two of the best ATS teams in the NBA.  But this looks like a great spot for the Clippers to get back on the winning track. They played well enough to win in their last two matchups vs. Portland and at OKC, but the opponent played a bit better. They have had two days off to focus here. The Mavs have been horrible on the road at 2-10 on the season, and they are in the midst of one of the toughest road trips any NBA team will see this season. They had been one of the best bets in the NBA but have lost their last three ATS as of this writing. The Clippers have had more time to regroup, and they have been able to do it at home, while the Nuggets have only one day off and should be road weary. We expect the number to be right here and we think this is a great spot for the home team to get a comfortable win.

The Wizards haven’t been very good on the road, where they have won only four games all season. But the Hawks have been just as bad at home, where they have won only four. One of those road wins was less than two weeks ago in Atlanta against these same Hawks. That was a 14-point win but only because the Wizards took their foot off the gas when up by as much as 25 at one point. The Wizards went on to lose four straight after that, but this team looks like it might be on the way back up after one of the best wins of the season last time out in an 18-point home win over the Lakers. This Wizards team has not had enough success this season to overlook a team like the Hawks, and the talent discrepancy between these two clubs is large. We see the Wizards getting another comfortable win here in a game that sure looks like a mismatch.

The Clippers haven’t been playing well, having dropped five of their last six, and this team has lost the confidence of bettors. But we think this is a great spot for them to get back on track tonight. This team has played seven of the last nine on the road, and overall their strength of schedule has been very tough. But this team is still 9-3 SU at home and 8-4 ATS. We have bet against the Clippers in their last two games, and they failed to cover both. But they barely missed the cover last time out at OKC, and we liked what we saw from them down the stretch in that tough matchup. But we think they can continue that momentum here at home against a Portland team that is lousy on the road. They are 5-9 SU and 4-10 ATS on the season in road contests. Damian Lillard also missed practice yesterday and is attending to a personal matter to which we are not sure of the nature, but he might not have his head in the game 100%, and we think the Clippers will be very focused to get a win here and put an end to their current losing streak.

These are two of the best ATS teams in the league facing off in Dallas tonight, but we think the Mavs are the better ballclub and we like them laying fewer than seven here on Sunday Night. The Mavs are coming off a somewhat embarrassing loss to the Suns, and they should bounce back well here. We think they will put their best foot forward here after playing lousy last time out. This is also their last home game before they go on a four-game road trip against WC playoff contenders, and that makes a win here imperative. They should be heavy dogs in all those road games. The Kings are coming off a home loss to Golden State where they played well and covered. This is probably a letdown spot after that strong effort.

10 Unit Play. Take #327 New England Patriots over Pittsburgh Steelers (4:25p.m., Sunday, December 16 CBS) Both teams need to turn the page quickly after bad losses last Sunday. The Patriots seldom lose two games in a row and they are playing a team in disarray at the moment. Pittsburgh has not beaten New England since 2011 and the Patriots are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games following a loss in their previous game. Over this winning streak, the Patriots average margin of victory is 11 points against the Steelers. Pittsburgh is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games played during the month of December. New England is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games played in December.

If the Rockets were a stock, we would be buying right now. We knew this team would start to turn it on, and now it seems like that is taking place after wins and covers in their last two games, against the Blazers and Lakers. The Grizzlies had a very strong start to the season, but they are trailing off now. Their offense has failed to reach the century mark in five of their last six games. The Houston offense has really got in rhythm and we don’t think the Grizzlies will be able to slow them down. Houston has won and covered the last two meetings by double digits, and they have covered in four of the last six meetings. Those trends hold firm tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #667 Indiana over Butler (3:45p.m., Saturday, December 15 CBS) This 4 team tournament always seems to feature competitive games and upsets but I just do not believe Butler has the same magic under this coaching staff. The Bulldogs are 7-2 on the season but both of their losses have come against teams that will likely not make the NCAA Tournament come March. Indiana is 8-2 and both of their losses are against quality teams with one of them (Duke) possessing the most talent in the country. Indiana can score points and they are shooting over 51% on the season. Butler will have to be on fire from long range to make a game of this and I do not expect that to happen. The Hoosiers are in year two under Archie Miller and they have already shown flashes of brilliance this year and I expect them to make the NCAA Tournament come March. They pick up another quality win today at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

We will go with the hot team here as the Pacers come in riding a five-game winning streak. This team is healthy now, while the Sixers have some injury issues, and Butler is questionable here for this one tonight. The Pacers always get up to play the Sixers, and they are 5-2 ATS in the last seven games in Philly and 9-4 ATS overall in the last 13 meetings. We see this as a very competitive team and the Pacers have been a much better betting team than has the Sixers thus far this season. An outright win is not out of the question here.

The Clippers are trending down right now with four straight ATS losses and five of their last six. They won only one of those ATS loss games, at Phoenix, and the feeble Suns took them to overtime where LA squeaked out the win. Every NBA team goes through these downturns, and you can’t fault the Clips after the way they started the season. But San Antonio is trending up, and they have won and covered three straight, all at home. We thought that this line should be about 4.5 and we would lean Spurs at that number but this small number offers up a lot of value tonight.

After a slow start to the season, the Celtics have come on strong lately and this team has now won and covered in five straight. Most of those games were blowouts, including a matchup at New Orleans to start the streak, a 124-107 Celtics win. We think revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle, and the Pelicans have been inconsistent lately and they are just trying to get on the same page as a team. If they are hunting for revenge then they will have a lot of teams in their target as they have been racking up too many losses lately. We have to go with the hot hand here as the Celtics are now playing to their potential, and that potential has them as a Top 2 team in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks have been just average on the road this season at 4-5 on the year. We thought that this line should be above 7, so we think there is some great value with what looks like the best team in the NBA during the first part of the season. The Bucks won the last matchup very early in the season, but they are not in the best form right now as they have covered in only one of their last seven games. This one looks like a real mismatch and we expect the home team to win comfortably.

10 Unit Play. Take #129 Philadelphia Eagles over Dallas Cowboys (1:25p.m., Sunday, December 9 FOX) Everyone has just given the Cowboys the NFC East and disregarded the defending Super Bowl Champions. We will gladly take the points in this game and look for Philadelphia to come out strong in this must win game for them. The Eagles are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 road divisional games when they are an underdog. The Cowboys are 9-18 ATS in their last 27 home divisional games when they are a favorite. The road team has covered the spread in 11 of the last 14 match-ups. 

10 Unit Play. Take #777 Wisconsin over Marquette (5p.m., Saturday, December 7 FOX) This battle of Wisconsin takes place at the new Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. We used Marquette last week as our big play and won easily but I do not expect the kind of officiating in this game that we saw in that game. The road team has dominated this series having covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings. Wisconsin is 9-0 ATS in their last 9 road games. Marquette is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Big 10 teams. Wisconsin is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games against teams with a winning record. The Badgers have the best player in the floor in Ethan Happ and they will not let Markus Howard go off like he did last Saturday.

The Grizzlies have lost four of five but they faced a real tough slate during that stretch that saw them lose to Toronto, at Philly, and at these same Clippers. The Grizzlies had that game in hand until some late Clipper heroics and then they lost in overtime and missed the cover by ½ point. They will put their best foot forward tonight against a traditional rival and with the venue now at home. Memphis has had two nights off and they are 6-0 ATS with this much rest. We think they will be very focused to get back on track in this one. The Clippers are one of the biggest surprises in the league this year and they are a very good team. But they are starting to be overvalued by the oddsmakers, and we think that is the case here tonight. We think this will be a high-scoring game and that the posted total is about four points too low.

The Bulls are a terrible team, but they have covered just as many games this season as the Pacers have. We simply think that this line is too large on Tuesday. The Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday, and sometimes this gives the team some extra motivation as sometimes the coach’s message has stopped getting through to the players. We think they will play hard here. The Pacers are the much better team, but they are missing their superstar and best player in Oladipo and this squad has lost four out of its last six. They are also on the dreaded first game back home after a long road trip, not to mention they play on the road for one game after this home contest, and sometimes players don’t give full effort in these spots since they have off-the-court life dealings to consider. This is too many points on Tuesday.

Two teams that are playing very well, but the Pistons have won five straight and seven of their last eight. They are in amazing form right now and clicking on all facets of the game when this team has underwhelmed so many times over the years. They are 9-3 at home this season while the Thunder are just average on the road at 5-4. Both teams have been winning against an easy schedule lately, but we have just been more impressed by what the Pistons have done, and they are the team catching points at home. Very live home dog here on Monday that should be able to get the outright win.

The wrong team is favored here. The Clippers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season and they sit No. 1 in the Western Conference. They have had a decently easy schedule lately and this team is just average on the road where they sit at 6-5 on the season (The Mavs are 8-2 at home). Dallas has won seven of their last nine so they are in fine form as well. DeAndre Jordan will be hyped to play against his old team, and the rest of his teammates will rally around him against what is becoming a bit of an overrated Clippers team.

10 Unit Play. Take #376 New England Patriots over Minnesota Vikings (4:25p.m., Sunday, December 2 FOX) These back to back road games on the docket for Minnesota will likely doom them in. Going to New England this week and Seattle the next week is as tough to travel as there is in the league. Minnesota just does not have the same defense that they had last year. New England will be able to score in the thirties in this game and I just do not believe Minnesota will be able to keep pace. The Patriots are starting to get healthy and they are always tough to beat in December (8-1 ATS last 9 December games). Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Patriots have just been going through the motions of late, but this is a game that they will get up for and win it by double-digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #534 Marquette over Kansas State (2p.m., Saturday, December 1 FS1) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR Both teams return a ton of experience, but Marquette needs this game more to bolster their hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid. Always like a game that features an unranked team that is favored against a ranked team. The Golden Eagles are a much better team at home and this will be the first two road game for Kansas State and their Milwaukee native coach. Marquette has two losses on the season, but they have played a much more difficult schedule, but they have yet to record a quality win. This will be the day that it happens. Generally, to win on the road against good teams you must shoot the ball well from long range and that is just not something this Wildcat team does well. This will be a contrast in styles with Marquette having the edge on the perimeter compared to K-State having the edge in the pant. Kansas State is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Big East teams. Marquette has yet to hit their stride and play a complete 40 minute game but I expect that to happen on Saturday.

We had this game handicapped at Charlotte -6, so very nice value here in this line. This number seems very public and not a real representation of how these teams have played on the court thus far. Kemba Walker for the Hornets is putting in an MVP-like season so far, and he has the Hornets at 14-7 ATS and 8-3 at home this season. This team will be undervalued no matter how they play since they are so under the radar on a national level. Utah is the “name” team in this matchup, but they haven’t lived up to the massive preseason hype. They are under .500 on the season and they are not playing the stellar defense that we are used to seeing from this team. There isn’t the same teamwork we saw last season. Their star players have underperformed. This team will probably turn it around at some point, but right now they are overvalued by the oddsmakers, and we will take advantage of this bad line tonight with a big play for the Hornets.

The Grizzlies are 12-7 ATS and they keep getting disrespected by the oddsmakers. That is the case here tonight as we had them +1 in this matchup and give them a good chance to win outright. They lost a tough one on Friday in OT at the Clippers then had a letdown in their last game against the Knicks, so they will be anxious to get back on track here against one of the top teams in the east. Toronto plays Golden State next, so they will probably be more concerned about that matchup, and the Grizzlies head on the road after this game so they know they need a win here. Memphis is 6-3 ATS against above-.500 teams this season, and they are undervalued once again by the bookies tonight.

This is a real tough spot for the Spurs, who are on a back-to-back on the road and playing their third game in four nights despite all NBA teams getting the night off for Thanksgiving. The Bucks have similar rest, but they had a much easier game on Friday against the Suns and they get to stay home for this back-to-back, which is a big advantage. San Antonio is down this season from what we are used to, and this team isn’t very good on the road. The Bucks are nearly unbeatable on their home court and they are one of the best ATS teams in the league this season, which means you can trust them laying a big number like this.

10 Unit Play. Take #234 Arizona Wildcats over Arizona State Sun Devils (3:30p.m., Saturday, November 24 FS1) PAC 12 GAME OF THE YEAR The home team has won the last 5 meetings in the Territorial Cup. Arizona needs to win this game to become bowl eligible and they have played much better down the stretch winning 2 of their last 3 games (both wins have come against teams that beat ASU). Arizona State should not be favored as they are just 1-4 straight-up on the road in 2018. There will be a lot of points in this game, but I like the way QB Khalil Tate has been playing over his last three games (12 touchdown and 3 interceptions). Arizona is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Arizona State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. The underdog is 15-6 ATS in the last 21 Territorial Cup meetings.

Overjoyed to get Utah as an underdog here as they are the superior team and should get the straight up road win tonight at Staples Center. Don’t be fooled by the records for these teams; the Jazz have gotten off to a slow start against a tougher schedule. And even at 10-7 straight up, the Lakers have been overvalued by the oddsmakers, as all LeBron James teams tend to be, as they are just 6-11 ATS on the season. Utah has won seven straight in this series. Yes, the Lakers are stronger with LeBron now, but you can’t ignore that long stretch of dominance. The Jazz are pretty fresh off a long road trip where they went 2-3 and then they dropped the normally-tough first game back home after a long trip to the Kings. We think they really need this game to get back on track and we think they give max effort here in a very winnable game. For whatever reason the Jazz have played better on the road than at home this season, and they have also covered five of the last seven meetings between these two teams in LA.

After a hot start the Bucks had some struggles as they went through a tough stretch (3-4 SU and ATS). But they have won and covered two straight and this team is trending up again. This is a more complete and better team than the Blazers, and we expect a comfortable win from the home team tonight. These teams have almost identical records and yet the Bucks are laying a decent-sized number here. We think it’s not big enough, however. Also, the Bucks have owned this series as they are 11-3-1 ATS in the last 15 meetings. The Blazers are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights while the Bucks were off Tuesday and they have had a mellow schedule recently. They are primed for a big game tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #533 Minnesota over Washington (6:30p.m., Wednesday, November 21 BTN) Washington just has not been playing well early in the season. They needed to rally to beat a so-so Texas A&M team last night and I do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game. Minnesota had an easier game last night against Santa Clara and they should be better rested for this game tonight in Vancouver. Washington got blown out Auburn and they have struggled to cover the spread during much of the early season.  Washington is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams. Minnesota is 7-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games against PAC-12 teams.

The Clippers are a Top 4 team in the west in the standings right now, and not many expected this. But if they stay healthy all season, this is going to be a playoff team and one that the top teams in the west will not want to play in the postseason. They are 9-6 against the spread this year so far, so they are defying oddsmakers expectations. This team plays great team basketball and they are unselfish. They have guys that can score and they play decent defense. They started their road trip last time out against Brooklyn in what could have been a letdown spot after home wins against the Spurs and Warriors, but they won and covered in that contest. Now they face a much weaker team in Atlanta tonight. This is arguably the worst team in the NBA. They have lost seven straight and covered in only three of those games, despite some generous lines from the oddsmakers. This Clippers team seems like one that will not lower itself to the level of competition like past Clippers squads, and we think they take advantage of this situation for an easy road win tonight.

We have faded the Golden State Warriors the last two games, and it has worked out pretty well, so we will go for three in a row here. We have the feeling the Warriors may enter their toughest stretch of this current regime. They have off-court drama going on, impending free agency and injuries. They also don’t have the fire they have had in previous seasons. And we don’t think they give a crap. As long as they are healthy and synched heading into the playoffs, we don’t think this team cares about playoff positioning as long as they are a Top 4 seed. The Spurs are in a more desperate situation tonight as they have lost five of six. But they have played a road-heavy schedule. They are still dominant at home at 5-2, and they will put their best foot forward tonight. They aren’t going to give the Warriors any breaks because of their current problems, and we think they win this one by a comfortable margin tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #416 Nebraska Cornhuskers over Michigan State Spartans (12p.m., Saturday, November 17 FOX) Nebraska is one of the most improved teams in the country and they have a good chance to win their remaining two games on the schedule. They have been playing a home heavy schedule of late and this has allowed them to get healthy. Michigan State has a terrible offense and I just do not believe they will be able to attack and score consistently on this suspect Husker defense. Nebraska has covered the spread in 5 straight games including our top play a few weeks ago when they blew out Minnesota. This is just a classic case of two teams heading in different directions. QB Arian Martinez can play and will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in this conference. Nebraska is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 meetings with Michigan State (4-1 in Lincoln).

We love to back a good team after a bad loss, and that handicapping angle doesn’t get any better than this matchup tonight. The Jazz suffered what will go down as one of the worst (and most head-scratching) losses of the season last time out when they lost by 50 points in Dallas. That is just a super embarrassing result and this team will come out and give max effort tonight, we have no doubt about that. This is one of the best teams in the NBA. Teams just have off nights like this where nothing goes right, and there was a real lack of effort there after things got out of hand. But starters played limited minutes and they will have extra energy to get things back on track here tonight. The Jazz had won and covered three straight before that loss, so overall we will give them a mulligan for that game and assume they will return to current form here. And they are 5-3 on the road this season.  Philly is undefeated at home, but this team hasn’t had a very tough home slate. This is their toughest home game of the season by far. And we think overall the Jazz are a much better team. Philly is just 6-10 ATS this season, so it’s obvious they are overvalued by the oddsmakers. We think Utah has a great chance for the outright win here.

Love the Rockets in this spot. They started the season real slow, but now they have won five of seven and they enter this one on a two-game winning streak. It seems like parting from Carmelo Anthony did this team a world of good, and they seem to have their confidence back. On the other side of the court is the Warriors. And you have to wonder if the cracks they have shown lately are the start of the end for this dynasty. Draymond Green is starting lots of drama with this team, and one of the best things about this squad in recent years was their ability to mesh on and off the court. This team has now covered only one of their last four, and the Hawks have them all they could handle last time out (we cashed on Atlanta as a big underdog). You get the feeling that the Warriors are not invested in this game as much as the Rockets. Houston is a team that wants to do a lot of damage in the regular season, while the Warriors just want to make sure everything is good before the postseason, and that is their biggest concern. And Curry is the stabilizing force with this Warriors team, and with the current drama surrounding this club, his presence on the court will be sorely missed tonight.

6 Unit Play. Take #508 Creighton +2 over Ohio State (7p.m., Thursday, November 15 FS1) Playing in Omaha is always a tough challenge and with the talent Ohio State lost from last year I do not expect them to win this true road game. Creighton lost a bunch of talent as well but they do have the advantage of playing this at the CenturyLink Center. Most of the money is coming in on Ohio State yet the line is going the other direction. Creighton is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams.

We think Miami will be extra motivated here tonight after dropping three straight games at home, but those were all against playoff-quality teams. They will be desperate for a win tonight, and now they face a lottery team in the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn lost one of their best players when Caris LeVert went down with a really bad foot injury last time out against Minnesota. It looks like he won’t be lost for the season, but he was really the engine for this team and see some regression from this team for maybe a few games until they can get back in the groove. The Heat have a very strong history here in Brooklyn as they are 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings. This team hasn’t always played well this season and they have been somewhat of a disappointment thus far, but this is a playoff-quality club and we think this is a great spot for them to get back on track against a line that looks quite a bit short in our eyes.

10 Unit Play. Take #507 Wisconsin over Xavier (6:30p.m., Tuesday, November 13 FS1) Xavier is in a complete rebuilding mode this year and will have a new coach on the end line as well with Chris Mack bolting to Louisville. Wisconsin had a terrible season last year but had a couple of key injuries and everyone is back and they should be able to return to the NCAA Tournament. They have the best player on the floor in Ethan Happ and look for them to return the favor of winning this game on the road (Xavier won in Madison last year). This is an important game for Wisconsin to keep their confidence high and for their unproven coach. Wisconsin has covered the spread in 6 straight road games. Xavier is 0-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 home games. Wisconsin opened as a favorite for this game and that lets me believe they are the right side for this play.

Sacramento is underrated and we think this is a very public line on Monday night. The Kings have one of the better offenses in the NBA right now and they can light up the scoreboard on any given night. The Kings have had some tough games lately, but this seems like a good spot for a bounce back. The Spurs are a bit down this year and they come off a big win over Houston but we don’t see this team putting together two strong games. We had this game handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value on the home dog tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #156 Cincinnati Bearcats over USF Bulls (7p.m., Saturday, November 10 ESPN U) The Bulls are in freefall at the moment having lost two straight games after a 7-0 start to the season. They will not get out of that funk tonight against Cincinnati a team that is a sneaky 8-1 on the season. USF is getting no respect from the linemakers evident by being a big underdog two of the last three weeks. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings. USF played cupcakes to open the season and their defense will provide little resistance against the Bearcats. USF is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 AAC games. This is going to be a double-digit blowout for the Bearcats and we will collect big with them in the process.

The Hornets have been good at covering the spread this season, but we think the price is right for the home team in this situation. The Sixers have covered in six of the last seven meetings between these clubs, and the non-cover, this season, was still a Philly win. The Sixers are playing with confidence right now and got their first road win of the season last time out in Indiana, which is a really tough place to play. We think that positive momentum will carry over here on Friday night.

After a slow start the Rockets are really coming on now with three straight wins to start this road trip. The Thunder have won six straight as well, and there were a couple quality wins in there for sure, but for the most part they have beaten up on some dregs. And they are in a tough spot here on a back-to-back and with Westbrook questionable for tonight. This line will change once Westbrook’s status is determined as he nurses an injured ankle. We like the Rockets whether he plays or not, and he probably won’t be near 100% if he does. Not only are they on a back-to-back but they are playing their third game in four nights while the Rockets were off the last two nights. After their slow start, the Rockets can’t afford to take a night off. They need to have a real successful road trip then their slow start will be forgotten. Houston normally plays well here and is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings between these clubs.  

The Sixers have yet to win or cover on the road this season, but they have had some inflated expectations to start the season. But we think those oddsmakers expectations have gone down and we love them getting points tonight in a game they will fight hard to win. They have had a really tough road schedule to start off with. In their last game, also a road game, they were blown out by the likely-lottery team Brooklyn. That has to be embarrassing for this team that has such lofty expectations. So does the 0-5 road start. Not sure that they will get it tonight, but we think they will have extra motivation to play their best, and at their best this is a better team than the Pacers. Indiana has lost two of their last three here at home, and we think there’s a good chance that they drop this one as well.

10 Unit Play. Take #749 BYU over Nevada (11p.m., Tuesday, November 6 CBSSN) Nevada is ranked in the top 10 and that is deservedly so. But they have not looked sharp in the exhibition season getting blown out by Washington at home and struggling for 33 minutes against San Francisco State. They have not been shooting the ball well and struggling on defense. BYU can match their experience and this team is always pesky and used to playing in tough road environments. The Cougars are predicted to finish ahead of Saint Mary’s in the WCC Standing (2nd overall) just behind mid-major power Gonzaga. BYU is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against MWC foes. Look for a Wolf Pack victory by 7-10 points giving us the cover with the underdog.

The Suns stopped a seven-game losing streak last time out as they hosted Memphis, and we think this team is a tad underrated right now. They are not a good team, don’t get us wrong. But Devin Booker is back in the mix for the Suns, and he is a star in this league and gives his team a chance to win every night. He will help their scoring against this small total (for this season in the NBA, at least). And he gives the Suns a great chance to win here at home tonight. Phoenix has played just a brutal schedule, and they have been considerable underdogs in many games this season. But they have covered three of their last four, and we think they will get the win tonight against another probable lottery team from the east.

Neither of these teams is any good, and this is anybody’s game, in our opinion, and we have to grab the points in this matchup. Orlando is 1-4 ATS this season at home and they failed to cover in their one game as a listed favorite, while the Cavs are 3-1 ATS on the road, so they have done their best work in this situation they are in tonight. The Cavs have also covered 8 of the last 11 games here in Orlando, and we think they have a good chance to win this one outright. Orlando is a team we like to back when they are getting major points as they normally excel as a double-digit dog. But we have to fade them here in the favorites role in what we expect to be a close game.

This is a major trap game for the Grizzlies, who we don’t think are as good as their 5-2 record would indicate. They are coming off a huge win at Utah last time out, and they play at Golden State next, so we think they are due for a letdown in this matchup. And we don’t think the Grizzlies should be this big of a road favorite over anyone. And this is a major revenge spot for the Suns, who got thumped a little over a week ago in Memphis. We expect them to play much better here against a familiar opponent, and with the venue now more favorable. We think they have a great chance for the straight up win in this matchup, and we think there is value in this line.

10 Unit Play. Take #468 Seattle Seahawks over Los Angeles Chargers (1:05p.m., Sunday, November 4 CBS) The Seahawks have been playing outstanding football of late and will enter this game having won 4 of their last 5 games. It could be 5-0 if not for a 2-point loss to the Rams. QB Wilson is getting the job done with a bunch of unheralded playmakers around him. They were dominate for three quarters last week against the Lions and look for more of the same this Sunday at home against the Chargers. LA is still banged up on both sides of the football and might be without some key playmakers for this game. LA is just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a bye. Seattle still has a lot of home games remaining this season and I look for them to win all of them and make the playoffs as a wild card. The Chargers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. Seattle has covered the spread 4 of their last 5 games.

Both teams have been very good lately, but with the Celtics big win over Milwaukee on Thursday this team is trending up big time. Boston has been one of the most consistent teams to wager on the last couple seasons, and we really like them with this short line on Saturday. Indiana has won four of six but they have had some dregs on their schedule lately, while Boston is on a four-game winning streak against very solid competition, and their confidence is sky high after knocking the Bucks from the ranks of the unbeaten on Thursday. Boston is playing some of the best defense in the NBA right now, and that will be the difference here on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. Take #377 Georgia Southern Eagles over ULM Warhawks (3p.m., Saturday, November 3 ESPN 3) The Eagles continue to cover spread (7-1 ATS run) and the oddsmakers cannot get a handle on the talent they have. They will enter this game having won five straight games and have been controlling the time of possession in nearly every game that they play. Georgia Southern has beaten ULM all three times they have faced each other as conference opponents. This selection is simple, ULM has trouble stopping the run and Georgia Southern is an outstanding triple option team. The Warhawks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games. The Eagles are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played in the month of November.

The Rockets have been playing like dog poop to start the season at 1-5. They have had an extremely tough schedule to start the season, however, playing a bunch of Western Conference playoff contenders. This is the start of a long and important road trip for the Rockets, and they need to get their act together. We have a feeling this road trip may be very good for Houston. This is their easiest game of the season thus far for sure, and this looks like a good spot to start turning things around. Brooklyn has been decent to start the season and this team plays hard on a nightly basis, but if the Rockets play their best, even without Harden, they have much better talent and should win this game going away.

The Hawks are the worst team in the NBA, and we will go against them here on Thursday night at home. The Kings have started the season hot, and maybe this team will actually be competitive this season. They are 5-3 straight up and 6-2 against the spread, and this line has value as well. This team is in the Top 6 in the three most important offensive categories, and the Kings are lighting up the scoreboard on a regular basis. The Hawks don’t do anything particularly well, and we don’t think their offense can keep in in this game. The Hawks will get too much credit on the line here since they are at home in this matchup. But we think the Kings will take care of business here and continue their hot start to the regular season.

We were happy this line came out under 7 as we really like the Pacers tonight. The Pacers have dominated the last two meetings, winning and covering in both games. Indiana has been very solid to start the season, but they are coming off a lousy effort against Portland last time out. We think they will bounce back against a Knicks team that has been on the wrong end of several blowouts already here in the young season. Indiana is healthy and they will take care of business tonight.

Love this matchup and the short line on the Pacers. The Blazers travel to Houston tomorrow, and we think they will overlook this out-of-conference opponent. Indiana is legit and 4-2 on the young season. But they don’t get respect from the oddsmakers because there aren’t many big names on the roster. But they plan great team basketball and we think they will take care of business tonight and score a win by 7 or more points.

Dallas has played great at home, where they are 2-0 both SU and ATS. This team is underrated coming into the season, and they catch Utah on a back-to-back (Dallas was off Saturday) after a much bigger game against New Orleans yesterday. Dallas has played very well in this series as they have covered in five of the last six matchups. With the Jazz coming in on a back-to-back, we think that evens the playing field here and we think this will be a very close game with the home team in a good spot to pull off the outright upset.

10 Unit Play. Take #271 Green Bay Packers over Los Angeles Rams (4:25p.m., Sunday, October 28 FOX) TOP NFL PLAY OF THE WEEK. This is one of the largest spreads you will ever see against the Packers with Aaron Rodgers has quarterback. I believe it is too big considering the Packers are coming off a bye and should be able to get some key players back for this game. The Rams have been struggling to cover big numbers despite last week’s romp against an inferior opponent (San Francisco). Expect a shootout int his game that goes down to the wire. Green Bay will have a ton of fans in Los Angeles for this game and the Rams struggled to win home games last year. 56% of the early money is coming in on the Packers and that seldom happens with an underdog with this big of a number. Green Bay has covered the spread 5 straight times against the LA Rams.

We have stated before that we like the Magic as a double-digit underdog, and they are 2-0 ATS in this role so far this season. We think they have a great shot to be competitive tonight against this big number. The Bucks are on a back-to-back here after a tough game at Minnesota last night and they are coming off a recent game against Philly, too, so this will be their third game in four nights. They also host Toronto on Sunday, so this makes this a major letdown spot. The Magic were off on Friday and they are well rested overall and we think the Bucks might be on upset alert tonight.

The Wolves have played better than expected to start the season, and even with all the Jimmy Butler drama they have been very competitive. They have covered two straight games and we expect them to complete the trifecta tonight. Last time out they were very competitive in Toronto. They will come into this game with a lot of confidence against another Eastern Conference opponent. The Bucks are coming off their big win at home against Philly. They have looked great against a home-heavy schedule but played their worst game on the road in the season opener against Charlotte.

Boston has gotten off to a real slow start to the season and they are just 1-3 ATS so far on the year. This team is clearly overrated by the oddsmakers. The Thunder have yet to notch a win on the year, so they have started slow too. They are just getting Westbrook back in the mix, though, and there’s no doubt they will be hyped up for not only this opponent but to get their first win in 2018. Boston will be fine and they are one of the best teams in the East, if not THE best. But we have to take advantage of their slow start and go against them tonight.

It’s tough to back the Cavaliers after their blowout loss to the Hawks in their home opener. That should have been their first win of the season, but instead they were embarrassed by what is the consensus pick for worst team in the NBA this season. We do like to back teams after a shameful loss like that, especially this Cavs team that has a lot of playoff experience (and pride) on the roster. Bettor confidence is at an all-time low for this team right now after LeBron left town and now 0-3 to start the year. That has created some value here, however, as we had this line at 5.5 since the Nets aren’t anything special. We think there’s a good chance that the Cavs cruise in this one.

The Clippers have had a strong start to the season, as we predicted because we have used them a bunch already. But they have enjoyed the cushy confines of Staples Center for a three-game homestand to start the season. The season gets real here, however, with this tough game followed by a trip to Houston. LA normally doesn’t play well here. They are 5-15 ATS in their last 20 visits here. And they have covered only one of the last five no matter the venue. We think this line is giving a bit too much credit for the Clippers hot start, and we have to remember there was no Westbrook in the OKC win and no CP3 in the Rockets win. But Anthony Davis brings the star power tonight, and he and his teammates should win this one comfortably.

The Wizards don’t want to start the season in an 0-3 hole so we think they put their best foot forward tonight in a very winnable game for them. Even though they are 0-2, they have played well in two tough games to open the season and they could have easily won either or both of those games. The Blazers finish their three-game homestand to start the season and they are 2-0 entering this contest. We think these teams are fairly even but the road team should be the more motivated of the two and we think they keep this one close if not win outright.

We think the Clippers are very underrated this year. They don’t have any big-name players any more and the public thinks they suck. But as this team is constructed, if they stay healthy they are likely a playoff team in the ultra-competitive west. They would probably be a high seed in the east. They have some injury-prone players for sure, but this team is completely healthy right now and their injury sheet as of this writing is completely clear for Sunday night. They catch Houston in a letdown spot after their big game against LeBron and the Lakers last night. The Clippers played very hard in every game against the Rockets last season. They won two of those matchups, they covered in three, and they did not lose any of the games by more than tonight’s spread. We think there is amazing value in the underdog here tonight.

The Rockets had a head-scratching loss at home to the Pelicans to open the season. They no doubt don’t want to open the season 0-2. This team is not going to lose many games in the regular season, barring major injuries, and we think they will get back on track in a major way against the overrated Lakers. In their season opener at Portland the Lakers showed flashes, but they also showed that they aren’t ready for primetime. We think that it will take quite awhile for this team to gel and start playing like a team. LeBron James teams are always overrated by the oddsmakers, and Cleveland with him has been one of the worst bets in the NBA the last couple seasons. This Lakers team is even more raw and they have thrown together a cast of characters that will take some time to meld into a cohesive unit. We think Houston will be extra motivated tonight and expect them to win this one comfortably

10 Unit Play. Take #380 Nebraska Cornhuskers over Minnesota Golden Gophers (3:30p.m., Saturday, October 20 BTN) TOP COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAY OF THE WEEK. It ends tonight! Nebraska will put together a 60-minute game against a similar opponent talent wise and record their first victory of the season and first with Scott Frost as head coach. Minnesota played well last week at Ohio State, but I just do not believe they can put forth that same effort in this game. They did not play as well the last two games before that getting blown out by Maryland and Iowa. This will be their third road game in their last four games and both of their road games have come by double digits. I still like freshman QB Martinez and believe he will have success against this Gopher defense. The favorite in Gopher games has covered the spread 9 of the last 10 games. Nebraska had a 231-32 edge in rushing last week. Today is the day the stats reflect the result and Nebraska will win this game by double digits. We will hit a big play in the process as well.

Minnesota has so much drama surrounding the team and the Jimmy Butler situation that we think this is a team to fade until we see otherwise with their play on the court. They played well in their opener against San Antonio but failed to cover against a Spurs team that is down from what we are used to. Public bettors are down on the Cavs right now but this team will still be competitive this season, and this is too many points tonight in what we expect to be a pretty competitive game.

Cleveland with LeBron James was one of the worst bets in the NBA the last couple years. They were overbet by the betting public. They were shaded by the oddsmakers. Now LeBron is on the West Coast and we think the Lakers are a team to fade, at least early in the season. Adding him to the mix changes the dynamic of this team dramatically, and it’s going to take some time for the team to gel. Another thing working against the Lakers is that they are the biggest public team in the NBA. Bettors love to back them with their money. Now that LeBron has joined the team they are going to be even more of a public play than normal. Portland didn’t make any huge moves in the offseason. This team doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as the Lakers once this team gets a couple more players and gets on the same page. But right now they are clearly the much better team, and we expect them to win this one comfortably in the season opener.

The Magic always seem to play tough against the Heat, and we believe that will be the case tonight as well. The Magic have won and covered in five of the last seven meetings. Miami comes into this game banged up and they have a long injury list with many players questionable. If this was later in the season we might shy away from taking the Magic here. But this is a season opener and home opener and a game against an in-state rival who they generally play well against. The Magic started off the season very strong last season and then they tailed off. But we expect maximum effort here in the season opener and the public will be all over the Heat in this one so this is a solid public fade.

We think that both teams want this bad and that this game, on opening night, will be a defensive battle and we think this total is about 3-4 points too high as we had this number closer to 207 so we think there is value here in the number. This one should have a playoff atmosphere and these are two of the best three teams in the east this season. We think this game will be a close, hard-fought contest throughout but we think that Boston will pull ahead in the fourth and make a statement in this game. We will tread lightly here for opening night but we do see some great value here and expect to start off the season on a positive note.

8-Unit Play. #665. Take Ottawa +3.5 vs Edmonton (Saturday, October 13 @ 5:00p.m.)

This is my CFL Game of the Year. 1-0 this season with 8-Unit selections.

It's time to stick a fork in the Edmonton Eskimos. What started out as a promising campaign, is going to end in disappointment and a missed playoffs. Look, the Eskimos can't score points on offense right now. Their last three point totals are 12, 3 and 15 to these very Ottawa RedBlacks. However, the difference between that game on Sept 22 and this coming game, is the Eskimos were on the up and had momentum. Now, they look defeated and the oddsmakers are telling you that on a neutral field, Edmonton is barely the favorite. The RedBlacks may have already clinched a playoff spot, but Hamilton is hot on their tails for the top spot. The RedBlacks got off to a sluggish start against Winnipeg last time out (bad spot), but rallied late to force OT. Trevor Harris is continuing to play well, tossing three touchdowns and 349 yards against a good Winnipeg defense. Not to mention, the running game got going with William Powell rushing for 95 yards on 14 carries. Look, I've watched every snap of Edmonton's loss to Saskatchewan and there is just no spark within the team. It's going to be a sour ending for Eskimos fans, but we will cash this ticket here on the RedBlacks. The RedBlacks are 24-8 ATS in their last 32 road games, while the Eskimos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 against Ottawa.

10 Unit Play. Take #198 LSU Tigers over Georgia Bulldogs (3:30p.m., Saturday, October 13 CBS) SEC GAME OF THE YEAR Georgia has yet to be tested this season but their schedule ramps up from here on out. Playing at LSU is never an easy task and except them to be in for a 60-minute game today in Baton Rouge. LSU has covered the spread in 8 of their last 10 games in October. The Tigers have the speed to contain Georgia and I just do not see a blowout in this game. We will gladly grab the points and not worry about who pulls this game out by a field goal.

10 Unit Play. Take #414 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors over Wyoming Cowboys (11:59p.m., Saturday, October 6) Wyoming has a major problem on offense and if Hawaii does not beat themselves with turnovers, they will win this game by double digits. Hawaii took Wyoming into overtime last year with QB Allen playing for the Pokes. He will not be on the island this year and the Cowboys are averaging just 18 points and 300 total yards. Hawaii is coming off a 5OT win on the road last Saturday and they now are on pace to make a bowl game this season. When Wyoming loses, it tends to be big as their three losses this season have come by 22, 27, & 20 points. Wyoming put a lot into their game last week against Boise State in Laramie and they performed poorly. The oddsmakers have not caught onto how bad Wyoming is this season, as they have not covered a spread in their last 4 lined games.  

10 Unit Play. Take #270 Oakland Raiders over Cleveland Browns (4:05p.m., Sunday, September 20 CBS) The Raiders have had chances in all three of their games but sit at 0-3. This is a very important game for the Raiders and a must win if they have any chance of making the playoffs this season. QB Baker Mayfield will get the start after a nice performance at home against the Jets. Playing in the Black Hole is a much harder task. Cleveland is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Cleveland and Oakland.

10 Unit Play. Take #203 Boise State Broncos over Wyoming Cowboys (7p.m., Saturday, September 30 CBSSN) The Cowboys and their fans will be up for this game but the fact remains they just do not have the offensive firepower to keep pace in this game. Wyoming is 2-2 this season but their wins have come against a terrible New Mexico State team and an FCS team in Wofford by just three points. If Boise State does not turn over the football they will win this game by 21+ points. Wyoming is 117th in the country in points per game and they have gotten pounded by Washington State and Missouri. I believe Boise State is better than both of those teams. Boise State has won 11 of the last 12 meetings. The Broncos are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games. The road team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #356 Oregon Ducks over Stanford Cardinal (8p.m., Saturday, September 22 ABC) This is a game that can put Oregon on the national radar once again. A win will likely prevent Stanford for reaching the PAC-12 Championship Game and set up a battle between Washington and Oregon on October 13. The Ducks result last week was misleading as they were clearly looking ahead to this game and have revenge on their minds after getting pounded last year in Palo Alto. Getting rid of Willie Taggert can only be beneficial evident by this lack of success at Florida State. Stanford is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games played in September. Oregon has the weapons to attack this Stanford defense and expect them to win straight-up. The Line has swing too much and the value now clearly lies with Oregon.

10 Unit Play. Take #287 New York Giants over Dallas Cowboys (8:20p.m., Sunday, September 16 NBC) Both teams are coming off losses in Week 1 but I just see more hope with the Giants compared to the Cowboys. Dallas used to have a strong offensive line but that is not the case anymore. They still have RB Elliott but defenses can stack the line against them since they do not have much deep threat wide receivers. Dallas is just 7-18 ATS in their last 25 home games against a divisional team. New York will win this game straight-up because they have many more weapons on offense compared to Dallas. New York has covered the spread in 5 of the last 7 meetings with Dallas.

10 Unit Play. Take #163 Tulane Green Wave over UAB Blazers (1p.m., Saturday, September 15 Facebook) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR UAB decided to bring back football for some reason after a two-year absence, but I just do not believe they can compete with teams from the American Athletic Conference. UAB is -77.5 ATS in their last 4 lined games and have lost 4 straight games against Tulane. The Green Wave are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 nonconference games. Tulane is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against UAB. Tulane just missed out on being bowl eligible last year and with Ohio State on deck this is a must win game for them in their hopes of reaching 6 wins. Tulane returns a ton of experience on offense led by QB Bank and WR Encalade. They should be able to pick apart the Blazers on defense and I just do not believe UAB will be able to keep pace. Tulane pulls away in the second half to win this game by double digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #462 New York Giants over Jacksonville Jaguars (1p.m., Sunday September 9 FOX) Jacksonville is going to start the year in an unfamiliar role, as a road favorite. I see them taking a step back this season and things have to be better for the Giants in 2018. Jacksonville is just 2-6 ATS in road openers in recent years. QB Manning has numerous weapons this season, something he sorely lacked as the 2017 season progressed. Jacksonville’s defense feasted on bad quarterback play in their own division and I expect them to give up points and yards against effective quarterbacks. Jacksonville is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games played during the month of December. 

10 Unit Play. Take #368 Missouri Tigers over Wyoming Cowboys (7p.m., Saturday September 8 ESPN U) The Tigers should have saw the blueprint of how to beat Wyoming if they scouted the game last week. Do not turn the ball over and make the Cowboys drive the 75 yards plus to score. Wyoming only had success last week against Washington State when the Cougars gave them short fields. The Cowboys were terrible on offense and will not be able to keep up in scoring in this game. Missouri has a tempo offense that usually scores points often and quickly especially against inferior competition. Wyoming is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played in September. Missouri is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games.

10 Unit Play. Take #206 Wyoming Cowboys over Washington State Cougars (3:30p.m., Saturday September 1 CBSSN) TOP PLAY OF THE WEEKEND. Wyoming lost QB Josh Allen to the Buffalo Bills but they return a ton of starters all around that position. Washington State does not start off well under Coach Mike Leach, losing 5 of their 6 openers including two against FCS teams. Wyoming has a strong defense and playing in Laramie is always a tough challenge. Wyoming is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. Washington State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. Getting points makes this our strongest play, as we fully expect the Cowboys to win this game straight-up.

10 Unit Play. Take #266 Chicago Bears over Kansas City (1p.m., Saturday, August 25 NFLN) NFL PRESEASON GAME OF THE YEAR. Yes Patrick Mahomes made a great play last week against the Falcons throwing a pass 65 yards in the air for a touchdown. But that being said, he has not looked that great in camp this year and I have very little faith he will lead the Chiefs to a successful season this year. This is an important game for the Bears and their new head coach Matt Nagy. He is a rookie head coach playing his first home game and expect the Bears to show more stuff today than they have done all preseason long. Andy Reid is well under .500 as a coach in the exhibition season and I look for more of the same in this game. Chicago gets up early in this game and wins it by 7-10 points.

10-Unit Play. Take #906 Colorado (-1.5 RL) over San Diego (3:10 p.m. Thursday, August 23)

Colorado's playoff chances are alive and well in the National League West and for the Wild Card. Beating the weakest team in your division at home to win a series is a must though if you intend to make the playoffs. Luckily for the Rockies, Kyle Freeland will be on the mound. Freeland surprisingly has pitched better at Coors Field than he has on the road this season going 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA through 11 starts in Colorado, with one of those wins being an 8-0 win against the Padres on April 24th. Joey Lucchesi will be on the mound for the Padres and he has an ERA over 4.5 over his last 7 starts averaging less than 5 innings per start. Freeland meanwhile has been on his game over his last 5 starts going 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA allowing just 1 home run over 31 1/3 innings. I think the Rockies offense will produce off Lucchesi and take the series with a win today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #966 NY Yankees (-1.5 RL) over Texas (7:05 p.m. Friday, August 10)

The Yankees had a bit of a wake up call after getting shellacked in Boston in a 4 game sweep and have responded by winning four straight contests. They returned to the friendly confines of Yankees Stadium last night where they are 39-16 on the season bopping 5 home runs in a 7-3 win. Masahiro Tanaka will be on the mound for New York tonight and he has an ERA under 2 over his last six starts. Tanaka wasn't at his best in his only start against the Rangers this year on May 21st when he allowed 4 runs over 5 innings, but he still picked up the win as the Yanks won 10-5. Mike Minor will be pitching for Texas tonight and he hasn't started opposite the Yankees since 2012. Minor hasn't been very good on the road this season as he is 3-4 with a 6.50 ERA and opponents batting .288 off him. I think the Yankees keep their streak going and pick up another win here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #274 Seattle Seahawks over Indianapolis Colts (10p.m., Thursday, August 9) Many experts have Seattle trending down this year and Pete Carroll is facing adversity for one of the few times during his Seattle tenure. Coach Carroll is 6-2 straight-up in his last 8 Week 1 exhibition games and they have coordinators on both sides of the football that want to make a statement in this game. Seattle went 4-0 last year in the preseason and they are 7-1 ATS the last two years in exhibition play. Indianapolis has a long legacy of losing during the preseason and that will continue on Thursday. Coach Frank Reich is coming off a Super Bowl win as a coordinator and he does not have the pressure to light it up during preseason play. Throw in the status of Andrew Luck and I am just not sold on their back-ups (Brissett, Kaaya, & Walker). Seattle wins this game by double digits.

10-Unit Play. Take #926 Oakland (-1.5 RL) over Detroit (10:05 p.m. Friday, August 3)

Oakland has been when of the hottest teams in all of baseball winning 30 of their last 40 games and are now a 1/2 game ahead of the Mariners for the second wild card spot. The A's just completed a 3 game sweep of Toronto which led to a 7-0 season sweep of them and after taking four games from Detroit in June they will look to do the same against the Tigers. Detroit has one of the worst road records in all of baseball at 18-35 and they will be facing left hander Brett Anderson. Anderson has made only one start at home for Oakland this season and I think he can limit a Tigers lineup that lacks a lot of fire power. Blaine Hardy will be on the bump for Detroit and he has been steady for the Tigers making 20 appearances for them this season, with 10 of them being starts. Hardy was roughed up by the Athletics on June 26th in a 9-7 loss when he allowed 6 runs on 6 hits (2 of which were home runs) over 4 innings. I think Oakland keeps it going and picks up the win in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-Unit Play. Take #957 Atlanta over NY Mets (7:10 p.m. Thursday, August 2)

Mike Foltynewicz has hit a rough patch where he has lost three out of his last five starts but I think he will have better luck facing the Mets. Foltynewicz dominated the Mets in his only start against them this season on June 12th in an 8-2 win when he allowed zero runs over five innings yielding just two hits while striking out six. The Mets are a complete mess right now and are without Todd Frazier, Jay Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes who are injured and they traded Asdrubel Cabrera to the Phillies before the trade deadline. The Mets have some solid starting pitchers but Jason Vargas is not one of them. Vargas hasn't lasted more than 5 innings in any of his starts for the Mets this year and in two starts against the Braves this season his ERA is 5.59, with Atlanta batting .317 off him in 9.2 innings while swatting 3 home runs. These teams are headed in opposite directions and I like Atlanta to pick up the win tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports