Sports Picks & Predictions

OKC has had a couple days off and they should be well rested and ready to go here and are winners of five of their last six. This is one of the top ATS teams in the league the last couple seasons and they keep getting the job done. Atlanta is much better at home than on the road, and they are trending downward with two straight losses. OKC has covered 25 of the last 36 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #685 Wisconsin over Maryland (7p.m., Wednesday, January 25 BTN) Wisconsin already beat Maryland once this season and with a total of only 125 I expect this game to go down to the wire. The road team is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Wisconsin and Maryland.

Despite the Clippers struggles recently, they are the better team here, and they are almost worthy of a blind bet when playing the Lakers. They are 11-0 ATS when the Lakers are the HOME team. They are 37-17 ATS in the last 54 meetings, one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA long term. They are getting healthy and have been playing well, and the Lakers are not healthy at the moment and we expect a dominating performance.

2 Unit Play. #619 LSU over Arkansas (7p.m., Tuesday, January 24 ESPN2) Just do not believe Arkansas is that strong this season to be laying double-digits against conference opponents. LSU has been on a bad streak of late but they have played a brutal schedule and Arkansas is the worst team they will have played in their last 7 games. The Razorbacks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games. The underdog has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings between LSU and Arkansas.

6 Unit Play. Take #875 Wisconsin +3 over Northwestern (6:30p.m., Monday, January 23 BTN) This game was delayed until Monday due to Covid within the Northwestern program (yes that is still a thing). Just do not believe the Wildcats should be favored, as Wisconsin has dominated this series this century. Tyler Wahl should play much better in this game and the size of Wisconsin will be the difference in this game. Northwestern is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on Mondays. Wisconsin is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 road games against teams with a winning home record.

2 Unit Play. Take #829 Michigan State over Indiana (12p.m., Sunday, January 22 CBS) Still believe Michigan State is the healthier team and getting points with them is too good to pass up. Michigan State got back on track last time out and look for another strong showing on Sunday. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Michigan State and Indiana. The Hoosiers are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games overall.

10 Unit Play. Take #786 Wright State over Cleveland State (7p.m., Saturday, January 21 ESPN+) Just feel the Vikings playing 4 straight road games will be the difference in this game. The Raiders are the much better offensive team scoring close to 80 points per game and that will allow them to cover this field goal spread. They also have the best player floor in Trey Calvin, who has scored 49 points per game in his last two outings. Cleveland State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Wright State is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

1 Unit Play. Take #896 New Mexico over Boise State (11p.m., Friday, January 20 FS1) We have gotten burned twice this week with teams not covering low numbers, so we will focus on the money line tonight expecting the Lobos to win. New Mexico is 12-1 at home this season and Boise State is just not the same team away from home.

This is an opponent that the Clippers normally play well against. They are 4-1 ATS in the last five visits to San Antonio and 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. LA has been playing horribly. They have been dealing with more injuries, a problem that has to this point derailed their season. But it looks like the Big 2 will be playing tonight, and this team is desperate for a win. They have lost many games lately, but they have had a tough schedule littered with playoff teams. Their last easy opponent was vs. Houston, and they won by 21. We think we could see s similar result here as if the Clippers don’t get a convincing win here then it might be time for heads to roll in LA. We think they bring their A Game tonight.

We have seen that the Suns aren’t a great team at full strength, but with the two best guys of their Big 3 missing and some other injuries, this team has been in a free fall lately. The Nets are without Kevin Durant, and they have lost three straight. But Kyrie Irving should be back tonight, and the Nets have a much better roster taking the court tonight, and this should be a nice spot to get back on the winning track.

2 Unit Play. Take #741 Northeastern over Stony Brook (7p.m., Thursday, January 19) Both teams have similar overall records and similar records in the CAA. The Huskies being favored on the tells me something and I feel they are the much better team.

OKC is playing excellent basketball right now. They went 3-1 on their recent four-game road trip, with wins at Philly and Brooklyn. They have home blowouts vs. Dallas and Boston in their last eight games. Indiana is going the other direction as they have lost four straight and they have covered in only one of their last five, showing they have been overvalued by the oddsmakers recently. We think that is the case again tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #686 Texas A&M over Florida (7p.m., Wednesday, January SECN) Florida is overvalued in this situation and we will ride the red hot Aggies tonight at Reed Arena in College Station, TX. The Aggies have won 6 straight games and five of them have been via blowout. They even won at Florida during this winning streak. The Gators are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. The Aggies are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games being played on Wednesday.

5 Unit Play. Take #642 Wisconsin over Penn State (8:30p.m., Tuesday, January 17 BTN) Tyler Wahl practiced on Monday and should give the Badgers a lift after laying an egg over the weekend in Bloomington. Home court means everything in the Big 10 and Wisconsin needs this game to get back on track. Penn State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a win in their previous game. Not often you see this low of a number for a true road game for Penn State and we expect a Badger victory by close to double digits.

The Knicks are coming in on a back-to-back, but they have a winning record ATS in these situations, so we aren’t really worried about that aspect too much. They barely broke a sweat in a blowout at Detroit yesterday. The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won seven of eight and covered in six of those contests. The oddsmakers are punishing them too much here for the B2B. Toronto is 5-13 on the road this season and this will be another tough situation for them to get the win. They hosted the Knicks earlier in the month and lost by four. This one should see a larger margin of victory.

2 Unit Play. Take #864 Michigan State over Purdue (2:30p.m., Monday, January 16 FOX) Michigan State has gotten healthy and I just do not believe Purdue is all that strong outside of Zach Edey. Michigan State needs this more since they are at home and I expect them to win it straight-up on Monday. The home team is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 meetings between Purdue and Michigan State.

The Magic have been solid as a big underdog, with a 16-10-1 ATS record when getting five or more points. This team has cooled off since their big win streak but they have still been covering, as they enter on a two-game cover streak and they have covered in three of four overall. They catch a Nuggets team that is a little banged up now, though Jokic should return tonight. But this game is sandwiched between important conference games against the Clippers and Blazers, so if there were to be a game they would take less seriously, it would probably be this matchup against the Magic, who we think can keep this one within single digits.

2 Unit Play. Take #623 Wisconsin +5 over Indiana (1p.m., Saturday, January 14 CBS) Both teams have played games now without their key players, Tyler Wahl for Wisconsin and two starters for Indiana. Just trust Greg Gard more than Mike Woodson and feel Wisconsin should be able to take this game down to the wire. The underdog has covered in this matchup 5 of the last 6 games.

6 Unit Play. Take #886 Nevada over Utah State (11p.m., Friday, January 13 FS1) The Aggies shoot a lot of three point shots, but the Wolf Pack has the guards to defend them tonight at Lawlor Events Center. Nevada is coming off a loss at San Diego State, but they played well in the second half and cut into a major deficit. They have won all of their games after a loss this season. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between Utah State and Nevada. The Aggies pounded the Pack last season in Reno and you can bet Nevada has not forgotten that.

Note: there will likely be line movement in this game because of MVP favorite Jokic and his injury status. He is questionable with a wrist injury. We like the Clippers for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. We think Revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle. That is unless the teams played recently. And the Clippers no doubt remember that game last week in Denver where they got spanked, 122-91. The Nuggets have won six of seven, but they have been enjoying some home cooking lately. All those wins were at home, but they are just 2-4 in their last six road contests. Even though George is out tonight for the Clippers, this team is very deep with talent, but they just have not had consistent rotations. But they looked real good last time out in a double-digit home win vs. the Mavs, and wins and losses have come in bunches for this team. But they need to start stacking some wins together after the lackluster start to the season, and we expect them to bring their A Game tonight and for Kawhi to lead the way to a win and cover.

2 Unit Play. Take #852 Washington over Stanford (11p.m., Thursday, January 12 FS1) Stanford is one of the most disappointing teams in the country and Jerod Haase will survive come March. You can pretty much just fade them blind and that is what we will do tonight in the largest city in Washington.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Oklahoma City was one of the best ATS teams last season, and they are doing it again as they are the No. 1 betting team this season at 25-16 ATS. This is the perfect betting team as they play hard almost every night yet keep it close more often than getting the outright win. They have covered in four of their last five games, and we expect them to keep this close tonight. OKC does most of their ATS damage as a big dog as they are 18-7 ATS when getting three or more points. If this line goes up to double digits, they are a perfect 5-0 ATS in those scenarios. While teams like the Lakers and Warriors get the best shot from other teams even when they aren’t high in the standings, OKC is a team they often overlook and we don’t see the Sixers bringing their A Game tonight. OKC has covered in four of the last five meetings in Philly.

The tanking Rockets are in a freefall right now and have covered only one of their last seven games despite very generous lines from the oddsmakers. The Kings have been inconsistent but they are coming in off a confidence-boosting blowout of a better Orlando team. We think they can ride that momentum to a double digit win here. The Kings have covered in four of the last five meetings.

3 Unit Play. Take #688 Penn State over Indiana (7p.m., Wednesday, January 11 BTN) The Hoosiers will struggle to compete in the Big 10 without two of their main players. Penn State is looking to get back to .500 in Big 10 play and they need to win their home games to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament come March. Indiana is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Indiana and Penn State.

For Dallas, Luka Doncic is questionable for this matchup. If he plays, the line will move. But we like the Clippers to win this one by a comfortable margin despite the line movement. Paul George is out for LA but Kawhi should play. Tonight., we have to plug our noses and take the Clippers, who are on a 6-game losing streak. This is the worst losing streak in years. This team has been inconsistent. But this just has the feeling of a Must Win game, and we think LA will respond to the pressure tonight. It’s not like they have lost to scrubs, as all the losses were to playoff type teams. They played their best game of the bunch last time out vs. the Hawks, who eventually rallied for the win. But LA has covered in five of the last seven meetings, and this is a good familiar foe with which to halt the losing streak.

3 Unit Play. Take #619 Michigan State over Wisconsin (7p.m., Tuesday, January 10 ESPN) Tyler Wahl was in a boot on Saturday and Michigan State has won 3 of the last 4 games in Madison.

Two teams on winning streaks as the Bulls have won three straight and the Celtics have won two straight. But Boston has not been covering many lines as they have been overvalued by oddsmakers and they haven’t been playing at their top level. They have covered only one of their last four games. Chicago covered in all three of their recent wins. We expect a hard fought game here. The Bulls typically bring their A Game when playing Boston. They are 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings and they have covered four straight in Boston. We were planning to take the Bulls here and thought the line would be closer to 6, so there is excellent value here tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #846 Maryland -1 over Ohio State (1p.m., Sunday, January 8 ESPN) Ohio State is coming off another bad loss which they led by 3 with under 40 seconds to go and lost in regulation. Maryland has been a sinking ship as well, but they have talent and sooner or later they will start to make their 3 pointers. Maryland is 10-3 ATS in their last 3 home games.

We took the Celtics for a big play last time out against the Mavs after their embarrassing loss to the Thunder and they destroyed Dallas by nearly 30. Now we are going to back Dallas with the same philosophy, backing a good team after an embarrassing loss. They didn’t show up in that game, and they will no doubt produce a better effort here win or lose. They come in rested, while the Pelicans are on a B2B after a game they probably wanted more in Brooklyn last night that was hard fought but ended up a loss. New Orleans is not a very deep team, and they are missing two of their Big Three and we think their lineup will be lacking here in the B2B. Dallas has been an awful ATS team this season, but that can turn around. We think they have a great chance for a blowout here.

The Clippers look to have hit rock bottom last night with a 30+-point loss in Denver. Now they are on a back-to-back against a surging Timberwolves team that has won two straight. We don’t know what roster moves Ty Lue will do tonight, as Kawhi and/or George may site the second end of the B2B. But if they both do play, that is probably a sign of pure desperation. Both were ineffective last night. In fact, no starter scored in double digits.

The Mavs have won seven in a row, while the Celtics have been blown out in two straight and lost to OKC by 30+ last time out. Yet the Celtics are still favored here on the road. That tells us a lot. We always like to take a good team after an embarrassing loss. The Celtics certainly fit the bill here as they are arguably the best team in the NBA. And that loss is certainly embarrassing, but it’s also forgivable. During the long grind of the NBA season, teams just don’t always show up to play. But after a real poor effort, we expect the Celtics to bring their A Game tonight in Dallas. The Celtics have covered in 12 of 17 meetings here and they are the much better team. We think they show it tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #760 Ohio State over Purdue (7p.m., Thursday, January 5 FS1) Purdue has the best team in the Big 10, but Matt Painter just does not seem able to close the deal. They had been treading water of late and Rutgers got them on Monday in West Lafyette. Now they face a better team on the road and I look for Purdue to suffer their second straight setback. Since a bad loss to North Carolina, Ohio State has won 3 straight games in blowout fashion. Purdue is 6-18 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 27 games. Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games against teams with a winning road record.

4 Unit Play. Take #730 Nevada over Colorado State (10:30p.m., Wednesday, January 4 FS1) Nevada has some depth issues but will be able to beat Colorado State at home tonight by double digits. Colorado State has a bad defense and thus Nevada should be able to light up the scoreboard tonight at Lawler Events Center. The Rams are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record. The Wolf Pack are 7-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 home games.

This is the perfect revenge spot for the Bucks, who lost to Washington here on this same floor in a blowout Sunday. Antetokounmpo and Holiday, the Bucks two best players this season, missed that game but both should be back here. Milwaukee has lost five of six, so there should be a sense of urgency here tonight. Four of those losses were on the road, and three were to the other top teams in the east, so it’s not like they have been beaten by a bunch of bad teams. This looks like a good spot for a blowout win and revenge.

The Clippers finished out their road trip with two losses and they need a win here. We think they will get it against a Heat team that is banged up right now. The Clippers will have close to a full roster tonight and are one of the deepest teams in the league. The Heat are 1-7 ATS in the last eight meetings, and Miami has been one of the worst teams for bettors this season at 13-22-2 ATS.

2 Unit Play. Take #306874 North Alabama +1.5 over Bellarmine (7p.m., Monday, January 2 ESPN+) Atlantic Sun play continues on Sunday with a pair of teams battling at Flowers Hall in Florence, AL. The Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

2 Unit Play. Take #830 Washington over UCLA (7p.m., Sunday, January 1 PAC12N) Just do not see a blowout in this second game for UCLA against the Washington schools. UCLA was taken down to the wire by Washington State and I see a similar result in this game. Washington is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #729 Utah over Stanford (4p.m., Saturday, December 31 PAC-12N) The Cardinal just cannot put together a solid season under Jerod Hasse. He has had talented players and experience but has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament and this will be his last year at the farm. Utah continues to improve in year two of Craig Smith and they returned most of their talent from last season. They are 3-0 in conference play and do not have any bad losses on the season. They also have the best player on the floor in Branden Carlson and if they keep winning games like this, they will be an NCAA Tournament team coming March. The Tues are 17-6 ATS (1 push) after allowing less than 50 points to their opponent in their previous game. Stanford is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played on Saturdays. Maples Pavilion during the holiday break will not provide any atmosphere or home crowd edge for the home team. Utah wins this game straight-up.

Utah has not been playing great on the road and is 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. The Kings shine has worn off since the start of the season as this team has been inconsistent. But they are healthy here and this line is more than fair. This homestand hasn’t been the best, but they head on the road after the new year so we think this game is a priority to get a win and salvage the homestand. Utah hasn’t looked very good the last couple games and even lost to the Spurs. They are 7-13 on the road and we think they are in for another tough game tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #868 Clemson -2 over NC State (4p.m., Friday, December 30 ACCN) Just do not trust middle of the pack ACC teams to win road games. Clemson is always a tough out at home and look for that to continue on Friday afternoon. NC State is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games. Clemson is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games.

Boston has been the best team in the NBA to start the season, but now that the Clippers are healthy, they have possibly the strongest roster in the league. They should have most of the squad playing tonight, and this is just too many points. The Celtics were in a big slump but have won three straight, but wins over Minnesota and Houston don’t really move the needle. Just don’t think this club is in top form right now. The Clippers always seem to play well in Boston, where they are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings, and we think they bring their A Game tonight.

2 Unit Play. #695 Green Bay over Detroit (7p.m., Thursday, December 29 ESPN+) Green Bay is awful and Coach Will Ryan (Son on Bo) is squarely fighting for his job. That being said, I feel they can keep this game under the posted number with the slow style of play. Green Bay is 11-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 games played on Thursdays.

2 Unit Play. Take #640 LSU over Arkansas (9p.m., Wednesday, December 28 ESPN2) We will follow the line movement in this game. Arkansas is without two key players and LSU has the best offensive player on the floor in KJ Williams. LSU is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games played on Wednesdays.

The Clippers played last night so enter on a back-to-back but the starters played limited minutes and Kawhi was out, but he should play here and should bring his best against his former team. The Clips are the much better team and a deep club and they should be fine here. That the bench came back last night from a huge deficit in Detroit showed the depth of this Clippers team.

Atlanta has covered only two of their last nine games. Yet here they are laying another big number. They are 4-11 when laying more than three points. The Pistons are 12-3-3 when getting 7.5 or more. They have also covered in seven of the last 10 meetings. We expect a very competitive game here.

Brandon Ingram has been out for the Pels but now the main member of the Big 3, Zion Williamson, will join him as he has been placed in Health and Safety protocols. We have no doubt players will step up in his absence, but we don’t think they will cover this big number. The Pels haven’t been playing great even with Zion in the lineup as they have lost four straight both SU and ATS heading into this matchup. And now they have to face the Spurs without their two best players. San Antonio was looking like the worst team in the NBA for awhile as they lost nine straight and didn’t cover in any of them. But they have been playing a lot better recently. They come in with confidence after a blowout win at Houston. They have won four of six and covered in all those wins as an underdog. They have covered in all seven of their most recent visits to New Orleans, and they have one of the best coaches in the league that probably devised a nice gameplan here with two days off to maximize the chance of being competitive here.

3 Unit Play. Take #804 Arkansas State over Little Rock (3p.m., Thursday, December 22 ESPN+) Home court will be the difference in this game allowing the Red Wolves to win their third straight game. The Trojans have not won a true road game this season. UALR is 7-21 ATS in their last 28 road games. Arkansas State is 13-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 18 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

2 Unit Play. Take #732 Wyoming over Saint Mary’s (8:30p.m., Wednesday, December 21 ESPN+) This is a fade play against Saint Mary’s, as they are not the same team as they have been the last decade. They always play a home/neutral site schedule and will not travel well for this game in Phoenix. We will grab the points with the team from a stronger conference, as we expect this game to go down to the wire.

3 Unit Play. Take #635 Oklahoma over Florida (9:30p.m., Tuesday, December 20 ESPN2) Just believe Oklahoma is farther along in year two under Porter Moser compared to year one under Todd Golden. Both teams have lost some games during the nonconference portion of the season, but I like the rotation of the Sooners led by transfer Grant Sherfield. Florida is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games following a win in their previous game. Oklahoma is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

Don’t get us wrong, the Magic are playing great basketball right now and their recent six-game winning streak has been impressive. Especially the last two games, a sweep of the best team in basketball, the Boston Celtics, in Boston. The streak also included a home win against these same Hawks. Atlanta is a much better home team (9-5) than road team (6-10). And this game was recent so this is a revenge spot for the Hawks. We have to remember that Orlando is only 11-20, so this current win streak includes more than half of their wins. They are Fat and Happy after the sweep of Boston. They are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights while the Hawks have had two days off. Orlando has covered only one of the last five visits to Atlanta and they are 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall. Expect Orlando to play strong in the first half and then wilt down the stretch.

3 Unit Play. Take #306588 UTSA -6 over Bethune-Cookman (4p.m., Sunday, December 18) The Wildcats are 0-5 in road games this season. They are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games. The Roadrunners are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight-up loss.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These teams played here Friday and Orlando won their fifth straight in an eight-point win. Boston will probably play a lot better here. But we think this line is still too large for a Magic team that is playing with tons of confidence right now.

Paul George is questionable here but Kawhi looks to play. We think there is a good chance both play. Regardless, this looks like a blowout. The Clippers rested everybody last time vs. Phoenix so they took a mulligan in that one. But they had won the previous three games and looked like the team we all expected coming into the season. This team doesn’t have a lot of room for error after a slow start. They are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings with Washington in LA.

10 Unit Play. Take #644 North Carolina over Ohio State (3p.m., Saturday, December 17 CBS) We will follow the line movement, as an unranked team favored against a ranked team is always a strong play. Carolina was terrible during the early portion of the season but now they are undervalued. This team needs a quality win in the worst way, and they will get it on Saturday in New York City. Ohio State is gritty, but they do not have the talent that UNC does and were very lucky to win their last home game against Rutgers. The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games between UNC and Ohio State. North Carolina is 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturday. Ohio State is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a victory in their previous game.

Sacramento has had somewhat of a tough road trip as they have dropped three of five. But this will be their easiest matchup on this road swing, so we think they bring their A Game here. The Kings have one of the best offenses in the league, and Detroit has one of the worst defenses. While the Kings defense isn’t going to win many accolades, they are better than Detroit, and the Detroit offense is one of the lowest ranked in the NBA. Sacramento normally plays well against bad teams. They are 6-1 ATS in their last seven against losing teams. They are 7-1 ATS in their last eight on the road against teams with a losing home record. We think this is a great chance for a double digit win.

2 Unit Play. Take #872 Georgetown over Xavier (6:30p.m., Friday, December 16 FS1) Why is Patrick Ewing still the coach at Georgetown? Maybe his team will show up and keep this game in single digits tonight Capital One Arena. My money is on a closer game than what the experts think.

Love the line value here as we had the Rockets as a slight favorite. Miami is the second worst betting team in the NBA at 9-19-1 ATS. They are just barely better than the worst betting team, Dallas. They are coming in on a back-to-back here after OKC took them to the brink last night. They won but didn’t cover, and we don’t see them playing a better game than they did last night. The Rockets have been playing well and have won three of four. They are 15-12 ATS on the season, meaning they are surpassing oddsmakers expectations on a regular basis. The Rockets have covered six straight at home, and we think they have a great chance to win outright.

6 Unit Play. Take #664 Maryland over UCLA (9p.m., Wednesday, December 14 FS1) Maryland is on a two-game losing streak, but both losses came against ranked teams, and they are a much better team when playing at home. Look for them to shoot it well tonight from the arc and win this game by close to double digits. UCLA does not have any quality wins during the nonconference portion of the season, and I do not see that changing on Wednesday. They are not a strong as they were the last two years and look for them to struggle in this environment. UCLA is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games. Maryland is 9-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Atlanta is banged up and this team stinks on the road. The Magic have two more wins at home than the Hawks have on the road. We had this game handicapped at PK and think the home team has a great chance to win outright. They have won three straight and covered four straight and are in much better form at the moment.

The Pelicans have won seven straight and are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. Utah has lost two straight and three of four, and the shine has come off their hot start a bit. New Orleans has a better offense and a much better defense, and they should dominate this game on both sides. This team looks very headstrong this season and we don’t think they will have a letdown after a pair of big wins over the Suns.

3 Unit Play. Take #306566 Richmond over Fairleigh Dickinson (7p.m., Tuesday, December 13 ESPN+) This is a big number, but the Knights have played a weak schedule thus far and this should be a get-well game for Richmond to move to .500 on the season. FSU is 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games against reams with a losing record.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We were on the Spurs for their last two wins, as we saw a slight upswing for them after losing nine games SU and ATS. Now they are fat and happy after two wins over Houston and Miami, two struggling teams, but now they are probably going to revert to their tanking ways and they face a true championship contender in Cleveland. Mitchell is questionable here. But we think the Cavs win by double digits whether he plays or not. This team plays excellent team basketball and the sum is greater than the individual parts. The Spurs are a struggling offensive team and the Cavs posses the No. 1 defense. San Antonio gives up more than 120 PPG, so we don’t think the Cavs will have any problem scoring enough to get this one over the posted number. Cleveland has covered in five of six meetings and four straight in San Antonio.

4 Unit Play. Take #783 Wisconsin +4 over Iowa (6:30p.m., Sunday, December 11 BTN) Wisconsin may be due for a letdown, but the talent of Iowa without Kris Murray is just not there. This line is an overaction to the Hawkeyes dominating win on Thursday over Iowa State. This is a conference game that should go down to the wire and we will try and squeeze a little more out of Wisconsin this season (We are 5-0 with them thus far).

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. Take #711 Arizona over Indiana (7:30p.m., Saturday, December 10 FOX) Just not that impressed with Indiana thus far in 2022. They are struggling to score points and that will be an issue against this Arizona team as well. Las Vegas is the site for this game and expect a strong Arizona fan base to make the short flight north to support their Cats. The Hoosiers have played a pretty easy schedule thus far, but he gets harder with Arizona and Kansas their next two games. Beating North Carolina at home is not that good of a win with the Tar Heels in freefall at the moment. Both teams lost a conference game this season, but I just feel Arizona will go on a big scoring run at some point in this game and Indiana will not be able to keep up.

To say this road trip has been rough for the Clippers would be an understatement. They have lost two straight, against the Magic in OT and then at the Heat. This is a long season, but this seems like a very crucial game for the struggling Clippers. We never know who will start for LA as their two stars are never a sure thing to make it on the court. But it’s very likely the Big Two should play here. Even if one of them doesn’t, this line will likely swing, but we won’t be deterred if it does. We think this is a great chance for a double digit win even if PG or Kawhi sit. Washington is coming in on a back-to-back. They are banged up as well. They haven’t been playing well, either. But the biggest thing is that we expect the Clippers to play with a sense of urgency here as a loss or another bad game might be the time to hit the panic button. We don’t think that will be needed, however, as we expect a comfortable win and we think the stock will be rising in the coming weeks for LA. Oh yeah, and they have covered in five of the last six meetings, so they normally play well against this opponent.

The Pistons were a sexy pick to be an improved team this season and possibly sneak into the play in tourney. They got off to a slow start and had some major injuries to deal with. But this team has been getting healthier and playing better. They have been a particularly good bet when getting big points, and they are 7-2 ATS when getting double digit points on the spread. These teams played recently in Detroit and Memphis won by 10. We just don’t see them replicating a double digit win in two games so close together.

2 Unit Play. Take #882 Minnesota over Michigan (9p.m., Thursday, December 8 BTN) Tough spot for Michigan having to fly back from London late Sunday night and now must open Big 10 play on the road at the barn. Michigan is 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Make no mistake, the Spurs have been playing some of the worst basketball in the NBA and have been making an art out of tanking. But this looks like a very winnable game for them and they are going to get a win and cover at a certain point. We think tonight is the night. This team shot out of the gate with some great performances and was once one of the better bets in the league. Then some injuries hit and they fell off the cliff. But we think the value has swung the other way now and they should be a favorite here. Houston has only one more win than the Spurs. They are 3-12 away from home. They are 3-7-1 in the last 11 meetings. The Spurs have had extended rest coming into this one and should get a couple of their injured soldiers back for this game, and we expect a rare win from the home team tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #663 Michigan State over Penn State (6:30p.m., Wednesday, December 7 BTN) Michigan State has been one of the most disappointing teams this season and Coach Izzo may not be able to dig out of this whole come March. But they still have more talent than does Penn State and getting this many points with is too good to pass up. Penn State is 6-2 on the season but does not have any wins against likely NCAA Tournament teams. The road team is 5-2 ATS in the last 5 games between Michigan State and Penn State.

6 Unit Play. #646 Wisconsin over Maryland (9p.m., Tuesday, December 6 ESPN2) Unranked team that is favored over a ranked team is always a recipe for success. Maryland has played outstanding this season and they have gotten new life under Coach Kevin Willard. The Badgers have also been playing much better since they got out of the baseball stadium and ballroom. Those venues are tough to shoot in and playing in basketball arenas have been their numbers go up. Maryland is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning home record. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record.

Miami is one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA at 8-15-1 ATS. They were one of the best last season but they have not lived up to oddsmaker expectations so far this season. Miami enters this one on a back-to-back, while Detroit had the night off Monday. Detroit has struggled to start the season and has dealt with many injuries, but they are starting to get players back. They have been a very strong bet when getting more than seven points, and they have also covered in all of the last four meetings.

2 Unit Play. Take #738 Michigan over Kentucky (1p.m., Sunday, December 4 ABC) We will grab the points in this matchup taking place in Europe. Michigan took Virginia down to the wire and I do not see Kentucky winning this game by double-digits. Kentucky does not have any quality wins at this points of the season, and their loses are to teams that already have a bunch of losses this season, Gonzaga and Michigan State. Michigan is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game. Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.

7 Unit Play. Take #669 Wisconsin over Marquette (4:30p.m., Saturday, December 3 FS1) This line is an overreaction to this week’s games for each team. Marquette shot the ball tremendously against Baylor and if they do that, they will win this game big. But Wisconsin has a better defense than Baylor and the Badgers have been playing better offensively in their two recent games. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The underdog is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 games between Wisconsin and Marquette. This in-state rivalry should go down to the wire.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Jazz got off to a hot start but have cooled off big time and are now looking more like the team we expected to see entering the season. They also have some key injuries that are holding them back. They got a win last time out but that was their first in six games. Utah has excelled in the underdog role for betting purposes, but they are just 2-6 ATS as a favorite this season. Indiana is one of the best ATS teams in the league, and they quietly get the job done night in and night out. They are 8-3 ATS when getting more than three points as a dog. They are also 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Utah and 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings overall.

3 Unit Play. Take #879 Gonzaga over Baylor (8p.m., Friday, December 2 Peacock) Just feel like Gonzaga has more upside in this game compared to Baylor. The Bears have been pounded twice this season including last time out against a Marquette team that shot lights out. Baylor’s defense is not what it has been the last couple of years. Baylor is 1-5 ATS in their last 5 games played on Fridays. The Bulldogs need this game more since they will have less opportunities for quality wins come conference play.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Dallas is a very poor road team at 1-7 on the season. They have failed to cover in five straight on the road. Detroit is 8-3-2 ATS as an underdog of 7.5 or more, and they have served bettors well as a big underdog. Dallas is 2-11-1 ATS as a favorite of three or more points. At 5-14-1 ATS, this is the absolute worst ATS team in the league, cashing less than 27 percent of their games for bettors. Detroit’s only ATS loss in their last six games was last time out in a 30-point home loss to the Knicks. They will want to put in a much better effort in front of the home fans here. This is another inflated line for Dallas and this is an easy call to go against them.

10 Unit Play. Take #720 Indiana -4 over North Carolina (9:15p.m., Wednesday, November 29 ESPN) NONCONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR We lost some points on this game when North Carolina was exposed in Portland over the weekend, but the brand of Carolina still holds weight with the general public. The Tar Heels have been overrated and did not do much until the NCAA Tournament last season. Everyone assume that they would pick up right where they left off in April but that has not been the case. Now they must face a rested Hoosiers team at home that is waiting for a marquee win under Mike Woodson. Indiana has a ton of talent, and they are playing at a much higher level than North Carolina is. The Tar Heels played a 4 overtime game on Sunday and I just do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game. Carolina has been terrible on offense and are 200+ in the country in assists per game. North Carolina is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on Wednesdays. Indiana is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 home games. This will be a double-digit victory for the home team and we expect to collect big in the process as well.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #636 Michigan over Virginia (9:30p.m., Tuesday, November 29 ESPN) Michigan has not played great this season and this is a win they need to build their resume for the NCAA Tournament. Virginia has been playing outstanding of late, but I do not believe they are the No. 3 team in the nation and this is a good matchup for Michigan. The Wolverines have the best post player in this game and they will grind out a low scoring victory on their home floor. Virginia is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game. Michigan is 34-16 ATS in their last 51 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

The Suns are rolling lately but they have played a very easy schedule. This Kings team is very underrated right now and they have been one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season. They didn’t play well in their recent three-game road trip so they will want to bring their A Game tonight against a Western Conference rival back at home. The Kings have covered in four of the last five meetings, and we think that trend continues here on Monday.

2 Unit Play. Take #817 Sam Houston State over Nevada (10p.m., Monday, November 28) This low number should tell you how good Sam Houston State has been playing this season. Both teams are coming off a holiday tournament last week, but I feel Sam Houston State is being undervalued here and will win this game straight-up and move to 7-0 on the season. The Bearkats are 15-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 road games. Nevada is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games against teams with a  winning road record.

The Pacers are one of the best ATS teams this season and this team is quietly getting the job done and staying off the radar for public bettors. They are 12-6 ATS on the season, including a 5-2 ATS road mark. They are deserving favorites here. The Clippers will be without their stars again here. And although this team is one of the deepest in the league, it’s still a work in progress and the Clippers haven’t been able to string together much consistent play. Indiana is coming in off an impressive blowout over the Nets and we think they play with a lot of confidence here in LA.

5 Unit Play. Take #783 Duke over Purdue (3:30p.m., Sunday, November 27 ABC) Purdue just does not handle prosperity well. Coming off a great win against Gonzaga, look for them to take a step back in the finals against Duke. That is the history of Matt Painter and this program. Purdue is 5-11 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 18 games. They are also 3-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 13 games following a win in their previous game.

The Lakers are a bad team and not a championship contender. But they have won four of five and are playing decently well right now. The same can’t be said for the Spurs, who started strong but have since fallen off a cliff. They have lost seven straight and covered only one of those contests. They seem to have fully embraced the tanking strategy, and we don’t see them putting up much of a fight here. The Lakers have covered in five of the last seven trips to San Antonio.

4 Unit Play. Take #678 TCU over Iowa (7p.m., Saturday, November 26 CBSSN) Just think this is a lot of points for both teams rebuilding. Iowa lost a ton of scoring from last season, and I question if they will be able to blowout TCU on a neutral court with very little atmosphere. TCU is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Minnesota has won five straight and they are playing with a lot of confidence right now. They are playing the best they have so far this season. Charlotte is just not a good team right now and will likely be missing a couple top players here. We think this game has blowout potential and the Wolves should win by double digits. Minnesota does well on the road against bad teams (8-2 ATS run) and we expect a dominant performance here. We have stayed away from the Wolves a lot this season because of a slow start but it looks like this team is figuring things out and the Wolves seem like a good Buy Low option right now for bettors.

6 Unit Play. Take #895 Wisconsin over USC (1p.m., Friday, November 25 ESPN2) We will follow the line movement in this game, as USC opened as a slight favorite but now Wisconsin isa pick’em. Both teams went into overtime to lose yesterday, but I like the depth that the Badgers have. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games. USC is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

7 Unit Play. Take #742 Wisconsin over Dayton (2:30p.m., Wednesday, November 23 ESPN2) Wisconsin had no business winning the Maui Invitational last season in Las Vegas and they are underrated again in this tournament. Dayton already has a loss to UNLV and I just do not trust Anthony Grant to win big games. The Badgers are well rested, and they have won all 3 games this season by double-digits. Expect this to be a low scoring game where Wisconsin grinds out a victory, something they did most of last season.

2 Unit Play. Take #660 Arizona over San Diego State (10:30p.m., Tuesday, November 22 ESPN) These two teams have met a lot during the last decade despite not playing in the same conference. Just do not trust San Diego State to win big games, as they have a history of underachieving in the NCAA Tournament. Arizona scored over 100 points last night and I just do not believe San Diego State will be able to keep pace with them.

5 Unit Play. Take #651 Southern Miss over Winthrop (3p.m., Tuesday, November 22) The Eagles do not have any quality wins on the season, and I do not see that changes after Tuesday afternoon. Southern Miss has been on a strong ATS run of late covering the spread in 6 of their last 7 games. Winthrop is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

After a 5-game skid, the Cavs are swinging back in the other direction and have now won two straight. This team has been streaky lately but this looks like an excellent spot for them to continue their win streak against a Hawks team that plays better at home. The Hawks have dropped three of four ATS, and they got throttled by Boston on their recent homestand. The Cavs normally step up big at home in these marquee game type situations. Atlanta hasn’t had much luck here in Cleveland as they have covered in only one of their last six meetings. We see that trend continuing here on Monday.

4 Unit Play. Take #776 Tulane over Nevada (5p.m., Monday, November 21 Flo Sports Streaming) Both teams have played cupcakes thus far in 2022 and thus we will side with the favorite in this game. The Green Wave return a ton of experience and should be able to make some noise in year 3 under Ron Hunter. Nevada remade their team, likely for the better but Steve Alford is in a major rebuilding project, and I am not sure if he can turn it around. Tulane is 15-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 games played on Monday.

The Kings are the top ATS team in the league at 11-3 ATS. With all the big stories in the NBA this season, this team is flying under the radar. The Pistons are coming off a string of big games against big-name teams, and this matchup won’t move the needle for them as much as recent games against the Clippers, Lakers and Celtics. Sacramento is the No. 1 offense in the NBA and averaging more than 12 PPG more than the Pistons.

4 Unit Play. Take #724 Illinois -1 over Virginia (3p.m., Sunday, November 20 ESPN) We will follow the line movement in this game, as the Illinois opened as an underdog but now are favored. Virginia went on a 30-5 run to open the second half and I just do not see them being able to shoot that well again during any point in this game. Baylor dominated the other 30 minutes and Illinois should be ready to play and win this championship.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

2 Unit Play. Take #642 Pepperdine -3.5 over UC Irvine (8p.m., Saturday, November 19) The Anteaters are 2-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 road games. The Waves are 5-1 in their last 6 home games.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

7 Unit Play. Take #883 Baylor over Virginia (7p.m., Friday, November 18 ESPN2) Always like to play Baylor earlier in the season, as the Bears seem to start the season off with a long winning streak most years in nonconference play. This is a tough ask for Virginia, as they must fly across the country after the tragedy that occurred with their football team. They lost a game this week and they will be forced to make shots from the arc against this strong Baylor defense. Virginia is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 neutral site games and 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played on Fridays. Baylor is 14-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 neutral site games.

Sacramento is 10-3 ATS on the season and playing their best basketball of the season at the moment. This is starting to look an awful lot like a playoff team. They have won four straight: Golden State, Cleveland and Brooklyn were included in that bunch. They are coming off a 30+ point win over the Nets. They have the No. 2 offense in the NBA this season and are facing the league’s worst defense. We just think the Kings will be able to outscore the Spurs tonight. They have put up 120 or more in four straight and 153 against the Nets. They have also covered in 9 of 13 meetings and 4 of 5 in Sacramento.

The Mavs played a grudge match last night against the rival Clippers, who they have meet in the playoff quite a bit. That was no doubt a big game for them. Now they enter this one on a B2B and face a Texas rival. When two Texas teams play, we always try and look for a reason to take the underdog as they normally don’t want to get rolled over on. And this seems like a letdown spot for Dallas here after that big game last night.

4 Unit Play. Take #685 Iowa over Seton Hall (7:30p.m., Wednesday, November 16 FS!) We have seen the better team win a lot of these early season games despite being on the road. Tonight, this game should be no different, as Iowa always seems to start well early in the season. Seton Hall has a new coach and system. If Iowa can handle the pressure, they should win this game by close to double digits. Iowa is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. Seton Hall is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 home games.

4 Unit Play. Take #644 Saint Louis -2.5 over Memphis (9p.m., Tuesday, November 15 CBSSN) Really like this Billikens team and expect them to make the NCAA Tournament come March. They continue to play well at home and should win this game by close to double-digits. Memphis has talent but I just do not think they blend well under Penny Hardaway. Saint Louis is 25-12 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 39 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This Pelicans team has been inconsistent but they have played a road-heavy schedule this season so far and we think they will excel here at home against the Grizzlies. We think New Orleans has a higher ceiling this season. And the Grizzlies have been overrated on the road, where they have failed to cover in five straight games.