Sports Picks & Predictions

We like to take the losing team when teams play consecutive games like this. OKC lost by eight in Minnesota on Wednesday. They got off to a real slow start in that game, being outscored 30-10 in the first quarter. But they outplayed the Wolves from there on out. And now they are the home team in this revenge spot and also one of the better ATS teams in the NBA at 24-13 ATS. They are 12-5 ATS at home, so they rarely fail to cover here. They are also 6-0 ATS in their last six as a home dog.

Toronto has played as well as any team in the NBA recently. They have won four straight, all against playoff contenders, and they have covered five in a row. They have covered in nine of ten overall. Utah is absolutely decimated because of Covid right now and all their star players are out for this game. Toronto is barely above .500 on the season so they are not going to go into this one expecting an easy win and they should put their best foot forward, which they have been doing for every game recently.

The Clippers are getting more heathy while the Suns are going through Covid issues right now. We expect the road team to stay within double digits here. The Clippers recently beat the Nets on the road as huge underdogs, and that game wasn’t a fluke. But the Clippers haven’t been able to stay consistent. But they have had two nights off entering this game, so they are well rested. LA normally plays very well against Phoenix and they are 18-8 ATS in the last 26 meetings, including a blowout win last month in LA. We see the Clippers playing hard tonight and keeping this one close.

7 Unit Play. Take #804 Wisconsin over Iowa (9p.m., Thursday, January 6 FS1) Both teams played on Monday, but I am not sold on Iowa this season. They do not have the resume of Wisconsin and also do not have a lottery pick on their roster. Throw in the fact Wisconsin was upset about how they were screwed by the refs against Iowa last year and I believe they want to make a statement in this game. Johnny Davis is coming off a monster 37-point game last time out. Iowa has a big scorer as well in Keegan Murray, but they have lost to all 3 top teams they have played this season. Wisconsin is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall. Iowa is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 road games following 3 or more consecutive home games.

We like to back a good team after a bad/embarrassing loss, and that is the case here for the Bucks on Wednesday as they suffered an embarrassing home defeat last time out to the Pistons (they were 17-point favorites; we had the Pistons plus the points). That snapped a six-game winning streak. We think the Bucks are in a good spot to bounce back here. Toronto has been playing well but are coming in on a back-to-back. They have done well in these situations, but they become harder as the season wears on. This is also their third game in four nights, while the Bucks are well rested as they have had a much lighter schedule. But Milwaukee should be ultra motivated tonight. A big win here puts that Detroit loss well in the rearview mirror and can be chalked up as a bad night.

5 Unit Play. Take #735 Bowling Green over Buffalo (7p.m., Wednesday, January 5 ESPN3) These two teams appear to be heading in opposite directions. The Falcons are not a top team in the MAC but they have won 5 of their last 6 games. Buffalo has lost three straight games and they might be playing this game without Josh Mballa. Buffalo is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.

New Orleans has been playing some of the best basketball they have played this season and they have won five of their last eight SU. They fell back to earth a little bit, losing three of their last four. But we feel this is a good spot for them as a home underdog. The Suns have lost three of their last five and they have covered in only three of six. This team is facing Covid issues, while the Pelicans are relatively healthy.

The Spurs were playing some of their best basketball of the season but then they had one of their games postponed, had a long layoff, and were rusty and lost their momentum. We think this is a good bounce back spot and winnable game after three straight losses. This team has one of the best coaches in the game and can get the team back on track quickly, and they have been one of the best ATS teams this season, and this line looks a couple points too high. Also we will take a crack at the under as we expected this total under 220 as the Raptors have one of the better defenses in the NBA.

5 Unit Play. Take #614 Rutgers over Michigan (7p.m., Tuesday, January 4 BTN) Michigan continues to be overvalued and I believe Rutgers is the more talented team. Getting points and playing at home is too good to pass up. Rutgers is 6-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games as a home underdog. Look for this game to go down to the wire and Rutgers will pull it out by a bucket.

Detroit is 7-4 ATS when catching double digit points. We always want to see if there is a chance for the underdog when catching this many points. The Pistons played well last time out in an OT upset win over the Spurs. Detroit has covered five of their last six on the road against quality opponents. Detroit is a team that plays hard despite a lack of talent. We see them possibly keeping this one around double digits.

5 Unit Play. Take #867 Wisconsin over Purdue (7p.m., Monday, January 3 BTN) This is just too many points for a conference game, as both teams will be high seeds in the NCAA Tournament come March. The Badgers have won 8 of their last 9 games and should be able to keep this deficit around 7-10 points. They will be dominated in the paint but should be able to hold their own at the guard position. Wisconsin is 11-5 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 18 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Purdue is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #778 SMU over Central Florida (2p.m., Sunday, January 2 ESPNU) Two of the top teams in the AAC are set to do battle today in Dallas. The Mustangs will enter having won 7 straight games and all of those wins have come over today’s posted number. UFC is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game. SMU is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games against teams with a winning road record.

4 Unit Play. Take #663 San Diego State over UNLV (4p.m., Saturday, January 1 CBS) The Rebels have a new coach and I do not believe they are ready yet to challenge for the top of the MWC. SDSU is always the team to beat and they want to open the season 1-0 in conference play. The Aztecs will enter having won their last 3 games and will pull away late to win this game by 7-10 points. SDSU is 17-6 ATS in their last 23 road games. UNLV is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #624 Iowa State over Baylor (2p.m., Saturday, January 1 ESPNU) Iowa State has been one of the surprise teams thus far this season. Baylor is also undefeated and the defending National Champions but I do not believe they are as strong this season as they were last April. Iowa State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #787 UT Martin over Austin Peay (8:30p.m., Thursday, December 30 ESPN+) The Skyhawks have played a tough schedule this year and thus their 4-8 record does not indicate how good they are in the OVC. The Governors are coming off 3 straight losses and this will be their first home game since December 5th. I do not see them running away with this game. Austin Peay is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #698 Alabama over Tennessee (9p.m., Wednesday, December 29 ESPN2) Just not a fan of Tennessee this year despite their 9-2 record. Alabama has a great win over Gonzaga but they faltered in two of their last three games. They do not want to lose this game at home and expect them to comeback strong tonight. Tennessee is 4-11 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 17 games played on Wednesdays. Alabama is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games played on Wednesdays.

4 Unit Play. Take #696 Mississippi State over Arkansas (5p.m., Wednesday, December 29 SECN) Just do not believe Arkansas is that good or talented this season. They have one quality win from their 10 and will enter having lost two of their last three games. The Bulldogs have played a more challenging schedule and their 9-3 record is pretty good. This game is more important to State, as they do not want to lose conference home games against similar competition. Look for the Bulldogs to pull away late and win this game by 6-8 points.

Cleveland is by far the best ATS team in the NBA, and they still hold value in the odds as the public bettors are not big on this team with the absence of any big stars. But this team plays great fundamental basketball and strong defense, and they are absolutely a playoff team and one that could put a scare into one of the contenders. They are on a different level then the Pels, and we see another comfortable win SU and ATS here as the odds are in our favor again.

Paul George is out for a while, but we think this Clippers team will be a good Buy Low option in the coming weeks. This team has playoff talent without Kawhi and George, and their role players will need to step up in the absence of their stars. We think these guys will elevate their games, and we see this as a coin flip game tonight, so getting this many points with the home dog provides solid value.

The Jazz are on an 0-5 ATS slide and the oddsmakers have them overvalued at the moment compared to their play on the court. They have been winning but not blowing teams out, and their best player should be sidelined tonight. The Spurs have been extremely impressive recently, and they have one of the best coaches in the league who can keep this team motivated instead of being Fat and Happy after a few wins. We think the home team has a great chance for the outright win.

2-Unit Play #542 Take San Antonio over Detroit (7 p.m. EST, Sunday Dec 26)

The Spurs became Los Angeles legends before the Xmas break by beating both the Lakers and Clippers for the last official games at Staples Center before the name change. Both games were impressive blowouts. You might think the Xmas break would stymie momentum, but this team has one of the best coaches in the NBA and we think they will keep the positive momentum going against one of the worst teams in the NBA, who are probably going to be distracted playing away from home on the day after a holiday. 

Whenever an NBA team is catching this many points, you have to take a look at the underdog and see if there is a good chance they can cover. We can cover this line even in a blowout. And we think the Thunder are primed to cover tonight. OKC is the No. 3 ATS team in the NBA at 19-11 ATS. They are even better than the Suns, who have been great ATS also. Even though the Thunder are on a B2B, they have a favorable injury report tonight (good thing there is no nightlife in OKC!). They are also in good form as they have won three straight SU and covered in four straight ATS. All of those wins came against playoff contenders. This is a letdown spot for the Suns. Phoenix played the Lakers last time out, and they are preparing for their rematch against the Warriors on Christmas. So they probably won’t give full effort here against OKC. And we think the Thunder will play hard here against the best team in the NBA. OKC has a strong betting history here as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings.

We like to take a good team after a bad loss. We aren’t sure yet if this Clippers team is a good team or not yet, as they have looked great one night then awful the next. But last game out this team suffered a really embarrassing home loss to the Spurs. The team flat out did not show up to the arena, and Coach Lue made it known he wasn’t happy with the effort. We expect a strong effort here, and Paul George has a game under his belt to get back in the groove. Not to mention the Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six trips to Sacramento.

4 Unit Play. Take #786 UNLV over San Diego (10p.m., Wednesday, December 22 YUEVIEW) The Rebels will enter this game having won 3 straight games, all of which came over tonight’s posted number. San Diego scores just over 67 points per game meaning the really try and slow down the tempo. They go blown out by Fresno State and I see this game being a double-digit deficit as well. San Diego is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog.

The Cavs have now covered in 14 straight games! And here we see them as an underdog again against the underperforming Celtics. Both teams have a grocery list sized injury report as most of the teams in the NBA are being wracked by Covid. But the Cavs have played great team basketball and this team doesn’t have any stars anyways. They have been playing hard every game as evidenced by their stellar ATS record, and they are getting too many points again today in a game either team could win.

The Lakers are the worst ATS team in the NBA, and they are playing the NBA’s best team to this point of the season. The Lakers have a long list of players out due to covid or injury, and the Suns should have all their stars tonight. The Lakers are the worst ATS team because they aren’t that good this season but also they are normally shaded by the oddsmakers and we think that is the case tonight as we thought this line should be closer to double digits.

These teams played Sunday and it was a pretty strong game for both teams. We are going with the Zig Zag theory here for the rematch. When teams play consecutive games here, especially mid-tier teams, and there is a change of venue where the losing team is now at home, they normally have a great chance to win the game. We see that happening here. Key players are out for both teams and we expect a low scoring game.

4 Unit Play. Take #652 Iona over Delaware (7:30p.m., Tuesday, December 21 ESPN3) Iona is one of the top mid-majors in the country and they have a shot to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. They will enter having won 3 straight games, all of which came over tonight’s posted number. Delaware is 9-3 on the season but they do not have any quality wins and a couple of bad losses. This game is at UBS Arena, which is only 20 miles from the Iona campus. The Gaels are 9-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 neutral site games as a favorite.

The Spurs come in on a B2B and playing their third game in four nights. The Clippers are desperate for a win as they have dropped two straight after a four-game winning streak. And they could be getting Paul George back tonight for this one, and he will be fresh if not rusty. But he will be the best player on the court. The Clippers have covered in five of six meetings and they have won three straight.

The Bulls are as rested as any team in the NBA at this point in the season as their last game was over a week ago. Both teams are still having Covid issues, but the Lakers will also be without AD, who is now out for a month at least. And Chicago is getting some players back in the mix for tonight. The Lakers roster is thin anyways, and chemistry is a major issue here. The Bulls will be excited to get back on the court, and that should be reflected in the final score.

4 Unit  Play. Take #306195 Colgate +6.5 over Monmouth (2p.m., Sunday, December 19 ESPN3) We will grab the points in this game and expect it to go down to the wire. The Hawks have not played a home game in nearly a month and usually when that happens a team comes out flat. Colgate is 21-10 ATS in their last 31 games against teams with a winning record.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #708 Oregon over Baylor (10p.m., Saturday, December 18 ESPN2) On paper this is a pick’em game. Oregon may have better talent, but they have not played like it so far in 2021-2022. That being said, I just do not see them getting run off their homecourt by a team playing their first true road game of the season. Oregon has looked awful at times this season, but they are 5-1 at home and Coach Altman knows the importance of this game. Baylor played their best game of the season last time out against Villanova (a team that may be vastly overrated), but I think that works to our advantage in this game. They are not as talented as they were last year, and it is hard to imagine they can play that well again against a desperate team. Laying points on the road is always tough and I feel this game will go down to the wire and we will collect with whoever comes out on top.

The Wizards haven’t been playing well lately. But this spread is just too good to pass up. Utah looked in bad form last night in a home loss to San Antonio. Their offense once again did well, but their defense didn’t play up to standards. Now they are on a B2B against a Wizards team that was off on Friday. This is the most points the Wizards have gotten as an underdog this season, and we think this is a couple too many points.

Cleveland has covered in three straight games. And it looks like they have another juicy line here for Saturday. They are well rested, while the Bucks are coming in on a B2B. The Bucks are likely to be shorthanded again tonight, while the Cavs are relatively healthy. Not only did the Bucks play last night, but they went to OT where they lost in New Orleans. This is just a bad spot for the home team and we think Cleveland will keep the momentum going tonight.

The Celtics are on a back-to-back, but they were well rested coming into last night’s game so this isn’t your normal B2B. And they are 4-2 SU and ATS in B2B situations regardless this season. They were a bit rusty to start the game last night due to that time off and could never catch up through they played well at the end, and we think that positive momentum will carry over here tonight. New York doesn’t have a quality win yet this month, and we don’t see it happening tonight.

The Wolves are healthy while the Lakers injury list looks as long as a grocery list. They have key players out because of Covid, and everyone else is banged up at the very least. This is already a thin team in terms of depth, and the Wolves will want to perform well here as it is always an important game when the Lakers come to town.

The Grizzlies have figured it out and are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now even without their best player. They don’t seem to have a letdown game too often, and they are playing great team basketball and their offense is in rhythm. They far outclass the Kings, who look to be in for another poor season. We will go with the hot team here again tonight.

The Nuggets have generally been playing above their heads most of the last month despite some key injuries. Kudos to them. We think this might be a time to fade them for a bit moving forward. They obviously have respect from the oddsmakers. But they played really bad last time out in a blowout to a divisional opponent (Minnesota) at home. Now they face a much better team on the road. And we are getting a nice line here because the Hawks haven’t played their best. But we expect them to use this game to build their first win streak of the month.

Golden State has covered only one of their last four, and we think they have cooled off a bit and they are still saddled with shading from the oddsmakers. Boston is coming in well rested and they just knocked of Milwaukee at home. This team has a penchant for getting up against top teams at home, and we think they will be very motivated for the outright win here. Boston has covered in four of the last five meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #854 NC State over Richmond (6:30p.m., Friday, December 17 ACCN) Not sure why Richmond is favored in this game since they are a disappointment again in 2021. They have a coach that is always on the hot seat and are facing a team from the ACC that just took Purdue to the wire (should have won that game). The Spiders are 5-14 ATS (4 pushes) in their last 23 games played on Friday. The Wolfpack are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on Friday.

Philly hasn’t been playing great basketball lately, and they are on a back-to-back, but this is a great chance for a win for them and they are the kind of team that can take advantage. The Nets have seven players out for Covid protocols right now and they had to sign someone off the streets to get to the league minimum of eight players to play this game. The situation is so dire and we doubt we will see Durant play super heavy minutes here. So the Sixers have a great chance for a pretty easy win, and we had them laying five points here in our handicapping. They have lost three of four so a win is important. The Nets are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games, and we don’t expect things to go well for them tonight with this very limited roster.

The Grizzlies are quietly getting the job done and playing their best basketball of the season. They have won 8 of 9 and are covering in a lot of those games. The Blazers have been very cold as they are 1-9 in their last 10 SU. They have had a very tough schedule, but this game will be tough for them as well. Especially since they are on a back-to-back after taking the Suns to overtime last night, and this is a game they exerted a lot of energy in. We don’t expect them to have much left in the tank for a game that probably isn’t as important to them as the one they played last night.

Both these teams have been as hot as can be ATS with the Rockets at 9-1 ATS in their last 10 and the Cavs 10-0 ATS. So somethings got to give. We think the chances of this being a blowout outweigh it being a close game. The Rockets got hot and have had some solid wins, but many of their recent games have come against questionable teams. Cleveland right now isn’t questionable and this team is quietly playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. Cleveland hasn’t been overlooking opponents, and we see another cover coming tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #634 Memphis over Alabama (9p.m., Tuesday, December 14 ESPN) The Crimson Tide have been running the gauntlet of late with back-to-back wins over top teams in Gonzaga and Houston. This is a prime spot for a letdown against a team that is desperate for a win. Memphis has been one of the more disappointing teams in 2021-2022 and they need to start racking up quality wins if they hope to make the NCAA Tournament come March.

Both teams have key players that may or may not miss this game. But the Suns have been playing amazing team basketball all season and they are better built to weather the storm of injuries than the Clippers, a team still very much trying to figure things out. LA has been playing better recently, but they don’t seem to be a match for the Suns, and this spread is more than fair for the visitors. And, also, even though Pat Bev doesn’t play for the Clippers any more, Chris Paul will be motivated against his old team because of history and also that Pat Bev shove in the back in the postseason last year.

4 Unit Play. Take #878 Milwaukee over Rhode Island (8p.m., Monday, December 13 ESPN+) The Panthers have been competitive in most of their games despite a 2-7 record and I believe they can take this game down to the wire as well. Laying this many points in a true road game is always a tough bet for the favorite and tonight will be no different. The Rams are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.

The Spurs have covered in five straight meetings and six of seven. Both teams here play bad defense, and we see a high scoring game. But the Spurs are good offensively, and we expect them to put up a big number on offense tonight. These teams have similar records, but the Spurs are the better team, and we expect them to take care of business here at home.

The Nets have had trouble here in recent meetings as they are just 1-4 ATS in their last five in Detroit. Harden for the Nets will be out for rest, and that tells us that the Nets aren’t taking this game too seriously. Brooklyn is 3-8 ATS in this spread range they see themselves in tonight, and they are just 2-4 ATS on the road against sub-.500 teams. That shows us that this team loses focus in situations like this. Detroit is a bad team but they play hard and they have a habit of covering as a decent sized underdog. We expect a close game here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #748 Baylor over Villanova (3p.m., Sunday, December 12 ABC) Would be on Villanova if this was a neutral site game, but I just do not see Baylor going down in Waco to anyone this season. The Bears are the defending champion and are perfect this season. The Wildcats have lost to the top teams that they have faced this season and today should be no different. Villanova is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games. Baylor is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite.

10 Unit Play. Take #672 Illinois over Arizona (5p.m., Saturday, December 11 FOX) Not sure why this line keeps going up. Illinois has gotten back on track after a rough start and will enter this game having won 5 straight games. Arizona is perfect on the season, but their level of competition has not been great thus far and this is a major step up in class. Arizona is 16-35 ATS (1 push) in their last 52 games played on Saturday. The Wildcats had issues getting to Champaign having to uber from Indianapolis and that will also be a factor in this game.

4 Unit Play. Take #603 Wisconsin +5 over Ohio State (12p.m., Saturday, December 11 BTN) Wisconsin just finds ways to win game, sometimes in remarkable fashion. They were down big to Indiana last time out but came back to win and cover the spread. This team has not lost a game when Johnny Davis plays, and I believe they can take this game down to the wire. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Wisconsin and Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games when they are the favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #609 Syracuse -3.5 over Georgetown (12p.m., Saturday, December 11 FOX) Syracuse has played a brutal schedule in 2021 and their 5-4 record is not an indication of how good they are. They have experience and that is something Georgetown does not have. Patrick Ewing saved his job last season but making the NCAA Tournament, but I do not believe he has what it takes to be successful in college basketball. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Georgetown and Syracuse.

It would seem that many things would point to a solid bet on OKC here. They are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA, and the Lakers are one of the worst. OKC is coming off two wins, and the Lakers are coming in on a back-to-back on the road after losing last night in Memphis. The Thunder have won both games against the Lakers this season. But it’s that last point in why we like the road team so much tonight. This is a game we have had circled for awhile, and the line certainly set up nicely for us. This is a double revenge scenario for the Lakers, who have been playing much better overall since they lost those two games to OKC. A lot of times teams forget about random games from months ago, but we doubt the Lakers forgot about those two losses. Those are brought up all the time by fans and media in criticisms of the Lakers. LA played a stinker last night in Memphis. They lost by double digits. We get the feeling they were looking ahead at this double revenge spot. And OKC has won two straight after a long losing streak and we don’t see them giving top effort tonight. Lakers by 7+!

3 Unit Play. Take Southern Utah over Utah Valley (9p.m., Wednesday, December 8 ESPN+) The Thunderbirds have rebounded after a tough start to the season to win four straight games and will win this game tonight by double-digits. Southern Utah is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

OKC is another one of those bad teams that are good against the spread. They play hard and have a good floor leader but they don’t yet know how to close out games. That is ATS gold. They have covered seven of their last 10 despite going 2-8 SU during that span. They are 14-9 ATS on the season despite a 7-16 SU record. We think they are getting too many points here again. Toronto is 0-3 ATS this season as a favorite of three or more points. We like to back a team off an embarrassing loss and that was OKC when they suffered the worst defeat in NBA history last week. They had an off night. It happens. But they bounce back nicely with a win and a cover, and we think they will want to play well for two straight games at least to get the bad taste of last week’s game out of their collective mouth.

Detroit is a bad team but one that plays hard and covers on a regular basis, especially when catching decent points. The Wizards haven’t been great as a favorite as they are 4-7 ATS as a favorite of three or more points. They are also 1-5-1 ATS in their seven road games this season against sub.-500 teams. The Wizards have lost three straight and four of five, and they just aren’t in good form right now. We don’t think they are deserving of laying this many points on the road to a decent ATS team. This is a winnable game for the home team, and we think they go all out to make this a competitive one on Wednesday.

The Cavs are a team we targeted early in the season as a serious ATS threat, and they have been just that, with an 18-7 ATS mark that is one of the best in the NBA. And this team can really keep going strong all season as they are not a popular team with bettors with no superstar players. But this team plays strong team basketball and lock-down defense, which is a great recipe for ATS success. This team certainly looks like a playoff team and a team on the rise. The Bulls are right behind the Cavs on the ATS leaderboards. But they will be missing some players tonight, and depth is already an issue with this team. DeRozan is out because of Covid protocols, and they are missing some role players as well. The Cavs have covered eight straight games, but they lost two in a row to the Jazz and Bucks. This is a great spot for them to get back on the winning track, and we see a comfortable win here.

4 Unit Play. Take #680 Wisconsin over Indiana (7p.m., Wednesday, December 8 BTN) Both teams sit at 7-1 on the season but the Badgers only loss came when their best player Johnny Davis did not play. Indiana has not recorded any quality wins this season against teams that will make the NCAA tournament and they have a terrible record when playing in Madison. Indiana is 0-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 road games. Wisconsin is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #640 Syracuse over Villanova (9:30p.m., Tuesday, December 7 ESPN) Syracuse has been up and down this season but they match up well against Villanova and believe this game will stay in single digits. The Wildcats are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Syracuse is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as a underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #614 Tennessee over Texas Tech (7p.m., Tuesday, December 7 ESPN) Tennessee has recovered nicely since getting pounded by Villanova to win five straight games, all of them by double digits. Texas Tech has a first-year head coach and they do not have any quality wins on the season. They lost to Providence and have been off for close to a week and I do not think that is a good thing in this situation. Texas Tech is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games against teams with a winning record. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games as a favorite.

Both teams have looked good recently but we believe the Bulls are in better form, and this line is short in our opinion as we had this one handicapped at 6.5. The Nuggets are getting into the middle of this long road trip and that is when the fatigue starts to set in. They have also been playing a bit over their heads recently with all the injuries they have. We think the home team has a great chance for a comfortable 7+-point win.

Memphis has won four straight, but those were against opponents with some questions. They face a much tougher task tonight, and Miami is the better team with Ja Morant out for the Grizzlies. Miami has had a pretty tough schedule lately, but this looks like a good spot for them, and they might get some key players back tonight as well.

10 Unit Play. Take #872 Iowa over Illinois (7p.m., Monday, December 6 FS1) Iowa needs this game to avoid dropping both early conference games. Illinois has not played all that well this season and most of their damage has come at home. They have not won any true road games this season and I am not sure if they will be able to keep pace with Iowa in this game in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are a top 4 team in scoring this season and if they hit that number today, they should win this game by double-digits. Illinois is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games played on Monday. The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between Illinois and Iowa. The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 games as well between Illinois and Iowa.

The Clippers played probably their most complete game of the season last night vs. the Lakers. But this team has been incredibly inconsistent, and this is a prime letdown spot after they go up against and beat their biggest rival then they face Sacramento on the road in a back-to-back. Paul George has ankle issues but is expected to play. The Kings beat this team in LA last time out, and they are rested. They also have wins over the Lakers and Blazers recently, so this team is playing well even though they have some head scratching losses too.

We just think this is a huge letdown spot for the Warriors after they snapped the Suns winning streak last night. They played two straight against the Suns and also had a game against the Clippers, who are more of a rival than the Spurs, who aren’t really moving the needle from an excitement standpoint at the moment. But the Spurs have won three straight and covered in four of five games, and we see a competitive game here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #698 Gonzaga -9.5 over Alabama (8p.m., Saturday, December 4 ESPN2) Alabama has a bad loss this season to Iona and making this cross-country flight to Seattle will doom them in. Gonzaga has a statewide following in Washington in people in Seattle will be excited to see them on Saturday night. Gonzaga is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 neutral site games.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

We rarely take the Lakers for expert picks. They are normally shaded by the oddsmakers and they are normally one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA. But bettor confidence is down for them at the moment, and we had them laying five in this game tonight in our NBA handicapping. The Clippers just look lost lately. They were beaten soundly in their last two games – by the Kings and Pelicans, two of the worst teams in the NBA. The Lakers have been more competitive lately and they have won three out of four, and they will have their full complement of the Big 3 tonight. The Clippers have been playing very bad defense, and we see the Lakers cruising to an easy win here.

4 Unit Play. Take #843 Charleston over Furman (7p.m., Friday, December 3 ESPN+) Both teams are 5-2 on the season and Charleston’s two losses have come against Oklahoma State and North Carolina. I think they will be competitive in this game and go down to the wire. Furman has a bad loss on the season to Navy and struggled to blowout out their last two opponents in USC Update and High Point. The road team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 games between Charleston and Furman.

We love to back a good team off an embarrassing loss. Not sure the Clips are a good team yet as they have been wildly inconsistent this season. But they are certainly off a very embarrassing loss as they were blown out at home by New Orleans. They were on a B2B in that game after a tough game against the Warriors, but now it is the Kings that are on a B2B. They were blown out by a Lakers team that has looked worse than the Clippers, and LeBron James was out with Covid. They really faded in the second half and looked out of energy, and that is a bad sign against a Clippers team that has owned them the last couple years (10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings).

10 Unit Play. Take #716 Providence over Texas Tech (8:30p.m., Wednesday, December 1 FS1) Just believe that the wrong team is favored in this game. Texas Tech has a new coach and they have played a terrible schedule thus far in 2021. It is really embarrassing that they have played six cupcakes at home. Providence is 6-1 on the season with a victory at Wisconsin and their only loss coming at Virginia. Texas Tech is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 road games. Providence is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog.

This is a rapid revenge spot for the Thunder as these teams played Monday and the Rockets blew out OKC in Texas. Now we have a venue change where OKC is at home, and we think they are the better team despite the records by a considerable margin. At 13-7, OKC is one of the better ATS teams in the NBA. They are 7-3 ATS in their last 10, so they are playing above oddsmaker expectations. Houston is just not a good team and they don’t handle success well as they are 2-9 ATS after a SU win. The Rockets are 1-8 ATS in their last nine meetings in OKC.

We rarely take the Lakers as they are normally shaded by the oddsmakers, but we think this is a good spot. LA is getting healthy, and they need a win here and should be extra motivated after losing to the Kings recently. This is more than a fair number for the much better team on the road. These teams have both been terrible ATS, but the Lakers have been shackled with shaded lines by the oddsmakers, while the Kings always get the benefit of very favorable lines. We think the road team gets a 7+-point win here.

Portland has just been a very mediocre team this season, and they are getting lined here according to their potential and not their play on the court. They come into this one in lousy form, having lost three straight SU and ATS. Detroit is a young team that is going to have some bad losses, but there is some talent here and they have  been a very good bet as a big underdog as they normally play hard for a full four quarters.

4 Unit Play. Take #629 Clemson over Rutgers (9p.m., Tuesday, November 20 ESPN2) This play is just a fade against Rutgers, a team that does not seem right at this point of the season. Rutgers is coming off three straight losses against teams that will not make the NCAA tournament. Rutgers is 0-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games. This is a rematch of the NCAA Tournament, and this time Clemson will get the victory.

Cleveland continues to be one of the best ATS teams in the league at 13-7 ATS, and they have covered in their last three games as well. The Mavs are one of the worst ATS teams this season and they are regularly overrated by the oddsmakers. No one wants to bet this team with no stars, and the Mavs have some star power that hasn’t translated into the expected success on the court this season. In fact, these teams have very similar records, and we expect a close game tonight.

When a team is catching this many points, you have to look for a reason to back them. Since these are normally bad teams, you need to usually look at the other team and see if there are chinks in the armor. In our opinion, Philly hasn’t played like a team that should be laying this many points. They have covered in only two of their last 10 games. They are finally getting healthy, but this team hasn’t exactly been dominant when healthy this season. We think the Magic will be competitive in this one, and the players are probably even aware of this huge point spread and could use it for fire.

4 Unit Play. Take #806 Virginia over Iowa (7p.m., Monday, November 29 ESPN2) Iowa has played cupcakes thus far in 2021 to amass a 6-0 record. This will be their first game against a real opponent and Virginia is not the type of team you want to play in this situation. Iowa is 0-8 in their last 8 road games following three or more consecutive home games. Virginia is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games played on Monday.

4 Unit Play. Take #732 Colorado -4 over Stanford (7p.m., Sunday, November 28 PAC12N) Stanford has never put together a strong season under Jerod Haas and I do not expect this will be the year he turns it around. Both of their losses have come by blowouts and this game double be a double-digit victory for the home team. Stanford is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games overall. The favorite has covered 5 of the last 7 matchups between Stanford and Colorado.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Both teams have similar records, but the Grizzlies have a much higher ceiling and they have underachieved to start the season, while the Kings have been what we expected from them. And we are getting a nice line here because Morant, the best player on the court for Memphis, is missing. But this team still has a lot of talent, and their offense has been humming lately. In a game that won’t feature much defense, we see the home team pulling away in the fourth quarter.

We think this is a great spot for the Nets, who have been playing as well as any team in the NBA lately. They are well rested here after having two nights off after a big win over Boston on Wednesday, while the Suns are on a back-to-back. They played a physical Knicks team last night. Phoenix has been playing extremely well overall lately, but they have had a very busy schedule this week and this road trip will start to wear on them. Brooklyn has had a lot of success in this series as they are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings. And since these teams don’t see each other often, that trend stretched back for years.

5 Unit Play. Take #614 Central Florida over Oklahoma (2p.m., Saturday, November 27 ESPN+) UCF returns a ton of talent from last season and this is a team that should challenge for an NCAA come March. Oklahoma lost three starters from last season, and they also have a new coach and system in 2021. The Sooners are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games. That includes going 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. UCF already beat a similar team to Oklahoma in Miami and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games.

Boston had been playing very well recently until they ran into a hot Brooklyn team and had kind of a bad loss on Wednesday. We think that was just a hiccup and this is a great spot for them to bounce back and get on track. Boston has found their defense and they have probably been playing some of the best defense in the NBA throughout the last 10 or so games before the Brooklyn loss. We expect them to be focused here against a very beatable opponent, and this line is more than fair laying a small number on the road. Boston has bounced back well after a loss as they are 4-0 ATS after losing a game.  

4 Unit Play. Take #857 Syracuse +5.5 over Auburn (4:30p.m., Friday, November 26 ESPN2) Auburn still has injuries to key players and they have played 15 more minutes in this tournament. Syracuse played much better last night, and I see them taking this game down to the wire on Friday. Syracuse is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog. Auburn is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Clippers were ON during their seven-game winning streak, but that seems pretty far in the rearview mirror and this team is OFF right now. They have lost four of six SU and ATS, and three of those losses have been by double digits. That’s not the type of form where the more popular team should be laying double digits to anyone, even the rebuilding Pistons. Detroit is battle tested lately and they have played a bunch of playoff type teams lately. They have been very competitive and haven’t lost a game in blowout fashion in a handful of games against teams in better form than LA. Detroit is 6-1 ATS in their last seven after a loss.

4 Unit Play. Take #794 Syracuse over Arizona State (7:30p.m., Thursday, November 25 ESPN2) Syracuse shot the ball poorly yesterday and look for betting things today against another bad team. ASU lost their best player to Kansas in the offseason, and I do not expect much from them in 2021-2022. Arizona State is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 neutral site games. Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #811 Maryland over Richmond (7p.m., Thursday, November 25 CBSSN) Richmond just does not seem to challenge for NCAA Tournament bids anymore. They have a coach that just does the bare minimum to keep his job each season and they already have two losses on the season against teams that will not make the NCAA Tournament come March. Maryland has a bad loss to George Mason, but they were ranked at the start of the season for a reason, they have talent. These schools do not play often but expect Maryland to knock out this mid-major.

4 Unit Play. Take #787 Michigan State over Connecticut (12p.m., Thursday, November 25 ESPN) Just not sure how much gas UCONN has left in the tank after playing a double overtime game yesterday. Michigan State is not getting much love from the polls thus far in 2021 but they are still a solid NCAA Tournament team. Michigan State is 27-10 ATS (1 push) in their last 38 games played on Thursday.

The Suns have that gaudy 14-3 record, but the Cavs have a better ATS record than do the Suns. They are one of the better ATS teams in the NBA at 11-7 ATS. They have been in a bit of a slide lately as they faced an incredibly brutal schedule lately. And they didn’t embarrass themselves in any of those games and were always competitive. The Suns have faced a slew of Western Conference teams lately. They have been playing well. We think they might take a breather here and not give 100% against an out of conference team that isn’t going to move the needle nationally.

7 Unit Play. Take #762 Saint Mary’s (CA) over Wisconsin (5p.m., Wednesday, November 24 ESPN) The Gaels are the most experienced team in the country and expect him to win the Maui Invitational today in Las Vegas. Wisconsin played over the heads yesterday and I do not believe they can rise to that level again on Wednesday. Saint Mary’s is a better version of Wisconsin especially shooting the basketball, as both teams like to slow the pace down and get the best shot late in the shot clock that they can get. Wisconsin is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #748 Syracuse over VCU (5p.m., Wednesday, November 24 ESPN2) VCU is not the same team we think of in past years. This team really has trouble scoring and playing in a conference room against a veteran zone team should not help those stats. VCU is 6-13 ATS int ehir last 19 games as an underdog. Syracuse is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #655 Wisconsin over Houston (5p.m., Tuesday, November 23 ESPN) This line is too high for a game with a total this low. Houston is the better team, but Wisconsin has experience and should be able to take this game down to the wire. Both teams beat bad teams on Monday and if Wisconsin can shoot it like they did the last 30 minutes they should have a chance to win this game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These teams played Saturday, same venue, and the Bucks won by only 9. Milwaukee is not in playoff form right now, but they keep getting lined by the oddsmakers like they are. The Bucks haven’t covered a spread in five games. They are 1-7 ATS at home. The Magic aren’t a very good team. But this is a revenge spot against a familiar opponent where they just played and kept the game within punching distance. We think there’s a great chance this game is even closer than the Saturday game.

4 Unit Play. Take #850 Wisconsin -2.5 over Texas A&M (2p.m., Monday, November 22 ESPN2) Wisconsin’s best player should be back for this game, as Johnny Davis is expected to play. Texas A&M has not played anyone this season and I do not seem them being an NCAA Tournament team come March. Buzz Williams is still rebuilding, and they struggled to put away bad teams in their first two games. The Aggies are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games. The Badgers are 10-3 ATS (2 push) in their last 15 games following a loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck -Doc’s Sports

We think that this is a good spot for the Lakers to get back on track, on the road vs. a bad team. Going against the Lakers this season has been very profitable as they are bad ATS. But Detroit has been just about as bad. The difference is that the Lakers lines are shaded, while the Pistons lines have been generous. LeBron has had a game back to get his footing, and this team needs a big win bad. We think they get it tonight.

6 Unit Play. Take #742 North Carolina Tar Heels over Tennessee Volunteers (3:30p.m., Sunday, November 21 ESPN) Tennessee will play better today against North Carolina, but I just do not like this game whatsoever. They are not a great shooting team and Rick Barnes is not a coach a trust to win big games at neutral sites. North Carolina returns a ton of talent from last season and even without Leaky Black and I believe that they will win this game straight-up. If North Carolina shoots and scores like they did yesterday I believe that will be enough to beat an overrated Tennessee team. The Volunteers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. The Tar Heels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These teams played Wednesday, same venue, and the Suns won but didn’t cover. We will go with the Zig Zag theory here, which will be useful this season with the quirky scheduling. The team that covers the first game normally doesn’t in the next, and we think Dallas is in trouble until Luka gets back as he is truly one of the top MVP candidates yearly because he is probably the most important player in the league to his team. They put up a fight Wednesday, but we don’t see it happening again tonight.

The Bucks have been a poor ATS team to start the season, and especially recently. This team seems to be in a bit of a funk to start the season, and they are no where near championship form that we saw over the Summer. But they are being lined as such. The Thunder are becoming a good ATS underdog. They have cashed six of eight tickets. They are gelling well as a young team and playing solid team basketball. They are healthy here and should bring their A Game against the champs to keep this one within double digits.

This line is short because LeBron James should be back in the lineup. But they weren’t very good before he left with injury, and we doubt he will be in 100% game shape if he does enter the lineup tonight. Bet this ASAP as if he is ruled out, the line will rise a bit. The Lakers are one of the worst ATS teams year after year as they are given too much respect by oddsmakers and bettors. Boston is always one of the best ATS teams, and they will give their rival their best shot tonight, LeBron or no LeBron.

4 Unit Play. Take #861 St Bonaventure -3.5 over Clemson (2:30p.m., Friday, November 19 ESPN2) The Bonnies got off to a slow start yesterday but turned things around in the second half. Look for that to carryover into this game against a Clemson team that has not been tested this season. The Bonnies are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #875 Bradley +13.5 over Colorado State (1p.m., Friday, November 19) Bradley only seems to show up in the conference tournament but this is a lot of points to be giving. Not sure how good Colorado State is with their weak schedule. Look for Bradley to slow the pace and keep this game in single digits.