Sports Picks & Predictions

7 Unit Play. Take #766 USC over Stanford (6:30p.m., Saturday, January 18 PAC12N) TOP COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAY OF THE DAY Both of these teams have good records, but Stanford has played a weak schedule thus far and having to sit around in Los Angeles for 3 days will doom them in tonight at the Galen Center. USC has good talent and should be able to take advantage of Stanford inside the paint. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games between Stanford and USC. The Trojans are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. Take #634 Florida Gators over Auburn Tigers (1:30p.m., Saturday, January 18 CBS) The Gators opened as a favorite and an unranked team favored over a ranked team is usually a sign to play them. Auburn is a fraud this season and their 15-1 record is more about a weak schedule that they have played thus far. They got pounded last time out against Alabama, a team that will struggle to make the NIT. Now they are on the road for a second straight game against a team that has not played up to their talent at times this season. Florida has just as much talent as does Auburn and they need this one more to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament this season.

2 Unit Play. Take #601 Ohio State over Penn State (12p.m., Saturday, January 18 ESPNU) Both of team are frauds to some degree but I have no confidence in Penn State. They just do not shoot it well enough from the 3-point line to be expected to compete in these games against the top teams in the Big 10. The road team has covered 5 of the last 7 games between Ohio State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 home games. Ohio State is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game.

We just love the way the Grizzlies are playing now. This isn’t a fluke, and they are playing playoff quality basketball right now and have a budding superstar in Ja Morant. They have won and covered in six straight games. And those games weren’t against all scrubs. They won at the Clippers and at home against Houston and San Antonio. They have scored 119 or more in all of these games, and with Cleveland allowing 128 in each of their last two games, we just don’t see them slowing Memphis down tonight. The Grizzlies aren’t really on bettors radars right now and they should be laying double digits here.

3 Unit Play. Take #861 Wisconsin over Michigan State (7p.m., Friday, January 17 FS1) This line is rocketed up this morning and now we feel the value lies with the underdog. Wisconsin has been good with us in the past few games and expect them to keep this under double-digits. Wisconsin already has road wins at Penn State, Tennessee, and Ohio State. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog. Michigan State will play much better today than they did at Purdue but expect Wisconsin to control the tempo and keep the scoring low.

The Magic scored the win last night in LA against the Lakers. This is a back-to-back but they will be playing in the same building so no travel worries. And this is not some scrub team that will be happy with their win and not show up for this game. This team made the playoffs last season and has aspirations of getting back there this season. The Clippers are working out a lot of kinks right now and Paul George is out of the lineup again tonight. We think this will be a close game.

The Celtics haven’t been playing well and enter this one on a back-to-back, but we just think this is too many points to give one of the top teams in the east. They were blown out in Detroit last night but were probably looking ahead to this one, and we think they will put in a much better effort. This team isn’t an underdog often, but they are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games when catching points.

The Suns have been inconsistent lately, but this is a game where they have a clear edge in talent and they should win this one going away. They already scored a win and cover over the Knicks at home earlier this month. They are coming off what we would consider an embarrassing loss to Atlanta last time out and they will need to put their best foot forward here tonight. The Suns are 7-2 ATS in their last nine meetings in New York.

3 Unit Play. #624 Charleston over Northeastern (7p.m., Thursday, January 16) Charleston and Northeastern are predicted to be two of the top teams in the CAA this season. With this game coming at TD Arena it is important for the Cougars to protect their homecourt. Expect Grant Riller to come up big again as he makes his case for CAA Player of the Year. Charleston is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. Northeastern is 3-9 ATS (1 push) in their last 13 games as an underdog.

Miami is one of the better ATS teams in the NBA this season, and they still aren’t getting proper respect from the oddsmakers as they should be laying more points tonight in our opinion. The Spurs just can’t be trusted this season as almost no team in the NBA has been more inconsistent. Could they win this by 20? Anything is possible in the NBA on any given night. But the Spurs are 6-12 on the road and the Heat have been dominant at home, and we expect them to take care of business tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #793 Miami over North Carolina State (7p.m., Wednesday, January 15 ACCNX) These are two similar teams and we will grab the points in this game. Homecourt is an advantage but I do not believe it is an 8-point advantage. Miami is coming of a nice win against Pittsburgh on Sunday and they should be able to take this game down to the wire. NC State is 2-3 and those losses have come against Virginia Tech, Clemson, and Georgia Tech. Those are not teams that will be making the NCAA Tournament come March. The Underdog is 10-4 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 16 meetings. NC State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

Whenever we see a line this high we have to look for a way to back the underdog. And that’s what we will do here on Tuesday. The Clippers aren’t playing their best basketball of the season right now. They seem to be complacent in the dog days of the season, and Paul George is out for the foreseeable future. They have failed to cover in four straight games. The Cavs have covered in three of four. They were ran off the court last night and come into this one on a back-to-back, but they won’t want to lose bad to both LA teams and they have no real pressure here and should play freely. They have been playing hard for the most part lately. We think they can keep this one within double digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #642 Wisconsin over Maryland (9p.m., Tuesday, January 14 ESPN2) Just do not believe odds makers have caught up to how good Wisconsin is with the addition of Micah Potter. Wisconsin has won road games at Ohio State, Tennessee, and Penn State and should have beaten Illinois last week for it not for late game struggles. The Big 10 has been dominated by home teams and Maryland is not a strong enough team that can consistently win games on the road. They got run over by Iowa last time out and they have not won a true road game this season. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 10 meetings between Maryland and Wisconsin. Maryland is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.

There might not be a better bet in the NBA right now than Utah, who has covered in 10 of their last 11 games. They got off to a slow start, just like last year, and now they are turning it on big time, just like last year, and have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the league and a championship contender. They could also get Mitchell back tonight. Their offense has been playing extremely well lately and we just don’t see how the Nets can stop it tonight. Irving is back in his second game with the team since returning for the Nets, and he should help the offense. But it won’t be enough as the Jazz pull away in the fourth quarter of a high scoring game.

The Sixers are without Embiid now and they haven’t been playing great basketball lately, losing five of their last seven games. They have been overvalued by the oddsmakers and covers are becoming more and more rare. We think they are overvalued again tonight and that this is a very public line. The Pacers are incredibly tough to beat at home where they are 15-5 on the season. We had this game handicapped at -4.5 for the home team so there is some decent value at this small number.

3 Unit Play. Take #846 Miami over Pittsburgh (6p.m., Sunday, January 12 ACCN) The Hurricanes have played a brutal schedule to open ACC play. They are 1-3, but those losses have come against Louisville (2) and Duke. Pittsburgh is not in that level and thus they will emerge victorious tonight and win this game by 6-8 points. Pittsburgh is 3-14 ATS (1 push) in their last 18 games as an underdog. Miami is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games as a home favorite.

3 Unit Play. #811 Arizona State +10 over Oregon (10:30p.m., Saturday, January 11 PAC12N) Oregon is coming off a hard-fought overtime victory against Arizona, their main rival in the conference over the last decade. Arizona State is coming off one of their best performances of the season. Just do not see a blowout in this game after such an emotional game for Oregon last time out. The road team is 9-4 ATS (1 push) in the last 14 meetings between Arizona State and Oregon.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

OKC has a favorable rest situation tonight as they had the night off while the Lakers had to play in Dallas. Playing two tough opponents on the road on consecutive nights is tough, especially at this point of the season where back-to-backs are serious business. The Lakers and Clippers are hogging all the NBA headlines these days, and quietly the Thunder are playing as well as anyone in the league lately. And they are criminally underrated by the oddsmakers right now. This team has now covered in 10 of 11 games.  This team is now 26-12 ATS on the season. And they can hold value as long as they keep playing well since they aren’t on the public radar right now. OKC is playing great team basketball right now, and we think they have had this game circled and will come to play against a Lakers team that may or may not have AD.  It won’t matter as the Thunder win outright.

10 Unit Play. Take #601 Wisconsin over Penn State (2:15p.m., Saturday, January 11 BTN) Penn State being ranked and favored over Wisconsin is not a situation you find often. Wisconsin has been playing much better of late and despite losing to Illinois last time out, they should be able to take this down to the wire. The underdog is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings between Wisconsin and Penn State. The Nittany Lions are 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games played on Saturday. The Badgers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

4 Unit Play. Take #614 Indiana over Ohio State (12p.m., Saturday, January 11 FOX) We will continue to fade Ohio State until we are proven wrong. We have gone against them the last two games and won easily and today we look for three in a row. They will enter this game having lost three straight games and have injuries to go along with their troubles. Indiana does not have any bad losses on the season, and they have just as much talent as does Ohio State. They righted the ship last time out against Northwestern and should play even better in this game on Saturday. The home team has won 7 of the last 9 meetings between Ohio State and Indiana. Indiana is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games when they open as a home underdog.

The Spurs are coming off very impressive wins against the Bucks and Celtics. But this team has been one of the most inconsistent in the league and they normally fall flat on their face once you think they have turned the corner. Even if they play their best this will be a tough game tonight. The Grizzlies have won four out of five and have covered in all those wins. This team has a legitimate budding superstar in Ja Morant, who is getting plenty of playing time. The Grizzlies always rise up against the Spurs and they are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. We also feel like this is a very public number intended to get the public to take the road team, which they are doing at a very high rate as of this writing. And we always like to be on the side of the sportsbooks, who will be rooting for the home team here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #692 Saint Mary’s over BYU (11p.m., Thursday, January 9 ESPN2) The Gaels are always a tough team to beat at home and losing last time out to Pacific makes this game much more important. The series have been dominated by the home team, as they have covered the spread in 9 of the last 12 meetings. The favorite is also 10-2 ATS in the last 12 games between BYU and Saint Mary’s. BYU is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as a road underdog.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These teams played Tuesday and Detroit rallied for the win. We would like this play more if Cleveland’s coach hadn’t made a verbal snafu when talking to the players that some considered racist. Not sure how the team will respond so we will keep this one a low rated play. But it’s tough to beat the same team twice in a row. Cleveland was up big most of that game last time out so we think they match up well. They just couldn’t close it out. And Detroit has a ton of problems of their own. They are not in a good place right now and can’t be trusted to be laying this many points.

6 Unit Play. Take #828 Wisconsin over Illinois (9p.m., Wednesday, January 8 BTN) The Badgers have gotten better of late and will enter this game having won 4 straight games. This team has great balance and will get the victory at the Kohl Center, a place they have not lost this season. Illinois is coming off an impressive win against Purdue, but Wisconsin has much more balance than does Purdue. Illinois is 7-19 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 games following an ATS win in their previous game. The favorite is 19-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 meetings between Illinois and Wisconsin.

Porzingis is now injured for the Mavs, and the bookmakers are accounting for too many points for his absence. This is an extremely solid team and one that plays great team basketball, so they are going to be more effective when losing a star than a lot of other teams. We had them handicapped at -6.5 tonight, so we think there is value. The oddsmakers continue to undervalue this team, which has been very good against the spread. They were a solid bet when Doncic was out, and we feel the same will be the case tonight.

We like to back a good team after an embarrassing loss, and Boston fits the bill tonight. They lost at Washington last time out and failed to surpass the century mark on offense. But overall this team has been a joy to bet on lately and they are quietly playing great basketball this season. They have some of the best coaching in the NBA, and we feel they will be ready tonight. The Spurs are very inconsistent. They are coming off a surprising blowout win over Milwaukee at home. But this team is 4-11 on the road this year, and we think a determined Boston club will be too much for them tonight.

The Knicks have been much more competitive since the coaching change. They have covered now in four of their last five games overall. We think they will be competitive in this game, and this one could be a game where the Lakers don’t give their all, especially with a road trip looming in the near future. The Knicks played the Clippers really tough last time out and never gave up until the final buzzer, and we think there’s a great chance of a repeat effort here tonight.

Both teams are very dysfunctional right now but we just don’t think the Pistons should be favored on the road over anyone. Blake Griffin could miss the season now and Andre Drummond is probably being shipped out of town soon. And the team is dealing with other injuries as well. The morale here on this squad is very bad right now, and we just don’t see them going on the road and winning big here. The Pistons are 2-6 ATS in their last eight meetings here in Cleveland.

5 Unit Play. Take #608 Maryland over Ohio State (7p.m, Saturday, January 7 ESPN) The Buckeyes are reeling now having lost two straight games against fringe teams and thus will be the hardest environment they will have faced at this point of the season. The Terrapins dominated Indiana last time out and they have yet to lose a game at home this season. The favorite is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 meetings.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Hawks have covered in three straight, but as a result we think we are getting a nice value line tonight. Denver is a respectable 9-7 on the road, while the Hawks are 4-16 at home. We think this game is a mismatch, not to mention the Hawks are quite a bit banged up tonight while the Nuggets are relatively healthy. Denver is coming off a bad loss at Washington, so we think they will be extra focused here.

The Thunder are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. They have won and covered in five straight games. The Sixers have lost four straight and haven’t covered in any of those games. Just think this is a very public line and we had this one handicapped at 4.5, so getting this one on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 provides some nice betting value.

4 Unit Play. #846 Take Illinois over Purdue (8p.m., Sunday, January 5 BTN) Jut do not believe is that good this season. Throw in the fact they are coming off a double overtime victory last time out and I question how much they will have in the tank for this game. The Illini are always a tough team to beat at home and that will be no different on Sunday night. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Purdue and Illinois. The Illini are 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 home games.

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.

3 Unit Play. Take #774 Utah State -3 over San Diego State (10p.m., Saturday, January 4 CBSSN) The Aztecs have bounced back in a big way this season but playing in Logan will be their toughest task of the season. Utah State needs this game more to bolster their at-large status for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Aggies are coming off an embarrassing loss to UNLV but they might have the best two players on the floor in this game. The favorite is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games. The home team is 5-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 meeting.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #702 Utah +4.5 over Oregon (2p.m., Saturday, January 4 PAC12N) Just do not believe Oregon is that good this season. They lost to Colorado last time out and now must play in another tough road environment at the Huntsman Center. The Utes are on pace to receive an NCAA Tournament bid and this win will go along way for them to accomplish that. Utah is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.

7 Unit Play. Take #650 Marquette -1 over Villanova (2p.m., Saturday, January 4 FOX) TOP NCAA PLAY OF THE DAY The Golden Eagles are a much different team when playing at home. They will also have the best player on the floor in Markus Howard and are playing a team that has not played many true road games this season. The home team and favorite has dominated this series. The favorite is 11-5 ATS in their last 16 matchups between Villanova and Marquette. Villanova is 1-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 road games. Marquette is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games. Unranked team that is favored over a ranked team is always a key indicator.

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.

3 Unit Play. Take #656 Utah over Oregon State (8:30p.m., Thursday, January 2 PAC12N) The Beavers have played a weak schedule this season and do not have any quality wins on the season. Utah laid an egg last time out but expect them to bounce back tonight at home. Utah has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games. Protecting your homecourt is a must during conference play and Utah will open up with a victory at the Huntsman Center.

As bad as the Hornets are, they are a much better club than dysfunctional Cleveland. They have more wins on the road than the Cavs do at home. Cleveland has been covering some games lately so we are getting the benefit of a good line here, but we think this is a good opportunity for the road team to notch the win tonight. The Cavs are 0-3 ATS as a favorite so far this season.

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #798 Clemson over Miami (4p.m., Tuesday, December 31 ACCN) Clemson has underachieved during the nonconference portion of the season but they still have talent. Being the favorite in this game tells me that this is the correct side to take. Miami has not played the schedule that Clemson has, and they have only played one conference game thus far. The home team is 5-0 ATS (1 push) in the last 6 games between Miami and Clemson. The Tigers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games. Miami is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.

4 Unit Play. Take Chicago State over Missouri (8p.m., Monday, December 30 SECN+) Only one time has Missouri covered this big of a spread in their 11 games played this season. They are only averaging 65.9 points per game and unless they go way over that tonight, it is almost impossible to cover this big of a spread. The Cougars have covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games. Missouri is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. Take #868 Stanford over Kansas (12p.m., Sunday, December 29 ABC) The Cardinal are for real this season and they are an NCAA Tournament team. We will grab the points in this game as it is a true road game for the Jayhawks. Stanford lost in overtime to Kansas last year in Lawrence and I just do not see them getting run out of the building today in Stanford, CA. Kansas is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games. Stanford is 25-8 ATS in their last 33 home games.

Even though the Clippers have had a couple days off after the big Christmas win against the Lakers, we still think this is a letdown spot after that big game. The players just tried to brush that one off like just another game, but they aren’t fooling anyone as that was probably the biggest game in the NBA thus far this season. Now they face a Utah team that is quietly playing much better. They seem to have found their game late like last year, and we expect a competitive game here.

Just think this is a bad spot for the Suns coming in on a back-to-back, and they didn’t look any good last night in a loss to the Warriors. Now they face a much better team in Sacramento and a Kings team that had the night off. The Kings have been struggling with five straight losses and no covers, but those games have been more competitive than it seemed, and they were on the road a bunch, too. We like them to get back on the winning track tonight.

The Spurs have been alternating wins and losses for about a month, and this team can’t seem to get anything together. But they are coming off a loss so should be in a good bounce back spot here (4-0-1 ATS after a loss) and they have covered in four of their last five overall. Detroit is 4-10 on the road this season. It’s understandable the oddsmakers can’t make this line bigger for San Antonio, but we see value here as we think this is a good spot for the home team.

There is really no pressure on the Warriors right now. They are playing free and loose. And they have been playing well, winning four straight. They come in on a back-to-back after a win vs. the Suns last night. But this is just too many points. Luka Doncic is just getting back into the groove with the Mavs after injury, and we don’t think Dallas will bring their A Game today against a Warriors team playing with a lot of confidence. The Mavs win, but Golden State keeps it within double digits.

The Pelicans have been playing better lately and the Pacers are coming in on a back-to-back, but we think the oddsmakers have way overadjusted this line. We had this one handicapped at Indiana -4 as they are by far the superior team, and even though they lost a tough one at Miami last night we expect them to come into this one determined and play to win here. The Pacers won both meetings last season when the Pelicans had a better team.

6 Unit Play. Take #630 Kentucky -2 over Louisville (3:45p.m., Saturday, December 28 CBS) Kentucky needs this game in a big way. They have been struggling of late but playing at home in Rupp Arena should be able to get them back on track. Both teams struggle at times on offensive, but Kentucky has had success in this match-up over the years. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings between Louisville and Kentucky. Whoever shots the ball better will win this game and I expect that to be Kentucky.

4 Unit Play. Take #609 Wisconsin +3.5 over Tennessee (1:30 p.m., Saturday, December 28 CBS) Both teams are fringe NCAA Tournament teams. Wisconsin got a lift with the eligibility of Micah Potter at the end of the first semester and they should be able to take this game down to the wire and win it straight-up. Tennessee already has lost to Florida State, Memphis, and Cincinnati and their resume is lacking for quality wins. Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

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.

The Clippers have a clear injury sheet for the first time all season. When healthy and motivated, in our mind this is clearly the best team in the NBA. And they will be motivated tonight because of the opponent. Really shocked the Clips were installed as an underdog as we had them laying two points on our line. This team does not really care much about the regular season but this is one of a handful of games that they will be very motivated for. And the Clippers have had the Lakers number ever since the Griffin/CP3 years.

This Houston team got off to a slow start and there were some chemistry issues earlier in the season, but this team is now in midseason form and playing some of their best basketball of the season now. They have won four straight and covered in three straight, starting with the very impressive win over the Clippers in LA. This team will want to win tonight against the team that has been a thorn in their side for years despite the fact that this Golden State team is a shell of the team from the last few years. We think this one will be a blowout. The Rockets have now covered their last four on the road.

3 Unit Play. Take #807 Georgia State over SMU (7p.m., Monday, December 23 ESPN3) The Mustangs are back home after two straight losses and I do not see a blowout in this game. SMU has lost two straight games and they do not have any quality wins on the season. Georgia State is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog. SMU is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as a home favorite.

2 Unit Play.  Take #788 TCU -2.5 over Xavier (5p.m., Sunday, December 22 ESPN2)

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #738 Ohio State -3 over Kentucky (5:15p.m., Saturday, December 21 CBS) Kentucky is really struggling to shoot the ball this year especially from the 3-point line. Ohio State got back on track last time out and expect them to win this game by 6-8 points. Kentucky just has not found the chemistry needed to be success this season at this point.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #718 Florida -3.5 over Utah State (2:30p.m., Saturday, December 21 FS1) Florida is always a tough team to beat inside the state and they need this game more than does Utah State. The Gators played their best game of the season last time out against Providence and expect them to follow that up with another impressive victory on Saturday. The Aggies struggled with USF last time out and this is a much tougher opponent. Utah State is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games. Florida is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games.

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #644 Providence (pk) over Texas (2p.m., Saturday, December 21 FOX) This line is begging you to take Texas, but we will not bite and take the Friars in a true home game. Texas has played a weak schedule thus far for their impressive record.

Two lousy teams here, but the Grizzlies are the better overall team and this is a very winnable game for them. The Grizzlies are 5-7 on the road while the Cavs are 4-10 at home this season, and there isn’t much of a home-court advantage here. The Grizzlies have covered in five of their last six games. This team is quietly playing well above expectations right now and providing value for bettors. This team is playing to win lately, and we think they will take this opportunity to bring their A Game against a lowly opponent.

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.

5 Unit Play. Take #668 Northwestern over Michigan State (8p.m., Wednesday, December 18 BTN) The Big 10 home winning streak will likely end at tonight, but I do not see it being a blowout. The Wildcats have played better of late winning 3 of their last 5 games. Michigan State has been one of the most disappointing teams this season and they lack quality wins at this point of the season. Michigan State is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite. Northwestern is 5-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games as a home underdog.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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 Clippers don’t care a lot about each game so it would be hard to lay this many points with them against a decent Phoenix squad. This team can beat anyone on any given day but they just don’t have a lot of motivation every night as we saw last time out in Chicago. This game was selling for very cheap tickets so locals aren’t too excited about it so why would the Clippers be, especially with the Rockets on deck on Thursday. We think the road team keeps this within single digits.

Despite consistently getting very generous lines from the oddsmakers, the Pelicans are one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA. They are getting too much credit from the bookies tonight for playing at home, and they face a hot Nets team tonight in another game that should not go great for them. Brooklyn has won four of their last six and covered in six of their last eight, and this is a team that is trending upwards after a slow start to the season.

6 Unit Play. Take #629 Florida over Providence (7p.m., Tuesday, December 17 ESPN2) The Gators have not played up to their preseason ranking thus far in 2019-2020 but they still have talent. The Friars are in even worse shape having lost to a bunch of bad teams this year and will enter having won just 2 of their last 6 games. The Gators are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games as a favorite. Providence is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #837 Kent State over Cal Irvine (7p.m., Monday, December 16) The Anteaters have some bad losses on the season including to Detroit, Pepperdine, and & Cal Baptist. The Golden Flashes are off to an impressive start at 8-1 this season and they pounded Detroit by a score of 92-57. Kent State is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall. Expect them to win this game by 6-8 points.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Kings tend to bounce back well from a loss. They are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games after a loss. Before that loss last time out they had won three straight over playoff contenders and they lost in OT in San Antonio before that winning streak. That loss to the Knicks was a head-scratcher, but this is a young team that can be inconsistent. But we still think they are hot and playing well overall and we expect a big effort in a very winnable game tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #758 Arizona over Gonzaga (10p.m., Saturday, December 14 ESPN) Tough spot for the Bulldogs playing their second straight road game against a PAC-12 school. Gonzaga is not as strong as they have been in past years and they are playing a team that is hungry for this quality win and to get back into the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats just have one loss on the season, a true road game at Baylor which went down to the wire. They have not had many competitive games and I feel they will pull away late to win this game by 7-10 points. Arizona is 12-5 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 20 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #746 Arizona State over Georgia (8p.m., Saturday, December 14 PAC12N) These teams met last year in Athens and Arizona State came back from being down 18 points to win by 2. They should have a much easier time this season, as I just do not believe Georgia is much better in year 2 under Tom Crean. The Dawgs are 6-2 but they have yet to record a quality win this season. Arizona State has won 4 straight games and they are a tough team to beat in Tempe. Georgia is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. Arizona State is 9-2 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #742 San Jose State over Stanford (7p.m., Saturday, December 14 CBSSN) The Spartans have played better basketball of late despite losing 5 in a row. They nearly won at San Diego State, a team many believe will get to the NCAA Tournament this season. Stanford is better this year, but they are not the type of team to be laying this kind of a number in a true road game. They are scoring just 75.6 points per game and it will be hard for them to cover if they just hit their average. Stanford is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a road favorite.

We feel this is a joke of a line and based on name more than performance this season. The Spurs are just a lousy team. The Suns are coming off a loss and we think they will be primed for a good bounce back today. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last four road games and we had this line handicapped at 5 so there is good value today.

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.

We just think the Thunder are the much stronger team here and this line is more than fair with them catching points on the road. In fact, we had them handicapped as a slight favorite in this game and we think they have a great chance for the outright win. They have won five of their last six and are playing very well right now. And this team is under the radar but they have been cashing tickets on a regular basis lately. There is value with the road team.

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.

5 Unit Play. Take #635 Wisconsin over Rutgers (7p.m., Wednesday, December 11 BTN) Rutgers is coming off two straight defeats and in appears obvious that this team will not be going anywhere come March for yet another season. Wisconsin played their best game of the season last time out against Indiana and expect to follow that up with another victory on Wednesday. Rutgers does not have a quality win this season and will lose this game straight-up. Both teams need this win, but Wisconsin has a history of coming up big during conference play and Rutgers does not.

4 Unit Play. Take #618 BYU over Nevada (9p.m., Tuesday, December 10 ESPNU) The Wolf Pack have beaten up on weak teams for their 7 wins this season. Their last two losses have come by double digits and playing BYU in Provo will be too much for them to overcome. Having Yoeli Childs back gives the Cougars a big edge in this game. Nevada is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This line is just too large, in our opinion. The Magic got off to a slow start, but they come in having won four in a row (against an easy schedule, but still impressive). They are playing with a lot of confidence and playing like the playoff contender many thought they were coming into the season. When a good and popular team like the Bucks start winning a lot and covering the lines sometimes get out of control, and we think that is the case here as we expected 9.5 but got a few more points than we were expecting on the spread.

4 Unit Play. Take #804 Washington over Gonzaga (7p.m., Sunday, December 8 ESPN2) Just do not believe Gonzaga should be favored in this true road game for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga is not as talented as they have been in past years and Washington is a legit Top 25 team in 2019-2020. Gonzaga is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games. Expect this to be a close game that goes down to the wire and we will come out top with whoever wins it by a bucket.

6 Unit Play. Take #654 Wisconsin over Indiana (4:30p.m., Saturday, December 7 BTN) The Hoosiers have yet to play a true road game this season and they have not had much success at all playing in Madison. Wisconsin is a much better team at home, and this is a game they need to win to record if they have any hopes of making the NCAA Tournament come March. Wisconsin already beat Marquette at home and they will keep their undefeated home winning streak alive.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Spurs have been one of the bigger disappointments to start the season, but there have been signs of life lately with home wins over the Clippers and Rockets in their last three. Of course, they had that real stinker at Detroit in between those games, but the Spurs need this with badly and we have to think they will take care of business against a Kings team that has been very inconsistent so far this season. San Antonio is still one of the toughest places for an opponent to come in and have success, and we think the Spurs get the job done tonight.

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.

It’s crazy how the Warriors have gone from one of the best teams the NBA has even seen to maybe the worst team in the NBA this season. But this team has been besieged with injuries and they are bringing out a very young and raw roster every night. Chicago has had a rough start to the season, but they have been playing better lately and this is a good chance for them to keep the positive momentum going tonight.

These teams have similar records, but the Nets are the much better ballclub. They have been underachieving this season, however. But this team has been playing better lately and they have covered in six of their last eight. The Nets already beat Charlotte this season a few weeks ago by 10, and we think we could see a similar result here. Brooklyn was a real lousy bet to start the season, but they are starting to gel without Irving and there is some betting value here now.

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.

The Blazers got spanked by the Clippers last night. We like to back a good team coming off a bad loss, especially when they take a big step down in competition. And even though the Blazers are on a back-to-back, their previous game was on Friday so they should not be too worn down. The Kings have been very inconsistent. We think the Blazers are being punished too much by the oddsmakers for this back to back and we expect them to score a win by 7+ tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #867 Wisconsin over NC State (9:15p.m., Wednesday, December 4 ESPN2) The Badgers need a quality road win and should be able to take this game down to the wire in Raleigh. NC State is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall. Neither team deserves to be a favorite and thus we will just grab the points in this ACC/Big 10 Challenger game.

3 Unit Play. Take #863 Weber State over Utah Valley (9p.m., Wednesday, December 4) The Wildcats have played a tough schedule this year and are in desperate need for a victory after starting the season 1-5. They are a traditional power in the Big Sky and should be able to play a competitive game against an in-state team in Utah Valley. This spread has come way down since it opened at -6 and yet most of the bets are coming in on Utah Valley. That tells me the sharps are playing Weber State. The Wolverines are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite.

3 Unit Play. Take #865 Air Force over Wyoming (9p.m., Wednesday, December 4 themwc.com) Mountain West play opens tonight and both teams are desperate for a victory. The Force returns a bunch of players from last year and that should allow them to win this game in Laramie. The Cowboys are predicted to finish 10th in the MWC and have a coach on the hot seat. Air Force is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a road favorite. Wyoming is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games after scoring less than 50 points in their previous game.

Boston comes into this one on two day’s rest and the Heat not only will be playing on a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, but they played a really tough OT game last night in a win over Toronto. This is the point in the season when back-to-backs are really affecting teams, and we just don’t see the Heat having anything left in the tank, while the Celtics will have lots of energy and motivation since these two teams are two of the top clubs in the east and this game could be an important tiebreaker down the road.

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

It’s hard to back a team that has lost 10 straight laying this many points. But the Hawks have just had a brutal schedule and this seems like a great spot for them to get a win. Not only will the Hawks have the extra motivation of ending this losing streak, but they have lost to the Warriors nine straight times. Of course, this is a different Warriors team now as all the stars are injured. Atlanta is a better team than they have shown recently and we think they come to play a strong game at home tonight.

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.

6 Unit Play. Take #657 Florida State over Purdue (7p.m., November 30 CBSSN) Purdue played the late game last night and had to spend a lot of energy beating VCU and now they face the Seminoles in their home state. FSU is the more rested team and should be able to take care of business on Saturday and win the Emerald Coast Classic. Florida State is 10-4 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 16 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #616 Bowling Green over Dartmouth (4p.m., November 30) The Falcons have challenged themselves in the nonconference portion of the season and are ready for a home game after making the finals of the Paradise Jam this past week. The Big Green have played a much easier schedule and they are not ready for this step in class. Dartmouth is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against MAC teams. Bowling Green is 12-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 18 home games.

Looks like the Spurs run might be over. This team just stinks this season, and they have lost the home court magic. The Clippers have enjoyed a home-heavy schedule to start the season, and they are on the road quite a bit the next couple weeks. But they have passed all tests so far with big road wins at Dallas and Memphis, and this team is hungry and playing well together as a team. And we have no doubt they would like to blow the Spurs out and kick them while they are down here on Friday.

We like to back a good team after an embarrassing loss, and that’s surely the case here as the Thunder were run out of the building in Portland on Wednesday. This is a proud team and they should be able to right the ship against a lousy New Orleans team that comes in having lost three straight. These teams met earlier in the month and OKC won by double digits. We don’t see any reason why this could not be a similar result.

Toronto has dominated this series and they have been the ATS darling of the NBA this season. They have also dominated this series. But beating the NBA oddsmakers is never that easy. If this line came out on the first game of the season, Orlando would probably be a slight favorite. But they have gotten off to a slow start and bettors are down on this team, a non-public team that doesn’t get wagered on in the best of times. They played well last time out in getting their first road win, and we think that positive momentum will put them in a position to compete for the win here tonight.