Sports Picks & Predictions

Both of these teams can score. Only one can play defense, though, and that’s Memphis. And we believe that will be the difference in the game as we expect a rested Grizzlies team to make some stops down the stretch. Both teams are rested and that should help the defense instead of the offense, which could be out of rhythm early and rusty. Memphis is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in this series. We think they are the better team at this point and expect the defense to step up and lead them to the win tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #616 Siena over Iona (5p.m., Wednesday, March 10 ESPN+) The Saints are the No. 1 seed in the MAAC tournament this week in Atlantic City. They enter having won 4 of their last 5 games and should be able to take down the Rick Pitino led Gaels. The underdog is 13-3 ATS in the last 16 games between Iona and Siena. The Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #819 Cal Poly over Cal State Fullerton (9p.m., Tuesday, March 9 ESPN3) The Mustangs are terrible, but they should be able to take this game down to the wire against the Titans tonight as the Big West play in games get underway tonight in Las Vegas. These teams did not play one another in the regular season and thus that should be an advantage for the Mustangs. Cal Poly has covered the spread in 5 of their last 6 games. Cal Fullerton is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

3 Unit Play. Take #826 Under in Southern Miss vs Rice (8p.m., Tuesday, March 9 ESPN+) Frisco, TX is the site of the 2021 Conference USA Tournament in 2021. Rice has gone under the posted total in 13 of their last 17 games played on Tuesdays. Southern Miss has gone under the posted total in 6 of their last 7 games played on Tuesdays.

3 Unit Play. Take #824 Cleveland State over Oakland (7p.m., Tuesday, March 9 ESPN) The Vikings just find ways to win games despite being down in most of their games of late. They were the top seed in the Horizon League tournament and feel that they are the best team remaining. Tough task for Oakland to have to beat Wright State and Cleveland State in consecutive nights. Cleveland State is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

10 Unit Play. Take #738 TCU over Texas (7p.m., Sunday, March 7 ESPN+) Texas does not have much to play for in this game and thus I do not believe they will be all that motivated to play a Sunday night game in Fort Worth. Texas got blown out last year in their regular season finale in a shocking upset and I believe that this game will do down to the wire as well. TCU likes to keep games in the sixties and if they do that today they should be able to cover the spread. This will be the Longhorns fourth straight road game and that will eventually catch up with them and cause a flat spot. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between Texas and TCU. Texas is 3-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 12 games. TCU is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight-up loss in their previous game.  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #733 Wisconsin over Iowa (12:30p.m., Sunday, March 7 FOX) I just believe that they spread has finally been over adjusted on Wisconsin. We have been fading Wisconsin with top play for quite some time now, but it is too high for this game. Wisconsin will try and keep the scoring low and thus it may be hard for Iowa to cover this big of a number. The road team is 8-3 ATS (1 push) in the last 12 games between Wisconsin and Iowa. The Badgers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday.

10 Unit Play. Take #651 Duke over North Carolina (6p.m., Saturday, March 6 ESPN) Duke just needs this game in the worst way and it would not surprise me if they get it. North Carolina does not shoot it well form the arc and I just do not believe they are good enough to beat Duke twice this season. North Carolina has lost 2 of their last 3 games and both came against teams that will likely not make the NCAA Tournament come March. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 3-13 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 home games against a team with a road winning percentage under .400.

4 Unit Play. Take #620 Utah over Arizona State (2p.m., Saturday, March 6 FS1) Arizona State has been one of the most disappointing teams in the country this season and I do not see things getting any better in the regular season finale against Utah. The Utes are always a tough out at home and they have beaten much better teams in Salt Lake City they what they will see today in ASU. The Sun Devils have talent but they just have not put it together this season.

3 Unit Play. Take #858 Nevada over Colorado State (9p.m., Friday, March 5 CBSSN) The Wolfpack lost a pair of games in Logan last weekend, but they are a much different team when playing at home. We have seen throughout the MWC that there is not much carryover from week to week. Colorado State has a chance to win the regular season title with a pair of wins today, but I just do not see them being able to accomplish that. Colorado is 7-19 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 games played on Friday. Nevada is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games.

3 Unit Play. Take #840 Wake Forest over Georgia Tech (8p.m., Friday, March 5 ACCN) Sooner or later Wake Forest will play to their potential and they are hitting Georgia Tech off a big win Tuesday against Duke. This is a must win game for Georgia Tech to remain on the correct side of the NCAA Tournament and I expect a letdown in this game. The Yellow Jackets will win this game but it will be much closer than what the experts believe.

The Thunder have scored 102 or fewer points in four of their last five games. They went under the Century Mark in three of those games, and they are coming in on a back-to-back after scoring only 78 in a loss to Dallas last night. This looks like a team that wants the All-Star Break to start and we just don’t see them putting up a big point total tonight against a Spurs defense that is No. 11 leaguewide for points allowed. The Thunder have been playing solid defense lately, too, so it’s unlikely they will let the Spurs run crazy on offense tonight. Both meetings this season have gone well under the posted total. These teams played last Wednesday and the total was only 201. We either think this will be a blowout with the Spurs crushing a lifeless OKC offense or that the Thunder will step up on defense and it will be a low-scoring slugfest like the last outing was. Either scenario bodes well for the under, in our opinion.

4 Unit Play. Take #767 Southern Illinois over Bradley (6p.m., Thursday, March 4 ESPN+) Everyone is tired of Bradley representing the MVC in the NCAA tournament and they will be disposed of tonight in Arch Madness. Both teams had bad years; however, the Salukis gave the top seed Loyola Chicago all that they could handle in two games last week. Expect that to carryover into this game and they will win it by 6-8 points. The Braves are 3-12 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games as an underdog.

The Blazers scored a blowout in their last game against Charlotte. That followed a losing streak against tough competition. This is a team we were high on to start the season, but they have dealt with a lot of injuries. But we think this is a very winnable game for them. They are 4-1 ATS in their last five games. They will be motivated because of the recent losing streak and they need to stay afloat in the playoff race until their soldiers are all back in the lineup.

The Hawks have not been good on the favorite role as they are 0-4 in their last four as a lined favorite. They failed to top the Century Mark in their last two games against Miami, and now they face another good defensive team in the Magic tonight. Orlando has lost four straight after a three-game winning streak. This team is not as bad as they have looked at times this season, and this is a very winnable game for them as their problem is scoring and the Hawks aren’t in very good form offensively right now and we think they are ripe for an upset here.

The Hawks have not been good on the favorite role as they are 0-4 in their last four as a lined favorite. They failed to top the Century Mark in their last two games against Miami, and now they face another good defensive team in the Magic tonight. Orlando has lost four straight after a three-game winning streak. This team is not as bad as they have looked at times this season, and this is a very winnable game for them as their problem is scoring and the Hawks aren’t in very good form offensively right now and we think they are ripe for an upset here.

The Jazz have lost two of their last three and they aren’t in top form right now. Even the best teams in the NBA go through down turns, and Utah is not immune. Philly has won five of seven and they didn’t embarrass themselves in their two losses. We think this line is a bit of a public one and we had this game as a pickem, so we like the value here. Utah is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 meetings here in Philly and we don’t see them bringing their A Game as this road trip wears on.

4 Unit Play. Take #666 Syracuse over Clemson (5p.m., Wednesday, March 3 ACCN) We used Syracuse on Monday and will ride them again on Wednesday at home, this time against Clemson. The Orange are not currently an NCAA Tournament team and they need all the wins they can get now. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games between Clemson and Syracuse. The Tigers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.

It’s very rare we take the Lakers. We mostly look to fade them as they are often overvalued by the oddsmakers and bet blindly by public bettors. But this line tonight seems fair. The Lakers played well last two games in dominant wins. They have Schroeder back, and he is a big difference maker on this team. This squad went through a rough patch recently, and they want to keep this winning streak intact and they should be more focused. Seeding will be important in the West playoffs this season. The Lakers are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #644 Purdue over Wisconsin (9p.m., Tuesday, March 2 ESPN2) Sill not sure why Wisconsin is getting this much respect from the oddsmakers. Now they travel to West Lafayette, a place they have not had much success at for decades. Purdue has won 3 straight games and they have solidified their spot in the NCAA Tournament and now have a chance to improve their seed for the Big 10 conference tournament with two home wins. Wisconsin had a great chance to beat Illinois on Saturday without Ayo Dosunmu, but they came out flat. The final score of 74-69 and the shooting stats are very misleading, as they never led in that game and Trice scored 19 points in the final 2:30 of the game to make their 3-point shooting stats better than what they appeared to be. The favorite is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 games between Wisconsin and Purdue. The home team is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 7 games. Purdue is 9-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 13 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #636 Georgia Tech over Duke (8p.m., Tuesday, March 2 ACCN) Duke suffered a devastating loss on Saturday and home to Louisville. Now they might need to win both road games to close out the regular season to get back onto the NCAA bubble. Georgia Tech has won 4 straight games, and this is the game that they have had circled for quite some time. They should have beaten Duke in Durham early this season but fell apart in the last minute of that game. The favorite is 24-10 ATS in their last 34 meetings between Duke and Georgia Tech. Duke is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games.

The Clippers are coming off a loss to Milwaukee. They played well in that game but sputtered down the stretch. They did have a chance to win at the end but could not make the shots. But LA normally plays really well after a loss. The last time they lost before the Bucks, an embarrassing loss to Memphis last week, they came back the next night and dominated them. We think they will bring their A Game tonight, and Boston is a team that is just not playing well that almost lost to a Washington team that was in a very bad spot with severe lack of rest.

4 Unit Play. Take #840 Syracuse over North Carolina (7p.m., Monday, March 1 ESPN) Syracuse and their 2-3 zone is not a good matchup for North Carolina. The Tar Heels usually do not shoot it well from the arc and I believe that they will have to accomplish that in this game for them to win. North Carolina is coming off one of their best performances of the season on Saturday, but they have not been able to handle prosperity much this season. The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings between North Carolina and Syracuse. The Tar Heels are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road favorite.

We are going against the Wizards here just because they have had a brutal schedule lately. They are on a back to back while the Celtics are rested. They are playing their third game in four nights. They are coming off a tough road trip where they had success. But they also had a brutal back-to-back last week on Monday and Tuesday with the Lakers and Clippers. They got blown out of the building by LAC on the second end of that back-to-back, and we could see the same thing happening here tonight. The Wizards are 3-12-1 in the last 16 meetings here in Boston. Maybe the Celtics turned the corner in this season as they gutted out a win last time vs. Indiana that could be a springboard for this team to start playing better consistently. We just don’t see the Wizards having much gas in the tank for this one, and the Celtics should be extra motivated as they are coming off a bad recent losing streak.

The Clippers always play well in this series and are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings. We think they will be primed for a great performance today, especially after their blowout loss against the Grizzlies the other night. Even though they bounced back and got revenge the next night, that loss still had to sting. And there wouldn’t be any better remedy then a big win over one of the biggest powers in the East. We had the Clippers laying a couple points as we think they are the better all around team, and we expect them to win here on the road.

3 Unit Play. Take #796 Maryland over Michigan State (2p.m., Sunday, February 28 CBS) The Spartans are on the buttle after winning three straight games, but their good fortune is going to run out on Sunday. Michigan State got a good whistle on Thursday against Ohio State, but I do not see that being the case on Sunday. Maryland has some impressive wins on the season, and they have 3 winnable games to close out the season. The Spartans are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games. The Terrapins are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played on Sunday.

10 Unit Play. Take #750 Kansas over Baylor (8p.m., Saturday, February 27 ESPN) The Bears were not impressive at all this week in the first game back after coming off a long covid pause. Kansas has been much better of late and should have beaten Texas on Tuesday in Austin. Just do not believe Baylor can run the table in the Big 12 and one of the next two games (or both) will trip them up. Iowa State is terrible, and they struggled to beat them in Waco, winning by just 5 points. The Jayhawks have won 5 of their last 6 games and I see them taking this game down to the wire with a great chance to win it. The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games between Baylor and Kansas. Kansas is 5-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games.

The Timberwolves are a dumpster fire right now and they haven’t covered in six straight games despite some very generous odds from the linesmakers. These teams both got off to a slow start. The Wizards are a developing team that took awhile to gel, but they seem to have gotten there and lately have been playing playoff-worthy basketball though they have a lot of ground to make up, But they have covered in six of their last seven games. They are coming off a road trip that included wins over the Lakers, Nuggets and Blazers. Impressive. We had this line handicapped at 8, so there is really great value here as the home team is being lined according to record and not recent form. Not to mention the Wizards are 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Washington and 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall.

4 Unit Play. Take #716 Duke over Louisville (6p.m., Saturday, February 27 ESPN) The Blue Devils continue to play home games and will enter this game looking for their fifth straight win. The Cardinals got back on track after getting bombed by North Carolina after a covid pause but Duke is a much better team now than Notre Dame is. Everyone wants Duke to make the NCAA Tournament this year and thus I feel they will continue to win games down the stretch. The home team is 5-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games between Louisville and Duke. Louisville is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games. Duke is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #628 Wisconsin over Illinois (2p.m., Saturday, February 27 ESPN) If Wisconsin is ever going to make noise again this season it has to come in this game. They are catching Illinois at the perfect time, as this will be their third game in five days and they are without Ayo Dosunmu and his 21 points per game. Wisconsin has been lackluster but sooner or later they will play a complete game like they did earlier in this season. The line tells you how much Illinois will miss Dosunmu. The favorite is 20-7 ATS (1 push) in the last 28 games between Illinois and Wisconsin. The Badgers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 Saturday games.

4 Unit Play. Take #640 Arkansas over LSU (2p.m., Saturday, February 27 ESPN2) The Hogs are on a roll and we will continue to ride them with these low numbers. They have won 5 straight games and 8 of their last 9 games. They also have revenge in this game, as they already lost by 16 points to LSU earlier this season. The Tigers are coming off a bad loss to Georgia by 13 points last time out and things will be much tougher in this game. LSU is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Arkansas is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #606 Texas Tech over Texas (12p.m., Saturday, February 27 CBS) Texas Tech is the more desperate team in this game and they must win today in Lubbock to even up their conference record at 7-7. Texas is coming off a lucky win on Tuesday against Kansas in Austin and I question how much they have left in the tank for this game. The Red Raiders have lost 3 straight games with the last 2 coming on the road but they already have won in Austin earlier this season. Texas is 1-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 games.

The Blazers over the Lakers is always one of our favorite bets to make. LA is normally overrated by the oddsmakers. The Blazers consider the Lakers one of their main rivals but the feeling is not mutual. But Portland brings their A Game almost every time these teams play. And they have covered more often than not in this series for years. They are 22-8 ATS in the last 30 meetings. Portland is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as an underdog, and the Lakers just aren’t playing well right now. We expect a very close game here and either team could win this one.

3 Unit Play. Take #880 Utah State over Nevada (9p.m., Friday, February 26 FS1) Utah State is a strong team at home, especially being one of the few venues that allows fans into the game. Nevada has been on pause for close to 3 weeks and we have seen many teams (besides Michigan) struggle in their first game back. The Aggies has a rough series against Boise State but they will get back on track tonight. They are better inside the paint and unless Nevada goes crazy from the 3-point line they will lose by double digits. The favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 games between Nevada and Utah State. The Aggies are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games as a favorite.

We like to go with a good team that was embarrassed in their last game. We also like to go with the losing team when teams go against each other back-to-back this season. We have both scenarios tonight as these teams rematch from last night, where Memphis scored a near 30-point win. This Clippers team sometimes plays a bad game. This is the team that has looked like one of the best in the NBA many nights but yet lost to the Mavs earlier in the season by almost 50. It’s just one game. And the Clippers have shown the ability to bounce back after a bad game. This team has great depth and they are normally competitive when their stars are out or resting. The Grizzlies don’t have the same kind of depth. There are no indications that the Clippers won’t suit up their A Team tonight, and they should bring their A Game. The Clippers have been great in back-to-backs and are 5-0 ATS in their last five games playing on zero rest. Great chance for a dominating effort by the road team tonight.

The Wizards are playing real well lately. They are coming off a blowout loss to the Clippers. But LA is the second best team in the NBA right now and they were on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights and they were competitive to a point then just ran out of gas. But they are rested with Wednesday off and we think they will get back to the stellar basketball they have been playing, winning five of their last six, with some impressive wins on that resume. It has taken some time for this team to come together, but they are playing to their potential lately and we see them being competitive here in this road matchup as well.

4 Unit Play. Take #766 Michigan State over Ohio State (9p.m., Thursday, February 25 ESPN) Michigan State is making a late run like always and should make the NCAA Tournament come March. Ohio State has some injury issues and Kyle Young will not play in this game because of a concussion. The Spartans have won 2 in a row including a dominating victory against Illinois last time out. The home team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 games between Ohio State and Michigan State. The Spartans are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog.

The Magic have been trending to the under with four of their last five games going under the posted total. This team is strong defensively but poor offensively. We think they can slow down the Nets explosive offense a bit, and that’s the only way they can be competitive here as they are very unlikely to match Brooklyn on the offensive end. This team finishes under the century mark on offense in way too many games. The Nets have had some big games recently and we don’t think this matchup will move the needle for them to bring their A Game. Orlando is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings, and we think their defense keeps it close enough to be competitive.

The Magic have been trending to the under with four of their last five games going under the posted total. This team is strong defensively but poor offensively. We think they can slow down the Nets explosive offense a bit, and that’s the only way they can be competitive here as they are very unlikely to match Brooklyn on the offensive end. This team finishes under the century mark on offense in way too many games. The Nets have had some big games recently and we don’t think this matchup will move the needle for them to bring their A Game. Orlando is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings, and we think their defense keeps it close enough to be competitive.

These are two Top 3 defensive teams for points allowed. The Lakers have lost a few straight and they need to play strong defense here to have a chance to be competitive. We think both teams will be at their defensive best as this one should have a playoff atmosphere. The Lakers are hobbled and reeling with Anthony Davis out of the lineup. The Jazz would love to kick them when they are down. We see the Jazz shutting down the Lakers offense and the only chance LA has here is if they play one of their best defensive games of the season. We think both scenarios work towards the under.

4 Unit Play. Take #698 Providence over Xavier (9p.m., Wednesday, February 24 FS1) Just feel Providence is the more talented team and playing at home should allow them to emerge victorious. They have had a disappointing season, but they still have talent led by David Duke and Nate Watson. The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings between Xavier and Providence. The Friars are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games against teams with a winning road record. Arkansas is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #704 Arkansas over Alabama (9p.m., Wednesday, February 24 ESPN2) Two of the top teams in the SEC are set to do battle tonight in Fayetteville. The Hogs are rested for this game and will enter having won 4 straight games. Alabama has been beating up on bad SEC teams of late and thus I feel their record is not as good as it suggests. They shoot a lot of three pointers and if Arkansas can defend the arc, they should be able to win this game.

4 Unit Play. Take #688 Over in Marquette over North Carolina (7p.m., Wednesday, February 24 ESPN2) These are always two of my favorite teams to play the over with. Throw in the fact that this is an added game and expect a more up-tempo laid back high scoring game. The Golden Eagles have gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 6 road games (1 push). North Carolina has gone over the posted total in 5 straight home games.

The Wizards are off their big OT win over the Lakers last night but this team can’t afford to take the night off as their bad start to the season has put them in a precarious position where they need to stack wins in order to get back in the playoff race. This team has won five straight and they are playing with the confidence that was lacking early in the season, and we think they will bring some solid energy despite their long game last night. This line looks about three points too high as we think the Wizards stay within double digits.

5 Unit Play. Take #643 Kansas over Texas (9p.m., Tuesday, February 23 ESPN) Shocking to nobody, Texas is once again falling down the stretch, losing 4 of their last 6 games. Kansas has been the opposite having won 5 straight games and they continue to move up the rankings. Kansas is starting to figure out their rotations and will be a tough out come March in both the conference and NCAA Tournament. The road team is 12-2 ATS in the last 14 meetings between Kansas and Texas. Kansas is 15-7 ATS in their last 22 road games. Texas is 19-40 ATS in their last 59 games as a favorite.

We are starting to see some more consistent play from the Celtics. Both of these teams had slow starts to the season, but we think all things being equal that Boston is the much better team. Dallas hasn’t been good in the underdog role and have failed to cover in their last four games when a lined dog. We just feel like this will be a close game throughout but the better team will pull away in the fourth.

These teams met around a month ago and the total soared over the posted number. We think that will be the case tonight. The Knicks have the best defense in the NBA. The Golden State offense has been generally very good lately and we see New York slowing them down a little but not stopping them. The Knicks offense should benefit from the pace here. We think this will be a competitive game where both teams get their points.

We feel like the oddsmakers are begging bettors to take the Nets here and this line just seems fishy. But there are some reasons to like the Kings here. This team has not been playing well and they are in desperate need of a win. A win here would right the ship for now. Brooklyn is off a long road trip and in that traditional first game back home where sometimes players are distracted by family or personal matters. The Nets are coming off massive games (both wins) over the Lakers and Clippers, so it’s hard to get hyped up for a game of this caliber.

Orlando is finally playing up to their potential as they have won three straight and four of five. These teams met last time out and the Magic got a very comfortable win. They were never really challenged and it was a very steady performance. We normally like to back the losing team in situations like this, but we are not big fans of this Detroit team and we liked what we saw from Orlando in the first matchup and think they match up well again tonight.

The Wizards are playing well right now. They are 4-0 ATS in their last four games. They won all those games SU, including matchups against Denver, Portland and Boston. No pushovers there. This is probably a game they have been looking forward to as almost all teams have their visit to the defending champs circled. The Lakers haven’t been playing up to oddsmaker expectations as they are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games. They aren’t in top form with losses in three of their last four. We think the Wizards come to play tonight and expect a close game.

Just think this is too many points. We had this game handicapped at 3.5, so we think there is real nice value here in what looks like a close game to us. Portland is one of the most underrated teams in the NBA right now as they have been a covering machine lately. They have been especially good as an underdog, where they have cashed five straight ATS. For some reason they play better on the road this season where they have a 10-5 record that is identical to the Suns home record. Just no reason for a spread this big as either team can win this game.

4 Unit Play. Take #858 Duke over Syracuse (7p.m., Monday, February 22 ESPN) The Blue Devils having been playing better of late and are getting closer to the NCAA Tournament bubble, but they must continue to win game. They are coming off their best win of the season against Virginia on Saturday and now should have an easier time with Syracuse on Monday. The Orange are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games. Syracuse will need to make shots from the arc in order to stay in this game and they just have not done that on a consistent basis. Duke pulls away late to win by 7-9 points.

Orlando is trending upwards in our opinion. This team has dealt with a lot of injuries and their offense has suffered but this team is a lot better than Detroit. They are playing well lately as they have won three of four and they have covered in four of their last five. This is another very winnable game for them, and the line is short tonight. Both teams are poor offensively but the Magic have a pretty good defense, and that and home court will make the difference tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #825 Wisconsin over Northwestern (7p.m., Sunday, February 21 BTN) Wisconsin should be able to get back against Northwestern, a team that has lost 12 straight games. The Badgers beat the Wildcats by 16 points earlier this season and that is how I see this game going as well. Northwestern does not have the athletic ability to hurt this Wisconsin team like some other in the league do. The favorite is 3-0 ATS (1 push) in the last 4 meetings. Northwestern is 2-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games as a favorite.

The Blazers are quietly playing out of their minds lately as they have won and covered in eight of their last nine games. We think this line is short once again on Saturday. This team had a lot of promise to start the season but they had a mediocre start as they dealt with injuries. But this team is learning how to play together and the results have shown on the court. The Wizards have won three in a row, but we’re not sure if this team is just hot or decent. They have been underwhelming this season and the Westbrook addition doesn’t seem to be working out. We think Portland will cool them off tonight.

After a four-game winning streak that included wins over the Clippers and Denver, the Kings have lost five straight. But they have had a very tough schedule. We think they will stop the bleeding tonight in a very winnable game. Chicago is in tough here on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They played a much bigger game against a conference rival last night in a loss to Philly and they probably won’t come with the same energy tonight.

We like to back a good team after an embarrassing loss. While the Lakers last game wasn’t embarrassing for most teams, losing to the Nets by 11, the Lakers aren’t used to losing big and they will want to bounce back here, especially against LeBron’s old team. He has a lot of pride and always seems to step it up a level when he has to. We don’t take the Lakers often as they normally don’t have betting value as a public team. But the oddsmakers have overcompensated for the loss of Davis and we think the Lakers will roll here to a comfortable win.

4 Unit Play. Take #741 Virginia over Duke (8p.m., Saturday, February 20 ESPN) Virginia is coming off their worst performance of the season on Monday against Florida State. But Duke is not Florida State and the Blue Devils will not have any home court advantage tonight at Cameron. People think Duke turned the corner after Jalen Johnson left the team but that is fools gold, as that two-game winning streak has come against Wake Forest and a depleted NC State team. Virginia is still on track to win the ACC regular season championship and this line has been creeping back towards Virginia all morning long. Virginia is 31-14 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 47 road games. Duke is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #714 North Carolina over Louisville (6p.m., Saturday, February 20 ESPN) The Cardinals are coming back from yet another pause and I just do not see how they will be able to hang with UHC at Chapel Hill. Louisville got pounded by Wisconsin coming back from their first pause and I see things going the same tonight. The Cardinals have played a very weak conference schedule, but they finish with a tough slate and it would not surprise me if they win just 1 of their remaining 5 games. The Tar Heels got to play a game this week against Northeastern and should be better tonight than they were in that game. Louisville is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. The favorite is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 games between Louisville and UNC.

10 Unit Play. Take #658 Minnesota over Illinois (3:30p.m., Saturday, February 20 FOX) Top College Basketball Play of the Day The Gophers are just a different team when playing at the Barn. They are 13-1 at home this season and also have revenge on their minds after getting blown out by Illinois earlier this season. The Illini have won 6 straight games but 4 of those wins have gone right down to the wire and this game should be no different. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Illinois and Minnesota. Minnesota is 4-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games as a home underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #605 Georgia Tech over Miami (12p.m., Saturday, February 20 ACCNX) No bet is a bad bet against Miami this year. Chris Lykes has been out forever, and they just are not that talented of a team. Georgia Tech is a veteran team, and they are better than their 10-8, 6-6 conference record would indicate. The Hurricanes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #894 Boise State over Utah State (10p.m., Friday, February 19 FS1) It seems that they are been a lot of sweeps in these two games series that the MWC has decided to play this year and tonight should be no different. This is a must win game for Boise State if they have visions of winning the regular season championship with two games against San Diego State on deck. Utah State has played most of the tough teams at home this season and thus I do not believe their 113- record is as good as it looks. The Broncos are 19-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 27 home games.

OKC is 9-5 ATS as a dog of 7.5 or more points. We think they are in a good spot to be competitive tonight. They had the night off while the Bucks will be playing a back-to-back and their third game in four nights. And they just finished a series against the Raptors, one of their main rivals. So it’s kind of a comedown to them face a Thunder team from the Western Conference. The Thunder have been getting up for big opponents on the road like when they hung with the Lakers tough. We think this will be another close game.

Cleveland started off the season playing well, but to say the wheels have fallen off would be an understatement. This team is 0-7 ATS in their last seven against winning teams. They are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games. They are 1-10 in their last 11 games as an underdog, and this is despite some very generous lines from the oddsmakers. Denver is coming off a couple losses and this will be an easy get right game for them and we doubt they overlook this opponent.

The Magic have a very underrated defense that is No. 8 in the NBA for points allowed. That is coupled with an offense that is No. 28 in the league for points scored. So they have to rely on their defense to keep them in games, and we think that will be the case tonight, especially since the Warriors have been playing good defense as well. Orlando is on a hot under streak, with five of their last six games going under the posted total, and 9 of the last 12 meetings in Orlando have gone under as well.

4 Unit Play. Take #786 Oregon over Colorado (11p.m., Thursday, February 18 ESPN2) Oregon is once again making a late season surge and they now have their sights set on a PAC-12 Regular Season Championship. The Ducks have won 3 straight games including a sweep of the Arizona schools last week in the desert. The Buffaloes are coming off a terrible loss to Cal last time out and that basically wiped them out of the regular season championship. They are not the same team on the road and expect them to lose this game by close to double-digits. The home team is 14-2 ATS in the last 16 meetings between Colorado and Oregon. The Buffaloes are 17-43 ATS in their last 60 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Lakers have one of the best defenses in the league, but they are missing Anthony Davis and his defensive prowess. The over has cashed in five of their last six games. We just don’t see how they slow down the Nets tonight as Brooklyn has averaged 130+ in their last three games. They are just playing very well offensively right now. They are 22-8 to the over this season, and the oddsmakers can’t seem to set a total high enough for their games. We see both teams getting their points, and overtime is a real possibility in what should be a close game.

10 Unit Play. Take #739 Iowa over Wisconsin (7p.m., Thursday, February 18 ESPN) Wisconsin is a poor man’s version of Iowa and nowhere near as talented on the offensive side of the floor. Wisconsin is really struggling to score points and I feel sooner, or later Iowa will get on a roll and pull away late in this game. Iowa has rebounded nicely with two straight wins and want to remain in the top four to receive a double bye for the upcoming Big 10 Tournament next month. The Badgers just do not fare well against the top teams in the league and tonight should be no different. The road team is 7-3 ATS (1 push) in the last 11 games between Iowa and Wisconsin. The Badgers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600.

5 Unit Play. Take #712 Boise State over Utah State (9p.m., Wednesday, February 17 CBSSN) Two of the top teams are set to do battle tonight at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, ID. Utah State has not played since 2/4 and expect them to be a little rusty tonight. Boise State has a chance to overtook Utah State in the standings if they can sweep this series. The Aggies have played a favorable home schedule thus far and I do not believe they are as strong as their record would suggest. The Broncos are 18-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 home games.

The Rockets haven’t covered in six games. This team is dealing with a bunch of injuries, and they don’t have any firepower tonight. The Sixers are coming off a game where they were beaten pretty good by the Jazz, and we think they will come out with their A Game here tonight. This one looks like a blowout. The Rockets have failed to cover in all but one game in the last eight meetings. We see Houston getting a real low team point total in this game, and we think this should be a very easy win for the home team.

These are two of the worst offenses in the NBA in this matchup. Both teams average around 104 points per game. We don’t see either team breaking out on offense in this one. This should be a close, low-scoring game. The Knicks have the No. 1 defense in the league, and should they win it will be on the strength of their defense, not the offense. These teams played about a month ago, and the total wound up at 175. The last three meetings have all been low scoring, and we expect more of the same here tonight.

If you follow our picks, you know we love to bet against the Lakers and rarely take them. But we think there is some value tonight. LA is coming off a bad loss to the Nuggets, one of their worst games of the year. They don’t want a repeat performance. A loss here would be bad as the Wolves are one of the worst teams in the West. LeBron will likely play here even though Davis is out for the foreseeable future. But this team has a lot more depth this season, and we think they will play a great team game tonight against an overmatched opponent.

The Grizzlies are trending upwards and they are the better team here. We had this line handicapped at 3, so we think there is some nice value here. The Grizzlies have won two of their last three, both by blowouts, and they hung tough with the Lakers too. This is coming off a long losing streak. This team is better than that, though, and we think we will start to see some more positive results, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t win this one tonight against an inferior team.

Boston has been a disappointment so far this season. But this team will turn things around at some point, and tonight could be that night as a win here could be a springboard to better results as this team is getting healthy. They are coming off two bad losses, to Detroit and Washington, so they will be very focused on this one, because of the losing streak and the strength of opponent. Boston usually gets up for the big games. Denver is coming off their big blowout win over the Lakers, and we think this could be a letdown spot.

4 Unit Play. Take #631 Nebraska over Maryland (7p.m., Tuesday, February 16 BTN) We nailed Maryland for our Big 10 Game of the Year on Sunday but do not expect a blowout tonight against a team coming off their first conference win on Sunday. Do not believe Maryland can shoot it as well as they did on Sunday and expect this game to be played in the single digits. The underdog and road team are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between Nebraska and Maryland.

The Clippers will likely be without the services of their Big Two tonight, definitely Paul George and likely Kawhi. But we like the depth on this team and they will play well tonight here at home. This team won’t fall apart without their main players, and the Heat are 4-8 on the road this season, so it’s not like they are a huge threat to win this game. LAC is 4-0 ATS in their last four back to backs and this team seems to take almost every game seriously this season so we think they will come to play tonight.

We can’t argue that the Jazz look like the best team in the NBA right now. They are just demolishing opponents on a nightly basis. This spread is just too much to us though. Philly is going to come to play and they won’t be intimidated. This team is 4-1 ATS in their last five against teams with a winning percentage above .600, so they get up for big games. They have covered in all of the last six meetings in this series. We think this is an inflated line for what should be a close game.

Both teams are trending to the under and the oddsmakers have been too slow to adjust. The Wizards have gone under in 6 of 7 and the Rockets have gone under in 5 of 7. During that stretch, the Rockets have scored 101 or fewer in five games. The Wizards have scored 105 or fewer in five games. Both teams have been going under the century mark regularly. Could these teams have a breakout offensive game tonight? It’s possible that one will but we just don’t see both teams breaking out offensively and this total just seems about five points too high.

Top end teams in the west will always get up to play the Lakers. But the Nuggets have a lot of extra motivation here on Sunday. Not only did LA dump them from the playoff last season, but the Lakers just crushed Denver in LA less than two weeks ago. Denver played well in the first half but then were totally embarrassed in the second half as they were outscored 68-35. That one had to sting and we are sure Denver will put together more of a complete game here at home. They have double revenge in this one while this is just another game for the Lakers, who get their best shot from teams every night. The Lakers are having about the best start of a season any fan could ask for at 21-6. But look at their ATS record: 13-14. This team is overrated by the oddsmakers and their lines are shaded in every game. We have Denver favored in this one. This is probably one of the Lakers toughest regular season matchups.

Both teams have enjoyed a better than expected season so far, but we had the Hornets as a small favorite in this game and think the wrong team is favored. The Spurs have been solid on the road but we think they are in a tough situation here Sunday against a Charlotte team that is playing well right now and is very under the radar. These teams are pretty evenly matched but the homr court advantage will be the difference in this one. The Spurs have covered only one of the last five meetings here, and we see Charlotte pulling away in the fourth.

10 Unit Play. Take #826 Maryland Terrapins over Minnesota Golden Gophers (7p.m., Sunday, February 14 FS1) Big 10 Game of the Year Maryland will complete the season sweep of Minnesota at College Park, MD on Sunday. Both teams still have a shot to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large and will be well rested for this game having not played since Monday. Minnesota has won two straight home games but before that lost three straight and were only competitive in one of those losses. Minnesota has not fared well on the road going 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. I expect homecourt will start to matter more down the stretch before the conference tournament and Maryland will get the win on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take 794 Wisconsin over Michigan (1p.m., Sunday, February 14 CBS) Hard to predict how Michigan will play after such a long layoff for COVID-19; however, I just feel Wisconsin needs this game more. The Badgers got pounded by the Wolverines on January 12th and in many ways, they have not been the same team since. But they are experienced, and Coach Gard knows the importance of winning this game against the best team in the conference. Wisconsin is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played on Sundays.

10 Unit Play. Take #747 Providence over DePaul (8p.m., Saturday, February 13 FS1) Top College Basketball Play of the Day. Providence is coming off a nice win over Connecticut and now should be able two in a row with a road win in Chicago against DePaul. The Blue Demons sit at the bottom of the Big East Standing and they are just 1-8 in conference play. Providence has more talent than their current record would indicate and expect them to pull away late and win this game by close to double-digits. The road team is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games between Providence and DePaul. The Blue Demons are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when they are an underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #684 Missouri over Arkansas (4p.m., Saturday, February 13 ESPN2) Missouri already pounded Arkansas in Fayetteville this season and we will lay the field goal with them today in Columbia. The Tigers are coming off one of their worst performances of the season, but they should be able to get back on track at home. They have won 3 of their last 4 games and have not lost a SEC home game since December 30th. The home team is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games between Arkansas and Missouri. The Razorbacks are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games against teams with a winning home record.

These are two Top 10 defenses squaring off today in this matchup, and the Suns are really underrated defensively as they are No. 4 in the league for points allowed. Chris Paul is now running the show in Phoenix and he slows down the pace on offense and is very deliberate. When the Suns are facing off against the best teams, especially teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better, the under is 4-0, meaning the Suns normally up the defensive intensity in these games, and we expect that to be the case today. Both teams have played a couple high-scoring games lately and that has caused the bookies to raise this number, but we think it’s too high even though overnight action from the sharps brought this number down quite a bit already. Not low enough as we expect a playoff atmosphere here today.

4 Unit Play. Take #638 Arizona over Oregon (2p.m., Saturday, February 13 ESPN2) Oregon is coming off an impressive road win on Thursday but I just do not believe they are good enough to sweep the Arizona schools on the road this year. Arizona will not be in the NCAA Tournament this season so I assume they will want to finish out the regular season with a bang. They are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Oregon is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #626 Kentucky -3 over Auburn (1p.m., Saturday, February 13 CBS) Auburn has cooled off of late since getting some players back. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games with only a victory against Vanderbilt as their only win. That includes loses two home games to bad teams in Ole Miss and Georgia. Kentucky is not very good either, but they have been competitive in most of their games of late and should be able to pull away and win this one by 6-7 points. The favorite is 4-1 ATS and the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games between Auburn and Kentucky.

Just think the Jazz are underappreciated and that they will use this game to show the NBA how good they are. The Bucks are only 7-7 on the road this season, and this is one of their toughest road games of the year. Strangely, this is the first time the Bucks have been underdogs all season. But last season this team ended on an 0-4 run as an underdog, so when they are catching points there is usually a reason. We expect a big game at home from Utah tonight.

This is a great spot for the Clippers tonight. They will be without Paul George, but they are healthy otherwise and now have Pat Beverly back. This is an elite team that will take the floor tonight. The Clippers lost two in a row before getting back on track last time out at Minnesota, and we don’t think they will overlook this game as a result, not to mention the Bulls played them tough last time these teams met, in LA, in January. But the Clippers have been playing well on the road where are 10-4 on the season. They are also 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings here in Chicago. Kawhi Leonard is playing MVP level right now and the Bulls don’t have anyone that can slow him down. This one looks a lot like a double-digit win by the road team to us.

This is the NBA’s worst offense (New York) against the worst defense (Washington), so something’s got to give. We really like the under here for a variety of reasons, however. New York has the current No. 1 defense for points allowed. They rarely go above the Century Mark by much on offense, and they stay under the century mark on offense way too much in the present day NBA. They have six games in their last 10 where they scored 103 or fewer. Washington’s strength is supposed to be their offense, but they have scored 105 or less in four of their last five, and they aren’t playing well on that end right now and will be without the services of Beal tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #857 Milwaukee over Wright State (7p.m., Friday, February 12 ESPN3) This is a lot of points to be giving in a conference game from a one bid league. Milwaukee is coming off a home losing streak to Northern Kentucky, where the line in both of those games was a pick’em. Now it has been overinflated and we will grab the value with the underdog. The underdog is 3-0 ATS (1 push) in the last 4 games between Milwaukee and Wright State. The Panthers are 22-5 ATS in their last 22 games following a double-digit home loss.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We just think this line has been inflated a bit. The Magic played the Blazers last time out and were getting only six, and we were on Portland in that game, and we think they are better than the Warriors. The Magic actually hung in that game but Portland got the slim cover. Golden State is still a work in progress and they have a big game against Durant and the Nets coming up next, so they may be distracted. Orlando has covered in 11 of the last 16 meetings in the Bay Area.

4 Unit Play. Take #758 Boise State over UNLV (10p.m., Thursday, February 11 CBSSN) Playing the force last week brought the Rebels scoring totals down but that should not be the case tonight in Boise. Despite dropping both games last week to Nevada, Boise State is still averaging close to 80 points per game on the season and if they hit that mark tonight, they game should go easily over the posted total.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Toronto has been an over machine lately with seven straight overs. But they have played a lot of bad defensive teams during that stretch. They face a really good one tonight as Boston is No.6 for points allowed in the NBA. We think this total has been inflated about five points too high. The under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams, and when they meet it usually has a playoff atmosphere, and both teams will likely put some good effort on the defensive side of the ball.

4 Unit Play. Take #729 Weber State over Montana (7p.m., Thursday, February 11) The Wildcats look to remain as one of the top teams in the league tonight when they travel to take on Montana. Weber State has covered the spread in 4 straight games, and they are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games. Montana is 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games. They have also failed the cover the spread in 6 straight home games.  

The Lakers are winning but not playing championship basketball right now. It was inevitable. They finished up the 2019-20 season what seemed like a month ago, and they were one of the teams that was against starting the new NBA season in December. But the Lakers came out of the gates strong and showed their Bubble championship was no fluke. But they have covered only two of their last eight games. They went to OT in their last two games, at home, against Detroit and this Thunder squad. They have been winning but haven’t looked great doing it, all while being overvalued by the oddsmakers like they always are. OKC led that game, on Monday, most of the way through. We think them keeping it close will motivate them to do better tonight, and it’s hard to beat the same team twice back to back even when one is one of the best teams in the NBA and one is one of the worst. But the Thunder, lacking talent, play good team basketball. They have a winning ATS record this season. Also, Anthony Davis is questionable again for tonight with an achillies injury. OKC has also covered four straight here in LA against the Lakers.

4 Unit Play. Take #698 Over in Wisconsin @ Nebraska (9:30p.m., Wednesday, February 10 BTN) Sooner or later Wisconsin will break out of their shooting slump and Nebraska might be the perfect recipe for that to occur. Wisconsin has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a losing record. Nebraska has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing road record.

4 Unit Play. Take #644 Providence over Connecticut (4p.m., Wednesday, February 10 FS1) Not sure why UCONN is favored in this true road game. Providence has been struggling of late but they have talent and it would not surprise me if they get back on track against this longtime rival. UCONN has not been playing well of late either losing 3 of their last 4 games. The Friars are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played on Wednesday.

The Magic have covered in only one of their last six games. This team is just not playing well, and despite getting some favorable lines from the oddsmakers, they are still playing well below expectations. They face a tough test tonight in Portland. The Blazers have been up and down this season, but they have won two of three and covered in four of their last six. They are coming off a long road trip which saw them notch a win in Philly, so that is the type of win that can start things going in the right direction. Neither team has been good defensively, but the Blazers have one of the best offenses in the league, while Orlando has one of the worst, and that should be the difference tonight.

5 Unit Play. Take #618 Michigan State over Penn State (7p.m., Tuesday, February 9 ESPN2) Michigan State has been one of the most disappointing teams in the country this season, but they still have talent and should be able to beat Penn State at the Breslin Center. Penn State has yet to win on the road this season in Big 10 play. Penn State is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a victory in their previous game. Michigan State is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games played on Tuesday.