Sports Picks & Predictions

The Heat have been a good favorite bet lately at 4-1 ATS when laying points. The Lakers won against lowly Orlando last time out but they had a harder time than they should have. The Lakers are one of the worst ATS teams in the NBA and we think this line is too short on Sunday as we see the Heat taking care of business.

7 Unit Play. Take #718 Florida Atlanta over Marshall (4p.m., Saturday, January 22 ESPN+) Marshall is not any good this season, currently sitting at 0-5 in conference play. They used to be a tough out a home but they are not good at home this year either. FAU is coming off a nice win against WKU last time out and look for them to follow that up with another victory today. Marshall is 0-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. FAU is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Houston is playing with a lot of confidence right now. They have won three of four, all on the road. They will want to put their best foot forward tonight against one of the best teams in the conference. Golden State is coming in on a back to back and they played in OT last night so fatigue will definitely be an issue. This team has not been consistent lately, and they have upcoming games against playoff teams like Utah and Dallas that they will probably give full energy for. We think they might not bring it here.

The Jazz have covered only one of their last seven games and this team has lost every time they failed to cover. We don’t think their form warrants this big of a spread. The Pistons have a nice young group of players and they normally don’t give up, and we think they will go all out tonight as this is certainly a winnable game with the way the Jazz have been playing.

7 Unit Play. Take #892 Wisconsin over Michigan State (9p.m., Friday, January 21 FS1) Wisconsin is on a roll now and we will continue to pound them. Michigan State has played a much easier schedule than has Wisconsin in Big 10 play and thus their 5-1 record is not an indication of the talent of this team. Wisconsin has played a brutal schedule in Big 10 play, and they are always a tough team to beat at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin has won 6 straight games including beating Northwestern last time out, a team that beat Michigan State in East Lansing. Michigan State 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog. Wisconsin is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite.

The Blazers are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 as a road underdog. We think the Celtics will take care of business here and this looks like a double digit win for us. Portland has been very poor on the road this season and we don’t think they have the personnel to be competitive in this matchup.

This is a perfect Get Right game for the Lakers. The oddsmakers have made major adjustments with this team, and deservedly so. They have been awful. They do have the best player on the planet, who should be motivated to get the convincing win here.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season. They suffer the occasional blowout but they more often than not play it close and lose the game but cover as a big dog. And when they do suffer one of those blowouts, they normally come back strong the next game. They are 4-0 ATS when losing by 10 or more points their previous game. OKC has covered four straight here in Charlotte and they are 17-7-1 in the last 25 meetings.

5 Unit Play. Take #858 Stanford over Arizona (11p.m., Thursday, January 20 ESPNU) This is a lot of points for a true road game that will not have any atmosphere. Stanford has been playing better of late having won 4 of their last 5 games. They are coming off a bad loss to Washington last time out but should rebound tonight and take this game down to the wire. Arizona has been winning games but not covering of late going 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games. Stanford is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home underdog.

After their almost 40 point loss at Denver on Saturday, the Lakers faced their harshest criticism from the media, and even Magic Johnson chimed in on Twitter, bashing the team’s performance. LeBron went on Twitter to say this team will do better and Westbrook had to respond to the Johnson comments. We think this team has circled the wagon a bit and we expect another solid performance after they beat Utah last time out. Sometimes a team just needs a spark, and we think the Lakers found it. The Pacers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven road games, despite some very generous spreads. The Lakers have been getting the job done against the worst teams as they are 4-0 ATS against sub-.500 teams. And the Lakers are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall.

6 Unit Play. Take #707 TCU over Oklahoma State (8p.m., Wednesday, January 19 ESPN+) Oklahoma State is banned from the NCAA Tournament this year and they are a much better team as an underdog. Now they are favored by around 5 points against a team that will likely qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season. The Pokes are coming off a big win against Baylor last time out, but I do not believe they can play at that level at a consistent basis. TCU is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a road underdog. Oklahoma State is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.

We always look for a reason to take the underdog when the points are this high. Detroit has been about 50% at covering these big spreads. However, Golden State is figuring some things out right now with getting their No. 2 star back in the rotation, and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as favorites, so we aren’t getting the consistent play from them recently that we are used to.

7 Unit Play. Take #651 Wisconsin over Northwestern (9p.m., Tuesday, January 18 BTN) Until Wisconsin losses a game we are going to keep riding them, as the Badgers will enter this game having won 6 straight games. Their last 4 wins have come against teams that are better than Northwestern and expect them to take care of business tonight at Welch Ryan Arena. Northwestern is coming off a nice win against Michigan State last time out, but that kept this line low and allows us to attack it with the better more experienced team. The favorite is 4-0 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 meetings between Wisconsin and Northwestern. Wisconsin is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Northwestern is 15-35 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 52 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #606 VCU over Davidson (7p.m., Tuesday, January 18 CBSSN) This is a matchup of two of the top teams in the Atlantic 10 and we will side with the home team tonight in Richmond. The Rams will enter having won 4 straight games and they are facing a Wildcat team that will be playing their second straight road game. The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 games between Davidson and VCU. The Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games.

The Mavs have been playing very well. But this OKC team just has a knack for covering the spread and keeping games close. They don’t often get the outright win, so that keeps the value with this team. They have covered six of their last eight overall with one push. They are 27-14-1 ATS on the season. The Mavs have been blowing teams out. But this is their third game in four nights even though they were off on Sunday. OKC has the rest advantage because they played Saturday but not Friday. Dallas is 3-6 ATS when laying 5 or more points this season. OKC is 23-11-1 ATS when getting 3 or more points as a dog. OKC is solid defensively and Dallas is a Top 5 defense. The total is low and we expect a low scoring game, which makes every point in a big line more valuable for the underdog. These teams met in OKC about two weeks ago and the Mavs won by nine. The Thunder were without their best player for that game and they are much healthier tonight. We expect a close game.

6 Unit Play. Take #848 Illinois over Purdue (12p.m., Monday, January 17 FOX) The Illini can take firm control of the Big 10 with a win today at State Farm Center. Purdue is the higher ranked team, but they have not played like it this season especially during conference play. The Illini have won 6 straight games, all of them coming by double digits. Illinois has the size to matchup with Purdue down low and I feel Purdue will have to make shots from the arc to win this game. The home team is 6-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 8 games between Purdue and Illinois. Purdue is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Illinois is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.

Denver has scored 133 and 140 in their last two games. So the oddsmakers have to post a big number here. But we think this one will go well under the posted number. Denver is on a back-to-back and averages only 105 PPG in these situations. Utah has been giving up a lot of points but this team has traditionally been one of the best defensive teams, and we think they know they need to step up on defense tonight in order to have a chance to win. They are also getting defensive help as Gobert should return tonight. Denver has been playing strong defense and has held 3 of 4 opponents under the century mark.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 Tulsa over Houston (8p.m., Saturday, January 15 ESPN2) This is a lot of points to be giving for a true road game, especially since Houston is not a high scoring team. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between Houston and Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games as a home underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take #752 Mississippi State over Alabama (6p.m., Saturday, January 15 SECN) The Tide are not the same team that they were last year on either side of the floor. They do not shoot it that well from the arc and they are not defending at the same level either. Alabama has lost two straight games and now face an under the radar team in Mississippi State who is getting back Tolu Smith back for this game. The Bulldogs are a much better team at home, and they will enter off a blowout win against Georgia. The favorite is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 games and the home team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 games between Alabama and Mississippi State. Alabama is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games.  

The Cavs went into a bit of a slump when Rubio went down, but they have been playing better as of late and have won three of four. We think they will take care of business against a floundering Spurs team. San Antonio has won only one of their last nine and they have covered only three in that span. They are going long stretches where they can’t hit any shots on a regular basis, and Cleveland’s excellent defense should keep them away from the basket tonight.

The Warriors are struggling (1-4 SU and 2-6 ATS). They are coming in on a back-to-back. The Bulls were on their own B2B Wednesday and they were embarrassed by the Nets. We think that will be extra motivation for them here tonight at home. Golden State is just trying to get Klay acclimated and up to speed and we don’t think they are massively concerned about winning every game right now. This team is all about the postseason.

After a bit of a slump at the end of December, the Suns are playing well again, having won four of five. We think they are in line for another comfortable win here. They are well rested with two nights off. They have covered in seven of 10 meetings here in Indiana. The Pacers sometimes play a great game out of nowhere, but this team just isn’t playing well right now with only one win in their last eight games.

5 Unit Play. Take #868 Over in Colorado @ Arizona (11p.m., Thursday, January 13 FS1) This total has already moved a field goal and we will still attack in on Thursday night at the McKale Center. The Buffaloes have gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 13 games against teams with a winning record. Arizona has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 8 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Both teams are trending to the under with three of their last four going under the posted total. Both teams have struggled lately on the offensive end. Golden State has failed to reach the century mark in three of their last four games. Milwaukee averaged around 103 in their last two losses to the Hornets. And don’t forget that Golden State has the No. 1 defense in the NBA. As long as there is no OT here we should beat this total easily.

6 Unit Play. Take #782 Wisconsin over Ohio State (7p.m., Thursday, January 13 ESPN2) Wisconsin is playing at a high level now and they will get revenge for getting blown out in December against Ohio State. The Badgers have been playing outstanding basketball now and have the best player on the court in Johnny Davis, a player that will be a top ten pick in the NBA draft and is averaging over 22 points per game. Since that loss to Ohio State, Wisconsin has won 5 games in a row including at Purdue and at Maryland. The favorite is 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games between Ohio State and Wisconsin. Ohio State is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #754 Nevada over Boise State (10:30p.m., Wednesday, January 12 FS1) Nevada has had Boise State’s number is recent years with the home team covering the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings. Nevada is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home games. The Wolf Pack beat the Broncos 3 times last season and look for another win by the Pack on Wednesday.

The Spurs are a bit in desperation mode here as they have lost seven of the last eight games. They have played a brutally tough schedule, however. Their last eight games included matchups with: NY and Brooklyn, Philly, Boston, Toronto, Memphis and Utah. They have lost two of their last six games in overtime. Seven of their last eight were on the road. Now they are back home and very much in need of a win. They have the perfect opponent to get it against tonight as the Rockets are of a much lower caliber than most of the Spurs recent opponents. They have lost their last three games by a full 40+ points over the very generous lines they have been given. This looks like another potential blowout but we think a comfortable Spurs lead is all but certain. They have one of the best coaches in NBA history. They have covered five of the last seven meetings in San Antonio.

4 Unit Play. Take #675 Over in New Mexico @ UNLV (11p.m., Tuesday, January 11 CBSSN) New Mexico has gone over the posted total in 12 of their last 14 games when they are an underdog. They have also gone over the posted total in 14 of their last 20 games. UNLV has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 7 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #668 Alabama over Auburn (9p.m., Tuesday, January 11 ESPN) The Tide are coming off a bad loss to Missouri last time out despite being a double-digit favorite. Look for them to take out their frustrations from football and basketball on their hated rival tonight. Auburn has been playing over their head to start the season and I just do not believe they are as good as their record indicates. Auburn is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.

Minnesota is very underrated and they are laying a small number here on the road in a game they should win comfortably. They are hot right now and have won four straight heading into this game, while the Pelicans have lost four of five. Minnesota is 5-0-1 in their last six road games, and they are being underestimated by the oddsmakers once again. Not to mention they have covered in their last four meetings in New Orleans.

The Pistons pulled off one of their biggest wins of the season last night vs. Utah and now this is a major letdown spot for a team that is competitive at times as a big dog but also has the ability to lose big. We think the later will be the case tonight, and that bodes well for the favorite and the under here. After a big game the Pistons normally have a letdown. In their last nine games after scoring 125 or more, they are 1-8 ATS. The Pistons have not covered in nine straight meetings and the under is 6-0 in the last six meetings.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA and they are decently healthy and they had the night off Monday. No reason they should be getting this many points at Washington, a lousy ATS team that hasn’t been favored by this many points against anyone this season. When they have been a favorite of three or more points, they are 5-10 ATS. OKC has covered in four of their last five games, while the Wizards have failed to cover in three straight. OKC has the rare game where they get blown out of the water, but this is a winnable game for them and we think they put their best foot forward tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #635 Toledo over Miami (OH) (7p.m., Tuesday, January 11 ESPN+) The Rockets should contend for a top seed in the MAC Conference Tournament in March and expect them to win this road game tonight at Millett Hall. Toledo has the best player on the floor in Ryan Rollins. The Rockets are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games played on Tuesday. Miami is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.

This total looks quite a bit high for two teams that scored in the 80s in their last game. The Cavs are coming in on a back-to-back, which should affect their offensive capabilities, and they are already one of the worst offensive teams in the league and breaking in a new PG. The Kings, also on a B2B, managed only 88 last night against Portland, a squad that is nowhere near Cleveland in the top defensive rankings. This totals line should have been higher than most Cleveland totals, but the oddsmakers made this one too high as we had this number handicapped close to 215.

10 Unit Play. Take #855 Wisconsin over Maryland (7:30p.m., Sunday, January 9 BTN) Wisconsin is the hottest team in the league and will enter Sunday off back-to-back impressive wins against Purdue and Iowa. Maryland has already made a coaching change this season and they have yet to record a win in the Big 10 this season. I just do not trust Danny Manning as a head coach, and they will be up against the best player in the conference and a likely top 10 pick in the NBA draft come June. Wisconsin has won 4 straight games and will move up the ranking likely into the top 10 come Tuesday. Wisconsin is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. Maryland is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games when they are an underdog. The favorite is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Wisconsin and Maryland.

4 Unit Play. Take #798 BYU over St Mary’s (CA) (10p.m., Saturday, January 8 ESPN2) The Mormons are undefeated at home this season and we will lay the small number with them on tonight at the Marriott Center. The Gaels are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog. BYU is 11-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games played on Saturday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Suns have just been destroying teams lately. All season in fact. They should be getting some key players back here today, while key guys for Miami should still be sidelined. Phoenix has shown they have great chemistry to matter who they put out on the court. And that they are such a strong ATS team despite their pedigree and shaded lines constantly is a testament to how good this team is. We see another double digit win here.

Indiana has lost six straight, but they have been competitive recently. We think this is a great chance for them to notch one in the win column. Utah is all banged up right now and this is a shell of the team that has done so well this season. They enter here on a B2B and playing their third game in four nights. They had a big lead on Toronto yesterday but just fell apart in the second half, and we see that continuing here and the wrong team is favored.

Two bad teams here but we think the Pistons are the better team. They have been more competitive overall, and the Magic come into this one very banged up. Detroit has covered in six of the last eight meetings, and we see them pulling away for a comfortable win in the fourth quarter.

4 Unit Play. Take #683 Over in Bradley @ Loyola (4p.m., Saturday, January 8 ESPN+) The Braves have played over the posted total in 5 straight games. The Ramblers have played over the posted total in 7 of their last 8 home games. I expect both teams to reach 70 points in scoring and this game will go over the posted total.

4 Unit Play. Take #618 Texas A&M over Arkansas (1p.m., Saturday, January 8 SECN) The Aggies have an impressive 12-2 record, but their quality wins are lacking. But they are in much better shape than Arkansas is at the moment, as the Hogs have lost 4 of their last 5 games. They do not have many quality wins either and Coach Musselman has had to do down his twitter hype. Arkansas is 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games played on Saturdays.

This is more of a bet against the Cavs than for the Blazers. Cleveland has been a team we have used a lot for picks this season with great results. They have been the top ATS team for most of the season. However, they have really struggled since Rubio went out for the season with injury. This team has covered just one of their last seven games. Portland is missing their two best players here, and they haven’t been good ATS either, but they are getting too many points at home for what looks like a very winnable game for them.

The Lakers are relatively healthy compared to the Hawks, who have a very long injury list. The biggest stars for both teams are on the list tonight, but LeBron has a good chance to play. The Lakers have won and covered in four of five games and they are playing well right now. We normally rarely take the Lakers as they don’t often have betting value. But their current form, combined with this small number, make them a play tonight.

The Kings are definitely the more healthy team right now. This team has been back and forth and you kind of never know what you are going to get with them on a nightly basis. But they are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these teams, and we think they match up well tonight, especially against this inflated number. This is a winnable game for them. The Nuggets are coming off two consecutive losses, so they aren’t in top form. They also are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.

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.

The Pistons are a young but proud team. They have a history of playing well after a loss. And they had a very embarrassing loss last night. They have lost a bunch of games badly this season. This team is young in its rebuild, so that is going to happen. They don’t always give up 140 like they did last night at Charlotte, and we think they will really focus on tightening up the defense tonight, even if they have to slow the game down some. Memphis has gone under in four straight and they have been playing solid defense. We don’t see Detroit putting up a big number, and if they hang around in this game it will be on the strength of their defense.

Boston is coming in on a back-to-back after scoring only 97 in a home loss to San Antonio, and they will be taking a step up in defensive class tonight at New York. The Knicks have been playing excellent defense lately and they have held five of their last six opponents under the century mark. We feel there’s a good chance they do it again with Boston on a B2B. The under is 5-1 in the Knicks last six 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.

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.

Dallas has been one of the best under teams all season, but the lines have dropped and they have picked up the pace, and the over has now hit in four of five for them. They face a bad defense tonight, and they should put up a nice share of points to get this one over the number. Dallas scored 116 and 132 in their last two games. Sacramento has one of the worst defenses in the league. Yet they have a Top 10 offense. We think both teams get their points tonight in what looks like a close 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 #659 Over in LSU @ Auburn (7p.m., Wednesday, December 29 ESPN2) Auburn is playing at home and expect them to dictate the tempo in this game. LSU has gone over the posted total in 37 of their last 52 road games. Auburn has gone over the posted total in 9 of their last 12 home games when they are the favorite. This battle of Tigers will be high scoring.

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.

We expect a close game here and we think the total is way too high. These teams don’t play often, but they have a strong history to the under as 21 of the last 29 meetings have gone under the posted number. We had the number handicapped at 228, and we expect the Hornets to have a letdown game here as they haven’t played at home a in a long time (Dec 10 was their last home game), and the first game back home after a long layoff can be a tricky spot for the home team.

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. 

Dallas is one of the top under teams in the NBA at 20-10-1 for the under. The oddsmakers are scared to post too low totals with this team, and we will continue to take advantage. They are facing the league’s best offense tonight, but Dallas plays at the slowest pace in the NBA, and they will slow the game down tonight to give themselves the best chance to be competitive, especially with their best offensive player sidelined. These are also two Top 8 defenses, so we don’t expect either team to have a crazy offensive day. We think the most likely two scenarios here are that Dallas slows down the game and plays strong defense to keep this close or that the Jazz blow them out and keep them to a real low score. We think both scenarios play well for the under. Three straight meetings between these teams have gone under the posted total, and we see that trend continuing here on the Christmas nightcap.

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #819 Northern Iowa over Wyoming (6:30p.m., Thursday, December 23 ESPNU) The Panthers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the country this season. They have experience and sooner or later they will put it all together. Wyoming is 10-22 ATS in their last 32 neutral site games as a favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #817 Liberty over Stanford (4p.m., Thursday, December 23 ESPN2) Stanford has never been able to get it done under Coach Jerod Haase and this year appears to be no different. Liberty is coming off a nice win yesterday against Norther Iowa and look for them to reach the finals on Saturday. Stanford is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite.

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.

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #855 Over in Eastern Michigan @ Valparaiso (7p.m., Monday, December 20 ESPN3) The Eagles are an over team having gone over the posted total in 19 of their last 26 games. Look for them to play up-tempo again on Monday and expect both teams to reach the 70s in scoring.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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.

These are two very good offensive teams. Utah is the No. 1 offense in the NBA, and they have been especially explosive lately. They have scored 118 or more in six of seven games. We don’t think they will have any problem putting up 120 tonight on this Spurs defense. San Antonio is No. 11 in the NBA for points scored, so they will be able to keep up and contribute their part to get this one over the total.

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.

4 Unit Play. Take #685 Under in New Mexico State @ Washington State (10p.m., Wednesday, December 15) Look for the Cougars to controlling the pace of this game and keeping the score in the sixties. Washington State has gone under the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games. New Mexico State has gone under the posted total in 23 of their last 31 games when they are an underdog.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We have been taking a lot of Dallas unders lately but not even enough. That’s because the Mavs have hit seven straight unders. And the Lakers have hit four straight. So the trends are pointing in the right direction. The Lakers have been playing very good defense lately and their offense has been inconsistent. Dallas had been better defensively and worse offensively. We think this total should have been in the 210s, so the value is here. Also, both squads have important players on the injury list, so don’t wait for this bet because the line could plummet down.