Sports Picks & Predictions

Porzingis is questionable here and likely won’t be near 100% if he does play with a sore knee. The Knicks have won four straight and the Hornets have lost three straight so this line looks a little fishy. But Charlotte has had a much tougher schedule and we think this is a good spot for them to get back on the winning track. New York has played really well at home but they are just 2-8 on the road this season and we think that the Hornets will roll to a comfortable win tonight as they will be playing with purpose.

The Celtics have become overvalued and they are not playing their best basketball of the season right now. In fact, they have covered in only three of their last nine games. The Pacers have been very strong at home this season at 10-6 and Boston has a bullseye on their backs now and they will probably get the best effort from their opponents almost every night, especially on the road. The Pacers have been playing well above expectations this season and we think they have a good chance for the straight up win here.

The Cavs seem to run hot and cold ATS and they are cold now as they have failed to cover in three straight and five of six overall. Washington has been cold ATS but they had the night off on Saturday while the Cavs are coming in on a back-to-back and this will be their third game in four nights, and it’s always tough to play a good team on the road in that situation. We think that this is a great spot to back the home team and we are confident they will win this one comfortably tonight.

The Kings have covered in four of the last five meetings and we think that they are getting too many points tonight. Sacramento has covered in four of their last six games and they have been playing pretty well overall. One of those last non-covers as last time out as the Kings got blown out in Minnesota. That was a game the Kings did not show up for so we expect a much better effort here and we think Sacramento can keep this one within double digits.

4 Unit Play. #573 Take Arizona +13.5 over New Mexico (8 pm CBSSN) The Wildcats laid an egg in the Bahamas but they have been perfect in the mainland. New Mexico is terrible and in a complete rebuild mode that they may not be able to get out off. No bet against the Lobos is a bad bet. 

Houston is playing as well as any team in the NBA right now and we don’t think the Bucks will be able to match up with them tonight. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back but Houston was home last night and they get to stay at home here while the Bucks had to make the long road trip to Texas. That’s not to mention that the Rockets made it look easy in beating the Spurs last night while the Bucks lost to lowly Chicago at home. Houston is in much better form right now and this is an easy call tonight.

The Suns were already a very thin team talent-wise and were down Devin Booker already and now Tyson Chandler might be out here as well. With the Bulls playing well lately this Suns team may be fielding the weakest lineup in the NBA tonight. This looks like a real good spot for the Timberwolves to shine. They beat a much better team in the Kings on Thursday by 20+ and we think they could lay down a similar beatdown tonight. The Wolves are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings between these teams in Minnesota and we think that the Wolves match up real well in this game and we expect them to shine tonight.

10 Unit Play. #570 Take Marshall over Ohio (8 pm) The Thundering Herd play an up-tempo three-point shooting style of offense that reminds teams of a Mike D’Antoni type of team. That is because his brother Don is the coach of this team and when they are making three-point shots this is a tough team to beat. That task is even much tougher at the Henderson Center and these two teams actually met last year in Huntington with Marshall winning that game, 98-88. That game should feature a big crowd since the start time was pushed back in order to show the bowl game on the jumbotron. Since that game I feel Marshall has gotten better and Ohio has stayed the same having to replace key people from their team last season. Both teams are coming off impressive victories, but Marshall is 6-0 at home and has won three straight games. Marshall is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 home games. Ohio is 4-12 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 games following an ATS victory in their previous game. 

The Cavs had the night off last night while the Jazz are coming in on a back-to-back after a big game against Boston last night and now this will be their third game in four nights. To make matters worse, they will be without Rudy Gobert tonight. This team gets the job done with defense but with such a brutal recent schedule we don’t think they will have the energy to stop the Cavs high-octane offensive attack.

4 Unit Play. #563 Take Eastern Michigan -1.5 over Long Beach State (7 pm) The 49ers overschedule every year and thus their record is always hard to figure out. But they did not perform that well in Big West play last year and this brutal schedule eventually takes its toll on this team. The Eagles are one of the top teams in the MAC and they will enter this game having won three of their last four games. EMU has covered 4 of their last 5 nonconference games.

4 Unit Play. #600 Take Florida State -6 over Oklahoma State (2 pm FS2) The Pokes are 7-2 but they do not have any quality wins on the season. Their two games against NCAA Tournament teams they were blown out and this will be three in a row since Florida State will make the Big Dance. The Noles are for real and they will have the home court edge since this game takes place in Sunrise, FL. The Pokes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against ACC teams. The Seminoles are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games overall. 

4 Unit Play. #530 Take Kentucky -5.5 over Virginia Tech (2 pm ESPN 2) The Hokies can score a lot of points but they do not play much defense and thus Kentucky will wear them down in the second half especially since this game takes place in Lexington. The Wildcats are 8-1 but some of their wins have been less than impressive. With conference play just around the corner expect Kentucky to start playing better basketball. 

The Nets are the No. 3 ATS team in the entire league at 17-10. They have been great as a big underdog this season as they are 7-1 ATS when getting seven or more points. This is a team that can hold betting value every night as they don’t have any stars and are well below .500 on the W/L record but this team plays hard almost every night and they have some underrated talent on the court. They come in on a back-to-back tonight but they are 3-1 ATS in these situations this season and this is a young and athletic team so we aren’t worried about the lack of rest and after a poor performance last night we think they will want to play much better here tonight.  Toronto has dropped four of their last six ATS and they have struggled to cover as a double-digit favorite as they are just 1-3 ATS in this role in 2017.

We think that “revenge” is one of the more overrated NBA handicapping angles. However, when the teams played recently we do think that it comes into play. And these teams played less than a week ago in LA with the Clippers scoring a one-point win. They needed a three in the last 10 seconds for the win and there was also some controversy with the clock on the Wizards last possession so we have no doubt that they remember that game. The Wizards should have John Wall back here as he missed the last meeting and that will be a big improvement for this Wizards team. Washington had a slow start in that last meeting but they outplayed the Clippers in the second half and we think they will put forth a more complete performance here at home on Friday night.

We thought the Pistons were just in a slump against a tough schedule then they were blown out of the water at home against Boston and then they had a really embarrassing home blowout loss to the Nuggets last time out and this team just is not playing well right now. Atlanta has covered in five of the last eight meetings in this series. They have been a covering machine as of late as they have covered in four straight games and in six of their last seven. This team is playing hard almost every night and we have no doubt they will be amped to have the Pistons in town tonight and Detroit might be more focused on a tougher opponent in the Pacers, who they travel to play on the road tomorrow night.

These teams played late last month in Utah and the Jazz won by 30. We don’t think that the change in venue will matter much here. Utah has lost three straight and the Bulls have won three straight but that doesn’t mean much to us for handicapping this game as the Jazz had a much tougher schedule. The Bulls destroyed Boston last time out but every team takes a night off now and again and we don’t give the Bulls too much credit for that win. The Jazz are the much better team in this matchup and after such a tough slate of games they should be very motivated to get back on track against what is probably the worst team in the NBA this season.

4 Unit Play. #724 Take Wisconsin over Western Kentucky (8 pm FS1) The Badgers have a low moral after getting pounded by their in-state rival on Saturday and losing two starting guards. But WKU does not have the guards that Marquette has and thus they will not be able to exploit Wisconsin’s weakness. The Hilltoppers had an impressive showing in the Bahamas but this is only their second true road game of the season. WKU lost to Ohio coached by a former Bo Ryan player and thus Wisconsin will have a great scouting report for them tonight. WKU is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

OKC is one of the worst ATS teams in the league this season and it is looking more and more every game like this Big 3 experiment in Oklahoma City may not work. This will be Paul George’s return to Indiana and he won’t get a pleasant welcome back from the fans or his old team. Right now the Pacers are actually the better team and they will be ultra motivated tonight while the Thunder are just still trying to figure things out and won’t take this game as seriously. OKC won early in the season but things are a bit different now and Indiana has been nearly unbeatable on their home court (10-4) while the Thunder can’t get anything going on the road (3-9). This spread is giving the Thunder too much credit on name alone.

The Spurs have just not been good on the road this season and they are 6-6 so far and an even worse 4-8 ATS away from home. Leonard is expected to return tonight for his season debut after missing the first 27 games of the season. He won’t be in midseason form and he won’t get a lot of minutes right off the bat. For his first couple games back he may hurt the team more than help it until he gets back into game shape and gels with his teammates. We expect this to be a close game as the Mavs have covered in five of the last six meetings.

The Lakers have won two straight impressive road games but we think they are getting overrated tonight by the oddsmakers as a result. The fact is that this team is just 4-8 on the road even after those two wins and tonight they face a Knicks team that has been incredible at home at 12-5 both SU and ATS. They are also 5-1 ATS as a small favorite this season and we think that they will win this game pretty comfortably tonight. The Knicks have covered in four of six and this team seems to be continually underrated by the bookies at home.

The Pistons have lost six straight, but they had probably the toughest schedule anyone could possibly play during that stretch. They played well enough to win in at least half of those games. This is the weakest team they have played during this stretch and we think they go all out to get back on the winning track tonight. Detroit won and covered both games last season and this Pistons team is a better club this year. Both wins were by 10+ points. They have covered in 10 of the last 14 meetings between these teams in Detroit. The Pistons are still one of the best ATS teams in the league and we think they flex their muscles tonight against an inferior opponent.

4 Unit Play. #523 Take Georgia Southern over George Mason (7 pm) The Patriots are 5-5 on the season but they have yet to record a quality win. Those victories have come against bottom feeder teams Lafayette, Northridge, & North Carolina Central. Georgia Southern has a victory over Wake Forest this season and will enter this game having won two straight. The Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on Tuesday. The Patriots are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games. 

The Clippers D has been terrible recently and they have allowed 112+ in five of their last six games and their best defensive performance during that stretch was giving up 108 in Dallas. That does not bode well tonight against a Toronto team that is in mid-season form offensively. Toronto has averaged 117 PPG in their last six and we don’t see any way the Clippers slow them down tonight. The Raptors have covered in six straight meetings in this series.

The Raptors are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now having won nine of their last 11. They have covered in six of their last 10 but they had a couple recent games where they just missed the cover. This team looks better than the Raptors squad that we saw the last couple years and this team could be a legit NBA Finals contender if other top clubs in the east can’t stay healthy. We think that this team will keep up their hot play today against an overmatched Sacramento squad. The Kings are at home but this start time does them no favors as it is a very early start California time and we think that plays to the Raptors advantage. This is the first game back home after a long road trip for the Kings and that can be a bad omen for a bad team like this as they often can’t keep their focus on the game when they have other life stuff to take care of. And the fact that they got a big win last time at New Orleans (in OT no less) might make this team feel like they have done their work for the weekend and that they won’t give full effort here. Toronto averages about 15 points more per game than do the Kings on offense and we just don’t think they can keep up with a Toronto team that looks really focused right now and is rounding into mid-season form.

3 Unit Play. #804 Take UNLV -5 over Illinois (12 am ESPN 2) Illinois is in rebuild mode and UNLV has been one of the surprise teams thus far this season. The Illini are 0-2 in true road games and those came against Northwestern and Wake Forest, two teams that will struggle to make the NCAA Tournament. Illinois is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games played on Saturday. UNLV is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. #795 Take San Jose State +4.5 over Portland (10 pm) No bet against the Pilots is a bad bet this season. They have lost five of their last six games with their only victory during this span coming against Multnomah (whoever that is). San Jose State basketball is much better than San Jose State football and they have hung tough on the road recently. 

The Jazz have lost two straight and we think they make it three in a row tonight. Milwaukee is coming in on a back-to-back but they are 8-2-1 ATS in these situations lately and we think they will be fine after barely breaking a sweat last night vs. Dallas last night. After a slow start the Bucks have won five of six with their lone loss coming at Boston. They are starting to play as well as we expected them to and we think that this line is short tonight as we had this one handicapped at -4.5 with a lean to the home team at that number. We expect a low-scoring game here and the Bucks will separate themselves in the fourth quarter for the win by 5+.

These teams played on Wednesday but in a strange scheduling quirk the Magic hosted Denver (while getting run out of the building) while the Hawks had the night off. That sets up a big revenge spot here as the Hawks lost in Orlando in overtime and now they are the rested team while Orlando comes in on a back-to-back after getting embarrassed on Friday. Atlanta is 6-2 ATS against their last eight opponents with a losing record and we think they are in a much better position for a big performance tonight than is Orlando.

3 Unit Play. #780 Take Toledo -5.5 over Marshall (7 pm ESPN 3) Marshall is a completely different team on the road then when playing in Huntington. The Rockets are a perfect 4-0 at home this season and are coming off a nice road win at Detroit last time out. Two of their three losses have come against Kansas and Syracuse. Marshall is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. 

3 Unit Play. #788 Take Arkansas -4 over Minnesota (6:45 pm SECN) Arkansas and their press is much more effective at Bud Walton Arena. They seem to be allowed to play more physical and officials call less fouls on them. Minnesota is a sinking ship now having lost two of their last three games despite being sizable favorites in both of those games. Arkansas is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games against Big 10 teams. Arkansas gets their revenge in a big way. 

The Clippers are getting used to life without Blake Griffin and we think they will play well in this Saturday matinee. The Wizards are in the midst of a road trip and this will be their third straight away from home while the Clippers have had two days off and they had two days off before that so they are very well rested here and with Gallinari back we think that this squad has a good chance to win here straight up. Getting the points is just a bonus.

3 Unit Play. #525 Take TCU over Nevada (1 am ESPN U) Sometimes one loss can become two. Nevada lead the whole game with Texas Tech before blowing it late in regulation and losing in overtime. TCU is well rested and knows they also need a quality out of conference win to ensure that they receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament come march. TCU has the guards to match-up with Nevada’s small line-up and their physical style of play is something Nevada does not see often. TCU is 12-3 ATS in their last 15 neutral site games. Nevada is 12-25 ATS (1 push) in their last 37 neutral site games. Nevada has played a brutal road schedule over the last week and that will catch up with them during the early morning hours. 

Boston is 10-2 ATS on the road this season and this is a team you can really trust away from home. They are also a better team than the Spurs at this point in time. The Celtics are a perfect 5-0 ATS when getting points this season and we expect them to take care of business and win this game outright. These are two of the best defensive teams in the league and this should be a close game and in the fourth quarter every possession will be contested. These teams met in October and the total went just above 200 but these defenses are in midseason form now and this will be a tight game but in the end we have to go with the Celtics as we know they want this one really bad and their defense should go all out to win a low-scoring game here.

Memphis has covered only one of the last five meetings between these teams, and this is the worst version of the Grizzlies that Toronto has seen during that time. We took the Grizzlies against Minnesota a couple games ago as they were desperate for a win and they got it against the Wolves but then they had a big letdown the next game out in getting blown out at the Knicks. Now they face a much better team in the Raptors tonight. We are super impressed with the play of Toronto this year as they have adapted their style and are getting great ball movement on offense. This is the first game of Toronto’s four-game road trip and we know they will want to get off to a good start here against a floundering team that is also one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA.

4 Unit Play. #522 Take Arizona State over St. Johns (8 pm PAC 12 Network) The Sun Devils have been on a wrecking crew this year and are ranked under third year coach Bobby Hurley for the first time in his tenure. They are 7-0 and already have impressive victories against Xavier, San Diego State, & Kansas State. St Johns is 7-1 but they have yet to record a victory against an NCAA Tournament quality team. The Red Storm are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. ASU has covered the spread in 6 straight games. 

Detroit has lost four straight but three of those losses were very respectable and those were all on the road. Now they are back home where they are 8-2 on the season. This is the second meeting this season between these teams and the Pistons already won in the Bay Area in October as part of their 15-7-2 ATS record. Detroit is Top 3 ATS this season and this team seems to love the big matchups as they have beaten a lot of top teams this season. Golden State is a very good team even without Curry but they have had a pretty easy run of it on their current road trip and we expect this team to face a bit of adversity tonight.

Utah is 11-4 ATS at home this season and they are undervalued again tonight. The Jazz are coming off a road loss at OKC but this team won six straight before that, with five coming on this same court. This team has one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA and this is a very good team this season even after losing Gordon Hayward. Houston has won seven straight but this team has had a real easy schedule lately. This is the toughest game they will have played in their last eight games. The Jazz have scored 110+ in five of their last seven games and this is an offense that can hang with the Rockets and keep up with their pace. We think both teams will get their points and we expect a close, high-scoring game here on the TNT nightcap.

The Lakers have lost five straight but they have had three nights off before this game and we think that they will be primed for a strong showing here on Thursday night. These teams played in LA last month and we thought the Lakers matched up pretty well and they were up heading into the fourth quarter but ended up losing by six. With the extra rest coming into this game we think they will play well again and this seems like an inflated line as we had this one at 6.5 so getting this one on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 provides some nice value for this TNT matchup as we expect a close, hard-fought game.

4 Unit Play. #601 Take Portland State over LMU (10 pm) The Vikings are coming off a win against Stanford and they are 6-2 on the season and do not have a bad loss (Duke and Butler). This team is for real and should challenge for the top spot in the Big Sky Conference. LMU is 4-3 on the season and they do not have a bad loss either, but they have yet to record a quality win. Portland State has covered the spread in 6 straight games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Detroit has lost three straight so they will be very keen on getting back on the winning track tonight. If you look at those losses, though, you will see that there was only one bad loss, and that was to the Wizards in a game that they did not play well. The next night they were on a back-to-back in Philly and they led entering the fourth quarter but ran out of gas late. Then they led the Spurs almost all game and San Antonio hit some nice shots late to score a three-point win even though the Pistons covered. Now Detroit is on the last leg of their 4-game road trip which makes this game even more important as if they win here tonight they will come out of this trip without many worries but if they lose all four of their games then this was just a disastrous road trip. We think they give max effort here. We expect a real close game here and we had this spread closer to pick’em. Milwaukee has won four of six but if you look at their schedule they needed OT to get by Phoenix then they won a home and away against Sacramento. Those are two of the five worst teams in the NBA. And they also won at Portland, which is their only recent quality win. Detroit has covered the last three in this series and the games have all been pretty competitive. We see this as a game that will be close again but we think the Pistons have the more complete team right now and they will be extra motivated in this game. We think that they pull out a close one tonight on the road.

3 Unit Play. #539 Take Buffalo over Delaware (7 pm) The Blue Hens are coming off two straight losses and I do not see things turning around against Buffalo tonight. The Bulls are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games. Expect them to cover yet again in a nonconference road game. 

4 Unit Play. #527 Take Oakland over Eastern Michigan (7 pm) This battle of Michigan will go they way of the Golden Grizzles, as they will be looking for their fourth straight win. Oakland has a system that they excel at under their long-time coach and look for them to take down EMU this evening. Eastern Michigan is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games. Oakland is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played on Wednesday. 

4 Unit Play. #525 Take Wisconsin over Temple (7 pm ESPN U) The Badgers look to sweep their two game set against eastern PA teams tonight with a victory in Philadelphia against Temple. The Owls have not major conference wins against lesser teams in those leagues but they also have bad losses against George Washington and LaSalle. Wisconsin has confidence going into this game after hanging on for dear life against Penn State last time out. Look for them to carry that over into another victory tonight. 

We always like to take a team that is coming off an embarrassing loss because these players are pros and they will give a much better effort the next time out. The Wizards were on the wrong end of one of the biggest blowouts of the season as they lost last night by 47 points in Utah. That came after playing almost a perfect game at home in their own blowout win over Detroit even with John Wall sidelined. They are going to give a much better effort here and we are sure of that. Portland has lost two straight, both at home, and this team is just 7-6 at home this season and that is just one more win than the Wizards have on the road. And while we think revenge is mostly an overrated handicapping philosophy we do think it comes into play and the Blazers won in Washington last week and we think that maybe last night in Utah that they were looking ahead to this matchup. We also expect a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog all the more valuable.

4 Unit Play. #722 Take Missouri over Miami OH (9 pm) The RedHawks are 5-3 on the season but they have not played anybody this and all three of their losses have come by double digits. The Tigers have much improved under their new coach and expect them to win this game by 20+ points. Missouri is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games played on Tuesdays. 

4 Unit Play. #734 Take TCU over SMU (9 pm) This battle of Dallas will go the way of the Horned Frogs. TCU is a perfect 8-0 on the season and Coach Dixon has turned this program around in just over a year. The Mustangs already have two bad losses on the season to WKU and Northern Iowa and they will lose this game by double digits. TCU is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. 

The Suns are running on fumes here tonight as they are on the last game of a six-game road trip and come in on a back-to-back. They won in Philly last night in a big surprise and they also played Boston real tough but now this is their third game in four nights and we don’t think they will have much left here. Toronto is playing extremely well and they have won seven of their last nine games. Toronto is 7-3 ATS when laying six or more points this season so this is a team that you can trust when laying a big number as they tend to beat up on bad teams. The Suns are just in a very bad spot tonight and we think this will be a very ugly game for the visiting team that could lose by as many as 20 points tonight.

4 Unit Play. #738 Take Villanova over Gonzaga (7 pm ESPN) The Bulldogs are rebuilding this season and flying cross country to take on the Wildcats will be too tough of task for them to overcome. Villanova is undefeated on this season and they have lots of experience playing at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats have not really had a competitive game this season and I expect them to pull away in the second half as well in this game. Gonzaga is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Villanova is 44-20 ATS (1 push) in their last 65 nonconference games. 

Detroit is one of the best ATS teams in the league at 14-7-1 on the season and even though they have lost two straight we think they will be primed for a big bounce-back performance here. Detroit is 5-2 ATS on the road against winning teams. They have some big wins this season on the road as they beat OKC, Boston and Golden State already this season. We think that not only will they be primed to end this two-game slide but they want to put another feather in their collective cap by beating a top team on the road. We think the Pistons are absolutely legit this season and since this team doesn’t have big stars and is not a team with recent success that they will hold their betting value despite some major ATS success already this season.

Memphis is on a long losing streak. This isn’t a team like the Bulls or Suns; this is actually a decent squad that is just in a slump. And we think they will play hard until they end this losing streak so we could see some value in their numbers as they get bigger and bigger. We definitely think there is value here getting the points at home against a Minnesota team that is on a back-to-back after beating the Clippers on Sunday (in a game where they did not cover). But this team is inconsistent and they normally follow up a win with a loss as this team has not been able to build any positive momentum. Minnesota is 4-11 ATS in the last 15 games in Memphis and we think the home team has a very strong chance to end the losing streak tonight.

3 Unit Play. #525 Take Wisconsin over Penn State (7 pm ESPN 2) The Badgers are coming off an embarrassing loss to Ohio State on Saturday. That was their worst home defeat based on margin on victory ever at the Kohl Center. Much of that was due to Ohio State shooting out of their minds from the three-point line and I just do not believe Penn State will be able to replicate that. Wisconsin took Baylor and UCLA to the wire and I do not believe Penn State is on the same level as those teams. Penn State has never been a top team in the league and we will grab the points tonight in State College. The Nittany Lions are 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 Big 10 Conference games. 

4 Unit Play. #750 Take Washington over Nebraska Omaha (7 pm PAC-12 Network) The Huskies have played a home heavy schedule against bad teams and that will continue on Sunday. The Mavericks are just 1-7 on the season and have not been very competitive on the road. Washington should continue to improve under their first-year head coach and expect them to take another step forward on Sunday night.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. #735 Take Rutgers over Minnesota (6 pm BTN) Minnesota is coming off a disappointing home performance in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge and I do not see things getting any better on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights are off to a strong start this season and they were respectable against Florida State last week. Just hard to lay double digits in conference games and I see Minnesota winning this game by 7-9 points giving us the cover with the underdog. 

3 Unit Play. #598 Take UC Irvine over Nevada (10 pm) We are just taking the law of averages with Nevada. Sooner or later playing these road games is going to catch up with them. Irvine is always one of the top teams in the Big West and they are always a tough out at home. Nevada has an important game with Texas Tech on deck and I think they will just go through the motions in this game and win it by 6-8 points. Nevada is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against Big West teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We were on the Pistons last night and they put forth an embarrassing performance but we think that we will see a much better effort from them here on Saturday. Last night they were beaten in almost every aspect by a Wizards team that was missing John Wall but they just took the night off there and this team is much better than that. This team has been one of the Top 3 clubs in the Eastern Conference and they are one of the best ATS teams on the season. We really like them getting this many points against a team that while improved is still a work in progress and we think that the Pistons are the more complete ballclub right now. Plus Detroit has revenge as they lost to Philly as one of their seven losses on the season (in October).

The Clippers are a mess right now and wrought with injuries but we don’t think the Mavs should be favored by this many over anyone. The Clippers are a better team even with this depleted roster. LA played well against Utah last time out before a late collapse but in their second game sans Blake Griffin we think they will put together a more complete game. Dallas has been favored only three times this season and they have failed to cover in any of those games. They are 1-7 ATS at home against teams with a losing record. We think that this is a very winnable game for the road team and we expect them to go all out for the win since those are going to be harder and harder for the Clippers to get this season with all the injuries holding them back. We also expect this one to be pretty low scoring as the Mavs don’t have a very strong offense.

4 Unit Play. #523 Take Colorado over Colorado State (1 pm) The Rams have lost a ton of talent from last year and they have gotten pounded by every decent team that they have played. The Buffaloes have played a home heavy easy schedule thus year, but they are 6-0 and they have revenge from last season. Colorado State is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall. 

The Spurs are just 10-10-1 ATS this season and this team is not playing championship-caliber basketball at the moment. Leonard is out and this team has struggled to meet expectations with their star out. San Antonio is 4-5 on the road this season SU and 2-7 ATS. This is the second game of a home-and-home as these teams played in San Antonio on Wednesday with the Spurs capturing a nine-point win. But it’s hard for the same team to win the second game in these situations, especially when the second game is a road contest. The Grizzlies have dropped nine straight so they will be very desperate for a win, and we think with the last meeting being just a couple days ago that familiarity will give them a chance to succeed here. We think they will get the job done via defense. The Grizzlies can’t score much but they can play defense when motivated, and we think that will be the case tonight. The Spurs, of course, always play strong D and we think both teams will grind it out in this game. And a low-scoring game makes the underdog more attractive. Memphis has covered four of the last five meetings in this series at home.

Love the Pistons as a slight road favorite in this spot. The Wizards are banged up. John Wall is out here and Bradley Beal is nursing an eye injury and is questionable for this game. Beyond those two guys the Wizards are a pretty weak squad. This is a team to fade until Wall returns. On the other side is the Pistons, who have been probably the biggest surprise of the season so far. This team has been teetering on the edge of being a contender for the last couple years but they finally have put it together this year. They are 14-6 SU and 14-5-1 ATS so when they win they normally cover, and we expect them to get the win tonight and easily cover this short line. Detroit is 5-0 ATS on the road against teams with a winning record!

2 Unit Play. #718 Take Maryland over Purdue (7 pm BTN) Just do not believe that any Big 10 team besides Michigan State can handle prosperity this year. Teams will go up and down throughout the year. Since Purdue is coming off a victory in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge and Maryland is coming off a loss we will side with the loser looking to bounce back. Purdue is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 Big 10 games. We will take a flyer and expect Maryland to bounce with a straight up victory.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Clippers are in real trouble. Now that Blake Griffin is out a couple months with an ankle injury they are now down another starter after two other starters are out injured. Griffin was basically carrying the team up to this point and they don't have a lot to get excited about now that he is out of the lineup. DeAndre Jordan is a nice complimentary piece but he's not the type of player that will put his team on his back and wins games by himself. This looked like a lost season even with Griffin in the lineup but now with him out two months or more this team might be looking at a high draft pick in the offseason. The Jazz have won four of five and they are starting to play very well despite some injuries. This team already had the Clippers number even with a complete roster (4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in LA) but we expect this one to be all Jazz on Thursday night. The Clippers are getting too much credit by the oddsmakers because of two nights rest and home court, but we think the Jazz are the clear play here. We also expect a low-scoring game here.

The Sixers are a bit banged up right now but we think that this line is too large on Thursday. Philly is 7-2 ATS this season as an underdog so getting this many points is very attractive tonight. Philly has also covered in four of the last five meetings and they have not lost by more than 10 in any of those games. Boston has lost two of their last four so they aren’t in the best form right now after the long winning streak. The Sixers play hard almost every night and you know that they want to play well here on the road against this opponent. We expect a very close game here.

10 Unit Play. #530 Take Seton Hall over Texas Tech (6:30 pm FS1) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR. The wrong team is favored in this game. Texas Tech has a gaudy 6-0 record and that includes victories over Boston College and Northwestern in Uncasville, CT. Of those wins, Boston College played them much closer than the final score would indicate, and we saw this week that Northwestern is not that good (loss to Georgia Tech on Tuesday). The Pirates are 5-1 on the year with their only loss coming against Rhode Island by one point in a game they led down the stretch. The team is loaded with talent and returns four starters from their NCAA Tournament team last season. Seton Hall is used to playing at Madison Square Garden and having a competitive game will benefit them a great deal in this game. Texas Tech is much improved, and they appear to have a good coach in Chris Beard but I just do not believe they are back all the way. This is a program that has not had consistency in their entire history and they are still likely a bottom of middle of the pack team in the competitive Big 12. Texas Tech is 1-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 games against Big East Conference teams. Texas Tech is 6-16 ATS in their last 22 neutral site games. 

4 Unit Play. #764 Take Minnesota over Miami (9:15 pm ESPN 2) This Golden Gopher team is legit, and they have not had a competitive game this year. Throw out their last game in which they beat Alabama by five points under strange circumstances (Alabama played with only three plays in the court in the second half). Miami is 5-0 but they have not played anybody of note this season (4 home games, 1 neutral site game). This will be their first true road game and I do not expect them to be up for the challenge. 

We like to back good teams coming off a bad loss and the Thunder certainly fit the bill here as they were blown out in Dallas last time out after a one-point home loss to the Pistons. They have had three days off to lick their wounds and regroup and we think they will be focused and ready at Orlando tonight. Orlando has lost nine straight games and they have covered only one in their last six. The Magic are just 3-6 ATS when getting six or fewer points as a dog. This is a team we look to bet on when getting big points but this is too few points tonight against a Thunder team that will come in anxious for a big performance.

3 Unit Play. #775 Take St Bonaventure over Sienna (7 pm) This is just a mismatch in talent and the road favorite is a much better team. The Saints already have blowout losses to Bucknell and Florida Gulf Coast and this Bonnies team beat Maryland. St Bona has a bad taste in their month after losing to TCU last time out and they will take out their frustrations in a big way tonight in update New York.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Kings are playing pretty well lately. They have failed to cover the line in only one of their last six games (one push). They are coming in with a lot of confidence after beating Golden State last night, even though the Warriors were missing some key players. But they are now 6-3 ATS at home and we think they will be competitive here tonight. The Bucks have covered only one of their last five and they continue to be overvalued.

The Heat are very good on the road as they are 6-4 thus far this season, and that is the same record that the Cleveland Cavaliers have at home. The Cavs are on a big winning streak but this team is still overvalued nighty and we think that they are giving too many points tonight. They enter on a back-to-back after a big win against Philly last night. But Cleveland is just 1-11 ATS as a favorite of three or more points this season. We think that this will be a close game and that the underdog has a chance for the straight up win.

3 Unit Play. #547 Take Detroit over IPFW (7 pm) This border battle should be a competitive game and we will gladly grab in the points in this contest. The Mastodons are coming off two straight losses and they have already lost to a team from the Horizon League this season. The Titans have righted the ship this season with three straight wins including Saint Louis. Detroit is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. Fort Wayne is 7-18 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 games overall.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. #725 Take Wisconsin over Virginia (9 pm ESPN 2) Virginia is playing over their heads at the moment and I do not believe this team will make much noise come March. Wisconsin is a very similar team to Virginia and I just do not see them getting run out of the building. The Badgers are in desperate need of a quality win this season and they have the best player on the floor in Ethan Happ. Expect this game to be played in the low sixties giving us a good chance for a cover with the underdog. Wisconsin is 18-6 ATS in their last 24 games against ACC teams. 

These are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and two of the best betting teams as well. But we think the Celtics are on another level above Detroit and we think that they will be very motivated in this game tonight. Boston is 18-3 this season straight up. They are 17-3-1 ATS. That means that most often when they win that they win by enough to cover the number. And we expect that to be the case tonight. The big Celtics winning streak ended last Wednesday in Miami. You expect for a team to lose after that long winning streak to let down in the following games but the Celtics did not miss a beat and earned two blowout wins and covers in their next two games. The Pistons are coming off a big road win in OKC but they have lost three of their last five overall and they got blown out in Cleveland against a team that is not as good as this Celtics club this season. This is the start of a homestand for the Celtics and we think that they will want to get off to a strong start and flex their muscles a bit against one of their main contenders in the East.

6 Unit Play. #522 Take Washington over UC Davis (8 pm PAC-12 Network) This is a get well game for the Huskies and they look to move to 4-0 this season against low mid-major programs. Washington now has a competent coach and they should only get better as the season goes on and they become more familiar with him. UC-Davis made a run into the NCAA Tournament last year by winning the conference tournament, but they lost some talent from last season and will not be able to stay within double digits in this game. The Aggies are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games against PAC-12 teams. Washington is 4-1 in their last 5 home games.  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Grizzlies have not been playing well and have dropped seven straight. But they have had a pretty tough schedule overall and this should be a good “get right” game for them on Sunday night. Brooklyn is only 2-7 on the road this season and after playing tough against teams like Golden State and Cleveland lately we doubt they bring their A Game tonight against a lesser opponent. This line has been overadjusted but we expect Memphis to come out hungry here and we think that they win this one by 7+ points.

The Spurs have not played well on the road this season but they have a great chance to start to turn that trend around here on Saturday night against a fatigued Hornets team. This Charlotte squad is coming in on a back-to-back after losing a one-point heartbreaker in Cleveland last night. They had Thanksgiving off but they played Wednesday night and went to OT in that game. That makes this a big letdown spot for a weary team. The Spurs have had two nights off to stew about their last game, a huge blowout loss in New Orleans. Because they were so bad that night we have a feeling this team will come out strong here and bring their A Game to try and put that bad loss in the rearview mirror. Nic Batum missed the game last night for the Hornets and he is questionable here and if he is out or not at 100% then that makes this Charlotte team much weaker as he is a key piece for this squad. The Spurs are 5-1 ATS as a small favorite this season (4.5 or fewer points) and we think that this is a great spot for them to bounce back against a tired team.

4 Unit Play. #776 Take Southern Miss over Youngstown State (5 pm) The Penguins are 2-3 this season and they have played a very weak schedule as all five games home come against teams that will not make the NCAA Tournament. There two victories are against teams that do not even play division one basketball and they will get blown out today by the Eagles. The line opened as a pick’em game and have been moving the way of Southern Miss all morning. Youngstown State is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games. 

6 Unit Play. #782 Take Minnesota over Alabama (9:30 pm) Both teams are undefeated, but Minnesota is playing much better now. The Golden Gophers have been dominating opponents all season long winning all six games by double digits. They have talent up and down the bench and will keep their double-digit margin on victory streak alive. Alabama has a more important game that their entire fan base is worried about. The Tide is 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following an ATS victory in their previous game. Minnesota has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. #564 Take Seton Hall over Vanderbilt (9:45 pm ESPN 2) The Pirates came out flat yesterday against Rhode Island but should be able to bounce back in a big way against an inferior opponent. The Commodores are in complete rebuild mode after making the NCAA Tournament last season and have gotten destroyed against both good teams that they have played. Seton Hall cannot afford to take this game lightly and finish this tournament 0-2 and therefore I expect them to produce a double-digit victory tonight at the Barclay’s Center. Vanderbilt is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Seton Hall is 19-8 ATS in their last 27 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. 

This Detroit team is one of the most undervalued clubs in the NBA this season. They are 11-5-1 ATS on the year and we think they are getting too many points once again tonight. The Pistons have dropped three of four but they did not embarrass themselves in any game except the last one, a home blowout vs. Cleveland. That was their last game and that was on Monday so they have had plenty of time to relax and regroup and we think they will come into this matchup with something to prove. And since they are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series that shows us that they normally bring their A Game against the Thunder. OKC is coming off their biggest win of the season in blowing out the Warriors at home. We think that makes this a letdown spot against an out-of-conference opponent. And that this one is coming right after the Thanksgiving holiday and two days after their win over Golden State makes this even more of a letdown spot. OKC has been pretty average this season overall. They are still a work in progress. We expect a real close game here and a Detroit straight up win would not be shocking.

Boston is clearly one of the best teams in basketball and one of the best teams in the east. But they can't win every game this season and they definitely won't cover every one, especially with their recent lines going sky high. They lost last time out and now that the winning streak is over this team will probably take their foot off the gas a bit. Orlando is a decent squad this season and they are finally getting healthy. They are 6-3 ATS on the road this season and this team is normally undervalued on the road where they usually get big points. Actually this team is 5-1 ATS when getting five or more points this season and they are 6-3-1 ATS on the road. We think that the Thanksgiving holiday might be a distraction to the Celtics and they could come into this one unfocused and the young guys on the Magic will definitely want to play well here. We think that they can keep this one within the big line.

3 Unit Play. #614 Take TCU over New Mexico (7 pm CBSSN) The Lobos are in complete rebuild at the moment with most of their talent from last season gone and they have a new coach this year as well. They are coming off two straight embarrassing losses and I just do not see any way they can keep this game under a 20-point deficit. TCU is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall. New Mexico is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 nonconference games. 

6 Unit Play. #732 Take Seton Hall -3.5 over Rhode Island (6:30 pm ESPN U) The Rams are a solid team, but they are banged up with EC Matthews off the floor after getting injured at Nevada. Just feel the Hall has two many weapons and should have an edge in the stands as well as this game is being played in Brooklyn. The Pirates are 4-0 and have yet to have a close game this season. Seton Hall is 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. #724 Take Oklahoma -1.5 over Arkansas (5 pm ESPN 2) The Hogs are just a different team on the road and they’re in your face style is just not as effective away from Fayetteville. The Sooners had a terrible season last year, but Lou Kruger and company are never down for long and expect a bounce back season. Arkansas is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games against Big 12 teams. 

4 Unit Play. #594 Take Ole Miss over Rice (10 pm ESPN U) No bet against Rice is a bad bet this season. They team got blown out by UNLV on Monday, a Rebels team that could not get out of their own way last season. Expect another blowout tonight against Ole Miss, a team that already has two double digits victories on the season. Rice is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall. 

4 Unit Play. #585 Take Idaho over San Clara (9:30 pm) The Broncos are terrible this season losing their two best players form 2017-2018. Idaho returns a lot of talent and should be able to win this road game tonight in Santa Clara. Both teams have played Nevada this season but Idaho was more competitive playing them in Reno (Santa Clara lost by 30 to them at home). 

We like to back the Warriors in situations where they are ultra motivated. And that should be the case tonight as Golden State and Kevin Durant travel back to visit his old team, the Thunder. Golden State has covered in seven straight meetings in this series. The last four wins have all been by more than 15 points. This team always has an “us against the world” mentality and Durant’s teammates will want to step it up for him on what is now enemy territory. OKC is 1-6 ATS this season against teams with a winning record. We think that this team will be good come playoff time but they are still working things out and trying to gel as a team while the GSWs are the complete package right now.

Brooklyn has covered in all of the last three meetings and we think that they are once again getting too many points in this matchup. The Cavs have been just horrible as a big favorite this season and they are 1-9 ATS when laying three points or more. Brooklyn is a perfect 3-0 ATS when getting eight or more points this season. The Cavs are coming off a rare blowout win but this team is just not beating teams badly this season and even though they have sometimes mixed results the Nets seem to come to play every night. They seem to really get up for this opponent and we have a feeling they will make it four straight covers against the Cavs tonight.

4 Unit Play. #529 Take Appalachian State over James Madison (4 pm) No bet against James Madison will be a bad bet this season. They have lost 4 straight games and they really struggle to score points. The Dukes are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The Mountaineers have played the tougher schedule and that will allow them to win this true road games. 

This is too many points for a team like the Lakers to be laying against anyone. Even though the Lakers have stunk for the last couple years they can still be a public team, and as the lone game in the NBA on Tuesday against one of the dregs of the Eastern Conference we think that this line is inflated a bit. The Bulls have been pretty good when getting big points like this as they are 6-4 when getting six or more points. The Lakers have only laid a line in this big of a range once, a few nights ago vs. Phoenix, and they lost straight up as 7.5-point favorites. Chicago has covered five of the last seven meetings and we think that this is a very winnable game for a team that won’t collect many Ws on the season.

4 Unit Play. #705 Take UT Arlington over Alabama (9 pm SEC Network) The Crimson Tide are getting a lot of hype this year but I do not believe they are a top 25 team. The Mavericks are 2-0 this season including a win at BYU and I just do not see them getting blown out in this game. Bama has played a weak schedule thus far and if Arlington can avoid the initial onslaught they will take this game down to the wire. Alabama is 7-15 ATS in their last 22 games following a victory in their previous game. 

4 Unit Play. #762 Take Valparaiso over Samford (8 pm ESPN 3) The Crusaders are always a tough out at home and this will be their fifth straight win against cupcakes. The Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Missouri Valley teams. Valpo is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against Southern Conference teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. #748 Take Wisconsin over UCLA (7:30 pm ESPN 3) The line tells me a great deal about this game. We have an unranked team favored against a ranked team and the line just keeps moving the way of the Badgers. Both teams want this victory to avoid going 0-2 in Kansas City and I just have more confidence in Wisconsin and their system than I do Steve Alford and UCLA. 

3 Unit Play. #564 Take Michigan over LSU (11:30 pm ESPN U) This may be the worst field of teams in the Maui Invitational ever. That being said, Michigan has a great coach and a system they are familiar with. LSU is in complete rebuild mode with a new coach and system and it will take some time for them to gel. Both teams have played cupcakes thus far in 2017 by Michigan does return some talent from their NCAA Tournament team last year. Michigan is 7-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 neutral site games. LSU is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. 

3 Unit Play. #572 Take Wisconsin over Baylor (9:30 pm ESPN 2) The Badgers are more battle tested for this game and need a quality victory during the nonconference portion of the season. Baylor also had to replace a ton of talent from last year like Wisconsin. The Badgers do have the best player on the floor in Ethan Happ and they do have the size to match-up with the Bears. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 nonconference games. 

The Clippers are in their biggest slide in years as they have lost eight straight entering this game. But this is just a much better team than the Knicks despite the recent results and we have to be happy laying this small number here on Monday night. LA played pretty well at Cleveland the other night, losing in OT, and then they were awful in the back-to-back at Charlotte. But they had Sunday off to regroup and we think they will be very motivated to get back on the winning track here. They have a very favorable upcoming schedule and they can start to turn this thing around tonight. They should get P. Beverley back tonight and he will be a sparkplug on defense. LA is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings in NY and 6-2 in the last eight meetings overall.

3 Unit Play. #596 Take Maryland over Jackson State (7 pm BTN) Big favorites have been covering most of the early portion of the season and I see no reason why that will change on Monday in College Park. The Tigers have gotten blown out in their last two games against mid-major teams and they will not be able to put up much of a fight this evening. Maryland got a score last time out against Bucknell and you can bet they will be much more focused this evening.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. #550 Take UAB over Richmond (5 pm) It is hard to imagine just how bad this Richmond team is this season. Granted they lost talent from last year but they still have a good coach and system but nothing has gone right for them this season. They are 0-2 and have gotten blown out by low mid major programs at home. UAB is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference. Richmond is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams from Conference USA. 

4 Unit Play. #723 Take USC over Vanderbilt (8 pm SEC Network) This is a true road game for the Trojans but the talent clearly lies with them. They return a ton of talent and should have no problem winning this game by 8-10 points. Vanderbilt already has a loss to Belmont on their resume and this is a much better team than Belmont. The Commodores are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall. 

4 Unit Play. #733 Take Boise State over Iowa State (7:30 pm ESPN) The Broncos are the better team in this match-up despite being from a high mid-major conference. Iowa State has gotten destroyed in both of their losses and this is a complete rebuilding year for them. The Cyclones have not covered a spread in 5 straight games and I do not believe they will make the NCAA Tournament this season. Boise State is one of the top teams in the MWC and will move to 5-0 on the year. 

These teams have identical 10-5 records on the season but Detroit is 10-4-1 ATS while the Wolves are just 8-6-1. We think the Pistons have been undervalued by the oddsmakers and we think that is the case here tonight as we had this line at 4 with a strong lean to the road team at that number. Detroit has dominated this series the last couple years, winning and covering in five straight matchups. They have lost two straight coming into this one. The first was at Milwaukee, a very strong team in their own right. The second was at Indiana, and they blew a big lead in that one as the home team got momentum in the fourth quarter. We will forgive them for that slip up and back them here as they want to come away from this road trip with something to show for it and they will go all out for the win tonight.

4 Unit Play. #720 Take Indiana over USF (6 pm BTN) It is starting to become worrisome for this 2017-2018 Hoosier team. They have put together three lackluster performances and need a convincing victory to get this team back on track. USF should provide that as they have played three terrible teams to open the season and have not been tested whatsoever. The line opened at -13.5 and keep going up letting us know we are on the right side. USF is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.