Sports Picks & Predictions

4 Unit Play. Take #711 Drake over Milwaukee (8p.m., Thursday, December 6 ESPN+) The Panthers will struggle for wins this season and we will fade them tonight at the Cell. Drake has won 4 straight games and they have covered the spread in 5 of their last 7 games against Horizon League teams. This will not be a blowout but look Drake to pull away over the last 5 minutes and win this game by 7-9 points.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #537 St Joes over Princeton (7p.m., Wednesday, December 5 ESPN+) The Hawks have played a difficult schedule and will enter this game having lost 4 of their last 5 games. The Tigers have played a very light schedule thus far and will not be battle tested for this game. St Joes is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games against Ivy League teams. Princeton is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. Take #525 Marshall over Duquesne (7p.m., Wednesday, December 5 ESPN+) The Thundering Herd put up a dud last time out, but we expect a much better performance tonight in Pittsburgh, PA. The Dukes have yet to record a quality win on the season and they were also blown out last time as well. Marshall will get hot from the three-point line at some point in this game and that will be the difference. Marshall is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Atlantic 10 teams. Duquesne is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #726 Little Rock over Bradley (7:30p.m., Tuesday, December 4) The Braves continue to be overvalued and we will go against them for a second straight game. New Mexico pounded them on Saturday despite being a touchdown underdog and I think Little Rock has a chance to win this game straight-up as well. The Trojans have yet to play a close game thus far this season, but this will finally be the one that goes down to the wire and getting this many points is too good to pass up. Little Rock is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against MVC teams. Bradley is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games.

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

Most times it would be tough to trust a 2-9 road team laying points away from home. But this team not only got off to a slow start, but they have had just a brutal road schedule this season and this is arguably their easiest road game of the year (they also played at Orlando). This team is 7-5 in their last 12 games and they are playing much better basketball after a slow start. They seem to be taking nearly every game more seriously and we think they give it their all tonight in this very winnable contest. Washington is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings in New York and 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall, and we think there’s a good chance for a 7+-point win here.

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

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

4 Unit Play. #720 Take Missouri over UCF (3p.m., Sunday, November 2 ESPN U) We will go against the grain in this game as Missouri is desperate for a win. The Tigers have played a brutal schedule thus far, but they have talent and they will get better as the season progresses. UCF is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Missouri is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games played on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #552 New Mexico over Bradley (8p.m., Saturday, December 1 ESPN+) We will grab the points in this game with the team from the better conference and I truly believe the talent level is equal as well.  New Mexico had an outstanding MWC season and I do not believe they warrant to be a touchdown underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #563 Nevada over USC (4:30p.m., Saturday, December 1 FOX) The Wolf Pack are a legit top 5 team and we will ride them again after easily collecting with them against Loyola earlier this week. USC has talent, but they do not have a home court edge and a couple of their key players are questionable for this game. Need to keep riding Nevada with these short numbers until we are proven wrong. Nevada is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games. USC is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a victory last time out.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #628 Chattanooga over Tennessee Tech (2p.m., Saturday, December 1 ESPN+) No play against Tennessee Tech is a bad play. They are 1-6 on the season and are coming off a home loss to Winthrop by double digits. 80% of the money is coming in on Chattanooga and the line is jumping with good reason. This will be an 8-10 point win by the visitor and we will collect big in the process as well.

4 Unit Play. Take #738 Minnesota over Oklahoma State (10p.m., Friday, November 30 BTN) Would go higher on this game if it were at the Barn but it is still in Minneapolis and feel Minnesota will bounce back in a big way tonight. The Pokes are coming off their best win of the season last time out against LSU. That being said they already lost to Charlotte this season in their only true road game thus far. Oklahoma State is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games played on Friday. The line is trending up and look for Minnesota to win this game by 6-8 points.

4 Unit Play. Take #735 Wisconsin over Iowa (8p.m., Friday, November 30 BTN) Iowa is undefeated, higher ranked, and playing at home yet Wisconsin enter as the favorite. That tells me that the Badgers are the right side in this game. The road team is 6-2 in the last 8 match-ups. Wisconsin is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 road games.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #726 Dayton over Mississippi State (7p.m., Friday, November 30 CBSSN) The Flyers are undefeated at home this season and both of their losses have come against Power 4 teams in Virginia and Oklahoma. They have had a week off to prepare for this game and expect them to win it straight-up. The Bulldogs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. The Flyers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games against SEC tams.

4 Unit Play. Take #519 Northern Arizona over UC Davis (10p.m., Thursday, November 29) Both of these teams are bad and thus we will take the points in this mid-major battle tonight in Davis. The Aggies are scoring just under 56 points per game and I just do not believe they can cover this spread by not scoring in the high sixties. NAU is 8-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. UC Davis is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 home games.

4 Unit Play. Take #761 North Carolina +3.5 over Michigan (9:30p.m., Wednesday, November 28 ESPN) 

4 Unit Play. Take #759 Purdue +4 over Florida State (9:15p.m., Wednesday, November 28 ESPN 2)

We like this pick for several reasons, the biggest being that we think the Pelicans are the better team, and this number seems short as we had our handicapped number on the other side of the key betting number of 7. This is also a revenge spot for the Pelicans since they lost in Washington less than a week ago. Teams forget about games after a couple weeks, but this will be fresh on their minds. These teams have been on opposite trajectories lately but that just gives value to the line for the home team as this looks like a prime spot for them to get back on track.

5 Unit Play. Take #752 Illinois State +2.5 over BYU (8p.m., Wednesday, November 28 ESPN+) BYU is coming off a bad home loss to Houston and they have yet to record a quality win this season. The Redbirds are undefeated at home this season and already beat Boise State by three points. BYU is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.

4 Unit Play. Take #737 Syracuse +5 over Ohio State (7:15p.m., Wednesday, November 28 ESPN 2)

The Hornets are one of the best ATS teams in the league this season. We don’t often like to lay this many points in the NBA, but we think this game will be a blowout tonight. This is a prime revenge spot for the Hornets after losing to the Hawks in Atlanta recently. But this team rebounded with a win vs. Milwaukee last time out and they will be riding sky high coming into this game and will be looking for payback. The Hornets have covered in four of their last five games overall, and this looks like a prime spot for another cover.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #523 Nevada over Loyola Chicago (8p.m., Tuesday, November 27 ESPNN) This is a rematch of the 2018 Sweet 16 games. Nevada returned everyone that played in that game, but the same cannot be said for Loyola. They appear to be a one hit wonder currently sitting at 4-2 on the season with a pair of losses to teams that will likely not make the NCAA Tournament this season (Furman and Boston College). Nevada has revenge on their minds and they will get this game by double digits.

6 Unit Play. Take #517 Virginia Tech over Penn State (7p.m., Tuesday, November 27 ESPN 2) Virginia Tech has a big edge in talent this evening and the line is way to short. Penn State has two bad losses on the season to DePaul and Bradley and this line should be around -5. The Hokies already have a win against Purdue and they have a good chance to run the table in the nonconference portion of the season. Virginia Tech is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.

The Warriors went through their rough patch and we made some money by fading them during their four-game losing streak, but this team has now won two straight and they are playing much better. They will get reinforcements soon, also, as Draymond Green and Steph Curry should be back soon. The Warriors have a long history of success in this rare matchup and they have covered three of the last four meetings despite laying massive numbers. We actually think this number is very short tonight and the Warriors are being punished too much for missing players here. We think they will roll to a double-digit win tonight.

We think the wrong team is favored here, especially with Rockets PG Chris Paul listed as questionable for this matchup. Both teams started off the season ice cold but both are heating up and playing better now. But the Wizards have won five of eight and they have won and covered their last two on the road while the Rockets enter having dropped two straight, both on the road, to Cleveland and Detroit. We think Washington is in better form right now and we think they have a great chance to win this one outright.

4 Unit Play. #716 Clemson over Nebraska (7p.m., Monday, November 26 ESPN 2) The Cornhuskers have never been a strong road team and I expect them to lose this game tonight. We will take advantage of a short number with a team that is always tough to beat at home. In their only competitive game of the season Nebraska got pounded by Texas Tech and I see an 8-10 point loss tonight. The Tigers have a bad taste in their mouth after losing to Creighton last time out but they are a much better team at home.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take Saint Mary’s over Harvard (9p.m., Saturday, November 24)

We are using Saint Mary’s and the over in this game. The Gaels are coming off two straight losses, but they are a different team at home. Harvard is missing a couple of key players for this game and will not be able to keep this deficit under double digits. Harvard has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 9 road games. Saint Mary’s is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.

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

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

6 Unit Play. Take #545 Wisconsin over Virginia (2p.m., Friday, November 23 ESPN) This may be a low scoring game and thus we will grab the points with Wisconsin. The Badgers have the best player on the floor in Ethan Happ and if they can shoot the ball anywhere close to what they did yesterday they will win this game straight-up. Virginia did not look that impressive against Dayton yesterday and this is just not a good match-up for them unless they are making jump shots. The Badgers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games.

6 Unit Play. Take #702 Wisconsin over Oklahoma (1:30p.m., Thursday, November 22 ESPN) Wisconsin did not play that well yesterday on offense, yet still won the game by 16 points despite having only 2 assists for 40 minutes. Their defense is rock solid and if they can shoot the ball better, they will win this game by double digits. Wisconsin is 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #549 Wisconsin over Stanford (11:30a.m., Wednesday, November 21 ESPN) Stanford lost their best player to Kentucky and they appear to be in for a long season. Wisconsin has bounced back nicely from missing the NCAA Tournament last season and they should be able to reach the finish of this Battle 4 Atlantis. Stanford is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games. Wisconsin is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #767 Washington over Texas A&M (11:30p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Washington is going to make the NCAA Tournament this season. They laid an egg against Auburn but other than that have been solid. Texas A&M is in complete freefall currently sitting at 1-3 on the season and they will lose this game by double digits. The Aggies are 1-9 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #719 Pacific over UNLV (10p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Both teams are bad and thus we will take the points in this match-up. UNLV has played cupcakes thus far in 2018 and this will be the toughest team they have faced at this point of the season. The Tigers are 3-1 with their only loss coming against a top 10 team in Nevada. UNLV is 7-17 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 26 games. 72% of the money is on UNLV yet the line is coming down, so that is a good indicator we are on the right side.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 UC Davis over Sacramento State (10p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Jim Les has quietly built a solid program at UC Davis and they are always one of the top teams in the Big West led by TJ Shorts II this year. They are off to a bad start but they get to face a team on Tuesday that has only one game under their belt because of the wildfires in California. The Aggies are 3-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games against Big Sky teams. The Hornets are 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against Big West teams.

We like this Clippers squad a lot this season and we have been down on the lousy Wizards, but we think this is a good spot for the home dog to get the straight up win. This is not only a back-to-back for LA but their third game in four nights, all on the road. Things have gone pretty well in the first two games of this road trip, but now this is a fatigued team playing the toughest matchup yet on the last game of this three-game trip. The Wizards have struggled mightily, and John Wall and Bradley Beal have been mentioned in trade rumors. We just think this team steps up tonight. If this game was the first game of the season this line would probably be Wizards -5. But perceptions have changed. But we see value in this line and think Washington should win this one outright.

6 Unit Play. Take #729 Clemson over Georgia (1:30p.m., Tuesday, November 20) The Tigers are farther along with Coach Brownell and should be able to win this game by double digits over Georgia. Tom Crean is in his first year at Georgia and this is the type of team he will struggle against. Clemson is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams. Clemson is also 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #578 Temple over VCU (9:30p.m., Monday, November 19 ESPN 3) Both teams are undefeated, but the Rams have played cupcakes thus far and they are not the mid0major power they once were. This is the swain song for the Temple coach and expect them to make a run towards the NCAA tournament. Temple is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games. VCU is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #558 San Diego State over Duke (5p.m., Monday, November 19, ESPN 2) Duke is a machine this year but they lack experience and the long trip over from North Carolina may allow them to come out flat in this game. San Diego State has covered the spread in 4 straight neutral site games and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 nonconference games. If they can withstand Duke early they should be able to keep this game around 10-12 points for 40 minutes.

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

3 Unit Play. Take #723 Central Florida over Western Kentucky (6:30p.m., Sunday, November 18 ESPN2) UCF is a buzz saw early in the season and we will ride them again in the Championship Game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Golden Knights have great size in the pant and the Hilltoppers will struggle to match that. UCF is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 Oklahoma over Wofford (2p.m., Sunday, November 18) This is a home game for the Sooners and should be able to win this game by double digits. Oklahoma is 2-0 on the season and both wins have come over today’s posted number. Wofford is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 12 teams. Oklahoma is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We think that this is a great time to fade the Warriors. The turmoil in this squad is real, and they will continue to be overvalued by the oddsmakers regardless of their performance on the court. After their record-setting season a couple years ago this team started caring less and less about the regular season after they lost in the finals to the Cavs. They started to become a lousy regular-season bet at that point. This team started hot ATS, but they have now failed to cover in four of their last five, and the ATS losses will keep coming. Curry and Green are out tonight, and we don’t see the Warriors playing to their potential against a Dallas team is 5-2 at home and should give their best effort against the world champs.

Both teams come in on a back-to-back, but the Celtics played in OT last night in a much bigger game and we think this might be a letdown spot against a Jazz team that needs a win before a couple lousy games snowball into a concerning losing streak. We see think both offenses might come out a bit flat in this one and there is a good chance for a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog even more valuable. These teams played recently in Utah and the Jazz won that one pretty comfortably, so we know they can match up against Boston. We think the dog has a great chance to bark tonight for the outright win.

3 Unit Play. Take #584 Villanova over Furman (5p.m., Saturday, November 17 FS2) The Wildcats looked awful against Michigan this week but expect them to bounce back in a big way Saturday afternoon against an inferior opponent. Villanova is 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games played on Saturday. This should be a game where Villanova scored in the nineties and that will allow them to cover this big number.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #752 Pepperdine -2.5 over Towson (8p.m., Friday, November 16) The Waves can only go up after last season with Lorenzo Romar. The Tigers lost a ton of talent from their squad last year and Romar has always shown he is a good recruiter. Towson is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games. Pepperdine has covered the spread in 7 straight games.

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

4 Unit Play. Take #791 Connecticut +4.5 over Iowa (7p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN2) I believe the odds makers over adjusted this line by making Iowa this big of a favorite. Both teams were underdogs yesterday and I expect this game to go down to the wire and we will gladly take the points with UCONN have a proximity edge in location.

4 Unit Play. Take #774 Penn -1.5 over Northern Iowa (5:30p.m., Friday, November 16)

4 Unit Play. Take #789 Syracuse (pk) over Oregon (4:30p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN2) Many expected this to be the Championship game but now it is must win as neither team wants to leave NYC 0-2. Syracuse is always a tough team to beat at the Garden and expect a home crowd edge that will allow them to emerge victorious.

5 Unit Play. Take #764 UCF -1.5 over Saint Joes (1:30p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN 2) Both teams are coming off impressive wins to open this Invitational in Myrtle Beach. Saint Joes had the more impressive victory but I just do not believe they can follow that up on consecutive days. UCF has great size and we used them yesterday and expect a similar victory today.

4 Unit Play. Take #548 Iowa +4 over Oregon (9:30p.m., Thursday, November 15 ESPN 2) This might be a make or break year for Fran McCaffery and he likely needs a good year to keep his job. Iowa always seems to start off the season on a high note before fading in March. Expect them to take this game down to the wire with a good chance to win this game straight-up. Iowa is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. Oregon is 0-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 neutral site games.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #535 UCF -4 over CS Fullerton (2p.m., Thursday, November 15 ESPN3) The Golden Knights laid an absolute egg last time out losing to FAU despite being a 20 point favorite. That being said they still have talent including great size in the paint. They are predicted to finish in the top three of the AAC and should be able to bounce back in a big way against a team traveling cross country from California. The Titans put forth a good showing against Arizona State losing in overtime but I actually believe UCF is a better team that Arizona State. UCF is 10-4 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

5 Unit Play. Take #741 Marquette over Indiana (8:30p.m., Wednesday, November 14 FS1) The Golden Eagles are farther along than are the Hoosiers. Indiana is still in rebuild mode under second year head coach Archie Miller and they do not warrant to be this big of a favorite tonight at Assembly Hall. Indiana is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Big East teams. This should be a good game that goes down to the wire, but Marquette should be able to pull it out straight-up.

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

Going to take a shot on Atlanta here in this letdown spot for Golden State. The Warriors had a very hard-fought game last night against the Clippers that went to OT, and this one came with bickering between the teammates at the end of the game. They play Houston next on Thursday, so this out-of-conference opponent will not get much attention tonight sandwiched between games against rivals. The Hawks stink. But Golden State gets most teams’ best shot every night, and we have no doubt the young Hawks will come to play. A win here would be an accomplishment they could hang their hats on all season. We don’t see a straight up win, but we see a competitive game and a distracted home team.

Houston has had a very rough start to the season, no doubt, but this is still the second-best team in the West and they will get it together before long. They are probably not as strong as last season, but they aren’t far off. Denver has had a much stronger start to the season, but you can’t tell me that the Nuggets are more of a championship contender than the Rockets. Houston has been overvalued at home (1-4 ATS) but they have been a bit better on the road and we think there is value in this line tonight. The Nuggets haven’t been in best form the last few games, and Houston we think will come in tonight with something to prove.

We told ourselves we would stay away from Cleveland for the most part since a couple bad early-season losses, but we have to jump when the value is present, and that is certainly the case tonight. The Hornets are coming off a couple big games and they have Philly and Boston on deck, so this is a definite letdown spot. And that doesn’t even take into account that this is an inflated line and it looks like the public keeps betting into this one so there’s a chance it goes up even further. No reason to think that this won’t be a competitive game.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #754 Belmont over Middle Tennessee State (8p.m., Monday, November 12) The Kermit Davis era of success is over, and I just do not see the Blue Raiders reaching those levels anytime soon. They will lose this game by double digits tonight against the team predicted to finish in the top two of the Ohio Valley Conference. Dylan Windler should come up big again after scoring 20 points in his opening game against Illinois State. Belmont is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record.

This road trip hasn’t gone that well for the Celtics as they have only one win, and that was against Phoenix in OT. They really have to win this game tonight for the road trip not to be a total disaster. Despite the records, Boston is a much better team than Portland, and we love getting points with them tonight. We think they will give max effort in this spot. Boston has won and covered in all of the last three meetings between these teams. The Blazers are a solid team for sure. But they have been playing a bit over their heads to start the season. We had the Celtics handicapped at -2 in this game, so we think they have a great chance to win tonight.

Denver is a tough place to play, even when the Nuggets aren’t any good. They are very good this season, however, and the Bucks have to play in the high altitude here not only on a back-to-back but on their third game in four nights not to mention they played an extra five minutes in a loss to the Clippers Saturday in a hard-fought game that had to take a lot out of them. Denver had the day off Saturday while Milwaukee was duking in out at Staples Center, and they are coming in with a two-game losing streak in which they lost two close games. We think this is a great spot for them to get back on track.

The Hornets have been very competitive this season, and they keep overachieving against the oddsmaker expectations as they now stand at 8-4 ATS. They have covered all but one game as an underdog this season. They were very impressive last time out in a losing effort at Philly, taking the Sixers to OT on the road. Detroit is just 2-4 ATS as a favorite this season. Charlotte has won and covered in the last two meetings between these teams, and we think they have a great chance to do both again here on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #520 Central Florida over Florida Atlantic (3p.m., Sunday, November 11 ESPN3) The Owls are a poor team and lost most of their talent from last season. UCF has another strong team this year with great size in the post and should be able to pull away in this game and won it by 25+ points. UCF is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday. FAU is 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games against teams with a winning record.

We are getting a good line here because Curry and Draymond are out, but this is a complete team even when missing a few key pieces. The rest of the team will step up tonight, and we think there is a good chance this could be a blowout. Golden State has been one of the most dominant teams in the NBA this season, and they are coming off a loss to Milwaukee you can call embarrassing. They face a big step down in competition tonight, and we expect the motivation to be there for a bounce back minus two of the Big Four.

The Sixers are playing not only in a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, but they had OT last night at Charlotte in a lackadaisical performance, and we think that this is a great spot to fade them tonight. Memphis has been off for two nights, and they have the confidence in their hearts from their big upset win over Denver. We think they make it two in a row tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #728 Saint Louis over Troy (8p.m., Saturday, November 10 ESPN+) This should be the year that you see results from Travis Ford and company. He has improved each of his first two years and should have no problem winning 20+ games this season. Troy is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following a victory in their previous game. Saint Louis has covered 10 of their last 13 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Milwaukee is a very good team but they can be overrated in spots, and we feel like this is one of those spots on Saturday afternoon. The Clippers are a good team also, and they are 4-1 at home this season (Milwaukee is 3-2 on the road). The Bucks are a bit banged up today, and that will hurt their depth. The Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games, and we expect them to compete for the win here Saturday afternoon.

4 Unit Play. Take #547 Washington over Auburn (9:30p.m., Friday, November 9 SECN) Lot of points to be giving with two ranked teams doing battle in the state of Alabama. Washington can frustrate Auburn with their zone and force them to make three point shots. Washington is 6-2 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams. Auburn is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #581 Jacksonville State over Samford (8p.m., Friday, November 9 CBSSN)

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

4 Unit Play. Take #522 Texas over Arkansas (7p.m., Friday, November 9 ESPN) Mike Anderson is back for another year at Arkansas and this may be his last year there. Texas got back to the NCAA Tournament last year and always seems to have a good recruiting class under Coach Smart. Arkansas lost a lot of players from last year and paying in the state of Texas will doom them in. The Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #549 Northern Kentucky over Northern Illinois (7p.m., Friday, November 9 ESPN+) The Norse won the Horizon League last year and will be one of the top teams in the league this year as well. The Huskies are a bottom feeder team in the MAC and things are not expected to improve this year as well. Northern Kentucky is 14-4 ATS in their last 18 nonconference games.

4 Unit Play. Take #567 Wichita State over Providence (6p.m., Friday, November 9 CBSSN) Wichita State laid an egg in their opening game of the year but I expect them to bounce back on Friday in Annapolis. Both teams are in rebuilding mode after losing a lot of talent from last year’s squad and thus we will grab the points in this game. Providence is 2-14 ATS in their last 16 nonconference games.

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

We think the bookies are begging the public to take the Nuggets here but we think the other side is much more attractive here on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies have covered the last two meetings and four of the last six. Denver is 9-1 and they are off to a hot start but this team is overachieving a bit to start the season, and this is not the second coming of the Warriors. They played at home against Utah and Boston last two times, and now it will be hard to get motivated heading on the road to an improved Memphis team that is 5-4 ATS but has dropped two straight (both on the road). We think home cooking will do them well tonight and expect a strong performance from the home team.

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

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

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

Dallas has covered the line in this series for years as these teams don’t play often but Dallas has covered in 10 of the last 11 meetings. We think this is one of the worst versions of the Wizards we have seen in recent years. Yes, they are off to a slow start and can play better, but this team has some problems that will haunt them all season. The Mavs have not started any better as they have the same record as Washington at 2-7. But they have had a few nights off to get over their embarrassing home loss to the Knicks and we think they will do much better here tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #757 Rider over Central Florida (5:30p.m, Tuesday, November 6 ESPN 3) Rider will be the team to beat this year in the MAAC and I do not see them getting blown out tonight in Orlando. The Broncs return all five starters from last year and were 22-10.

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

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

The Sixers are winless on the road this season, and we feel there’s a good chance they fail to notch the W here on Sunday. Brooklyn is a sneaky-good team. They lost last time out against Houston, but they played much better than the final score might indicate. They have played pretty well overall here at home, in fact, despite a tough slate of opponents thus far. Philly is a tad bit overrated by the oddsmakers right now and we had them as a one-point favorite in this matchup, so we will take advantage of the extra points being offered tonight.

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

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

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

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

These are two of the three best teams in the east, and we think this one will have a playoff atmosphere tonight. Both teams will come to play, and with both teams at their best we think this is just too many points for the home team to be laying tonight. Philly blew it in their game against Boston to open the season and they won’t want to go 0-2 against the other two best teams in the east to start the season. We think they put their best foot forward tonight and expect a close game here.