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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #693 Under 139 in New Mexico State @ Loyola Marymount (7p.m., Saturday, December 11) This line has been over adjusted and now the value lies with the under. LMU scored just 60 points last time out and they will need a slower pace to have success in this game as well.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

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

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

These are two Top 8 offensive teams in the NBA this season. We think both teams will get their points. It doesn’t take a lot of energy to score, but it does to play defense, and the Grizzlies are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. We expect the Lakers to be able to put up a big number on offense here as they have been playing well lately, and we have no doubt the Grizzlies can add the rest to get this one over the number.

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

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

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #633 Over in Charlotte @ Arkansas (9p.m., Tuesday, December 7 SECN) Arkansas is a top 25 team in points scored and I expect them to score close to 90 points tonight. Charlotte has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 6 games. The Razorbacks have gone over the posted total in 4 straight games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Both teams are trending to the under, with 3 of 4 for each team, or a combined 6-2, run for the under. The Dallas offense has failed to reach the century mark in all those three games that went under. They put up a big total against New Orleans, one of the worst defenses in the league (but managed only 91 in the rematch). They face a Brooklyn team that is Top 10 defensively this season, and the Dallas defense isn’t too far behind them. We think this total was overadjusted upwards.

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

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

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

As far as we can remember, this is the lowest total of the season posted at sportsbooks. We have to take a shot at the over here, especially since the NBA is trending towards the over recently. OKC allowed 152 in their last game against Memphis. The Pistons have allowed 110 or more in the last three games. These defenses will give the offenses opportunities to score, and this total is very low.

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

Boston’s offense came alive last night in a losing effort at Utah, but they scored 130, and if they can get anywhere near that tonight this bet will be an easy cash. That is doubtful, but with this low total we don’t need that many points from the visiting team. Boston has the much better defense, but they will be tired tonight and we don’t see them being that effective. But the Blazers defense hasn’t been good, and we think both teams get their points tonight. Five of the last six meetings in Portland have gone over the posted number.

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

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

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

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

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

The Jazz are really playing well offensively. They have scored 118 or more in six of their last eight games. Boston is a good defensive team, but we don’t see them doing enough to slow the home team down, and we think the Jazz can easily get over 110 here, and we think this will be a pretty competitive game as we lean to Boston ATS, so we think the road team will get their fair share of points also. The over is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings in Utah.

These teams played Wednesday, and the Mavs scored 139. New Orleans has a horrible defense. Even if they make some adjustments, we don’t see how they will do much better here. Even if they cut 15 points off that total it wouldn’t be nearly enough. And there is a good chance the Pelicans play better on offense here as this will likely be more competitive than a 30+-point blowout.

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

The Grizzlies have really been playing great on offense recently, minus their last game against the Raptors. But we think they can put up a big number here tonight. The Thunder are coming in on a back-to-back, and they looked tired in the fourth quarter, allowing Houston to rally and score at will. We think that will carry over here, and the Grizzlies could very possibly score in the 120 range. The over is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings, and we expect that trend to stay true tonight.

The Bulls have scored 123 or more in two of their last three games, so they are feeling it offensively even though those were against two bad defensive teams. But they just need a good offensive game here and this one will likely sail over the total. The Knicks haven’t been as good defensively as last season. And after a streak of unders, two of the last three games for NY have gone over the posted number, and we think the bookies have overadjusted this total as well.

The Bucks offense is humming, and they have gone over in three straight. 114 was their lowest point total in their last seven games. If they get anywhere close to their recent average, this will be an easy cash. This total was adjusted downward because of Toronto, who have played in three straight under games. But we think their offense will benefit from the pace here, and we doubt their defense can do much to slow down the Bucks offense tonight.

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

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

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

Six of the last nine meetings have gone under the posted total. We like the way the Celtics have been playing defense. They have really been concentrating on that aspect as a team, and it is showing on the court. They have held three of their last four opponents under the century mark, and there’s a good chance that happens here as well as the Sixers have been offensively challenged lately. We see this as a close, low-scoring game, and as long as there is no OT we should cover here easy.

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

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

4 Unit Play. Take #639 Over in Long Beach State @ San Diego State (10p.m., Tuesday, November 30) The Beach is allowing 87 points per game and if they hit that mark on Tuesday this game should easily go over the posted total. Long Beach State has gone over the posted total in 21 of their last 29 road games.

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

Both teams are trending to the over. The over is 7-0 in the Grizzlies last seven games. Seven of the last nine games for Toronto have gone over. With Ja Morant out for Memphis, the oddsmakers can’t make the total too high. But this one is once again too low. Both these teams have been allowing lots of points. And this should be a close game and both teams will get their points to get this one over the posted total.

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

Minnesota is trending to the over and three straight games and four of five have gone over the posted total. Also, four of the last five meetings have gone over the posted number.  The Pacers are the better defensive team, but they are coming in on a back-to-back and we think Minnesota will bring the pace here tonight. The Pacers will be use their energy to run instead of on defense.

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

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

This is a battle against the teams involved in that dustup over a LeBron James elbow last week, and as a result this game will be more contentious than a regular season game against two teams playing badly normally would. We see a hard-fought game on both sides where both teams step up the defensive intensity, and the Pistons are very bad offensively and will have to rely on pace and defense to stay within striking distance and a chance for a win here.

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

Both teams combined are 24-14 to the under this season. The Warriors have one of the best defenses in the NBA this season. They are No. 1 in points allowed, and the Clippers aren’t far behind at No. 3. The problem is with LA is that they can’t get consistent scoring, and that is why they are struggling. We don’t think we can count on their offense here, but they should play solid defense against the dynamic Golden State offense. We don’t see them in a shootout here, so they will have to rely on their defense to keep them in the game.

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

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

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

Memphis has been trending to the over with five straight games going over the posted total. Their offense has been steadily improving while their defense has been allowing lots of points on a regular basis. They have allowed 120+ on average in their last three games. Atlanta is a team that can put up a lot of points against a bad defense. Memphis is dead last in the NBA in points allowed. We see a close game here, just like the oddsmakers, and we think both teams will get their points.

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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