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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lakers are the No. 2 defense in the NBA for points allowed, and they are 17-7 to the under this season, one of the best bets in the NBA. We think this total is too high once again. OKC has one of the worst offenses in the NBA, and we don’t see them having a breakout night tonight. In the last meeting, the Lakers held OKC under the century mark, and we feel that is a real possibility here tonight as we expect a blowout. We think that bodes well for the under.

2 Unit Play. Take Kansas over Oklahoma State (9p.m., Monday, February 8 ESPN) Kansas still have some quality wins on the season and I feel that they will pull away late and win this game by 5-7 points. Cade Cunningham is coming off a bad performance on Saturday against Texas and I am just not sure he can find his form in such a short turnaround. Kanas needs this game and they get it.

The Wizards offense is really struggling right now and we don’t see them having a breakout game here. That was one thing that Washington could count on this season, but they have scored 103 or less in three straight games, with their last two contests coming in under the century mark. Just some ugly basketball coming out of DC right now and we don’t see things getting too much better tonight even though these defenses are both bad. But with a total so high, even a short cold streak by either team will probably cause this one to go under. The under is 6-1 in the Wizards last seven road games.

The Wizards offense is really struggling right now and we don’t see them having a breakout game here. That was one thing that Washington could count on this season, but they have scored 103 or less in three straight games, with their last two contests coming in under the century mark. Just some ugly basketball coming out of DC right now and we don’t see things getting too much better tonight even though these defenses are both bad. But with a total so high, even a short cold streak by either team will probably cause this one to go under. The under is 6-1 in the Wizards last seven road games.

4 Unit Play. Take #798 Indiana over Iowa (12p.m., Sunday, February 7 FOX) Iowa just never seems to finish out the season strong and they are heading in the wrong direction once again in 2021. Iowa has lost 3 of their last 4 games and Indiana has already beaten them once this season in Iowa City. The Hoosiers need this game more to ensure they remain in the NCAA Tournament field and expect them to take this one down to the wire and win it. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between Iowa and Indiana. Iowa is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games.

These teams played Thursday and the total topped 260. These teams probably won’t score that much this time, but they will score a lot and the oddsmakers didn’t make enough of an adjustment to this number. We see the pace being fluid here and expect a more competitive game than the last one and both squads will get their points. Eight of the last 10 meetings have gone over the posted total.

10 Unit Play. Take #764 Georgia Tech over Notre Dame (8p.m., Saturday, February 6 ACCN) The Irish are 4-6 in ACC play, but those wins have come against the bottom teams in the league (BC, Miami, Pitt, & Wake). Georgia Tech is very experienced, and they have played better than their record would indicate. The last game against Louisville might have been the worst they have played all season long and expect them to bounce back in a big way at home. They could have easily beaten Duke and Virginis and dominated Florida State. Experience, better talent, and playing at home will allow Georgia Tech to win this game by double-digits. Georgia Tech is 22-7 ATS in their last 29 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #739 North Carolina over Duke (6p.m., Saturday, February 6 ESPN) Boy has this game lost a lot of luster in 2021. Neither team might make the NCAA Tournament and this game will likely come down to which team can shoot it better from the arc. If Carolina can hold their own on the three points line they should be able to win this game straight-up. Duke is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #657 Wisconsin over Illinois (2:30p.m., Saturday, February 6 FOX) I like this Badgers in an underdog role and feel they have a great chance to win this game or at least take it down to the wire. Illinois currently sits at 8-3 in the Big 10 but I just do not trust them laying them many points against the top teams in the league. The road team has covered the spread in 4 straight meetings between Wisconsin and Illinois. The Fighting Illini are 2-6 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 10 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #640 West Virginia over Kansas (2p.m., Saturday, February 6 CBS) Kansas still has respect from the oddsmakers but their talent is way down this year. West Virginia did not play well in their last two games, but they always get up for hosting Kansas. The home team is 15-5 ATS in the last 20 meetings between Kansas and West Virginia. Kansas is 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game. Kansas will lose their fifth straight road game.

The Celtics just aren’t playing well right now. They have dealt with injuries and a lack of cohesiveness, and could be considered a disappointment thus far even though they are playing above .500 ball. But the Clippers are playing like a championship contender and playing with a chip on their shoulder, and they have both a defense and an offense in the Top 6 in the league. They have both been taking care of business against lesser opponents and getting up for big time opponents, and we think they will bring their A Game tonight back home after the road trip.

4 Unit Play. Take #896 Nevada over Boise State (9p.m., Friday, February 5 FS1) Nevada is just a different team when playing at home and I feel that they can take this game down to the wire on Friday. Boise State is 10-1 in conference play, but they close the season out when six games against the top teams in the conference so that record is a little misleading. The home team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings between Boise State and Nevada. The Wolf Pack are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These teams played last time out and the Wizards won outright as a big dog without Russell Westbrook. He will be back tonight and this team should take care of business once again or at least keep this one close. The Wizards match up well here. The Heat have won one of their last eight games. So why are they favored by this much? Washington has a bad reputation with bettors and they have started off the season slow with Covid issues and getting a new star into the mix. But this is too many points for what should be another close game.

The Nets are one of the best home teams in the NBA at 10-4 on the season. We had this line at 7 even without Harden if he doesn’t suit up, but if he does this line will rise so bet early. Both teams have been off a couple nights. The Nets are coming off their big win over the Clippers that was one of the best performances of the year in the NBA. Thankfully, they have had some extra time off after that win to settle in and we think they will be primed and ready against one of their biggest rivals from the east. Toronto has won two straight, but both came against Orlando, and this team is just not in good form right now.

4 Unit Play. Take #859 Maryland over Penn State (7p.m., Friday, February 5 FS1) Penn State is improved but they should not be favored against anyone in the league except Nebraska. Maryland has done most of their damage on the road this season and should pick up another road win tonight in State College.

4 Unit Play. Take #841 Northern Kentucky over Milwaukee (6p.m., Friday, February 5 ESPN3) This is an important two games series with regards to seeding for the upcoming Horizon League Tournament next month. The Horse have won 4 straight games and will enter this game with a lot of confidence. NKU is 9-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 road games. Milwaukee is 4-12 ATS in their last 16 home games.

This is a revenge game for the Nuggets, who lost in the Conference Finals to these Lakers last year. The Nuggets have won six of seven games, and this will be their first game of Feb so they are extremely well rested and have had plenty of time to focus on this game, which is probably their biggest of the season so far. The Lakers have covered in just one of their last five games. This team is always overvalued by the oddsmakers. Even in seasons where they are great SU, they often have a negative ATS record. We feel they are overvalued here as all the motivation lies with the Nuggets, while this is just another game for LA. And the Lakers are back home after a long road trip, which can often be a tricky situation for players who have personal business to attend to and could be distracted from the game.

5 Unit Play. Take #738 Eastern Kentucky over Austin Peay (7p.m., Thursday, February 4 ESPN+) The Colonels are a top team in the Ohio Valley Conference and will look for the season sweep of the Governors tonight in Richmond. EKU has won 9 straight games and has been scoring points at will of late against their opponents. Austin Peay not fared as well against the top teams in the league. The Governors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog. EKY is 12-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This is a letdown spot for the Clippers after their epic game against the Nets last night. Not to mention they have Boston on deck next, so they may be distracted here and not giving 100%. Cleveland is playing much better basketball this season and they have been playing Top 10 defense. We just feel the Clips won’t bring the energy tonight and the Cavs will play strong defense and we think this will be a close game. The under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Cleveland and the Clips are 5-13 ATS in the last 18 meetings here.

This is a letdown spot for the Clippers after their epic game against the Nets last night. Not to mention they have Boston on deck next, so they may be distracted here and not giving 100%. Cleveland is playing much better basketball this season and they have been playing Top 10 defense. We just feel the Clips won’t bring the energy tonight and the Cavs will play strong defense and we think this will be a close game. The under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Cleveland and the Clips are 5-13 ATS in the last 18 meetings here.

These teams played last month and put up a huge total, and we see that happening again tonight. The Wizards are playing on a back-to-back and they have the worst defense in the league. They probably won’t put any extra energy into defense. Miami has no business laying this many points. They have lost six of seven straight up and they have failed to cover in five straight games. We think this will be a close, high-scoring game.

These teams played last month and put up a huge total, and we see that happening again tonight. The Wizards are playing on a back-to-back and they have the worst defense in the league. They probably won’t put any extra energy into defense. Miami has no business laying this many points. They have lost six of seven straight up and they have failed to cover in five straight games. We think this will be a close, high-scoring game.

Dallas hasn’t been kind to us lately, but they have to win a game sometime, don’t they? They have had a real tough schedule lately but this is their easiest matchup in a bit. Atlanta is a team on the rise but they are still learning and not quite there yet. They will try to fend off a desperate Dallas team that has high expectations but has recently sent their season into the toilet. They need a win here very badly and we think they do enough to get it and cover this small line.

6 Unit Play. Take #678 Mercer over East Tennessee State (7p.m., Wednesday, February 3 ESPN+) The Buccaneers have been overachieving all season, but I feel this is a brutal stretch for them having to play 3 games in five days. This will be their second straight road game having lost by 5 to Wofford on Monday. The Bears are a traditional powerhouse and they are ready to return home after playing the top two teams on the road in their last two games. Expect them to pull away late and win this game by 7-9 points.

Going to take another shot on Detroit getting points as they are one of the best underdog teams at 10-3-1 when getting five or more points. They got an extra night of rest as their game was postponed last night right before tipoff because of Covid protocol. But there are no lingering effects from that cancellation, and this team is pretty healthy. We see the road team putting up a fight here and the Jazz have this one sandwiched between a bunch of key WC games, so they will probably overlook this opponent a bit.

Despite their records, the Celtics are the better team in this matchup, and we think they will be ultra motivated after two straight losses. The C’s have not lived up to potential so far this season, but this team has dealt with a lot of injuries. This is kinda a rivalry, though, and a team the Celtics always get up for playing as they are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in Golden State. They are 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings. This number looks more than fair for us for the road team tonight.

The Clippers are just getting to where they want to be. Last season they had chemistry issues and their main guys didn’t have an appropriate time to build together. Now the Nets are in that same situation, while the Clippers are playing their best basketball of the Kawhi era. The Clippers are playing as well as anyone in the NBA right now, and they are covering too with a 7-2 ATS record in their last nine. This is probably a game they have had circled for awhile. The Nets are a darned good team, but they are still working out issues, and we think the better team will take care of business tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #624 Clemson over North Carolina (7p.m., Tuesday, February 2 ACCN) Just believe North Carolina will have to shoot it well from the arc to be able to win and cover this game. That is something they have not done much of this season. Clemson got embarrassed last time out against Duke but as we saw last night, I expect a much different game tonight. North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games. Clemson is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 home games.

Going to take a shot on Dallas here. We have been on them the last three games and they are not playing well lately. But this team is just in a slump, and they will start to be desperate for a win. It’s early in the season, so no game is a must win, but this team needs a win to get out of the funk they are in. This is a nice revenge spot since these teams played on Saturday. But Dallas has almost a full roster tonight and they should win this one to get the monkey off their back.

Any loss to the Timberwolves is embarrassing this season. Now that the Cavs are playing better basketball they are on a different level than teams like the Wolves and they lost yesterday to Minnesota. They should be embarrassed and ready to bring their A Game tonight. Tonight they are at home. Minnesota has just one road win this season. Minnesota has won back to back games only once this season, way back in December at the start of the season. They have been among the worst teams in the NBA since, and we think revenge will be in order tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #861 Miami over Duke (7p.m., Monday, February 1 ESPN) The Hurricanes have been depleted all season long, but they are still at home and playing a team that is just 7-5 on the season. Duke has won two straight games, but both came at home and the Georgia Tech final score was very misleading. Duke is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games as a road favorite. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games between Duke and Miami.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

7 Unit Play. Take #838 Nevada over UNLV (9:30p.m., Sunday, January 31 FS1) This game means more to Nevada and they have dominated this series of late winning 6 straight against UNLV. Nevada has better talent and is playing this game in Reno and expect them to win this game by close to double-digits. UNLV has been playing better of late, but they are still in a major rebuild. The Rebels are 15-32 ATS (4 pushes) in their last 51 road games against teams with a winning home record. The Wolf Pack are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games.

These are two Top 5 defenses for points allowed this season, and we think this will be a low-scoring defensive battle. The Knicks are the worst offensive team in the NBA, and they will have to play strong D to stay competitive here. We think this could be a look ahead spot for the Clippers with the Brooklyn Nets on deck in their next game. If they aren’t focused on the task at hand, they will have a hard time putting up the offense to get this one past the posted number.

We can’t overstate how big this game is for the Mavs. They got off to a slow start, in part because of injuries, but they are getting healthy again and they just got spanked in consecutive games in Utah. This team is much better than they have been playing. It’s still early in the season, but this is almost a must win game to keep the season from falling apart and help team morale. We believe this team will get back on the right track, and we think that will start here vs. Phoenix.

The Lakers started the season better than we expected after winning the NBA Finals what seems like last week. But they have hit the wall lately, with consecutive losses, a legit one at Philly and then a concerning blowout at Detroit. Things don’t get easier tonight as they face one of their biggest rivals as the road trip drags on. Anthony Davis is questionable here, but even if he does play we think the Celtics have a great chance here. They always get up for the Lakers, when they come to town, and they are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #774 Arizona State over Stanford (8p.m., Saturday, January 30 ESPN2) Arizona State got back on track Thursday with a win against California and should get better as February nears with a full team back and playing. Stanford is coming off an impressive win against Arizona last time out, but they are still depleted and that will eventually catch up to them. They got blown out in their two previous road games before beating Arizona and I just do not see them winning this game tonight in Tempe. The home team is 14-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 20 meetings between Stanford and Arizona State. Stanford is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #670 Oklahoma State over Arkansas (4p.m., Saturday, January 30 ESPN2) This play is about going against Arkansas, as they appear to be overrated again this year after playing a weak nonconference schedule. They have only beaten the bottom teams in the SEC, and I think they will struggle to make the NCAA Tournament. The Cowboys continue to improve and will enter this game having won 3 of their last 4 Big 12 games. Cade Cunningham is probable for this game and that will put them over the top and allow them to win this game by close to double digits. Arkansas is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games. Oklahoma State is 8-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #655 Wisconsin over Penn State (3p.m., Saturday, January 30 BTN) Wisconsin grinded out a win against Maryland on the road this week and expect them to do it again in State College. Penn State is just 2-6 in conference play and I do not see them being able to complete with the top teams in the league. The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 matchups and Wisconsin is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #610 Georgetown over Providence (1p.m., Saturday, January 30 FS1) The Hoyas are back after a long pause and I see them being able to take this game down to the wire. The Friars have been up and down this season, but I just do not believe they are good enough to be laying this many points against anyone on the road. The underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.

These teams played Wednesday and the Jazz made it look easy in a 12-point win. Despite heavy action on the suddenly in-vouge Jazz, this line has remained the same that it was on Wednesday, and that tells us that the bookies want action on the Jazz here. We will side with the sportsbooks. Dallas has gotten off to a slow start but this team is finally getting healthy. And they aren’t too far off from the Jazz as far as top teams in the West. They will bring their A Game tonight as they need this win to get back on the right track.

The Clippers played a wild game on Thursday where their bench (starters now with three normal starters out) erupted in the third quarter with a huge offensive output. The total still stayed under the opening number. Just don’t see them doing well offensively on a back-to-back. The Clippers have been playing great defense lately and we see that continuing tonight, but the Magic have the upper hand as they are rested. We see the Magic pulling away late in a low-scoring game.

The Clippers played a wild game on Thursday where their bench (starters now with three normal starters out) erupted in the third quarter with a huge offensive output. The total still stayed under the opening number. Just don’t see them doing well offensively on a back-to-back. The Clippers have been playing great defense lately and we see that continuing tonight, but the Magic have the upper hand as they are rested. We see the Magic pulling away late in a low-scoring game.

We think this is a good spot for the home favorite. The Wizards have hit rock bottom pretty much and there is nowhere to go but up, and we think this is a good Buy Low team right now. This team has been a mess this season with new additions and subtractions and then getting hit by Covid and a bunch of games cancelled. But they have a couple games under their belts now. They are starting to get healthy again. This is their first home game since Jan 11. This is a bad spot for the Hawks after facing a murderer’s row of opponents – Nets, Clippers and Bucks – and they have the Lakers on deck next. So if there was a game they would give less than full effort, this is it.

The Pacers have been playing well, winning three of their last four, while the Hornets have lost six of seven after starting off the season playing well. These teams played last time out and the Pacers won easy, and normally we would go the other way with these quick turnarounds. But we just think Indiana matches up so well here. They have covered in all of the last four meetings, and they are in much better form right now.

4 Unit Play. Take #856 Cleveland State over Green Bay (7p.m., Friday, January 29 ESPN3) The Phoenix are much improved but do not see them being able to stay with the Vikings at home. Cleveland State sits atop the standings in the Horizon League and it is important that they sweep this series to remain atop the standings. The Vikings are 6-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games as a home favorite.

4 Unit Play. Take #772 Over in California @ Arizona State (11p.m., Thursday, January 28 FS1) Both of these teams’ trend towards the over and that is what we will side with this evening. Cal has gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 11 games. Arizona State has gone over the posted total in 8 of their last 11 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Warriors are trending to the over with four straight and five of six going over the posted total. Their offense is really humming right now. They just played consecutive games against the Timberwolves, which was essentially target practice for them as they scored 130 and 123 in winning both games. That really got them in a great rhythm and we just don’t see the Suns slowing them down tonight. We think both teams get their points tonight in what should be a shootout.

The Clippers are without three of their big guns, most likely through the weekend, in Kawhi, PG and Pat Bev. They managed only 99 points last time out with the limited roster in a loss at Atlanta. We don’t see them doing much tonight, either, on offense. Miami is not as good on defense this season as we are accustomed to, but their offense is among the worst in the NBA, so we don’t see them putting up a crazy total against a Clips team that has been playing stellar defense and has the players on the court tonight to continue that trend.

Detroit has been an incredible underdog play this season when getting five or more points as they are 9-3 in these situations so far. They played a very bad game yesterday in that loss to Cleveland, but they were probably looking ahead to this matchup. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back, and the Lakers lost a nailbiter to the Sixers. The Pistons have covered in six of the last eight meetings, and we think that trend will continue tonight.

The Mavs have been road warriors, cashing six of their last seven road games against the spread. This team has not played to expectations this season yet, but they have excuses. They have had their roster decimated but they should be as healthy as we have seen in a long time. Utah is playing the best basketball in the NBA right now. But they come in on a back-to-back after a crazy comeback last night against the Knicks. They expended so much energy in that comeback, and we don’t know how much they will have left in the tank here. We could see the Mavs pulling away late in the game when the Jazz run out of gas.

5 Unit Play. Take #701 Wisconsin over Maryland (9p.m., Wednesday, January 27 BTN) Wisconsin has bounced back this year after loses and tonight should be no different. Throw in the fact that they have revenge, as Maryland upset them earlier this season in Madison. Maryland has 3 impressive road wins but also has home losses to all the top teams in the conference at home. The Terrapins are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #688 Arkansas over Ole Miss (8:30p.m., Wednesday, January 27 SECN) The spread has been coming down this morning and now it falls into a number where we feel comfortably playing the home team Razorbacks. Arkansas has won 2 straight games to get back on track and should be able to win this game by 7-9 points. Ole Miss is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 road games. Arkansas is 9-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 home games.

The Kings are 1-4 on the road this season. They are in for a tough task tonight to get their second road win. The Magic are off to a slow start. But this is a better ballclub than they have played so far. And they are better than the Kings. They have showed promise lately. They have won two of their last four, but they were very competitive in all those games, losing to the Pacers on the road in OT and losing to Charlotte by 3 in the first game of a back-to-back against them where they won by 9 the following night. The Kings have won one of their last five, against the Knicks, and they have covered in only two of their last 10 despite some very favorable lines from the oddsmakers. The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five as a home favorite and we think they are undervalued here tonight.

Utah has been playing as well as anybody in the league lately, but we think the oddsmakers have overpriced them here. The Knicks are much improved this season and they have the No. 1 defense in the NBA for points allowed. They have covered in four of their last five games, so they are playing beyond the oddsmakers expectations right now but they aren’t on the radar of casual bettors. For Utah this is a bad spot. They are coming off a win against Golden State and have two matchups against Dallas upcoming. So they won’t be focused on an out of conference team that is not a playoff contender. They don’t need to give full effort here and probably won’t, and they can still win. But that Knicks defense should keep the score respectable and keep them within double digits.  

5 Unit Play. Take #641 Georgia Tech over Duke (9p.m., Tuesday, January 26 ESPN) Duke is not the same Duke team that we have grown accustom to under Coach K. The Blue Devils have lost 3 straight games and I just do not see a blowout in this game. Duke is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite. Georgia Tech is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. The road team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Georgia Tech and Duke.

4 Unit Play. Take #622 Over in Oklahoma @ Texas (7p.m., Tuesday, January 26 ESPN2) The Longhorns have been an over team of late going higher than the posted total in 6 straight games. Oklahoma has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 8 road games (1 push). Expect this to be a competitive game where both teams reach the low 70s in scoring giving us the win with the over with whoever comes out on top.

Always a good thing for a struggling team when Minnesota rolls into town. The Warriors are coming off two straight losses and this looks like a good get right game for them. At 4-11 the Wolves are one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. They are coming off a rare win and rare offensive explosion last time out against the Pelicans. They scored 120 on that game, but they had failed to reach the Century Mark in four of their last five games. In today’s NBA that’s really bad. We don’t see them replicating their output from that last game tonight, and we think the Warriors can get their points and that this one can still go under in a likely blowout.

Always a good thing for a struggling team when Minnesota rolls into town. The Warriors are coming off two straight losses and this looks like a good get right game for them. At 4-11 the Wolves are one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. They are coming off a rare win and rare offensive explosion last time out against the Pelicans. They scored 120 on that game, but they had failed to reach the Century Mark in four of their last five games. In today’s NBA that’s really bad. We don’t see them replicating their output from that last game tonight, and we think the Warriors can get their points and that this one can still go under in a likely blowout.

4 Unit Play. Take #864 West Virginia over Texas Tech (9p.m., Monday, January 25 ESPN) I am not as high on Texas Tech as others and feel they should not be this low of number on the road. They are coming off a tough home loss to Baylor last time out and I do not believe they will be able to get up for this game tonight in Morgantown. West Virginia has only played one game since January 10th, but they got back on track Saturday with an easy win against Kansas State. Texas Tech is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. West Virginia is 25-9 ATS in their last 34 home games against teams with a winning road record.