Sports Picks & Predictions

Denver has had some success against the Warriors. Golden State has only one cover in the last five meetings (one push). Denver has even won two of those meetings straight up. We had Golden State last night at the Kings and we were very lucky to get the cover. The Warriors did not play that well in the game, and Sacramento more or less imploded at the end of the game more than the Warriors taking control and dominating. This team looks tired and Coach Steve Kerr admitted as much after the game last night and said his team is physically and mentally exhausted and they are limping towards the All-Star Break. Well, Denver is not a good place to play a back-to-back in that mental and physical state as the high altitude can be tough even on fresh teams. Denver was off last night, they have been home for the better part of two weeks and they will be motivated to play the Warriors as teams are on a nightly basis. They have been playing very well and nearly beat the Spurs in San Antonio two games ago and they scored a momentum-building win over OKC on Thursday here at home. We think this will be a close game and it would not surprise us if Denver pulled off the straight up win.

4 Unit Play. Take #602 Stanford over Oregon (5p.m., Saturday February 3 FOX) We used the Cardinal at home on Thursday and cruised to an easy victory. Expect a similar result this afternoon in Stanford, CA. The Cardinal play much better at home and the Ducks lost a bunch of talent from their Final Four team a season ago. Stanford is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.  

4 Unit Play. Take #588 Syracuse over Virginia (4p.m., Saturday February 3 ACCN) Syracuse needs this game for their resume as they lack quality wins this season. They always play Virginia tough and I just do not believe they will get run out of the building on Saturday. The Orange have covered the last 4 meetings against the Cavaliers. The Underdog has covered 4 straight games in this match-up as well.

4 Unit Play. Take #556 Wyoming over Fresno State (2p.m., Saturday February 3 AT&T SN) Really like Wyoming in this game at home. They are coming off a double overtime victory in Fort Collins last time out. Fresno State gave Nevada a decent game for 35 minutes but they are just not the same team this season. They will be playing their second straight road game and they will enter having lost two straight games. Wyoming has great size and they are a tough team to beat when they are making their 3-point shots. Fresno State is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall. Wyoming is 11-5 ATS in their last 16 home games.

A motivated Warriors team is a good one to bet on and this team should be uber-motivated tonight. They had an off game when these teams met last week, in the Bay Area no less, and the Kings pulled the shocking upset. Then the Warriors went out and played their worst game of the season last time out in losing by 30 in Utah. Coach Steve Kerr ripped his team after the game and we are sure they will respond tonight. In these dog days of the NBA season even the best teams can have a lapse but it makes sense to think that they will put their best effort forward here tonight.

The Pelicans were off last night. The Thunder played in the high altitude of Denver and had all sorts of drama with a last-second shot that caused them to lose the game that maybe shouldn’t have counted as well as Russell Westbrook shoving a fan that came on the court after the game. No word yet on whether a suspension will be coming, but of course if that happens that can only help our pick here. This Thunder team is 10-21 ATS when being favored by four or more points this season and this team is just awful as a favorite. The Pelicans have lost two straight but they are the more rested team and we expect them to be boosted by the trade for Mirotic, who should be available to play here tonight.

The Hornets have a strong recent betting history in this series at home as they have covered in all of the last six meetings. We think revenge is an overrated handicapping aspect but it does come into play when teams have recently met, and that is the case here as Indiana scored a big win at home over the Hornets on Monday. But the Pacers are much better at home (18-10) than they are on the road (11-13) and the Hornets are much better at home as well (they are a horrible 7-15 in road games). This is a lone road game for Indiana sandwiched between two homestands and we think this is a bad spot for the visitors tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #564 Stanford over Oregon State (11p.m., Thursday February 1 FS1) Stanford is a tough out at home this season. They beat Arizona State and took Arizona to the wire in their last home games. They lost both games in Los Angeles last week and thus they need to get back on track to stay above .500 in conference play. The Beavers have lost 4 of their last 5 games. Stanford is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #548 Wisconsin over Northwestern (8:30p.m., Thursday February 1 BTN) Just do not see Wisconsin losing two straight home games in a row. This is the Wildcats second straight road game and they will have trouble matching-up with Ethan Happ down low. Northwestern is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. The favorite is 12-4 ATS in the last 16 match-ups.

The Spurs are 22-4 at home this season. Getting points with them at home? We will bite. Houston is the better team right now but they have some key players questionable here for this one and we think that the Spurs can win this game. They got blown out in Houston last month and they will play much better here at home. They may be without Leonard but he has been out most of the season and they have still played very well at home. It’s the system here in San Antonio, not just one player, and we expect the Spurs to notch another home win here tonight.

The Bucks have been playing well but they have had a pretty easy overall schedule and we think they are in deep tonight. Minnesota has had a very tough and road-heavy schedule lately but we think they will start to play better back here at home. There is a lot of attention on this city right now since the Super Bowl is in town this weekend and the home team will not want to embarrass themselves and we think they give extra effort here tonight and in Saturday’s game vs. New Orleans.

The Grizzlies have covered seven of their last nine games and they are getting too many points once again here on Thursday. Blake Griffin should be joining the Pistons tonight in his first game on the court for Detroit but he is not going to fit in seamlessly right away and it will be a work in progress with him to mesh with his teammates and the Pistons gave away some of their good players to the Clippers in that trade so they way be worse for the wear until he starts to gel with the team. This Detroit team got a big win last time out vs. the Cavs, but that team is flawed but otherwise the Pistons have lost eight of their last nine and this team should not be favored by this many points until we can see that Griffin is the solution to their problems.

4 Unit Play. Take #516 William & Mary over Elon (7p.m., Thursday February 1) The Tribe look for the season sweep of Elon tonight in Williamsburg, as they try and stay at the top of the standing. Bill and Mary have lost two straight home games and they need to right the ship in a big way. Elon is 0-9 ATS in their last 9 games played on Thursday. Bill and Mary is 9-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 home games.

4 Unit Play. Take #776 Long Beach State -2.5 over Cal Irvine (10:30p.m., Wednesday January 31) The 49ers always play a brutal nonconference schedule, but they have moved to the top of the Big West standing and I expect them to stay there for the season. They have won 3 straight games and have revenge on their minds after losing to Irvine earlier this season. Irvine is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Bulls seem to be in full tank mode again as they have lost four straight. Two of their last three losses were by double-digits, and we think this could be another 10+ point win tonight for the home team. The Blazers come in on the second end of a back-to-back after winning at the Clippers Tuesday but this team has traditionally been good on the second end of these back-to-backs and they are playing very well right now. They have won six of their last seven and they are covering lines too. We think they are underrated again in this spot and we expect them to score a comfortable win.

4 Unit Play. Take #769 Wyoming -5 over Colorado State (9p.m., Wednesday January 31) The Rams are a sinking ship with injuries getting the best of them. They have lost four straight games with the last two coming in blowout fashion. The Pokes are one of the top teams in the league and this is a game that they must win to remain there. This is a border battle and Colorado State will have some moments in this game. I just feel Wyoming will pull away in the second half and win this game by 9-11 points. The road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

Boston isn’t in top form right now and they are laying too many points tonight in this one. This is the first game back home after a tough four-game road trip for Boston and often these first games back home don’t go as well as planned for the home team as players have other business to attend to and their minds might not be fully in the game. They have had a very busy schedule lately, too, so they are probably tired. The Knicks are on the second of a back-to-back but they had three nights off before the Brooklyn win last night so they should be fine here.

We think the Hornets are a talented team that has underachieved but the Hawks are flat out bad. We think this is a great chance for Charlotte to get a rare road win. These teams met on Friday in Charlotte and the Hornets cruised to an 11-point win. That was their fifth cover in the last six meetings. We think revenge is an overrated handicapping factor and the Hawks are just not good enough to get revenge and if they were hungry for revenge they would be mad at most of the league. We expect another easy win for the Hornets here.

4 Unit Play. Take #738 Iowa State +9.5 over West Virginia (7p.m., Wednesday January 31 ESPN U) We have a good feel for West Virginia this season. We went against them on Saturday against Kentucky and won and will do so again on Tuesday. Iowa State is way down this season but they are always a tough out at home. The Cyclones were blown out last time out against Tennessee and expect pride to set in for this game. If you take care of the basketball West Virginia has trouble beating you since they usually do not shoot a high percentage from the field.

The Clippers traded away Blake Griffin last night and things will also get worse for this team before they get better. This move came as a surprise for almost everyone and the rest of the Clippers players have to be scratching their heads and wondering if they are getting shipped out of town themselves. Even Coach Doc Rivers name has been mentioned to get canned. This does not set up well for them to host Portland tonight. The Blazers are hot, having won five of six, and they are playing with confidence. They will want to take advantage of their rival when in a state of flux. The new additions from the Pistons will likely not be available tonight for the home team and we think they will be a bit shell-shocked and we expect them to lose bad here and to regroup after this game.

Denver has lost 10 straight games in San Antonio and they have a good chance to get that monkey off their back last night as this Spurs team is just not the same with Leonard out of the lineup. These teams played earlier this month with Leonard in the lineup and the Spurs won by 30+ but with Leonard out and the Nuggets surely anxious to put that embarrassment behind them we expect a much better effort from the Nuggets tonight.  

The Pistons have lost eight straight and they are for sure in panic mode after giving up a lot of their movable assets to trade for Blake Griffin from the Clippers. He won’t be available tonight and things will probably get worse here before they get better. The Pistons gave up two of their better players for Griffin so they will be shorthanded tonight. And this is also a big distraction since it happened the night before they play a Cleveland team that is also desperate for wins. These teams played a couple nights ago and Cleveland scored a blowout win at home and we expect the same result here tonight as this has the makings of a double-digit win for the road team that has suddenly been playing a lot better the last two games.

4 Unit Play. Take #543 Illinois State over Missouri State (8p.m., Tuesday January 30 ESPN 3) This is a lot of points to be given for two teams that are both 5-5 in league play. The Redbirds won the first meeting by 4 points and I see that as the margin of victory tonight. The Bears are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games overall. Illinois State is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played on Tuesday.

The Nets have failed to cover in their last two games, but this is still the No. 2 ATS team in the league. We had them last time out getting a big number at Minnesota and even though they were injured they played well in the second half after going down huge early. They are more healthy tonight and we think that they are getting too many points here. Brooklyn is 16-9 ATS away from home and 6-3 ATS away against sub-.500 teams. We think that this is definitely a game the Nets can win straight out.

John Wall is out for an extended period but we think that the team will step up tonight in his absence. The Wizards have revenge for the game five nights ago in OKC where the Thunder scored a nine-point win. The total went way over in that one and that should be the case tonight even without Wall. The Wizards have a knack for getting up to play top competition and with the revenge factor we expect a much better game from them. The over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. We expect a close game here and it should be very high scoring.

Denver has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and they are catching the Celtics in a good spot on the last game of their tough four-game road trip and coming off their very tough game against the Warriors. Boston has lost five of their last six games and they have not been in good form. Denver has won three straight, all at home, and we thought that this line should be about 3.5 but of course Boston is the more public team so the bookies have to keep this number low since they know the public will bet the Cs here.

4 Unit Play. Take #722 Wisconsin -3.5 over Nebraska (9p.m., Monday January 29 BTN) Homecourt means everything in the Big 10 this season and Wisconsin has played just three conference home this season and has had a brutal schedule. They will improve during the second half with 6 home games and getting some experience for their young players. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. The home team is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 match-ups.

The Heat are the much stronger team in this matchup and we think they are laying too small of a number tonight. Miami has covered in six of the last eight meetings and they should have no problems here as the Mavs have not been playing well, having lost six of their last seven games. They are also at a severe rest disadvantage. While both teams were off Sunday, this will be the third game in four nights for Dallas and we think they are in a tough position tonight against a team that has dominated them the past few years.

4 Unit Play. Take #716 Duke -14.5 over Notre Dame (7p.m., Monday January 29 ESPN) The Irish just do not have the weapons to complete at Duke. The line is big for a reason and expect Duke to win this game by 20 points. The Blue Devils are angry and losing to Virginia at home on Saturday and will take out their frustrations in a big way Monday. Notre Dame is without Farrell and Colson and they are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #730 Rider -6 over Monmouth (7p.m., Monday January 29) Rider currently sits atop the standing in the MAAC and Monmouth is just not the team it was a couple of years ago. Monmouth is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games played on Monday. Rider is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on Monday. The home teams is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings between Monmouth and Rider.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #659 San Diego State (PK) over UNLV (10p.m., Saturday January 27 CBSSN) Both of these teams have been disappointing in conference play. I still believe San Diego State has more talent and their style of play should frustrate the Rebels. UNLV has been terrible at home in conference play and expect that to hold true again on Saturday night.

4 Unit Play. Take #658 Illinois State -3.5 over Valparaiso (10p.m., Saturday January 27 ESPN 2) The Crusaders are finding life much more difficult in the MVC this season compared to the Horizon League. Valpo is just 2-7 in league play and will enter this game having lost 4 straight games. Valpo is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. ISU is 11-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 games following a loss in their previous game. SDSU is 12-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games in Las Vegas against UNLV.

Brooklyn is one of the top NBA teams in the league this season against the spread. They have been especially good as an underdog. This team is 16-5 ATS this season when they are getting six or more points as an underdog. That is the type of team that you can trust when getting double digits because you know they will play hard most nights and that they are underestimated by the bookies. The Nets got blown out last night at Milwaukee but this team is 6-3 ATS on the second end of a back-to-back. The Wolves could be without Jimmy Butler tonight as he is listed as questionable but even if he does play he’s probably not going to be anywhere near 100%. Brooklyn is 16-8 ATS on the road this season and 9-4 ATS on the road against winning teams. They already beat the Wolves earlier this month in Brooklyn and we think they will keep this game close tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #650 Nebraska -3.5 over Iowa (8p.m., Saturday January 27 BTN)

4 Unit Play. Take #643 Colorado +10 over Arizona State (8p.m., Saturday January 27 ESPN U) Arizona State just has not been the same team in conference play as they were in the nonconference portion of the season. The Sun Devils have also struggled at home as well against inferior competition and that should hold true again on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #585 Kentucky +9.5 over West Virginia (7p.m., Saturday January 27 ESPN)

10 Unit Play. Take #596 Arizona -8.5 over Utah (5:30p.m., Saturday January 27 FOX) TOP NCAA GAME OF THE DAY. Not much needs to be said about this game. Arizona is going to win straight-up and they are due for a blowout victory. Arizona turned it on in the second half against Colorado and that game was not in doubt late. The Wildcats already won in Salt Lake City by 12 points and Utah is just not the same team on the road. Arizona has some injury issues, but it will not matter if those guys play. Either way they are winning by double digits. The favorite is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #676 Montana State +6 over Southern Utah (4p.m., Saturday January 27) The Bobcats are in desperate need of a victory having lost 4 straight games. They have already beaten Southern Utah once this season and look to complete the quinella at home on Saturday. The Thunderbirds have gotten blown out on the road most of the season and today should be no different. Southern Utah is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #553 Florida Atlantic -1.5 over Rice (3p.m., Saturday January 27 ESPN 3) No bet against Rice is a bad bet this season. The Owls are just 5-16 on the season and most of their losses have been blowouts. FAU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a losing record. Rice is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 conference games. The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 matchups.

5 Unit Play. Take #534 Duke -3.5 over Virginia (2p.m., Saturday January 27 CBS) Duke needs this game if they have any chance of winning the ACC Regular Season Championship. Virginia is 8-0 in the ACC but they have played a home heavy schedule and all three of their road games have come against inferior competition. Duke has so much offensive firepower that Virginia will not be able to match. Duke has covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 home games. Virginia will have their moments in this game but Duke will pull away late to win this game by 7-9 points.

Both teams are banged up but the Spurs have compiled a 20-3 record at home and we think that they will win this one handily tonight. This team is back on track with blowout wins in their last two games and despite their injuries that have good coaching in place and a great system and we think that they should be favored by a few more here against a Sixers team that has been very average on the road this season.

The Clippers have been streaky. They won six straight and now they have dropped three in a row. But they have a good chance tonight against a banged-up Grizzlies squad. Memphis is going to have a thin rotation tonight no matter what as they have a lot of key players questionable and the Clippers are relatively healthy coming into this game off rest. Memphis’ defense hasn’t been great lately and the Clippers have been very good offensively and we don’t see the Grizzlies slowing them down tonight as we expect LA to win big here.

When the Lakers win a few games they become overvalued and that is the case here tonight as LA enters having won seven of their last nine games. However, this team has played a home-heavy schedule during that time but we don’t think this squad is that good. They are only 6-15 on the road this season and they have lost two straight away from Staples Center. The Bulls have been strong after a slow start and they are one of the best ATS teams in the league. We feel they will score a comfortable victory tonight at home.

We have been going against the Cavs quite a bit this season with good success but we think that this is a game they will actually care about and play their best. These teams have already played three times this season and the Pacers have won all three games. The Cavs need to step up here and we expect them to play their best game in awhile to avoid the sweep. Cleveland has played a really tough schedule lately but things get a bit easier starting here and we think they come out with a big game tonight just like the Cavs we have been used to. Cleveland should win this one by double digits.

4 Unit Play. Take #566 Pepperdine over LMU (10p.m., Thursday January 25) This is a bottom feeder match-up in the WCC but we will side with the Waves since they are playing this game in Malibu. LMU is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games played on Thursday. Pepperdine has covered the spread 27 times in the last 38 games against LMU. 

Denver has covered in five of the last six meetings. New York is on the second to last game of a seven-game road trip and they have to be ready to head home and the tough altitude of Denver is not the best place to play when you are in this state of mind and fatigued from life on the road. The Knicks are a very poor road team at 6-18 on the season and Denver is one of the better home teams in the league. The road continues to be a struggle for the Knicks tonight and we think this game could be a blowout.

The Wizards have been slumping but this team normally lowers itself to the level of competition but on the flip side they have been great in this spot they are in tonight as they are 7-2 ATS when on the road against above-.500 teams. They are normally their best when playing top competition. OKC, on the other hand, is just 4-9 ATS at home against winning teams. We like to back strong teams off a bad loss and the Wizards certainly qualify here after a listless effort in Dallas last time out saw them run out of the building in a 23-point blowout. These guys will play better tonight. OKC has won five straight but at Cleveland was the only quality win there and the Cavs are just a mess right now. We expect a close game and might throw a couple bucks on the Wizards moneyline here.

4 Unit Play. Take #510 Hofstra over Northeastern (7p.m., Thursday January 25) The Pride have already won in Boston this season and look to complete the season sweep of the Huskies. This will be Northeastern’s third road game in the last four games and that will catch up with them tonight. Hofstra has covered the spread 4 straight times on games played on Thursday. 

4 Unit Play. Take #768 Wyoming over Nevada (11p.m., Wednesday January 24 ESPN U) Wyoming played Nevada tough in the first meeting in Reno despite getting nothing from Hayden Dalton. He will play much better tonight and Laramie is always a tough place to play. Nevada is coming off a win against Boise State last time out and they currently sit at 7-0 in conference play. But all of their tough games lie ahead, and they will struggle to consistently win games on the road against tough competition. Nevada is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 road games. The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between Nevada and Wyoming. 66% of the money is coming in on Nevada yet the line is dropping. This is usually a good sign that Wyoming is the correct side. 

4 Unit Play. Take #751 Air Force over Utah State (9p.m., Wednesday January 24) Air Force is back in action after having their game cancelled over the weekend because of the government shutdown. They are set to do battle with a Utah State team that has lost 4 straight games including a pair of home games against Colorado State and Wyoming. The Force is playing their best basketball of the season having won two straight games and I do not see them getting run out of the gym tonight in Logan. The Falcons have covered the spread in 5 straight games. Utah State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games. 

4 Unit Play. Take #759 Stanford over Southern Cal (9p.m., Wednesday January 24 ESPN U) USC is just a hard team to trust as a big favorite. They have been playing better of late, but Stanford already beat them once this season and I do not envision them getting blown out in this game. Stanford took Arizona to the wire last time out and led by double digits in the second half. Stanford has covered the spread in 6 straight games. 

The Suns are playing hard on a nightly basis and they have covered three straight games. We think that this matchup will be competitive as well here on Wednesday. The Pacers are in a bad spot tonight. This lone home game comes after a long road trip. The first game home after a long trip is always tough for the home squad as sometimes players have their minds elsewhere as they have personal business to attend to and this scheduling spot is particularly quirky as the Pacers are coming off their big win over the Spurs and they head back on the road next time out to play at Cleveland and we think their minds will be elsewhere against this Western Conference bottom feeder.

We expect a close, low-scoring game here and we have to go with the underdog in this contest, which we think is basically a coin flip. The Pistons are in a freefall as they have lost five straight and this team is not playing well after a strong start. Utah hasn’t been good on the road but this team is getting healthy and we think their road results will start to even out. The Jazz won and covered in both meetings last season, and both were low scoring. We expect those trends to continue, and in fact the under has cashed in five straight meetings between these clubs.

We would lean Charlotte in this game anyways, but New Orleans is in a real bad spot here after their 2-OT barnburner last time out at Chicago. All the starters played massive minutes in that one and even though the Pelicans had the night off on Tuesday we expect heavy legs for the visiting team tonight. In fact, the Pelicans have played in three OT games in the last week and that is a lot of extra work during the grueling NBA season. Both teams are playing well lately. But the Hornets are 10-4 ATS as a small favorite this season and this is the type of game where they normally cash a ticket for backers.

4 Unit Play. Take #735 Nebraska over Rutgers (7pm., Wednesday January 24 BTN) The Cornhuskers have been holding their won during Big 10 play currently sitting at 5-4. Rutgers has lost three of their last four games and they have only beaten Iowa and Wisconsin this season. Nebraska is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Big 10 games. They are also 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings with Rutgers. 

Boston hasn’t been playing well and has lost their last three, all at home. But we like to take a good team after an embarrassing loss with the thought that they will play harder in their next game and this Celtics team certainly qualifies after an eight-point home loss to the Magic as double-digit favorites last time out. The Lakers have been playing better but this team has played a pretty soft schedule lately. The Celtics not only want to get back on track but this is a rivalry game from the heyday of the NBA and we have no doubt win or lose that Boston puts forth a strong effort tonight here on the road.

5 Unit Play. Take #548 Minnesota over Northwestern (9p.m., Tuesday January 23 BTN) These are two of the most disappointing teams in the conference this season. That being said, Minnesota has great size and talent compared to Northwestern. There season is on the line tonight and this is a must win if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Brooklyn is the No. 2 ATS team in the NBA this season and this team continues to get very generous numbers from the bookies. They don’t win a lot of games but they play hard on a nightly basis and this team has some talent despite the lack of big names. This team is 19-7 ATS as a dog of four or more points and they are 8-4 ATS on the road against above-.500 teams. They are 15-7 ATS on the road this season. OKC has won four straight but the only legitimate opponent was the Cavs, and that team is a mess right now. Not sure if this Thunder team can be trusted yet, and we think getting double digits with Brooklyn is too good to pass up.

These teams have similar records but the Magic have had lots of injury issues and the Kings just flat out stink. Sacramento is in full tank mode right now and they are going to be resting regulars on a regular basis now and that is to ensure they get a high pick in the 2018 draft. They have lost eight straight and four of those games were by double digits. They also come in on a back-to-back while the Magic should be well rested as they have played just one game the last four nights and they had Monday off. Orlando has covered in five straight games and those included straight up wins against Boston and Minnesota and a one-point loss at Cleveland.

The Clippers have been getting a lot of buzz and press lately with their winning streak that vaulted them into the playoff discussion and included wins over the Rockets and Warriors. They also beat some bad teams during that winning streak and we think that Golden State and Houston had bad nights more than the Clippers dominating them. They came back to earth last time out in a blowout loss at Utah and now this Clippers team faces an even stronger club in the T-Wolves. The Clips have put in a real blue collar effort lately but tonight the talent on the court will shine through and we think the Wolves win this comfortably.

Denver has been a little shaky at home lately but you can’t argue with their 16-6 home record and this team has one of the better home-court advantages in the NBA with the high altitude. We like to back a good team after a bad loss and this Nuggets team lost to the Suns at home last time out and that pretty much guarantees that at least these guys will work harder tonight win or lose. The Blazers have lost three straight road games and Denver already blew the Blazers out of the building, in Portland no less, in the last meeting. We think they will match up well tonight.

Philly is much improved this season but this squad is still a mediocre road team and we think that they are laying too many points tonight. We had the Sixers handicapped as one-point favorites in this one and we think this is a game that the home team should win. The Grizzlies have won nine straight meetings in this series. Even though Philly is better this year and Memphis is down, that is still a long stretch of domination and we think the trend could continue tonight. The Grizzlies have won four straight at home and this team is playing well right now.

The Bucks have dropped four of five and they have not been playing well but they have had a very tough schedule and we were surprised this line was so low as we had this one at 7.5 and we think there is nice value here on the other side of the key NBA number of 7. Even with the Greek Freak out of the lineup this Bucks team is still much better than the Suns and they have covered in four of the last five meetings between these teams. We think that this game has a good chance to be a blowout and we like the home team tonight.

The Jazz are getting healthy again and we think that this is a team on the upswing. This team hasn’t been good on the road this season but they have won two of their last three on the road and this is a very winnable game for them tonight. They are playing with a lot of confidence right now after blowing out the Clippers last time out and ending their long winning streak and we think they use that positive momentum to notch a very comfortable win over one of the worst teams in the NBA here in Atlanta. Utah has blown out the Hawks in the last two meetings and that could happen again here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #722 Virginia Tech over North Carolina (7p.m., Monday January 22 ESPN) The Hokies need quality wins to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament and who better to get it against then the defending champions. Virginia Tech is a much better team at home and they have the offensive firepower to match North Carolina in scoring. The Tar Heels are just 1-2 on the road in ACC play with their only victory coming against Notre Dame by one point. North Carolina is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 road games. Virginia Tech is 24-10 ATS (1 push) in their last 35 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This Pacers road trip, which started off promising with wins at Phoenix and Utah, has quickly turned into a nightmare with double-digit losses in the last two games at Portland and LA Lakers. This will be their third game in four nights and then they have two nights off before they play Phoenix at home on Wednesday so we think that this is a spot where they may mail it in. Even if they don’t we think this game will be all Spurs tonight. The Spurs have played six of their last seven on the road and this team just isn’t good away from home this season but now they are back home tonight where they are 19-2 on the season and have one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA. They are 15-5-1 ATS here so not only do they win but they normally do it with authority. After dropping two of three on this most recent road trip the Spurs will be anxious to get back to their winning ways. And against a fatigued and road-weary Pacers team tonight that should be the perfect recipe for success.

4 Unit Play. Take #826 Iona -5 over Canisius (1p.m., Sunday January 21 ESPN 3) The two best teams in the MAAC are set to do battle on Sunday. We will side with the traditional power as Iona got a great victory on Friday and has a ton of momentum entering this battle of 6-1 teams. The home team has covered 4 straight in this series. Canisius is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games. 

The Raptors come in having won two straight while the Wolves have dropped two consecutive games. That means we are getting a nice line here tonight with the home team. We had this line handicapped at 5.5 so there is value here. Minnesota has covered in three of the last four meetings and we think this squad matches up well with the Raptors. Toronto has covered in only two of their last seven games so the oddsmakers obviously have this team a tad overrated right now. We think that the Wolves get back on the winning track in a big way tonight.

The Clippers have won six straight but only a couple of those wins were of the quality variety and we think this team’s bubble will burst eventually. And we think that will be the case tonight. The Jazz are coming in on a back-to-back after losing to the Knicks at home last night. But this team is young and they are 7-2 ATS in back-to-backs this season so we think that they will be fine here. Utah has Rudy Gobert back and he is their best player and this team was not the same without him. But they have covered in six of the last nine meetings in this series and we like the home team laying the small number here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take 662 Bradley over Evansville (8p.m., Saturday January 20 ESPN 3) Bradley has started to show some life under Brian Wardle for the first time in close to a decade. This team has a chance in a wide-open conference now that Wichita State is no longer in the league. The Braves have lost two straight road games but have beaten Northern Iowa, Valparaiso, and Southern Illinois at home. I believe all three of those teams are better than Evansville. Bradley is 21-4 ATS in their last 27 home games. Home team has covered 4 of the last 5 meetings. 

4 Unit Play. Take #639 San Diego State over New Mexico (7p.m., Saturday January 20 CBSSN) Still believe that New Mexico is terrible, and San Diego State has underachieved thus far. New Mexico has won three of their last four games, but I just do not take them seriously. San Diego State still has a lot of talent and sooner or later they will put it together and make some noise in the MWC. The road teams is 20-8 ATS in their last 28 meetings. The favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings. 

Cleveland is dead last in the NBA in ATS rankings and once again they are being lined as if they are playing well. They aren’t. They are playing their worst basketball of the season right now and we had this game lined as a ‘pick’em’ so there is value here with the points. Cleveland has covered only one of their last 13 games. They barely squeaked by Orlando last time out in a game where oddsmakers expected a blowout. The bookies have it wrong with this team and we will continue to take advantage of bad lines.

4 Unit Play. Take #556 Northwestern over Penn State (2p.m., Saturday January 20 BTN) Homecourt in the Big 10 is still a major factor when handicapping games and expect the Wildcats get back on track. Northwestern has lost just one conference home game this season and Penn State has played a home heavy schedule thus far. The favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings between Penn State and Northwestern. This is the second meeting of the season and expect Northwestern to extract some revenge. 

4 Unit Play. Take #544 Eastern Michigan over Ohio (2p.m., Saturday January 20 ESPN 3) Ohio has been struggling in conference play and I do not see things getting any better today in Ypsilanti. The Bobcats lost by 34 points at home last time out and that is just not something you can come back from in 4 days. The Eagles have won two of their last three games and are always a tough team to beat at home. The home team is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings. Eastern Michigan is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. 

The Knicks have a better record than Utah yet they are getting this many points? We’ll bite. The Jazz should not be laying this many points to any team right now as they have been bad for the last month+.  You can’t find a much stronger trend of domination in head-to-head matchups in the NBA as the Knicks are 22-4 ATS in the last 26 meetings between these teams. And since they play only twice a year, that trend stretches back for many years. We think the story will be the same tonight as we think this will be a close, hard-fought game. This one has a pretty low total and points could be hard to come by for both teams, and that makes the points with the underdog all the more valuable.

The Pacers are coming in on a back-to-back after a poor showing in Portland last night but they have a much better chance tonight against a banged-up LA Lakers squad. The Lakers have not won this season with rookie Lonzo Ball out of the lineup and that will be the case this evening. This team is already thin but with some key players likely missing this game that puts them in a real bad position tonight. The Pacers have won three of four despite the loss last night and we expect them to get back on the winning track tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #824 Wisconsin over Illinois (9p.m., Friday January 19 FS1) Wisconsin has lost three straight road games and they are in desperate need for a victory tonight at the Kohl Center. The Illini are 0-6 in the Big 10 and are in a complete rebuild this season under a new coach. Home court means everything in the Big 10 and Wisconsin should feel more confident and be able to shoot better. The favorite is 19-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 meetings between Illinois and Wisconsin. 

The Pistons were the feel-good story of the early NBA season but this team has come back to Earth and they are now just a game above .500 on the season. They have lost three straight entering this matchup. The Wizards have lost two straight, but we think this is the much better overall team and we thought they should be favored by around 3 in this game. We like to back a good team after an embarrassing loss and that is the case for the Wizards here as they were blown out in Charlotte last time out and we think they put in a much better effort here. They have won and covered in four of the last five meetings in this series.

The Nets are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season and they are getting healthy with D’Angelo Russell expected to return to the lineup tonight. They have lost six of seven against a very tough schedule and they will go all out to win this game tonight. The Heat have been playing extremely well. This team has been playing over its head, in our opinion, and they will come back to earth tonight. The Nets are 8-4 ATS at home against teams with a winning record and we might throw a few bucks on the moneyline here as well as we think the home team could very well win this one.

When the Spurs are getting this many points you have to pay attention. San Antonio has been lousy on the road for the most part but we think they are getting too many points tonight. There is no reason to think that this won’t be a close game. San Antonio has won four straight in this series and they have covered in seven of the last 10 meetings. Toronto has lost two of three so they aren’t in top form right now and we expect a hard-fought game on both sides tonight and we don’t see the Spurs getting run out of the building.

4 Unit Play. Take #827 Iona over Monmouth (7p.m., Friday January 19 ESPN 3) The Hawks are usually one of the top teams in the MAAC but that is not the case this season. Leading scorer Micah Seaborn has not played much of late and he is listed as doubtful for this game. Iona sits atop the standing at 5-1 and will enter this game having won 4 straight games. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 4 meetings between these schools. Monmouth is also 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Portland’s defense has pretty much fallen apart and they have allowed 106+ in eight of their last nine games. During that stretch their games have gone over eight times. They have allowed 119 or more in three of their last four games. Of course the Blazers have lost three of four because you aren’t going to win a lot of games giving up that many points. We think the Pacers will put up a big number on offense tonight and we think that they have a great chance to win this game straight out. They are playing a more complete game right now and they have quietly won three straight and five of their last six.

Both teams are coming off a bad loss and will want to get back on track here. Houston is the better team, however, and even without James Harden they should be able to win this one comfortably. Minnesota lost last time out in Orlando and that is a much worse loss than the Rockets loss to the surging Clippers. Houston has had one more night off than the Magic to put that game behind them and we think they come out strong in this marquee matchup on Thursday. Remember, Minnesota is a mediocre 11-11 on the road this season.

5 Unit Play. Take #558 Oregon over USC (9p.m., Thursday January 18 ESPN 2) Oregon put forth a good effort playing the Arizona schools last week in the desert. They covered both games and beat Arizona State. They have a solid system and a great coach and that is more than USC offers. The Trojans may have more talent in this game but they have seldom played up to their ability this season. Oregon is 38-17 ATS in their last 55 PAC-12 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. Take #544 South Alabama over Coastal Carolina (8:05p.m., Thursday January 18) This number is low considering how bad Coastal Carolina is. The Chanticleers have lost five straight games with the last 4 coming by double digits. USA is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games overall. Coastal Carolina is also 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall. 

5 Unit Play. Take #510 William & Mary over Northeastern (7p.m. Thursday January 18) A battle of top teams in the CAA takes place tonight in Williamsburg, VA. Bill and Mary have won 5 of their last 6 games and will look to put the bad taste out of their month losing to Towson last time out. Northeastern is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. William & Mary is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games overall. 

This is a fade of the Clippers more than anything. They played their biggest game of the season on Monday as the Rockets and former teammate Chris Paul came to town and to say there were fireworks in that game would be an understatement. There were scuffles, skirmishes, a war of words, a Blake Griffin ejection and a visit to the Clippers lockeroom by Rockets players looking for a fight. The Clippers won that one and they have now won five straight. However, two of those wins were against the Kings and one against Atlanta, so there weren’t a lot of quality wins there, and the Rockets and Warriors had off nights when they played them. Even though the Nuggets are on a back-to-back here we think the big distractions that came from the Clippers last game will wear on them here.

The Kings have lost eight of nine and this team is just not playing well right now. Utah has been very lousy on the road but if this team wants to make a playoff push they need to start winning games like this, and we think they are the much better team in this matchup tonight. Utah has had an incredibly tough schedule lately littered with playoff-type teams and we think they will take advantage of this weak opponent to try and turn things around. They have a couple winnable home games coming up and this could be the start of an upswing for the Jazz.

5 Unit Play. Take #762 Xavier over St. Johns (8:30p.m., Wednesday January 17 CBSSN) St Johns has taken a major step backwards under Chris Mullen this season. They are 0-6 in Big East play and that includes losing three straight home games. Xavier is one of the top teams in the country and can score points from every position on the court. They regrouped from a two-game losing streak to pound Creighton by 22 points last time out. St John is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Xavier is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home games. Both trends hold true tonight as we collect in the process as well. 

Revenge is one of the more overrated handicapping aspects of the NBA, in our opinion, but we do think it comes into play when the teams have recently met and that is the case tonight as these teams played on Sunday and the Bucks got blown out in South Beach. That was an 18-point win for the Heat, which was no doubt embarrassing for a Bucks team that is supposed to be a force in the East this season. Milwaukee is a much better team at home and they caught the Heat during a surge in performance but now that Miami’s long winning streak ended in Chicago we expect more road woes for the visitors tonight.

Brooklyn is the No. 2 ATS team in the league so you always have to look at them when getting points at home. And that is the case tonight as the Spurs come to town. San Antonio is not a good road team this season at 10-14 on the year, yet the bookies keep posting big chalk lines in their road games since they know the public will bet on them, especially against a lousy team like Brooklyn. However, the Nets play hard nearly every night. They are 8-3 ATS at home against winning teams and this squad normally gets hyped to play the best of the best when they come to town.

The Wizards just completed a five-game homestand and they didn’t look very good in going 2-3 with their wins over Brooklyn (in OT) and Orlando. They have failed to cover the spread in any of their last six games. The Hornets are in better form right now with covers in four of their last six, and they are coming off an impressive blowout win in Detroit on Monday. Charlotte has won and covered the last two meetings at home in this series and we think they are a bit undervalued tonight.

Denver has slipped a bit at home lately but this team is still 15-5 at home this season and this is still one of the better home teams in the NBA with a great built-in home-court advantage. The Mavs have covered in only two of their last seven visits here and we like that this spread comes in under the key NBA number of 7 for the home squad. The last game for the Nuggets didn’t turn out well as they lost by 30+ in San Antonio. But we like to back a playoff-type team like Denver after a bad loss like that as they will want to put that game in the rearview mirror, and there isn’t a better way to do that than to beat up on a weak team at home where they have played so well this season.

The Timberwolves have won five straight but all those games were at home and they were against mostly teams that are struggling right now. This is the first road game in what will be seven of nine on the road. Minnesota is just 11-10 on the road this season so they are pretty average away from home. Orlando is not a very good team but this team has dealt with a lot of injuries this season and this team is finally getting more healthy. They have covered in three of the last four meetings, including one this season where they played the Wolves real tough in Minnesota. They lost that game by only six. Orlando has covered three of four overall and this team, now healthy, is being underestimated by the oddsmakers. They have had a real tough schedule lately so they aren’t going to be intimidated by the Wolves here at home. Orlando has covered in eight of the last 10 meetings and we think this is too many points tonight as we expect a close game.

4 Unit Play. Take #516 Eastern Michigan over Akron (7p.m., Tuesday January 16 ESPN 3) The Eagles are in desperate need of a victory as they have started off the season poorly at 1-3 in MAC play. Akron should provide the recipe to get back on track as they are in a complete rebuild mode. When Akron loses they tend to get blown out and that should be the case again on Tuesday. The Zips are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. 

4 Unit Play. Take #521 Wisconsin over Purdue (7p.m., Tuesday January 16 ESPN) Sooner or later Wisconsin is going to cover a spread. This is a lot of points to be giving for a conference match-up and the line has been coming down since it come out Monday afternoon. Wisconsin is bad, but I feel they can keep this game around 9-11 deficit and thus cover the spread. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played on Tuesday. They have the size to match-up down low with Purdue and that should prevent them from being blown out. 

4 Unit Play. Take #532 Mississippi State over Vanderbilt (7p.m., Tuesday January 16 SECN) The Bulldogs appear to have taken a step backwards under Ben Howland this season and they need this home win tonight against Vanderbilt. The Commodores will also enter this game having lost three straight games and I do not see them breaking that losing streak on the road. Vanderbilt is 1-15 ATS in their last 16 games. Mississippi State is 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #747 Kansas over West Virginia (9p.m., Monday January 15 ESPN) It is not often you find a spread this big against Kansas. Despite losing some home game this season they Jayhawks will be a tough out in conference play and I am not ready to bet against them to win the Big 12. Kansas is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games. If Kansas can weather the storm early they should be able to take this game down to the wire and thus we will collect with whoever comes out on top. 

4 Unit Play. Take #746 Baylor over Oklahoma State (9p.m., Monday January 15 ESPN U) The Cowboys pulled out a miraculous victory against Texas at home on Saturday in a game they trailed for nearly all 40 minutes. Playing on the road is different in conference play and I expect them to lose this game by double digits. The Bears are desperate for any win they can get currently at 1-4 in Big 12 play and cannot afford to look past any of the lesser teams in the league. Oklahoma State is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Big 12 games. 

The Sacramento Kings have been in a freefall lately and this team looks to be in full tank mode right now. They have lost their last four games by an average of 12 points and they didn’t even put up a fight last time out in a 21-point loss at the LA Clippers in a game where they did not play any defense. The results for the Thunder haven’t been great lately. They have been on the road a lot lately and they have played some tough opponents. This team hasn’t had a stretch yet this season where they played consistently good basketball. But after losing three of their last four this is a “get right” game for them and we have no doubt that they will take advantage of this lesser opponent to get back on track. OKC has been good at blowing out bad teams this season and they are 3-1 ATS when laying 11 or more points. Sacramento won the first meeting this season but we don’t think the Thunder will let that happen again and we think this one will be blowout city tonight.