Sports Picks & Predictions

It is very rare to get a sweep in the NBA Playoffs, especially the conference finals, and we just don’t see it happening today. The Nuggets have the series firmly in hand, and they will likely let up a little here and won’t have that killer instinct on the road, while the Lakers will be clinging to any last hope to save their season and extend this series another game. Even though Game 3 was pretty one-sided, the Lakers hung tough in Games 1 and 2, and we think they go all out to get the win here tonight.

Miami has simply been the better team in this series and they have the chance to deal the knockout blow tonight as it would be extremely difficult for the Celtics to come back down 3-0, with two more games scheduled in Miami. This line is a very public one as we had this game handicapped at PK, so there is great value here as we think this one goes down to the final minute and should be a very close game.

The Nuggets match up very well with the Lakers and despite this being a must win for LA, we think Denver has a great chance to put LA on the brink of elimination here then they could let down in Game 4. But we think this team is very hungry for a championship and Denver will treat this like a must win. Denver has shown they can hang with the Lakers offensively, but they are the stronger defensive team, and that will be the difference here in Game 3, at least where the spread is concerned as we just don’t see LA running away with this one.

We are a big believer that when Boston wins they normally cover. But we think this may be a rare situation where they win but don’t cover the spread. This is simply too many points. We had this line handicapped at 6, so this number, on the other side of the key NBA number of 7 (when a team with the lead stops getting fouled at the end of the game), offers very nice value. Miami is playing their best basketball of the season right now and they have proven to be a legit championship contender. We are sure they are aware that Boston came back from an early hole to beat Philly, so we think they will go all out to try and win this one and put Boston in the worst possible spot for the series.

Denver is almost unbeatable at home, and we expect another big performance tonight. The Lakers have surprised in the playoffs and they have looked good, but they will be facing, in our opinion, the best team in the west here, and they are taking a big step up in competition for the conference finals. The Lakers haven’t been good on the road this season. And they have had trouble in Denver in the last couple seasons, where they are 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings here. Denver is 21-9 ATS at home against above .500 teams, and they will be ready for another dominant performance tonight.

Philly had Boston right where they wanted them for Game 6 with a chance to close it out at home, but they couldn’t get the job done and now Boston is a decent favorite at home to win the series and they have all the momentum. Boston is one of the teams we love to trust as they usually win by more than the spread when they do win. And they are excellent as a favorite. Boston has tons of postseason experience and the guys know what they need to do here. We think they bring their A Game today.

We rarely ever bet on the Lakers, so you know we like them if that is the way we are moving on this game. Golden State has stunk on the road all season. They had some road heroics in the first round at Sacramento, but this is a lot better team they are facing tonight. The Lakers made the right moves at the deadline and they are gelling at the right time. The Warriors had a long season last year with their extended playoff run and we think this team will finally run out of gas here in Game 6. Golden State has been following the Zig Zag theory for NBA playoff betting as they are 1-5 ATS after a win. They haven’t covered in the last five games in Los Angeles.

We think Boston is still in this series. In fact, we think they will win it. They are not panicking and they have players that have seen and done it all. The Sixers got the upper hand the last two games, but we think Boston will lock down on defense tonight and pull away in the fourth quarter in a low-scoring game.

Home court has held serve in this series so far, and we expect more of the same tonight. We think Denver is the better team and we expect a strong showing with one of the best home court advantages in the league. We doubt Booker will play like he has in the last couple games, and we think we will see some top performances from some of the role players on Denver.

The Warriors were not good on the road in the regular season, but they did win some crucial games in the postseason in Sacramento already and we think they have the experience and talent to bounce back here after getting handled in Game 3. Golden State shot horribly in that game, and this team just doesn’t stay cold for long. Golden State has bounced back nicely after ATS losses lately as they are 4-0 ATS in these situations.

Love the Nuggets in this spot. We feel they are clearly the better team. They were never going to sweep the Suns, but Phoenix got their win in Game 3 and played about the best game they could, but Denver was still in striking distance at the end. We expect a better effort from the road team in this one and not quite the same effort from the home team. We had the Nuggets as a one-point favorite in our handicapping, so excellent value here and the points could come in handy if the game goes down to the buzzer.

We absolutely love the Celtics in this spot. We think one of the best things that could have happened to this team for the series was to lose Game 1 at home. That has upped the intensity and the urgency for this team, and it showed in their dominating Game 2 performance. Embiid came back for the Sixers in Game 2 and played decently. But who knows how his health will hold up here. If this was the regular season, he would for sure be out for an extended period, and it’s never a great idea to rush a player back. But even if he is 100%, we still like Boston here. The Celtics normally cover when they win. This has been one of the safest teams to bet on for several years as they normally bring their A Game and they play great team basketball. This is a team that you can trust. And they know they have a great path to the championship this year with some contenders bowing out early. We really think this is an important game for Boston, and they are a tier above the Sixers, and we think they flex their muscles tonight and take back home court advantage in the series.

We were on Philly in Game 1 and had an idea they would be competitive but did not expect them to win. This puts Boston into an almost Must Win situation tonight. But this is a veteran team that has seen it all and done it all, and we think they will be fine. When Boston wins, they normally win by enough to cover as well. They have been prone to some bad efforts in these playoffs but normally bounce back with a stellar performance, and that is what we see tonight, especially with Embiid likely out again for Philly

We were not impressed with what we saw from the Suns in the first round. They let the Clippers hang around in almost every game despite a banged up LA squad. They face a huge step up in competition here. Denver is flat out the better team, and they have the best player on the court. Jokic also has more help around him than ever before, and they are almost unbeatable at home. We think the home teams will win in this series, and there is great value in this line as the Suns are overvalued in the market right now.

We don’t see the Kings going down without a fight, and if they can scrap to a win here, then they have a great chance to close the series out at home. They have suffered only one blowout in this series, and we don’t see it happening again here. They have covered in 12 of the last 15 meetings here, and we don’t see them being intimidated. This team has played with a lot of confidence and swagger, and they are the team with nothing to lose tonight, so they can play free. We see another close game here.

This Clippers team is toast. The role players have played decently enough but you just get the feeling that not only is this series done, but this team might get blown up in the offseason. Kawhi is out again and dealing with major off-court issues anyways. Coach Lue was defending him to the press and the tone there was that the season was already over even though he wouldn’t say that. We think this one has the biggest chance of a blowout of the series.

This series has just been pure domination by the Celtics, and this is one series that looks like a possible sweep. Boston knows the importance of getting a series over with quickly in the first round. Boston is a very good road team and they will be motivated here to put another nail in the coffin for the Hawks. Boston is one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season, and we think they will flex their muscles again here in Game 3.

The Suns played an amazing Game 2 and the Clippers didn’t play their best, and they were still in it for the majority of the game, We think this series is close than most others and the Clippers should have a great chance in both games at home. We had this game handicapped at pickem, so we think there is really good value at this number, especially since it’s above the NBA key number of 2.

We think the Suns with Durant are a tad bit overrated and we think the Clippers without George are a tad bit underrated. And we love this line for the underdog on Tuesday. Yes, the Suns were 8-0 with Durant in the regular season. But this is the playoffs, and Durant still hasn’t had time to gel with his teammates. The Clippers have a lot more depth and they can punish you from a variety of areas, whereas the Suns are very thin even though they have more star power. We expect another close game here.

Love the Kings in this spot. They were the much better team in the regular season, and this isn’t just a flash in the pan as this team will likely be good for years. Maybe we will be seeing a changing of the guard in this series for the top team in California. Golden State is 11-30 on the road this season, and we don’t expect them to suddenly fix their road woes in the postseason. They are also 5-13 in the last 18 meetings against Sacramento. The Kings won’t want to let a season worth of hard work to go to waste by giving up home court in Game 1, and we think the Warriors are getting too much respect in this Game 1 because of past accomplishments.

We were on the Wolves against the Lakers and were lucky to cover that one after one of the worst fourth quarter performances of the season. OKC looked great against the Pelicans and they didn’t look nervous or intimidated. They looked like a playoff team. Minnesota sure didn’t. We think the poor play late will carry over here and we think the internal problems the Wolves are facing will be too much to overcome here.

We can’t deny that the Timberwolves are a circus right now with everything going on with this team right now. But with all the negative media attention, plus the Lakers being one of the biggest public betting teams in all of sports, this line has been way over adjusted. Minnesota still had a solid team to bring to the court tonight, and they have covered in six of the last seven meetings and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 trips to LA to play the Lakers. Some very nice value in this line tonight.

The Mavs got a lot of heat for tanking out of the play in in their last game, and their main players are out here. This is still a better team than San Antonio will have on the court today, and we think the Mavs will go all out to get the win here with the roster they have on the floor. We think that Dallas has nice motivation here because of the controversy and we expect a comfortable win today.

The Clippers need a win here. A loss could mean the play in tournament. They won’t lose, but we think this one will be a blowout. The Blazers are looking forward to their offseason and they have a skeleton crew roster right now.  The Clippers are relatively healthy. Portland has lost four of their last eight games by 20+ points, and that shows they just don’t care that much at the moment. LAC have covered all of the last six meetings in LA.

This game means a lot for the Pelicans who want to move up out of the play in and the Knicks are stable at the No. 5 seed and will be trying to avoid injuries. The Pelicans are playing excellent basketball down the stretch and they have been winning and covering a lot lately. If this team can get into the first round or win in the play in then Zion Williamson could be back for the playoffs, and a healthy Pelicans could be a force to be reckoned with. So they have some extra motivation here.

It’s not often that we see the Spurs listed as a favorite, but here we are. And we think it’s very justified for this game tonight. Both teams have skeleton rosters here. But the Spurs have the better roster here and home-court advantage. Plus, they are in a better state mentally than the Blazers. The Spurs have been tanking all season and they know what they are. The Blazers had high expectations this season and fell well below them, and this franchise will be facing a lot of changes soon. The Spurs are just further ahead in their plan and we think that translates on the court tonight. They also have a winning record as a rare favorite and have covered in five of the last seven meetings.

We liked the rested Clippers before we saw the Lakers use tons of energy last night vs. Utah, and now this looks like an even worse spot for them against the Clippers, a team that has owned them in recent years. The Clippers have won and covered five straight in the series. They are coming off two straight losses and they need a win badly here. The Lakers have played two grueling road games since the Clippers last played, and they needed OT last night to get by Utah, so this is a supersized back-to-back and their third game in four nights. Tough task against a Clippers team desperate for a win.

New Orleans is playing as well as any team in the Western Conference right now and they are on the verge of moving up from the play in and being a Top 6 seed as they are one game out. They face a Kings team that didn’t play well Sunday in a loss to the Spurs. They face a considerable step up in class tonight against a well-rested team. The Kings have covered only two of their last seven meetings here and normally don’t play their best in the Big Easy.

Love the Celtics in this spot. They are coming off a drubbing by the Wizards in a game where they were probably looking ahead, and we are getting a better line as a result. Milwaukee is on a back-to-back and they played a crazy game last night vs. Indiana where they scored 149 in a fast paced game. They worked hard and ran a lot, and we think they will be tired here. The Celtics always seem to get up for big games, and the Bucks have been the opposite as they are 1-7 ATS in their last eight against teams above .600. Boston is 18-7-1 ATS in the last 26 meetings in Milwaukee, and they won’t be intimidated at all to play their best here tonight.

Just think this is too many points and a possible letdown spot for the Celtics with their big game against the Bucks looming. Washington hasn’t covered a lot of spreads lately but they will no doubt want to play well here against the Celtics in front of the home fans, and we just don’t see Boston running away with this one, especially since they likely have their eyes on the Bucks matchup on Thursday.

The Sixers two best players are questionable here and this Philly team is reeling a bit. They have lost two straight and three of four, and those losses weren’t pretty. Denver has won and covered three straight and four of five, and it seems this team’s recent struggles are in the rearview mirror. Denver matches up well here and this team seems to have raised their level of play lately and in the last few games this team looks like a squad that can beat anyone. We think they will want to make a statement in this possible NBA Finals preview.

2 Unit Play. Take #655 Miami (FL) over Texas (5:05p.m., Sunday, March 26 CBS) Miami is poised to break through and reach the Final Four for the first time in their history. They have players that can make shots against this big Texas team and I feel they should be able to take this one down to the wire. Miami is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. Texas is 3-11 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 NCAA Tournament games. 

It seems the Nuggets are back on track as they have won and covered two straight and three of four. The Bucks are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, and you have to think that the key guys will get limited minutes if they suit up at all. Health for the playoffs is more important to the Bucks here than winning. The Nuggets are well rested here, and a win would go a long way to putting their recent poor play in the rear-view.

10 Unit Play. Take #645 Xavier over Texas (9:45p.m., Friday, March 24 CBS) NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR. Just feel this will be too big of stage for Texas and their interim coach. Rodney Terry still has not been given the full time gig yet and I feel that will be a detriment to them in this game. The Musketeers have had a ton of success in the NCAA Tournament and Sean Miller has had good success at this level as well. Texas has not been at this round since 2008 prior to this run and they have not had much NCAA Tournament success in the last 15 years. Xavier is a great offensive team and that is something Texas did not see much of in the Big 12 this season. Texas plays in the better conference but I still do not believe they have seen an offensive team like Xavier will show on Friday. Xavier is 25-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 35 NCAA tournament games. Texas is 2-11 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games. Teams have struggled to score all tournament long and giving up this many points does not bode well for Texas. Take the points, as Xavier does not need them and marches onto the Elite 8.

This is a strong revenge spot for the Clippers after the Thunder edged them here on Tuesday. Not only is this a revenge spot, but the Clippers are mad/frustrated with their performance on Tuesday as they had the ball with a near full shot clock down 1 at the end of the game and didn’t even get a shot off. Paul George will miss this game and all the others to end the regular season. But Kawhi and a deep roster around him should be able to pick up the slack against a Thunder team that has been playing above their heads recently.

3 Unit Play. Take #641 Gonzaga over UCLA (9:45p.m., Thursday, March 23 CBS) Just feel all the injuries UCLA has will finally catch up with them in this game. Gonzaga has been underrated most of the year and is much more healthier team in this matchup. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games following an ATS loss in the previous game. The line is trending towards Gonzaga and expect them to win this game straight-up.

Utah has won two straight, including an impressive home win over Boston. They have covered in six straight and they are trying to hold onto their spot in the play in here tonight. The Blazers are cooked and don’t have a realistic chance to make the play in, so they are basically playing out the string here. They enter on a six-game skid.

4 Unit Play. Take #615 Wisconsin over Oregon (9p.m., Tuesday, March 21 ESPN) This line has come down this morning and I expect it to be a game to be competitive. Wisconsin is motivated to be in this tournament, and this has the size to matchup with Oregon in the paint. Elite 8 matchups in the NIT tend to go down to the wire and I expect that to case on Tuesday. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Oregon is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Brooklyn has lost three straight both SU and ATS. They had been playing well after the big trade, but they seem to have fallen off a cliff lately and their offensive struggles have been the culprit. That doesn’t bode well for tonight against the top defensive team in the NBA. Cleveland has been playing well, and they have been beating up on bad teams lately. We think this one has a good chance to be a blowout.

The Clippers are trying to put it together before the playoffs. They had their four-game winning streak snapped last time out vs. Orlando, but this team should bounce back well here, with or without Kawhi, who is listed as questionable. Portland has lost five straight and covered in only one of those games, so they are definitely vulnerable, and you know the Clips want to string together some wins and solid play before the postseason.

4 Unit Play. Take #854 Wisconsin over Liberty (12p.m., Sunday, March 19 ESPN2) Wisconsin showed on Tuesday that they want to play in the NIT and look for them to use their size and strength to advance to round 3 of the NIT. Liberty plays a similar style that Wisconsin does and I feel they will struggle against the length that Wisconsin has. The Flames are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. The Badgers are 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 home games.

There is some reverse line movement here as the majority of the cash is on the Sixers but the odds have moved the other way, which is always a good sign since we were really high on the Pacers to start off with. The Sixers are playing great, but they are on a back-to-back here and playing their third game in four nights, while the Pacers are well rested here with Friday off. Philly has been playing very well, but they should be tired here and we don’t see them giving 100%. These teams played two weeks ago, here in Indiana, and the Sixers had to rally for a four-point win. We think Indiana can do even better here and possibly win outright. Indiana needs to win games down the stretch to make the play in. So they will be the more motivated team. Philly traditionally struggles in this matchup as they are 0-4 ATS in the last four visits to Indiana and 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings overall.

10 Unit Play. Take #803 Duke over Tennessee (2:40p.m., Saturday, March CBS) Rick Barnes is a loser and we have faded him numerous times in the postseason and been highly successful doing it. Duke is playing as well as anybody in the country and will enter this game having won 9 straight games. The Blue Devils have the size to matchup with Tennessee and are much better on the perimeter without Zakai Zeigler playing. The Volunteers are 1-7 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. Duke is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

2 Unit Play. Take #743 Vermont over Marquette (2:45p.m., Friday, March 17 CBS) Marquette and Shaka Smart do not have a great record in the NCAA Tournament of late and look for this to be a struggle for them to advance. Coach Smart did not win an NCAA Tournament games while at Texas and has not won a game since 2013. Vermont is 18-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 games following a victory in their previous game. Marquette is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games. The Golden Eagles do not have the size to dominate this game and thus I expect it to be a single digit game.

4 Unit Play. Take #766 Northwestern over Boise State (7:35p.m., Thursday, March 16 TruTV) No bet against the Mountain West is a bad bet in the NCAA Tournament. The MWC has won just two games in their last 15 including going 0-4 in 2022. Northwestern plays a style that can frustrate Boise State and the time off with a Friday exit from last week will do them some good. Boise State got beat badly by Utah State two times over the last ten days and I do not expect them to bounce back in a big way on Thursday. Northwestern won their first round NCAA tournament game a few years ago and I expect history to repeat itself. Boise State is 2-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games. Northwestern is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.

10-Unit Play Take LA Clippers -2.5 over Golden State (10 p.m. EST,  Wed March 15)

Something has finally clicked with the Clippers. After a season of trials and tribulations, this team finally is playing at the level that most expected coming into the season. And tonight is their most important game of the season as they are tied with the Warriors and a game behind the Suns. By the end of the weekend, if all goes according to plan, Los Angeles could see themselves in the Top 4 in the West. After a season of major ups and downs, LA is in a great position to get a decent seed and do some damage in the postseason. But they need a win tonight. And we think they do just that. This team is well rested and has had three nights off coming into this super important game. The Warriors are coming off consecutive wins over the Bucks and Suns. So they are in a letdown spot here. And this team has been horrible on the road this season. They are 7-26 on the road. And they are 8-23-1 ATS on the road. A healthy and clicking Clippers team is better than the Warriors, and we think they prove that on the court tonight.

Best of Luck, Doc's Sports

2 Unit Play. Take #705 Youngstown State over Oklahoma State (7p.m., Wednesday, March 15 ESPN+) This is not a good setup for Oklahoma State. They are disappointed they did not make the NCAA Tournament and now have to travel on the road in the NIT despite being a higher seed. Mid-majors hardly ever get to post Power 5 teams and look for the Penguins and their fans to be excited for this game. The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record.

There is a chance this line could move through the day depending on the status of Damian Lillard for Portland, but we like the Knicks for a comfortable win even if the Blazers star plays. The Knicks are often underrated on the road, where they have played excellent basketball this season, and are 23-12 ATS on the road. This current road trip hasn’t gone the best, with a head-scratching loss in Charlotte and losses to playoff teams in the Clippers and Kings. So there will be a little bit or extra urgency here to salvage the road trip. Brunson will likely miss this game for the Knicks. But this is a more complete team than the Blazers, and we think New York will be fine without him. This is the Blazers first home game after a long road trip and that can often be tricky for a team as the players often have their minds on personal business rather than the task at hand.

3 Unit Play. Take #676 Wisconsin over Bradley (9:30p.m., Tuesday, March 14 ESPN) Bradley is a poor man’s version of Wisconsin, as both teams like to grind it out with scoring in the sixties. Wisconsin seems happy to be in this game and wants to reach the final four in Las Vegas. Bradley is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game. NIT is all about motivation and look for Wisconsin to finish this game strong.

The Spurs are coming off an improbable win over Denver, but this team is not going to build a winning streak or anything. They are probably too happy with that win and this could be a letdown spot. OKC has won and covered in four of their last five, so they are in good form. The Spurs have covered only one of the last eight meetings.

6 Unit Play. Take #624 Kansas -2 over Texas (6p.m., Saturday, March 11 ESPN) Just do not believe Texas can beat Kansas twice in one week. Both teams have interim coaches, but playing in Kansas City will give Kansas a huge edge in fan support. Kansas is also more rested having won their game earlier in the day and it was not very competitive down the stretch. The favorite is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Texas and Kansas. The Longhorns are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games. The Jayhawks are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Brooklyn is Fat and Happy with three wins in their last four, but we don’t see that success continuing tonight. The Wolves are the better team and this line is more than fair. Minnesota has also won three of four and they are playing well right now. Brooklyn usually doesn’t play well here and they are 5-16 ATS in the last 21 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #845 Connecticut over Marquette (6:30p.m., Friday, March 10 FS1) Connecticut in New York City is always a strong bet. They will have a huge fan base and they already beat Marquette by 15 points last meeting. This is the rubber game, but the Eagles lack of size will be the difference in this game. Marquette has had very little success in the Big East Tournament and look for that to continue on Friday night. UCONN is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral game sites. Marquette is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 neutral game sites. 

The Pacers are not a great team. But they can score. And they will be highly motivated here as they are a couple games out of the Play In Tournament. They know that if they don’t get a convincing win here, that they don’t belong in the postseason. We think they get the job done. The Rockets are one of the most tanking teams right now, and they have covered only two of their last nine games. Both of those were against the Spurs, another tanking club, so maybe that was just a case of San Antonio wanting the loss more. They aren’t covering despite some very generous lines from the oddsmakers. Indiana has covered six of seven, so they have been a money machine lately and underrated by the oddsmakers. The Pacers are 21-13 ATS at home, and they normally take care of business against bad teams. The Rockets are 11-22 ATS on the road, where they normally get massive spreads like we see tonight. Houston normally doesn’t play well here and they are 4-11 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Indiana.

The Clippers have been a schizophrenic team, but when they start playing well they can string together some good games. They are healthy and they snapped their losing streak last time out vs. the Grizzlies. They also played well in a one-point loss at Sacramento before that. We think they are primed for a win and a cover here. Kawhi will no doubt want to play well against his former team, and this just looks like a game where the Clips Big Two could potentially go off for a big game. You know the Clippers stars like their rest, and this team has had two nights off.

10 Unit Play. Take #680 Wisconsin over Ohio State (6:30p.m., Wednesday, March 8 BTN) All season long the odds makers and metrics have overrated this Ohio State team. They were a quad 1 team for most of the season despite having a losing record. They won two home games down the stretch but they have won just 3 games since January 2nd. Wisconsin is playing for their NCAA Tournament lives and already beat this Ohio State team in Columbus back in February. The Badgers got right on offense on Sunday against Minnesota and look for that to continue on Wednesday. Ohio State is 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games following a loss in their previous game. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.

Milwaukee is playing the best basketball of any team in the NBA. They ended their long winning streak lately vs. Philly, but they look to start another winning streak tonight. These teams played last week in Milwaukee, and the Bucks won by 20+. We don’t think a venue change will make too much of a difference here. Revenge is out the window since the teams have had games in between. Orlando has a nice foundation for the future, but they are not playing as well as they were a couple months ago. This team is unlikely to make the play in tourney, so looks like tanking is in order down the stretch.

The Pacers have covered in five of six, and this team is playing well at the moment. This is a letdown spot for the Sixers after their big win vs. the Bucks on Saturday. Indiana has covered five of six in this series and they normally bring their A Game when facing off against Philly. The Sixers have also covered only one of their last seven meetings here. Indiana needs all the games in hand that they can get and we think they come into this one wanting the win.

Portland has been on the wrong end of some blowouts lately, in five of their last six games. Orlando is sneaky good this season and they will not hesitate to take advantage of a team on a slump. They have won two straight and three of four in this series and we see another comfortable win here on Sunday.

3 Unit Play. Take #767 Maryland over Penn State (12p.m., Sunday, March 5 BTN) Just do not trust Penn State to handle prosperity. A win today would get them a single bye in the Big 10 Tournament and likely a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland played terrible last time out against Ohio State and I believe they will bounce back in a big way on Sunday. Maryland is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games. Penn State is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games following a win in their previous game.

Miami has covered in only two of their last 10 games, and this team continues to be one of the worst bets in the NBA night after night. The Hawks have won three of four and they are playing well right now. We think they have a great chance to win here in what should be a close game.

10 Unit Play. Take #620 Auburn over Tennessee (2p.m., Saturday, March 4 ESPN) Unranked team that is favored against a ranked team is always a great indicator to play the favorite. Auburn played outstanding against Alabama last time out and they will win this game by close to double digits today. Just not been a fan of Tennessee this season and feel this lack on offensive punch to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament. Throw in the fact they lost their point guard for this game in Zakai Zeigler and I see them being a quick out in both the conference and NCAA Tournaments. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. Auburn is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss in their previous game. Auburn has revenge and is the more desperate team, needing a win to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We don’t get in the habit of taking NBA double-digit favorites, but we think it is justified in this situation. After the trade deadline, the Nets are sinking and will be lucky to make the play in once all is said and done for the regular season. This team is clearly looking towards next season. They have lost four straight, three by double digits, and two by 20+. In their last game, they allowed 142 to the Knicks. They have allowed 129 or more in three of their last four. That doesn’t bode well against what is, in our opinion, the best team in the league. This Boston team is a covering machine lately. This is one of the most poised, veteran clubs out there – not to mention one of the most talented – and they aren’t a team that is going to take many nights off or overlook an opponent. We think they bring their A Game here as the playoffs are quickly approaching. They are right on the heels of the Bucks for the No. 1 seed, so they know every game is important down the stretch. They have won the last three meetings by double digits (they have covered in six straight meetings), and they won by 40+ at the start of February against a stronger Nets team.  This one looks like blowout city to us.

6 Unit Play. Take #754 Wisconsin over Purdue (9p.m., Thursday, March 2 FS1) Purdue is starting to be exposed and teams are figuring out how to defend them. Teams that have needed wins all week long have gotten them and Wisconsin falls into that boat tonight. It is Senior Night and look for Wisconsin to play well in front of a sellout crowd. The home team is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 10 meetings between Purdue and Wisconsin. Purdue is 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 road games. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a loss in their previous game.

The Bucks have been playing amazing basketball and have some high profile wins lately, but this looks like a game where they could have a letdown effort. They are on a back-to-back here and also have Philly on deck. Orlando is rested, healthy and a team on the rise. They have been money in this price range (16-9-1 ATS as a dog of 7.5 or more), and we think they bring their A Game tonight and they should be confident they can compete for the win against a tired team.

This sets up as a nice revenge spot for the Heat’s win Monday in Philly. That was a rare cover for them recently, which shows the oddsmakers have been continuously overrating them. Philly is 14-6 ATS as a small favorite this season, and they are clearly the better team in this matchup. Miami has been one of the worst ATS teams all season and they continue to get too much respect from the oddsmakers. Revenge is an overrated handicapping angle in the NBA UNLESS these teams played recently, and that is certainly the case here.

The Clippers have been inconsistent but they still have been a better bet this season than the Wolves, and we think they will want to bring their A Game tonight and leave nothing to chance after a pair of OT losses to Sacramento and Denver. The Wolves have covered in only one of the last seven meetings to LA and we think they are in for a tough game tonight.

The Heat are one of the worst ATS teams in the league and they have covered in only one of their last nine games and enter on a four-game losing streak. The Sixers had their five-game winning streak snapped vs. Boston even though they played well, and this looks like a great bounce back spot. Philly is one of the best ATS teams in the league, and they do their best work at home. We see them getting a comfortable win tonight, and a blowout isn’t out of the question.

5 Unit Play. Take #825 Wisconsin over Michigan (2p.m., Sunday, February 26 CBS) Wisconsin and Michigan are both on the bubble and thus I look for this game to go down to the wire and we will grab the points in this game. The Badgers already beat Michigan this season and look for another grinder. The underdog is 17-8 ATS in the last 25 games between Wisconsin and Michigan.

3 Unit Play. Take #618 Detroit over Wright State (1p.m., Saturday, February 25 ESPN+) We have faded the Raiders a couple of times recently and look to do so yet again on Saturday. Detroit has won 3 of their last 4 games and has the best player on the floor in Antoine Davis. He is looking to break the all-time points mark by Pistol Pete. The favorite is 32-15 ATS (1 push) in the last 51 meetings between Wright State and Detroit. The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

Love the Thunder in this spot. The Suns will be shorthanded as Durant will likely be postponing his Suns debut. The Thunder are on a back-to-back here but they have been solid in these situations at 4-3 ATS on the season. In fact, this is one of the best ATS teams in the NBA on the year. They are 8-2 ATS on the season when getting around this many points. They normally bring their A Game on the road against top teams, where they are 25-9-1 ATS in their last 35 against a team with a winning home record.

3 Unit Play. Take #827 Cal Bakersfield over Cal State Northridge (10p.m., Thursday, February 23 ESPN+) No bet against Northridge is a bad bet. They have lost 6 of their last 8 games and Bakersfield beat them by 15 points during this span. The Roadrunners are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a losing record. The Matadors are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games.

Teams will want to get off to a strong start for the stretch run after the all-star break, and we think this is a game that the Sixers will want to take very seriously. These teams are somewhat close together record wise but we think the Sixers are the much stronger team, and they should take care of business with a comfortable win here in front of the home faithful. Philly is one of the best betting teams this season at 34-23 ATS, while the Grizzlies have a losing ATS mark. The Sixers are a dominant home team at 23-8, while Memphis does their best work at home as well but is 11-17 on the road. The Sixers won and covered four straight before the break, and we think that momentum will continue here after. The Grizzlies have covered only one of their last six road contests. They have covered in only one of their last six visits to Philly. They are 9-19 ATS in road games this season, while the Sixers have been dominant, at 21-10 ATS at home. Memphis is 3-7 ATS when in an underdog role this season, and we think they come up well short of the cover here tonight

6 Unit Play. Take #732 Wisconsin over Iowa (6p.m., Wednesday, February 22 BTN) Iowa does not play much defense and this is just what Wisconsin needs to get back on track. The Badgers already won at Iowa City this season and the Hawkeyes are just not the same team when playing on the road. They have lost 4 of their last 5 road games with their only win coming against Minnesota during this slide. Iowa is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games. The underdog is 3-1 ATS (2 pushes) in the last 6 games between Iowa and Wisconsin.

4 Unit Play. Take #602 Xavier over Villanova (6:30p.m., Tuesday, February 21 FS1) Villanova just is not the same team this season without Jay Wright at the helm. Xavier has another get right game after dropping 2 of their last 3 and they should be able to win this game by close to double-digits. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Musketeers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game.

7 Unit Play. Take #614 Wisconsin (pk) over Rutgers (12p.m., Saturday, February 18 BTN) Wisconsin is in the middle of a 3 game homestand and I believe that they will win all 3 of these games. Rutgers has lost 4 straight road games and they are no longer ranked on the season. They are a good matchup for Wisconsin and feel that the Badger will grind out a 6-8 point victory in this game. Rutgers is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning home record.

5 Unit Play. Take #870 Cleveland State -1.5 over Wright State (7p.m., Friday, February 17 ESPNU) Just feel Cleveland State is the more talented team and they will earn the season sweep of Wright State tonight at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. The Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

3 Unit Play. Take #826 Arizona -11 over Utah (10p.m., Thursday, February 16 PAC12N) The Line has moved two points since it was released on Wednesday afternoon. Arizona needs to win their next 4 days in order to have a chance to win the regular season title. They also have revenge on their minds, as Utah beat them bad earlier this season. The Wildcats have covered the spread in 4 straight home games.

3 Unit Play. Take #713 Indiana over Northwestern (9p.m., Wednesday, February 15 BTN) We will follow the line movement in this game. It would be a tough task for Northwestern to knock off both Indiana and Purdue in consecutive games. These are the two best teams in the league and Northwestern just is not on that level. The road team is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Indiana and Northwestern.

7 Unit Play. Take #644 Wisconsin over Michigan (9p.m., Tuesday, February 14 ESPN2) Both teams are desperate for a victory after giving away games over the weekend. Look for the Badgers to prevail at home, as they will be up for this game after Juwan Howards actions in the game last year. Michigan is a good matchup for Wisconsin, as the Badgers have the size to help with Hunter Dickenson. Michigan is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Both teams have been playing well but we just don’t believe in the Thunder as a favorite although we love to take them when getting points. But they are laying too many here in what we think is pretty much a coin flip of a game. OKC is 2-5 ATS as a small favorite like this. We think this is a great chance for a rare road win by the Pelicans tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #838 Cleveland State +2.5 over Youngstown State (1p.m., Sunday, February 12 ESPN+) The Vikings are a tough team with their length and I see them winning this game today against the top team in the league. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games between Youngstown and Cleveland State. The Vikings are 4-0 ATS against teams with a winning record.

We really like the Bulls to compete here tonight and think they have a decent chance for the outright win. The Cavs have to be exhausted on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. The Bulls come in rested and have lost two straight. So they will likely bring their A Game tonight as they had won three straight before the current slide. Cleveland has had a pretty favorable schedule lately. They should be fat and happy here tonight and probably won’t have much urgency like the Bulls should have.

4 Unit Play. Take #705 Wisconsin over Nebraska (4p.m., Saturday, February 11 BTN) Wisconsin seems to play better on the road and look for that to be the case again on Saturday. The Badgers have won their last two road games and those came against better teams that are better than Nebraska.

The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings against the Lakers in Los Angeles, As a small-market team they normally bring their A Game when playing under the bright lights in the big city, and we think that will be the case again tonight. LeBron broke the scoring record last time out and that is one of the biggest stories in the nation, and we think this could create a letdown spot for them. He is also listed as questionable tonight and his status will no doubt move this line, but we like the Bucks for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. The Bucks are in playoff form right now with eight straight wins, and the Lakers are still trying to figure things out.

4 Unit Play. Take #790 Northern Arizona over Sacramento State (8p.m., Thursday, February 9 ESPN+) The Jacks are just 2-10 in Big Sky play but they have been very competitive of late and look for them to notch their third conference victory of the season at the Skydome.

4 Unit Play. Take #727 Wisconsin over Penn State (7:30p.m., Thursday, February 8 BTN) Wisconsin is a bad team to play laying points, but they are a strong team to play as an underdog. With a total in the 120s, it will be hard for Penn State to cover this spread unless they go off from the arc. Wisconsin already beat Penn State once this season and expect this game to go down to the wire as well. The underdog is 20-6 ATS in the last 26 meetings between Wisconsin and Penn State.

The Suns have quietly been playing great basketball and they get their Big 3 back tonight as Booker is expected to join the roster. They face a Brooklyn team in flux after the trade of Kyrie Irving, and the Suns will be facing a depleted roster tonight that is on the second night of a back-to-back. We expect a double-digit win from the road team here.

The Clippers are quietly one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won seven of nine and their two losses were by one in Milwaukee (in a game they led at one point by 20+) and in Cleveland on the second of a B2B when they rested half the team. Tonight they face a very vulnerable Nets team that not only is missing Durant, but they have other key players on the way out of town and others coming in via the Dallas trade. The Nets will try their hardest but they just don’t have the firepower to stay competitive here tonight. LA has covered in seven of their last eight, and we think this team won’t overlook the Nets since they had lots of struggles before things came together for this recent positive run.

The Clippers at full strength, which they will likely be tonight, have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA recently. They deserved the win last time out in Milwaukee and controlled most of that game but couldn’t hit any shots late and lost by one. That makes this game against a lesser opponent even more important. The Clippers have covered in six of their last seven games, with the only non cover coming in Cleveland in the game where a lot of key players sat out. With some of those types of games on the schedule, it makes full squad games like this more important, and we think they take care of business here tonight. The Clips have covered in seven of the last nine visits to MSG.

10 Unit Play. Take #666 Iowa over Illinois (2:30p.m., Saturday, February 2 FOX) BIG 10 GAME OF THE YEAR Iowa is the more desperate team in this contest, and they are finally getting healthy. They are 11-2 at home this season and have the best player on the floor in Kris Murray. He is averaging over 20 points per game and look for a big outing from him today in Iowa City. Illinois has been on a nice run of late, but most if not all of that damage has come against bad teams. This includes wins against Ohio State, Nebraska (2), Wisconsin (2) and Minnesota. Iowa is better than all of those teams. We have seen across the country over the last couple of weeks, that parity is here, and the more desperate team usually gets the win. That will be the case again today with Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 45-20 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 68 home games. They are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games. They get it done today by close to double-digits.

We like to back a good team after a bad and embarrassing loss as they normally bring their A Game in the next outing. That is the case for the Suns here. They were embarrassed at home by the Hawks last time out, 132-100. NBA players have a lot of pride and ego, and good teams don’t often fail to show up in consecutive games. And the Suns had been playing well as they had won six of seven entering that game. Boston has been winning, but they have covered only one of their last seven games as the oddsmakers are posting too high of spreads. They probably won’t be on their A Game against this out-of-conference foe. The Suns aren’t a big underdog often, but they are 5-2 ATS when getting five or more points. The Suns have also had great betting success here in Boston as they have covered in eight of the last 11 meetings. They have also covered in 10 of the last 14 meetings overall.

3 Unit Play. Take #773 Wisconsin over Ohio State (7p.m., Thursday, February 2 FS1) Both teams are in freefall at the moment and desperate for a victory. The metrics continue to overrate this Ohio State team and they are not as good as their net rating suggests. Wisconsin needs to keep this game low scoring and if they do they should be able to keep this game in single digits. Ohio State is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games.

The Warriors are 8-16 ATS on the road. Minnesota has won three of four and five of seven, and they are quietly playing great basketball right now. These teams have traded ATS covers for the last seven meetings, and it’s now the Timberwolves turn. We think they have a great chance for the outright win.

3 Unit Play. Take #662 Georgetown over Creighton (6:30p.m., Wednesday, February 1 CBSSN) Georgetown has been playing better of late and their last 4 games have been played under tonight’s posted number. Creighton is coming off a big win over the weekend but they are still not ranked and this is a lot of points to be laying on the road. Expect a letdown by them after beating conference leader Xavier last time out.

3 Unit Play. Take #644 Maryland over Indiana (9p.m., Tuesday, January 31 ESPN2) Maryland is at home and the Hoosiers are still not whole. The Terrapins will enter having won their last two games via blowout and 3 of their last 4 overall. They have the quickness at the guard position to take advantage of the Hoosiers in this game. Indiana is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. The home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games between Indiana and Maryland.

The Suns have won five of six. They are getting healthier and trending upwards. We think this line is more than fair for the home team tonight. The Raptors normally don’t play up to expectations when a small dog like this as they are 4-7 ATS when a dog of under 2.5 points. They are only 2-7 ATS in the last nine meetings in Phoenix and 5-14 ATS in the last 19 meetings overall. Since these teams don’t meet often, that is a trend that goes back years. We expect the home team to pull away late in the game.

2 Unit Play. Take #822 Villanova over Providence (12p.m., Sunday, January 29 FS1) The Wildcats are the more desperate team in this matchup and have played pretty well at home this season. The Friars are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games played on Sunday.

The Bucks are trending upward and have won four of five, including a big win over Indiana less than two weeks ago. The Bucks needed a rally as the Pacers played well in the first half. But Milwaukee ended up winning by double digits. We expect to see a more complete game from the Bucks here. They match up very well against the Pacers and have a strong history against them as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings. Five of those games were double digit blowouts. The Pacers started off the season strong but now might not even make the play in. They have covered only two of their last 10 games.

The Clippers have won three straight, including a win over these Clippers in San Antonio, and they are playing better every game as they get healthy. The last time they played here in LA they won by more than 20, and we could see that type of result here with the Spurs coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights.