Sports Picks & Predictions

The Blazers had their four-game winning streak halted last night in Denver but we think this is a great spot for them to bounce back and get a win tonight. Portland is both 4-2 SU and ATS this season, so we don’t think the back-to-back will bother them. The Kings are much improved this season, but the Blazers are still the much better team and we think they have a great chance for the outright win here. Portland has won four straight in this series outright, and the Kings have not covered in the last four meetings (one push).

Utah has a strong history in this series as they have won and covered in five straight meetings in this series. This game is the last of a four-game road trip for the Pistons, and things mostly haven’t gone well. But they had their best game in awhile last time out in an emotional win in Blake Griffin’s first game back to play his old Clippers team. We think because of that big game and this being the last game of the road trip that this is a bad spot for the road team. Utah has won three straight and five of six and they are in fine form right now.

4 Unit Play. Take #879 Northern Colorado over Montana State (9p.m., Monday, January 14) Two of the top teams in the Big Sky are set to do battle in Boseman. The Bears are coming off a blowout loss at home to Montana and expect them to take out their frustration on the Bobcats. Northern Colorado is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 conference games. Montana State is 22-48 ATS (1 push) in their last 71 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Denver is also one of the best teams in the NBA at home this season, where they are 17-3. Portland is good at home, too, but worse than mediocre on the road at 8-10 on the season. They are coming off a home-heavy schedule where they had a lot of success and they are a bit overrated by the oddsmakers coming into this game. Portland has failed to cover in any of the last four meetings (one push), and we see the Nuggets getting a comfortable 7+-point win here tonight.

Dallas is one of the best home teams in the league at 16-4 on the season, and the Warriors have been just a little better than mediocre on the road at 11-8. We had Golden State listed as a slight favorite here but we think this line is inflated. Dallas is 6-2 ATS at home this season against above-.500 clubs, and they should give their best effort tonight against the defending champs. Dallas is one of the best ATS teams in the league this season, and we trust them again tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #861 IPFW over South Dakota (2p.m., Sunday, January 13 ESPN 3) The Mastodons sit atop the standing in the Summit League and they have stay there for the whole year. They have covered the spread in 5 straight games. South Dakota is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Charlotte is in the midst of a tough road trip and the Kings are much improved this season, but this spread has us scratching our heads as the Kings are getting too much respect here from the oddsmakers. Sacramento has lost five of their last seven. We think the Hornets are the better team in this matchup and we think they have a very good chance to win outright. They close this road trip at San Antonio, so this game is crucial to salvage the road trip as if they lose this one and lose in SA, this trip will be deemed a total disaster. Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in the last five trips to Sacramento.

3 Unit Play. Take #753 UC Irvine -2.5 over Cal State Fullerton (9p.m., Saturday, January 12) The Anteaters are always a top team in the Big West and they have gotten back on track winning two straight games. The road team is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 10 meetings. Irvine is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 road games.

3 Unit Play. Take #739 Nevada -3.5 over Fresno State (8p.m., Saturday, January 12 ESPN U) Getting some value with Nevada after they got blown out last week in New Mexico. Nevada is still loaded and far and away the best team in the league. Getting them at this low of a number is too good to pass up.

We just really like the form Boston is in right now. We give them a mulligan last time out in a bad loss at Miami as that was a quick back-to-back and their third game in four nights. They took the night off there. They have had a day of rest now and should get back on track here in Orlando. This team has now covered in 19 straight games where they won SU, and the point spread doesn’t come into play a lot in the games as long as they win. This has been one of the most trustworthy teams to bet on in the NBA the last couple seasons.

There is a reason why this is one of the lowest posted totals of the season. The bookies barely ever post a total under 200 this season, and this one was posted just under and bet down by sharps, but there is still value left at this number with two teams that have trouble scoring and play strong defense. Memphis has hit the century mark just one time in their last five games, and that was when they scored 100 against Brooklyn. These are two Top 5 defenses and both offenses are in the Bottom 6 of the NBA in scoring. This should be an old-school defensive battle, and you have to like the underdog in what should be a low-scoring game, making the points more valuable.

10 Unit Play. Take #689 Kansas over Baylor (4p.m., Saturday, January 12 ESPN) Kansas lost their last road game but losing is something they just do not do that often in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks lost Udoka Azubuike and thus I believe the odds makers have over adjusted the spread in both of there games this week. They controlled the game with TCU from the start and I expect them to be ahead most of this game as well. Kansas is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Baylor. The road team is 20-7 ATS (1 push) in the last 28 meetings. Baylor already lost to SFA at home this year and they are not as strong as they have been in year’s past. Kansas gets back on track today in Waco.

3 Unit Play. Take #778 North Dakota -5 over Western Illinois (12p.m., Saturday, January 12 ESPN+) We went against Western Illinois earlier this week playing North Dakota State and will do the same on Saturday playing North Dakota. The Leathernecks are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Fighting Hawks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday. 78% of the money is on North Dakota and we fully agree.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

6 Unit Play. #806 Wisconsin over Purdue (9p.m., Friday, January 11 FS1) Just do not believe Purdue is that game this season. Carson Edwards has been terrible during conference play and Wisconsin has the size to easily match-up with Purdue in the paint. This is a brutal stretch for Purdue having played Michigan State on the road earlier this week and now must play a second straight road game in Madison tonight. Purdue has gotten pounded in both of their conference road games this season. The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings. Purdue is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Wisconsin is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Big 10 games.

Not a lot of people realize it, but if the season ended right now the Nets would be in the postseason. That’s not a major accomplishment in the East and they are just 21-22, but the perception of the public is that this is a lottery team, but the truth is that they are playing some decent basketball. This team has covered in four of their last five games, and they have won straight up in all those covers. The Raptors have won three straight, but this team is not in the same fine form they were when they set the NBA ablaze early in the season. They have covered just 3 of their last 13 games overall, a clear sign that their play on the court is not matching the oddsmaker expectations. This team has had lots of trouble covering big lines this season as they are 4-11 ATS when laying nine or more points this season. They are 4-7 ATS at home against Sub-.500 clubs. Brooklyn has also covered in three of the last four meetings, two of which went to overtime (the Nets won the last meetings between these clubs, in December).

We have been making a lot of money with the Clippers lately, but we think it’s time to go the other way tonight. Denver is one of the best home teams in the NBA at 16-3 while the Clippers are mediocre on the road at 10-10. LA has won three straight, but those all came against flawed opponents. They take a hefty step up in competition tonight. Denver has won six of their last seven, and they are in fine form right now. This team is 13-6 ATS at home this season, so when they win they normally cover the line as well. They are also 8-2 ATS at home against teams above .500, so they get up when the best of the best competition comes to Denver. The Nuggets have covered in seven of the last 10 meetings in this series, and they have revenge for a beatdown in LA last month that was a bad spot for them. They should get their revenge tonight in what we see as a comfortable 7+-point win.

4 Unit Play. Take #688 North Dakota State -7 over Western Illinois (8p.m., Thursday, January 10 ESPN3) The Bison are traditionally a top team in the Summit League but have fallen off a little this year. Expect them to be one of the top teams in the league and they should be able to win this game by double digits. When the Leathernecks lose, they tend to get blown out evident by the fact their last 4 losses have come over tonight’s posted number. Western Illinois is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. 78% of the money is coming in on the Bison and we will follow suit as well.

2 Unit Play. Take #841 San Jose State over Nevada (11p.m., Wednesday, January 9 CBSSN) This is a get-well game for Nevada, a team that is coming off their first loss of the season at New Mexico in blowout fashion. Nothing good can be said about the Spartans, but they can play zone in this game and force Nevada to shoot it well from long range. This is something Nevada has not done well all season long. Nevada may win this game by 40 points, but we will grab the points since this is a conference game.

5 Unit Play. Take #843 Arizona over Stanford (11p.m., Wednesday, January 9 PAC12N) Arizona will be one of the top 4 teams in the conference and they are off to an impressive 2-0 start in conference play. Stanford lost both conference games by double digits and they are in a major rebuild without Redi Travis, who left them for Kentucky. Arizona is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings in Palo Alto. Stanford is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Despite the records, the Pacers are on the second tier of Eastern Conference contenders while the Celtics are the top tier. Boston just got off to a slow start this season while the Pacers have overachieved. But Boston is rounding into playoff form right now, and they are clearly the stronger team in this matchup. They have won and covered in three straight games. Once this team gets rolling they can cover a lot as they have been one of the best betting teams the last couple years. This team has now covered in 17 straight games where they have won, so when they win the spread normally doesn’t even come into play. The Pacers have actually won the last three meetings in this series, so we think the Celtics will give max effort here at home. This is the first meeting in Boston this season.

4 Unit Play. Take #805 Dayton over George Washington (7p.m., Wednesday, January 9 ESPN+) The Flyers are the best team in the A-10 this season and expect them to stay atop the standing for the entire year. Dayton has covered the spread against George Washington in 8 of the last 9 meetings. The Flyers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a losing record.

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

3 Unit Play. Take #640 NC State over North Carolina (9p.m., Tuesday, January 8 ESPN) Just not a fan of this Tar Heel team whatsoever. They will win a bunch of games, but I am not sure Luke Maye and company can lead you to the promise land. NC State will be up for this game and this is one of the few times they are on equal footing with regards to talent. The Wolfpack have covered the spread in 7 of their last 8 games.

3 Unit Play. Take #629 Southern Illinois over Drake (8p.m., Tuesday, January 8 ESPN+) The Bulldogs have gotten off to a bad start in MVC play losing two straight games to open up conference play. Southern Illinois is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games. Southern Illinois wins this game by 6-8 points.  

3 Unit Play. Take #620 Ball State over Eastern Michigan (7p.m., Tuesday, January 8 ESPN+) The Cardinals have won 9 of their last 10 games and should have no problem taking down one of the worst teams in the league. The Eagles have played a brutal schedule of late and gotten blown out against ranked teams in their last 2 games. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.

Milwaukee is one of the best home teams in the NBA at 18-4, and they cover here at home more often than not. Utah is just not the same team this season. As soon as you think they have started to turn the corner they come back with a lousy game. Milwaukee is rolling right now and they have covered five of their last six games. We think they come out strong here and win this one comfortably. The Bucks are 7-3 ATS at home against .500 or under teams this season, and we think they will give max effort tonight.  

Houston has won eight straight in this series, and they have covered in six of those games. Denver has a great team this year and their depth is amazing compared to the Rockets, who are top heavy, but Houston is playing lights out right now and we think this line is short. Houston had their win streak broken last time out against the Blazers, so they will be anxious to get back on the winning track here tonight. Despite the records this is the better team, and the Nuggets have been mediocre on the road so far this season. No upset here tonight.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #825 Wisconsin over Penn State (7:30p.m., Sunday, January 6 BTN) Expect Wisconsin to bounce back on Sunday against a team that will be without their head coach. The Badgers shot the ball poorly last time out against Minnesota, especially from the free throw line. That will correct that and have had success against Penn State, a team that beat last year in Happy Valley. Wisconsin is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games. Penn State is 1-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games.

Many reasons to like the Nets in this spot, and mainly we feel this line is too short. Brooklyn has covered in four straight meetings and in six of the last seven. They have been pretty good on the road at 9-10, a winning percentage that some of the better teams in the league can’t achieve. They enter on a two-game winning streak, so they are in nice form and have momentum. And they are 4-1 ATS as a small favorite this season, in the spot they find themselves in today. We see a pretty good chance for a comfortable win on Sunday.

This current road trip isn’t going well for the Magic, who were blown out by the two good teams they played. And they are playing the best team so far on the current road trip. The Clippers keep getting underestimated by the oddsmakers because of the lack of stars. But this team is a legit playoff team this year. They have great chemistry, above-average coaching, and nice offensive weapons. Orlando hasn’t beaten the Clippers in many years, and we don’t see it happening tonight as the Clips cruise to an easy win.

We think this is a massive letdown spot for the Rockets after their OT win over the Warriors on Thursday. They expended a lot of energy in that one, and they could be sluggish here. Even if they play well, Portland is very good at home, and they have a strong history against the Rockets, covering in five of the last seven matchups. Portland comes in on a back-to-back after a close home loss to OKC, but we think they were looking ahead to this game, and we expect them to give full effort here.

4 Unit Play. #722 New Mexico over Nevada (8p.m., Saturday, January 5 ESPN U) These teams do not like each other, and these coaches do not like each other. Playing at the Pit is always a tough task and thus we do not see a blowout in this game. New Mexico has talent they just do not play up to it that often. The Lobos will be up for this game and thus expect to keep it around a 9-11 point deficit. The Underdog has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings.

5 Unit Play. Take #604 Duke over Clemson (8p.m., Saturday, January 5 ESPN) Duke has a chance to go 17-1 in the ACC and they will certainly not be the game they lose. Duke is the best team in the country talent wise and Clemson just will not be able to keep pace in this game. The Blue Devils have covered the spread in 5 of their last 6 home games. Clemson is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games.

The Pistons have been strong at home, and we like them to win here in their first game back home after a four-game road trip. We had this game handicapped at pickem and these teams are both having disappointing seasons so far. We think this game is a tossup, so taking the points is the only way to go here. We expect a close game throughout and think that the Pistons will pull away late in the fourth.

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

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

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

5 Unit Play. Take #655 Minnesota over Wisconsin (9p.m., Thursday, January 3 BTN) We will grab the points in this game, as Minnesota has just as much talent as Wisconsin. Playing at the Kohl Center is worth some points but not this many. Wisconsin continues to be over valued evident by the spread over the weekend against WKU, a game they lost straight-up. The Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Expect a 5-6 point hard fought victory for Wisconsin.

4 Unit Play. Take #660 San Francisco over Saint Mary’s (9p.m., Thursday, January 3 ESPN 2) This is the years teams from the WCC can get revenge on the Gaels. Saint Mary’s has already lost 6 times this year and USF is hanging around the bubble watch with regards to the NCAA Tournament. This is the type of game they must win in order to stay on the bubble. Saint Mary’s is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 WCC games. The home team has covered the spread in the last 4 meetings.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

4 Unit Play. Take #819 Indiana State over Loyola Chicago (9p.m., Wednesday, January 2 ESPN+) The Ramblers are still getting too much respect from the odds makers after making the Final Four last year. This team is nowhere near that level and they are just 7-6 on the season and have yet to record a quality win. Loyola is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games. Take the points in this game that should go down to the wire.

4 Unit Play. Take #823 New Mexico over Air Force (9p.m., Wednesday, January 2 ATTSN) New Mexico underachieved during the nonconference portion of the season but they still have talent. The No. 2 seed in the MWC is up for grabs and the Lobos have a chance to get it but they must win these type of games. The Falcons have not recorded any quality wins this season. The Lobos have covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 MWC games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Celtics could be without Kyrie Irving tonight, but we don’t think that will matter and we expect them to win this one by 7+ even without him on the court. Boston has  covered in five straight meetings between these teams, and we think they have the upper hand tonight over the inconsistent Wolves, who play much better at home than on the road. The Celtics are coming off a tough road trip but now have a homestand, and we think this team is trending up in betting markets.

Dallas hasn’t been able to win on the road this season, but this looks like a good spot where they can secure win No. 3 away from home. They are a better team in this matchup and we had them as a slight favorite in our handicapping of the game. Dallas has covered in five of their last six games overall, and this team continues to play well while under the radar.

4 Unit Play. Take #786 Xavier over Seton Hal (6:30p.m., Wednesday, January 2 FS1) Much like our play with St. Johns yesterday, we will fade Seton Hall tonight. The Pirates got a gift over the weekend from the refs and karma will set in for them tonight in Cincinnati. Both teams lost a ton of talent from last season, but Xavier is always a tough team to beat at home. The Pirates are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games. The Musketeers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played on Wednesday.

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

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

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

This is the second end of a home-and-home for the Warriors and Blazers. Golden State is playing some of their worst regular-season basketball we have seen in awhile, but the motivation is not there every night. But we think it will be here as the Blazers won a close one on Thursday, and this sets up a great revenge spot for the better team here, which should put their best foot forward in this matchup.

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

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

This is another revenge situation as these teams met two nights ago in Dallas, and the Mavs won a close one and covered by only one point. That loss made it five in a row for the Pelicans. They will be desperate to get back on the winning track tonight, and we think they put their best foot forward in this one. The Mavs are an ugly 2-14 away from home this season, and we think the Pelicans will end the losing streak tonight on their home court.

Chicago is a very bad team, but we don’t think that this Wizards squad should be favored by this many over any team in the NBA. This team has stunk as a favorite this season, especially when the line is in this range. The Bulls have had some success in this series as they are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Washington. This game should be close, and the Bulls have a chance for a rare road win here tonight.

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

3 Unit Play. Take #810 Hofstra over Delaware (7p.m., Friday, December 28) CAA play gets underway Friday and we will side with the home team tonight in Hempstead. The Pride return a ton of talent from last season including Justin Wright-Foreman who is averaging around 25 points per game this season. Hofstra is 19-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 games.

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

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

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

The Celtics have a strong recent history in this series as they are 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings. Charlotte has had a home-heavy schedule lately, but this squad is just 4-8 on the road this season, and they face a real tough matchup on Sunday. Boston hasn’t been playing well with three straight losses, but before that they were on a long winning streak and we think they will be primed for a big bounce back here and we don’t see them overlooking this squad tonight after losing three straight.

The Kings are a pretty good team this season and one of the best ATS teams in the NBA. But they keep getting disrespected by the oddsmakers, and that is the case again here tonight as we had Sacramento as a small favorite in this matchup. The Pelicans are 4-13 on the road this season.  They are 7-10 ATS away from home and 1-4 ATS as a small favorite. The Kings are 5-1 ATS as a small dog like they are here tonight, and we think they will get another win in a close one on their home court.

10 Unit Play. Take #670 Arizona State over Kansas (9p.m., Saturday, December 22 ESPN 2) The PAC-12 Conference as a whole needs this win. They may be lucky to get two teams into the NCAA Tournament come March and they have not recorded many quality wins on the season. Kansas is ranked No. 1 in the country but they are nowhere near the best team especially without Udoka Azubuike. That is a major void for them to fill in the paint and they are not as good on either side of the court without him. They have struggled in Lawrence against them suspect teams and this will be their first true road game of the season. Arizona State won in Lawrence last season and they need this win to ensure their at large status into the NCAA Tournament come March. This team has the size and strength to match-up with Kansas and I believe they have the edge in rebounding missed shots off the glass. Kansas is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against PAC-12 teams. Arizona State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against Big 12 teams.

The Rockets are a thin team, so the loss of Chris Paul really hurts right now. This team will figure out what to do in his absence, but it might be a rough go of it to start off with in these first few games. The Spurs are getting punished too much for their back-to-back here. We see them getting up to play their Texas rival as a lot of pride is normally involved in these games. San Antonio has been playing well lately for the most part, and we think this will be a close game.

4 Unit Play. Take #690 Kentucky over North Carolina (5:30p.m., Saturday, December 22 CBS) Like using Kentucky in the role of an underdog. The Wildcats have not looked impressive this season, but talent is not their issues. Remember that this team was favored over Duke to open up the season. Just not a fan of North Carolina’s talent this season. They are experienced but not sure Luke Maye can lead them to the promise land. Kentucky will have an edge in the stands and they need this game more. North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. Kentucky is 17-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 neutral site games.

The Clippers hit the skids recently after a hot start, but they got back on the winning track last time out and they have actually played pretty good their last three games since that blowout loss in San Antonio. They were competitive against the Thunder, Blazers and in a win over the Mavs. They have seemed to play better in all three of those games, so we think the momentum will carry over here. The Clippers are very strong at home, while the Nuggets are average on the road. We think that Los Angeles has a very good chance to win this one.

Utah has a better record on the road than at home, for whatever reason, and we think this is a very winnable game for them tonight. They have gone under in four straight and six of seven, and when this team starts playing defense they are a force to be reckoned with. Once this team gets it’s act together, and the defense is part of that, they are a much better team than the Blazers, and we think they will show it tonight with another outstanding defensive effort. And the under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings, and we think that’s where this one is headed as well.

Love the Kings in this spot. They have been one of the best betting teams in the league this year and they will hold value all season long because of their lack of big names on the roster as well as their lousy reputation. But they face a Memphis team tonight that is not playing well. The Grizzlies have lost four straight and six of their last seven. They will not be very confident in this game and we think the Kings will be the squad with more swagger tonight.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #610 Houston over Utah State (8p.m., Thursday, December 20 ESPN 3) The Aggies may be the second-best team in the MWC but they have played a very easy schedule in the nonconference portion of the season and they have yet to record a quality win on the season. Houston will be an upper team in the AAC and should be able to win this game at home by 8-10 points. The Cougars are 18-7 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 games.

6 Unit Play. Take #746 Arizona over Montana (8:30p.m., Wednesday, December 19 PAC-12 Network) The Wildcats do not have as much talent as they have had in past years but they are always a tough team to beat at home. They are coming off two straight losses and it is important that they right the ship before conference play starts in two weeks. The Grizzles are 0-2 this season in true road games and they have not been competitive in either of those games. Montana is 0-8 ATS in their last 8 road games. Arizona is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on Wednesday.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #767 Pepperdine over Oregon State (10p.m., Monday, December 17) The Beavers have not found the same magic that they once had from making the NCAA Tournament a couple of years ago. They are back to being a bottom feeder team in the conference and should not be giving this many points against anyone in the country. Pepperdine is 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games. Oregon State is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games against WCC teams.

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

We believe in this Clippers team and think they are a playoff-caliber squad. But they at one point held down the No. 1 spot in the west. Now they are No. 4 and will probably drop further after Saturday. This team is just not on good form right now. They have failed to cover in five straight games and four of those were double-digit blowout losses. The Thunder are coming in on a back-to-back here, but we think the oddsmakers are punishing them too much. The Thunder have been good in limited B2B’s this season. Los Angeles hasn’t covered here in five trips, and we expect another rough outing on Saturday.

5 Unit Play. Take #649 USC +8.5 over Oklahoma (9p.m., Saturday, December 15 ESPNU) Oklahoma is not good enough to be laying this many points against a similar teams in talent. This game is not in Norman and thus some of the home court advantage is minimized. USC is 5-4 but they do not have a bad loss on the season and I just do not see them getting blown out in this game. USC is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against Big 12 teams. Oklahoma is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played on Saturday.

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

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

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

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

We really liked the way the Rockets played last time out in a big home win over Portland. This squad is a much better team than the Lakers, despite the records, and once they get their act together they have a much higher ceiling than does LA. We think maybe they turned a corner in that last game, and they will not have a lack of motivation here tonight against LeBron and Co. on national TV. The Lakers are always overrated by the oddsmakers and they are a bit overvalued tonight. The Rockets seem to get up to play the Lakers historically as they are 13-5 ATS in the last 18 meetings. We think they win by 7+ tonight.

We expected a double-digit spread here but the Mavs are still being underestimated by the oddsmakers. This is the best ATS team in the league at this point, and Atlanta is the third-worst. Dallas is so good ATS by winning games like this, and they don’t often take a night off or overlook an opponent. We expect another workman-like effort from this blue collar Mavs team tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #714 Wichita State over Jacksonville State (8p.m., Wednesday, December 12 ESPN 3) The Shockers have taken a step back in talent this year and likely will not make the NCAA Tournament come March, but they do have enough talent to win this game by double digits. The Shockers beat the Baylor Bears in their last home game and should be determined to play better after getting blown out at Oklahoma in their last game. Jacksonville State’s wins have come against terrible teams. Wichita State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. Jacksonville State is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 road games.

We love the way the Celtics are playing right now. This team has been one of the safest bets in the NBA the last couple seasons since Coach Stevens took over, and they are a much stronger team than the Wizards when both squads are playing their best. Kyrie Irving is listed as probable in this one, but as we saw last time out against the Pelicans, this team can get the job done even if he doesn’t play.

These are two bad teams but the Knicks are the lesser of two evils and they can put together a complete game on a more regular basis than the Cavs can. New York has covered in three of the last four meetings and they are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings in Cleveland. Great chance the Cavs show up uninterested to this one, and we think the road team should win outright here.

The Clippers are being punished too much for this back-to-back situation. They are 3-1 ATS and SU in back-to-backs this season, and they probably overlooked the Suns last night as they focused on this marquee matchup. They have won and covered two straight in this series, and we like their chances to keep this one close tonight. The Raptors are not in the best form right now as they have lost three of four. They have been overrated by the oddsmakers as they have covered just one of their last six. The Clippers are one of the better ATS teams in the league, and they seem they are getting disrespected again. We see this game as a coin flip as to who wins outright, so getting this many points provides good value.

4 Unit Play. Take #606 New Mexico over Colorado (9p.m., Tuesday, December 11 ESPN 2) The Lobos are a much better team at home and I feel they have a good chance to win this game straight-up. The line keeps coming down on this game since Colorado is nothing special for a conference that is way down this season. Colorado is 3-7 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 12 games against MWC teams.

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

We were on New York last night as it looked like a good spot at home against Brooklyn, but the Knicks played an absolutely dreadful game and now they face a much tougher matchup on the second end of a back-to-back. Things will not go well for them, and this looks like a possible blowout. The Hornets are one of the better ATS teams out there at 15-10 ATS, and they are very under the radar so as long as they don’t get their win total up too high but keep covering numbers, they can keep their betting value all season long barring major injuries.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #862 Grand Canyon over Nevada (5:30p.m., Sunday, December 9 ESPN U) This is a short turnaround for the Wolf Pack and a defacto home game for Grand Canyon. The line is been coming down and we will follow that trend after going against Nevada on Friday.

4 Unit Play. Take #860 Gonzaga over Tennessee (3p.m., Sunday, December 9 ESPN) Just do not trust Tennessee as much as I trust Gonzaga. This will not be a blowout but expect Gonzaga to pull away late and win this game by 7-9 points. Tennessee is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a victory in their previous game. Gonzaga is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #841 Arizona over Alabama (1p.m., Sunday, December 9 ESPN) This line keeps going up and I do not believe it is warranted. Arizona is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against SEC teams. 67% of the money is coming in on the underdog and it would not surprise me if Arizona wins this game straight-up.

Miami is in a real bad spot here, missing players from injury and for personal matters. They face an angry Clippers team that played a very uncharacteristic bad game last time out in Memphis. This is a very professional team and we feel they will shake that performance off and come out here with a workmanlike effort and get a big win over a bad team. The Clippers are playing like every game counts this season, and we don’t think they will overlook this game, especially with their bad effort last time out.

The Wolves have covered six of their last seven games and this team is really under the radar right now but playing well. Portland looked good last time out against a hapless Phoenix squad but they had lost three straight before that and they have struggled with six losses in their last eight games. They got off to a hot start, but alas it seems like this team doesn’t live up to the hype. Minnesota has all the betting value here in a game that looks like a coin flip. In those cases, getting more than two points offers some great value as we think the Wolves could, and should, win outright.

New York has been dominating in this series, cashing six straight tickets. We think they get No. 7 tonight. New York hasn’t played well lately but they have had one of the most brutal recent schedules in the NBA. They have actually covered in six of their last nine, however, and this looks like a great spot for a win against a Brooklyn team that had possibly their game of the year last night in an OT win at Toronto. They had lost eight straight before that, and this seems like the perfect spot for them to come back down to earth tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #804 Connecticut +9 over Florida State (6:30p.m., Saturday, December 7 ESPN 2) Just never like Florida State as a big favorite. This team has always been poorly coached and they are 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games. UCONN is 4-1 ATS in their last 4 games. I expect this to be closer that what the experts think.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #530 Arizona State over Nevada (11:59p.m., Friday, December 7 ESPN 2) We will grab the points in this battle of undefeated teams tonight at the Staples Center. Nevada lost here to a similar team in TCU and this will likely be the highest rated team the Wolf Pack face all season long. Arizona State should be healthier for this game and expect them to take it down to the wire. The Sun Devils are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games against MWC teams. 57% of the money is coming in on ASU despite being an underdog and I believe they can win this game straight-up.