Sports Picks & Predictions

7 Unit Play. Take #625 Wisconsin over Minnesota (7p.m., Tuesday, January 23 BTN) Wisconsin has dominated this series and we will gladly lay the points in this game tonight at the barn. Not sure why this line has been coming down since it was posted yesterday afternoon, as the Badgers have beaten Minnesota six straight times. Wisconsin has great depth and can score points this season in a variety of ways. Minnesota is 11-2 at home but those two losses came against Iowa and Missouri. Wisconsin is better than both of those teams, as Minnesota will enter tonight having lost 3 straight games. The Badgers have a lot of recruits from Minnesota and they always get up for playing this game.

We are likely going to be a buyer for the Spurs in the second half of the season – in good sports of course. This team is improving and they are well coached. They are going to be much more competitive and one we will be looking at when getting a big number like this. San Antonio is 8-2 ATS in their last 10. We think there is a great chance they keep this one within single digits as this matchup doesn’t really move the needle for the Sixers.

2 Unit Play. Take Maryland +1 over Michigan State (12p.m., Sunday, January 21 CBS) Michigan State is not out of their funk and Maryland is a much better team when playing at home.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Utah has been playing great basketball, and OKC is coming off a pair of losses. But it is very telling that the Thunder are laying some points here on the road. Sharp bettors pounded OKC when the line was released, but there is still plenty of value at this number. Even though OKC is playing their third game in four nights, they are coming in off a night off, and this team is young, athletic, and conditioned, and we don’t see fatigue being an issue. Props to the Jazz as they have been playing great, but they are a hot team that will likely flame out in the postseason very quickly, while the Thunder are a legit championship contender. And OKC has been one of the most reliable betting teams for the last few years. The Thunder will take this game very seriously after a pair of losses to the Lakers and Clippers. Utah was supposed to play Golden State last night, but the game was postponed due to the tragedy with the Warriors coach. This blip might have thrown the Jazz off their momentum. OKC always plays well against the Jazz. They have won and covered in four straight meetings. Utah has covered in only one of the last eight meetings (one push).

6 Unit Play. Take #799 Illinois over Michigan (8:30p.m., Thursday, January 18 FS1) Just do not see Illinois losing two games in a row to inferior competition. Michigan is a mess and has a terrible head coach and they struggle on both ends of the court. The Illini have great balance and that will be the difference on Thursday. The Wolverines have lost 5 of their last 6 games and Illinois is a better team than all of them.

4 Unit Play. Take #690 Kentucky over Mississippi State (7p.m., Wednesday, January 17 ESPN) Kentucky is 8-1 at home and Mississippi State will struggle during most of SEC play, especially when they are playing road games. This Kentucky team can shoot it better than past teams averaging over 10 made three pointers per game. The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss to Texas A&M last time out and they will be ready to make a statement in this game winning it by double digits.

Love the Clippers in this spot. They are coming off a rare loss at Minnesota that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated, so they will want to get back on track here. OKC comes in on a back-to-back after a really tough game against the Lakers last night. They expended lots of energy in that one, so facing a better team in the second leg will be difficult.  We love that this number is on the good side of the key NBA betting number of 7, as that is the point where the losing team stops fouling at the end of the game and concedes the loss.

4 Unit Play. Take #645 Wisconsin over Penn State (9p.m., Tuesday, January 16 BTN) Wisconsin is going to win the Big 10 this season. They already have quality road wins at Ohio State and Michigan State. Now they take a step down in class against a rebuilding Penn State team. The Lions are 2-4 in conference and should be 1-5 if not for a miraculous comeback against Ohio State, a game in which they were down big. Wisconsin is better at 4 of the 5 positions on the court and will win this game by double digits.

The Hawks are 9-29 ATS on the season, so you have to take notice when they are laying a number like this. We really like the way the Spurs have been improving. They are coached by one of the best to ever do it, and he is getting the most out of his club at the moment. They are no longer an easy blowout for their opponent. They have covered six straight games. This Spurs team is starting to show the recipe for a team we really like to bet on. They are underappreciated by the oddsmakers and betting public, yet they are competing on a nightly basis and covering but not winning a lot of games. So if they stay under the radar, they can produce a lot of betting profits. They have also covered two straight and three of four against the Hawks.

2 Unit Play. Take #845 Washington (PK) over UCLA (7p.m., Saturday, January 14 PAC-12 Network) This is a straight fade against UCLA. Until they prove they can win a game we will fade them. They have lost 8 of their last 9 games.

This line is just ridiculous that the Jazz are the underdog. This just shows the power of the Lakers as the public team in the NBA. They have dropped five of seven and they aren’t looking like a championship contender at the moment. The Jazz are on a B2B but they have won seven of eight and are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. We had the Jazz handicapped at -3, so there is great value here tonight.

6 Unit Play. Take #699 Arkansas +8 over Florida (4p.m., Saturday, January 13 ESPN) Just do not believe Arkansas is as bad as they have played of late. Also do not believe Florida is good enough to be laying this many points in a SEC game. Both teams are winless in the league, Arkansas played better last time out against Georgia. This team beat Duke earlier this season and should be able to take this one down to the wire. 

The road trip languishes on for this Raptors club and they face a Utah team that has been dominant lately but doesn’t get the notice of the oddsmakers or public bettors because of the lack of big names on the team. But we think they show up tonight with their great home court advantage and a team that seems to be brimming with confidence right now. The oddsmakers have been too slow to adjust to how this team is playing right now.

3 Unit Play. Take #839 Stanford over Oregon State (11p.m., Thursday, January 11 ESPN2) No bet against Oregon State is a bad bet. They have a lame duck coach that should have been fired long ago and a team that is just not very good. The Beavers are just 1-3 in the league and have little home court advantage. Stanford has the better talent and they should be able to win this game by double digits.

We think the Lakers are overrated and there is normally value in going against them regardless of how well they play as they are one of the biggest public plays in sports. The Suns haven’t been playing great, but we think this game is more important to them than the Lakers and we think they bring their A Game after a couple losses.

7 Unit Play. Take #726 Ohio State over Wisconsin (8:30p.m., Wednesday, January 10 BTN) Always like to use an unranked team that is favored over a ranked team. Ohio State needs this game, as they have a strong record but do not have many quality wins on the season. The Buckeyes are coming off a loss to Indiana by 6 points in which Burce Thornton and Roddy Gayle could not make many shots. I just do not see them struggling that bad at home in a game they need to have. Wisconsin has been playing well of late but they have blowout losses against NCAA Tournament teams and Ohio State is in the field of 68. Playing on the road is tough in the Big 10 and Wisconsin will not get the calls they are used to getting at the Kohl Center. Play the home team tonight in Columbus.

These teams played a week ago, in Sacramento, and the Hornets not only covered by won outright by seven points. We think they match up well here. Forget about the revenge factor. Enough time has passed since that game, and the Kings have bigger aspirations than holding a grudge over the lowly Hornets. The biggest factor here is that the Kings are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. This isn’t the deepest team, and they have had a handful of B2Bs this season and haven’t covered a single one. The Hornets have won and covered in eight of the last ten meetings, and normally bring their A Game against the Kings. We believe that will happen again tonight and expect a close game.

2 Unit Play. Take #657 Duke over Pittsburgh (9p.m., Tuesday, January 9 ESPN) A pair of former Dukies are set to square off as one another as coaches tonight at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Duke has righted the ship of late winning 6 straight games and look for that to continue again on Tuesday. Pittsburgh is just 1-3 in the ACC with their only win coming against Louisville, the worst team it he league.

Damian Lillard will be out here for the Bucks, but that absence is already cooked into the line. The Bucks are off a tough road trip where they lost two of three, and they have lost three of four overall. So we think here, back at home against an inferior opponent, that we are going to see a very focused and determined Bucks team. If they had been playing better they might overlook this game, but they need a big performance tonight and to get far enough ahead where they won’t leave anything to chance at the end of the game. The Bucks are 16-3 at home, and Utah is one of the worst road teams in the NBA at 6-15. Utah is coming off a rare road win at Philly and they are probably Fat and Happy right now and won’t give full effort here. The Bucks have won and covered three in a row in this series, and the last two were blowouts. We see the same result happening here tonight.

Now this is what we like to see: Houston back in the underdog role. We went against them last night and they were blown out by Minnesota. There’s a good chance they were looking ahead to this game. Even though the Timberwolves have the best record in the Western Conference, they don’t move the meter for excitement like Milwaukee does. Houston is a solid team and they are one of the best teams in the NBA ATS. We just don’t see them getting blown out two nights in a row. And the Bucks aren’t in top form right now as they have lost three of six and covered in only two of those games. In fact, the Bucks have been overrated by the oddsmakers and they are just 15-9-1 ATS on the season. Houston played the Bucks tough in Milwaukee last month but lost and didn’t cover. We think they will do better here at home. They didn’t mount any comeback last night, so they should be more fresh than normal with the lack of energy expended. And a B2B at home is much more easy to navigate than on the road.

7 Unit Play. Take #664 Wisconsin over Nebraska (2:15p.m., Saturday, January 6 BTN) Nebraska has improved this season, but both of their losses have been blowouts and I see this being a double-digit loss as well. Wisconsin is a bad matchup for them, as the Badgers have size and depth. If Wisconsin can shoot it well from long range, they should win this game going away. They did not play that well against Iowa this week, yet still pulled away in the second half to win by 11 points.

Nothing against Houston here. We think they are a solid team and often a value bet. Heck, we took them for our 8-Unit season win total pick on the over. They have covered a lot of games this season since they were a surprise competitive team and also they were getting some generous lines from the oddsmakers. The oddsmakers have caught up with them a bit, and they aren’t surprising teams any more. Also, they are going to face the ups and downs that come with a young team coming out of its rebuild. They have lost six of their last 10 and haven’t covered in any of the losses. We think this team will make the play in tourney for sure, but across the court from them will be a team that is championship ready. Only the Celtics have a better record in the NBA. The Wolves will take this game very seriously as they are off a couple tough losses. They don’t want a three-game losing streak. They have won seven of the last eight meetings and covered in six of those. We expect them to bring their A Game tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #881 Iona -2.5 over Saint Peter’s (7p.m., Friday, January 5 ESPN+) The road team being favored tells me what the line makers believe about the talent of each team. But teams have similar records, but the Gaels are a traditional powerhouse in the MAAC. They need this game more in the standings and will get it in close to double-digits.

The Spurs have covered in eight of the last ten meetings and we think they put their best foot forward on national TV tonight. Milwaukee is on a back-to-back after playing a budding rival in Indiana twice, losing both games, and this is a letdown spot as a result. We think this is a close game and this is too many points as this will be one of the bigger games of the season for the Spurs on TNT.

These have been two of the best ATS teams in the league this season. But we think Houston is the better team, and they have been great at home this season, while the Nets have been bad on the road. Both teams have been struggling a bit, but Houston got a massive blowout win over the Pistons last time out, and that is the perfect thing for a confidence boost to get things back on track. They have had an incredibly tough schedule lately, and that is one of the reasons they haven’t been racking up wins. Brooklyn has been really struggling lately and has only a pair of wins over the Pistons to show for recent efforts, and they haven’t been covering lines like they did at the start of the season.

3 Unit Play. Take #675 Fordham +3.5 over George Washington (7p.m., Wednesday, January 3 ESPN+) GW is 11-2 on the season and facing a 6-7 team at home, yet they are just a slight favorite. The Rams have underachieved thus far in 2023/24, but they have talent and should be able to take this game down to the wire.

We always take notice when a team is getting this many points. They can lose in a blowout and you can still cover the spread. And you know the players are aware of the spread. That might give them extra motivation or help with a backdoor cover late in the game. Charlotte has won seven of the last nine meetings, and we think the Kings will overlook this one and the underdog will keep it within double digits.

5 Unit Play. Take #606 Wisconsin over Iowa (7p.m., Tuesday, January 2 BTN) Even when Iowa had good teams, Wisconsin often dominates them and this year it is the opposite. Iowa is not good and Wisconsin is a veteran team that can beat you in a variety of ways. The Hawkeyes only have a quality win against Seton Hall this season and have been pounded by teams like Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Michigan. Wisconsin is better than all 3 of those teams and expect them to take care of business tonight at the Kohl Center.

We said it before with our sharp ATS winner on Detroit over Boston last time out that now that the pressure of the longest losing streak in NBA history is off the Pistons, they are free to play better. And they have. They played one of their best games of the season last time out against Boston and even sent the game to OT before losing. They showed some grit in getting the game to OT in the final minutes. Now they take a big step down in competition against a Raptors team that is horrible on the road and also on a back-to-back. We thought the Pistons had the talent to possibly reach the play in before the season started so it’s not like this team doesn’t have the talent to win games. They have had major chemistry issues and injuries. We think this is a winnable game for them tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #719 USC over Oregon (9p.m., Thursday, December 28 ESPN2) Just feel USC is the more talented team and Oregon will have no home court advantage in this game. The students are not on campus and many in the state just do not care about college basketball. Still believe USC will make a run to earn an NCAA Tournament bid and it starts tonight as conference play opens up.

Great value here as Philly has a long history of success over the Magic. Yes, Embiid is out tonight and the Sixers are banged up. But this is a very deep team and we think they have the roster to win this one outright. Orlando is also coming in on the second end of a back-to-back. The word is out on the Magic and they are not going to surprise teams anymore, and Philly will want to put their best foot forward here.

The Clippers were on a nine-game winning streak but since have lost two straight. This team was banged up and overworked, and they lost by double-digits at OKC and last time out at home to Boston. But LA didn’t play on Xmas and they are at home here the day after, which is a big advantage as we are confident they will be in a better place mentally than the Hornets, on the road after the holiday. We always like to take a good team after a bad game, and the Clippers were embarrassed last time out here vs. Boston. Good teams normally up the effort after a game like that, and Charlotte is certainly a team that can be susceptible to a blowout. They have lost four straight road games by double digits. The Clippers have won and covered in four of the last five meetings.

3 Unit Play. Take #626 UCONN over St Johns (8p.m., Saturday, December 23 FOX) We saw Marquette pound Georgetown last night after suffering an embarrassing loss the previous game. Expect UCONN to follow suit and win this game by double-digits after losing to Seton Hall last time out. St Johns has a famous coach in Rick Pitino, but the roster is not championship caliber to be able to compete night in and night out in the Big East. An angry UCONN wins this game going away and we collect in the process as well.

The Wizards are a bad team. But they are not bad on the level of the Pistons or Spurs. They have a couple players that can make a difference, and they have been a decent bet in spots. And we think one of those spots is tonight. And we think one of those players that can make a difference is Jordan Poole, the former Warrior who was punched by Draymond Greene in practice, but he was kind of disrespected in the trade that brought Chris Paul to the Warriors. We think he will raise his game up tonight. Washington actually has covered more games than Golden State. They are on a B2B but have covered four straight after winning in Portland last night. They have three nights off after this game, so they don’t need to hold back for energy. The Warriors play on Saturday then also on Christmas at Denver, so we don’t know how focused they will be here. They have been double digit favorites twice this season and didn’t cover in either game.

5 Unit Play. Take #874 Missouri Tigers over Illinois Fighting Illini (9p.m., Friday, December 22 FS1) This game seems to mean more to Missouri and expect their players and fans to go all out to win this game. Missouri has played better of late, hanging with Kansas and Seton Hall and I feel that they can take this one down to the wire. Many of these games between these two bordering state schools have gone down to the wire and 2023 should be no different. The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against the Fighting Illini.

It’s tough sometimes to go against a team like the Clippers who have won nine straight and are playing as well as anyone in the league. But we think this is a real bad spot for the Clippers. They are coming in on a back-to-back. This is their third road game in four nights. This is a veteran Clippers team that has seen it all and done it all, and we don’t think they care about the streak nearly as much as the fans do. This seems like a game they might not give full effort in. Some members of the team have been sick. Kawhi Leonard has played unprecedented minutes to start the season, and he got really banged around last night. The Thunder have had two nights off and are completely healthy. They have won four of five, including a road game against the defending champs. They are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA at 17-8 on the season.

4 Unit Play. Take #306578 George Washington over Alcorn State (2p.m., Thursday, December 21 ESPN+) No bet against Alcorn State is a bad bet. The Braves are in the process of playing 15 straight road games and they have yet to win any of them. Their last 8 road games have been blowouts and today should be no different. This is just a cash grab playing all of these buy games and it really is not fair to the players and coaches. The Revolutionaries have played an easy schedule as well full of cupcakes, but playing the Braves is easily considered another cupcake.

7 Unit Play. Take #666 Duke Blue Devils over Baylor Bears (7p.m., Wednesday, December 20 ESPN) Baylor got exposed last time out against Michigan State. Now they travel to MSG to play Duke in a de facto home game for the Blue Devils. Duke has a great record at MSG and they cannot afford any more losses on the season, since they are just 7-3 on the season. This is not the NFL and I do not expect a bounce back from Baylor tonight. Duke gets the victory and we collect in the process as well.

3 Unit Play. Take #306528 Drake over Alcorn State (8p.m., Tuesday, December 19 ESPN+) No bet against Alcorn State is a bad bet regardless of how high the number is. The Braves are playing a brutal road schedule to collect checks and in return are losing these games by 30+ points. They rallied late to only lose by 18 to a Northern Iowa squad, but Drake is a much better team than Northern Iowa. This is the Braves 10th straight road game.

Ja Morant should return to the court on Tuesday, but we think this will hurt an already struggling team in the short term. This team already has chemistry issues and now will insert a new puzzle into the mix. Morant will get his numbers but we doubt he will make the team competitive right away. Plus, the Grizzlies are massively banged up right now. This roster is paper thin. The Grizzlies have lost five straight and have failed to cover in any of those games despite generous lines from the oddsmakers. New Orleans has won seven of nine (6-3 ATS), and they are playing playoff-quality basketball right now.

The Clippers are finally clicking and they are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. After their slow start to the season they are taking every game seriously. We think with both teams playing their best that the Clippers win comfortably on the road at Indiana. After their tourney championship loss, the Pacers have not been good and have only a win and cover over Detroit as their only success in the last four games.

2 Unit Play. Take #750 Hawaii +1.5 over Nevada (10p.m., Sunday, December 17 ESPN+) The Wolf Pack have injuries and are a sinking ship now having gotten blasted by Drake last weekend. Hawaii is always a tough team to beat on the island and expect them to hand Nevada their second loss o the season Sunday night.

10 Unit Play. Take #636 Ohio State Buckeyes over UCLA Bruins (3p.m., Saturday, December 16 CBS) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR. The Bruins still take money in the desert and thus this line is lower than it should be. UCLA has played just one game this entire month and this will be their second trip to the east coast in the last 7 days. They had to replace a ton of veterans from their squad from last season and they are really struggling to score points this season. Ohio State is coming off a bad loss to Penn State last Saturday, a game in which they led by 18 points. This is a strong offensive team and they want to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last season. They should be close to full strength for this game with Roddy Gayle and Scotty Middleton available and that means they will have 3 of the 4 best players on the floor for this game. The Bruins are the second youngest team in the country among major conferences and will enter this game in Atlanta having lost 3 of their last 5 games. Ohio State is 9th in 3 points shooting and 15th in adjusted efficiency. Early in the year I will take the better offensive team compared to the team that has a higher upside come March. Ohio State wins this pick’em game and we collect in the process as well.

The Clippers are very quietly playing as well as any team in the Western Conference right now. While other teams – including the Clippers opponent right now – have tons of drama surrounding them, Kawhi and co. have put their heads down and gotten to work. This team always had the talent, but they had chemistry issues. But they seemed to have worked those out, and this is a real championship contender now that they are playing well. There is a current circus going on in Golden State and they have not been playing well overall. We think they are in for a tough night tonight as LA should be clicking on all cylinders and they will want to put their best foot forward as they are currently tied for the season series.

4 Unit Play. Take #644 Nevada over Weber State (10p.m., Thursday, December 13 Local) The Wolf Pack are coming off their first loss of the season, when they got pounded by the Bulldogs in Las Vegas. Nevada is a much better team when playing at home and look for them to get back on track tonight with a double-digit victory. The Wildcats have played a super weak schedule this season and will struggle to be competitive in this game. Nevada will get to the line a bunch and look for them dominate this game.

The Knicks’ defense has been their calling card but they are faltering in that aspect and they have given up 130+ in three straight games. They aren’t going to win a lot until they fix the defensive issues. The Jazz are getting healthy and could see Markkanen return tonight. The Knicks have covered just one of the last five meetings (one push) and we don’t see their road trip getting off to a good start tonight.

5 Unit Play. Take #306510 Maryland over Alcorn State (7p.m., Tuesday, December 12 BTN) This is a great right game for Maryland, as they are one of the worst shooting teams in the country this season. They do offense rebound well and are playing a team that cannot defend much whatsoever. The Braves will be playing their eight straight road game and they have gotten blown out in most of these buy games. That is a ridiculous schedule for a team to have to endure and I think they lose tonight by close to 30 points.

Sacramento has won and covered two straight and three out of four. Both teams have been great ATS, but this number is more than fair for the home team that is well rested. Brooklyn has had a fairly easy schedule lately that has inflated their worth in the eyes of the oddsmakers. We expect a comfortable win for the home team tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #306610 Gonzaga over Mississippi Valley State (9p.m., Monday, December 11 ESPN+) Hardly ever see a spread this big in any sport besides college football. Gonzaga is pissed and will take out on the Delta Devils after losing to Washington last time out. This will be ugly early and often.

3 Unit  Play. Take #856 Iowa -4 over Michigan (4:30p.m., Sunday, December 9 BTN) Michigan is not any good and has major coaching issues with Juwuan Howard. Iowa got blown out last time out, look for them to get back on track at home. Iowa plays much better at home. Lay the points!

Love the way the Pacers played in their semifinal game against Milwaukee. It looked in the third quarter that the Bucks would take over the game, but Indiana switched to a different gear and dominated the fourth. The Lakers had a much easier matchup against the inconsistent Pelicans. They blew out New Orleans, so the Lakers are further shaded by the oddsmakers here as the biggest public team in the NBA.

7 Unit Play. Take #659 Wisconsin +9.5 over Arizona (3:15p.m., Saturday, December 9 ESPN) This line keeps going up since many feel Wisconsin is in a letdown spot coming off back to back victories against Marquette and Michigan State. The Badgers treat every game the same and should give maximum effort for this game. Wisconsin plays a style of basketball that makes it tough to cover this big of spread, especially if they get ahead early in this game. The Badgers have the size to matchup with Arizona down low and this will likely come down to which team can shoot it better from long range. Arizona struggled to put away Michigan State and they beat Duke by just 5 points. I see Arizona winning this game, but it will be by single digits.

The Nuggets will likely get back Jamal Murray tonight but this team is just not in playoff form right now and they are being lined too high by the oddsmakers. They are just 8-14 ATS this season, and coming in off two straight losses. While they were probably win tonight, the Rockets have been one of the best ATS squads and we think they keep this close.  

We were unsure how serious teams would take the in season tournament, but some teams did take it seriously, and now that we are close to the finals we think teams will start to take it very seriously. And while the Pacers are a very solid club and their offense is almost unprecedented, with both teams playing at their best, we think Milwaukee is the much better team. They had some new pieces to acclimate on the team but you get the sense recently this team is turning the corner. They scored their highest point total of the season last time out, 146-122, against the Knicks in tourney action. New York is one of the best defensive teams in the league. While it might not be evident when looking at final scores, they have been improving on the defensive side. The Pacers are all offense but not defense. The Bucks can match the Pacers on offense but they have a defensive edge that will be the difference in this game in Las Vegas today.

2 Unit Play. Take #717 South Carolina over Clemson (8p.m., Wednesday, December 6 ACCN) This battle of South Carolina should be closer than what the experts believe. Both teams are undefeated and I just do not see a double digit victory for the home team. Carolina already has some major conference wins against Virginia Tech, DePaul, and Notre Dame.

The Bucks are still a work in progress and we feel this team is focused on building a team that will win a championship once the postseason comes around and we aren’t sure how invested they are in the in-season tournament. Last meeting the Bucks were hitting their threes at a very high rate and still didn’t blow the Knicks out. We expect a close game here and the Bucks are weak defensively but they are going to put up points.

7 Unit Play. Take #611 Wisconsin over Michigan State (7p.m., Tuesday, December 5 Peacock) These two teams have had great battles over the last decade and many of those games have come down to the wire. Michigan State is not the same team as they will be later in the year and they have lost to every good team that they have played this season. Expect a low scoring game and getting over 5 points is too good to pass up with this veteran Wisconsin team.

This is the second of a home-and-home and we think the Clippers will come out on top in the rematch, with style points. This team is healthy and this is the longest stretch PG and Leonard have played together since they joined the Clippers. Chemistry seems to be improving for between the players. The Warriors are a bit banged up here, and it’s tough to beat a team twice in a row.

7 Unit Play. Take #608 Wisconsin over Marquette (12:30p.m., Saturday, December 2 FOX) Gettting a field goal with a home underdog is too good to pass up. Wisconsin beat Marquette last year in Milwaukee and they return everyone from that squad. The Badgers need this game more, since they do not have many quality wins on the season. Look for Wisconsin to use their size down low and they will win this game straight-up.

2 Unit Play. Take #878 Kansas over Connecticut (9p.m., Friday, December 1 ESPN2) Connecticut has played a weak schedule thus far but it is going to get hard the next two games against Kansas and North Carolina. Playing in Kansas is always a tough task and look for the Jayhawks to emerge victorious since they have a great home court edge.

We like to back a good team off an embarrassing loss, and we aren’t sure the Clippers are a good team but they have talent that can’t be denied. They had one of their worst losses of the Kawhi era last time out against a banged up Denver squad. We think they will give max effort here against a Kings squad that played a tough game last night.

10 Unit Play. Take #678 North Carolina over Tennessee (7:15p.m., Wednesday, November 29 ESPN) Always like to play North Carolina at home in the nonconference portion of the season. Tennessee has issues and went 1-2 in Hawaii. Carolina went 2-1 in the Bahamas and playing this game at home is a big advantage. Tennessee struggled to score points in Hawaii, and I see them losing this game by close to double digits on Wednesday.

3 Unit Play. Take #606 Maryland over Rider (7p.m., Tuesday, November 18 BTN+) The Terrapins sit at 3-3 on the season and need to string together some nonconference wins to get a more respectable record. Tonight, should be a perfect opportunity for a 20+ point victory. Rider is a terrible team that will enter having lost 4 straight games and are just collecting check with 6 straight road games.

The Sixers have won nine of the last 10 meetings and covered in seven of those games. The Sixers are a more complete team at this point of the season. The Lakers two stars are banged up for this game, and LeBron could miss the game. We like the Sixers for a big win whether LeBron and AD play or not. Every team gives their best effort against the Lakers, but this is just another game for LA, who is trying to work out the kinks. This team is definitely focused on the postseason more than the regular season. Philly has been one of the best betting teams this season, and they are undervalued again today.

Boston has covered in eight of the last 10 meetings. They match up well with the Hawks, who are one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA this season at 5-10 ATS. This line is more than fair on Sunday as we expect the Celtics to score a double-digit win. Boston has struggled ATS recently but they have had a road heavy schedule. Some home cooking is just what the doctor ordered today.

5 Unit Play. Take #859 Baylor over Florida (5:30p.m., Friday, November ESPN) Baylor has better guards in this game and will take care of business at the Barclays Center and win the NIT Tip-off Championship. The Gators already have a loss to an so-so Virginia team in a netural site and they are not in the same class as Baylor. Scott Drew always seems to go on a long winning streak to open the season and 2023 should be no different. All of Baylor’s 5 wins have come over the posted number.

7 Unit Play. Take #768 Michigan over Stanford (7:30p.m., Thursday, November 23 ESPN2) Michigan is the fresher team in this game and that will be the difference in this battle to earn a chance for fifth place in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Stanford is coming off a double overtime loss to Arkansas yesterday and I do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game. Michigan does not want to lose three straight games and thus expect them to take care of business on Thursday night.

3-Unit Play Take Dallas -3 over LA Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST, Wed Nov 22)

Dallas is well rested, while the Lakers are on a B2B. We think Dallas is the better squad at this point of the season, and they normally bring their A Game against the Lakers, as they are 7-3 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings. Not only does Dallas get up for the Lakers, but they will be anxious to snap their two-game losing streak.

Best of Luck, Doc's Sports

5-Unit Play Take Sacramento -1.5 over New Orleans (8 p.m. EST, Wed Nov 22)

We were on the Kings last time these teams played on Monday, and Sacramento didn't show up and suffered their worst loss of the season. This is a better team than New Orleans, it's difficult to beat the same team in consecutive games in the NBA, and we love to back good teams after an embarrassing loss. We expect a big bounce back from the Kings tonight and think they get a comfortable win.

2-Unit Play Take Oklahoma City -7 over Chicago (8 p.m. EST, Wed Nov 22)

Chicago is a team to fade almost every game. This team just stinks despite some nice talent, and they have maybe the worst chemistry in the NBA. We have been hesitant to play OKC too much because they have turned into the hunted rather than the hunter, but they just continue to be one of the best bets in the NBA.

3-Unit Play Take Houston -5 over Memphis (8 p.m. EST, Wed Nov 22)

Houston had a six-game winning streak but followed that up with three straight losses. Those were all on the road against some of the favorites in the West, and they covered in all three of those games. Now they take a big step down in talent and we think this is a great bounce back spot against a Memphis team that has all sorts of problems at the moment.

3-Unit Play Take Brooklyn +3.5 over Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST, Wed Nov 22)

Easy call here. This is one of the best ATS teams (Brooklyn, 9-3-1 ATS) against one of the worst (Atlanta, 4-9 ATS). This is a very winnable game for the road team, and Brooklyn pretty much brings the same effort on a nightly basis while the Hawks can't say the same. Brooklyn is well rested, while the Hawks played in a track meet last night.

4 Unit Play. Take #726 Kansas over Tennessee (2:30p.m., Wednesday, November 22 ESPN) Kansas needs to win today to avoid recording no quality wins for the Maui Invitational. The Jayhawks have the size and strength to matchup with the Volunteers down low and they are more skilled on the perimeter.  

4 Unit Play. Take #651 Syracuse over Gonzaga (2:30p.m., Tuesday, November 21 ESPN2) Gonzaga is not as strong as they have been in year’s past. Syracuse should have covered yesterday a similar number to what they will see today against a better Tennessee team. Gonzaga is disappointed they did not make the semifinals and thus playing for fifth place will not excite them much for this game. Take the points in the consolation bracket.

4 Unit Play. Take #887 Wisconsin over Virginia (6p.m., Monday, November 20 FS1) Wisconsin and Virginia have very similar styles and sooner or later Wisconsin is going to cover a spread with all their experience. Virginia lost a lot of talent from last year and will struggle to score 70 points in this game. Whoever shoots it better from the arc will win and I look for that to be Wisconsin.

OKC has covered in seven of the last eight meetings. They have won six of seven and are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. And those were no bottom feeders, either, as they scored B2B wins over the Warriors, beat the Suns, and also the Cavs. Portland has lost three straight by double digits and they are in for a long night tonight.

Minnesota has covered four straight in this series and five of the last six. Of course we understand that the Pelicans just beat the defending champs and come in on a two-game win streak. But this team hasn’t shown any consistency this season and they are probably overconfident now. This win streak followed a four-game losing streak that saw them get blown out three times. Minnesota is the much better team right now, and this line is evidence of that as the oddsmakers aren’t putting too much stock in the win over Denver. And neither are we.

6 Unit Play. Take #879 Xavier over Washington (11:59p.m., Friday, November 17 ESPN2) No bet against Washington is bad bet. They have a lame duck coach, and he is trying to get away from the zone defense he is long accustomed to too. They got dominated at home by Nevada and now must travel to Las Vegas to face a well-coached Xavier team. Sean Miller is very familiar with Washington having coached many years in Arizona. Look for the Musketeers to jump out early and win this game by close to double-digits.

Miami has been racking up the wins lately, but four of those games came against four of the worst teams in the NBA so far this season. They take a big step up in class tonight and this should be a very tough game for them. Brooklyn has won five straight meetings with Miami. The Nets are 9-1-1 ATS on the season. This team doesn’t have any big names so they don’t get respect from the oddsmakers, but they compete hard every night and play with a true team mentality. They also have plenty of talent and a roster of players that compliment each other. We think they have a great chance for the outright win tonight. Miami is not a good regular season team, and things have been going a little too well for them lately.

The Hawks have the better record right now but there’s no doubt to us that the Knicks are the better team. They already won comfortably here last month. They have been playing very well recently until they played their worst game of the season last time out on a back-to-back against Boston. But Boston is a Top 3 team in the NBA, and the Hawks should provide a nice opportunity to get back on track. This time the Hawks are on a B2B. And even though Young didn’t play last night (new father), the rest of the roster will have a tough time keeping up the pace against this physical Knicks team.

Nice revenge spot for Indiana as they lost to Philly on Sunday. They were ahead for most of the game but the Sixers rallied in the fourth. It is really hard to beat a team in consecutive games, especially a strong team like the Pacers. Indiana had won three straight before that loss to Philly, and we think they will make the necessary adjustments to hang close or even win outright.

6 Unit Play. Take #605 Wisconsin over Providence (6p.m., Tuesday, November 14 FS1) The Badgers are a brutal nonconference schedule and need to win this game against a rebuilding Friar team. Providence lost their coach and have new players and a new philosophy. Wisconsin should find things easier tonight compared to facing the ultra-athletic Tennessee team last Friday. Wisconsin makes some shots tonight and earn the victory.

Even though it has been at home, the Knicks have won three straight. And they have looked good in the process. And sometimes building confidence at home can translate to continued success on the road. We don’t doubt that New York will be hyped for this matchup even though they are on a B2B. But they easily dispatched Charlotte on Sunday and this game was early so not too intense a B2B. These teams opened the season against each other so this sets up a revenge scenario since Boston won the first one.

Tough to lay this many points with the Clippers with the way they have been playing. They came off a tough road trip winless. This is no Must Win this early in the season, but you sense this is a majorly important game with LA at 3-5. The good news is that all three of those wins came at home, all blowouts, and this Memphis team is certainly vulnerable to get rolled today.

Milwaukee has enjoyed a home-heavy schedule to start the season, and they haven’t been great on the road. They are also 1-6-1 ATS this season and have been overvalued by the oddsmakers. We think that is the case today. The Bucks will get their best shot from every opponent, and the Magic are an underrated team and 6-2 ATS on the season.

7 Unit Play. Take #862 Wisconsin over Tennessee (9p.m., Friday, November 10 Peacock) Both teams return a bunch of talent from last year, but I just do not trust Tennessee and their Coach Rick Barnes. We have made a lot of money fading them in the past and this season should be no different. Wisconsin has the size and plays physical to matchup with Tennessee in the post and I am just not sure the Vols can make enough jump shots in a true road game. Wisconsin scored 105 points in their opening game of the season and that happened despite not making a 3-point basket in their first half. With a tough road game against Providence on deck, this is a game they need and will get it in a big way.

Love the Hawks in this spot. They are playing well, having won four of their last five, with the loss coming last time out at the Thunder. Orlando is a fine team, but they are still working a lot of things out early in the season and they just haven’t been consistent enough to trust against a team like Atlanta. The Hawks are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings, so they normally bring their A Game vs. the Magic.

Boston has won and covered two straight in this series and seven of the last 10. We are getting a nice line tonight because Philly is 6-0 ATS, but they will not last forever. Boston always gets up for big games like this and we could see their best effort of the season so far. The Celtics have also been one of the best betting teams for several years, so they can usually be trusted in these spots.

Memphis is 0-5 to start the season. We think they will get their first win tonight with style points. This team has lots of talent even without Morant. This is their first game of the in season tournament, so we think there is a great chance for this to be the impetus for them to snap out of this funk. Portland will finish with one of the worst records in the west. While Memphis hasn’t played well, this roster is miles better than what the Blazers will be trotting out, and if this matchup was the first game of the season (without the way the Grizzlies have played), Memphis would probably be around a 7- or 8-point favorite here based on the talent.

We love the Jazz in this spot tonight. We think they are being punished too much by the oddsmakers for this being a back-to-back. But this is a young team, and this is early in the season, so we don’t think that will come into play tonight. The Jazz ran roughshod over the Grizzlies last night and the starters got some extra rest. No starter played more than 28 minutes. These teams don’t play often, but the Jazz are 8-1 in the last nine meetings. Orlando normally doesn’t play well here. The Magic are an exciting, up and coming team, but they were bad on the road last year and they should be this year also. The Jazz were a surprise team at the start of last season and they were one of the best betting teams early. We think they are a solid bet at this point in the season, and we expect them to win outright tonight.

The Grizzlies are being punished too much on the line for this back-to-back. The season is still young, and back-to-backs aren’t that big of an issue right now. And Memphis has some depth. Washington is getting used to live without Bradley Beal, one of the franchise cornerstones for what seemed like a lifetime. They have new faces and lots of question marks. Their absolute ceiling is the play in tourney, while that same ceiling is a championship for Memphis. Memphis has won six of the last eight meetings. We think they make that seven of nine tonight and win this one by a comfortable margin.

Detroit is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings. Detroit was a solid bet when getting big points last season, especially early in the season. Miami is more of a playoff type team that turns in on in the postseason, but this team has slogged through the regular season the last couple years, and they can’t be trusted laying this kind of number.

We think the pressure got to the Heat a bit in this series and they had just come off a grueling Eastern Conference Finals. They have never quite got their footing in this series. The pressure is essentially off now that they are in a big hole and we think they will play free here and we just think this is too many points. The Denver defense has been good, but also the Heat haven’t shot well so they are due for a better shooting game. We think they Nuggets might not bring their A Game with such a cushion in this series and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat challenged for the win here. We know from what we have seen in these playoffs that the Heat aren’t just going to roll over.

Some people might follow the Zig Zag Theory here in Game 4 assuming Miami will strike back and even up the series. They have been resilient for sure. But we don’t think so. Denver is the best opponent they have faced in the postseason and the Nuggets are a complete team. Denver got a wake-up call in Game 2, and they responded like we expected in Game 3 in Miami with a dominant performance. This team is hungry, and the championship is right there for them. We don’t think they are going to squander the opportunity, and we think they will treat this game as a must win and bring their A Game tonight. With that Game 3 win, Denver has now covered five straight in Miami, and they are 27-10 ATS long term against the Heat, which is a long term string of domination since these teams don’t play often.

This Heat run in the postseason has been legendary, but we have to go with our handicapping here and that states the Nuggets are the stronger team. Miami used a big fourth quarter for their Game 2 win, and they shot the lights out in that game with almost 50 percent shooting from the floor and three-point land. We think Denver will clamp down more on defense and we see a slower paced game here and we think Denver will come out on top with a comfortable win.

Love Denver in this spot in Game 2. Denver is almost unbeatable at home, and teams that win in this playoffs are covering at a very high rate. Miami looked great and this run has been incredible, but Denver is definitely their strongest opponent yet in this postseason, and the Heat have been on the wrong end of plenty of blowouts this postseason. They have lost six games in the playoffs by nine or more points. We think Miami will put up a fight in the first half but that the Nuggets will start to pull away in the second and should win this one comfortably by the final buzzer.

All the pressure is on Boston here. They have been one of the favorites in the East all season, while not much was expected out of Miami, especially after they landed in the Play In Tournament. We have history on our side here as no team has ever come back from down 3-0 to win a series. But we will go with the spread in the case of a close game. We expect a low scoring game here, and that makes the points with the underdog all the more valuable. Also love that this one is on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 (when the team down stops fouling at the end of the game).

Love the Celtics to win here and we think this line is more than fair after the beating Boston put on Miami in Games 4 and 5. They have totally taken back momentum in this series. We don’t know if they will go on to win this thing, but we do think they will force Game 7 tonight. Boston seems focused and they haven’t once panicked even down 3-0 in this series. They have the swagger and experience to get the job done here, and they have a major edge in talent on the floor. They have stepped it up on the defensive end the last two games, and we see more of the same here in Game 6.

Boston has tons of talent and a lot of playoff experience, and we don’t think they are out of this series yet. We don’t even think they are panicked. They sure didn’t look like it in Game 4. They put their heads down and confidently got the job done. That was a 17-point road win with their season on the line. All they need to do is take this one game at a time and a win here would put them right back in this series. And the oddsmakers seem to agree with this line. But we aren’t worried about the points here. Boston has covered in every game they have won this postseason, and in 12 straight stretching back to the regular season. Even though we took Miami in the first three games of this series, we love to back the Celtics this season because of their resilience and their competitive fire. They don’t want to just win, they want to dominate. We think they captured the momentum in this series and we expect another big win as they have seemed to figure things out a bit and made the necessary adjustments.

The Celtics have a lot of postseason experience and we don’t think they will be too panicked here. It is rare to come back from this deficit, but the Celtics can take it one game at a time and get back in this series. A win here, and they are back at home and favored for Game 5. Miami has been the better team in the series but the Celtics have the players are experience to avoid the sweep tonight. Also, might the refs give Boston some extra calls? We are confident the NBA doesn’t want two sweeps in the conference finals.