15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Wichita State +1 

The Wichita State Shockers are off to an impressive 6-0 start this season.  They returned three starters for head coach Gregg Marshall this season and should be able to make a run at the NCAA Tournament after settling for the NIT last year.  They won nine of their final 11 AAC games last year and made a run to the NIT semifinals, which greatly benefited them this season. 

Wichita State crushed South Carolina 70-47 yesterday behind another dominant defensive performance.  They held the Gamecocks to 32.1% shooting and have now held all six of their opponents to 39.3% or less.  They are giving up just 56.2 points per game and 35.9% shooting on the season, holding opponents to 15.1 points per game less than their season averages. 

West Virginia is 5-0 but just 2-3 ATS.  They only beat Northern Colorado by 8 and Akron by 10 at home.  They were fortunate to make this title game because they had a 15-point comeback win over Northern Iowa yesterday and took the lead in the final seconds on an And-1 following a bogus flagrant foul.  They scored 5 points with the clock stopped, and it was the difference in the game.  They won’t be so fortunate against Wichita State today. 

The Shockers are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 road games after three straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 37% or less.  Wichita State is 9-2 ATS in all tournament games over the last two seasons.  The Shockers are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Mountaineers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.  West Virginia is 7-18-1 ATS in its last 26 non-conference games.  Roll with Wichita State Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Indiana Pacers -1.5 

The Indiana Pacers have been flying under the radar over the past month.  They are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games overall with their only losses coming to Houston, Milwaukee and Charlotte (by 2).  They are getting no respect at home tonight as only 1.5-point favorites over the Utah Jazz. 

The Pacers are as healthy as they’ve been all season as they have everyone but Victor Oladipo healthy now.  It’s a big reason why they are playing so well.  And the Pacers will certainly have fresh legs as this will be just their 3rd game in 9 days. 

Indiana has had Utah’s number in recent seasons.  The Pacers are 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  They won by 33 at Utah and by 27 at home against the Jazz in their two meetings last year. 

Plays against underdogs (Utah) - off a road cover where they lost SU as an underdog, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%) are 58-17 (77.3%) ATS since 1996.  Indiana is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 home games vs. Western Conference opponents.  Bet the Pacers Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Northern Iowa +1 

The Northern Iowa Panthers are 6-1 this season and have their best team in years.  They closed last season very strong and have welcomed back four starters this season and a ton of talent.  If not for a blown 15-point lead against West Virginia yesterday and a bogus flagrant foul call late, they’d be 7-0. 

Look for the Panthers to come back today and beat a very bad South Carolina team.  South Carolina is coming off a 16-16 season last year and two of their top three scores from that team in Chris Silva (15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG last year) and Hassani Gravett (11.4 PPG). 

South Carolina is 4-2 this season, but they were upset 70-78 at home by Boston U as 15.5-point favorites.  And they barely beat Gardner Webb by 5 as 15-point favorites before getting crushed 47-70 by Wichita State yesterday.  I was on Wichita State yesterday, and I’ll fade the Gamecocks again today. 

Northern Iowa is 34-11 ATS in its last 45 neutral court games with a total of 129.5 or less.  The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. SEC opponents.  The Gamecocks are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 non-conference games.  South Carolina is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.  Take Northern Iowa Wednesday. 

15* Clippers/Mavs NBA TV ANNIIHILATOR on Dallas +2.5 

The Dallas Mavericks are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall with all five wins coming by 7 points or more.  And it’s not like they are beating up on cupcakes as they topped the defending champion Raptors 110-102 at home and went on the road and upset the Rockets 137-123 as 5.5-point dogs. 

Now, the Mavericks will host one of the favorites to win the title in the Los Angeles Clippers, and I think they’ll be up to the challenge.  The Clippers have also won five straight, but they’ve been much less impressive with wins by 2, 3 and 3 points.  And all five wins came at home. 

The Clippers are just 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS on the road this season where they are giving up 119.2 points per game.  They have benefited from a very easy home-heavy schedule with 12 games at home compared to just five on the road. 

Home-court advantage has been huge int his series as the home team is 9-0 SU & 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Mavericks are 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four home meetings with the Clippers.  Roll with the Mavericks Tuesday. 

20* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Wichita State -3 

The Wichita State Shockers are off to an impressive 5-0 start this season.  They returned three starters for head coach Gregg Marshall this season and should be able to make a run at the NCAA Tournament after settling for the NIT last year.  They won nine of their final 11 AAC games last year and made a run to the NIT semifinals, which greatly benefited them this season. 

South Carolina is coming off a 16-16 season last year and two of their top three scores from that team in Chris Silva (15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG last year) and Hassani Gravett (11.4 PPG).  The Gamecocks are off to a 4-1 start this season against. Very soft schedule with five home against against suspect competition.   

The Gamecocks lost to Boston U 70-78 at home as 15.5-point favorites and didn’t respond well in their next game, only beating Gardner Webb 74-69 as 15-point favorites.  That gives Wichita State a common opponent as they also played Gardner Webb, crushing them 74-52 as 15.5-point home favorites. 

The Shockers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Wichita State is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games overall.  South Carolina is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 non-conference games.  The Gamecocks are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six neutral site games.  Bet Wichita State Tuesday. 

15* Stanford/Oklahoma ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Stanford +5 

Head coach Jarod Haase clearly has the best team he has had at Stanford as he enters his fourth year with the program.  The Cardinal returned three starters this year and came away with a tremendous recruiting class.  Things are looking up for Stanford. 

Indeed, the Cardinal are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS this season with all six wins coming by 11 points or more.  They have two common opponents with Oklahoma this season, which would lead me to believe that Stanford is the better team and shouldn’t be catching points here. 

Oklahoma is also 5-0, but failed to cover the spread against the same two teams that Stanford played.  They beat William & Mary 75-70, while Stanford beat W&M 81-50.  They beat Maryland East Shore by 27, and Stanford beat Maryland East Shore by 21.  So Stanford has outscored those two teams by an average of 26.0 points per game, while Oklahoma has only outscored them by 16.0 points per game. 

Stanford is shooting 43% from 3-point range this season, while Oklahoma is only shooting 30.2%.  The Cardinal are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games after two straight games making 50% of their 3-point shots or better.  Take Stanford Monday. 

15* NBA Monday Undervalued Underdog on Memphis Grizzlies +9.5 

I like the value we are getting on the Memphis Grizzlies today.  The Pacers would have to win by double-digits to beat us, and I don’t see that happening.  The Pacers aren’t a good enough team to be laying double-digits to almost anyone. 

It’s a good time to ’sell high’ on Indiana, which has won nine of its last 12 games coming in.  It’s a good time to ‘buy low’ on the Grizzlies, who have lost three straight coming in.  But they barely lost 108-109 to the Lakers as 8-point dogs last time out.  And now the Grizzlies will be playing just their 2nd game in 6 days tonight. 

Plays on road underdogs (Memphis) - off three or more consecutive losses, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record are 81-46 (63.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Grizzlies are 16-6 ATS in the last 22 meetings.  Roll with the Grizzlies Monday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Detroit Pistons -4.5 

The Detroit Pistons are as healthy as they’ve been all season.  The only key player they are missing now is Reggie Jackson.  They should be a good bet in the short term because they are undervalued now after a 5-11 SU & 5-9-2 ATS start this season. 

Injuries have taken their toll on the Orlando Magic.  They are playing without arguably their two best players in Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic, and they are also without PG Michael Carter-Williams.  They lost by 16 in Toronto and by 5 in Indiana in their last two games coming in.  It’s going to get worse before it gets better for the Pacers until Gordon and Vucevic return. 

The Magic are 0-6 SU & 2-4 ATS on the road this season.  The Pistons are 37-13 SU & 28-18-4 ATS in their last 50 home meetings with the Magic.  The home team is 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings in this series.  Take the Pistons Monday. 

20* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on Missouri -1 

The Missouri Tigers are one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are off to a 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS start this year with their only loss coming on the road at Xavier in overtime.  Their four wins have all come by 15 points or more. 

The Tigers returned three starters this season and added in some great recruits.  Their three returning starters are all having solid seasons in Mark Smith (13.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG this year), Jeremiah Tilmon (11.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Javon Pickett (5.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG).  Dru Smith (11.6 PPG, 4.8 APG) is a transfer from Evansville, and Xavier Pinson (9.2 PPG, 3.8 APG) has taken his game to the next level after coming off the bench last year. 

Butler is coming off a 16-17 season and it’s clear head coach LaVall Jordan is falling short of expectations.  The Bulldogs only returned two starters this year and one is Aaron Thompson (6.3 PPG, 4.3 APG last year).  The Bulldogs are 5-0 but it has come against an easy schedule with five home games. 

This is technically a neutral site game, but it won’t be neutral at all.  It will be played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO and the Tigers will have a huge home-court edge.  Butler is 3-16 ATS in road games off a home game over the last three seasons.  The Bulldogs are 1-9 ATS in road games off two or more straight wins over the last three years.  Butler is 1-9 ATS in road games vs. top teams that outscore their opponents by 12-plus points per game over the last three seasons.  Bet Missouri Monday.

20* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Washington Wizards -3.5 

The Washington Wizards continue to lack the respect they deserve from oddsmakers as only 3.5-point home favorites against the injury-ravaged Sacramento Kings tonight.  The Wizards are 10-3 ATS this season and have been one of the best covering teams in the league. 

The Wizards come in playing their best basketball of the season, going 3-2 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  They only lost by 7 at Boston as 7.5-point dogs and by 4 at Orlando as 5.5-point dogs.  They beat Minnesota by 21 on the road as 5.5-point dogs, topped the Spurs by 6 at home as 2-point dogs and covered in a 7-point win over the Hornets as 6-point home favorites. 

The Kings are coming off a bad 19-point loss at Brooklyn and things are going to get worse before they get better due to their injuries.  They are playing without De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Trevor Ariza right now. 

The Wizards are 5-1 SU & 4-1-1 ATS in their last six meetings with the Kings.  Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 10-2 SU & 10-1-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  Bet the Wizards Sunday. 

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Rhode Island +6.5 

The Rhode Island Rams were in a rebuilding year last season and went just 18-15 (9-9 A-10) in David Cox’s first season on the job.  But now Cox returns all five starters and a ton of experience, which makes the Rams a dark horse contender to compete for the A-10 title. 

The five returning starters are Fatts Russell (14.2 PPG last year), Cyril Langevine (14.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG), Jeff Dowtin (15.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Tyrese Martin (8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Jermaine Harris (4.4 PPG).  That’s a ton of returning production.  The Rams are off to a 4-1 start this season with a win over Alabama and their only loss coming to a Top 10 Maryland team on the road. 

LSU lost a couple players to the NBA and isn’t nearly as good as it was last year.  The Tigers are 3-2 this season with losses to the two best teams they’ve faced in VCU and Utah State.  LSU struggled to put away Bowling Green by 9 at home as 13-point favorites and Nicholls State by 10 at home as 21-point favorites.  They should not be favored by 6.5 on a neutral over Rhode Island today. 

The Tigers are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 neutral site games.  LSU is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games overall.  Rhode Island is 3-0-1 ATS in its last four vs. SEC opponents.  Roll with Rhode Island Sunday. 

20* NBA Western Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on New Orleans Pelicans +7.5 

The New Orleans Pelicans have gotten healthy finally and are starting to play their best basketball of the season as a result.  They are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall, and they should not be catching 7.5 points to the Utah Jazz given the awful spot for Utah. 

Indeed, the Jazz will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after needing some late game heroics to beat a bad Golden State team 113-109 as 16-point favorites last night.  The Jazz won’t have much left in the tank for the Pelicans, who play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA and will test a Jazz team playing their 3rd game in 4 days. 

Home-court advantage has meant nothing in this series.  The road team is 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Pelicans pulled the upset in each of their last two trips to Utah, and they haven’t lost by more than 8 points in any of their last six trips to Salt Lake City. 

Plays on road underdogs (New Orleans) - a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record are 48-15 (76.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Plays on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (New Orleans) - off a road win, a bad team (25% to 40%) playing a team with a winning record are 28-8 (77.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Pelicans Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Memphis Grizzlies +7.5 

The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off an ugly blowout home loss to the Golden State Warriors, failing to cover the spread by 25.5 points.  The betting public wants nothing to do with them now, and this is a great time to ‘buy low’ on the Grizzlies. 

The Grizzlies have had three days off to stew over that loss, and now they’ll be fresh, motivated and ready to go with Lebron James and company coming to town tonight.  They will certainly be up for this game, and it’s understandable they thought they could just show up and beat the Warriors. 

The Lakers are in an awful spot.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a grueling, 130-127 shootout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road last night.  Now they have to travel all the way to Memphis and will be playing on tired legs.  The Lakers are already overvalued after winning 13 of their last 14 games overall, and we’ll gladly ’sell high’ on them in this flat spot. 

Plays on home underdogs (Memphis) - revenging a road loss by 10 points or Moree, off an upset loss by 15 points or more as a favorite are 35-10 (77.8%) ATS since 1996.  The Lakers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  Take the Grizzlies Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on New York Knicks +2.5 

The San Antonio Spurs are a complete dumpster fire.  They have gone 0-8 SU & 0-7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall and are now a league-worst 2-13-1 ATS on the season.  It’s not going to get any better for them tonight. 

The Spurs will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 9 days, which is one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  They lost 104-115 on the road to the 76ers last night and will be playing their 4th straight road game.  Simply put, the Spurs are running on fumes right now. 

The Knicks have finally gotten healthy and are playing their best basketball of the season coming in.  The Knicks are 2-2 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  They upset the Mavericks as 7.5-point home dogs and blew out the Cavs by 18 as 5.5-point home favorites.  They only lost by a single point to the Hornets, and they gave Philadelphia a battle on the road in a 104-109 road loss as 13-point dogs last time out.   

Now the Knicks come in on two days’ rest having last played on Wednesday and will be fresh and ready to go.  The Spurs will have nothing left in the tank and will lose their 9th straight game tonight.  Roll with the Knicks Saturday. 

20* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Florida International -8 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG last year), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap todayt because they are just 2-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs.  Then they went on to blow out Cleveland State 107-61 as 7.5-point road favorites.  And yesterday they beat Eastern Kentucky 89-70 as 7.5-point favorites.  This team is a sleeping giant folks. 

UNC-Wilmington has some very concerning results this year.  They are 3-3 and lost by 38 at Davidson as 15.5-point favorites.  Perhaps the more concerning result is their 46-47 loss to Cleveland State as 5.5-point favorites last week.  That’s the same Cleveland State team FIU beat 107-61 on the road, giving these teams a common opponent.  This game has blowout written all over it, and I’m shocked FIU isn’t a double-digit favorite.  Bet Florida International Saturday. 

20* Rockets/Clippers ESPN 2-0 Parlay SWEEPER on Los Angeles -5/UNDER 229 

Reasons for Clippers: 

The Clippers want revenge from a 93-102 road loss at Houston on November 13th just nine days ago.  Look for them to have their revenge as they get the Rockets at home this time around, plus they have Paul George now with a few games under his belt and feeling confident in his role. 

The Clippers are 9-1 SU & 6-3 ATS at home this season.  They are outscoring opponents by 10.7 points per game at home.  It will be a great atmosphere for the Clippers here Friday night. 

The Rockets are overvalued after going 8-1 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last eight games overall against suspect competition.  I faded them with success in their 95-105 loss at Denver on Wednesday, and I’m fading them again tonight. 

Plays against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Houston) - after beating the spread by 24 or more points in their last three games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team are 70-32 (68.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Clippers are 15-5 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less over the last two seasons.  Bet the Clippers Friday. 

Reasons for UNDER: 

These teams are obviously very familiar with one another having played just nine days ago.  Familiarity breeds low-scoring games.  And that game saw just 195 combined points, and now we have a total of 229, which is 34 points higher.  There’s clearly a ton of value with the UNDER. 

The Clippers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA now with their ability to switch on the perimeter with Patrick Beverly, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.  Those guys have tremendous wing spans and they are going to give James Harden and Russell Westbrook problems. 

The Rockets have been very good defensively, too.  The UNDER is 9-2 in Rockets last 11 games overall.  They have allowed 108 or fewer points in seven of their last nine games.  They are missing Eric Gordon on offense and that has certainly hurt their floor spacing on that end. 

Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is 220 to 229.5 (LA Clippers) - after going under the total by 18 or more points in their last three games, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%) are 30-10 (75%) since 1996. 

Houston is 10-1 UNDER in road games vs. good teams outscoring their opponents by 6-plus points per game over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 20-6 in Rockets last 26 road games, including 7-0 in November road games.  The UNDER is 8-2 in Clippers last 10 home games.  Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. 

20* Rockets/Clippers ESPN 2-0 Parlay SWEEPER on Los Angeles -5/UNDER 229 

Reasons for Clippers: 

The Clippers want revenge from a 93-102 road loss at Houston on November 13th just nine days ago.  Look for them to have their revenge as they get the Rockets at home this time around, plus they have Paul George now with a few games under his belt and feeling confident in his role. 

The Clippers are 9-1 SU & 6-3 ATS at home this season.  They are outscoring opponents by 10.7 points per game at home.  It will be a great atmosphere for the Clippers here Friday night. 

The Rockets are overvalued after going 8-1 SU & 8-1 ATS in their last eight games overall against suspect competition.  I faded them with success in their 95-105 loss at Denver on Wednesday, and I’m fading them again tonight. 

Plays against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Houston) - after beating the spread by 24 or more points in their last three games, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team are 70-32 (68.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Clippers are 15-5 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less over the last two seasons.  Bet the Clippers Friday. 

Reasons for UNDER: 

These teams are obviously very familiar with one another having played just nine days ago.  Familiarity breeds low-scoring games.  And that game saw just 195 combined points, and now we have a total of 229, which is 34 points higher.  There’s clearly a ton of value with the UNDER. 

The Clippers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA now with their ability to switch on the perimeter with Patrick Beverly, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.  Those guys have tremendous wing spans and they are going to give James Harden and Russell Westbrook problems. 

The Rockets have been very good defensively, too.  The UNDER is 9-2 in Rockets last 11 games overall.  They have allowed 108 or fewer points in seven of their last nine games.  They are missing Eric Gordon on offense and that has certainly hurt their floor spacing on that end. 

Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is 220 to 229.5 (LA Clippers) - after going under the total by 18 or more points in their last three games, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%) are 30-10 (75%) since 1996. 

Houston is 10-1 UNDER in road games vs. good teams outscoring their opponents by 6-plus points per game over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 20-6 in Rockets last 26 road games, including 7-0 in November road games.  The UNDER is 8-2 in Clippers last 10 home games.  Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. 

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Oregon -6.5 

The Oregon Ducks are one of the best teams in the country this season.  They are proving it quickly with a 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS start this season.  They beat Fresno by 14, Boise by 31, Memphis by 8 and UT-Arlington by 20. And now they will get another double-digit win over Houston tonight. 

The Houston Cougars are still being priced like the team that went 33-4 last season.  But the Cougars are far from that team as they lost four starters from that squad in Corey Davis (17.0 PPG), Armani Brooks (13.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Galen Robinson Jr. (8.0 PPG, 4.9 APG) and Braeon Brady (6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG). 

Houston has opened 4-0 SU & 1-2 ATS.  They were upset at home by BYU 71-72 as 11.5-point favorites.  And they trailed Rice by 9 in the final five minutes before going on a big run to pull out the 97-89 win as 13-point favorites.  Now they will face their toughest test yet by far tonight. 

Oregon is 14-2 ATS vs. teams who average 6 or fewer steals per game over the last two seasons.  The Ducks are 14-2 ATS in their last 16 games overall.  Oregon is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. 

Plays on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Oregon) - a top team outscoring their opponents by 12-plus points per game, after allowing 50 points or less last game are 41-14 (74.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Oregon Friday. 

15* CBB Friday Early Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on Florida International -7.5 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG last year), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap todayt because they are just 2-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs.  Then they went on to blow out Cleveland State 107-61 as identical 7.5-point road favorites.  This team is a sleeping giant folks. 

Eastern Kentucky is picked to finish near the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference this season and for good reason.  They went just 13-18 last year and lost two double-digit scorers in Nick Mayo (23.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG) and Dujuanta Weaver (10.2 PPG).  That’s a lot of production lost.  The Colonels are 3-2, but their three wins have all come at home against Chattanooga, Chillicothe and Alice Lloyd.  They lost by 42 at Kentucky and by 8 at home to Western Kentucky. 

Eastern Kentucky is 1-9 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Colonels are 0-7 ATS in road games off a win by 10 points or more over the last three years.  The Golden Panthers are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games off a win by more than 20 points.  FIU is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.  Take Florida International Friday. 

20* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on UConn -3.5 

The UConn Huskies are in Year 2 under Dan Hurley.  I expect them to be one of the most improved teams in the country.  They are off to a 2-1 start this season with an impressive upset win over Florida.  They returned four key players who all averaged at least 8.4 points per game last year. 

Christian Vital (19.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG) is a senior guard who is among the AAC’s best players.  Josh Carlton (13.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG) was the AAC’s most improved player last year and is taking that next step.  Alterique Gilbert (12.7 PPG) is finally healthy after battling shoulder injuries his entire career.  Tyler Polley (12.7 PPG) is a sweet stroke and is shooting 47.1% from 3-point range after making 38% last year. 

Buffalo is a team I’m looking to fade in the early going.  They are coming off their most wins in program history, and as a result they lost head coach Nate Oats to Alabama.  Jim Whitesell is in his first season and the Bulls have to replace five crucial seniors, including CJ Massinburg (18.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG last year) and Jeremy Harris (14.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG).  They don’t return a single double-digit scorer from last year’s team. 

We saw a sign of things to come in Buffalo’s opener when it was upset 63-68 at home by Dartmouth as an 11.5-point favorite.  And their two wins came against Nazareth and Harvard, so this will be a big step up in class facing UConn tonight. 

UConn is 17-5 ATS when playing only its 2nd game in a week over the last two seasons.  The Huskies are 35-17 ATS in their last 52 games off a close win by 3 points or less.  The Huskies will have gained a ton of confidence with that upset win over Florida, and it will carry over to this matchup with Buffalo tonight.  Bet UConn Thursday. 

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on Toledo +8 

The Toledo Rockets are among the favorites to win the MAC this season and for good reason.  Toledo head coach Td Kowalcyk enters his 10th season with the program, and the Rockets are a perennial contender.  They are coming off a 25-8 season and a first-place finish in the MAC West. 

Now the Rockets return three starters in Marreon Jackson (11.7 PPG, 4.2 APG last year), Luke Knapke (10.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and William Jackson (8.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG).  The Rockets are off to a 3-1 start this season with their only loss coming on the road to Valparaiso in their opener by 2 points.  They have blowout wins over Marshall (by 26), Robert Morris (by 14) and Howard (by 44). 

Notre Dame is coming off a disastrous 14-19 season.  The Fighting Irish returned five starters this year, but they don’t have much talent.  That’s clear when you consider despite being 4-1 SU they are just 1-4 ATS this season.  They only beat Marshall by 10 as 19-point home favorites and Presbyterian by 10 as 26.5-point home favorites in their last two games coming in.  Toledo won at Marshall by 26 to give them a common opponent and a big reason they can stay within 8 points here. 

Notre Dame is 0-7 ATS off two consecutive home wins by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Fighting Irish are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. MAC opponents.  The Rockets are 11-3 ATS in road games off an ATS win over the last three seasons.  Take Toledo Thursday. 

15* Blazers/Bucks TNT ANNIHILATOR on Milwaukee -12 

The Milwaukee Bucks are back at it again this season challenging to be the best team in the NBA in the regular season.  They are 9-1 in their last 10 games overall with five of those wins coming by double-digits and seven of them by 8 points or more.  They are blowing teams in out on a regular basis, which is why I don’t mind laying this number with them Thursday. 

That’s especially the case when you consider they are up against a banged-up Blazers team that will be playing without Damian Lillard tonight.  They were already without Just Nurkic and Zach Collins, and they could be without both Hassan Whiteside and Anfernee Simons, who are both questionable. 

The Blazers have been a real dumpster fire of late, going 2-8 SU & 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall with five losses by 8 points or more.  Their last two games were really dreadful as they lost by 24 at Houston and by 11 at New Orleans.  And they just recently lost Lillard to injury prior to that Pelicans game, so they were playing poorly with him, and now they’ll be even worse without his 28.6 points and 7.1 assists per game. 

The Bucks are 8-1 ATS in their last nine after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.  The Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.  Portland is 0-4-2 ATS in its last six vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Bucks are 5-1 SU & 4-1-1 ATS in their last six meetings with the Blazers, including a 143-100 home win last year.  Roll with the Bucks Thursday. 

15* Celtics/Clippers ESPN Late-Night BAILOUT on Boston +6 

The Boston Celtics are 11-2 this season and still getting no respect from oddsmakers tonight as 6-point road underdogs to the Los Angeles Clippers.  It’s a Celtics team that has found their stride with Kemba Walker running the show and they look like one of the best teams in the NBA currently. 

The Clippers could be without Kawhi Leonard again tonight as he has missed two consecutive games with a left knee contusion.  They were barely able to escape with a 90-88 home victory over the Thunder as 7.5-point home favorites on Monday without him.  And they certainly won’t be able to put away the Celtics by margin with or without him tonight. 

Plays against home favorites (LA Clippers) - in non-conference games, off a home non-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite are 74-36 (67.3%) ATS over the last five seasons. 

Boston is 14-2 ATS off an upset win as a road underdog over the last three seasons.  The Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last five vs. a team with a winning record.  Take the Celtics Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Portland +6.5 

I like the Portland Pilots catching points in this in-state rivalry with Portland State.  The Pilots clearly came into this season undervalued after going 7-25 last year and 0-16 in WCC play.  I think they’ll continue to be a money maker moving forward. 

Indeed, Portland is off to a 3-1 SU & 3-0 ATS start this season.  After beating Williamette by 50 in their opener, they gave USC a battle in a 65-76 road loss as 23-point dogs.  Then they upset San Jose State 72-57 as 3-point road dogs before covering against Maine in a 71-62 victory as 7.5-point home favorites.  They have covered the spread by a combined 31.5 points in their three lined games. 

Portland State is picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky this year and deservedly so.  They lost three starters and only brought back two players who averaged more than 4.3 points per game from last season.  They are 1-2 this season with their only win coming at home over Puget Sound by a final of 94-69.  They lost at Indiana and Hawaii and are coming off a trip to the Island. 

Portland State is 10-23 ATS in its last 33 vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game.  The Vikings are 0-9 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days over the last two seasons.  The Pilots are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.  The road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  The Pilots are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings at Portland State.  Roll with Portland Wednesday. 

20* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on UNLV -4 

The UNLV Rebels made a great hire in the offseason by nabbing T.J. Otzelberger from South Dakota State.  He went 70-33 in his three seasons there while guiding the Jack Rabbits to two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT.  While several players transferred or graduated, Otzelberger was able to keep two starters in Amauri Hardy (13.1 PPG, 3.5 APG last year) and Cheikh Mbacke Diong (6.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 40 blocks). 

The Rebels have won and covered their two home games against IUPU-Fort Wayne and Abilene Christian.  And they are certainly battle-tested in the early going with losses to Kansas State (by 4), Cal (by 4) and UCLA (by 17).  This tough early schedule will have the Rebels undervalued moving forward after a 2-3 start.  Hardy (19.0 PPG) is carrying the team, while transfers Elijah Mitrou-Long (12.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG) from Texas and Donnie Tillman (12.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG) from Utah have both proven to be huge gets for Otzelberger. 

Texas State also returns just two starters from last year and comes in overvalued after a 24-10 season.  The Bobcats are 3-2 with their three wins all coming at home against cupcakes in Texas Lutheran, Prairie View A&M and Jackson State.  They lost their two road games to Air Force and Baylor.  And now they will be playing their 2nd game in 3 days after beating Jackson State at home on Monday while having to travel to UNLV.  The Bobcats won’t be prepared for this game at all. 

Danny Kaspar is 10-20 ATS as a road underdog of 6 points or less or PK as the coach of Texas State.  The Bobcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  Otzelberger is 23-10 ATS vs. good offensive teams that score 77 or more points per game in all games as a head coach.  Bet UNLV Wednesday. 

20* NBA BLOWOUT GAME OF THE MONTH on Denver Nuggets -1 

The Houston Rockets are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers now after going 8-0 SU & 8-0 ATS in their last eight games overall.  Their run comes to an end tonight against a Denver Nuggets team that will be up to the challenge. 

The Rockets have been fasting on a pretty weak schedule as their eight wins have come against the Grizzlies, Warriors, Bulls, Pelicans, Clippers, Pacers, Timberwolves and Blazers.  This will be their toughest challenge in quite some time against a Nuggets team that has won six of their last seven overall coming in as well. 

The Nuggets had the best home record in the NBA last season, and the Pepsi Center is never an easy place to play thanks to the altitude.  Now we get a fresh Nuggets team playing just their 2nd game in 6 days, while the Rockets will be playing their 4th game in 6 days. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 7-2 SU in the last nine meetings.  The Nuggets are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Bet the Nuggets Wednesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis Grizzlies -6.5 

The Golden State Warriors might just be the worst team in the NBA now.  They are 2-12 this season and are without their top three scorers in Steph Curry, D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson.  There’s just not a lot to like about this team moving forward. 

The Memphis Grizzlies are starting to gel as a team.  They are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall with upset road wins over the Spurs as 10.5-point dogs and Hornets as 2.5-point dogs, as well as an upset home win over the Jazz as 8-point dogs. 

The Grizzlies have scored 115.1 points per game on 47.7% shooting at home this season.  They’ll be up against a Warriors team that gives up 119.0 points per game and 48% shooting overall, including 119.9 points per game and 48.8% shooting on the road.  Golden State is 1-6 on the highway and getting outscored by 11.5 points per game. 

The Warriors are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Golden State is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games overall.  The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Roll with the Grizzlies Tuesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida International -7 

Jeremy Ballard turned around the FIU program in his first season last year.  He guided the Panthers to their first 20-win season since the program joined Division 1, and only their second winning record since 2001.  The former VCU assistant won’t be at FIU for long. 

Ballard implemented an up-tempo offense that averaged 77 possessions, which was more than any other team in the nation with the average offensive trip lasting 14.1 seconds, also the fastest in the land.  Their full-court pressure forced turnovers on 23.4 percent (7th) of opponent’s possessions, and they converted those into 23 points per game in transition (4th). 

The Panthers returned four starters this season in Devon Andrews (15.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG), Osasumwen Osaghae (8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 BPG), Trefjon Jacob (10.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG) and Antonio Daye Jr. (8.3 PPG).  I think we are getting this team cheap tonight because they are just 1-2, but they covered the spread in both of their road losses to Mississippi State (69-77) as 16.5-point dogs and NC State (77-86) as 17.5-point dogs. 

Cleveland State is picked to finish last in the Horizon this season, and I fully agree with it.  The Vikings went 10-21 last season and brought in a new head coach in Dennis Gates.  They lost all five starters from last year and only brought back one key reserve.  The Vikings are 1-3 this season with a 35-point loss to Minnesota, a 20-point loss to Missouri State and a 27-point loss to South Carolina.  They are clearly a team in rebuilding mode.  Take Florida International Tuesday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Chicago Bulls +9 

I like the spot for the Chicago Bulls tonight.  They will be out for revenge from a 115-124 loss at Milwaukee as 11.5-point dogs on Thursday.  Now they get a shot at revenge just four days later and are at home this time around catching 9 points. 

It’s pretty amazing the Bulls were able to stay with 9 points of the Bucks on the road while shooting just 40.9% as a team.  I have to think they are going to have a better shooting night this time around, and I have a hard time believing the Bucks are going to get to the free throw line a ridiculous 47 times again. 

Plays against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Milwaukee) - after having won five or six of their last seven games, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a bad team (25% to 40%) are 67-32 (67.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Bulls Monday. 

15* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on Kentucky -25 

The Kentucky Wildcats are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder tonight.  They were just upset by Evansville as 24.5-point favorites last time out on Tuesday.  They’ve had nearly a full week to stew over that loss and will now be looking to take out their frustration on Utah Valley State tonight. 

Utah Valley State is 3-1 this season but has played a pretty easy schedule.  It’s a Utah Valley team that lost four starters who all averaged at least 8.5 points per game last year.  Their lone returning starter is Isaiah White, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds last year.   

It will be the 3rd game in 7 days for Utah Valley, which hasn’t had much time to prepare for Kentucky.  The Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  The Wildcats are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.  Roll with Kentucky Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Memphis Grizzlies +7 

This young Grizzlies team has really turned it around after a slow start this season and they’re becoming fun to watch because they are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA.  The Grizzlies are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall with upset wins over the Spurs, Hornets and Jazz as combined 21-point dogs. 

The Denver Nuggets have been overvalued all season.  Despite being 8-3 SU, they are just 3-6-2 ATS with a lot of close wins.  Indeed, seven of their eight wins have come by 8 points or fewer.  And if they do get a win Sunday over the Grizzlies, I believe it will be by 7 points or less. 

This has been a closely-contested series with each of the last five meetings decide by 7 points or less.  The Nuggets haven’t beaten the Grizzlies by more than 6 points in any of the last 15 meetings in Memphis.  That makes for a 15-0 system backing Memphis pertaining to this 7-point spread tonight.  Take the Grizzlies Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Boston Celtics -3 

The Boston Celtics have won 10 straight and will be highly motivated to keep this winning streak going as long as they can.  I think we are getting them cheap here against the Sacramento Kings as only 3-point road favorites. 

The Kings are in a hangover spot off their tough 2-point loss to the Lakers on Friday.  And this is a Kings team getting a lot of respect now after playing the Lakers close and covering six in a row coming in.  But they are without De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, and I just don’t think they can keep up their good play without Fox especially. 

The Celtics are 7-1 SU in their last eight meetings with the Kings, and their domination in this series continues today.  Sacramento is 1-5 ATS in its last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Bet the Celtics Sunday. 

15* NBA Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Chicago Bulls -2 

The Chicago Bulls are playing much better of late after a slow start.  They are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall and starting to live up to the lofty expectations they had prior to the season.  This is a team with so much talent that they simply cannot stay down for long. 

After hanging tough with Milwaukee in a losing effort on the road last time out, the Bulls return home here to face the reeling, banged up Brooklyn Nets.  The Nets have lost three straight coming in and are in a very tough spot here.  They will be playing their 5th straight road game, and it’s clear they are running out of gas. 

Making matters worse for the Nets is that they just recently lost starter Caris LeVert to a thumb injury.  And Kyrie Irving is trying to play through a shoulder injury that is clearly hampering him.  Irving has been well below his season average of 28.5 PPG during the three-game losing streak.  He had 17 against Denver, 27 against Utah, and 15 against Phoenix.  Irving is questionable to play tonight as well. 

The Nets are 0-7 ATS in their last seven vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Brooklyn is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games overall.  The Bulls are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss.  Look for the Bulls to bounce back with a win and cover tonight at home.  Roll with the Bulls Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Iowa -9 

The Northern Iowa Panthers nearly made the NCAA Tournament last year.  They caught fire in the second half of the season and led Bradley in the MVC title game 35-17 before falling apart.  It was clear after that run that they’d be a force in 2019-20 with all they had returning. 

Indeed, the Panthers returned six of their top seven scorers from last year.  They have six seniors and three juniors and are actually led by a sophomore in A.J. Green, who averaged 15.0 PPG last year.  Green is their highest rated recruit in program history and likely a future NBA talent. 

I like the fact that Northern Iowa took a trip to Italy in August to bond.  It has paid dividends in the early going as the Panthers are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS with two wins by double-digits.  Now they are laying less than doubles against a Northern Colorado team I expect them to handle at home today. 

Northern Colorado is returning four starters this year, but they play in a much weaker conference in the Big Sky. And their opening 45-69 loss at Texas as 16.5-point dogs says everything that needs to be said about this team.  Texas isn’t expected to be very good this season, and I believe Northern Iowa would give the Longhorns a run for their money. 

The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conference games.  The Panthers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.  Expect Northern Iowa to continue its solid play in the early going this season and win this game by double-digits.  Take Northern Iowa Saturday. 

20* Jazz/Grizzlies ESPN Friday No-Brainer on Memphis +7.5 

The Memphis Grizzlies are starting to play well here having won three of their last five with upset wins over Minnesota (137-121) as 3.5-point home dogs, San Antonio (113-109) as 10.5-point road dogs and Charlotte (119-117) as 2.5-point road dogs.  This young team is growing together quickly and playing tremendous on the offensive end, shooting 50.6% or better in four of their last five games coming in. 

The Utah Jazz came into the season getting a ton of publicity for the moves they made in the offseason.  They were a popular dark horse title contender pick in the West.  But they’ve struggled to live up to expectations, going 8-3 SU but 4-7 ATS on the season.  That includes a 2-3 SU & 1-4 ATS record in road games this year.  Their only road cover came against the hapless Golden State Warriors. 

I think Mike Conley’s feelings toward Memphis work against him here.  He loves the city of Memphis as they gave him every opportunity to be a star.  This will be his first time playing in Memphis as an opponent.  I don’t see it going well for him, and I think the Grizzlies have the motivational edge because of it.  The Grizzlies are 7-2 ATS in their last nine meetings with the Jazz.   

Plays against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Utah) - after going under the total by 54 or more points in their last 10 games, in the first half of the season are 42-13 (76.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Grizzlies Friday. 

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Rhode Island +2 

The Rhode Island Rams were in a rebuilding year last season and went just 18-15 (9-9 A-10) in David Cox’s first season on the job.  But now Cox returns all five starters and a ton of experience, which makes the Rams a dark horse contender to compete for the A-10 title. 

The five returning starters are Fatts Russell (14.2 PPG last year), Cyril Langevine (14.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG), Jeff Dowtin (15.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), Tyrese Martin (8.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Jermaine Harris (4.4 PPG).  That’s a ton of returning production, and I think the fact that they are coming off a road loss to Maryland has the Rams undervalued coming into this home game against Alabama tonight. 

Alabama is in rebuilding mode under first-year head coach Nate Oats.  They returned three starters but lost three key players in Tevin Mack, Donta Hall and Dazon Ingram.  Top-100 recruit Juwan Gary is out for the season with a knee injury, stud JC transfer James Rojas is also out for the season with a knee injury, and Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly is out for the season due to being ineligible.  Returning starter Herbert Jones is questionable to play tonight with an elbow injury. 

This is an Alabama team that was upset at home by Pennsylvania in their opener.  I don’t think they should be favored on the road here against this veteran Rhode Island team when they can’t even beat Penn at home.  The Crimson Tide will be playing their first road game of the season here.  They have only three days to get ready for Rhode Island, while the Rams have had five days off since the loss to Maryland to prepare.   

Alabama is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight vs. Atlantic 10 opponents.  The Crimson Tide are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  Roll with Rhode Island Friday. 

15* Mavs/Knicks TNT ANNIHILATOR on Dallas -7.5 

The Dallas Mavericks want revenge from a 102-106 home loss to the New York Knicks on November 8th as 10.5-point favorites.  They don’t even have to wait a week to get their revenge as now they play the Knicks on the road here as 7.5-point favorites on November 14th. 

I also like the fact that the Mavericks are coming off a loss in Boston to add to their motivation.  They come in on two days’ rest as well so they are fresh and ready to go.  Plus, the Mavericks are fully healthy right now and will be primed for a big effort. 

The Knicks are 1-6 SU & 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Five of those six losses came by 12 points or more, so they are used to getting blown out on the regular.  And there’s been serious talks about firing their head coach David Fizdale in the media.  It’s just more of the same in New York this season. 

Dallas is 21-9 ATS off a road loss over the last two seasons.  The Mavericks are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.  The Knicks are 21-45 ATS in their last 66 home games.  The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to New York.  Take the Mavericks Thursday. 

15* Purdue/Marquette FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Marquette -1 

The Marquette Golden Eagles return three starters from a team that went 24-10 last season.  That includes National Playoer of the Year candidate Marcus Howard, who averaged 25.0 points per game last year.  They also return Sacar Animalities (8.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG) and Theo John (5.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG) and a couple key reserves. 

The Golden Eagles are off to a flying start this season with an 88-53 home win over Loyola-MD as an 18.5-point favorites.  Howard had 38 points, Anim had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists,  and John had 7 points and 8 rebounds.  Utah State transfer Koby McEwen added 11 points and 7 boards.  Now they’ve had eight days to get ready for Purdue after playing that game on November 5th. 

Purdue loses a ton of talent from a team that made the Elite 8 last year and took eventual national champion Virginia to the wire.  Carsen Edwards (24.3 PPG, 135 3-pointers) is gone after single-handedly carrying the Boilermakers on their NCAA Tournament run.  Also gone is second-leading scorer Ryan Cline (12.0 PPG, 111 3-pointers).  Replacing those two is impossible. 

Purdue is off to a shaky start failing to cover as a 23-point home favorite against Wisconsin-Green Bay and losing outright as 6.5-point home favorites against Texas, 66-70.  The Boilermakers shot just 41% from the field against the Longhorns and allowed 53.3% shooting to a team that is notoriously a poor shooting team year in and year out. 

Purdue is 23-44 ATS in its last 67 road games after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite.  Marquette is 5-1 ATS in its last six non-conference games.  The Boilermakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big East opponents.  The Golden Eagles are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a win.  Take Marquette Wednesday. 

20* Clippers/Rockets ESPN No-Brainer on Los Angeles +2.5 

The Los Angeles Clippers are the best team in the NBA from what I’ve seen thus far when Kawhi Leonard is on the floor.  They are 7-1 in games that he has played, and he’s expected to play tonight against the Houston Rockets despite this being a back-to-back situation with a game against the Pelicans tomorrow. 

Leonard is averaging 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season to pick up right where he left off.  Both Lou Williams (22.3 PPG, 5.6 APG) and Matrezl Harrell (19.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG) have taken their games to the next level.  And guys like Ivaca Zubac, JayMychal Green and Patrick Beverley are all playing well. 

The Houston Rockets have some injury issues right now that will slow them down in the immediate future.  Eric Gordon won’t be back until late December after having knee surgery.  They were already without Gerald Green and Nene, and now Danuel House Jr. is out tonight with a back injury.  It’s a team that already lacks depth due to the massive contracts on the roster, and now they won’t have the depth to match the Clippers tonight. 

The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  The Rockets are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games playing on one days’ rest.  Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.  The Clippers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings.  Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to Houston.  Take the Clippers Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Orlando Magic -1 

Don’t be surprised if the Philadelphia 76ers decide to rest a star player or two tonight after a grueling 98-97 home win over Cleveland as 11-point favorites last night.  They’ll now be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 7th game in 12 days. 

The Orlando Magic are rested and ready to go coming in on two days’ rest after last playing on Sunday.  The Magic are also highly motivated for a win tonight after dropping five of their last six games overall.  They are a respectable 3-3 at home this season compared to 0-4 on the road. 

Home-court advantage was huge in this series last season as the home team went 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS.  The Magic won both home meetings with the 76ers 119-98 as 2-point favorites and 111-106 as 6-point dogs.  The home team is also 7-1 SU in the last eight meetings. 

Orlando is 18-8-1 ATS in its last 27 games vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents.  Philadelphia is 0-6 ATS in its last six vs. NBA Southeast Division foes.  The 76ers are 11-25 ATS off two or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  Philadelphia is 29-50 ATS in its last 79 games off a close home win by 3 points or less.   

Plays against any team (Philadelphia) - playing its 3rd game in 4 days, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a bad team (25% to 40%) are 71-35 (67%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Magic Wednesday. 

20* LSU/VCU ESPN 2 No-Brainer on VCU -2.5 

The VCU Rams want some revenge on LSU head coach Will Wade, who succeeded former head coach Shaka Smart in Richmond.  As part of an agreement to allow the third-year LSU coach to escape his contract with VCU to take his current job, these two programs agreed to play a home-and-home in 2019 and 2020. 

“I do think most of the fans were not real please with me,” Wade told the Advocate of his departure from the Rams in 2017. “They’re not real happy about the move, and I’m sure they’ll let their feelings be known when we show up there.” 

Current VCU head coach Mike Rhoades led the Rams to a 25-8 record last season and first-place finish in the Atlantic 10 with a 16-2 record.  Now Rhoads has almost everyone back with four double-digit scorers returning in Marcus Evans (13.6 PPG), De’Riante Jenkins (11.3 PPG), Issac Vann (10.8 PPG) and Marcus Santos-Silva (10.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG).  The Rams ranked top 10 in the nation in defense last season. 

LSU only returns two starters in Skylar Mays (13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG) and Marion Taylor (6.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG).  They lose their top two scorers in Tremont Waters (15.3 PPG, 5.8 APG) and Naz Reid (13.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG) to the NBA.  They also lose key big man Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG).  They got off to a shaky start with an 88-79 home win over Bowling Green as a 13-point favorite.  They committed 16 turnovers and will struggle to take care of the ball against this lockdown VCU defense. 

VCU is 12-0 ATS after allowing 30 points or less in the first half of two straight games over the last two seasons.  The Rams are 9-0 ATS after failing to cove the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last three years.  Bet VCU Wednesday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Cleveland Cavaliers +10 

The Philadelphia 76ers are without Al Horford and could be without Ben Simmons due to a shoulder injury yet again tonight.  It’s no wonder they have lost three of their last four coming in with their only win coming by 8 over the Hornets at home as 14-point favorites.  They should not be double-digit favorites over the Cavaliers tonight. 

Cleveland is one of the most underrated teams in the NBA this season.  The Cavaliers are 4-5 SU & 5-2-2 ATS in the first year under John Beilein.  They are coming off two straight upset road wins in blowout fashion over the Wizards by 13 and the Knicks by 21.   

Veterans Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are both healthy and playing great basketball, while Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are all improved after playing together last year.  And rookie Darius Garland is getting acclimated to playing in the NBA while playing alongside Sexton in the backcourt. 

The Cavaliers are 2-2 SU but 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings at Philadelphia.  They were underdogs in all four and won outright as 13-point dogs and outright as 2-point dogs.  They also covered as 15-point dogs in a 7-point loss and as 3.5-point dogs in a 2-point loss.  The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Cavaliers Tuesday. 

15* Creighton/Michigan FS1 ANNIHILATOR on Creighton +5.5 

The Creighton Bluejays are going to challenge for a Big East title this year.  They returned four starters in Davion Mintz (9.7 PPG, 3.0 APG), Ty-Shon Alexander (15.7 PPG, 97 3-pointers), Marcus Zegarowski (10.4 PPG, 3.4 APG) and Mictch Ballock (11.1 PPG, 95 3-pointers).  They are one of the most veteran teams in the conference. 

The Michigan Wolverines are in a bit of a rebuild now that John Beilein moved on to coach in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Former Wolverine Juwan Howard got the job and will have his hands full matching Beilein’s success early in his career. 

Howard only inherits two returning starters in Xavier Simpson (7.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG) and Jon Teske (9.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG).  The Wolverines must replace their top three scorers from last year in Ignas Brazdeikis (14.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Jordan Poole (12.8 PPG) and Charles Matthews (12.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG). 

Michigan got off to a rough start in their opener, only beating Appalachian State 79-71 as 17-point favorites.  Creighton made easy work of Kennesaw State 81-55 and covered as 25.5-point favorites.  Look for the Bluejays to give the Wolverines a run for their money tonight and likely win this game outright. 

The Bluejays are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning record.  Creighton is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 vs. Big Ten opponents.  The Wolverines are 2-6 ATS in their last eight non-conference games.  Take Creighton Tuesday. 

20* NBA DOG OF THE WEEK on New Orleans Pelicans +6 

The New Orleans Pelicans are showing great value as 6-point home underdogs to the Houston Rockets tonight.  The Pelicans are better than their 2-7 record would indicate as they have suffered several close losses this season. 

Indeed, six of the Pelicans’ seven losses have come by 11 points or fewer.  They got on track last time out with a 115-110 road win over Charlotte.  Look for them to give Houston a run for its money tonight and possibly pull off the upset. 

The chemistry for the Rockets hasn’t been great this season with the addition of Russell Westbrook.  They have actually played better without him.  Their defense has taken a huge step back as they are giving up 118.7 points per game this season.  They are only shooting 44% as a team as well. 

The Rockets are 3-7 ATS in hitter last 10 games overall.  Houston is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.  The Pelicans are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Monday games.  Roll with the Pelicans Monday. 

15* CBB Monday PLAY OF THE DAY on Drake +12.5 

The Drake Bulldogs were one of the most underrated teams in the country last season.  They went 24-10 (12-6 MVC) and tied for first in the conference.  They were covering machines and I expect them to continue beating the closing number at a great rate this season. 

The Bulldogs returned three starters and three key reserves this season and are among the favorites to win the MVC again.  They’re off to a good start with an 86-55 win over Kennesaw State as 15-point favorites.  They shot 57.6% as a team and had five players score in double figures, including a couple newcomers in Jonah Jackson (15 points) and Roman Penn (10 points). 

Cincinnati lost head coach Mick Cronin to UCLA and will take a step back this year.  They opened the season with a 56-64 loss at in-state rival Ohio State as 5.5-point dogs.  They will have a hard time getting up for Drake after facing a ranked Ohio State team. 

Drake is 24-8 ATS in all games over the last two seasons, and 36-16-2 ATS in its last 54 games overall.  The Bulldogs are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.  Cincinnati is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games overall.  The Bearcats are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.  Take Drake Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Orlando Magic -3.5 

The Orlando Magic are undervalued right now after a 3-6 start against a brutal schedule.  They have handled the teams they should handle in Cleveland, New York and Memphis by winning those three games by a combined 53 points. 

However, the Magic have lost to almost all the tough teams they have faced.  They lost on the road to Dallas, OKC, Toronto and Atlanta, and also lost at home to Milwaukee and Denver. 

Indiana is classified as a team they should beat in my book.  That’s especially the case with the injuries the Pacers are dealing with right now.  They are without three starters in Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner and Jeremy Lamb. 

The Magic went 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their final three meetings with the Pacers last season.  The Pacers are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 road games. Indiana is 4-13-1 ATS in its last 18 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The Magic are 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 home games.  Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last seven after scoring 100 points or more in its previous game.  Bet the Magic Sunday. 

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida -5.5 

The Florida Gators are the No. 6 team in the country for good reason.  They returned three starters and added in Virginia Tech transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. who is a clear NBA talent. 

I faded Florida State against Pitt in their opener and won and I’m fading the Seminoles again today.  They lost six of their top eight scorers from last year and simply aren’t nearly as good as they are getting credit for after going 29-8 last season. 

Florida will come into this game highly motivated for a win after losing five straight to Florida State, including blowout losses each of the last two seasons.  This is their year to get payback because they finally have the better team, and it’s not even close.  Take Florida Sunday. 

15* NBA Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Dallas Mavericks -3 

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off an upset loss to the New York Knicks last night.  They will be in a bad mood and will come out highly motivated tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.  I think we are getting them at a discount after the upset loss. 

The Grizzlies are just 2-6 this season and have been blown out consistently with all six losses coming by 7 points or more.  The Grizzlies will also be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after an 86-116 loss in Orlando last night.  They’ll be playing their 5th game in 8 days as well, while the Mavericks will be playing just their 3rd game in 6 days. 

Plays on road favorites (Dallas) - a good team with a +3 to +7 PPG differential against a terrible team with a -7 PPG differential or worse, after a combined score of 205 points or more in four straight games are 32-9 (78%) ATS since 1996.   

The Mavericks are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 road games.  Dallas is 8-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games following an ATS loss.  The Grizzlies are 4-14 ATS in their last 18 games when playing on zero days’ rest.  Take the Mavericks Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Northern Iowa +1.5 

The Northern Iowa Panthers nearly made the NCAA Tournament last year.  They caught fire around Valentine’s Day and led Bradley in the MVC title game 35-17 before falling apart. 

Now, Northern Iowa returns six of its top seven scorers and is a clear contender in the MVC this season.  They have six seniors and three juniors and are actually led by sophomore A.J. Green (15.0 PPG, 71 3-pointers), who is their highest rated recruit in program history.  They took a trip to Italy in August to bond even further. 

The Panthers are coming off a very good 58-53 win over Old Dominion as 4.5-point favorites despite shooting just 34.5% from the field.  They held the Monarchs to just 35.6% shooting, and their suffocating defense has been a staple in the Ben Jacobson era.  I like the fact that they have a game under their belts already while this will be the first game of the season for Northern Illinois. 

Northern Illinois loses two of its top three scorers in Levi Bradley (14.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and Dante Thorp (13.8 PPG).  That’s a lot of production needing replace from a middling Huskies team that went just 17-17 last year and 8-10 in MAC play.  Roll with Northern Iowa Saturday. 

15* Heat/Lakers NBA TV Late-Night BAILOUT on Miami +8 

No team has been more impressive than the Miami Heat in the first two weeks of the season.  The Heat have gone 6-2 SU & 6-1-1 ATS and have been greatly undervalued night in and night out.  I believe they are undervalued yet again here catching 8 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

I realize the Heat are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back, but this is a deep team that can handle it better than most.  And that is factored into the line too much.  The Heat made easy work of the Suns 124-108 last night and didn’t have to play their starters too many minutes.  They’ll won’t be tired at all as they’ll get up to face the Lakers in Staples Center. 

I think the Lakers are being overvalued now after going 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  They nearly lost in Chicago last time out, needing to erase a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win as 7-point favorites.  This game will go down to the wire as well.  The Lakers may win, but they will not cover. 

Plays against favorites (LA Lakers) - off two or more consecutive road wins, in a game involving two teams that win 75% or more of their games are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS since 1996.  The Lakers are 5-17 ATS off two or more consecutive road games over the last two seasons.  The Heat are 41-23 ATS as road underdogs over the last three years.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Take the Heat Friday. 

20* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK on Denver Nuggets -5 

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Ben Simmons to a shoulder injury in a loss to the Jazz on Wednesday.  He’ll miss at least the next two games, and I’m lining up to fade them in the immediate future.  I think we are getting the Nuggets cheap at home here against the 76ers. 

Denver is off to a 5-2 start this season and coming off a 109-89 home win over Miami.  That was back on Tuesday, so the Nuggets are rested and ready to go working on two days’ rest.  They had the best home record in the NBA last season and continue to have a tremendous home-court advantage this year. 

The 76ers got off to a 5-0 start against a soft schedule but have since dropped two straight road games at Phoenix and at Utah.  Now they’ll actually be playing their 4th road game in 7 days, which is a tough spot for any team in the NBA.  It makes it even worse for them now that they don’t have their floor general in Simmons running the show. 

The home team is 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings winning by 7, 16 and 19 points.  The Nuggets are 22-11 ATS in home games off a win over the last two seasons.  Denver is 19-7 ATS in home games off an ATS win over the last two years.  Take the Nuggets Friday. 

20* CBB GAME OF THE WEEK on Weber State +17 

Weber State has the Big Sky’s best player in Jerrick Harding (21.4 PPG).  The Wildcats also return second-leading scorer Cody John (14.8 PPG) and Israel Barnes (6.5 PPG).  They have a tremendous backcourt and return some key reserves in Michal Kozak (4.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Caleb Nero (6.5 PPG). 

Head coach Randy Rahe has been at Weber State for 13 years, and and last year their 18-15 record resulted in the second-most losses since he has been there.  The Wildcats are a perennial contender in the Big Sky and are primed for a bounce-back season.  I think they open 2019-20 undervalued off last year’s results. 

Utah State is ranked 17th in the country and overvalued.  That was evident in the Aggies’ opener as they actually trailed Montana State by a bucket as 21.5-point favorites with just six minutes remaining.  The close on a 17-7 run to secure a shaky 81-73 victory, which is not good for a veteran team like the Aggies that returned four starters.  They will get everyone’s best shot because of their national ranking, including Weber State tonight. 

These teams play every season and almost every game goes right down to the wire.  In fact, each of the last 11 meetings have been decided by 12 points or less.  That makes for an 11-0 system backing Weber State pertaining to this 17-point spread.  Bet Weber State Friday. 

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Ole Miss -21.5 

The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off a very successful season in head coach Kermit Davis’ first year on the job in 2018-10.  He guided the Rebels to a 20-13 record and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making the big dance for the first time since 2015 and earning Davis SEC Coach of the Year honors. 

Now, Ole Miss returns three starters and a tremendous backcourt.  Back is potential SEC Player of the Year candidate Breein Tyree (17.9 PPG) to run the offense at point guard.  Also back is G Devontae Shuler (10.3 PPG) who shot 51.1% on 2-pointers and 40.2% from 3-point range.  G/F Blake Hinson (8.3 PPG) is back after scoring in double figures 10 times as a freshman.  The Rebels also nabbed four-star prospect Austin Crowley, who stayed at home.  Bryce Williams is a big-time athlete who scored 15.3 PPG and shot 44% on 3-pointers at a community college. 

Arkansas State is picked to finish in the bottom 3rd of the Sun Belt this season.  It’s easy to see why as Mike Balado returns just one starter in Marquis Eaton (11.2 PPG).  The Red Wolves lose leading scorer Ty Cockfield (22.4 PPG) and third-leading scorer Grantham Gillard (10.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG).  They are coming off a 13-19 season and back-to-back disappointing campaigns under Balado. 

I would have to say it’s going to be another disappointing season after seeing Arkansas State struggled to put away Arkansas-Monticello 65-49 in a game where there wasn’t even a point spread.  They only led 28-22 before pulling away in the second half. 

Arkansas State is 1-8 ATS in November games over the last three seasons.  The Red Wolves are 1-9 ATS when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last two seasons.  Ole Miss is 24-10 ATS in its last 34 games overall.  The Rebels are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.  Roll with Ole Miss Friday. 

20* Celtics/Hornets TNT GAME OF THE MONTH on Charlotte +7.5 

The Charlotte Hornets were tabbed as the worst team in the NBA by almost everyone coming into the season.  As a result, there has been value on them in the early going, and there’s no question they are better than expected.  The Hornets are 4-3 SU & 5-2 ATS this season. 

The Hornets come in having won three straight and having covered four straight.  I think they will be out to prove something tonight against their former teammate in Kemba Walker, who chose the Celtics over them.  Terry Rozier came over from the Celtics to replace Walker, and he’ll be playing with a chip on his shoulder as well. 

I love the way the Hornets are playing team basketball and sharing the rock.  Both Devonte Graham (17.3 PPG, 6.7 APG) and Rozier (16.9 PPG, 5.6 APG) have been the catalysts.  P.J. Washington (15.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG) has been one of the best rookies in the NBA and is shooting 46.7% from 3-point range.  Miles Bridges (13.3 PPG) and Dwayne Bacon (11.1 PPG) are both greatly improved over last year, and Cody Zeller (12.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG) provides some veteran leadership and consistent double-doubles. 

The Celtics come in overvalued after having won five straight since a season-opening loss to the 76ers.  But they have been far from dominant with only two of their wins coming by more than 6 points.  They only beat the Knicks 104-102 as 9-point home favorites and the Cavs 119-113 as 6-point road favorites in their last two games.  The Hornets are better than both those teams and should be able to stay within this 7.5-point spread at home. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Hornets won 124-117 as 4-point dogs and 117-112 as 3.5-point dogs in their last two home meetings with the Celtics.  Roll with the Hornets Thursday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Utah Jazz -2 

The Utah Jazz come in highly motivated for a win Wednesday night.  They are coming off two straight road losses to the Kings and Clippers.  But now they are back home where they are 3-0 this season and winning by 17.0 points per game.  Salt Lake City is one of the biggest home-court advantages in the entire NBA. 

The Jazz also come in rested and ready to go on two days’ rest since last playing the Clippers on Sunday.  They have owned the 76ers at home throughout the years, going 18-4 SU in the last 22 meetings in Salt Lake City. 

The 76ers are 5-1 and overvalued as a result.  They just lost 109-114 at Phoenix in their last road game.  Yes, they are 3-1 on the road this season, but their three wins came by 6 over Detroit, by 2 over Atlanta and by 1 over Portland.  They needed huge comebacks against both the Hawks and Blazers.  They won’t be so fortunate tonight against the motivated, rested Jazz. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Utah) - after having lost two of their last three games, a marginal winning tam (51% to 60%) playing a winning team are 63-29 (68.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Jazz are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games following a loss.  Bet the Jazz Wednesday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Pittsburgh +4.5 

Jeff Capel did a great job in his first season at Pitt.  He took a team that went winless in the ACC and with eight wins overall under Kevin Stallings and got them to 14-19 on the season.  Now, in his second season with the team, Capel and the Panthers should make a big leap forward. 

The Panthers return four starters led by guards Xavier Johnson (15.5 PPG) and Trey McGowens (11.6 PPG).  JC transfer G Ryan Murphy should contribute right away.  They also return Au’Diese Toney (7.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Terrell Brown (5.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) down low and add in UNC Greensboro transfer Eric Hamilton.  Freshman Justin Champagnie is a swingman who is strong off the dribble and can rebound.  He should bring some much-needed scoring pop to the frontcourt. 

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off an awesome 29-win season.  However, they lost six of their top eight scorers from that team and won’t be starting fast this season.  They don’t return a single double-digit scorer as their top two returnees are Trent Forest (9.3 PPG) and M.J. Walker (7.5 PPG).  It’s going to take some time for the Seminoles to gel with all they lost. 

Plays on home teams (Pittsburgh) - first five games of the season, after closing out last season with eight or more losses in their final 10 games, a team that had a losing record last season are 121-71 (63%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

Pittsburgh beat a very good FSU team 75-62 as identical 4.5-point home underdogs last season.  The Panthers are now 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Seminoles are 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Pittsburgh.  Roll with Pittsburgh Wednesday. 

15* Michigan State/Kentucky ESPN No-Brainer on Michigan State -2.5 

The Michigan State Spartans went 32-7 last year and made the Final Four.  I completely agree with them being the No. 1 ranked team in the country this season with all that they return.  They are clearly the best team in college basketball to start the season. 

Head coach Tom Izzo welcomes back Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston at point guard.  He averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game last year and is the heart and soul of this team.  Also back are key contributors in G Kyle Ahrens (4.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG),  F Aaron Henry (6.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and F Xavier Tillman (10.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG).  And the Spartans expect key contributions from freshmen G Mark “Rocket” Watts and F Malik Hall. 

I like fading teams like Duke and Kentucky early in the season because they are filled with one and done players and usually start slow.  That will be the case for Kentucky, which loses four double-digit scorers from last season in P.J. Washington (15.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG), Tyler Herro (14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG), Keldon Johnson (13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) and Reid Travis (11.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG).  Their only returning starter is PG Ashton Hagans (7.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG). 

Michigan State is 26-10 ATS in its last 36 games overall.  Kentucky is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five vs. Big Ten opponents.  The Spartans have won four of their last six meetings with the Wildcats.  Roll with Michigan State Tuesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on Charlotte Hornets +3.5

Most people tabbed the Charlotte Hornets as the worst team in the NBA coming into the season.  As a result, there has been some value in backing them as the Hornets have opened 3-3 SU & 4-2 ATS.  They are certainly better than they were getting credit for coming into the year. 

The Hornets are doing a great job of playing team basketball and sharing the ball.  They have six players averaging at least 12.5 points per game this season.  Terry Rozier has been an adequate replacement for Kemba Walker, PJ Washington is one of the best rookies in the NBA, and Devonte Graham, Cody Zeller, Dwayne Bacon and Miles Bridges have all made big jumps this season.  Plus, they still have Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to lock it down defensively. 

The Indiana Pacers come in overvalued off three straight wins.  Two of those came at home against the Cavs and Bulls, while the other was a road win at Brooklyn.  The Pacers have some serious injury concerns right now playing without their two best players in Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, plus Domantas Sabonis is questionable. 

The Hornets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven against Eastern Conference opponents.  The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The Hornets are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home meetings with the Pacers.  Take the Hornets Tuesday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Washington Wizards -2.5 

The Washington Wizards came into the season tabbed as one of the worst teams in the NBA.  As a result, they were undervalued to start the season and remain undervalued right now.  They are 1-4 SU but 4-1 ATS and could easily have more wins than they do. 

Two of their losses came by a combined 3 points to San Antonio (122-124) as 11.5-point road dogs and Houston (158-159) as 8-point home dogs.  They also covered as 9-point dogs in an 8-point loss at Dallas and upset Oklahoma City by 12 as 8.5-point road dogs.  Their only poor performance came at home against Minnesota in the game after the deflating loss to the Rockets.  Now, I expect the Wizards to be highly motivated to get their second win of the season tonight at home against the Pistons. 

The Pistons have already played seven games compared to five for Washington.  Detroit will be playing its 8th game in 13 days to start the season and its 3rd game in 4 days.  Making matters worse for the Pistons is that they are so banged up right now.  They are without starters Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson.  Now they are without both Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier, the two backup guards to Jackson.  They are in a world of hurt right now due to these injuries and lack of rest. 

The home team is 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in this series, winning by an average of 11.3 points per game.  The home team is also 11-2 SU in the last 13 meetings.  The Pistons are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games playing on one days’ rest.  The Wizards are 5-1 ATS in their last six home meetings with the Pistons.  Take the Wizards Monday. 

20* Jazz/Clippers NBA Sunday Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -4 

I love the spot for the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.  They want revenge from a 96-110 loss in Utah on October 30th.  But Kawhi Leonard didn’t play in that game, and he is expected to play tonight.  Look for the Clippers to get their revenge in this one. 

The Clippers are 3-0 at home this season outscoring opponents by 10.4 points per game.  They come in rested and ready to go on two days’ rest having last played on Thursday.  Expect a big effort from them here tonight, especially since they have another two days off after this. 

The Jazz just haven’t been very impressive this season.  They are 4-2, but their four wins have come against the Thunder, Kings, Suns and Clippers (minus Leonard).  They also lost to the Kings and lost to the Lakers on the road, going 1-2 in road games with their only win coming by a single point over the Suns. 

The home team has won three straight and five of the last six meetings in this series.  The Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.  Plays on favorites (LA Clippers) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, in a game involving two teams that had marginal winning records (51% to 60%) last season are 36-13 (73.5%) ATS since 1996.  Bet the Clippers Sunday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Charlotte Hornets +1 

Wrong team favored here.  The Golden State Warriors are now 2000-1 to win the NBA title.  Let that sink in for a minute.  They are literally the worst team in the NBA right now, and I don’t even think it’s really that close.  They are fade material for the time being. 

No Kevin Durant.  No Klay Thompson.  And now now Stephen Curry.  Plus, Kevon Looney has been out with a hamstring injury, and Draymond Green is battling a back injury.  The Warriors just can’t catch a break.  Now they will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a 127-110 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs last night.  Worse yet, it will be their 5th game in 7 days, which is one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  Their lack of depth will really be felt tonight. 

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets come in on two days’ rest after last playing on Wednesday in a 118-111 road win over the Sacramento Kings.  Most people tabbed the Hornets as the worst team in the NBA coming into the season, but that clearly hasn’t been the case.  And I think they are undervalued for the time being due to the low preseason expectations. 

The Hornets are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Charlotte is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games.  The Warriors are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Golden State is 2-9-1 ATS in its last 12 games playing on zero days’ rest.  The Warriors are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 home games.  The road team is 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet the Hornets Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Total DOMINATOR on Raptors/Bucks UNDER 225.5 

The Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks are very familiar with one another after playing in a six-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.  They clearly don’t like each other, and this game will be played closer to the vest.  I think it will be a low-scoring, defensive battle tonight as a result. 

Seven of the last eight meetings in this series have seen 222 or fewer combined points at the end of regulation.  In fact, the Raptors and Bucks have averaged just 206.4 combined points at the end of regulation in those seven meetings.  That’s roughly 19 points less than tonight’s posted total of 225.5, so there is tremendous value with this UNDER.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Chicago Bulls -3 

The Chicago Bulls were a popular sleeper team coming into the season.  They were clearly overvalued as they have now been favored in four of their five games, including in all four of their road games.  This team never used to be favored on the road, which shows just how overvalued they were. 

Now, the Bulls are 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS and the betting public doesn’t want much to do with them.  It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Bulls tonight.  They have played four of their five games on the road with their only home game coming against the defending champion Raptors.  Now the Bulls get a team they can handle in the Detroit Pistons. 

The Pistons are 2-3 this season with their only two wins both coming against the lowly Indiana Pacers.  Their three losses have come by a combined 35 points.  The Pistons are without their two best players in Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson, and they could be without Markieff Morris, who is questionable.  Meanwhile, the Bulls are 100% healthy right now. 

Detroit is 5-16 ATS after failing to cover three of their last four games against the spread over the last two seasons.  The Pistons are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  Detroit is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games following a loss by more than 10 points.  The home team is 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  Take the Bulls Friday. 

15* NBA Friday Total DOMINATOR on Bucks/Magic UNDER 215.5 

The Orlando Magic are 4-0 to the UNDER this season.  They are a great defensive team due to their length at almost every position.  But they are an atrocious offensive team because they lack shooting.  Look for this game to easily go UNDER the number tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Magic rank 29th in the NBA in pace at 99.3 possessions per game.  They will control the tempo playing at home tonight and slow this thing down to a snail’s pace.  The Magic rank 29th in offensive efficiency and are shooting just 39.5% on the season.  But the Magic are 3rd in defensive efficiency while holding opponents to 93.7 points per game and 41.2% shooting. 

The Bucks haven’t face a team with the length and defensive strengths of the Magic.  They have played Houston, Miami, Cleveland and Boston with the majority of those teams being guard-led and playing little defense.  The Bucks are a great defensive team in their own right as they are holding opponents to 43.1% shooting this season. 

The UNDER is 3-1 in the last four meetings with these teams averaging just 201 combined points per game.  That’s nearly 15 points less than tonight’s posted total of 215.5.  There’s clearly some value with the UNDER tonight.  Roll with the UNDER in this game Friday. 

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Nuggets/Pelicans OVER 222.5 

The New Orleans Pelicans are an OVER machine and have been ever since Alvin Gentry took over as head coach.  He finally has the youngsters to run the offense he wants, which is get up and down the floor and get up a shot as quickly as possible while playing little defense. 

The Pelicans are 4-0 OVER this season.  They rank 5th in the NBA in pace at 106.8 possessions per game.  They are 6th in offensive efficiency at 110.8 points per 100 possessions, and 28th in defensive efficiency while giving up 116.6 points per 100 possessions.  They are combining with their opponents to average 249.2 points per game on the season. 

While the Nuggets like to play at a slower pace, they won’t have a choice here.  The Pelicans will control the pace playing at home here tonight.  And they get their best player in PG Jrue Holiday back from injury after a one-game absence, which benefits the OVER. 

The head-to-head series history favors the OVER, too.  The Pelicans & Nuggets have combined for at least 227 points in eight of their last nine meetings, making for an 8-1 system backing the OVER pertaining to tonight’s total set of 222.5.  The OVER is 6-0 in Pelicans last six Thursday games.  The OVER is 4-1 in the last five meetings in New Orleans.  Roll with the OVER in this game Thursday. 

15* Clippers/Jazz ESPN No-Brainer on UNDER 217 

This huge game between the Clippers and Jazz will be played at a snail's pace tonight.  The Jazz rank 28th in pace this season, averaging just 99.3 possessions per game.  The Clippers are 21st in pace at 102.4 possessions per game. 

Not to mention, these are two of the best defensive teams in the NBA.  The Jazz are 1st in the NBA in defensive efficiency at 92.0 points per 100 possessions allowed.  The problem for the Jazz is on the other end, where they rank 27th in offensive efficiency at 99.5 points per 100 possessions. 

The Clippers have put up big numbers offensively this season, but they’ve played against some bad defensive teams in the Warriors, Suns and Hornets in their last three games.  I think those gaudy offensive numbers have inflated this total.  The Jazz give up just 91.5 points per game and 39.1% shooting on the season, so the Clippers will have their stiffest test yet tonight. 

The UNDER is 7-0 in Jazz last seven games overall.  The UNDER is 4-0 in Jazz last four home games.  The UNDER is 14-3 in Jazz last 17 games following an ATS loss.  Bet the UNDER in this game Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Washington Wizards +8 

The Washington Wizards have really impressed me this season thus far.  They are 1-2 SU but 3-0 ATS despite playing their first three games on the road.  Now they play their home opener here Wednesday and come in on three days’ rest having last played on Sunday, so they’ll be ready to go tonight. 

Washington only lost by 8 at Dallas as 9-point dogs in their opener.  They pulled the 97-85 upset at Oklahoma City as 8.5-point dogs.  And the very next night they gave the Spurs all they could handle in a 122-124 loss as 11.5-point dogs.  The Wizards are playing great team basketball with eight players averaging at least 10 points per game. 

The Houston Rockets are clearly one of the most overrated teams in the NBA in the early going.  They are 0-3 ATS despite playing their first three games at home.  They lost outright to the Bucks, barely beat the Pelicans by 3 as 12-point favorites, and also barely beat the Thunder by 4 as 10-point favorites. 

The home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven vs. Western Conference opponents.  Washington is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 home games after a combined score of 245 points or more.  Roll with the Wizards Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Brooklyn Nets -3 

The Indiana Pacers are one of the worst teams in the NBA.  They are 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS with their three losses coming to the Pistons (twice) and Cavaliers.  That’s a Pistons team playing without Blake Griffin, and they were without Reggie Jackson in the second meeting.  And it’s a Cavaliers team that is one of the worst in the NBA. 

The Nets come in on two days’ rest and highly motivated for a win today.  They have opened 1-2, but could easily be 3-0 as both of their losses have come by a single point.  I think we are getting them at a tremendous value as only 3-point home favorites here Wednesday. 

Plays on favorites (Brooklyn) - off an upset loss as a road favorite, first six games of the season, a playoff team from last season who lost four or more of their last five games are 36-13 (73.5%) ATS since 1996. 

Indiana is 7-18 ATS in road games after playing a road game over the last two seasons.  Brooklyn is 39-20 ATS when playing only its 2nd game in 5 days over the last three years.  The Pacers are 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Indiana is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents.  The Nets are 15-6 ATS in their last 21 games when playing on two days’ rest.  Take the Nets Wednesday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Minnesota Timberwolves +7.5 

The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to get no respect from oddsmakers here as 7.5-point road underdogs to the Philadelphia 76ers.  They have opened 3-0 SU & 2-0-1 ATS this season and are clearly one of the most underrated teams int he NBA in the early going. 

I just don’t trust the Philadelphia 76ers all that much to lay big numbers.  They are 3-0, but two of their wins have come by 6 points or less to the Pistons and Hawks, two teams in the bottom half of the NBA.  The rank just 19th in offensive efficiency and don’t have many shooters, so they are going to go on stretches where points are hard to come by. 

The Timberwolves are taking advantage of their youth this season and rank 11th in pace.  They rank 4th in offensive efficiency, scoring 111 points per 100 possessions.  They are also 11th in defensive efficiency, and it helps that they have a healthy Robert Covington and drafted Jarrett Culver, giving them two of the best wing defenders in the NBA. 

The Timberwolves come in on two days’ rest, so they will be ready to go tonight.  Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last five road games.  Bet the Timberwolves Wednesday. 

20* Grizzlies/Lakers NBA TV Late-Night BAILOUT on Memphis +12 

The Memphis Grizzlies are a fun team this year because they actually have some scorers now, and they still play great defense.  They are playing great team basketball in the early going as they have seven players averaging at least 10.7 points per game. 

Ja Morant is the real deal, averaging 18 points, 6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game.  Jaren Jackson Jr. is his sidekick, averaging 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.  And I like the role players in Jonas Valanciunas, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill, Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones. 

The Lakers are simply laying too many points tonight.  They are overvalued coming off back-to-back wins and covers over Utah and Charlotte at home.  They will be without Kyle Kuzma and could be without Raton Rondo.  And I like the fact that Jaren Jackson Jr. is a great defender and will make Anthony Davis work for everything he gets. 

The Grizzlies are 4-2 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings with the Lakers, including outright wins as underdogs in their last two trips to Los Angeles.  The underdog is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Lakers are 4-16 ATS in their last 20 against teams that are outscored by 3-plus points per game by their opponents over the last two seasons.  Bet the Grizzlies Tuesday. 

15* Hawks/Heat NBA TV No-Brainer on Atlanta +8 

The Atlanta Hawks are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS this season and one of the most undervalued teams in the NBA to start the year.  They should be 3-0 as they led basically the entire way against the 76ers last night but came up short with a 103-105 loss as 5.5-point home dogs.  They missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it. 

I actually like the fact that they lost that game because they will come back highly motivated for a victory tonight.  And I’m not concerned at all about the Hawks playing the 2nd of a back-to-back this early in the season because they are a young team with young legs built for it.  They have tremendous young talent in Trae Young (34 PPG, 9 APG), John Collins (14.3 PPG, 10 RPG) and De’Andre Hunter (11.3 PPG) leading the way. 

I think this line is inflated due to Jimmy Butler making his season debut for the Heat tonight following the birth of a child.  Butler has been a cancer in his recent stops in Minnesota and Philadelphia.  The ball sticks to him, which won’t allow the Heat to play the nice team basketball they’ve been playing up to this point en route to a 2-1 start. 

The Hawks are 4-3 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings with the Heat.  All four wins came outright as underdogs, and two of the losses came by a combined 4 points.  The Hawks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games, and 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games overall.  Atlanta is 31-16 ATS off a home loss over the last three seasons.  Take the Hawks Tuesday. 

15* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on New Orleans Pelicans -4 

The New Orleans Pelicans could easily be 3-0 instead of 0-3.  They led the entire game against the Raptors on the road in the opener before losing by 8 in overtime.  They played the Mavericks tough in their second game and lost 116-123.  And last time out on Saturday they only lost 123-126 on the road at Houston as 12-point dogs. 

The Golden State Warriors haven’t even come close to winning.  They lost 122-141 in their home opener to the Clippers.  And yesterday they got crushed on the road 92-120 by a bad Oklahoma City Thunder team.  So they’ll now be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back. 

The problem for the Warriors is that they don’t have any scorers outside Stephen Curry and De’Angelo Russell.  And Russell isn’t off to a promising start in his first season with the Warriors.  They have no depth, and they really miss Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.  They also have no inside game as both Kevon Looney and Willie Cauley-Stein are out.  And they play no defense, ranking dead last in the NBA in defensive efficiency by a wide margin. 

The Pelicans rank 6th in offensive efficiency and will test this porous Golden State defense.  The Warriors are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 games playing the 2nd of a back-to-back.  New Orleans is 8-0 ATS in its last eight Monday games.  Take the Pelicans Monday. 

15* NBA Monday Undervalued Underdog on Atlanta Hawks +5 

The Atlanta Hawks are getting zero respect early in the season.  They went on the road as underdogs and crushed the Pistons 117-100 in their first game.  And they upset the Magic 103-99 in their home opener on Saturday.  Now the Hawks are once again underdogs to the Philadelphia 76ers. 

It’s a 76ers team that could be without Joel Embiid, who is battling an ankle injury.  The 76ers have opened 2-0 with a good win over Boston in their opener, but they needed a comeback win against the Pistons to beat them 117-111 on the road.  That’s a Pistons team that was playing without both Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson, arguably their two best players. 

The Hawks rank 7th in offensive efficiency and 10th in defensive efficiency thus far through two games.  They are shooting 51.2% and giving up just 38% as a team.  Trae Young is averaging 38.5 points and 9.0 assists as he appears to be building off the tremendous second half last year.  And they drafted De’Andre Hunter to improve their defense and guard the opposing team’s best player.  He is also shooting 61.5% from the floor and 50% from 3 in the early going. 

Philadelphia is 4-14 ATS after successfully covering the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last two seasons.  The 76ers are also 9-23 ATS off two or more consecutive wins over the last two years.  Atlanta is 27-13 ATS after playing a home game over the last two seasons.  The Hawks went 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS against the 76ers last season, upsetting them as 4.5, 7.5 and 10-point dogs in the three meetings.  Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home meetings with Philadelphia.  Roll with the Hawks Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Minnesota Timberwolves -6.5 

It’s a tough spot for the Miami Heat tonight.  They erased a 17-point halftime deficit yesterday against the Bucks and came back to force overtime.  They eventually won 131-126 as 11.5-point dogs in the extra session.  Now, this is obviously a letdown spot, but they’ll be pretty tired playing the 2nd of a back-to-back off an OT game. 

The Timberwolves will test the fatigue factor for the Heat.  They ranked 1st in pace in the preseason and are currently 8th in pace through two games of the regular season.  This is a young team, and they’ve stated they want to get up and down the floor this year to take advantage of their youth. 

So far so good for the Timberwolves, who are 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS with two road wins over the Nets and Hornets.  Fans should be pretty excited and turn out for their home opener today against the Heat.  It’s their only home game in their first five games this season, so look for them to take advantage.  Bet the Timberwolves Sunday. 

20* Clippers/Suns NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles -9 

I don’t even think it’s an overreaction to say that the Clippers are the best team in the Western Conference from what we’ve seen from them so far.  They beat the Lakers 112-102 in their home opener, then went on the road Thursday and crushed the Warriors 141-122. 

Not only do the Clippers have a great starting lineup led by Leonard, Beverly and the underrated duo of Shamet and Zubac, but they clearly probably have the best bench in the league.  Their bench scored 60 points against the Lakers and following it up with 68 against the Warriors.  That’s a mind-blowing 128 bench points in two games.  It’s scary to think that they are doing this without Paul George. 

The Phoenix Suns are in an awful spot tonight.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  Not only that, but they went to overtime against Denver on the road in the altitude last night. They won’t have much left in the tank, especially since they’ll be without DeAndre Ayton again tonight. 

The Clippers already own the Suns, going 12-0 SU & 10-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  A whopping 10 of those wins came by double-digits.  And now the Clippers have the best team they’ve ever had, while the Suns are still the same old Suns.  Bet the Clippers Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Chicago Bulls +3.5 

The Chicago Bulls are a young team that can handle these back-to-back situations better than most.  I love their young, talented roster, and they really should be 2-0.  They lost 125-126 at Charlotte only after the Hornets made a ridiculous 23-of-44 from 3-point range.  But they came back and won 110-102 at Memphis last night. 

The Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green from last year.  They just won’t be as good this year, and they should be 0-2.  They trailed almost the entire way against the Pelicans in their home opener, needing overtime to beat them while getting a fluky cover as 7-point favorites.  And last night they lost to the rival Celtics 106-112 on the road and now will be on the road again for the 2nd of a back-to-back.  I think that affects the Raptors worse because they have several older players in Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka who play big minutes and will need to be limited here. 

Fans will be excited for the home opener for the Bulls and they’ll pack the United Center tonight.  It should be a great atmosphere for a fan base starting for a winner, and the Bulls are very close to turning the corner with the talent they have stockpiled.  Chicago is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 meetings with Toronto.  Take the Bulls Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Milwaukee Bucks -10.5 

The Miami Heat are going to be without Jimmy Butler, Dion Waiters and James Johnson tonight.  They were able to overcome the loss of these three in their opener, winning 120-101 over the Grizzlies at home.  But that was a misleading final as the Grizzlies led the entire way, and it took a crazy 26-1 run in the 4th by the Heat to beat them. 

Now, the Heat take a big step on in class on the road against the team that I believe is the best in the Eastern Conference in the Milwaukee Bucks.  It’s a Bucks team that returned almost everyone from last year and also added in Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez and Kyle Korver.  And unlike the Heat, they are completely healthy. 

The Bucks own the Heat.  They won their final three meetings last season against the Heat by 38, 15 and 29 points.  Those 38 and 29-point wins came at home, and I expect another blowout here in their home opener in what will be a great atmosphere for a game in Milwaukee tonight. 

The Heat are 3-13 ATS off a home win by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Bucks are 37-17-2 ATS in their last 56 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Bet the Bucks Saturday. 

15* Mavs/Pelicans ESPN No-Brainer on OVER 228 

The New Orleans Pelicans consistently play at one of the fastest paces in the NBA under head coach Alvin Gentry.  That won’t change this season, especially with a younger roster that is built for getting up and down the floor. 

The Pelicans were 5th in pace in the regular season, averaging 110.4 possessions per game.  In their opener, they went to OT against the Raptors in a 122-130 loss.  Well, that game was tied 117-117 at the end of regulation despite poor shooting from both teams.  The Pelicans shot 42.2% from the field while the Raptors shot 40.8%. 

The Mavericks are coming off a low-scoring, 108-100 home win over the Wizards in their opener.  The Wizards shot just 39.8% from the field and aren’t very good.  The Mavericks are going to have to do a lot more offensively in this one to keep up with the Pelicans, who will control the pace at home. 

The OVER is 6-1 in the last seven meetings with combined scores of 220, 226, 241, 238, 220, 235 and 248 points at the end of regulation in the last seven meetings, respectively.  That’s an average of 232.6 combined points per game.  And both teams are stronger offensively with what they did this offseason.  Take the OVER in this game Friday. 

20* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Boston Celtics -2.5 

The Boston Celtics are highly motivated for a win in their home opener.  They lost on the road to the 76ers to open the season Wednesday and now they welcome the defending champs to Boston.  Look for them to handle their business as only 2.5-point home favorites tonight. 

I loved the move to replace cancer Kyrie Irving with Kemba Walker.  Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are on their way to becoming stars and will get to play larger roles this season.  And Gordon Hayward is back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last year.  Hayward scored 25 points in the opener and should return to the player that he was in Utah. 

The Raptors lost both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Lakers in free agency.  They still have some talent here with Lowry, Gasol, Siakam, Ibaka and Van Vleet, but they are a far cry from the team they were last year.  They didn’t do much to add to their roster in the offseason and two signees in Patrick McCaw and Rondae-Hollis Jefferson are out with injuries. 

Nick Nurse is 4-15 ATS after a combined score of 235 points or more as the coach of Toronto.  Boston is 15-4 ATS in home games vs. division opponents over the last three seasons.  The home team is 11-0 SU & 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings as home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  Bet the Celtics Friday. 

15* Bucks/Rockets TNT Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Milwaukee +2 

The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record in the NBA last season and will challenge for the top spot again in 2019.  They didn’t lose much this offseason outside Malcolm Brogdon, who was simply an injury waiting to happen and the Pacers paid way too much for him. 

I actually think the Bucks got better in the offseason.  They brought back their core four in Giannis, Bledsoe, Middleton and Lopez.  They added veteran Wesley Matthews, C Robin Lopez, G Kyle Korver and F Dragan Bender.  The Bucks will be a force once again and are far and away the best team in the East in my opinion. 

I think it’s going to take some time for the Rockets to get accustomed to playing with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the two most ball-dominant players in the NBA.  They lost Chris Paul, Iran Shumpert and Kenneth Faried in the offseason.  I don’t like the additions of Tyson Chandler and Thabo Sefolosha, who have both been non-factors in the NBA due to injury and age. 

The Bucks owned the Rockets in both meetings last season.  They won 108-94 at home and held the Rockets to 36.4% shooting.  They also won 116-109 on the road and held the Rockets to 37.6% shooting.  The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Expect more of the same here in the opener.  Roll with the Bucks Thursday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Memphis Grizzlies +8 

The Miami Heat are getting too much respect from oddsmakers in their opener against Memphis.  They signed Jimmy Butler, and he has been a cancer in his last two stops in Philadelphia and Minnesota.  He needs to have the ball in his hands to be effective, and he’s just not a great team player. 

The rest of Miami’s starting five includes Jutise Winslow, Dion Waiters, Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo, though Waiters is out with a suspension.  They are also without key role player James Johnson.  They lost Dwyane Wade, Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside.  I like the draft pick on Tyler Herro, but Meyers Leonard was their only other key addition, and he’s just not very good. 

The Grizzlies managed to win 33 games last year despite all of their injuries and players they traded away.  They enter a new era now with a younger, exciting group of players.  Their top two picks in the draft the last two years in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant are absolute studs.  They also got Brandon Clarke in the draft, giving them three huge building blocks for the future. 

Jonas Valanciunas was not a downgrade at all from Marc Gasol at center.  He played well down the stretch for the Grizzlies as they were a thorn in the side of a lot of playoff contenders.  They also added veteran Jae Crowder, who will start alongside Jackson Jr., Morant, Valanciunas and Dillon Brooks, who had a big preseason and looks to take the next step forward.  They have a lot of depth as they added 10 players this offseason.  Roll with the Grizzlies Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Cleveland Cavaliers +9 

The Orlando Magic open the 2019-20 season getting too much respect from oddsmakers after a big finish last season to make the playoffs.  I like their team, but they should not be laying 9 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opener. 

While the Magic didn’t do much this offseason, the Cavaliers will be greatly improved after going just 19-63 last season.  They drafted Daris Garland to pair with Collin Sexton, giving them one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.  They also drafted Dylan Windler and Kevin Porter Jr., thought Windler is out to start the season with a leg injury. 

Now the Cavaliers have a nice mix of youth and veterans.  Their frontcourt is in good shape with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, and they brought back Matthew Dellavedova, who are the holdovers from the 2016 glory days.  Love is still an All-Star caliber player who was hurt last year.  Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. should take another step forward this year.  Take the Cavaliers Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Chicago Bulls -2.5 

The Chicago Bulls will be one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  The Charlotte Hornets will be the worst team in the NBA by my estimation.  So it only makes sense to back the Bulls as short favorites here in the opener over the Hornets. 

Injuries decimated the Bulls in a 22-60 season last year.  This is one of the most talented rosters in the league when healthy.  They have Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr. and Zach LaVine as veterans to lead the way.  They landed Coby White in the draft and added Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky in free agency.  And they get last year’s first-round pick in Wendell Carter Jr. back from injury. 

The Hornets could have traded Kemba Walker and got a big return either of the last two seasons.  Instead, they gave hime a lowball offer and let him walk in free agency to Boston.  They replaced him with a backup PG in Terry Rozier.  The Hornets also let Jeremy Lamb walk in free agency, so they’ve lost their two best players.  Their projected starting five of Rozier, Bacon, Washington, Bridges and Zeller is the worst in the NBA.  Bet the Bulls Wednesday. 

20* Pelicans/Raptors TNT No-Brainer on New Orleans +7 

I think the injury to Zion Williamson is being overblown here, and the Pelicans are catching too many points now on opening night to pass up.  This line has moved from Toronto -5 up to Toronto -7, providing us with ample value to pull the trigger on the Pelicans. 

New Orleans made plenty of other offseason moves that will improve them.  They also added Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the draft.  They signed JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli in free agency while also dealing for Derrick Favors.  Plus, they got Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram back in the Anthony Davis trade.  This team is loaded with talent and depth now. 

The Raptors lost both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Lakers in free agency.  Kyle Lowry will play despite recovering from offseason thumb surgery.  And key signees Patrick McCaw (knee) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin) will be out to start the season.  There is still some talent here with Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka, but they are a far cry from the team that won the title last year while riding Leonard. 

The Pelicans are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six trips to Toronto.  The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet the Pelicans Tuesday. 

20* Raptors/Warriors Game 6 No-Brainer on Toronto +3 

The Toronto Raptors are now 5-2 against the Warriors this season.  Even in their two losses they had a chance to win, losing by a combined 6 points.  And they’ve been unstoppable at Oracle in Golden State. 

Indeed, the Raptors are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS at Golden State this season with wins by 20, 14 and 13 points.  They have actually played their best basketball on the road in this series.  And now without Kevin Durant, the Warriors don’t stand much of a chance of slowing them down. 

In Game 5, the Warriors got a 3-for-3 from 3-point shooting effort from Durant before he left with injury.  His points proved to be the difference in the game in a 106-105 win.  In fact, the Warriors made 20 3-pointers compared to just 8 for the Raptors, outscoring them by 36 points from the 3-point line.  Yet they still only won by one.  The discrepancy in 3-point shooting won’t be near that big in Game 6, and as as result the Raptors should roll again. 

The Raptors are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.  The Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.  Toronto is 4-0 ATS in its last four trips to Golden State.  Bet the Raptors in Game 6 Thursday. 

20* Warriors/Raptors Game 5 No-Brainer on Toronto -1.5 

The Warriors are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers here in Game 5.  They are only 1.5-point road underdogs to the Raptors.  A lot of that has to do with he speculation that Kevin Durant may return, but even if he does he won’t be 100% and will be on a minutes restriction. 

The Raptors continue to get no love from oddsmakers despite saving their best basketball of the season for last.  They are now 7-1 SU & 7-1 ATS in their last eight games overall against the Bucks and Warriors.  That’s no small feat.  The only game they lost they lost by 5 to the Warriors and shot just 37.2% from the field. 

It will be the best atmosphere ever for a Toronto home game tonight.  Canada wants their first ever NBA title, and fans will be raucous.  The Raptors are 41-12 at home this season and have some of the best fans in the business.  They also have the current best player in the NBA in Kawhi Leonard, who continues to make all the right decisions. 

The Raptors are 5-1 SU in all meetings with the Warriors this season.  The Warriors just aren’t getting much help outside Curry and Thompson in this series, and the injuries and their lack of depth has really caught up to them. I believe this series ends tonight in Toronto.  Bet the Raptors Monday. 

15* Raptors/Warriors Game 4 Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 215.5 

The Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors meet for a pivotal Game 4 tonight.  I think with what’s at stake here with the series basically on the line for the Warriors that we will see a great defensive effort from them.  The Raptors bring it defensively every game. 

I also think there’s value on the UNDER here when comparing this line to previous in this series.  It was 212.5 for Game 1, 213 for Game 2 and 209.5 for Game 3.  Now it’s 215.5 for Game 4, the highest of any game thus far.   

The Raptors aren’t likely to shoot as well as they did last game as they shot 52.4% from the floor, 44.7% from 3-point range and 95.2% from the free throw line.  One team has shot lights out in every game thus far.  Expect both teams to struggle offensively now that both teams are more familiar with one another. 

The UNDER is 8-3-1 in Raptors last 12 road games.  Take the UNDER in this game Friday. 

20* Raptors/Warriors Game 3 No-Brainer on Toronto +5 

The Toronto Raptors had their fourth-worst shooting performance of the entire playoffs in Game 2.  They shot just 35-of-94 (37.2%) from the field, yet they still only lost by 5 points.  Look for them to shoot the ball much better in Game 3 and to prove once again that they are one of the best road teams in the NBA. 

Of course, injuries to the Warriors makes the job a lot easier for the Raptors.  They will still be without Kevin Durant for Game 3, Kevon Looney is out for the playoffs after suffering a shoulder injury in Game 2, and Klay Thompson is questionable tonight with a hamstring injury also suffered in Game 2. 

The Looney injury is getting overlooked.  The trio of Curry, Green and Looney have the best 3-man rating in the entire playoffs at +20.2 compared to only +2.5 without Looney on the floor.  They have a +122.5 offensive rating with Looney compared to a +109.4 rating without him.  Plus, they have the best 3-man defensive combination in the entire playoffs when Curry, Green and Looney are on the floor together. 

The Warriors are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games following an ATS win.  The Raptors are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  A better shooting performance tonight will have them taking advantage of the Warriors’ injuries and likely winning this game outright, though we’ll take the points for some insurance.  Bet the Raptors Wednesday. 

20* Warriors/Raptors Game 2 No-Brainer on Toronto -2 

The Toronto Raptors have now won five straight games over the Bucks and Warriors.  This team is proving they are for real and a legit threat to stop Golden State’s three-peat.  They know getting Game 2 here is a must with Kevin Durant likely coming back soon. 

The Warriors are vulnerable without KD despite all the numbers they have shown about their record with Curry and without Durant.  That was evident last series when they had to come back from 15-plus points down in three straight games against the Blazers.  Well, the Raptors are much better than the Blazers. 

Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.  Golden State is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 Sunday games.  The Raptors are 35-16-2 ATS in their last 53 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Toronto is now 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in all three meetings with the Warriors this season.  Bet the Raptors Sunday. 

20* Warriors/Raptors Game 1 No-Brainer on Toronto -1 

What the Raptors just did to the Bucks in winning four straight was the most impressive feat yet in these playoffs.  The Bucks were the best team in the NBA during the regular season, and Nick Nurse and the Raptors came up with the proper game plan to stop them. 

Of course, the feat the Warriors just pulled off against the Blazers was also impressive.  They swept the Blazers in four games, winning each of the final three games despite trailing by at least 15 points in all three.  While impressive, it also shows how vulnerable the Warriors really are.  The Blazers aren’t that good. 

Certainly this is a step up in class for the Warriors, who will still be without Kevin Durant.  And the Raptors proved in the regular season that they could beat the Warriors, sweeping the season series while winning 131-128 at home and 113-93 on the road.  Kawhi Leonard is the best player in this series, period, and the role players for the Raptors are really gaining confidence. 

I think the 5-day layoff for the Raptors is the superior situation than the 10-day layoff for the Warriors, who are sure to be rusty in Game 1.  Toronto is 34-16-2 ATS in its last 52 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Raptors are 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet the Raptors in Game 1 Thursday. 

20* Bucks/Raptors TNT No-Brainer on Milwaukee +2 

The Milwaukee Bucks were the best team in the NBA all season.  I’ll back them to get it figured out in Game 6 and get this series back to Milwaukee.  The Raptors simply are not this good, getting the breaks late in wins in Game 3 and Game 5. 

Officiating certainly went the Raptors’ way in Game 5 as they attempted 31 free throws compared to 18 for the Bucks despite the fact that the game was played in Milwaukee.  And Fred VanVleet hit 7 3-pointers, which was the difference and is unlikely to happen again. 

The Bucks are 31-16 SU & 28-17-2 ATS on the road this season, so they clearly aren’t phased by traveling.  And they lost in double-OT in Toronto in Game 3.  Not to mention, they won both regular season meetings in Toronto. 

Milwaukee is 16-4 ATS off an upset loss as a favorite this season.  The Bucks are 22-3 SU & 19-6 ATS off a loss this season.  Milwaukee is 37-16-2 ATS in its last 55 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Bet the Bucks Saturday. 

25* NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs GAME OF THE YEAR on Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 

After losing both games in Toronto, and getting embarrassed in Game 4, the Milwaukee Bucks return home highly motivated for a victory in Game 5 to regain control of this series.  The Bucks are still 10-3 SU & 10-3 ATS in these playoffs and the best team in the East, and that will show tonight. 

Milwaukee has been a great bet off a loss.  In fact, the Bucks are 22-2 SU & 19-5 ATS following a loss this season.  That’s right, they’ve only lost back-to-back games twice all season, and it just happened for the second time.  It’s been a resilient team, and that resiliency will really be on display tonight with the support of their home crowd on their side. 

Kawhi Leonard is clearly hobbled and tired.  The Bucks made the mistake of double-teaming him last game, and he found open shooters time and time again.  The Raptors’ roll players hit those shots at home, but now it will be the Bucks’ role players who step up at home this time around.  And I expect Mike Budenholzer to make the right adjustments like he’s done all season and to not double-team Kawhi.  He can’t beat them on his own. 

Plays on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Milwaukee) - revenging a loss by 10 points or more, off two or more consecutive road losses are 37-13 (74%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Milwaukee is 10-1 ATS off an upset loss as a road favorite this season.  The Bucks are 21-5 ATS in their last 26 games off a loss.  Milwaukee is 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS at home in the playoffs this season.  Bet the Bucks Thursday.

20* Bucks/Raptors TNT No-Brainer on Milwaukee -3 

The Milwaukee Bucks played about as poorly as they could have in Game 3.  Yet, they still forced double-overtime despite shooting just 37.3% from the field.  It was a must-win game for the Raptors in that spot, and they were fortunate to escape with a victory. 

They won’t be so fortunate in Game 4 tonight.  The Bucks aren’t going to shoot that poorly again as this has been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA this season at 117.9 points per game on 47.3% shooting.  They are loaded with great 3-point shooting to surround the unstoppable Greek Freak. 

Milwaukee is a ridiculous 22-1 SU & 19-4 ATS following a loss this season.  It is coming back to win by 15.0 points per game in this spot.  The Bucks are 12-2 ATS off a road loss this season.  They have been the most resilient team in the NBA this season.  Milwaukee is 20-7-1 ATS in its last 28 road games.  The Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  Bet the Bucks Tuesday. 

20* Warriors/Blazers ESPN No-Brainer on Portland +3.5 

The Golden State Warriors just became the first team in NBA history to win consecutive playoff games after trailing by 13 or more points.  It shows their resiliency, but it also shows how the Blazers could easily be up 2-1 in this series instead of down 0-3. 

From a line value perspective, there’s certainly value taking the Blazers in Game 4 here as 3.5-point underdogs when you consider they were 2.5-point favorites in Game 3.  That’s a 6-point adjustment.  I think the Blazers will show some pride here and not want to get swept. 

The Warriors are already without Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, and now they could be without Andre Iguodala, who left with a calf injury in Game 3.  He is their best defender and the Blazers should have a lot more success offensively if he can’t go. 

Golden State is 4-12 ATS as a road favorite of 6 points or less this season.  Portland is 11-2 ATS when revenging a loss by 10 points or more this season.  The Blazers are 17-8-1 ATS in their last 26 games following an ATS loss.  The Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS win.  Golden State is 19-42-2 ATS in its last 63 games off a win by more than 10 points.  Bet the Blazers Monday. 

15* Bucks/Raptors TNT ANNIHILATOR on Toronto -2 

It’s now or never for the Toronto Raptors.  They must win Game 3 if they want to get back in this series after losing the first two, and I trust them to get the job done. 

The Raptors are 37-11 at home this season.  Milwaukee is 7-21 ATS in its last 28 games off three or more consecutive home wins.  Toronto is 18-5 ATS after failing to cover four of its last five ATS over the last three years.  Toronto is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.  Roll with the Raptors Sunday. 

25* NBA Conference Finals GAME OF THE YEAR on Portland Trail Blazers -2 

The Portland Trail Blazers know they can beat the Warriors. They proved it in the regular season by splitting the season series 2-2.  And they certainly gave them a run for their money in Games 1 and 2 in Golden State. 

Indeed, the Blazers were tired off their seven-game series with the Nuggets, yet they were only down by 6 points at the end of three quarters despite playing their worst game of the playoffs in Game 1.  They played much better in Game 2 and actually led by 17 in the 3rd quarter, but the Warriors came back and stole a victory late. 

Now, with their season on the line, the Blazers should be able to win Game 3 at home.  The Warriors are likely to relax after protecting their home court, while the Blazers are likely to play with a big chip on their shoulder here after letting Game 2 slip away.  This is my favorite bet of the conference finals. 

The Warriors are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games off a win.  The Blazers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.  Bet the Blazers Saturday. 

15* Raptors/Bucks TNT Total DOMINATOR on UNDER 216 

The pace was a rapid one in Game 1 as the Raptors got 92 shots up and the Bucks got 93 up.  Yet, they still went UNDER the 218-point total as the Bucks won 108-100 for 208 combined points.  I have to think the pace slows down quite a bit in Game 2 now that these teams are more familiar with one another, and as a result I like it to stay UNDER the total again. 

The UNDER is 7-1-1 in Raptors last nine road games.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Raptors last six games following an ATS loss.  The UNDER is 11-3 in Raptors last 14 games overall.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Bucks last five games off a win.  The UNDER is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Milwaukee.  Roll with the UNDER in Game 2 Friday. 

15* Blazers/Warriors ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Portland +7.5 

The 22-point blowout the Warriors put on the Blazers was a bit misleading.  This was a 6-point game at the end of three quarters.  Portland managed to hang around despite committing 21 turnovers and shooting just 36.1% from the field. 

So, the Blazers couldn’t have played any worse in Game 1, and they still had a chance to pull the upset going into the 4th quarter.  And they were in a tough spot off a difficult Game 7 win in Denver.  Now a few more days removed, and they should come back much fresher for Game 2 tonight.  Expect the Blazers to give the Warriors a run for their money. 

Golden State has shot 49.4% and 50% from eh field in its last two games.  Both of those were without Kevin Durant.  The Warriors aren’t a better team without Durant, and they certainly will be hard-pressed to continue shooting as well as they did in their last two games against Houston and Portland. 

Portland is 8-0 ATS when revenging a road loss by 10 points or more this season.  It is bouncing back to win by 8.3 points per game in this situation.  Golden State is 9-19 ATS off a win by 15 points or more this season. The Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games off an ATS win.  Take the Blazers Thursday. 

20* Raptors/Bucks TNT No-Brainer on Milwaukee -6 

The Milwaukee Bucks have been the best team in the NBA all season.  And as a result, they’ve been the best team for bettors to back, too.  They are currently 68-23 SU & 55-33 ATS this season.  They’ve been even better in the playoffs, going 8-1 SU & 8-1 ATS for backers with seven wins by double-digits. 

The Bucks went 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS against the Raptors in the regular season.  They are in the favorable spot here having a full week off after closing their series with the Celtics last Wednesday.  The spot is a much tougher one for the Raptors. 

Indeed, Toronto just completed a grueling seven-game series with the 76ers on Sunday.  We saw how much the seven-game series took out of the Blazers last night, and I think it will be the same for the Raptors.  I think they relax in Game 1 here after surviving the 76ers, and they will simply still be too tired to match the energy and effort the Bucks put into this game. 

Toronto is 1-9 ATS in road games after allowing 90 points or less over the last two seasons.  The Bucks are 35-14-2 ATS in their last 51 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Bucks Wednesday. 

15* Blazers/Warriors ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Portland +7.5 

The Warriors are ripe for the picking with Kevin Durant likely to miss the first two games of this series.  Yes, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson caught fire against the Rockets in Game 6 last series to steal a victory, but they can’t be expected to stay that hot. 

The fact of the matter is the Warriors are short-handed.  They already lacked a bench before losing both DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant.  The Blazers won’t take them lightly like the Rockets did, and this is a Blazers team with something special going right now. 

Indeed, the Blazers upset both the Thunder and the Nuggets as underdogs in their series.  Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are showing why they are one of the best guard tandems in the NBA.  And the Blazers are getting significant contributions from most of their role players like Seth Curry, Zach Collins, Enes Kanter, Al-Farouq Aminu, Rodney Hood and Maurice Harkless. 

The Blazers split the season series with the Warriors 2-2, including a 110-109 upset at Golden State as 9-point dogs.  Golden State is 1-8 ATS in home games when revenging a loss this season.  The Warriors are 9-18 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points this season.  Golden State is 0-6 ATS in its last six games following an ATS win.  Bet the Blazers Tuesday.