Even though the Spurs have lost thee of four, they had nothing to be embarrassed about in those tough games and overall this team has been playing its best basketball of the season this month. This team is starting to look like a factor in the Western Conference Playoffs and they are probably a team no higher seed wants to face. The Spurs have covered four straight in this series and they will want to get back on the winning track tonight. This is the perfect team to do it against, and we think it will be in blowout fashion.

The Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. We have backed them on many occasions. However, we think tonight is a time to go the other way. They are getting a lot of buzz right now for their recent play. But we think their current record is a bit deceiving as they have played some lousy teams. They have also caught the better teams on their schedule at a bad time (on a back-to-back or after or before playing a big game). This is the last game of a four-game road trip. They have gone 3-0 so far (but against Cleveland, New York, and Minnesota). Even if they get blown out here, they can head home with their heads held high. And that is what we think will happen. The Bucks are the No. 1 ATS team in the NBA this season. We think the Clippers are getting too much credit here and we had this game handicapped above double-digits and we think this one has blowout written all over it.

10 Unit Play. Take #652 Tennessee over Purdue (7:29p.m., Thursday, March 28 TBS) Purdue looked much better than Tennessee in the first two rounds but this is the game that has tripped them up in recent years and 2019 should be no different. Tennessee has experience and did not have to replace 4 of their 5 starters from last season. Purdue shot lights out against Villanova and I just do not believe that they can do that for a second straight game. The Boilermakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game. Purdue has been blown out in the Sweet 16 the last two years and I see them losing this game by 7-9 points against a hungry Tennessee team.

is right for the Thunder tonight, and we expect them to win this one comfortably. They have covered in three of the last four meetings between these teams. The Pacers have covered in only one of the last eight on the road. The Thunder are in the No. 7 spot for the WC playoffs and they will want to avoid the Warriors so they need to move up. Indiana is more secure in their seeding. We think both teams will play strong defense, but we expect the Thunder to come out on top, and there’s a good chance this one is a double-digit win.

The Warriors are battling with the Nuggets and a couple other teams for the top spot in the west. They have kind of sleepwalked through the regular season, and they have not been a good betting team. But we have seen some indications lately that they are putting forth a better effort, the home loss to Dallas notwithstanding. Three of the last four meetings with Memphis have been Golden State blowouts, and this is a rival and the Warriors always want to play their best against this opponent. We think that they will put their best foot forward tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #620 TCU over Creighton (9p.m., March 26 ESPN) TCU won this tournament two years ago and should be able to get back to New York with a victory tonight in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games. This will be the Bluejays first road game in the NIT and will lose it by 7-9 points.

Never thought it would happen but the Bucks are becoming kind of a public team. This line sure seems inflated to us as we had the Bucks at -1. Houston has been playing well lately. They have been a bit up and down all season, but they seem to be making a strong push as we had towards the playoffs. This is the marquee game of the day and we don’t see this as a letdown spot. We think if both teams are playing their best that this is a pretty even matchup, so getting the points is the way to go here.

Minnesota matches up well with the Clippers and they always seem to play them well. They are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings. They have won seven of the last eight meetings straight up. The Clippers have been very hot lately but we think this line is inflated and we had this one handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value here. The Wolves are normally very solid at home and we think they play hard tonight. This game is a coin flip, so getting the points is the only way to go.

This game has some reverse line movement so that is always a good sign when you are on the team not getting the majority of action. Atlanta has covered four straight in this series, and they have won three of those games. We think that the Hawks are playing hard down the stretch and they seem to want to end the season on a positive note while the future in New Orleans remains unclear and this team is kind of spinning its wheels right now. We like the underdog here to win straight up.

Boston has lost four straight and they haven’t been covering a lot of lines. They have had a very tough schedule lately, however, and the oddsmakers seem to have made a big adjustment here so we think this is a very winnable game and coverable line. Not only are the Celtics desperate for a win, but they have won three straight in this series, and they would have covered this line each time. And even without Irving they have the talent to win this one going away as long as they play a solid game.

4 Unit Play. Take #632 Hampton over Charleston Southern (7pm., March 26) The home/away records of these two teams are glaring. The Pirates are 11-3 at home and the Buccaneers are 4-10 in road games. Hampton is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games.

4 Unit Play. Take #630 Marshall over Presbyterian (7p.m., March 26) Marshall is a tough out at home and sooner or later they will get the 3-ball going and pull away to win this game by double digits. The Herd are 13-3 at home this season and this will be the Blue Hose second straight road game in the CIT. Marshall is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games.

We just think that this is too many points. The Suns have been playing some of their best basketball of the season this month, and they have covered more numbers than not in March. Utah is back home after a four-game road set, and these first games back can be tricky, especially against a lousy team like the Suns, as the home team players may be distracted by personal, off-court business. These teams played recently in what turned out to be a blowout Utah win, but the Suns hung in these most of the game until the fourth quarter. We think there’s a good chance to see a more complete game from them tonight since the teams have played recently.

4 Unit Play. Take #900 TCU over Nebraska (9:30p.m., Sunday, March 24 ESPNU) Just do not believe Nebraska can win this game on the road with a depleted roster. If they lose Tim Miles will likely be fired and that should occur against the No. 1 seed. The Frogs won the first game by double digits in the NIT and I see this one as a double-digit victory as well. TCU is 10-1 ATS in their last 11 nonconference games. Nebraska is 2-8 ATS following an ATS loss in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #872 Houston over Ohio State (8:40p.m., Sunday, March 24 TNT) Ohio State went out in the Round of 32 last season against a mid-major and I see the same thing happening again on Sunday. Houston is legit and dominated for most of the season in the AAC. Unlike Iowa State, the Cougars can rebound, and I do not believe the Buckeyes will be able to dominate on the board in this game. When Ohio State losses games it tends to come big and thus if Houston wins this game, they should easily cover the spread as well. Ohio State is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 NCAA Tournament games. Houston is 8-3 ATS in their last neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #870 Texas Tech over Buffalo (6:10p.m., Sunday, March 24 TNT) I expect Texas Tech to win this region and thus we will take them today with this short number. Buffalo is legit but Texas Tech can get it done on both sides of the basketball. Texas Tech is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games.

We think this total is a few points too high. The Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and they do their best work in that department at home. They have been trending to the under here all season, and the last two meetings both went under the posted number.

5 Unit Play. Take #849 Auburn over Kansas (9:45p.m., Saturday, March 23 TBS) Auburn is on a roll and Kansas is just not the same team when they play away from Lawrence. Auburn is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 12 teams. Kansas is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following a victory in their previous game. The injuries of the Jayhawks will become evident in this game and Auburn will advance to the Sweet 16.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5 Unit Play. Take #837 Villanova over Purdue (9p.m., Saturday, March 23 TNT) Neither team is overly talented and thus we will side with the defending champions getting points. Purdue is beatable if Carsen Edwards is off on his shot. Villanova is 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games against Big 10 teams Purdue is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games against Big East teams. 61% of the money is coming in on the underdog and that gives us confidence we are on the right side.

4 Unit Play. Take #842 LSU over Maryland (12:10p.m., Saturday, March 23 CBS) The Tigers are one of the most talented teams in the tournament and should be able to defeat the Terrapins by 6-8 points. The line is low based on the distractions surrounds the LSU program but on paper they are a much better team than this young Maryland team. Maryland is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 NCAA Tournament games. LSU is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against Big 10 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #813 Ohio State over Iowa State (9:50p.m., Friday, March 22 TBS) Iowa State is the hot public betting team now since they are coming off a Big 12 Conference Championship, but I feel they are being overvalued. Both teams are similar in how they played to close out the regular season but Ohio State got back their best player and I feel that they can take this game down to the wire. Iowa State is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games against Big 10 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #799 UCF over VCU (9:40p.m., Friday, March 22 CBS) The Golden Knights have flown under the radar most of the season despite having the tallest player in college basketball. The AAC was a much better conference than the A-10 this season and UCF just played better competition over the last two months of conference play. UCF is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. VCU is 1-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games played on Friday.

The Spurs had their long winning streak snapped last time out vs. Miami. We predicted that loss after a win over the Warriors and with this game upcoming. We think the Spurs were probably looking ahead to this one. We think they will put their best foot forward. They are playing some of their best hoops so far this season right now, and I think all of the teams at the bottom of the playoff standings in the West want to keep winning to avoid the No. 8 seed and a dreaded matchup with Golden State in the first round.

Past Clippers teams would be scary to trust in situations like this. They had more talent than the current club for sure, but they didn’t play like a team and they would often underwhelm against bad teams on the road. But this current squad plays like a team, and they are one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season. They are also getting possibly the best coaching job from Doc Rivers in his career. This team is 12-7 ATS on the road against sub-.500 clubs. They have covered four straight in this series. They are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now and they seem to want to improve their playoff standing as the season winds down, so we don’t see them overlooking the Cavs tonight.

OKC has lost four straight and they need this game badly. These teams just played Wednesday in Toronto and the Raptors won in OT. It is extremely hard to win consecutive games over the same team like this, and it is pretty rare for one team to get the sweep. OKC is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings in Toronto.. Lowry is out here for the Raptors. This Toronto team seems like one that is content to ride out the rest of the regular season while the Thunder really need a win here, so the road team should have all the motivation tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #816 Houston over Georgia State (7:20p.m., Friday, March 22 TBS) Houston is the best team in the country not coming from a power conference. They get it done on both sides of the floor and will win this game by double digits. The Panthers are not as strong of a team as their past NCAA Tournament teams and I just do not see them developing any magic this March. Houston is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against teams from the Sun Belt.

4 Unit Play. Take #826 Wisconsin over Oregon (4:30p.m. Friday, March 22 TBS) We will go against the public in this game, as Oregon is the hot pick after winning the PAC-12 Conference Tournament. Wisconsin just does not match up well with Michigan State, but playing a different team from a different conference should get them back on track. Wisconsin has won 4 of their last 5 games and played much better competition throughout the year compared to Oregon. Wisconsin is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #828 Kansas State -4 over UC Irvine (2p.m., Friday, March 22 TBS)

4 Unit Play. Take #820 Texas Tech over Northern Kentucky (1:30p.m., Friday, March 22 TNT) Texas Tech laid an egg against West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament but that may have been a blessing in disguise. This is the best team in the league, and I believe they have a good chance to win this region. They have still won 9 of their last 10 and most of those games have not been close. WKU is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Texas Tech is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs teams with a winning record.

The Warriors have been one of the worst ATS teams all season. They just don’t give a crap about the regular season and their lines are always inflated. That certainly looks like the case tonight. After a rough patch the Warriors kind of flexed their muscles a bit and they have covered in three of the last four games. But we don’t think they will keep it up. They can give a subpar effort tonight and still win this game. Revenge doesn’t play a huge role in our NBA handicapping, but in certain situations we think it does come into play. And we have no doubt that the Pacers remember the 32-point beatdown they received at home to these Warriors earlier in the season. Every team wants to give Golden State their best shot, and we feel they will play strong defense tonight and give an all-out effort. Going to sprinkle 1 unit on the moneyline.

The Warriors have been one of the worst ATS teams all season. They just don’t give a crap about the regular season and their lines are always inflated. That certainly looks like the case tonight. After a rough patch the Warriors kind of flexed their muscles a bit and they have covered in three of the last four games. But we don’t think they will keep it up. They can give a subpar effort tonight and still win this game. Revenge doesn’t play a huge role in our NBA handicapping, but in certain situations we think it does come into play. And we have no doubt that the Pacers remember the 32-point beatdown they received at home to these Warriors earlier in the season. Every team wants to give Golden State their best shot, and we feel they will play strong defense tonight and give an all-out effort. Going to sprinkle 1 unit on the moneyline.

4 Unit Play. Take #759 Old Dominion over Purdue (9:50p.m., Thursday, March 21 TBS) Just not sold on this Purdue team being this big of a favorite. The Boilermakers won the Big 10 but lost 2 of their last 3 games down the stretch and have a very streaky start player in Carsen Edwards. He can be a volume scorer and seems to force the action when his shot in not going. The Monarchs are still not getting much respect from the odds makers despite winning the regular season and conference tournament in CUSA. They were an underdog in the championship game, and I feel they will be able to keep this game in single digits. Old Dominion is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 nonconference games. Purdue is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record.

10 Unit Play. Take #788 Syracuse over Baylor (9:57p.m., Thursday, March 21 TRUTV) Just do not believe Baylor can go very far in this tournament without Tristan Clark. The Bears have lost 4 straight games and were not competitive in their last game out. This will be a battle of teams that like to play zone and I believe Syracuse will have the edge from the 3-point line. Baylor is 1-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 11 games overall. Syracuse has covered the spread in 4 straight NCAA Tournament games.

The Wizards won’t be making the playoffs. They would need a miracle for that to happen. But they are not mathematically eliminated, and we think they will play hard tonight. They have covered in three of the last four meetings in this series. They played a dud game last night as they went to OT at Chicago. But this team is a lot better at home and we don’t see them rolling over tonight. This looks like an inflated line, and we will take advantage of the extra points against a Denver team that is average on the road.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 Nevada over Florida (6:50p.m., Thursday, March 21 TNT) Florida really struggles to score points on offense and I believe the experience of Nevada will allow them to emerge victorious I this game. This may be a defensive grinder, but unless Florida shoots much better from the three point lie than their average, they will not win this game. Nevada has faced huge spread all season long and they have just 4 losses on the season. Nevada is 30-3 after a loss under Eric Musselman and 19-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 games following a loss as well. Florida is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a loss.

4 Unit Play. Take #784 Kansas over Northwestern (4p.m., Thursday, March 21 TNT) This is not a typical Kansas year, as injuries and suspensions have taken its toll on this game and they did not win the Big 12 this year. But they are still talented and if they can make it to the Sweet 16, they will get to play in Kansas City, giving them a huge home crowd edge. Kansas is 39-18 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 60 games following a loss.

3 Unit Play. Take #745 Loyola Marymount over Cal Baptist (10p.m., Wednesday, March 20) One of these teams play in a much better conference and we will side with the Lions tonight. LMU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. Generally, the favorite does well in these lesser tournaments and expect that to be the case on Wednesday.

4 Unit Play. Take #714 St Johns over Arizona State (9:10p.m., Wednesday, March 20 Tru TV) Everyone is on ASU tonight and thus the value lies with the more talented Red Storm. St. Johns did not perform well down the stretch but making it to the First Four will lift a weight off of this team. They are the better offensive team and I believe that will be the difference tonight in Dayton. ASU lost this game last year and do not feel they are better in 2018-2019. ASU is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games against Big East teams. St Johns is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

The Spurs are more secure in their playoff seeding right now and there is a lack of drama in the Western Conference playoff race. But Miami is in the No. 8 spot in the east and only 1.5 games secure in that spot. They need every win they can get, and the playoffs essentially start early for them if they want to keep this seeding. This is a sandwich game for the Spurs after their win over the Warriors last time out and with the Rockets on deck after this game. This looks like the perfect spot for a letdown game for the home team. Miami is one of the best betting teams on the road at 22-11 ATS this season. We think they will play some great defense tonight in a low-scoring affair. The only meeting this season, way back in November, saw the Heat win 95-88.

The Spurs are more secure in their playoff seeding right now and there is a lack of drama in the Western Conference playoff race. But Miami is in the No. 8 spot in the east and only 1.5 games secure in that spot. They need every win they can get, and the playoffs essentially start early for them if they want to keep this seeding. This is a sandwich game for the Spurs after their win over the Warriors last time out and with the Rockets on deck after this game. This looks like the perfect spot for a letdown game for the home team. Miami is one of the best betting teams on the road at 22-11 ATS this season. We think they will play some great defense tonight in a low-scoring affair. The only meeting this season, way back in November, saw the Heat win 95-88.

Boston matches up well here. They have covered in four straight meetings and in seven of the last eight. This line looks a little fishy as you would expect the Sixers to be favored by more points tonight and we think the sportsbooks are trying to get the public to load up on the home team here. But Boston has a strong history in this series and we think they will want to win this game coming off a loss last time out.

4 Unit Play. Take #689 Loyola Chicago over Creighton (9p.m., Tuesday, March 19 ESPNU) This is a lot of points to be giving for a team that is somewhat disappointed to be here. With a total in the mid 130s we will grab the points in this game. If the Ramblers can control the pace of this game they should be able to take it down to the wire. The Bluejays are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Philly has won all three meetings this season, but two have gone to overtime and one was decided by two points. In fact, all three Philly wins were by a combined six points for all three games. Charlotte matches up well here, and they will not want to get swept in the season series. The Hornets are 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, so this game is a must-win tonight, and we think this team will be focused on the task at hand. And Embiid is out of the lineup for the Sixers. This game is sandwiched between games against Milwaukee and Boston for the Sixers, and there’s no doubt they care more about those matchups than they do this one. Philly has been just average on the road this season, while the Hornets are very strong at home.

4 Unit Play. Take #673 Hofstra over NC State (7p.m., Tuesday, March 19 ESPN2) The Wolfpack feel that they got snubbed and are not that excited about playing in this game. The Pride are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 nonconference games. NC State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take Fairleigh Dickinson over Prairie View A&M (6:40p.m., Tuesday, March 19 TRUTV) Both teams have been covering machines of late, but we will side with the favorite. The line keeps moving their way despite 52% of the money coming in on the underdog. The Knights are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games. The Panthers are 0-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 nonconference games.

Golden State is one of the three worst ATS teams in the NBA this season. And they keep getting the benefit of the doubt of the oddsmakers. Every now and then they flex their collective muscle and play a playoff-type game, but mostly they are just going through the motions waiting for the playoffs while they get their best effort from opponents on a nightly basis. The Spurs have won eight straight and we think there’s a good chance they will keep that winni9ng streak going tonight.

Almost every game from here on out is a must win for Washington if they want to make the postseason. This team played pretty well at home, while the Jazz are just average on the road. Washington has covered in seven of their last eight games and they are playing well above their handicap from the oddsmakers lately. We expect a close game here and think the home team will put their best foot forward.

This is a bad spot for the Pistons and an inflated number also. They are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They also had one of their biggest games – and wins – of the season on Sunday with a home win over Toronto. They probably won’t be able to emotionally get up for this game like that one. And this is the start of a five-game road trip for the Pistons, and we just think they will get out of the gate slow here. Cleveland has won their last two home games. Going to sprinkle a little on the moneyline here as well.

We just think that when push comes to shove that the Bucks are a much stronger and deeper team than are the Sixers, and we think that if both teams flex their muscles on national tv here that the Bucks will come on top with a comfortable win. Milwaukee has covered in three of the last four meetings and in five of the last seven, and we think they will match up well again here today. Nice line value here, in our opinion.

4 Unit Play. Take #647 Saint Louis over St Bonaventure (1p.m., Sunday, March 17 CBS) This is a winner take all game with the A-10 Champion going to the NCAA Tournament. The Billikens are starting to peak at the right time and should be able to win this game on Sunday. Saint Louisa is 24-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 32 games played on Sunday.

We like this price for the underdog tonight for what we think is the better team. The Blazers have a shot to win this one outright. They were off on Friday and have played a light schedule lately while the Spurs enter on a back-to-back. The Spurs are 3-8 straight up in the second half of back-to-backs. The home team has been dominant in this series lately, but we think the Blazers flip the script tonight and we think they have a chance for the outright win.

4 Unit Play. Take #636 Old Dominion +2 over Western Kentucky (8:30p.m., Saturday, March 16 CBSSN) The Monarchs are the clear-cut best team in the league this year and should be able to finish it off in the conference tournament tonight in Frisco, TX. ODU has already beaten WKU twice this season and they need to win this game as well to make the NCAA Tournament. The line has been over adjusted and expect them to take care of business tonight in Frisco.

4 Unit Play. Take #626 Kansas -1.5 over Iowa State (6p.m., Saturday, March 16 ESPN) The Jayhawks may have more to play for in this game, as a win may get them into the Midwest Region and games in Kansas City. Iowa State was in a terrible slump to close out the regular season losing three straight games. They got to play Kansas State without Dean Wade but Kansas has been playing with this same team for the last couple of weeks.

4 Unit Play. Take #612 Kentucky -1.5 over Tennessee (3:30p.m., Saturday, March 16 ESPN) Kentucky will be able to knock off Tennessee for the second time in three tries this season. Getting Reid Travis back is big and should help them inside against this veteran Tennessee team. The Vols have not been the same team on the road as they are when playing in Knoxville. Kentucky is 32-15 ATS (4 pushes) in their last 51 neutral site games.

7 Unit Play. Take #605 Wisconsin +6 over Michigan State (1p.m., Saturday, March 16 CBS) Conference Tournament Game of the Year. Wisconsin should be able to keep this game low scoring and take it down to the wire. Wisconsin has won 4 straight games and played Michigan State tough in the only meeting this season. Michigan State still has an eye on getting the job done in the NCAA Tournament and does not care as much about winning this conference tournament and likely playing Michigan again on Sunday. Michigan State is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games. The Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. Expect this to a 3-point game either way and we will collect with whoever comes out on top.

4 Unit Play. Take #841 Duke over North Carolina (9:30 p.m., Friday, March 15 ESPN) Just do not believe North Carolina can beat this Duke team three times in one season. Zion looked good last night after a long layoff and if Duke can make anything from the 3 point line they should win this game by 6-8 points. North Carolina is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

The Spurs are 2-10 ATS when laying more than seven points this season. In the past you could trust this Spurs team to run up the score on clubs and they would try to give opponents the dagger when up big late. But this just isn’t the same team this year, and this team doesn’t have the same killer instinct. We think this line is a few points too high and we think the Spurs will do just enough to get the job done but we don’t expect them to win in a blowout.

This game is much more important for the Heat than it is for the Bucks. The Heat hold a 1.5-game lead for the final playoff spot in the east. They have won and covered in six of the last seven meetings between these clubs. This is the last game of a three-game road trip for the Bucks and they have Philly on deck at home on Sunday, and we think this may be a letdown spot for them Friday night.

This is a letdown spot for the Rockets after their big game against Golden State last time out. This line looks inflated by a couple points to us. The Suns are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now and this looks like a team that wants to enter the offseason with some momentum as opposed to some tanking teams out there. They have covered six of their last eight games overall, including an outright win over Golden State.

This is just too many points for the Pistons to be laying tonight. This team has gotten blown out the last two games, and they scored only 74 and 75 points in those contests. They failed to cover those games by almost 60 points! They are just not in good form right now. This is probably a good spot for them to bounce back, but we don’t see them winning by double digits. The Lakers are 4-1 ATS when getting nine or more points this season.

Charlotte hasn’t been playing well lately, but we think this is a very winnable game for them. Despite their similar records, we think the Hornets are the better team in this matchup. They are the more likely team to make the playoffs if either of these teams were to make it, and we think this is a must-win game for them in order to push themselves closer to that goal. They have won the last two matchups, and we think they match up well here.

4 Unit Play. Take #836 Buffalo over Central Michigan (6:30p.m., Friday, March 15 CBSSN) The Bulls are far and away the best team in the league and should have no problem taking care of business tonight in Cleveland. Buffalo is 19-6 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 neutral site games. The favorite is 5-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 7 meetings between Central Michigan and Buffalo.

The Mavs are flailing as the season wears on. At the trade deadline they made a bunch of moves with an eye towards the future, and they pretty much took a flier on this season. They have lost six straight and 11 of 12 entering this contest. Not only that, but their plane into Denver was delayed because of weather problems. And star rookie Doncic is dealing with an injured knee that he has been playing through and Mavs Coach Carlisle admits he has been playing the rookie too many minutes. We think there is a good chance he plays very limited minutes here in this one. Denver played great last time out in their big win over the Wolves, and we think that positive momentum will carry over here. Plus, Denver goes for the season sweep tonight, and the first two games were both decided by double digits. Bad matchup for Dallas here.

6 Unit Play. Take #728 Kansas over Texas (9:30p.m., Thursday, March 14 ESPN2) The Jayhawks are banged up but this game is in Kansas City and I still trust Bill Self much more than I do Shaka Smart. Texas beat Kanas in the last meeting but the Jayhawks are a much better team when playing in the state of Kansas. They will have a huge edge in home crowd and Texas is just not that good. We will lay the short number with Kansas and expect them to win by 6-8 points.

4 Unit Play. Take #686 Marquette over St Johns (7p.m., Thursday, March 14 FS1) Just do not believe St Johns can beat Marquette three times in one season. The Golden Eagles have been struggling down the stretch and lost out on a regular season title they had in their hands. Despite winning last night, St Johns has still lost 3 of their last 4 games and all three of those losses have come against teams that are .500 or below in the Big East. We have seen through the early days in this tournament that chalk and teams with byes have been holding up and expect that to happen once again in this game.

4 Unit Play. Take #756 San Diego State over UNLV (5:30p.m., Thursday, March 14 CBSSN) UNLV has had little success in this tournament despite hosting in on their own floor. San Diego State has already beaten them in Las Vegas this season and will beat them for a third time today. The Aztecs must win this tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament and expect them to advance to play Nevada tomorrow night.

4 Unit Play. Take #713 Indiana over Ohio State (12:30p.m., Thursday, March 14 BTN) Both teams need this win, but I just believe Indiana is playing better at the moment. Ohio State will get a boast with Kaleb Wesson back in the line-up, but they will enter this game having lost 3 straight games. The Hoosiers have won 4 straight games including a pair of blowouts in their last two games. They are getting better and healthy each game and will advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 10 Tournament. This line is short and we will grab it in a big way.

The Suns have been playing well lately and are coming off the biggest win of the season and probably the biggest win for the franchise in the last few years when they beat Golden State in the Bay Area on Sunday. The Warriors don’t care much about the regular season and they didn’t give full effort in that game. But we think Utah will give full effort tonight. They have lost three of their last four and are in desperate need of a win and some positive momentum. This is just the team to get a big win against. Utah has won the last five meetings all by double digits. The Suns are one of the worst ATS teams in the league, and this is a letdown spot for them after the big win at Golden State. This looks very much like a double-digit win by the road team to us.

4 Unit Play. Take #658 Texas A&M over Vanderbilt (9:30p.m., Thursday, March 13 SECN) This is a low number for a team that did not win a game this season during SEC play. Texas A&M won 6 games in SEC play compared Vanderbilt that went 0-18. Vanderbilt is 3-13 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games. The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #654 St Johns over DePaul (9:30p.m., Thursday, March 13 FS1) The Red Storm must win this game and I finally believe that can put together a complete 40 minute game. The Blue Demons have always been a bottom feeder team in the Big East and you just cannot count on them to win games consistently in the tournament. DePaul is 6-20 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #648 Rutgers over Nebraska (6:30p.m., Wednesday, March 13 BTN) Tim Miles days are numbered as head coach at Nebraska. This should have been an NCAA Tournament team but they fell apart once Isaac Copeland went down and will likely be one and done in this tournament. Nebraska was dominated by Iowa for most of their last game before Iowa choked but I do not see them carry that momentum into this game. Nebraska is 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games. Rutgers is 6-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games.

Portland has covered six of the last eight meetings between these clubs. The Clippers have been playing very well lately, but they are in a tough spot tonight coming in on a back-to-back and after playing Doc Rivers old team in the Celtics last night. This is a tough task facing a Portland team that has had two nights off. After a big winning streak the Blazers have lost two of three, and they should enter this game angry and fired up against a fatigued team.

4 Unit Play. Take #616 Over in St Mary’s vs Gonzaga (9p.m., Tuesday, March 12 ESPN) The Gaels cannot tentative in this game if they have any hopes of winning it. They are going to have to score in the 70s and thus expect this game to go over the posted total. This line keeps coming down and now I believe the value lies with the over. Gonzaga has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games.  

4 Unit Play. Take #606 Boston College over Pittsburgh (7p.m., Tuesday, March 12 ESPNU) The Panthers finished at the bottom of the standings in the ACC and we will wade them again on Tuesday. Boston College won the only meeting with Pittsburgh this season by 9 points and they should be able to win this game by 4-6 points. Boston College is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #601 Wake Forest over Miami (12p.m., Tuesday, March 12 ESPN2) Miami is not good enough to be laying this many points against any ACC team. Wake Forest played pretty well for most of their last game against Florida State being falling apart in the end. I believe that they can hang with Florida State for all 40 minutes. Wake Forest is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games against Miami.

We thought the Celtics would turn the corner at some point and start playing better. They have, and they come into this one having won all three games on the current road trip, including that big win over the Warriors. We think the positive momentum will continue here against a Clippers team that will be overmatched out on the court. The Clippers have won four straight, but the only impressive win was against OKC, and they were on a tough back-to-back. We had this line handicapped at 5.5, so we think there is nice value here tonight.

The Jazz slipped up last time out in a poor performance in Memphis, and they have had two days off since to get back into a good state of mind as a team and we think they will be ready tonight. Utah has to remember when these teams met late last month in OKC and the Jazz lost by a point in OT. Revenge is an overrated handicapping aspect for NBA, but it does come into play when teams have recently met. And we think home cooking will get the Jazz over the hump tonight.

Detroit has won three of four in this series, and the one they didn’t win was last time out, and that was only a one-point loss in OT. Detroit is playing very well lately. They have won eight of nine and covered in seven of their last eight. Brooklyn has been playing well, but they haven’t been covering as the oddsmakers have overvalued this team, and they are 1-5 ATS in their last six. The Pistons have been more reliable lately, and we had this game handicapped as a pickem.

6 Unit Play. Take #782 Eastern Michigan over Ball State (7p.m., Monday, March 11 ESPN+) The Eagles look to sweep the Cardinals three straight times this season. They finished 3 games ahead of the Cardinals in the MAC Standing and playing this game at home should allow them to advance to Cleveland later this week. Ball State is 8-26 ATS in their last 34 MAC games. Eastern Michigan is 18-7 ATS in their last 25 MAC games. The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

7 Unit Play. Take #843 Wisconsin over Ohio State (4:30p.m., Sunday, March 9 CBS) Due to the Saturday results in the Big 10, Wisconsin now must win this game in order to secure a double bye next week in the Big 10 Tournament. Ohio State has been leaking oil over the last few weeks and will enter this game having lost 5 of their last 7 games. Through in the fact that Kaleb Wesson is out for this game and they will have trouble defending Wisconsin in the paint. The Buckeyes will get a boast from senior day, but that will not be enough to allow them to win this game. The favorite is 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings. Ohio State is 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games. Wisconsin is 13-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 19 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Blazers have had a very tough schedule lately. They had a massive road trip and then returned home to play OKC to OT in a loss on Thursday. They have lost two straight heading into this game, so there will be no letdown situation tonight. The Suns have actually won three straight. They got a surprise win over the Bucks, but the other two wins were over trash teams. And the Suns are one of the worst ATS teams in the league this season despite getting very generous lines from the oddsmakers. We think this one will be a blowout tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #649 Michigan +3.5 over Michigan State (8p.m., Saturday, March 9 ESPN) A conference title in on the line tonight when Michigan heads to East Lansing to take on the Spartans. Michigan State is really injured, and this is a game Michigan can get. Not sure if the Spartans are good enough to beat the Wolverines twice in one season. Michigan is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games at Michigan State.

4 Unit Play. Take #697 Duke over North Carolina (6p.m., Saturday, March 9 ESPN) Just do not believe North Carolina can beat this Duke team twice in one season. They are not favored and have a chance for a No. 1 seed in both the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament. Duke almost lost to Wake Forest at home this week but expect a much better effort on Saturday. We will take the points in this game. 

4 Unit Play. Take #608 Xavier over St Johns (5p.m., Saturday, March 9 FOX) Just do not have any confidence in St Johns at the moment. The Red Storm have lost 3 of their last 4 games including an 11 point home loss to Xavier. The Musketeers have creep back onto the bubble and this is a must win game for them to keep those hopes alive. They will enter this game having won 5 of their last 6 games have 3 of those wins have come on the road. Xavier is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #654 Arizona over Arizona State (4p.m., Saturday, March 9 CBS) The Wildcats have had a miserable year but beating ASU on Senior Day and knocking them off of the bubble would have a great way to close out the regular season. Arizona is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against ASU in Tucson. ASU is 6-13 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 12 road games.

4 Unit Play. Take #656 Colorado State -2.5 over UNLV (4p.m., Saturday, March 9 ESPN3)

4 Unit Play. Take #611 Villanova over Seton Hall (12p.m., Saturday, March 9 FOX) Despite having a down year Villanova has a chance to win the Big East Regular Season Title. Seton Hall is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games. Villanova is 35-17 ATS in their last 52 road games.

The Thunder had a much more important game last night, in Portland, and they prevailed in overtime. So not only are they on a tough back-to-back here, but they played an extra five minutes of hard basketball. The win last night was good, but this team hasn’t been playing well overall. The Clippers are underrated and one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season, and they seem to be making a playoff push despite selling off some pieces at the trade deadline.

Chicago has covered in six of their last nine overall, and they are playing hard almost every night lately. The Pistons have been covering a lot as well, but it didn’t take long for this team to get overvalued, and this spread definitely looks out of whack for Friday. Detroit has covered in only one of their last five visits to Chicago, so they don’t play well here. We expect a competitive game here on Friday night.

Only in this day and age in the NBA where we will see a total close to 210 for two teams like this, two of the better defensive clubs in the NBA. Bot teams have been trending to the under lately, and we think this is another total that is too high. The under is 28-8 in the last 36 meetings in Memphis, and 16-7 in the last 23 meetings overall. We think the Grizzlies slow the pace down here and this one has a great chance to turn into a defensive slugfest.

3 Unit Play. Take #880 Missouri State over Bradley (3:35p.m., Friday, March 8 FSMW) The Braves are not the same team on the road or in neutral sites as they are when playing at home. Missouri State beat Bradley twice this season already and expect them to complete the trifecta on Friday in St Louis. The Bears are 9-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 games against the Braves.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The under has cashed in four of the last five meetings, and this is the highest total these teams have faced during that stretch. This game is on TNT, of course, and we are getting down to the playoff stretch drive of the regular season. We think this game will have a playoff atmosphere, and there will be a more intense level of defense and it won’t be a free-flowing offensive game. We think this total is about 5-6 points too high, and we also expect the Blazers to win this one comfortably as they are in better current form than the Thunder.

The under has cashed in four of the last five meetings, and this is the highest total these teams have faced during that stretch. This game is on TNT, of course, and we are getting down to the playoff stretch drive of the regular season. We think this game will have a playoff atmosphere, and there will be a more intense level of defense and it won’t be a free-flowing offensive game. We think this total is about 5-6 points too high, and we also expect the Blazers to win this one comfortably as they are in better current form than the Thunder.

6 Unit Play. Take #625 Santa Barbara over Northridge (10p.m., Thursday, March 7) The Matadors are coming off a trip to Hawaii over the weekend and that may affect their performance in this game. The Gauchos won the first meeting by 6 points and that is how I see this one going as well. Santa Barbara is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games at Northridge.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Pacers haven’t been more than an eight-point underdog all season, and we just think this is too many points for the underdog. Milwaukee has been one of the best ATS teams all season, but their lines are starting to get inflated. The Pacers have been a good ATS club as well, but the public bettors haven’t caught on because since Oladipo went down there are no stars on this team. Yet the Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and this is a big game for them. We expect them to be very competitive tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #820 San Diego State -2.5 over Fresno State (10p.m., Wednesday, March 6 CBSSN) This game will be for third place in the MWC and the chance to avoid the No. 1 seed in the MWC Tournament until the final game. San Diego State has won 6 of their last 7 games including a dominating victory over Nevada. With a return trip to Reno over the weekend this is an important home game for the Aztecs to get. SDSU is 33-16 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 51 home games. Fresno State is 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games played on Wednesday.

We were confident the Celtics would turn the corner at some point, and sometimes it just takes a confidence-building win to turn things around. They got that last night in Golden State in a 32-point road win, the worst loss for the Warriors at home in the Steve Kerr era. Boston can’t really afford to let up now, and we think the positive momentum from that win will carry over into tonight’s matchup. The Kings have been a great story this season and they have been money for bettors at home, but when both teams are playing their best game the Kings just can’t compete with the Celtics. We might be hesitant to back a team on a back-to-back after a big win like last night, but the Celtics didn’t seem to break a sweat and we don’t see them being in a letdown spot tonight. Plus, they are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings, and we think they can score a comfortable road win here in this matchup.

6 Unit Play. Take #849 UT Martin -1.5 over Eastern Illinois (9:30p.m., Wednesday, March 6) The Panthers are in free fall now and will enter this game having lost 5 straight games and 8 of their last 9 games. Just do not believe the Panthers are good enough to beat the Skyhawks 3 times in one season. UT Martin is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. Eastern Illinois is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games.  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We have been pretty good at identifying solid moneyline underdogs, so we will take a shot on the Mavs here in what we see as a very winnable game for them. They are coming off of two very embarrassing blowout losses, and we think they will want to put their best foot forward here. The Wizards are not a good team. Dallas will have the best player on the court tonight. They have won and covered in five straight meetings in this series. We think this will be a close game and the Mavs have a more than decent chance to pull the upset.

Boston has lost five of six and this team is slumping big time. But we think they play desperate tonight. Golden State always seems to bring out the best in this team, and Golden State has covered in only two of the last nine meetings (one push). Golden State has dropped four of their last seven games, so they are not in top form right now. This team is the worst ATS team in the NBA this season, and the bookies post too-high lines on a nightly basis for this squad. We thought this line should be closer to 5 points. If Boston can win this game then all is right in the world again and the pressure will be off for awhile. We think they put their best foot forward tonight. The Warriors probably don’t care about this game nearly as much as they don’t put much emphasis on the regular season anymore. But for Boston this game means a lot tonight.