10 Unit Play. Take #533 Minnesota over Washington (6:30p.m., Wednesday, November 21 BTN) Washington just has not been playing well early in the season. They needed to rally to beat a so-so Texas A&M team last night and I do not believe they will have much left in the tank for this game. Minnesota had an easier game last night against Santa Clara and they should be better rested for this game tonight in Vancouver. Washington got blown out Auburn and they have struggled to cover the spread during much of the early season.  Washington is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams. Minnesota is 7-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #549 Wisconsin over Stanford (11:30a.m., Wednesday, November 21 ESPN) Stanford lost their best player to Kentucky and they appear to be in for a long season. Wisconsin has bounced back nicely from missing the NCAA Tournament last season and they should be able to reach the finish of this Battle 4 Atlantis. Stanford is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games. Wisconsin is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #767 Washington over Texas A&M (11:30p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Washington is going to make the NCAA Tournament this season. They laid an egg against Auburn but other than that have been solid. Texas A&M is in complete freefall currently sitting at 1-3 on the season and they will lose this game by double digits. The Aggies are 1-9 ATS (1 push) in their last 10 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #719 Pacific over UNLV (10p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Both teams are bad and thus we will take the points in this match-up. UNLV has played cupcakes thus far in 2018 and this will be the toughest team they have faced at this point of the season. The Tigers are 3-1 with their only loss coming against a top 10 team in Nevada. UNLV is 7-17 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 26 games. 72% of the money is on UNLV yet the line is coming down, so that is a good indicator we are on the right side.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 UC Davis over Sacramento State (10p.m., Tuesday, November 20) Jim Les has quietly built a solid program at UC Davis and they are always one of the top teams in the Big West led by TJ Shorts II this year. They are off to a bad start but they get to face a team on Tuesday that has only one game under their belt because of the wildfires in California. The Aggies are 3-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games against Big Sky teams. The Hornets are 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against Big West teams.

We like this Clippers squad a lot this season and we have been down on the lousy Wizards, but we think this is a good spot for the home dog to get the straight up win. This is not only a back-to-back for LA but their third game in four nights, all on the road. Things have gone pretty well in the first two games of this road trip, but now this is a fatigued team playing the toughest matchup yet on the last game of this three-game trip. The Wizards have struggled mightily, and John Wall and Bradley Beal have been mentioned in trade rumors. We just think this team steps up tonight. If this game was the first game of the season this line would probably be Wizards -5. But perceptions have changed. But we see value in this line and think Washington should win this one outright.

6 Unit Play. Take #729 Clemson over Georgia (1:30p.m., Tuesday, November 20) The Tigers are farther along with Coach Brownell and should be able to win this game by double digits over Georgia. Tom Crean is in his first year at Georgia and this is the type of team he will struggle against. Clemson is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams. Clemson is also 6-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #578 Temple over VCU (9:30p.m., Monday, November 19 ESPN 3) Both teams are undefeated, but the Rams have played cupcakes thus far and they are not the mid0major power they once were. This is the swain song for the Temple coach and expect them to make a run towards the NCAA tournament. Temple is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games. VCU is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.

The Clippers are a Top 4 team in the west in the standings right now, and not many expected this. But if they stay healthy all season, this is going to be a playoff team and one that the top teams in the west will not want to play in the postseason. They are 9-6 against the spread this year so far, so they are defying oddsmakers expectations. This team plays great team basketball and they are unselfish. They have guys that can score and they play decent defense. They started their road trip last time out against Brooklyn in what could have been a letdown spot after home wins against the Spurs and Warriors, but they won and covered in that contest. Now they face a much weaker team in Atlanta tonight. This is arguably the worst team in the NBA. They have lost seven straight and covered in only three of those games, despite some generous lines from the oddsmakers. This Clippers team seems like one that will not lower itself to the level of competition like past Clippers squads, and we think they take advantage of this situation for an easy road win tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #576 Over in California vs St Johns (7p.m., Monday, November 19 ESPN 2) Expect both teams to reach the 70s in scoring and that sets us up for a strong play with the over tonight in Brooklyn. The Golden Bears have gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games played on Monday. St Johns has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #558 San Diego State over Duke (5p.m., Monday, November 19, ESPN 2) Duke is a machine this year but they lack experience and the long trip over from North Carolina may allow them to come out flat in this game. San Diego State has covered the spread in 4 straight neutral site games and they are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 nonconference games. If they can withstand Duke early they should be able to keep this game around 10-12 points for 40 minutes.

We have faded the Golden State Warriors the last two games, and it has worked out pretty well, so we will go for three in a row here. We have the feeling the Warriors may enter their toughest stretch of this current regime. They have off-court drama going on, impending free agency and injuries. They also don’t have the fire they have had in previous seasons. And we don’t think they give a crap. As long as they are healthy and synched heading into the playoffs, we don’t think this team cares about playoff positioning as long as they are a Top 4 seed. The Spurs are in a more desperate situation tonight as they have lost five of six. But they have played a road-heavy schedule. They are still dominant at home at 5-2, and they will put their best foot forward tonight. They aren’t going to give the Warriors any breaks because of their current problems, and we think they win this one by a comfortable margin tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #723 Central Florida over Western Kentucky (6:30p.m., Sunday, November 18 ESPN2) UCF is a buzz saw early in the season and we will ride them again in the Championship Game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. The Golden Knights have great size in the pant and the Hilltoppers will struggle to match that. UCF is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #778 Oklahoma over Wofford (2p.m., Sunday, November 18) This is a home game for the Sooners and should be able to win this game by double digits. Oklahoma is 2-0 on the season and both wins have come over today’s posted number. Wofford is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 12 teams. Oklahoma is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We think that this is a great time to fade the Warriors. The turmoil in this squad is real, and they will continue to be overvalued by the oddsmakers regardless of their performance on the court. After their record-setting season a couple years ago this team started caring less and less about the regular season after they lost in the finals to the Cavs. They started to become a lousy regular-season bet at that point. This team started hot ATS, but they have now failed to cover in four of their last five, and the ATS losses will keep coming. Curry and Green are out tonight, and we don’t see the Warriors playing to their potential against a Dallas team is 5-2 at home and should give their best effort against the world champs.

Both teams come in on a back-to-back, but the Celtics played in OT last night in a much bigger game and we think this might be a letdown spot against a Jazz team that needs a win before a couple lousy games snowball into a concerning losing streak. We see think both offenses might come out a bit flat in this one and there is a good chance for a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog even more valuable. These teams played recently in Utah and the Jazz won that one pretty comfortably, so we know they can match up against Boston. We think the dog has a great chance to bark tonight for the outright win.

Both teams come in on a back-to-back, but the Celtics played in OT last night in a much bigger game and we think this might be a letdown spot against a Jazz team that needs a win before a couple lousy games snowball into a concerning losing streak. We see think both offenses might come out a bit flat in this one and there is a good chance for a low-scoring game, which makes the points for the underdog even more valuable. These teams played recently in Utah and the Jazz won that one pretty comfortably, so we know they can match up against Boston. We think the dog has a great chance to bark tonight for the outright win.

3 Unit Play. Take #584 Villanova over Furman (5p.m., Saturday, November 17 FS2) The Wildcats looked awful against Michigan this week but expect them to bounce back in a big way Saturday afternoon against an inferior opponent. Villanova is 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games played on Saturday. This should be a game where Villanova scored in the nineties and that will allow them to cover this big number.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #544 Over in Michigan vs George Washington (12p.m., Saturday, November 17 ESPN 3) Michigan has been playing outstanding defense in their first three games but I do not expect that to last for much longer. That is an incredible pace, but the Colonials scored 57 against a better defensive team in Virginia and I expect them to reach 60 points in this game. George Washington has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #814 Take Over 153 in Central Michigan vs Weber State (8:30p.m., Friday, November 16) The Chippewas are always a strong over team led by Keno Davis. His team usually do not play much defense and that will allow the total scoring to high levels. CMU has gone over the posted total in 39 of their last 60 games (2 pushes).

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #752 Pepperdine -2.5 over Towson (8p.m., Friday, November 16) The Waves can only go up after last season with Lorenzo Romar. The Tigers lost a ton of talent from their squad last year and Romar has always shown he is a good recruiter. Towson is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games. Pepperdine has covered the spread in 7 straight games.

We love to back a good team after a bad loss, and that handicapping angle doesn’t get any better than this matchup tonight. The Jazz suffered what will go down as one of the worst (and most head-scratching) losses of the season last time out when they lost by 50 points in Dallas. That is just a super embarrassing result and this team will come out and give max effort tonight, we have no doubt about that. This is one of the best teams in the NBA. Teams just have off nights like this where nothing goes right, and there was a real lack of effort there after things got out of hand. But starters played limited minutes and they will have extra energy to get things back on track here tonight. The Jazz had won and covered three straight before that loss, so overall we will give them a mulligan for that game and assume they will return to current form here. And they are 5-3 on the road this season.  Philly is undefeated at home, but this team hasn’t had a very tough home slate. This is their toughest home game of the season by far. And we think overall the Jazz are a much better team. Philly is just 6-10 ATS this season, so it’s obvious they are overvalued by the oddsmakers. We think Utah has a great chance for the outright win here.

4 Unit Play. Take #791 Connecticut +4.5 over Iowa (7p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN2) I believe the odds makers over adjusted this line by making Iowa this big of a favorite. Both teams were underdogs yesterday and I expect this game to go down to the wire and we will gladly take the points with UCONN have a proximity edge in location.

4 Unit Play. Take #774 Penn -1.5 over Northern Iowa (5:30p.m., Friday, November 16)

4 Unit Play. Take #789 Syracuse (pk) over Oregon (4:30p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN2) Many expected this to be the Championship game but now it is must win as neither team wants to leave NYC 0-2. Syracuse is always a tough team to beat at the Garden and expect a home crowd edge that will allow them to emerge victorious.

5 Unit Play. Take #764 UCF -1.5 over Saint Joes (1:30p.m., Friday, November 16 ESPN 2) Both teams are coming off impressive wins to open this Invitational in Myrtle Beach. Saint Joes had the more impressive victory but I just do not believe they can follow that up on consecutive days. UCF has great size and we used them yesterday and expect a similar victory today.

4 Unit Play. Take #548 Iowa +4 over Oregon (9:30p.m., Thursday, November 15 ESPN 2) This might be a make or break year for Fran McCaffery and he likely needs a good year to keep his job. Iowa always seems to start off the season on a high note before fading in March. Expect them to take this game down to the wire with a good chance to win this game straight-up. Iowa is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games. Oregon is 0-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 neutral site games.

4 Unit Play. Take #552 Over 147 in Pacific @ Idaho State (9p.m., Thursday, November 15) The Bengals are going over the posted total in 6 of their last 8 games against WCC teams.  Look for a high scoring game tonight and we will not worry about the spread and just collect with the total.

Love the Rockets in this spot. They started the season real slow, but now they have won five of seven and they enter this one on a two-game winning streak. It seems like parting from Carmelo Anthony did this team a world of good, and they seem to have their confidence back. On the other side of the court is the Warriors. And you have to wonder if the cracks they have shown lately are the start of the end for this dynasty. Draymond Green is starting lots of drama with this team, and one of the best things about this squad in recent years was their ability to mesh on and off the court. This team has now covered only one of their last four, and the Hawks have them all they could handle last time out (we cashed on Atlanta as a big underdog). You get the feeling that the Warriors are not invested in this game as much as the Rockets. Houston is a team that wants to do a lot of damage in the regular season, while the Warriors just want to make sure everything is good before the postseason, and that is their biggest concern. And Curry is the stabilizing force with this Warriors team, and with the current drama surrounding this club, his presence on the court will be sorely missed tonight.

6 Unit Play. Take #508 Creighton +2 over Ohio State (7p.m., Thursday, November 15 FS1) Playing in Omaha is always a tough challenge and with the talent Ohio State lost from last year I do not expect them to win this true road game. Creighton lost a bunch of talent as well but they do have the advantage of playing this at the CenturyLink Center. Most of the money is coming in on Ohio State yet the line is going the other direction. Creighton is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #535 UCF -4 over CS Fullerton (2p.m., Thursday, November 15 ESPN3) The Golden Knights laid an absolute egg last time out losing to FAU despite being a 20 point favorite. That being said they still have talent including great size in the paint. They are predicted to finish in the top three of the AAC and should be able to bounce back in a big way against a team traveling cross country from California. The Titans put forth a good showing against Arizona State losing in overtime but I actually believe UCF is a better team that Arizona State. UCF is 10-4 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

5 Unit Play. Take #741 Marquette over Indiana (8:30p.m., Wednesday, November 14 FS1) The Golden Eagles are farther along than are the Hoosiers. Indiana is still in rebuild mode under second year head coach Archie Miller and they do not warrant to be this big of a favorite tonight at Assembly Hall. Indiana is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Big East teams. This should be a good game that goes down to the wire, but Marquette should be able to pull it out straight-up.

We think Miami will be extra motivated here tonight after dropping three straight games at home, but those were all against playoff-quality teams. They will be desperate for a win tonight, and now they face a lottery team in the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn lost one of their best players when Caris LeVert went down with a really bad foot injury last time out against Minnesota. It looks like he won’t be lost for the season, but he was really the engine for this team and see some regression from this team for maybe a few games until they can get back in the groove. The Heat have a very strong history here in Brooklyn as they are 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings. This team hasn’t always played well this season and they have been somewhat of a disappointment thus far, but this is a playoff-quality club and we think this is a great spot for them to get back on track against a line that looks quite a bit short in our eyes.

Going to take a shot on Atlanta here in this letdown spot for Golden State. The Warriors had a very hard-fought game last night against the Clippers that went to OT, and this one came with bickering between the teammates at the end of the game. They play Houston next on Thursday, so this out-of-conference opponent will not get much attention tonight sandwiched between games against rivals. The Hawks stink. But Golden State gets most teams’ best shot every night, and we have no doubt the young Hawks will come to play. A win here would be an accomplishment they could hang their hats on all season. We don’t see a straight up win, but we see a competitive game and a distracted home team.

Houston has had a very rough start to the season, no doubt, but this is still the second-best team in the West and they will get it together before long. They are probably not as strong as last season, but they aren’t far off. Denver has had a much stronger start to the season, but you can’t tell me that the Nuggets are more of a championship contender than the Rockets. Houston has been overvalued at home (1-4 ATS) but they have been a bit better on the road and we think there is value in this line tonight. The Nuggets haven’t been in best form the last few games, and Houston we think will come in tonight with something to prove.

We told ourselves we would stay away from Cleveland for the most part since a couple bad early-season losses, but we have to jump when the value is present, and that is certainly the case tonight. The Hornets are coming off a couple big games and they have Philly and Boston on deck, so this is a definite letdown spot. And that doesn’t even take into account that this is an inflated line and it looks like the public keeps betting into this one so there’s a chance it goes up even further. No reason to think that this won’t be a competitive game.

10 Unit Play. Take #507 Wisconsin over Xavier (6:30p.m., Tuesday, November 13 FS1) Xavier is in a complete rebuilding mode this year and will have a new coach on the end line as well with Chris Mack bolting to Louisville. Wisconsin had a terrible season last year but had a couple of key injuries and everyone is back and they should be able to return to the NCAA Tournament. They have the best player on the floor in Ethan Happ and look for them to return the favor of winning this game on the road (Xavier won in Madison last year). This is an important game for Wisconsin to keep their confidence high and for their unproven coach. Wisconsin has covered the spread in 6 straight road games. Xavier is 0-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 home games. Wisconsin opened as a favorite for this game and that lets me believe they are the right side for this play.

Sacramento is underrated and we think this is a very public line on Monday night. The Kings have one of the better offenses in the NBA right now and they can light up the scoreboard on any given night. The Kings have had some tough games lately, but this seems like a good spot for a bounce back. The Spurs are a bit down this year and they come off a big win over Houston but we don’t see this team putting together two strong games. We had this game handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value on the home dog tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #754 Belmont over Middle Tennessee State (8p.m., Monday, November 12) The Kermit Davis era of success is over, and I just do not see the Blue Raiders reaching those levels anytime soon. They will lose this game by double digits tonight against the team predicted to finish in the top two of the Ohio Valley Conference. Dylan Windler should come up big again after scoring 20 points in his opening game against Illinois State. Belmont is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record.

This road trip hasn’t gone that well for the Celtics as they have only one win, and that was against Phoenix in OT. They really have to win this game tonight for the road trip not to be a total disaster. Despite the records, Boston is a much better team than Portland, and we love getting points with them tonight. We think they will give max effort in this spot. Boston has won and covered in all of the last three meetings between these teams. The Blazers are a solid team for sure. But they have been playing a bit over their heads to start the season. We had the Celtics handicapped at -2 in this game, so we think they have a great chance to win tonight.

Denver is a tough place to play, even when the Nuggets aren’t any good. They are very good this season, however, and the Bucks have to play in the high altitude here not only on a back-to-back but on their third game in four nights not to mention they played an extra five minutes in a loss to the Clippers Saturday in a hard-fought game that had to take a lot out of them. Denver had the day off Saturday while Milwaukee was duking in out at Staples Center, and they are coming in with a two-game losing streak in which they lost two close games. We think this is a great spot for them to get back on track.

The Hornets have been very competitive this season, and they keep overachieving against the oddsmaker expectations as they now stand at 8-4 ATS. They have covered all but one game as an underdog this season. They were very impressive last time out in a losing effort at Philly, taking the Sixers to OT on the road. Detroit is just 2-4 ATS as a favorite this season. Charlotte has won and covered in the last two meetings between these teams, and we think they have a great chance to do both again here on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #520 Central Florida over Florida Atlantic (3p.m., Sunday, November 11 ESPN3) The Owls are a poor team and lost most of their talent from last season. UCF has another strong team this year with great size in the post and should be able to pull away in this game and won it by 25+ points. UCF is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on Sunday. FAU is 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games against teams with a winning record.

We are getting a good line here because Curry and Draymond are out, but this is a complete team even when missing a few key pieces. The rest of the team will step up tonight, and we think there is a good chance this could be a blowout. Golden State has been one of the most dominant teams in the NBA this season, and they are coming off a loss to Milwaukee you can call embarrassing. They face a big step down in competition tonight, and we expect the motivation to be there for a bounce back minus two of the Big Four.

The Sixers are playing not only in a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, but they had OT last night at Charlotte in a lackadaisical performance, and we think that this is a great spot to fade them tonight. Memphis has been off for two nights, and they have the confidence in their hearts from their big upset win over Denver. We think they make it two in a row tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #728 Saint Louis over Troy (8p.m., Saturday, November 10 ESPN+) This should be the year that you see results from Travis Ford and company. He has improved each of his first two years and should have no problem winning 20+ games this season. Troy is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following a victory in their previous game. Saint Louis has covered 10 of their last 13 home games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Milwaukee is a very good team but they can be overrated in spots, and we feel like this is one of those spots on Saturday afternoon. The Clippers are a good team also, and they are 4-1 at home this season (Milwaukee is 3-2 on the road). The Bucks are a bit banged up today, and that will hurt their depth. The Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games, and we expect them to compete for the win here Saturday afternoon.

4 Unit Play. Take #547 Washington over Auburn (9:30p.m., Friday, November 9 SECN) Lot of points to be giving with two ranked teams doing battle in the state of Alabama. Washington can frustrate Auburn with their zone and force them to make three point shots. Washington is 6-2 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams. Auburn is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against PAC-12 teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #581 Jacksonville State over Samford (8p.m., Friday, November 9 CBSSN)

The Hornets have been good at covering the spread this season, but we think the price is right for the home team in this situation. The Sixers have covered in six of the last seven meetings between these clubs, and the non-cover, this season, was still a Philly win. The Sixers are playing with confidence right now and got their first road win of the season last time out in Indiana, which is a really tough place to play. We think that positive momentum will carry over here on Friday night.

4 Unit Play. Take #522 Texas over Arkansas (7p.m., Friday, November 9 ESPN) Mike Anderson is back for another year at Arkansas and this may be his last year there. Texas got back to the NCAA Tournament last year and always seems to have a good recruiting class under Coach Smart. Arkansas lost a lot of players from last year and paying in the state of Texas will doom them in. The Longhorns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against SEC teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #549 Northern Kentucky over Northern Illinois (7p.m., Friday, November 9 ESPN+) The Norse won the Horizon League last year and will be one of the top teams in the league this year as well. The Huskies are a bottom feeder team in the MAC and things are not expected to improve this year as well. Northern Kentucky is 14-4 ATS in their last 18 nonconference games.

4 Unit Play. Take #567 Wichita State over Providence (6p.m., Friday, November 9 CBSSN) Wichita State laid an egg in their opening game of the year but I expect them to bounce back on Friday in Annapolis. Both teams are in rebuilding mode after losing a lot of talent from last year’s squad and thus we will grab the points in this game. Providence is 2-14 ATS in their last 16 nonconference games.

After a slow start the Rockets are really coming on now with three straight wins to start this road trip. The Thunder have won six straight as well, and there were a couple quality wins in there for sure, but for the most part they have beaten up on some dregs. And they are in a tough spot here on a back-to-back and with Westbrook questionable for tonight. This line will change once Westbrook’s status is determined as he nurses an injured ankle. We like the Rockets whether he plays or not, and he probably won’t be near 100% if he does. Not only are they on a back-to-back but they are playing their third game in four nights while the Rockets were off the last two nights. After their slow start, the Rockets can’t afford to take a night off. They need to have a real successful road trip then their slow start will be forgotten. Houston normally plays well here and is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings between these clubs.  

We think the bookies are begging the public to take the Nuggets here but we think the other side is much more attractive here on Wednesday night. The Grizzlies have covered the last two meetings and four of the last six. Denver is 9-1 and they are off to a hot start but this team is overachieving a bit to start the season, and this is not the second coming of the Warriors. They played at home against Utah and Boston last two times, and now it will be hard to get motivated heading on the road to an improved Memphis team that is 5-4 ATS but has dropped two straight (both on the road). We think home cooking will do them well tonight and expect a strong performance from the home team.

The Sixers have yet to win or cover on the road this season, but they have had some inflated expectations to start the season. But we think those oddsmakers expectations have gone down and we love them getting points tonight in a game they will fight hard to win. They have had a really tough road schedule to start off with. In their last game, also a road game, they were blown out by the likely-lottery team Brooklyn. That has to be embarrassing for this team that has such lofty expectations. So does the 0-5 road start. Not sure that they will get it tonight, but we think they will have extra motivation to play their best, and at their best this is a better team than the Pacers. Indiana has lost two of their last three here at home, and we think there’s a good chance that they drop this one as well.

4 Unit Play. Take #524 Under in Marshall @ Eastern Kentucky (7p.m., Wednesday, November 7 ESPN+) This total has skyrocketed over 10 points from yesterday and I just have a hard time believing the opening line can be that far off. Colonies will have to try and slow down the Herd to be able to stay in this game for 40 minutes. Marshall has played under the posted total in 7 of their last 10 road games. EKU has played under the posted total in 14 of their last 20 home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #749 BYU over Nevada (11p.m., Tuesday, November 6 CBSSN) Nevada is ranked in the top 10 and that is deservedly so. But they have not looked sharp in the exhibition season getting blown out by Washington at home and struggling for 33 minutes against San Francisco State. They have not been shooting the ball well and struggling on defense. BYU can match their experience and this team is always pesky and used to playing in tough road environments. The Cougars are predicted to finish ahead of Saint Mary’s in the WCC Standing (2nd overall) just behind mid-major power Gonzaga. BYU is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games against MWC foes. Look for a Wolf Pack victory by 7-10 points giving us the cover with the underdog.

The Suns stopped a seven-game losing streak last time out as they hosted Memphis, and we think this team is a tad underrated right now. They are not a good team, don’t get us wrong. But Devin Booker is back in the mix for the Suns, and he is a star in this league and gives his team a chance to win every night. He will help their scoring against this small total (for this season in the NBA, at least). And he gives the Suns a great chance to win here at home tonight. Phoenix has played just a brutal schedule, and they have been considerable underdogs in many games this season. But they have covered three of their last four, and we think they will get the win tonight against another probable lottery team from the east.

The Suns stopped a seven-game losing streak last time out as they hosted Memphis, and we think this team is a tad underrated right now. They are not a good team, don’t get us wrong. But Devin Booker is back in the mix for the Suns, and he is a star in this league and gives his team a chance to win every night. He will help their scoring against this small total (for this season in the NBA, at least). And he gives the Suns a great chance to win here at home tonight. Phoenix has played just a brutal schedule, and they have been considerable underdogs in many games this season. But they have covered three of their last four, and we think they will get the win tonight against another probable lottery team from the east.

Dallas has covered the line in this series for years as these teams don’t play often but Dallas has covered in 10 of the last 11 meetings. We think this is one of the worst versions of the Wizards we have seen in recent years. Yes, they are off to a slow start and can play better, but this team has some problems that will haunt them all season. The Mavs have not started any better as they have the same record as Washington at 2-7. But they have had a few nights off to get over their embarrassing home loss to the Knicks and we think they will do much better here tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #757 Rider over Central Florida (5:30p.m, Tuesday, November 6 ESPN 3) Rider will be the team to beat this year in the MAAC and I do not see them getting blown out tonight in Orlando. The Broncs return all five starters from last year and were 22-10.

Neither of these teams is any good, and this is anybody’s game, in our opinion, and we have to grab the points in this matchup. Orlando is 1-4 ATS this season at home and they failed to cover in their one game as a listed favorite, while the Cavs are 3-1 ATS on the road, so they have done their best work in this situation they are in tonight. The Cavs have also covered 8 of the last 11 games here in Orlando, and we think they have a good chance to win this one outright. Orlando is a team we like to back when they are getting major points as they normally excel as a double-digit dog. But we have to fade them here in the favorites role in what we expect to be a close game.

This is a major trap game for the Grizzlies, who we don’t think are as good as their 5-2 record would indicate. They are coming off a huge win at Utah last time out, and they play at Golden State next, so we think they are due for a letdown in this matchup. And we don’t think the Grizzlies should be this big of a road favorite over anyone. And this is a major revenge spot for the Suns, who got thumped a little over a week ago in Memphis. We expect them to play much better here against a familiar opponent, and with the venue now more favorable. We think they have a great chance for the straight up win in this matchup, and we think there is value in this line.

The Sixers are winless on the road this season, and we feel there’s a good chance they fail to notch the W here on Sunday. Brooklyn is a sneaky-good team. They lost last time out against Houston, but they played much better than the final score might indicate. They have played pretty well overall here at home, in fact, despite a tough slate of opponents thus far. Philly is a tad bit overrated by the oddsmakers right now and we had them as a one-point favorite in this matchup, so we will take advantage of the extra points being offered tonight.

Both teams have been very good lately, but with the Celtics big win over Milwaukee on Thursday this team is trending up big time. Boston has been one of the most consistent teams to wager on the last couple seasons, and we really like them with this short line on Saturday. Indiana has won four of six but they have had some dregs on their schedule lately, while Boston is on a four-game winning streak against very solid competition, and their confidence is sky high after knocking the Bucks from the ranks of the unbeaten on Thursday. Boston is playing some of the best defense in the NBA right now, and that will be the difference here on Saturday.

The Rockets have been playing like dog poop to start the season at 1-5. They have had an extremely tough schedule to start the season, however, playing a bunch of Western Conference playoff contenders. This is the start of a long and important road trip for the Rockets, and they need to get their act together. We have a feeling this road trip may be very good for Houston. This is their easiest game of the season thus far for sure, and this looks like a good spot to start turning things around. Brooklyn has been decent to start the season and this team plays hard on a nightly basis, but if the Rockets play their best, even without Harden, they have much better talent and should win this game going away.

The Hawks are the worst team in the NBA, and we will go against them here on Thursday night at home. The Kings have started the season hot, and maybe this team will actually be competitive this season. They are 5-3 straight up and 6-2 against the spread, and this line has value as well. This team is in the Top 6 in the three most important offensive categories, and the Kings are lighting up the scoreboard on a regular basis. The Hawks don’t do anything particularly well, and we don’t think their offense can keep in in this game. The Hawks will get too much credit on the line here since they are at home in this matchup. But we think the Kings will take care of business here and continue their hot start to the regular season.

We were happy this line came out under 7 as we really like the Pacers tonight. The Pacers have dominated the last two meetings, winning and covering in both games. Indiana has been very solid to start the season, but they are coming off a lousy effort against Portland last time out. We think they will bounce back against a Knicks team that has been on the wrong end of several blowouts already here in the young season. Indiana is healthy and they will take care of business tonight.

These are two of the three best teams in the east, and we think this one will have a playoff atmosphere tonight. Both teams will come to play, and with both teams at their best we think this is just too many points for the home team to be laying tonight. Philly blew it in their game against Boston to open the season and they won’t want to go 0-2 against the other two best teams in the east to start the season. We think they put their best foot forward tonight and expect a close game here.

Charlotte has covered in only one of the last seven meetings between these squads (one push), and we think this is a very close game and we have to take the points in this one. These teams already met once in Miami, and it was a one-point Charlotte win. But that just showed how competitive this game should be, and it also sets up as a revenge spot for the road club. If the Heat hadn’t got off to such a slow start in that game they probably would have won, and we think they have a great chance for the straight up win here.

The Kings have won and covered three straight games, but as a result we are getting some nice betting value here tonight with the home team. Sacramento enters on a back-to-back and the Magic have had two nights off. And they played pretty lousy the last couple games against much better competition so we think they will have a lot of energy tonight and give it their all in this matchup. The Magic have had problems scoring lately, but this Kings defense is giving up a ton of points and we think this rested Magic squad will take advantage in a big way.

When these teams from Texas tangle, you have to take note when one is getting this many points. We think the Mavs are getting too many tonight. Dallas has covered in four straight meetings and in seven of the last eight. Yes, they are on a back-to-back tonight, but the oddsmakers are punishing them too much with this big line. We expect a very close game here tonight and the underdog is the right call in this matchup.

We thought this Lakers team might  be a team to fade heading into the season but they have gelled together much quicker than we anticipated. We really like the way this team is playing right now and they should win this game on the road tonight. The Wolves have been very disappointing to start the season and we think the Lakers are the hungrier team in this matchup and we think they take care of business tonight.

Love this matchup and the short line on the Pacers. The Blazers travel to Houston tomorrow, and we think they will overlook this out-of-conference opponent. Indiana is legit and 4-2 on the young season. But they don’t get respect from the oddsmakers because there aren’t many big names on the roster. But they plan great team basketball and we think they will take care of business tonight and score a win by 7 or more points.

Dallas has played great at home, where they are 2-0 both SU and ATS. This team is underrated coming into the season, and they catch Utah on a back-to-back (Dallas was off Saturday) after a much bigger game against New Orleans yesterday. Dallas has played very well in this series as they have covered in five of the last six matchups. With the Jazz coming in on a back-to-back, we think that evens the playing field here and we think this will be a very close game with the home team in a good spot to pull off the outright upset.

We have stated before that we like the Magic as a double-digit underdog, and they are 2-0 ATS in this role so far this season. We think they have a great shot to be competitive tonight against this big number. The Bucks are on a back-to-back here after a tough game at Minnesota last night and they are coming off a recent game against Philly, too, so this will be their third game in four nights. They also host Toronto on Sunday, so this makes this a major letdown spot. The Magic were off on Friday and they are well rested overall and we think the Bucks might be on upset alert tonight.

Brooklyn is a team that we think is going to have a lot of betting success this season getting big points like we see tonight. This is a scrappy young team and they have a lot of talent. The future is bright in Brooklyn. This is a tricky game for the Pelicans. It is sandwiched in between conference matchups against the Clippers and Jazz, two teams that the Pels are going to be battling for a playoff spot this season. They probably won’t give the effort in this matchup that they did and will in the conference games. New Orleans has had one of the most impressive starts in the NBA thus far, but we think this line is inflated as a result.

The Wolves have played better than expected to start the season, and even with all the Jimmy Butler drama they have been very competitive. They have covered two straight games and we expect them to complete the trifecta tonight. Last time out they were very competitive in Toronto. They will come into this game with a lot of confidence against another Eastern Conference opponent. The Bucks are coming off their big win at home against Philly. They have looked great against a home-heavy schedule but played their worst game on the road in the season opener against Charlotte.

This Lakers team has a lot to work on. They are a team to mostly fade early in the season until they start to gel. LeBron James teams have been golden to bet against the last couple of years. We think this Lakers team will be similar, at least early. This team is in a tough spot. Denver was off last night, while the Lakers got their first win of the season. They will be not only on a back-to-back but playing their third game in four nights. And they went to OT against the Spurs, so that can add to the fatigue factor here. Denver is a very good team this year and they are 15-6 ATS in the last 21 meetings in this series.

Boston has gotten off to a real slow start to the season and they are just 1-3 ATS so far on the year. This team is clearly overrated by the oddsmakers. The Thunder have yet to notch a win on the year, so they have started slow too. They are just getting Westbrook back in the mix, though, and there’s no doubt they will be hyped up for not only this opponent but to get their first win in 2018. Boston will be fine and they are one of the best teams in the East, if not THE best. But we have to take advantage of their slow start and go against them tonight.

Just like last season, the Magic have had a real strong start to the season. They could easily be 3-1 right now as they lost in Philly by a single point. But they beat Boston on the road and they won here at home vs. Miami. We think they will continue their strong play tonight. The Blazers have played well, but this is their first foray on the road this season. We think they might come into this game a bit overconfident. We think this will be a close game that either team can win, so we will take the points with the home dog here.

It’s tough to back the Cavaliers after their blowout loss to the Hawks in their home opener. That should have been their first win of the season, but instead they were embarrassed by what is the consensus pick for worst team in the NBA this season. We do like to back teams after a shameful loss like that, especially this Cavs team that has a lot of playoff experience (and pride) on the roster. Bettor confidence is at an all-time low for this team right now after LeBron left town and now 0-3 to start the year. That has created some value here, however, as we had this line at 5.5 since the Nets aren’t anything special. We think there’s a good chance that the Cavs cruise in this one.

The Clippers have had a strong start to the season, as we predicted because we have used them a bunch already. But they have enjoyed the cushy confines of Staples Center for a three-game homestand to start the season. The season gets real here, however, with this tough game followed by a trip to Houston. LA normally doesn’t play well here. They are 5-15 ATS in their last 20 visits here. And they have covered only one of the last five no matter the venue. We think this line is giving a bit too much credit for the Clippers hot start, and we have to remember there was no Westbrook in the OKC win and no CP3 in the Rockets win. But Anthony Davis brings the star power tonight, and he and his teammates should win this one comfortably.

The Lakers are winless on the season, and drama sure does seem to follow LeBron James around, doesn’t it? But we think they are in good shape to get their first win tonight. The Lakers normally play well in this series and they have actually won and covered in four straight meetings. This is the best version of the Lakers during that stretch and maybe the worst version of the Spurs, and we think the line is right here tonight.

The Wizards don’t want to start the season in an 0-3 hole so we think they put their best foot forward tonight in a very winnable game for them. Even though they are 0-2, they have played well in two tough games to open the season and they could have easily won either or both of those games. The Blazers finish their three-game homestand to start the season and they are 2-0 entering this contest. We think these teams are fairly even but the road team should be the more motivated of the two and we think they keep this one close if not win outright.

We always look for spots to take the Magic as a double-digit underdog. They have performed well in this role the last couple of years. This is a young and inconsistent team, but they normally put their best foot forward on the road against top competition. We saw this last time out when they were a huge dog at Philly and they lost by one point. And of course, in their previous game they got blown out at home in a very winnable game vs. Charlotte. We expect them to give max effort tonight like they did in Philly.

We think the Clippers are very underrated this year. They don’t have any big-name players any more and the public thinks they suck. But as this team is constructed, if they stay healthy they are likely a playoff team in the ultra-competitive west. They would probably be a high seed in the east. They have some injury-prone players for sure, but this team is completely healthy right now and their injury sheet as of this writing is completely clear for Sunday night. They catch Houston in a letdown spot after their big game against LeBron and the Lakers last night. The Clippers played very hard in every game against the Rockets last season. They won two of those matchups, they covered in three, and they did not lose any of the games by more than tonight’s spread. We think there is amazing value in the underdog here tonight.

On Sunday this is a battle of teams looking for their first win of the season. But the Cavs haven’t won because they have faced a tough schedule on the road – this is their home opener – and the Hawks have lost because they flat-out stink and are the worst team in the NBA this season. Cleveland has been the worst betting team in the NBA the last couple years with LeBron James leading the way. They were always overvalued by the oddsmakers and they never performed well at the betting window against high expectations. But now the script has flipped. This team still has some players. And many of those players have playoff experience and the guys that have been on this team for awhile learned from LeBron and now they have a chip on their shoulder since everyone thinks they stink. The Hawks have been blown out by a couple of crappy teams in their opening games and this squad is the obvious tanking team this year. If everything comes together the Cavs could be in the playoff discussion in the weak East if everything went well. We think they will give maximum effort here in their first winnable game of the season, and the home opener, and we think this should be another blowout.

The Rockets had a head-scratching loss at home to the Pelicans to open the season. They no doubt don’t want to open the season 0-2. This team is not going to lose many games in the regular season, barring major injuries, and we think they will get back on track in a major way against the overrated Lakers. In their season opener at Portland the Lakers showed flashes, but they also showed that they aren’t ready for primetime. We think that it will take quite awhile for this team to gel and start playing like a team. LeBron James teams are always overrated by the oddsmakers, and Cleveland with him has been one of the worst bets in the NBA the last couple seasons. This Lakers team is even more raw and they have thrown together a cast of characters that will take some time to meld into a cohesive unit. We think Houston will be extra motivated tonight and expect them to win this one comfortably

This is a clear letdown spot for the Raptors after their hard-fought win over the Celtics at home last night. They expended a ton of energy in that game in a matchup they really wanted to win, while the Wizards were off on Friday night. Not only is this a letdown spot for the Raptors, but this is a revenge spot for the Wizards after losing to Toronto last year in the postseason. We think that this is a real good spot to take the home underdog on Saturday night.

We were on the Clippers opening night and they should have won that game but they just couldn’t hit the shots in the last couple minutes. But we think this team is underrated and we think they will bounce back here tonight at home against the Thunder. OKC will most likely be without Russell Westbrook tonight. We think the Clippers will give a solid team effort here and they will play strong defense and get their first win of the season tonight at the expense of the Thunder.

Toronto normally dominates this series at home and they are 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings here in Toronto. Everyone is hyped up on Boston this season, and for good reason as they really came on in the playoffs last year and now are fully healthy. But people are sleeping on Toronto a bit. They are every bit as talented as Boston and they aren’t getting enough respect with this line as we had this one handicapped at 5 and we would lean to Toronto at that number as well with the way the Raptors have played at home in this series recently.

Minnesota has so much drama surrounding the team and the Jimmy Butler situation that we think this is a team to fade until we see otherwise with their play on the court. They played well in their opener against San Antonio but failed to cover against a Spurs team that is down from what we are used to. Public bettors are down on the Cavs right now but this team will still be competitive this season, and this is too many points tonight in what we expect to be a pretty competitive game.

Cleveland with LeBron James was one of the worst bets in the NBA the last couple years. They were overbet by the betting public. They were shaded by the oddsmakers. Now LeBron is on the West Coast and we think the Lakers are a team to fade, at least early in the season. Adding him to the mix changes the dynamic of this team dramatically, and it’s going to take some time for the team to gel. Another thing working against the Lakers is that they are the biggest public team in the NBA. Bettors love to back them with their money. Now that LeBron has joined the team they are going to be even more of a public play than normal. Portland didn’t make any huge moves in the offseason. This team doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as the Lakers once this team gets a couple more players and gets on the same page. But right now they are clearly the much better team, and we expect them to win this one comfortably in the season opener.

The Clippers enter the season as a really underrated bunch. This team is a playoff team if they stay healthy. This team is fully healthy to start the season and they will want to get off to a hot start in the season opener and home opener in a very winnable game. The Clippers got rid of all three of their stars last season and in the offseason. But they have a solid team and this team will play strong defense and give maximum effort night after night. And Doc Rivers coached one of the best seasons of his career last season with a depleted roster. You could tell he liked the challenge and that he likes the makeup of this team. This Denver team probably has a better roster on paper, but this team did not play well on the road last season and we expect more of the same this time around. We think the wrong team is favored here and we think the Clips will pull away in the fourth quarter. They have covered in four of the last five meetings at Staples Center.

The Magic always seem to play tough against the Heat, and we believe that will be the case tonight as well. The Magic have won and covered in five of the last seven meetings. Miami comes into this game banged up and they have a long injury list with many players questionable. If this was later in the season we might shy away from taking the Magic here. But this is a season opener and home opener and a game against an in-state rival who they generally play well against. The Magic started off the season very strong last season and then they tailed off. But we expect maximum effort here in the season opener and the public will be all over the Heat in this one so this is a solid public fade.

We think that both teams want this bad and that this game, on opening night, will be a defensive battle and we think this total is about 3-4 points too high as we had this number closer to 207 so we think there is value here in the number. This one should have a playoff atmosphere and these are two of the best three teams in the east this season. We think this game will be a close, hard-fought contest throughout but we think that Boston will pull ahead in the fourth and make a statement in this game. We will tread lightly here for opening night but we do see some great value here and expect to start off the season on a positive note.

We think that both teams want this bad and that this game, on opening night, will be a defensive battle and we think this total is about 3-4 points too high as we had this number closer to 207 so we think there is value here in the number. This one should have a playoff atmosphere and these are two of the best three teams in the east this season. We think this game will be a close, hard-fought contest throughout but we think that Boston will pull ahead in the fourth and make a statement in this game. We will tread lightly here for opening night but we do see some great value here and expect to start off the season on a positive note.

If the Cavs were a young team than maybe we could see a lack of effort here as they are doomed down 0-3. But this is a veteran team and they will go all out tonight to avoid the sweep. We think they have a good chance to win. Besides Game 2, which was on the road, the Cavs have overall played pretty competitively in this series. They should have covered Game 3 but Golden State just got hot at the end of the game. We think this is a game where the Cavs will leave everything on the court and we think they could win this one straight up. They don’t want to get swept here as that is a black mark on their season even though they know they can’t win the series. And Golden State might subconsciously let down here in Game 4 as they know they are headed back to the Bay Area to win in Game 5 in the event that they lose here. Also, we think the total is once again too high here.