The Knicks are the superior team, in our opinion, and the Pistons are in a bad spot here with some injuries and on a back-to-back after a hard fought game against the Cavaliers on Sunday. The Knicks were off Sunday and had time to regroup after losing their third straight to a rejuvenated Philly squad on Saturday. We just don’t see the Knicks losing four straight and this team should really bring their A Game tonight. They have won and covered three straight in Detroit stretching back to the playoffs, and they will be confident they can pick up the win tonight in enemy territory. Detroit looked good on Sunday, but they have covered in only two of their last six and have won two of five. They just aren’t in peak form tonight, and we think the Knicks are by far the more motivated team here.

3 Unit Play. Take #874 Ohio State over Nebraska (6:30p.m., Monday, January 5 FS1) It end’s tonight! Nebraska will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten against a good Ohio State team that is playing at home. The Cornhuskers are coming off a tough victory against the Spartans on Friday and I expect a letdown in this game. The Buckeyes have beaten the Huskers two of the last three meetings and they need this game more to improve their resume. They will pull away late and win by six to eight points.

Cleveland matches up very well with the Pistons and they have won nine of ten against them and covered in four of the last six. These teams are going in opposite directions right now as Cleveland has won three straight, while the Pistons have lost three of four. Detroit has covered in only one of their last five, and the Cavs are on a 5-1 ATS run. Duren is out for Detroit today, so things won’t get any easier missing a starter. All the sudden Cleveland is playing the way they were expected to, and they have shown a lot of confidence during this winning streak. It was obvious they would put it all together at some point, and this looks like that time. This is a huge game for them, and we expect a comfortable win today.

The Celtics have won three straight meetings and five of six. We expect them to get the win here also. The Clippers have won six straight to climb back into the playoff race, but we just don’t think this team is that good. Kawhi Leonard is playing like a man on a mission lately, but he has shown in recent years that he can’t sustain that level of play, and just when you think this Clippers team has turned a corner, they usually play a bad game. The oddsmakers truly are back behind the Clippers as we had the Celtics handicapped as a slight road favorite here. Boston is one of the best ATS teams this season and the Clippers one of the worst. We expect LA’s winning streak to come to a screeching halt tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #758 Wisconsin +6.5 over Purdue (8p.m., Saturday, January 3 FOX) Wisconsin is soft this season but they are desperate for a quad one win. They are always a tough out at the Kohl Center and I believe that they can take this game down to the wire. Wisconsin has beaten Purdue two straight games, and they are a perfect 8-0 at home this season. Purdue is not as strong inside this year and that is the weakness of Wisconsin. I expect the Badgers to make some shots from the arc and keep this game within reach for 40 minutes.

2 Unit Play. Take #864 Rutgers over Ohio State (8p.m., Friday, January 2 Peacock) The Scarlet Knights are not very good this season, but they are playing at Jersey’s Mike’s Arena and I believe they can keep this game within single digits. Notre Dame and Pittsburgh are similar teams to Rutgers and Ohio State struggled to win both of those games. They beat Notre Dame by one point but lost to Pittsburgh by one point. I think they will be a low scoring game, and we will grab the points.

Two straight and four of the last five meetings have gone over. We think this matchup will follow that pattern. These teams have been playing some OK defense lately but we think this matchup of bad teams will produce a game where both teams will get their share of the total. The Wizards are the second worse defensive team in the league. When these teams met here in November the Nets put up 129, and we could see a big scoring night for them tonight. Their offense has been inconsistent, but this looks like a possible breakout game for them, and they are trending to the over recently, with three of the last four games going over. The Wizards have gone under their last few games but they have been a strong over team all season, mainly because of that defense, and we are getting a low number as a result. We have some players out here for both teams but we don’t think that will be a factor and we think this has the possibility to be a close game and expect both teams to contribute their share on this total.

3 Unit Play. Take #766 Little Rock (pk) over Tennessee Tech (6p.m., Thursday, January 1 ESPN+) John Pelphrey has not been able to get Tennessee Tech on track during this tenure and I see him struggling again in 2026. Little Rock is 5-1 in the head to head in this matchup and playing at home will put them over the top.

2 Unit Play. Take #722 Georgetown +9.5 over St. Johns (8p.m., Wednesday, December 31 FS1) Georgetown is getting better and I feel St. Johns is overrated this year. This is a lot of points to be laying in a true road game against conference opponents. I feel this game will go down to the wire and we will cash this ticket with whoever grinds out a victory.

This number has been overadjusted and is too high. The Hawks have been playing in some high scoring games lately, but Minnesota has been playing excellent defense overall and we think this one will likely wind up in the 130s. Will be a high scoring game but won’t make it into the 140s or higher. The Timberwolves have had only one game in their last eight that has gone into the 140s, and that was the OT game against Denver where the total was well under the posted total when the game went to OT (we remember this one well as we had a big play on the under). If that game had avoided OT, six of the last eight for the Wolves would have gone under. These teams have gone under in three straight meetings, and the last meeting didn’t even get to 200 in a 100-92 Timberwolves win. The highest total we saw in those three games was 121.

The Clippers seem to be back to being a competitive team. They have won and covered four straight, and three of those were against legit championship contenders. Kawhi Leonard is playing otherworldly basketball right now and may have had his best game as a Clipper against the Pistons last time out with 55 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks. One of the best games of his career, and Harden is playing well too. After digging a big hole for themselves they have to take every game seriously as they try and climb back into the playoff race. Luckily, they face a very beatable Kings team that is going nowhere fast. This team is even worse ATS than the Clippers, and they have had the benefit of getting lots of points on a nightly basis from the oddsmakers.

2 Unit Play. Take #622 Wisconsin over Milwaukee (7p.m., Tuesday, December 30 BTN) Wisconsin is not a tough team this year, but they have bullied the weaker teams on their schedule. They are getting Milwaukee after playing a game last night and I do not expect the Panthers to have much left in the tank for this game. Wisconsin avoid playing this game in recent years and I see them winning tonight by 28+ points.

The Spurs are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. They had a hiccup last time out in a loss to the Jazz but a letdown after their epic Christmas Day win over the Thunder was expected. They should be very motivated to get back on track here. The Cavs have been very inconsistent and they have been one of the worst ATS team all season. They certainly seem overvalued in this one. The Spurs have covered in five of the last seven meetings, and this is definitely the best San Antonio team the Cavs have faced. Cleveland won earlier this month at home vs the Spurs, but we think that this is a great spot for San Antonio to get their revenge.

2 Unit Play. Take #846 Louisiana Tech -2 over UTEP (7:30p.m., Monday, December 29 ESPN+) Look for the Bulldogs to win this game at home. They have won 2 of their last 3 games but 2 of those wins came against non-division one teams. Nonetheless they built confidence in those game and that should allow them to take down a 4-7 UTEP team tonight. La Tech has won 3 of the last 4 games against UTEP.

The Clippers have won three straight, but we don’t think this is a good team. They are being overvalued against a healthy Pistons team tonight. The Clippers are notorious for looking like they have turned a corner only to lay an egg in a game like this, and we expect a comfortable Pistons win here. Detroit is 11-5 on the road, while the Clippers are 5-8 at home. Detroit has a winning ATS record, while LA is 11-19 ATS on the season despite three straight covers. The Clippers have owned this series for years, but this is a different Pistons team. It’s worth noting that Detroit has covered in eight of the last ten meetings.

2 Unit Play. Take #745 Over 152.5 in Gonzaga @ Pepperdine (8p.m., Sunday, December 28 ESPN+) The Bulldogs have gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 games. That includes an going over the posted total 4 straight games. The Waves have gone over the posted total in their last two games. We will not worry if Gonzaga can cover this big number and instead just focus on the over.

The Nets are a team we always thought would be a sneaky good ATS team this season but early in the season they were on the wrong end of a lot of blowouts. But this team has been improving over the course of the early season and we are starting to see the team we envisioned at the outset. They have covered in four straight games and five of six. They have won two straight outright, and three of four. Minnesota is going to be overvalued by the oddsmakers almost every night. They have been one of the worst teams in the NBA ATS this season. And this team often plays down to its competition in games like this and doesn’t give 100 percent effort. They usually wind up with a win but not the cover. We could see a hangover also from their epic OT Christmas game against the Nuggets, and we think the Nets keep this one within double digits.

Boston has to be pissed they were snubbed for the Christmas Day game after playing in that game the past eight years. This team has shown they are still elite and deserved to be there. We think they will take it out on the lowly Pacers. The Pacers are a dumpster fire and their home court advantage has evaporated as they have lost three straight here. Indiana has one of the worst offenses in the league and they only managed 95 points when these teams played on Monday. They followed that up with a 94-point effort against Milwaukee on Tuesday. We don’t see them doing much better than they did Monday, but Boston has a chance to put up more points on offense.

Sometimes in the modern day NBA bookies just have to slap a high total on teams with good offensive players and hope for the best. Denver is one of the top over teams in the NBA and Minnesota is one of the top under teams. We think Minnesota will really establish strong defense here. Six of their last eight opponents have scored 108 or less. That's elite defense in this day and age. Denver has some noteworthy injuries tonight, and we don't see their offense working at the highest level, which it would take to top this total, in this game. This is a crucial division matchup on a national stage, and we think both teams will ramp up the intensity on the defensive end. Last year both of these teams played in low scoring games on Christmas, as Minnesota beat Dallas 105-99 and Denver lost to Phoenix, 110-100. Minnesota has gone under in five straight, while Denver has gone under in two of their last three.

These teams have gone over in four straight meetings. The Rockets will push the pace here and they have the third best offense in the league, averaging 121 points per game exactly on the season. The Clippers are coming off a low scoring game against the Lakers last time out but they won’t hold the Rockets to 88 points like they did the Lakers. Because of that game we think the oddsmakers overadjusted this total. These teams played two weeks ago and the total reached 228. We don’t see a reason this one would come in almost 10 points lower than that game.

Detroit is one of the best teams in the NBA and they are also a strong ATS team and strong road team. We think they get the job done against this banged-up Portland club tonight. Portland has won three straight, and the win over the Warriors was solid. But their two wins against Sacramento didn’t impress, and they didn’t even cover in either of those games. Detroit has won four straight in this series, and that includes consecutive covers here in Portland.

2 Unit Play. Take #828 Missouri +10 over Illinois (8p.m., Monday, December 22 FS1) I am not as high on Illinois this season as some people are. They are coming off a home loss to Nebraska, and I do not see them winning this rivalry game by double digits in the state of Missouri. The Tigers do not have any quality wins this season and this is their last chance to get one during nonconference play. It means more to them and I see this game doing down to the wire.

A couple years ago you could blindly bet on the Clippers in this matchup and win most of the time. We always said this is a one-sided rivalry as the Lakers are the Clippers biggest rival, but the Lakers have a lot of more traditional rivals they have cultivated over the years. But this Clippers team is so bad now. Their stars know they could be on the way out of town any day now and they just don’t get much support from a very underwhelming supporting cast. Kawhi has definitely lost a step, and there aren’t really many players who can step up late if the game is close. We don’t expect this to be close, however, and think the Lakers will earn a comfortable win.

8 Unit Play. Take #661 Over 146.5 in Arkansas vs Houston (5:30p.m., Saturday, December 20 CBS) NONCONFERENCE COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME OF THE YEAR Just feel both of these teams are solid on offense and this is a low total that is based on the history of Houston Basketball under Kelvin Sampson. I do not believe Houston will play a grind out defense against this Arkansas team that can score points in a variety of ways. Houston has not suffocated the better teams on their schedule thus far in 2025, giving up at least 72 points to Auburn, Syracuse, and Tennessee. Houston is also scoring points of late hitting 80 points or more in their last 3 games.

Arkansas is averaging 90 points per game this season, good for 21st in the country in points per game. They have scored at least 80 points in their last 7 games including putting 93 points on the board against Texas Tech last Saturday. This team wins game by outscoring their opponents and I see them reaching at least 75 points in this game. I believe Duke is a better defensive team than Houston and the total points in that game finished at 151. I see this game finishing around 155. The Cougars have gone over the posted total in 2 of their last 3 games. This is a very low total for the Razorbacks game and they have way over the posted number in their last two games. Finally, all 3 meetings between these two programs have gone over this posted number on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #874 Wisconsin over Villanova (8p.m., Friday, December 19 FOX) Wisconsin is soft but I believe they have enough talent to beat a rebuilding Villanova team in Milwaukee on Friday night. Playing in Milwaukee gives Wisconsin a major edge in home crowd fans and they need this game more. Wisconsin does not have many quality wins this season and this is a chance for a possible quad one victory in nonconference play come March.

Miami was one of the best ATS teams to start the season but they have really fallen off lately and are close to a 50 percent ATS team. They have covered only two of their last ten games, which shows they are overrated by the oddsmakers. We think this line is off as well. Boston did lose their last two both SU and ATS, but before those tough games (vs. Detroit and at Milwaukee), they were on a 10-2 run both ATS and SU. They have had a few nights off to regroup from the losses, and we think they will be fired up for this matchup. They usually are, as Boston has won and covered in six of the last seven meetings. Miami scored a rare win here in Boston last time these teams met, and we have no doubt that the Celtics remember that game. Miam has played very well at home this season but are only 5-8 on the road, and we think Boston will win comfortably here tonight.

Just think this line is a bit inflated and the Jazz have played well at home. They have the shooters to challenge for the win if the shots fall, and these teams met here in Utah late last month and the game was close, with the Lakers earning a two-point win. Utah has covered three straight meetings at home, and they always raise their level of play when the Lake Show come to town.

3 Unit Play. Take #691 Georgetown +5.5 over Marquette (8:30p.m., Wednesday, December 17 FS1) The Hoyas have not had much success against the Golden Eagles in recent meetings, but this is the year everyone can get Marquette. Not taking transfers has set back this program and they are coming off back to back pounding by Purdue and Marquette. Georgetown struggled as well against better teams, but this is a conference game and they already beat Maryland, a team that won in Milwaukee earlier this year.

We are always looking for spots to fade the Timberwolves, who are one of the worst teams ATS this season and a team that seems like they will continue to fail to cover spreads all season. They are overrated by the oddsmakers and they don’t care about winning pretty or winning big and just want to be in a good place once the postseason starts. Memphis all the sudden is playing to their potential and have won three of four and six of eight. They have seven covers in their last ten games. We expect a close game here.

Both teams are playing incredibly well right now but the Spurs have covered a lot vs. the Knicks and even though these teams don’t play often, they have covered in five of the last six and they have won two of the last three outright. The Spurs have had a tougher schedule lately and we just like them a little more than the Knicks right now and on a neutral court for this NBA Cup Final we thought a PK would be more appropriate for a line but we will take the points here as we think this one could go down to the wire and we feel San Antonio has a great chance to grab the hardware.

3 Unit Play. Take #629 Oral Roberts +5 over Missouri State (8p.m., Tuesday, December 16 ESPN+) Both of these teams have similar records, and I see this game going right down to the wire. The total has dropped a bunch and when that happens that is usually a good indicator to play the underdog. The Golden Eagles are coming off two straight wins and have covered the spread in 6 of the 10 games against the Bears.

2 Unit Play. Take #763 Over 140.5 in Charlotte @ Charleston (4p.m., Sunday, December 14 FloSports) The Cougars are at home and should be able to score in the high seventies in this game. That is something they have done in 3 straight games and I see it happening again on Sunday. Chalotte got embarrassed on offense last time out and I look for a bounce back today.

We think the Spurs are a team that can threaten the OKC dynasty that looks like it will likely happen. They have been stockpiling top tier young talent, and the cornerstone is Wembanyama, who return to action here in this NBA Cup semi-final matchup. The Spurs have been one of the teams that has consistently covered against the Thunder. They have covered in two of the last three meetings and three of the last five. We think at this point the Thunder are the better team, but we definitely think San Antonio will keep this one within double digits. No blowout tonight!

4 Unit Play. Take #602 Texas Tech over Arkansas (12p.m., Saturday, December 13 ESPN2) This game is being played in Dallas and is a rematch of the Sweet 16 game last year. Arkansas blew that game and I see that having a carryover effect into this game. Both teams are 7-2 this season but I see Texas Tech rounding into form after their blowout win over LSU last time out.

We have to hold our noses here and pick the Timberwolves in this matchup. They have been a poor ATS team but have faltered laying big numbers but we like them as a slim underdog tonight. We like the Wolves deep roster to compete to win this one even if Anthony Edwards plays, but lock in your bets soon as if he suits up the line will move. The Wolves won and covered four straight, including the last two in the Bay Area, and we think they are a sharp pick today. 

The Clippers are in a world of trouble and there are trade rumors swirling around their two best players and it looks like this team is headed for a long rebuild. They have fallen way below expectations this season and team morale has to be at an all time low. That’s not good when facing the Rockets, a team that has already surpassed their strong expectations and is playing playoff caliber basketball in the first half of the season. They are one of the top ATS teams in the league and they usually take care of business against bad teams with blowouts. We expect more of the same tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #661 Wisconsin +2 over Nebraska (9p.m., Wednesday, December 10 BTN) The Badgers have experience and I just do not believe the Cornhuskers are battle tested for this game. Wisconsin has won 7 of the last 10 meetings with Nebraska including a 28 points victory the last time these teams met in early 2025. Wisconsin has great balance and if they make shots from the arc they will come out on top. I see a letdown coming for the Cornhuskers after beating Creighton on Sunday, their in-state rival.

These teams already played in the NBA Cup and the Suns kept things close, but now they are likely without Booker for this game and also we can see the Suns coming back to reality a bit after they were one of the best ATS teams to start the season. That cover in the NBA Cup group stage was the Suns first cover against OKC in seven tries. OKC can see the Cup on the horizon, so they will probably raise their level of play here from the group stage, and they had some massive wins in group play. Both teams are struggling with some injury issues, but OKC has superior depth and first-class players who can step in for injured guys and they won’t miss a beat.

3 Unit Play. Take #610 Ball State +6.5 over South Dakota State (7p.m., Tuesday, December 9 ESPN+) Just expect this game to go down to the wire and we will grab the points with the home underdog. The Jackrabbits have lost 3 of their last 4 games and those came against mid-majors in Utah Valley, UC Irvine, and Idaho. SDSU does not really have a go to player and that will hurt them on the road in Muncie.

Miami has covered in four straight meetings and we like them to win outright here at a PK line as they have been underrated by the oddsmakers all year and they are probably thinking the NBA Cup is a more realistic goal this season rather than the NBA Championship. Orlando’s to scorer, Franz Wagner, could miss a month with an ankle sprain and the Magic are trending downward. This team has been overrated by the oddsmakers all season long and they also have been inconsistent. This is a quick revenge spot for the Heat, who lost by a point on Friday. But Wagner had 32 of Orlando’s 106 points, and it will be tough for them to replace him.

2 Unit Play. Take #306535 Over 153.5 in Southern @ Texas (8p.m., Monday, December 8 SEC Network) Texas has been scoring points and not defending much in the process and thus that sets up a strong play with the over. The Longhorns have gone over the posted total in their last 4 lined games. Look for that trend to continue on Monday and we will not worry if Texas can cover this big number and just focus on the over.

One of the best ATS teams in the league (Phoenix) against one of the worst (Minnesota), getting double digits. We will bite. Booker remains out for the Suns and Brooks is questionable here but if he were to play that would be another good factor for us. But the Suns have some players that can get the job done even with a short rotation and they have been playing good, fundamental team basketball, which is the reason they have had a surprising season so far and have been a great bet all season. Minnesota always seems to play to their level of competition and when this team wins it’s often not by enough to cover big numbers like this.

4 Unit Play. Take #794 Washington State +2.5 over Nevada (5p.m., Sunday, December 7 ESPN+) Just do not trust Nevada laying points in this true road game. Washington State is desperate for a win after losing 3 straight games and playing in the Pullman is always a tough task. Throw in the bad blood of poaching teams from Nevada’s league and I see this game going down to the wire with the Cougars coming out on top by 2 or 3 points.

The Clippers are on a back-to-back here while the Timberwolves are fresh and healthy. You never know if they will pull Kawhi Leonard right before the game, so we could get even more value here. The Clippers have no other players other than Kawhi and Harden who can score when needed. That was evident at Memphis last night when the game was close at the end and no one could make a shot and the Grizzlies cruised to a win. Both teams have been horrible ATS but someone has to cover here and we believe in the Timberwolves even though they have underachieved. They have won four straight entering this game, and they are starting to turn things around. They have won eight of the last nine meetings and they covered in six of those games.

2 Unit Play. Take #604 Purdue -5 over Iowa State (12p.m., Saturday, December 4 CBS) Playing Purdue is always a tough task, but it is even tougher when playing them at Mackey Arena. Both teams are 8-0, but Iowa State has not played as difficult of a schedule as Purdue has. St. Johns and Creighton are not as strong this season, whereas Purdue has beaten Texas Tech and Alabama. The crowd will be into this game and Purdue will pull away at some point and win it by double digits.

Phoenix is the best ATS team so far this season but Houston is not far behind, and they have a habit of blowing the Suns out when these teams meet. Phoenix lost Devin Booker for at least a few games as he exited their win over the Lakers early with a groin injury. Some players stepped up in his absence, but Houston will have a good gameplan ready. The Rockets are playing about as well as any team in the league right now, and you know Durant will want to have a good showing against his former team. Houston has won and covered in eight of ten meetings, including three straight. The last two have been blowouts, including a meeting in Phoenix a couple weeks ago, and we expect to see more of the same tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #727 SMU over Vanderbilt (9:15p.m., Wednesday, December 3 SEC Network) Vanderbilt is having a resurgence in football and basketball but I see them having a letdown tonight after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis last week. SMU is also undefeated on the season and Andy Enfield is a good coach that will get SMU into the Big Dance. We will grab the points with them tonight.

The Bulls have had a tough run of it lately but they have been on the road a lot and have played some tough games against good teams. Eight of their last ten games have been on the road. But they are back at home tonight and five of the next six are at home, and this is a chance to turn the season around. The Bulls are 6-2 at home this season and have covered a lot of spreads here. Brooklyn is one of the better teams in the league they could start their homestand against. Brooklyn has a losing ATS record despite getting some very generous lines. They have played a little better lately, but they have covered some games against teams that probably knew they could win without giving 100 percent. But the Bulls don’t have that luxury as they are in desperate need of a win here. Brooklyn is coming off a rare win vs Charlotte and this team is Fat and Happy and they aren’t even trying to win a lot of games this season with no hopes of any postseason glory. The Bulls have won the last two meetings by a combined 22 points, and we expect another double-digit win here.

This game should be a blowout and the key here is to if the Wizards can get their share of the total. The Philly defense has given up a lot of points lately, and two of their last three opponents put up 140+. They give up 119 per game. Washington recently had that dud against the Pacers where they scored only 86, but they put up 129 against the Bucks and 132 against the Hawks. They can definitely get their share of the total. And the Wizards have the worst defense in the league by far, allowing 128 per game. This one will be a barnburner, and both teams trend to the over on the season.

7 Unit Play. Take #610 Michigan State -5 over Iowa (7p.m., Tuesday, December 2 Peacock) One of these teams will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten on Tuesday when the Hawkeyes head to Breslin Center to open up Big 10 play. Michigan State is the more battle tested team in this matchup, and they do not want to start 0-1 in conference play after a great nonconference portion of the season. Iowa has a new coach and system, and I do not expect them to be able to compete in this game and keep the deficit under double-digits. The Spartans have taken the Hawkeyes lightly in the past but that will not be the case tonight.

We think this total is too high anyways, but we also think the Clippers might circle the wagons and play a strong defensive game here. This is too early in the season for a Must Win Game, but LA was a title contender entering the season and they are seeing their season slipping away. They just lost home games to the Mavs and Grizzlies as big favorites. Miami plays at the fastest pace in the league but the Clippers are one of the slowest teams. The Clippers don’t want a shootout here as they have only two players who can consistently score points, and their bench is ineffective in that area. Miami played in a shootout against Detroit last time out, but overall their offense has not looked as good lately and the Clippers have had their struggles. Two straight and three of four for LA have gone under. Two of three for the Heat have gone under. Four of the last six meetings overall have gone under the posted total.

2 Unit Play. Take Iona -1.5 over Delaware (7p.m., Monday, December 1 ESPN+) The Gaels took a bad loss last time out, but I expect them to recover in this game. Iona is averaging over 84 points per game, nearly 16 points per game more than what Delaware is averaging. Just do not think the Blue Hens can keep pace in this game.

This is simply too many points. The Hornets have some momentum, as they beat the Bulls on Friday here in Charlotte. While a back-to-back is always tough, getting it at home lessens the blow. Toronto has been a covering machine this season, but they have missed the cover in two of their last three, which indicates these lines might be getting inflated. These teams met in Toronto less than two weeks ago and the Hornets lost by only two. We think they match up decently here with the Raptors, and we expect a close game here.

3 Unit Play. Take #667 Wisconsin over TCU (5:30p.m., Friday, November 28 FS1) TCU went all out to beat an overrated Florida team yesterday and I do not believe that they have much left in the tank for Friday. Wisconsin cruised to a victory on Thursday and shot the ball well from long range. They won by 19 points despite their best players going 2-10 from the field. The Badgers will win this game by double digits, and we will collect with them on two straight days.

2 Unit Play. Take #654 Nevada over San Francisco (2p.m., Friday, November 28 TruTV) Do not believe Nevada is as bad as they showed yesterday. The are playing a mid-major and I do not think they will lose this game by double digits.

2 Unit Play. Take #848 Stanford over Minnesota (9:30p.m., Thursday, November 27 CBS Sports Network) No bet against Minnesota in college basketball is ever a bad bet. They are rebuilding this year and I see them struggling in this tournament.

2 Unit Play. Take #854 Wisconsin over Providence (5:30p.m., Thursday, November 27 FS1) This tournament appears to be set up for Wisconsin and Florida to meet in the finals tomorrow and that is how I see it going on Thanksgiving. Wisconsin got run out of the gym against BYU, but Providence does not have that type of offensive production. This is a high total and I expect Wisconsin to pull away late and win this game by double digits.

2 Unit Play. Take #843 Washington over Nevada (4:30p.m., Thursday, November 27 CBS Sports Network) Just not sure Nevada can keep pace in this game. Washington lost last year in Reno and thus they will have revenge on their minds in this game in Palm Springs. Nevada is not shooting it well and that will be the difference this afternoon.

3 Unit Play. Take #776 Michigan +2.5 over Gonzaga (9:30p.m., Wednesday, November 26 TNT) Will gladly grab the points with Michigan in this Championship Game. The Wolverines are for real and they have played a challenging schedule thus far in 2025. The Bulldogs have also been impressive this season, but they have yet to be in a competitive game and that will allow the Wolverines to grind out this game late in the second half.

The Grizzlies have lots of dysfunction and bad karma, but the Pelicans are right there with them in that department, and they have a worse roster. Memphis should win this one going away. The Pels got a rare win last time out so they are probably content, as there are no expectations this year. Memphis has been a bit better with wins in two of their last three. They also have won five straight against New Orleans. They have covered in six of the last eight meetings.

The Hawks need this game for any chance in the NBA Cup and they need to score in case of any tiebreakers. They have the perfect team to do this all against as the Wizards are likely the worst team in the NBA this season. They are 1-15 SU and only 4-12 ATS despite some very generous spreads. The Hawks have won the last two meetings by double digits, and we expect more of the same here tonight. Atlanta has had some trouble covering against bottom feeder teams, but they have lots of motivation tonight and there will be no letdown.

3 Unit Play. Take #668 Baylor over St. Johns (4:30p.m., Tuesday, November 25 Tru TV) The Bears are coming off a victory over Creighton on Monday and I feel they are getting too many points in this game. I am not as high on this Red Storm team this year as others are and feel they are overrated. They lost a hard fought game on Monday to Iowa State by one point and I believe that will take something out of them in this game.

3 Unit Play. Take #870 Maryland -2 over UNLV (11:59p.m., Monday, November 24 TNT) Neither one of these teams is very good this season, but I trust Buzz Williams much more as a coach compared to Josh Pastnor. UNLV already has losses to Ut Martin and Montana this season and they have never done well in neutral site games taking place in Las Vegas.

Love the Knicks in this spot. This is a rivalry game so if both teams bring their best, the Knicks should win going away. This isn’t a tough road game for New York, and the Knicks had a comfortable night last night with limited travel. The same can’t be said for the Nets, who played in Toronto on Sunday and now will play their third game in four nights, and they have been on the road for the last two games. Brooklyn has been playing better overall, but this team doesn’t have great depth so they should be very fatigued tonight. The Knicks will be pissed after losing last time out at Orlando, and they have dropped two of three, so they should be focused and ready against an overmatched Nets team. The Knicks have great depth and should not miss Shamet too much tonight. Before this bumpy ride recently that saw them lose two to Orlando and one to Miami, they were playing as well as any team in the NBA and covering a lot of spreads, and we think we should see that version of the Knicks tonight. These teams played earlier in the month at MSG and the Knicks won easy, 134-98. They have covered three of their last four visits to Barclays center, and we think they win this one by 20+.

Kawhi Leonard is expected to play today for the Clippers. Will he be effective after a long absence? He has in the past, but he isn’t getting any younger and he may need some time to gel with the team. Overall this team has had a lot of chemistry problems to start the season. That’s why they are out of the playoff picture and even behind the Utah Jazz, who were expected to be one of the NBA’s worst teams. They have also been a nightmare for bettors. We had them Saturday against the Hornets, but this is a big step up in class and the B2B’s are tough for the oldest team in the NBA. Cleveland has won three of four and is playing well, and we think they will pull away late for a double digit win.

4 Unit Play. Take #306628 Georgia Washington -6 over McNeese (5p.m., Sunday, November 23) This game is from the Cayman Islands Classic. McNeese is not the same team this year without their key players and Coach Will Wade. The Revolutionaries are 5-0 this season and only one of those games was competitive.

The Clippers may be the death of us this season as we have backed them quite a bit and they keep failing, but the value keeps getting better and we just don’t see how they lose this one. It’s very early in the season but this almost seems like a must win game. The Clippers have a winning streak against the Hornets that stretches back years. The Hornets have been just as bad as the Clippers (identical records) but they have played a much easier Eastern Conference schedule. We think LA circles the wagons here today and scores a massive win.

3 Unit Play. Take #306558 Le Moyne +1.5 over Fairfield (1p.m., Saturday, November 22) These are two similar teams, but the Dolphins are undefeated at home this season. The Stags are coming off back-to-back close wins and I see their luck running out on Saturday.

We have been handicapping NBA for more than 25 years, and back in the day we would automatically take the points on spreads this big. But oh, how times have changed. And we have never seen a team like OKC, who are probably going to be a dynasty in the modern era. This team is stacked from top to bottom and they have capable players that can step in and perform even if the team has a rash of injuries. They don’t overlook bad teams and they play well on the road as well as at home. They want to add the Cup to their trophy case, so they should bring their A Game here. They have won by 20+ in both of their last two visits to Utah. Utah has lost their two Cup matchups so far by a total of 62 points. We see another blowout here.

The Clippers have won only one of their last nine, but this team is playing better as indicated by their run of three consecutive covers on this road trip. This team hasn’t started well, but we have to remember they were considered a championship contender when the season started. They still have that talent on the court, even though Kawhi Leonard has predictably been injured and they haven’t played well overall. But we have seen signs. And we feel this line is just begging for Orlando money, and that is where most of the public have been unloading their bets so far. The Magic have been playing well lately. But if you look at the recent games they didn’t play their best, those were against bad teams like Brooklyn and Portland. The Clippers probably fall into that category now as a team that isn’t considered a threat, so this could be a team the Magic overlook, especially with the Knicks, Celtics and Sixers on deck for them. It’s still early in the season, but LA has dug themselves a big hole and they have to start winning games before their playoff aspirations evaporate completely. As of now they are out of even the play-in tournament. This seems like a bigger game for the Clippers, and we like the heart we have seen from them lately. We expect a close game here, so take the points.

3 Unit Play. Take #750 Memphis +15.5 over Purdue (6p.m., Thursday, November 20 CBS Sports Network) Memphis is poorly coached but they have talent and I believe that they can cover this spread. Playing on a neutral site in the early evening I would expect both teams to come out a little cold and feel this game will see Purdue just go through the motions and win it by 10-12 points.

Dallas is just a mess right now and this team has bad karma written all over it. We get the feeling things will get a lot worse before they get better. When a rookie is your best player, there are issues. Their only wins in their last 10 are against Portland and Washington, and they haven’t been covering like a sneaky ATS team as you would expect despite some generous odds from the bookies. The Knicks have lost two of three, but those were at Miami and to Orlando. The Miami loss was by a bucket. So, no harm there. But we just think that makes the Knicks play very hard tonight, because two of three isn’t a huge problem, but three of four is an official slump. So the Knicks will be on their A Game here, and those two losses are the only games in the last eight that New York hasn’t covered.

4 Unit Play. Take #690 Marquette over Dayton (7:30p.m., Wednesday, November 19 Tru TV) The Golden Eagles are coming off a bad loss last time out at home to Maryland, but I expect them to bounce back against Dayton tonight at Fiserv Forum. It is hard to get a good read on the Flyers since they do not have any quality wins this season and lost by 12 to Cincinnati. Marquette is the more desperate team and expect them to win this game by close to double digits.

4 Unit Play. Take #648 Stanford -20.5 over UL Lafayette (10p.m., Tuesday, November 18 ACCN Extra) The Cardinal have played a weak schedule thus far in 2025 and tonight should be no different. This is the weakest team that they have played this season, as the Ragin’ Cajuns are 1-3 with losses to Ball State, Tulane, and McNeese. I see them losing this game by 20+ points tonight at Maples.

Brooklyn started off the season as one of the worst defensive teams where the opponent could get a bucket almost every trip down the court, but Coach Fernandez called his team out on their defensive effort prior to the Toronto matchup and they have responded with three straight excellent defensive efforts, allowing 119, 106 and 105 points in their last three games. Even though Boston is not an elite team this season, this is still the New York/Boston rivalry and a Boston visit to Brooklyn will be one of the bigger home games of the year so we expect the Nets to respond with another solid defensive performance. This could be a letdown spot for the Celtics, who have this game sandwiched between their last game against the Clippers and their next one against the Magic. Both of these teams are in the Bottom 10 offensively this season. Boston is the second ranked defense in the NBA for points allowed. We think this one should go well under the posted total.

4 Unit Play. Take #306518 George Mason -15.5 over Jacksonville (7p.m., Tuesday, November 18 ESPN+) George Mason will move to 5-0 on the season with a 20+ point victory tonight at EagleBank Arena. The Dolphins got blown out by High Point and Miami and the Patriots are better than High Point. George Mason has won by a variety of ways this season including winning by 17 points last time out scoring just 61 points.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #617 Eastern Michigan +1.5 over Detroit (7p.m., Tuesday, November 18 ESPN+) The Eagles are Titans have just two combined wins. This low of a number is a true road game tells me the Eagles are the more talented team. Detroit does not play much defense and that will allow the Eagles to score at will in this game.

The Clippers are on a back-to-back and they expended a bunch of energy in the second half against Boston on Sunday and they fell up short in their big comeback. Kudos to them for not giving up, and for cashing our ticket on them to cover. But this team just looks very old overall and we don’t see them giving the effort to keep this one close after that game yesterday. Philly has some players out, but they have been one of the best bets in the NBA this season and they are always underrated by the oddsmakers. We were going to take them with anything under the key NBA number of 7, and the odds worked out perfectly. Kawhi Leonard remains day to day for LA, and they are so secretive about injuries, but we very much doubt he plays any time soon much less tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #801 St. Joseph’s over Penn (7p.m., Monday, November 17 ESPN+) The Quakers are rebuilding under new coach Fran McCaffrey and I see them struggling this season. They lost to American by 6 and I see them losing to the Hawks by around 8-10 points.

The Clippers have been one of the worst bets in the league and this is not a very good team right now with Kawhi out but we saw some things from them last time out in their OT win over the Mavs and now they could have some positive momentum heading into this one. Boston is only 5-8 ATS, so they have also been overrated by the oddsmakers. They have been alternating wins and losses for the last six games and are coming off a win last time out. This just boils down to this spread being too big and we expect a close game here and if not for the slow start LA would probably be favored here on the road.

2 Unit Play. Take #641 Pacific -6.5 over Cal State Fullerton (5p.m., Saturday, November 15 ESPN+) This is a straight fade against the Titans, as they have lost their last 2 games by double digits. The Tigers should be undefeated on the year and they are better than Fullerton on both sides of the court.

7 Unit Play. Take #886 Washington State over Washington (11p.m., Friday, November 14 ESPN+) This game means a lot more to Wazzou than it does to Washington. Since Washington left the PAC 12 (move the PAC 2), Washington State has been in exile for a couple of years and they want to make a statement in this game. The Cougars are predicted to be a top team in the WCC this season and I do not see them getting run out of their own building tonight in Pullman. The Cougars have held their won against the Huskies winning 6 of the last 10 meetings straight-up. Washington went 2-9 last season in true road games, and they will enter a hostile environment with a game I expect to go down to the wire.

Brooklyn has been getting favorable spreads all season long, yet they are 3-8 ATS. One of those rare covers was last time out, and we know because we were on them against the Raptors, and they covered with a three at the buzzer in garbage time in a game we thought we had lost. And their coach called them out for lack of defense before that game, but Toronto still put up nearly 120. This team might get it together later in the season and be a sneaky good ATS team, but right now they are a good team to go against in spots. In this NBA Cup matchup, we think Orlando will bring their A Game. They have a chance to win this whole thing, so this will be a crucial game for them and one they won’t overlook. After a slow start, they have won five of their last seven games, and they have covered in every win. They have also covered in five of the last six against Brooklyn.

Toronto has been playing some great defense lately, and we don’t see the Cavaliers going out and putting up a big enough point total to surpass this inflated total. Cleveland is on a back-to-back even though they rested some guys last night in their win over Miami. They have gone over in five straight (after four straight unders), and we think the bookies have inflated this number as a result. This could be a flat spot on a B2B, and Toronto won’t make things easy for them. Toronto has gone under in five of six, and they have held some good offensive teams to low point totals. This will be a high scoring game, no doubt, but we just think the number they posted is too high.

2 Unit Play. Take #750 Alabama over Purdue (7p.m., Thursday, November 13 ESPN2) I am not as high on Purdue this season and a lot of people are. Playing Alabama earlier in the season in a true road game will be a tough task for them. Alabama already has a quality win this season against St. Johns and Purdue struggled to put away Oakland, a team Michigan pounded earlier this season. Bama still shoots a lot of 3 point shots and I see them having fresh legs early in the season.

2 Unit  Play. Take #725 Over 143.5 in Long Beach State @ Pacific (10p.m., Wednesday, November 12 ESPN+) The Tigers are an improved team this year and should have beaten Nevada in Reno last time out. They scored 78 points in that game and if they do that again this game should go over the posted total. The Tigers are 80.5 points per game this season. The Beach has looked terrible in their first two games, but they are taking a step down in class for this game and I look for them to reach the low 70s in scoring for this game.

The Knicks are on a back-to-back, but we are not bothered by that. They barely broke a sweat in beating the Grizzlies last night for their fifth straight win and cover, and they got to sleep in their own beds last night after the game. New York has won and covered in four of the last five meetings. Orlando has been mediocre on the road, while New York is a perfect 7-0 at home. Just feel like the Magic are still figuring things out, while the Knicks look to already be in mid-season form.

The Nets have stunk this season but we thought this team would hold some betting value this season and this young team has the ability to improve and we think they will start to cover some spreads. Coach Fernandez called out the team publicly for lack of defense and we expect them to respond with a lot of effort tonight on the defensive side. Toronto is 5-5 ATS, so they have been average in that regard and just a couple games better than Brooklyn at covering. This sure looks like a letdown spot to us tonight considering they are coming off their big NBA Cup win over Atlanta and also their game against Philly (blowout loss). They have a massive game at Cleveland on Thursday and they are probably focused more on that one than the lowly Nets, who they know they can beat without giving 100 percent effort.

2 Unit Play. Take Moorhead State +29.5 over Clemson (7p.m., Tuesday, November 11 ACCN+) Lot of points for a go through the motions type of game for Clemson.

Atlanta have improved their defense with offseason moves and we think they are an under team until the oddsmakers adjust the totals downwards. They are 6-4 to the under and the under has hit in consecutive games and three of their last four. The Clippers play at the slowest pace by far in the NBA, and Chris Paul is notorious for slowly bringing the ball down the court as a floor general. These teams don’t meet often, but the under is 6-3-1 in their last 10. We think this number is a bit too high and we think there is a good chance that the Clippers play strong defense tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #306643 Over 147.5 in Lamar @ TCU (8p.m., Monday, November 10 ESPN+) TCU is a big favorite in this game after losing to New Orleans to open up the 2025-2026 season. They scored 104 points last time out against Saint Francis and I see them reaching at least 90 points in this game. That should put us in great position to collect with the over.

After Thursday’s debacle, the Clippers are close to being on our No Play list. But not yet. This situation sets up nicely as a revenge spot after their Clips lost bad in Phoenix on Thursday. Now this one is back in LA. The Clippers should have a better roster with Harden likely to return to the court after missing Thursday’s game for personal reasons. LA is almost in Must Win mode after a poor start to the season. We just think everything is pointing in the direction for the Clippers to score a massive win here.

We thought Brooklyn might be a scrappy team this season and maybe an ATS gem to cover some spreads when getting big odds. But they are just 3-5 ATS despite some very favorable lines from the oddsmakers. Their offense has been pathetic and their defense has looked even worse. Detroit is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now on a four-game win and cover streak. They have been playing lights out defense and have many players who can create opportunities on the offensive end. They have also covered six straight in this series.

7 Unit Play. Take #714 North Carolina -2.5 over Kansas (7p.m., Friday, November 7 ESPN) These two teams have a long history of coaching from one university that coached at the other. Neither team is as highly ranked as they usually are early in the season. This game is much more important to UNC, as they barely made the tournament last year and need a quality nonconference win. It is a home game for the Heels and they have a couple of key transfers that will help them in this game. Kanas is just not as strong as they usually are on paper and were not predicted to be a top 5 team in the Big 12 for the first time in my lifetime. Carolina will use the home crowd to pull away at some point in this game and win it by 8-10 points.

4 Unit Play. Take #306661 Over 149.5 in St. Francis @ TCU (8p.m., Thursday, November 6 TNT) Not sure why this game is on TNT but here we are with TCU losing their buy game to start the season against New Orleans. I see them winning this game and scoring points in the process to get out of their funk. The Red Flash gave up 102 points in their opening game to Oklahoma and expect this game to go over the posted total.

4 Unit Play, Take #664 Northern Iowa -9.5 over Cal State Northridge (8p.m., Thursday, November 6 ESPN+) The Panthers are one of the last teams to open up the college basketball season. They get to take on a very weak Matador team and should win this game by double digits. Ben Jacobson is still the head coach here entering his 20th season and this should be one of his better squads that can compete in the MVC.

4 Unit Play. Take #306650 Miami -16.5 over Bethune Cookman (7p.m., Thursday, November 6 ACCN Extra) Miami pulled away in the second half in their opening game and I see a similar occurrence on Thursday. They are playing another inferior opponent and this rebuild will be long but they need to accumulate wins against lesser teams.

2 Unit Play. Take #646 Under in North Dakota State @ UC Davis (9p.m., Wednesday, November 5 ESPN+) The Aggies generally play slow under longtime coach Jim Les. They were a bottom 50 offense last season scoring just 68 points per game. NDSU played much quicker than that last season but only scored 65 points in this game on Monday at Oregon State. See the under hitting again for them tonight in Davis, CA.

Houston has covered in six of the last eight meetings. We like them to win big here, likely by double digits. The Grizzlies have failed to cover in five straight games. This team just has a lot of bad karma around it with Ja Morant, and the locker room has to be bad vibes all around. Houston has looked really strong lately and has won four straight entering this one. They have covered in three of those. We love the history for Houston between these two teams and expect another big game from them tonight.

5 Unit Play. Take #627 Over in Louisiana Tech @ Nevada (10p.m., Tuesday, November 4 MWN) Nevada needs to push the pace much more this year and that has been a priority for Coach Steve Alford. Look for them to get up and down more in this game and for the both teams to come close to reaching the 70’s in points.