4 Unit Play. Take #808 Purdue over Penn State (1p.m., Sunday, January 17 BTN) Purdue is just a much better team at home and they are getting a Penn State team that has not played a game since December 30. The Nittany Lions have lost 3 straight games and I see them losing this game by double digits. Purdue has won 2 straight games, and this is the easiest teams they have played since December. Penn state is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  

The Hawks have not lost five of their last six. They were blown out in Utah last night, and they looked tired in that loss. Just don’t know how they will rise up against another Western Conference playoff contender tonight and play a better game. They will actually play better since they can’t do much worse than last night, but this spread is more than fair and we think the rested Blazers will be able to cruise to a comfortable win.

4 Unit Play. Take #760 Over in Arizona State @ Oregon State (7p.m., Saturday, January 16 PAC12N) We used the Beavers over as a free play on Thursday and easily hit. Saturday we will use the over as a rated play. Arizona State has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 games when they are the favorite. Oregon State has gone over the posted total in 6 of their last 8 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We had Houston when these teams played on Thursday and the Rockets won outright. We normally would go the other way when the home team loses like this in the first game but we just think this line is out of whack. The Spurs are now 0-3 ATS this season as a favorite of three or more, and this team just isn’t good enough to be laying big points. The Rockets got rid of their team cancer in Harden that was holding them back. This team lost a lot of talent when he left town, but now they can focus on maximizing the talent they do have on the team and they are underrated a bit by the oddsmakers now.

6 Unit Play. Take #625 San Diego State over Utah State (1:30p.m., Saturday, January 16 CBS) The Aztecs are too good of a program to lose to the same conference team twice in a week. Utah State jumped out early on Thursday and never looked back, but San Diego State did not shoot well for the entire game. With no homecourt advantage I see the Aztecs evening up this series and keeping their hopes alive for a conference championship come March. SDSU is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a loss in their previous game.

3 Unit Play. Take #603 North Carolina over Florida State (12p.m., Saturday, January 16 ESPN) Carolina has the talent edge in this game, as Florida State is just not as strong as they were compared to last year. We will grab the points in this game that we expect to go down to the wire. With Carolina it usually comes down to whether they can make shots from the arc and if they do they can win this game straight-up.

The Clippers haven’t been covering many lines lately, but we think this number is more than fair. This is a team that LA typically dominates, and they are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings. They are well rested and playing well, and we think there is a very good chance for a double-digit win here tonight. Sacramento has been horrible defensively, and a team like LA can take advantage of that. And with extra rest the Clips will have the energy to play shut down defense.

Going with the hot team here. Utah has won three straight, all by double digits, and that includes a road win over the Bucks. After a hot start, the Hawks have lost four of five. That includes losses to the Knicks, Cavs and back-to-back losses against Charlotte. This team is just not playing well right now, and they are in a real tough spot on the road against one of the best teams in the West.

4 Unit Play. Take #889 Wisconsin over Rutgers (9p.m., Friday, January 15 FS1) Both of these teams are desperate for a win and tonight is a must win for Wisconsin if they have visions of winning the regular season title come March. Wisconsin got blown out at Michigan on Tuesday, but Rutgers has dropped 3 straight games including the last two by double digits. Rutgers is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games played on Friday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #888 North Dakota over North Dakota State (8:30p.m., Friday, January 15 ESPN3) Both of these teams are expected to be in the top of the Summit standings come March and thus we will grab the points with the home team. The Bison are 4-0, but those wins have come against the bottom teams in the league. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings. The underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 games between NDSU and North Dakota.

It’s crazy to see a total in the present-day NBA under 200. But this one is justified. These two teams have Top 4 defenses. And they are the two worst offensive teams in the NBA. This is going to be an old-school defensive battle. Cleveland hasn’t gone over the century mark in nine straight games. New York has scored under 100 in three of their last four. These teams are a combined 19-5 to the under this season.

Toronto has had a tough start to the season. But they have had a really difficult schedule, and we think they have bottomed out. We know this team can play a lot better, and we think we will start to see some more positive results from this squad. They lost by a point each in their last two games. They have covered two of their last three, however, and this team has shown flashes lately. They have been playing better defense for sure, and we think that will continue tonight against a Hornets team that lacks offensive punch. They scored 93 last time out in a loss to Dallas, and we think we could see another real poor offensive effort tonight.

Just think this spread is an overreaction to a few things. First, the Rockets are in a state of disarray after the Harden trade and his comments blasting the team after losing twice to the Lakers. And those two losses to the World Champs hurt bettors confidence in this team. There hasn’t been much positive news out of this club all season. But we think this line is inflated. This is the most points the Spurs have laid all season. They are 0-2 ATS as a favorite of more than 3 points this season. This is not a good team, either. And we think the Rockets players will come out and play hard after Harden said they basically suck on his way out of town.

7 Unit Play. Take #717 Stanford over Utah (5p.m., Thursday, January 14 ESPN2) Utah is always a tough out at home but I just believe Stanford is a much more talented team in this game. The Utes have a lame duck coach that will likely be replaced soon, and this is one of his least talented teams. They have yet to record a quality win on the season and playing the top teams in the league has taken its toll on them. The Cardinal is coming off 3 straight double digit wins and the have great size in this game and will take advantage of that in a big way. Utah is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games as a home underdog. Stanford is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #692 Texas over Texas Tech (9p.m., Wednesday, January 13 ESPN2) Texas has run the gauntlet this far currently sitting at 4-0 in the Big 12. They are at home and have more talent than does Texas Tech and thus I am a little surprised the number is this low. The Red Raiders have gotten back on track against two bad teams in the Big 12, Iowa State and Kansas State. Texas Tech is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Texas is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games played on Wednesday.

The Knicks are the best UNDER team in the NBA at 9-2. They are playing some of the best defense in the NBA and they have a struggling offense. That is a great recipe for UNDERS, and the total has been posted too high here once again. Brooklyn has gone over a bunch lately. Therefore, the oddsmakers had to post a high number here. But New York has been horrible offensively lately, as they haven’t scored more than 90 in three straight games. They haven’t scored more than 106 in six of their last eight games, and you would have to think they would need more than that tonight in order for this one to go over the total. It’s unlikely Brooklyn will have a big offensive night, with the Knicks D playing well and some distractions bogging down the team. If New York wants to keep this one competitive, they will need to slow the pace and count on defense for success.

6 Unit Play. Take #638 Kentucky over Alabama (9p.m., Tuesday, January 12 ESPN) Do not believe it matters who Kentucky is playing, it just matters how Kentucky is playing. The Wildcats are getting back on tracking having won 3 straight games, the last one in blowout fashion against Florida. Alabama is also perfect on the season, but this will be their 3rd road game in their last 4 games. The favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games between Kentucky and Alabama. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Kentucky and Alabama.

These teams played Sunday and the Lakers won in a blowout. Houston has been very inconsistent this season, but we doubt they will play so lousy in two games in a row in their home court to the world champs. If there were any game where the Rockets would bring extra effort, we think this is it. Before that Lakers loss the Rockets blew out Orlando, a pretty decent team, and we think they have the ability to keep this one competitive tonight.

This series has a strong history of the under with the under 13-6-1 in the last 20 meetings in OKC. We think that trend will continue to flourish tonight. These are two very poor offensive teams. The Thunder rarely break out for a big offensive game. Two of their last six games saw them score 80 and 90 points. San Antonio isn’t in good offensive form right now as they put up 88 points to Minnesota in a loss last time out. We see both teams barely passing the century mark in this one, and with no OT as we expect a close game, we should be solid.

4 Unit Play. Take #615 Wisconsin over Michigan (7p.m., Tuesday, January 12 ESPN) The Badgers went into Ann Arbor and won last season and I feel that they will be able to take this game down to the wire as well. Michigan is 5-0 in the conference, but they have yet to play a team as experienced and deep as Wisconsin. The underdog is 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games between Wisconsin and Michigan. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.

These teams played Thursday and the Cavs won outright. Now they are at home and we think they have a good chance to win again. This would normally be a revenge spot for the losing team, but both squads played a game since then, so that eliminates the revenge aspect in our eyes. Cleveland has been playing strong team basketball and are overachieving here early in the season, and this is a very winnable game for them.

Washington could be without Beal and Westbrook tonight, and they were underachieving even with their two stars on the court. Now they face one of the best teams in the NBA since the restart earlier this year, and we like that the Suns are under the key number of 7 here at our deadline. Without their key guys the Wizards are a very inexperienced team that could fall flat tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #865 Connecticut over DePaul (6p.m., Monday, January 11 FS1) Both teams have had Covid issues this season, but UCONN is in much better shape than DePaul is. The Huskies will enter this game having won 3 straight including a 21-point victory against this same DePaul team. This game will be closer tonight, but I still see UCONN winning by close to double digits. The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Connecticut and DePaul.

4 Unit Play. Take #834 Nebraska over Indiana (6p.m., Sunday, January 10 BTN) The Hoosiers may come into this game flat, after they lost a double overtime game to Wisconsin this week. Now they must have a second straight road game against a team that has some talent. Nebraska has not played well this season, but this will be their weakest conference opponent they have faced this season. I just feel that they can take this game down to the wire and we will grab the points.

We always like to back the Clippers after a loss. This team has a penchant for bouncing back from losses that stretches back to last season. They have covered after every loss this season, usually with a strong performance. This team has a clean injury sheet, and we think they will step up the defensive intensity here against a shorthanded Bulls team that has played six of their last seven on the road and is probably ready to get back home. This looks like a blowout to us.

Love the Hawks in this spot after the Ball Game in New Orleans last night. Some overhyped players played a big game and this is a letdown spot for Hornets. Atlanta has been inconsistent but this ia a very solid team, and we had this line at 7, so very nice value on Saturday.

10 Unit Play. Take #751 USC over Arizona State (7p.m., Saturday, January 9 PAC12N) The Sun Devils were missing 4 players on Thursday from their overtime loss to UCLA. Not going to try and speculate who will be playing this afternoon, but I just do not believe they can bounce back in less than 48 hours against a more talented USC team. The Trojans dominated the second half against the Wildcats on Thursday in route to their 14 point victory. They have great size that should be able to take advantage of the Sun Devils inside the paint. The Sun Devils got up for their game Thursday, but the second game back after missing key players is usually a lot tougher to maintain and that will be the case tonight. This ASU team already had chemistry issues before Thursday, and 3 of their 4 losses have come by 9 points or more. USC is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games. The Trojans are also 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games played on Saturday. ASU is 0-8 ATS in their last 8 home games.

4 Unit Play. #616 Rutgers over Ohio State (12p.m., Saturday, January 9 BTN) Rutgers needs a win to get back on track, as they have dropped 3 of their last 4 games. But this team has more talent than does Ohio State and playing at home will put them over the top, winning by 7-9 points. These teams have actually met once this season and the final score of 80-68 is very misleading. Rutgers led by 16 points in the second half before Ohio State made a late run to pull away down the stretch. Both teams have injury issues, but Rutgers should have the same team that played at Michigan State on Tuesday. But Ohio State should be without point guard C.J. Walker. Ohio State is 8-22 ATS (1 push) in their last 31 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Rutgers is 15-5 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 22 home games. The favorite is 5-1 in the last 6 games between the Buckeyes and the Scarlet Knights. The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games between Ohio State and Rutgers.

The Magic have some injury issues but this team is confident with who they have on the court right now and they are facing a Rockets team that is really struggling to start the season and is just a mess with a lot of drama and issues all through the team. We thought the moneyline on this one would be closer to -150, so there is some very nice value in what we see is a very winnable game for the road team.

The Knicks are surprisingly playing some of the best defense in the NBA, and tonight they meet an offensively inept Thunder squad. We just see this being a very low scoring game and this one could even go under 200 tonight. The bookies are scared to post too low of totals numbers and it’s rare to see a number under 210. But this will be an old-school slugfest, and we expect this one to come in well under the posted total.

Looks like Russell Westbrook will be good to go after a dislocated finger and we think this will be a close game. The Wizards haven’t had much success in the W/L department, but they have been covering half of their lines, and this team is undervalued by the oddsmakers right now. This game is sandwiched between two games with Miami for Boston, so there could be a letdown here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #860 Michigan State over Purdue (7p.m., Friday, January 8 FS1) We used Michigan State earlier in the week against Rutgers and easily won and will ride them again. Purdue is not as strong as Rutgers and they usually struggle to win games away from West Lafayette. The home team is 4-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 meetings between Purdue and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are 3-10 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 16 games as an underdog.

5 Unit Play. Take #758 Northwestern over Illinois (9p.m., Thursday, January 7 BTN) Northwestern came back down to reality after losing two straight games. But losing on the road to Iowa and Michigan is not something to be concerned about, as they sit atop the standing in Big 10 play. Now they return home to face Illinois, another top team in the conference. The Wildcats have already beaten Michigan State and Ohio State in Evanston this season and I feel that they will be able to take this game down to the wire. Northwestern is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Going to take a shot on the Cavs moneyline here as we think this spread is somewhat inflated and this looks like a pretty even game to us, so we like the high moneyline here for the underdog in what looks like a very winnable game with Ja Morant out of the lineup for Memphis and both teams struggling lately. But Cleveland has been able to win more games this season, and we think they have a great chance for the road win tonight.

Durant is out here but we think the Nets are a solid team without him and they have a great chance for the win here against a Sixers team that is on a back-to-back tonight. The Sixers have been hot to start off the season, but this team has had a manageable schedule and on this B2B we think they will be in a bad spot and likely lose to a Nets team that is still quality without their star.

4 Unit Play. Take #732 Wisconsin over Indiana (7p.m., Thursday, January 7 FS1) The Badgers are the most experienced team in the conference, and they should be able to challenge for a championship come March. The Hoosiers are coming off two close wins against inferior teams and I feel they will drop this game by double digits. Wisconsin is 3-1 in Big 10 play and needs to keep winning games to keep pace with Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa. Wisconsin is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games played on Thursday. The home team has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 games between Indiana and Wisconsin.

The Bulls are coming in on a back-to-back and they had a big win over Portland on the road where they were down big but came back to win. They expended a lot of energy in that game, and we don’t think they will have a lot left in the tank to be competitive here tonight. The Kings started off the season with a 3-1 record but have lost three straight. The last game was against the Warriors, where they were embarrassed in a blowout loss. This seems like a get right game for them against a fatigued opponent, and we think there’s a great chance for a double-digit win by the home team tonight.

The Rockets are 2-3 ATS on the season while the Pacers are 5-2 ATS. Indiana is quietly getting the job done while the Rockets are kind of a mess right now. Sacramento is the only team Houston has beaten this season. This line just seems like a very public line and the Rockets are the Name team here, and we had this line handicapped at 5, so we think there is very nice value with the short favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #664 Louisville over Virginia Tech (6:30p.m., Wednesday, January 6 ACCN) Whenever you see an unranked team favored over a ranked team it is usually a strong angle that hits more often than not. The Cardinals have gotten healthy despite some issues in December and they are always a tough team to beat at home. Virginia Tech is 7-17 ATS in their last 24 games. Louisville is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 home games.

This isn’t your father’s Spurs team. This team has been getting worse every year for the last few years, and we think this might be a bottom out season where they don’t even sniff a playoff spot. This team is really struggling right now with four straight losses. They are in tough tonight against a Clippers team that might be the most motivated in the NBA here at the start of the season. They look like the second of third best team in the NBA this season and look even better than last year’s squad that flamed out in The Bubble. We think there’s a great chance for a double digit win here.

4 Unit Play. Take #634 Michigan State over Rutgers (9p.m., Tuesday, January 5 ESPN2) Never thought I would see day where Michigan State is just a slight favorite at home against Rutgers. The Spartans are just 1-3 in conference play, but 3 of their first 4 games have been on the road. Losing to Wisconsin at home is nothing to worry about, as the Badgers have experience and may be the best team in the conference. Rutgers has played a brutal schedule as well and that will hurt them in this game. Rutgers is still a little banged up as well. Michigan State gets a much needed win at home and we collect in the process as well.

Curry is going to have to carry this team for awhile as was evidenced by their best game of the season last night as he set a career high for scoring. But on a back-to-back tonight we think he will cool off a bit and Sacramento is an underrated team They have some impressive wins to start the season, but they are coming off B2B losses vs. Houston and they will be motivated tonight. And they will be the more rested team and should coast to a comfortable win tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #874 Over in West Virginia @ Oklahoma State (9p.m., Monday, January 4 ESPN2) Both teams need this win to even up their conference record at .500 and thus we expect a high scoring game that will go over the posted total. West Virginia has gone over the posted total in 5 straight road games. Oklahoma State has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 6 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Cleveland has been playing well to start the season, but they are facing a team tonight that doesn’t get a lot of respect from the oddsmakers, and this line is too low in our opinion. Orlando has an identical 4-2 record than that of the Cavs and are also 4-2 ATS. This team is a playoff contender though, and we can’t say that about Cleveland. After beating Atlanta SU last time, this looks like a letdown spot for a Cavs team that won’t be as motivated by their opponent. Orlando is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

These teams played Friday, and Portland came out with a blowout victory. There are a lot of teams facing each other in consecutive games, and the team that lost the last time normally gives a better effort the next game. We think this one will be more competitive. The Blazers probably won’t come with as much intensity after the easy win, and the Warriors will probably come with much better effort and intensity.

During the Bubble restart of last NBA season, the Clippers were great at bouncing back after a loss or bad game, and that trend has followed here into this new season as they played well in the game after that Dallas loss. Now they come in off a loss again, and they face a Suns team that has been really good since the restart and the new season. But there’s a reason LA is favored here as they are the better team and probably much better when the teams are playing their A Games, which we think LA will bring tonight after a loss where they played well but the shots just didn’t drop.

4 Unit Play. Take #840 Minnesota over Ohio State (5:30p.m., Sunday, January 3 BTN) Expect the Golden Gophers to bounce back at home against Ohio State today. This has been a trend in the Big 10, where teams play outstanding one game, looked terrible the next. The home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 games between Ohio State and Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have covered 4 straight home games.

The Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games in Detroit. One of those losses was last time out as the Celtics had an off game and lost to Detroit in a low-scoring game. The Celtics have been one of the best ATS teams in the NBA for years, and they are easy to trust. Especially coming off a loss in a rematch against one of the lesser teams in the NBA. We think this is a great chance for a double-digit win by the road team.

This is a rematch from the first game of the season, which was not long ago, so revenge could be a factor here. The Knicks are improved this season. They beat Milwaukee recently in a blowout win. They have won two of three and they held tough with Toronto last time out until the fourth quarter. This team need to be more consistent, but we think this is too many points tonight. The Knicks are playing with more confidence this season, and we think they will be a live dog when getting massive points in certain spots.

6 Unit Play. Take #612 Kansas over Texas (12p.m., Saturday, January 2 ESPN) Until Kansas starts losing some games in the Big 12, we will continue to ride them, especially when they are playing in Lawrence. Just do not trust Coach Smart to win these types of games on a consistent basis, as they are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games played on Saturday. Kansas is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record.

6 Unit Play. Take #612 Kansas over Texas (12p.m., Saturday, January 2 ESPN) Until Kansas starts losing some games in the Big 12, we will continue to ride them, especially when they are playing in Lawrence. Just do not trust Coach Smart to win these types of games on a consistent basis, as they are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games played on Saturday. Kansas is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record.

The Blazers haven’t been dominant to start the season, but this team is much improved from last year. And we can’t forget this team made the West Finals two years ago. They are hungry and we think they are the much better team here in this matchup. They have had a super tough schedule do far, and this is arguably their easiest game of the season so far. The Warriors have won two straight against inferior competition. But we think this team still has a lot to work on. We think they will get better later in the season, but for right now are a team to fade while they work out their kinks.  

It’s hard to justify when a team lost by so many points like they did to Dallas, but this Clippers team is playing as good of basketball as any team in the NBA. They have had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA to start off the season, but they have won their games very comfortably. They have covered all their games except of course that Dallas loss. Utah is on a back-to-back here and they didn’t play well against the Suns last night. This team has covered only one game so far, and the Jazz are notorious for their slow starts. LA is playing with a chip on their shoulders and they look to prove all the doubters wrong that criticized them after last season’s flameout. We think they take care of business again tonight.

The Raptors are winless on the season at 0-3. However, this is a championship contender team that has been one of the best ATS teams in the league the last couple years and this looks like a Get Right game for them. The Raptors have started off the season with games against three straight playoff contenders, and two of those games have been on the road, not in their new home base. The Knicks are a better team this year but this squad still has a long way to go, and they should face up against a very motivated Toronto team tonight. This very much has the look of a double-digit blowout game. The Knicks are 0-7 ATS in the last seven meetings away from the Garden and 2-8 ATS overall in the last 10 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #726 Wisconsin over Minnesota (4:30p.m., Thursday, December 31 BTN) The Badgers are coming off a bad performance last time out against Maryland but expect them to bounce back today against Minnesota and win this game by double digits. Minnesota is coming off their best performance of the year dominating Michigan State from start to finish. Just do not believe they will be able to duplicate that performance on Thursday and against a team desperate to get back on track. Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog. Wisconsin is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played on Thursday.

The Bucks got their revenge over the Heat last night in a complete and utter blowout by almost 50 points. But now it’s time for the Heat to get some revenge from that horrible loss. The Bucks jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 30+ at halftime, and it was garbage time from there on out. But this NBA season is unique and we will see these types of back-to-backs often, and it is hard to beat a team two nights in a row, especially at their own place. The Heat have one of the NBA’s best coaches, and he should be able to make adjustments for his team to be more competitive. Milwaukee set an NBA record for made 3-pointers, and they isn’t going to happen two nights in a row. Miami is a proud team that was just in the NBA Finals, and we think they will bring their A Game here after that embarrassing result. The Bucks aren’t in midseason form right now as they just lost to the Knicks by 20. Jimmy Butler could conceivably be back here for Miami, so that would aid their chances for an outright win. The Bucks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 visits to Miami.

4 Unit Play. Take #676 Over in Mississippi State @ Georgia (7p.m., Wednesday, December 30 SECN) Georgia is currently 7-0 on the season but they have not played a strong schedule. I always like playing the over with Tom Crean coached teams, as they usually care more about scoring points than playing locked down defense. The Bulldogs have gone over the posted total in 19 of their last 26 games following a victory in their previous game. Georgia has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record.

We like to back a good team coming off a bad loss, and that is the case here with the Clippers tonight. They suffered one of the worst losses in franchise history last time out against the Mavs. They just didn’t come to play and it had to be embarrassing for the players. This team will come out well prepared tonight. They have had probably the toughest schedule in the league to start off the season and are at 2-1 against it, and they won’t overlook the Wolves after that effort against Dallas.

Both teams have had a rough start, but the Warriors are the better team and Detroit is coming in on a back-to-back. The Warriors have had a much tougher schedule to start the season. We think they will take advantage of this weaker opponent on a B2B and take care of business tonight with a comfortable win. Only one of these teams is a legit playoff contender, and that’s not the Pistons.

6 Unit Play. Take #612 Rutgers over Purdue (7p.m., Tuesday, December 29 FS1) Just do not feel Purdue is the same team when playing on the road. Purdue has done most of their damage at home this season and they have yet to win a true road game this season (lost to Miami and Iowa). Rutgers is coming off their first loss of the season to Ohio State, and that final score of 80-68 did not reflect how competitive that game was. Rutgers has come injury issues but I believe they will bounce back playing at the RAC tonight. Purdue is 3-9 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 14 games as an underdog. Rutgers is 13-5 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 20 home games.

One of the best bets and the strongest trends in the NBA since we began handicapping almost 20 years ago is the Blazers ATS against the Lakers. They have covered 21 of the last 19 meetings in LA, and no matter the strength of the teams, they always bring their A Game when playing the Lakers. The Lakers are on a B2B, Anthony Davis is banged up, and this team is always overrated by the oddsmakers. We think the Blazers can win this one outright.

4 Unit Play. Take #840 Over in Northern Arizona @ Gonzaga (9p.m., Monday, December 28) Huge line in this game and one would assume if Gonzaga is going to blow them out, they will come close to 100 points in this game. That would set up a strong angle for the over to hit. Gonzaga has a ton of angles favoring the over hitting like they have gone over the posted total in 21 of their last 26 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #837 Michigan State over Minnesota (8p.m., Monday, December 28 BTN) These are the type of games Michigan State always seems to win over the coaching tenure of Tom Izzo. The Spartans have yet to win a conference game this year and this is an important game for them. Minnesota is coming off a miraculous win over Iowa and I believe they will come back down from that reality tonight. The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 games between Michigan State and Minnesota.

The Nets are coming in on a back-to-back and are being punished too much for the fact by the oddsmakers. They lost to Charlotte last night, and we think this could be the best team in the NBA and they aren’t going to lose many games this season, so we think they will bounce back nicely here. This is early in the season, so B2B’s don’t really matter that much, and we expect Brooklyn to bring some nice energy in a potential double-digit win.

2-0 team against an 0-2 team, but this line is simply too big. Detroit will come to play tonight to give themselves the best chance to avoid going 0-3. This isn’t a good team. But we are not convinced that the Hawks are good, either, as they have beat up on two mediocre teams to start the season. We had this line handicapped at 7.5, so we think there is some nice value here as we expect the Pistons to put up a fight and keep this one within double digits.

4 Unit Play. Take #831 Maryland over Wisconsin (7p.m., Monday, December 28 FS1) Wisconsin is coming off an emotional win Thursday and Michigan State and it would not surprise me if a letdown occurred in this spot. They will win this game but if they are not shooting a high percentage from the arc, I do not see a double-digit blowout. Maryland is 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games played on Monday.

Another situation where these teams played the night before. And we think the better team (Suns), who lost last night, will play better and get the win. It’s telling that the odds have not changed much even though Sacramento won last night. It’s hard to beat a team twice in two nights, especially when that losing team is the better squad.

We are going to see some strange scheduling stuff in the NBA this season, and here we are. These teams played here yesterday. The Magic won, but we just don’t see that happening twice in a row on the Wizards home court. Washington is a team we are high on to start the season, and we don’t see them playing two bad games consecutively against the same team. And now we are getting points instead od laying them.

Morris is out. Kawhi has to be hurting after getting crushed in the head Christmas night by his own teammate, and he was laying in a bloody mess on the court. He had some stiches and will probably go here, but he can’t be feeling great. But mainly this is a revenge scenario from the playoffs. Dallas played a real lousy game last time out in a blowout loss to the Lakers, but and adding to the revenge against the Clips we think they come out and play with more motivation today.

Houston is missing six players for this game and traveled with nine for this matchup, one more than the minimum number under Covid protocols. James Harden will play, but he is probably the most unhappy player in the NBA right now with trade demands and this team is just filled with drama and distractions right now. All that is built into this inflated line. But we think the Blazers are much improved this season. And they are coming off a really embarrassing loss to Utah, so they will be focused here tonight in a game they can easily win by double digits.

Both teams had unexpected results in their first game. The Spurs aren’t a playoff team, in our eyes. Toronto is a championship contender. We had this line handicapped at Raps -5, so we think there is nice value here. After a blowout loss in their first game, a team with the pedigree of Toronto will no doubt come to play here as they don’t want to open the season 0-2. This is a long season, but no team with championship aspirations wants a poor start like that.

We went big on the Wizards in their first game at Philly and they lost but covered. The game was a lot closer than the final score indicated, and Washington led much of the way. We think this team is underrated by the oddsmakers to start the season, so that result was great for us to keep the value on this team. Westbrook is the perfect fit here, and this team has underrated young talent. We think they are motivated for a strong start to the season, and we think they bring their A Game tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #766 Northwestern over Ohio State (11.a.m., Saturday, December 26 ESPN) The Buckeyes have been playing a brutal schedule of late and this will be their 3rd road games in their last 4 that has taken place away from Columbus. Northwestern is much improved this season and they have a chance to start the season 3-0 in Big 10 play. Getting points with the home team in this conference is always too good to pass up. Ohio State is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 road games. Northwestern is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.

3 Unit Play. Take #762 Louisville over Kentucky (1p.m., Saturday, December 26 ESPN) No bet against Kentucky is a bad beat this season. Louisville has gotten healthier and they always get up for playing Kentucky in this game. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings and the favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games.

The Clippers sure came out Game 1 of the season and looked like they had a chip on their shoulder. We think that will continue here against the team that knocked them out of the postseason. The Clippers can come up with any excuse they want, but we just don’t think the Bubble was the right place for them mentally last season. While the depth for this team suffered in the offseason, they are still one of the best teams in the NBA and better than the Nuggets despite last season’s series result. This game just seems more important for the Clippers and we think they come to play tonight.

LeBron is hobbled but said he would likely play here. With or without him, we like the Mavs here to keep this one close with a chance for the outright win. As if they wouldn’t take this game seriously anyways against the defending champs, they lost their first game so they don’t want to fall to 0-2. We don’t think that prospect is as important to the Lakers, one of the teams that didn’t want the new NBA season to start in December. This team probably won’t be the No. 1 seed this season and they probably don’t need it. We don’t see them getting real serious for about 6-8 weeks. They are normally overvalued by the oddsmakers anyways, but we see them as a team to fade for sure until we see them consistently kicking it up into the midseason gear.

Brooklyn looked like the NBA’s best team on Opening Night and we expect big things from them this season. They seem to want to get off to a fast start. And we think they will bring their A Game tonight against a Celtics team that will miss Kemba Walker. Boston is still plenty good with the team they will bring to the court, and they showed that against the Bucks. We just don’t see them winning two straight against two better EC teams, and the Nets should be very motivated for a big game here.

We think this total is too high. The Warriors not only don’t look in synch offensively, but they don’t seem to have the players right now to light up the scoreboard in the way we are used to. We think this team will eventually be fine and we have then penciled into the postseason as a high seed, but we think it will be a process and we just don’t see them being that competitive here, especially with the Bucks losing last time out. We don’t see GSW having a breakout on offense here. The Bucks will get their points and the Warriors should play better offensively than Game 1, but we had this one handicapped at mid-220s so we think there’s some decent value here.

6 Unit Play. Take #752 Michigan State over Wisconsin (12:30p.m., Friday, December 25 FOX) Not sure why Wisconsin is favored in this game. The Badgers lost their only road game of the season to Marquette and they have not won at Michigan State since 2004. Wisconsin has not left the state thus far into the season and this is a game where they will not be the more talented team. The home team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 games between Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Spartans are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a losing road record.  

The Jazz are another team that starts slow almost every season. We don’t see why that won’t be the case again. Portland is a little under the radar this season. They made some nice offseason moves and are relatively healthy to enter the season. Remember, this is a team that reached the WCF two years ago, and they have one of their better teams in years this season. We had this line at Blazers -4, so we think there is some good value here. Utah is hard to trust early in the season until they show otherwise.

The Celtics open the season not in a great place after a disappointing season and now they lost Hayward in the offseason and Kemba Walker is injured. The Bucks flamed out in the postseason also, but they had an excuse with some off the court issues causing a big distraction. We think they are still one of the NBA title favorites and we think they will want to start off the season with a big win over a rival. They got better in the offseason and we just don’t see how the Celtics can match up tonight against what should be a very motivated Bucks team.

The Wizards are under the radar coming into this season. We think they are going to be pretty good and a solid ATS team to start the season. Russell Westbrook is a great addition to this team and he pairs with Beal extremely well. This team has some nice young talent, and Westbrook’s presence will help them develop and he will take a lot of pressure off Beal, who had a great season last year and should be even better with the pressure off him to carry the team this year. This team will be putting up some crazy numbers on offense and should be able to win a lot of shootouts. Watch out if they can play any defense. Philly got off to a slow start last season and we think that could be the case this season with a new coach and still a strange mix of players that has never figured the formula for success to match their talent.

Everyone is down on the Clippers. They did lose some depth but this team didn’t lose enough to warrant such a drop on confidence from the masses. This squad didn’t get to play together much during the season because of injuries and that lack of cohesion showed in the postseason, and the strange atmosphere of the Bubble didn’t help matters. In our minds the Clips are still the clear No. 2 squad in the west and a legit contender. The Lakers just finished their title run what seemed like yesterday and they will probably take some time to get into championship form. We expect a sluggish start from the champs this season. The Clippers seem to have more to prove here and more motivation tonight.

Everyone is down on the Clippers. They did lose some depth but this team didn’t lose enough to warrant such a drop on confidence from the masses. This squad didn’t get to play together much during the season because of injuries and that lack of cohesion showed in the postseason, and the strange atmosphere of the Bubble didn’t help matters. In our minds the Clips are still the clear No. 2 squad in the west and a legit contender. The Lakers just finished their title run what seemed like yesterday and they will probably take some time to get into championship form. We expect a sluggish start from the champs this season. The Clippers seem to have more to prove here and more motivation tonight.

5 Unit Play. Take #678 Kansas over West Virginia (9p.m., Tuesday, December 22 ESPN2) The Jayhawks are the king of the Big 12 and anytime you get this number with them in Lawrence it must be considered as a play. Kansas has the bodies to matchup inside with West Virginia and I do not expect a big foul discrepancy tonight as well. The home team is 14-5 ATS in the last 19 meetings between West Virginia and Kansas. West Virginia is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 road games.

4 Unit Play. Take #673 North Carolina over North Carolina State (7p.m., Tuesday, December 22 ACCN) North Carolina is winning games despite not being able to shoot it well from the arc. If they ever start making shots from the 3 point line they could reach the final four. NC State lost their only game this year against a decent opponent and they have just feasted on cupcakes thus far in 2020-2021. The road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings between UNC and NC State. The Wolfpack are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

4 Unit Play. Take #782 Missouri State over Arkansas Little Rock (5p.m., Monday, December 21 ESPN3) The Bears have not been able to play many games in 2020, but playing at home tonight should allow them to emerge victorious. Little Rock is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games. Missouri State is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #707 Oklahoma State +6.5 over Texas (2p.m., Sunday, December 20 LHN) We lost an 8-unit play with Texas in this game last year and hope to learn from our mistake today. Oklahoma State has talent, and it is just around to predict what you will get from Texas on a game in, game out basis. The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 matchups between Oklahoma State and Texas.

3 Unit Play. Take #679 Cincinnati -2 over Georgia (8p.m., Saturday, December 19 SECN) The Bulldogs have not played anyone this season, and this will be their toughest slate of the conference season. Georgia is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games played on Saturday. The Bearcats being favored on this true road games tells me they are the better team.

3 Unit Play. Take #682 Stanford -2.5 over Arizona (7p.m., Saturday, December 19 PAC12N) Would go higher if this were a true home game for Saturday, but instead they are playing this game in Santa Cruz. Arizona opened as the favorite, but the oddsmakers were not having it and now Stanford is favored. The Cardinal have more talent than do the Wildcats, and that might be the first time in over a decade that this has been the case. Arizona is 2-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games as an underdog. Stanford is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 Saturday games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports.

4 Unit Play. Take #631 North Carolina -3 over Kentucky (2p.m., Saturday, December 19 CBS) If North Carolina can have any success in this game from the arc, they will win this game by double digits. Kentucky is a mess at the moment and will likely not make the NCAA Tournament come March. North Carolina is 5-2 ATS (1 push) int their last 8 games as a favorite. The favorite in this matchup has covered the spread in 3 of their last 5 matchups (1 push).

6 Unit Play. Take #608 Wisconsin -6.5 over Louisville (12p.m., Saturday, December 19 ESPN2) This is a late add game after Louisville could not play this game during the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The Cardinals have been off since 12/1 and they have just played home game. They lost a ton of talent from last year and Wisconsin has everyone back. The Badgers are 7-0 ATS in their last 8 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #854 Over in Weber State @ Portland State (10:05p.m., Friday, December 18) The Vikings have been an over team of late and expect that to continue on Friday night with Big Sky playing getting underway. The Vikings have gone over the posted total in 9 of their last 10 games as a favorite.

3 Unit Play. Take #833 Chicago State over Northern Illinois (7p.m., Friday, December 18) Both these teams are terrible, and the total is just in the mid-130s and thus we will grab the points and Cougars are hang on to only lose by 17 points or less.

5 Unit Play. Take #838 Tennessee over Tennessee Tech (7p.m., Friday, December 18 SEC+) This will be a blowout, name your score type of game for the Volunteers. The Golden Eagles are 0-7 on the season and this is a buy game where they will collect a check and get blown out by 30+ points. Tennessee has covered the spread in 5 of their last 6 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #856 Over in Richmond @ Loyola (6p.m., Friday, December 18 ESPN+) Both teams trends all favor the over and now we have value with the total dropping 4 points from the overnight line. Richmond has gone over the posted total in 8 of their last 11 games. Loyola has gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 11 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #365 Kansas City Chiefs over New Orleans Saints (4:25p.m., Sunday, December 19 CBS) The Saints are coming off a devastating loss at Philadelphia last week and now will likely not earn the top seed in the NFC (only 1 team gets a bye this year). The Chiefs have been winning games but not covering the spread of late, but now they have a low number where they likely just need to win the game. QB Brees have been eyeing this date to return, but I do not think it will matter. Kansas City is an offensive machine, and New Orleans will have to score in the high twenties to have a chance to cover this spread. Kansas City is 11-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 road games against teams with a winning home record. New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

4 Unit Play. Take #674 Tulane over Memphis (9p.m., Wednesday, December 16 ESPN2) Memphis is overrated again this season and the Penny Hardaway experiment does not seem to be an improvement over Tubby Smith. Tulane has not played anyone this year, but they are 4-0 and I believe they can keep this game in single digits. The Tigers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games. Tulane is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #670 Purdue over Ohio State (7p.m., Wednesday, December 16 BTN) On paper this line is begging you to take Ohio State, but an unranked favorite over a ranked team is always a recipe for success in college basketball gambling. Throw in the fact that Ohio State will be without E.J. Liddell and Seth Towns and expect Purdue to win this game by double digits. The Boilers are just a different team at home and tonight will be no different. Ohio State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. Purdue is 38-14 ATS in their last 52 games played on Wednesday.

4 Unit Play. Take #663 Pittsburgh over Miami (6p.m., Wednesday, December 16 ACCN) The Hurricanes are banged up with a ton of injuries and they cannot shoot the ball at all from the arc. They are 4 for 36 from the three-point line over their last two games. The Panthers have a nice win at Northwestern and will win this game as well. The Hurricanes are 9-19 ATS in their last 28 games played on Wednesday.