We think Philly has a great chance to win this one outright but we will go with the puckline value here. We had this puckline handicapped at -180, so there is great value here. The Flyers are playing great hockey out of the gate at 4-2. They have been one of the better betting teams in the NHL because they have been playing well above expectations. They have covered the puckline in five of six games. Florida hasn’t been great on the road. They have been a money pit for puckline bettors at 1-6. The Panthers have lost six of the last eight meetings here in Philly. We expect a close game here.

Detroit is off to a slow start, but this team is not a bottom feeder this season. We think they are a contender for the play in tourney and a team in the rise. This is just too many points as a home dog. Detroit has played three of four on the road, but their one home game was a solid win, and we think they will be primed for a big performance tonight. The Hawks rarely play well here and are 0-4 ATS in their last four visits and 2-6 ATS in their last eight meetings overall. The Hawks are 1-2 ATS despite playing all three at home against a weak schedule.

Columbus has won three of four, including wins over Nashville and NY Rangers. We don’t really see them having a letdown here because they know every game is important in a possible playoff push. Columbus has 17 goals in their last four games. Arizona has allowed 12 goals in their last two games, and we think Columbus will likely put up a big number on offense here and they should have no problem covering the puckline.

Both teams are 2-0 SU and ATS, but one team is a championship contender and one team is playing over its head. We think this will be a high scoring game but we think this is where Utah comes back to earth a bit. New Orleans has looked very good to start the season. These teams normally play a high scoring game, and we expect the same here tonight but New Orleans wins by double digits. They might get 130+ on their own.

10 Unit Play. Take #466 Denver Broncos over New York Jets (4:05p.m., Sunday, October 23 CBS) The Jets are winning games with smoke and mirrors I do not see them winning this game unless Denver helps them. Playing back-to-back road games is always tough in the NFL and Denver is desperate for a victory today. Denver has won 5 of their last 6 games against New York including a 26-0 victory last season. The Jets were just 1 for 11 on third down last week and had just 278 total yards. Denver is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. New York is 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games against teams with a losing record. This is a must win game for Denver and they get it by close to double-digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #401 Purdue Boilermakers over Wisconsin Badgers (3:30p.m., Saturday, October 22 ESPN) Big 10 Game of the Year These two teams are heading in opposite directions. This is the time that Big 10 West teams can get their revenge on Wisconsin, a team that has dominated this west division since the inception. The Badgers have played two terrible teams the last two weeks and gone 1-1. Both Michigan State and Northwestern have terrible defenses and that is not the case with Purdue. The Boilermakers have won 4 straight games and could easily be 7-0 on the season. They have a much better passing game and have a defense that can stop the running attack of Wisconsin. This play is more about going against Wisconsin, a team that fired their coach 2.5 weeks ago and has a coaching staff that does not get along well the uncertainty of their coaching futures. Two more Badger players entered the transfer portal this week and I do not see things getting any better down the stretch. They will win some game because the Big 10 West is bad, but you just cannot count on them to win game against similar or better talented teams. Wisconsin has scored over 17 points just 6 times dating back to last year and they are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games. Purdue is 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games in Madison. Purdue is the second-best team Wisconsin will have played this season and loss No. 5 will happen on Saturday. The road team is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 games between Purdue and Wisconsin. The Badgers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Boilermakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a losing record.

We don’t take many double digit favorites in the NBA, but we think this one is warranted. Minnesota has just crushed OKC in recent meetings. Like CRUSHED. Like all three games were decided by 30 or more. OKC was one of the best ATS teams in the league last season. We used them a lot. We will probably use them a lot midseason once this young team starts to gel. And they have a great leader in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. At some point, he will get the best out of this roster. But this team is much different than the one that covered so many games last season and there are going to be some growing pains. Minnesota has their best team in years and a legit contender. We think OKC runs into a buzzsaw here in the season opener.

Philly has had a strong start to the season, but they are in a real tough spot here on a B2B after playing in Tampa last night in a big road win. Florida has also played well to start the season but are coming off their first loss of the season in Boston in a game where they played decently. They will be primed to get back on track here at home against a fatigued Philly team that doesn’t have their legs under them yet at this early point of the season. Florida has a strong history in this series. They have won six of seven, and three of the last four wins have been by multiple goals. The Flyers have won only once here in the last seven meetings. We don’t see things going well for them tonight and we expect a big bounce-back performance from the home team. Philly enters this matchup fat and happy and we think this is the perfect letdown spot for a team that has been playing a bit over their heads.

The Sixers seem very solid heading into the new season and we think this team is in a great place and primed for a strong start and a possible championship run. Boston not only has the hangover from losing in the finals, but they had a turbulent offseason to say the last with their coach being suspended for the season and losing offseason acquisition Gallinari for the season with an injury. And we forget that this team started very slow last season before turning it on around the holidays, and we think a repeat could be in the cards. Philly has covered in seven of the last eight meetings. Their non-cover during that span? The 135-87 beatdown in February. We have no doubt the Sixers remember that game and they will want to play their best here against a team they normally exceed expectations against.

Montreal got their big win in the season opener over their rival Toronto and then went on the road in a letdown spot and were stomped by Detroit then they lost in Washington on a B2B. But they are back at home here and rested, and we think this will be a competitive match that the home side has a great chance to win. The underdog is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings between these squads. Montreal has won two of the last three meetings at home.

10 Unit Play. Take #256 Indianapolis Colts over Jacksonville Jaguars (1p.m., Sunday, October 16 CBS) It end’s today. The Colts have not had much success against Jacksonville in recent games, but they are just a better team not to beat them at home. Indianapolis has extra rest for this game, and they are 2-2-1 on the season despite not playing very well. That will change and QB Ryan will start to move the football through the air in this game. Jacksonville is coming off a bad loss to Houston last time out and they have not looked the same since a hot first quarter against Philadelphia two games ago. The home team is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 10 games between Jacksonville and Indianapolis. The Jaguars are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games played during the month of October.

Montreal probably won’t be a very good team this year. But the matchups with Toronto will be the highlights of their season. They always come to play against their main rival. And this is one of the best rivalries in all of sports. Toronto hasn’t won by more than one goal in the last seven meetings. Montreal has won five of those meetings outright. Last season, Montreal won both matchups at home, and both by multiple goals. We have to remember that Toronto is a contender and Montreal is unlikely to make the postseason, so that shows just how much they raise their level of play when they face their main rival. We expect another close one here and think the home team even has a slight chance to win outright.

10 Unit Play. Take #466 New York Jets over Miami Dolphins (1p.m., Sunday, October 9 CBS) The Dolphins are in turmoil after the handling of QB Tua the last two weeks and now just travel on the road to take on the Jets. New York is riding high coming back from Pittsburgh last Sunday to 2-2 on the season. The Jets have yet to win a home game this season, but I look for that to end on Sunday. Miami is 0-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games played during the month of October. Look for this game to go down to the wire and the Jets to pull in out.

10 Unit Play. Take 274 Las Vegas Raiders over Denver Broncos (4:25p.m., Sunday, October 2 CBS) It ends tonight! The Raiders will notch their first victory of the season and move to 1-3 and 1-1 in the division. The Raiders have been competitive in all 3 of their games this season and they just seem more buttoned up then the Broncos are at the moment. Las Vegas has won 4 straight games against Denver and the Broncos have only covered the spread in 2 of their last 7 games. Denver has been bad on offense most of the season, especially in the red zone. Denver is 9-19 ATS in their last 28 games against AFC West teams. The home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 games in this series.

10 Unit Play. Take #696 Edmonton Elks over Montreal Alouettes (4p.m., Saturday, October 1 ESPN+) Edmonton will notch their first home victory of 2022 on Saturday afternoon. The Elks are healthier than the Alouettes and are facing a team that must make a cross country trip. Edmonton is coming off a win over Saskatchewan and gets to play most of their remaining games at home. Kenny Lawler should return in this game giving the Elks another weapon to go against the inconsistent pass rush for Montreal. 

10 Unit Play. Take #291 Minnesota Vikings over Philadelphia Eagles (8:30pm., Monday, September 19 ABC) The Vikings looked impressive in their season opening game dominating Green Bay for the majority of that 60 minute game. Now they travel on the road to face a team that many believe will be the NFC East winner come January. Always tough to trust the Vikings on a consistent basis, but that have a new coach and just are the more talented team in this game. That includes the quarterback position. Minnesota needs to stop the run in this game and make Jalen Hurts beat them through the air. Philadelphia is 3-13 in their last 16 games played during Week 2 of the regular season. Getting rid of the negative Mike Zimmer energy will help the Vikings immensely.

10 Unit Play. Take #482 Seattle Seahawks over Denver Broncos (8:15p.m., Monday, September 12 ESPN) The Hawks are not expected to contend this season as they traded away their quarterback to Denver. But the fan base will be excited for this game, and it is one of the toughest tickets in town. Look for Seattle to rise to the occasion and take this game down to the wire. Denver gave up a ton of capital to get Russell Wilson and they were not a very good team last year. Seattle is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against AFC teams. The Hawks are also 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home games when they are an underdog. Seattle has won 9 of their last 10 home games. Too much emotion for Russell Wilson to blow out Seattle and expect this game to go down to the wire and we will come out on top either way.

10 Unit Play. Take #636 Connecticut Sun over Chicago Sky (1p.m., Sunday, September 4 ESPN2) Chicago is the defending champions of the WNBA but I just do not like the way they are playing during the second half of the season. They lost the No. 1 see to Las Vegas and have already lost two home games during the playoffs. Connecticut got the split in Chicago to take away home court advantage and Game 3 is usually when the home team plays their best game of the series. The Sky are just 1-5 in their last 6 games following an ATS win in their previous game. The Sun have been playing exceptional down the stretch going 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games. The includes 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.  

10 Unit Play. Take #169 Louisville Cardinals over Syracuse Orange (8p.m., Saturday, September 3 ACCN) Just do not see much hope for Syracuse and Dino Babers turning things around. He is 3-15 in the ACC the last 2 years and is facing a team that has had his number of late. Louisville has covered the spread against Syracuse in 7 of the last 8 meetings. That included winning 41-3 last year and their margin of victory in the last 8 games is 31 points. Louisville picked up some key transfers this season and Syracuse has a new offensive coordinator that might not fit their skill players system. The favorite has covered the spread in this game 8 straight meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #311 Vanderbilt Commodores over Hawaii Warriors (10:30p.m., Saturday, August 27 CBSSN) This is more a play against Hawaii instead of liking the worst team in the SEC. The Warriors are in a major rebuild having lost their coach due to off the field issues. Now former quarterback Timmy Chang is the head coach, and he will struggle to keep this team competitive in 2022. Hawaii returned just 6 starters and only 2 of them are on defense. Vanderbilt has the better defense and running game and that should be good enough to win this game by double digits. They lost to an FCS team in their opening game last year and need to avoid a similar fate to open the season this year. Vanderbilt is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games. Hawaii is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 nonconference games.

10 Unit Play. Take #417 Pittsburgh Steelers over Jacksonville Jaguars (7p.m., Saturday, August 20 local) Just not sure why Jacksonville is favored by this many points. Mike Tomlin has a solid NFL Preseason record of 35-24 and most of that has come in the last 5 years there were preseason games (13-3). Jacksonville is 0-2 and the oddsmakers must expect them to come out blazing in this game to rile up the fanbase. I don’t see that happening, as this is the third game of the preseason, and they have a veteran head coach and is not all that worried about winning these games. Pittsburgh has three solid quarterbacks for this game and the quarterback job is wide open. All will want to play well in this game to make the case that they should be the starter. Throw in a solid core of young wide receivers and I feel Pittsburgh will win this game straight-up. This matchup during the regular season has been dominated by the road team and the underdog and look for that to hold true in the preseason as well.

10 Unit Play. Take #683 Toronto over Hamilton (7:30p.m., Friday, August 12 ESPN+) This line continues to move toward the Argonauts, as they are now close to a field goal favorite. It is because of the injury situation with Hamilton, as QB Dane Evans is doubtful for this game. The Tigers-Cats also have a bunch of wide receivers out for this game and that will allow the Argonauts to beat them for a second straight week. Toronto is not the most reliable team, but they have been playing better of late, winning 3 of their last 4 games. That included a home and home consecutive week sweep of Saskatchewan (similar setup to this game). Toronto is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Argonauts are 3-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games against the Tiger-Cats. Hamilton is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games overall. This line has moved close to 5 points and we agree that the quarterback loss will be too much for Hamilton to overcome.

10 Unit Play. Take #686 Calgary Stampeders -2over Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7p.m., Saturday, July 30 ESPN2) The Blue Bombers are not going undefeated this year and this is one of the games they will lose. Calgary did not play that well in the first meeting against Winnipeg but still had a chance late in the game to send it to overtime. QB Collaros is coming off his worst game of the season last time out and look for that to carryover into this game against a much better team. He played well against Calgary this season, but adjustments will be made. With Greg Ellingson questionable for this game expect the home team to come out on top. When good team play, I always like to side with the team that needs it more.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #696 BC over Winnipeg (7p.m., Saturday, July 9 ESPNEWS) Winnipeg is playing on a short week and did not do much in the second half against a weak team in Toronto last Monday. BC has been unstoppable on offense and look for them to outscore Winnipeg in this game. They are averaging 520 yards per game and the Blue Bombers have not been as strong on defense as they have been in past years. I said it last week and I will say it again, you can beat Winnipeg if you do not turn over the football. The home crowd will be ready to take down the two-time defending champions on Saturday night and expect them to do so by double-digits.

This series has worked out for the Zig Zag Theory to perfection, with each team trading wins/covers and the total going the opposite way each game. We still think Boston is the better team and we think they have a great chance for the outright win here. Curry went off in Game 4 after the Celtics had been in control most of the way through. But we expect a focused group tonight and we think they break the stalemate tonight with a chance to go back to Boston to close things out in Game 6.

The Warriors had some injury concerns with Steph Curry but it looks like he is good to go for Game 4. But we are not sure he will be 100% effective. If this was the regular season, he would probably take some time off to properly heal. And there is always the chance of reaggravating the injury as the Celtics are one of the most physical teams in the league. But even with Curry at full strength, we like the Celtics here. We think they are the superior team, and the hungrier one. The Warriors have a decent supporting cast for their stars, but the team goes cold too often unlike the best championship teams from Golden State. And then there are Draymond Green’s antics. He is a great defender but he is just not helping the team a lot in this series. With the Big Game 3 win, the Celtics have their eyes on the prize and we don’t see them blowing home court advantage here. We think they get another comfortable win tonight.

We think the Celtics are underrated in this series and we think they have a great chance to pull off the series win. We do think this series will go far. We saw Golden State dominate the postseason so far, and that is why we have this steep series line here, but we think the Warriors had a pretty easy path. Memphis is a young team that is still learning playoff basketball and Dallas still needs some pieces to be a championship contender. The Nuggets were a pushover. But Boston has had a much tougher path. They swept a Nets team that was one of the title favorites. They beat the defending champs in the next round and then the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in seven games, winning Game 7 on the road no less. They are more battle tested. And while we have a ton of respect for Golden State and what they have done, they aren’t as hungry as the Celtics and this isn’t the best team they have had during their championship runs. The Celtics are coming off a couple grueling series, but they have had three days off here, which will be plenty of rest. We think Golden State has been off too long for this and they should be a little rusty. Boston always gets up for this opponent and they have covered eight of the last nine meetings here, a trend that stretches back years since these teams don’t play often. Boston has lost the last two Game 1s, which put them in a hole in each series early. We think they bring their A Game here to get the upper hand and steal home court advantage. Boston was a Top 5 ATS team this season and often underestimated by the oddsmakers. We think that is the case here for Game 1 again, and we think the Celtics have a great chance for the outright win.

We think Game 5 was a last gasp of sorts for the Blues. They played a great game and won in OT. But we think that will serve as a wakeup call and that the better team will take care of business tonight. The two games in St/ Louis were the best ones for Colorado in this series won by a combined score of 11-5, winning both by multiple goals. They should be more focused here in Game 6 because they don’t want this series extended again. We expect a big game from the road team here.

The Mavs have shown themselves to be very resilient in these playoffs. We don’t take much from their Game 1 performance. Just like Boston, they can bounce back here and if they win then they have the upper hand and home court advantage in this series. They will no doubt shoot a lot better than they did in Game 1. We expect a close, high scoring game here and we still think this will be a good series despite the Game 1 result.

Game 1 went to overtime and sent us a message that this series might be a close one even though the Avs won the game. But, including that game, St. Louis would have covered the puckline in three of the last four meetings. We expect another close one here, and this looks to be a low-scoring series, so getting a nice price on the puckline offers some real nice value.

We will give Boston a mulligan for their Game 1 performance. They didn’t come to play, and two starters being out did not help. Smart should be back tonight, and he will help on both ends of the court. This team is well coached and very talented. And they will be able to make the necessary adjustments, especially on the defensive end. We think they have a great chance to win outright here in a low-scoring affair.  

We have been big on Boston this whole series and this is not going to change here for Game 7. This has been one of the strongest teams in the NBA all season after a slow start, and we feel they have a championship-caliber squad this season. They are hungry. They have also been one of the best betting teams in the NBA this season and one you can trust laying points. They have also covered in 12 of the last 16 meetings (one push).

This just seems like a 7-game series to us, and the Celtics just need a win here and they will be heavy favorites to advance at home. Besides Game 1, all their losses were games that could have easily won, but when they have won they have been dominant. This has been one of the best ATS teams this season and we think they are being undervalued again here on Friday as we have them as a slight favorite and we expect them to win outright.

The Grizzlies seemed to have given their last gasp last time but still came up short after leading most of the game. Then more bad news came as word arrived that Ja Morant will likely miss the rest of the postseason. So this team for the first time this season knows that there are no reinforcements of their star coming to help, and during the regular season when Morant was out the team performed at a high level knowing he would be back and they just needed to keep the team afloat. Golden State is the better team in the better mental state, and we expect a comfortable win tonight.

Dallas had an off game in Game 1 and they still almost covered. They were outscored in the first three quarters and we think we will see a more complete game from them here as they play a close game with a chance to win. It looks like the Suns don’t have any answer for Doncic and we expect the rest of the team to step up and have a better game. Dallas is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and they will make some adjustments tonight to slow down the Suns offense.

Boston played very poorly in Game 1 and we expect this team to bounce back strong here. They have high expectations this postseason, and losing here would be devastating for their series chances. Boston had covered seven straight in this series before the Game 1 loss, and we think they match up well here and expect a comfortable win from the home team tonight.

Dallas has covered four straight in this series and we think they are the superior team. Utah just doesn’t have it this season and we expect some big changes in the offseason, which will start tomorrow for the Jazz. Mitchell will probably play here and he is probably being forced back too soon in a desperate move and may hurt the team more than help on the court tonight. Dallas has some history in the postseason with series dragging on too long so we think they will treat this like a Game 7 and lock down on defense.

The Pelicans aren’t your typical 8 seed. They retooled the roster mid season and this team has some nice veteran leadership now and a strong roster. The Suns are a team we did not believe in last season. We were wrong on that front as they advanced to the NBA Finals, but they got a lot of good luck because of major injuries to opponents in their path. But they will not have that same type of luck this season and we see them facing some adversity as they already have taken a blow with the Booker injury. We expect a close game here and one that the Pelicans very much have a chance to win outright.

We try to look at an NBA Playoff series beforehand and see how it plays out. We don’t think the Jazz have it this season and this team was really disappointing all season besides a few flashes where they looked like last year’s team. But we expect the Mavs to win this series, and they are a good team even without their star in the lineup. Doncic is questionable here, but we think they have a great chance to win without him as they did in Game 2. With the Game 2 win, Dallas has now covered in six of seven meetings. They are the much better defensive team, and that really matters in the postseason.

This is a very public line in our opinion. The Nets played a very good Game 1 and still came out on the losing side and Boston had control of things for much of the game. We feel that was their best chance for an upset in Boston and they blew it. We think that close scare will have Boston playing even better this time. There’s a reason Brooklyn was in the play in this season. This team dealt with a lot of roster issues but they were also one of the most disappointing betting teams in the NBA and always overvalued by the oddsmakers. That is the case again here in Game 2 as we think Boston earns a comfortable win.

Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back, but not all B2Bs are created equal. The Wild are at home here and that makes a big difference. Their game was also earlier on Saturday, so they have had more recovery time. Both San Jose games will be on the road, and they put up a decent fight in Dallas in a 2-1 loss. They dug deep defensively, and we don’t see them repeating the effort. This team is looking forward to the offseason while the Wild are probably pissed after a road OT loss at St. Louis, their current opening matchup in the playoffs. We think they will take out their frustrations on a San Jose team that has been very poor offensively. They have been decent defensively, but after exerting so much effort on Saturday, we see them giving up some goals here in a meaningless game for them.

It seems like Montreal gave their last gasp against their bitter rival Toronto because that is the last game they were competitive in. Since that game, they have been outscored 12-3 in three straight losses, losing all on the puckline. Now they come in on a back-to-back after a 3-0 loss to an Islanders team they had owned up until yesterday. And now they face a much better team and one that has won four of five but is coming off a loss against Toronto. They will want to get back on the winning track here and this is just the game to do it.

The Timberwolves are a great story this year. But we were hoping they won the play in game because we wanted to go against them in the first round, especially in this first game. This just seems like a team that is on the verge but not quite ready yet, and Memphis is a real contender this year. The Grizzlies have had extra rest and time to prepare for this matchup, and this doesn’t seem like a team that would be rusty entering the first game of the postseason. They have also owned Minnesota from a betting perspective. They have covered 24 of the last 32 meetings here in Memphis and 16 of the last 21 meetings overall. We think they will be ready for their moment in the spotlight here in Game 1.

The Clippers played well down the stretch. Better than the Timberwolves. And they have had Paul George back and he has stepped right in and was not too rusty. The Clippers are 15-6-1 ATS in the last 22 meetings in Minnesota, and this is a place they always play well. With George back in the mix and no clear dominant team in the West, the Clippers have a chance to go far if they can make the playoffs, especially if they can get Kawhi back at some point. We think they will play to win this one and we think they have a great chance.

Dallas need a win for seeding and the Spurs have two road games coming up in the play in tourney in hopes to make the playoffs. While they would normally be up for an in-state rival, they won’t have any focus on this game at all. They don’t want to use too much energy here. We don’t see any defense from the Spurs here and key players will get limited minutes. The Mavs need to win and they will have time off during the play in tourney, so they will play hard here. Blowout.

The Suns have had the No. 1 seed clinched for awhile. That has reflected in their play on the court as they have failed to cover in four straight and they have lost two of three outright. They come in on a back-to-back after a win over the Lakers last night. They probably had motivation there to send the Lakers packing from postseason contention. But now they head on the road for a B2B and we don’t see them really caring about this game too much. And they don’t want to risk injury. With the Clippers playing in the play-in, they can’t afford to rest here in the final games, and they need to keep momentum going, They are also actively trying to get Paul George back into the mix and to gel with the team before the play-in. So we think they will be real motivated here. They have won and covered in three of four and should have covered in Chicago but lost in OT as an underdog.

10 Unit Play. Take Villanova over Kansas (6:09p.m., Saturday, April 2 TBS) Nobody is giving Villanova much of a chance in this game since they will be without Justin Moore for this game. Villanova is a pesky team that can really slow the game down and make all their free throws as a team. They can frustrate Kansas and I do not believe this is one of Coach Self’s most talented teams. The Wildcats are earned this spot beating three impressive teams to reach the Final Four. Kansas had a much easier draw, and they are not as battle tested in the NCAA Tournament this season. The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games between Villanova and Kansas. The Jayhawks are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games following a victory of more than 20 points in their previous game.

These teams played Saturday, same venue, and the Kings handled the Kraken pretty easily. Just think it’s very tough to beat a team twice in consecutive games like this. We think Seattle will make the necessary adjustments to keep this one close or maybe even win it. They went into Saturday’s game having won three of four, so they are in nice form right now, and they have played in quite a bit of one-goal games recently. The Kings have been back and forth and haven’t been super consistent lately and they have had some problems on offense and we think the Kraken will bring their A Game in this revenge spot.

This is more of a fade of Miami than a statement about Sacramento. Miami is in a freefall right now and this is a very public number. Miami has dropped four straight and they have covered only one of their last nine. They had that very public blowup on the sideline last week, and that is the type of thing that can linger for a long time. Can the Heat win this one and get back on track? Absolutely. But we just don’t see this team getting back on track in a big way with a blowout. The Kings enter having won two straight. They have covered three in a row as they also lost to the Suns in OT. So they are playing well right now. The Kings are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings so they normally get up for this opponent.

The Kings are one of the better puckline teams in the NHL at 39-26. They manage to keep things close as an underdog and blow teams out as a favorite. We see the latter happening tonight. The Hawks come in on a back-to-back, and both games will be on the road, which makes things tougher. Not to mention this team is poor on the road and not very good overall. They rank among the worst in the league in offensive and defensive goals scored. They have been losing by multiple goals regularly lately, and we think a rested Kings team that hasn’t left the West Coast in a couple weeks will be ready to put a beatdown on the Blackhawks.

10 Unit Play. Take #630 Duke over Texas Tech (9:39p.m., Thursday, March 24 CBS) NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR Texas Tech has been overvalued this season by the odds makers and metrics and I do not believe they should be favored in this game (morning line odds). Coach K has a great record in this round 16-9 and I do not believe this is the type of team that can take out Duke Texas Tech is a great defensive team, but they struggle at times on offense, and I am not sure they will be able to score enough to keep pace with Duke. They also have a first-year coach with them who did not have any success in his previous stop as a head coach. I am not sure I trust him in a close game against the greatest coach in college basketball. Everyone wants to see a Duke – Gonzaga Elite 8 game and I feel that will happen. Duke has a national fan base, and they will be well represented in this game that takes place in San Francisco. Texas Tech is 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games played on Thursday. Duke is 7-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 games played on Thursday.

The Bucks started off the season slow. Maybe it was the NBA Finals hangover. But no matter, they are in playoff form now and have won nine of 11 games. They have covered in eight of those games, so despite lots of respect from the oddsmakers they are still getting the job done in a big way. They have motivation as well as they will want to get that No. 1 seed, and they are currently a couple games back of Miami. Washington is mathematically still alive, but who are we kidding. This team will be eliminated soon, and right now they are probably just playing out the string. If their last game was any indication, that is exactly the case as they lost to the Rockets by 18. This team is getting blown out on a regular basis, and we don’t see the Bucks breaking too much of a sweat to win this one by double digits.

Orlando is coming off one of its biggest wins of the year last night at home against Golden State. Now they have to turn around on a back-to-back and play a team that is desperate for a win and one they just beat at home on Sunday. OKC will be looking for revenge. We just think this is a big letdown spot for Orlando and this team doesn’t deserve to be a road favorite over any team in the NBA. OKC is one of the best ATS teams in the NBA at 43-25-4 on the season. They have dealt with a lot of injuries but they still manage to play above oddsmakers expectations, and they probably have the best player on the court right now in Alexander. OKC has covered in six of the last seven meetings. OKC has had a very tough schedule. If they are to end the losing streak, this is the game to do it.

We like to back a good team after a bad loss, and that is the case here tonight. Last time we saw the Bucks they lost by almost 20 in Minnesota. They have had two days to let that loss go, and we think they will be motivated and prepared against a regional rival here. The Greek Freak should be back here as he is probable, and he is well rested after missing the Minnesota game. He hasn’t been out long enough to be rusty, but he has been out long enough to regain some energy that is crucial at this point of the season. Chicago is on a back-to-back here, and we see a dominating win from the home team.

Dallas has lost two straight and they were embarrassed last time out on the road in Charlotte and they lost to Philly on the road also. This is getting down to the nitty gritty with the postseason in sight and we don’t see the Mavs dropping three straight, and they are back home for this one. Both these teams are close together in the standings and this is a crucial game for the Mavs as they need to fend off the charging Wolves but also avoid dropping down into the play in seedings. They have won eight of their last 11 so we aren’t to worried about those two losses. They are in fine form overall. And the Wolves have had some nice wins for sure but their recent run is a bit deceiving as they have faced teams with missing stars and many bad teams. They will face a very motivated team tonight and one that is the better club, and this line is more than fair. Dallas has a strong betting history against the Wolves as they are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Dallas and 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings overall.

10 Unit Play. Take UCLA over Saint Mary’s (7:10p.m., Saturday, March 19 TBS) I believe UCLA has the potential to return the Final Four and should be able to knockoff a mid-major for California. Saint Mary’s had a huge break getting Indiana in the round of 64. The Hoosiers had to play in the play in game on Tuesday and then had flight issues getting out to Portland. That will not the case on Saturday, as the Bruins will be well rested and battle tested. Saint Mary’s is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games as underdog. UCLA is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. The Bruins have a major edge in talent and I just do not believe Saint Mary’s will have an offensive explosion again on Saturday.

The Clippers have covered in three of five, but they are playing even better than that looks. They missed the cover by a single point last time out vs. Toronto and they were catching seven in Cleveland and lost in OT, so they should have covered that one and there was a questionable call against them at the end of regulation. Utah will be missing some key pieces here as they have two starters out, including their best player, and some key role players. The usual suspects are out for LA, but they have their main core that has played this season ready to go. The Clippers have covered in four of the last five meetings and we think they go all out here to try and win this one outright as the Jazz are very vulnerable tonight missing these players.

Detroit has been one of the best NBA bets in March and they have covered in 11 of their last 12. Orlando has been inconsistent, even for a bad team, and they are coming off a 40+ beatdown here at home to Brooklyn. Detroit has covered in 7 of the last 10 meetings, and we think this is a great chance for a rare road win for them.

The Lakers continue to get too much respect from the oddsmakers. This looks like a double-digit line to us. The Lakers are coming off consecutive double digit losses. This looks like another blowout to us. Minnesota looks like a real contender with eight wins and covers in their last nine games. They are peaking while many other teams are in their mid-season funk. They already had their letdown game against Orlando and that is the only game they didn’t cover in the last nine. The Lakers are always one of the worst ATS teams in the league every year even when they are a dominant team, but they have been one of the worst ATS teams again this season and they are once again being given too much credit by the oddsmakers as we had this game handicapped at -13 and think the home team had tremendous value here.

The Nets haven’t had any stability in the roster this season, and that has led to some disappointing results on the court for the team that was favored entering the season in the East. There are some very wacky trends out there that are meaningless, but this one fits the Nets perfectly: they are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games where they won by 10 or more points. So they normally follow up a good game with a dud, and they won by double digits against Charlotte last time out. Philly is just quietly getting the job done and they have won eight of 10 and when they win they normally cover. We think the home team has a great chance for a 7+-point win here.

10 Unit Play. Take San Diego State over Nevada (10:30p.m., Saturday, March 5 CBSSN) Just do not believe Nevada is very good this season and this will do a complete rebuild next year. San Diego State cannot afford a loss in this game if they have any hopes of making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. The Aztecs have had great success against Nevada and they will enter having won 8 of their last 9 games. That includes wins at Wyoming and Fresno State, much tougher venues then they will face tonight. San Diego State is 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games as a road favorite. The road team is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 games between San Diego State and Nevada.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Really not a true Must Win but the Lakers really need a strong performance here. They were embarrassed last time out against their Little Brother Clippers, and they have lost four straight. They will at least give a lot of effort here. Just can’t see another blowout. The Warriors have dropped five of six, so they aren’t in the best form right now. We rarely ever take the Lakers ATS because they are normally overvalued but the public bettors have jumped off the ship and there is actually value in this line tonight.

The Clippers have won six straight in this series. They have owned the Lakers recently. They covered all but one of those games, and in that lone ATS loss the Clippers controlled most of the game until a late Lakers rally. The Lakers are the main rival for the Clippers, but it is a rare one-way rivalry in sports. The Lakers have other more important rivals, so this is normally just another game to them. And the Lakers stink this season, while the Clippers have played pretty well through major injuries and roster turnover.

10 Unit Play. Take Wisconsin over Purdue (9p.m., Tuesday, March 1 ESPN) Big 10 Game of the Year Something is not right with Purdue, and I expect Wisconsin to complete this miraculous season and win the Big 10 outright. A win today will all but ensure that happens, as they would just have a home game against Nebraska over the weekend. Purdue has great size, but Zach Edey cannot play many minutes and this team is just not that good at playing defense. Wisconsin has the best player on the floor in Johnny Davis and he will want to make a statement in this game that he is the Big 10 Players of the Year and a lottery pick in the NBA draft come June. Purdue has lost 4 road games in the Big 10 this season and this will be the first time this season the Kohl Center will be rocking with the student section in the game for a full 40 minutes. Wisconsin will enter this game having won 4 straight games (3 of them on the road) and has a remarkable record this season in close games. Wisconsin is finally developing a bench and look for them to complete the regular season as champions on Tuesday. The home team is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 games between Purdue and Wisconsin. Purdue is 0-3 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 5 games. Wisconsin is 10-4 ATA in their last 14 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

10 Unit Play. Take #727 South Carolina over Alabama (6p.m., Saturday, February 26 SECN) We have been fading Alabama during much of the conference season and today will be no different. The Tide are not anywhere near as strong as they were last season. They struggle to shoot it well from the arc as well as rebound efficiently. Carolina will enter having won 4 straight games and are starting to play some of their best basketball of the season. The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games between Alabama and South Carolina. The Gamecocks have covered the spread in their last 5 games. Alabama is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 home games.

The Clippers are the disrespected little brother in their own city, and they normally get up big for this matchup. They are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 when the official road team in this matchup. They should have covered in the last meeting but they fell apart late but still won the game. This Lakers team is a mess and we just don’t think they are good or going to turn it around at any point. Nice value in this line tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #644 Iowa State over Oklahoma (2p.m., Saturday, February 19 ESPN+) Oklahoma has had a brutal schedule of late having lost closes games to Texas and Kansas. Now they will be without Elijah Harkless for the rest of the season and fatigue will start to set in for this program. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games and will be facing a team that has revenge on their minds. Iowa State has struggled in conference play after running the table in the nonconference portion of the season, but they are coming off a win last time out and should be able to follow that up with two straight on Saturday. Oklahoma is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played on Saturday. Iowa State is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a losing road record. The home team is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 games between Oklahoma and Iowa State.

10 Unit Play. Take #102 Cincinnati Bengals over Los Angeles Rams (6:30p.m., Sunday, February 13 NBC) The Bengals have a knack for hanging around in games and I expect them to take this game down to the wire as well. The Rams have all the pressure on them for this game, as they are playing at home and have a team full of stars. The Bengals have the better quarterback and if given time to throw the football he will pick apart this Rams secondary. The 49ers had the Rams on the rope and should have won that game if they could have made a play on either side of the football in the fourth quarter (dropped interception and two 3 and outs). The Rams were just 10-9 ATS (1 push) this season, whereas the Bengals are 12-6 (2 pushes) on the season. Take the points as this game like most of the NFL Playoffs games this season should go down to the wire.

Orlando has covered in six of the last seven meetings in Orlando. The Magic have won four of their lasy eight, so they are playing decent basketball right now for a bottom feeder. Whenever you see a spread like this you have to look for a reason to play the underdog. You can cover even in a blowout. Phoenix just played their NBA Finals revenge game against Milwaukee and they have the Clippers on deck, so they probably won’t take this game too seriously as they can win without 100% effort.

10 Unit Play. Take #603 Arkansas over Alabama (12p.m., Saturday, February 12 SECN) We will continue to fade Alabama, as they get to much respect from the oddsmakers this season. This sounds like a broken record, but they do not rebound or shoot the 3 well this season. Beating Ole Miss is not an accomplishment, and they will face a red hot team in Arkansas on Saturday morning. Arkansas has won 9 straight games and they have the best player on the floor in JD Notae. Arkansas is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games. Alabama is 3-12 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games. Like Arkansas to win this game straight-up.

Boston has won four straight and six of seven. This team has dealt with all sports of adversity this season to start following their very disappointing season last year. But they seem back on track lately, and they are healthy now. Boston has been one of the best betting teams of the last five or so years, before last season happened. But when they are on track they can easily cover a large road spread like this against a lousy team on a back-to-back. They have covered six of the last seven in Orlando.

Does Portland have Dame Lillard back? Of course not. This spread doesn’t make sense. Portland has been playing well with a turnstile roster, but we don’t think they deserve to be this big of favorites. OKC just beat Portland – by 18! – the last day of January. Portland scored only 81 points. And they didn’t hit the century mark last time out against the Lakers in one of the worst performances of the season. We expect a low scoring game here, which makes the points for the underdog more attractive, and we will sprinkle a little on the moneyline as well.

The Clippers have had two nights off, while the Lakers played last night. That rest advantage is crucial during the mid-season slog. The Lakers won last night, but we have to say that might have been one of the most unimpressive wins we have seen in awhile. Both teams played horribly, but the Blazers played one of the worst games of the season and lost by only five points. They took 20 more shots than the Lakers and hit in the mid-30s for shooting percentage. Late in the game their shooting was especially atrocious. So we give more credit to the Blazers for losing than the Lakers winning. Now they face a rested Clippers team that has been playing the most consistent basketball they have played this season. They have had more roster continuity recently and this has been one of the teams in the NBA hit hardest by Covid and injuries. They lost last time out at Indiana on a back-to-back and on the last game of their long road trip. The first game back after a long trip can be tricky, but we like how the Clippers have had two days off. This allowed a day for the players to focus on personal matters before getting back into basketball mindset. The Clippers had covered seven of eight before that loss to Indiana. The Clippers want this game more. This is a one-sided rivalry since the Lakers have bigger rivals but not the Clippers. They are considered the Little Brother in LA, and they normally bring their best performance when playing the Lakers. They have won four straight meetings and covered in five straight, and they have a long term 17-8 ATS mark when listed as the home squad. The Clippers have a better record (barely) despite having worse injury luck. The Lakers were supposed to be championship favorites. The Clippers were going to be lucky to make the postseason. We think this Clippers roster is definitely a playoff team without Kawhi and George, and they are starting to play better and gel together despite the absence of their stars.

The Nuggets have been playing well, but they are on their last game of a grueling six-game road trip. From the looks of their performance last night in Minnesota, they are ready to go home. And not only are they on a back-to-back, but they are playing their third game in four nights. They are 1-6-1 ATS on the second leg of a back-to-back, so they traditionally don’t play well in these situations. Utah has been a dumpster fire lately because of injuries. Now Ingles is out for the season. They have lost five straight. But four of those losses were to Phoenix (X2), Memphis and Golden State. This isn’t exactly a Must Win Game, but we think they will bring their A Game in order to end this losing streak, and Denver is very susceptible to a blowout because of their travel situation. The Nuggets are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 trips to Utah.

10 Unit Play. Take #654 UNLV over Nevada (10:30p.m., Tuesday, February 1 FS1) Nevada is a sinking ship at the moment and they will enter this game off yet another blowout loss. This team does not do anything well and they have minor injuries to their star player in Grant Sherfield. The Pack have no quality wins on the season and are playing a team tonight that is desperate for playback on the count. The Rebels have not had good success against Nevada in recent years, but this is a game they have a major edge in talent. UNLV is coming off an impressive win against Colorado State time out and they have the best player on the court in Bryce Hamilton. The favorite is 8-3 ATS (1 push) in the last 12 games between Nevada and UNLV. Nevada is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games overall.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

This is the most points the Spurs have gotten all season as an underdog. We think it’s too many tonight. San Antonio has been one of the better bets in the NBA with a winning ATS record. They do their best work as an underdog. They are 12-6 ATS when getting seven or more points. The Suns are only 5-5 ATS when laying double digits. The Spurs have won two of three and they are playing pretty well right now. We think they keep this one within double digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #322 Kansas City Chiefs over Cincinnati Bengals (3:05 p.m., Sunday, January 30 CBS) The Chiefs got a break with Tennessee losing last week, and Patrick Mahomes and company get to play at home yet again in the AFC Playoffs. Cincinnati won the earlier meeting this season, but that was in the Queen City and this game will be at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have been unstoppable during the postseason, putting up 84 points in two games. They also have a pass rush that should lead to issues for QB Joe Burrow, as he was sacked 9 times last week on the road. Despite covering their last two games, the Bengals are just 2-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 9 playoff games. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games between Cincinnati and Kansas City. The Chiefs are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games.

The Clippers have covered in three of four games, and we think this is a very winnable game for them. The two big stars are still out for awhile, but the role players are mostly back and this is a pretty talented team even without the Big 2 but they haven’t had a consistent roster yet this season. We think as long as this core group stays healthy that the Clippers will start winning more games and covering more spreads. The Clippers are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.

10 Unit Play. Take #317 Buffalo Bills over Kansas City Chiefs (6:30p.m., Sunday, January 23 CBS) All the experts in sports handicapping like Buffalo in this game and getting points is too good to pass up. Buffalo has a strong offense that already won in Kansas City this season by 18 points. The Kansas City defense is improved but they have not faced many explosive offenses like they will see on Sunday night with Buffalo. Buffalo did not punt once in their game last week against New England and scored a touchdown on every possession that did not kneel. Buffalo is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games played at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City is 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.

Houston is playing with a lot of confidence right now. They have won three of four, all on the road. They will want to put their best foot forward tonight against one of the best teams in the conference. Golden State is coming in on a back to back and they played in OT last night so fatigue will definitely be an issue. This team has not been consistent lately, and they have upcoming games against playoff teams like Utah and Dallas that they will probably give full energy for. We think they might not bring it here.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA this season. They suffer the occasional blowout but they more often than not play it close and lose the game but cover as a big dog. And when they do suffer one of those blowouts, they normally come back strong the next game. They are 4-0 ATS when losing by 10 or more points their previous game. OKC has covered four straight here in Charlotte and they are 17-7-1 in the last 25 meetings.

After their almost 40 point loss at Denver on Saturday, the Lakers faced their harshest criticism from the media, and even Magic Johnson chimed in on Twitter, bashing the team’s performance. LeBron went on Twitter to say this team will do better and Westbrook had to respond to the Johnson comments. We think this team has circled the wagon a bit and we expect another solid performance after they beat Utah last time out. Sometimes a team just needs a spark, and we think the Lakers found it. The Pacers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven road games, despite some very generous spreads. The Lakers have been getting the job done against the worst teams as they are 4-0 ATS against sub-.500 teams. And the Lakers are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall.

The Mavs have been playing very well. But this OKC team just has a knack for covering the spread and keeping games close. They don’t often get the outright win, so that keeps the value with this team. They have covered six of their last eight overall with one push. They are 27-14-1 ATS on the season. The Mavs have been blowing teams out. But this is their third game in four nights even though they were off on Sunday. OKC has the rest advantage because they played Saturday but not Friday. Dallas is 3-6 ATS when laying 5 or more points this season. OKC is 23-11-1 ATS when getting 3 or more points as a dog. OKC is solid defensively and Dallas is a Top 5 defense. The total is low and we expect a low scoring game, which makes every point in a big line more valuable for the underdog. These teams met in OKC about two weeks ago and the Mavs won by nine. The Thunder were without their best player for that game and they are much healthier tonight. We expect a close game.

10 Unit Play. Take #148 Dallas Cowboys over San Francisco 49ers (4:30p.m., Sunday, January 16 CBS) The 49ers have the Rams number but that is not the case with the Cowboys. Dallas is the No. 1 scoring offense averaging close to 30 points per game. Dallas has beaten San Francisco 5 of the last 7 postseason meetings. San Francisco went 4-5 straight-up against teams with a winning record. The 49ers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 playoff road games. Dallas is 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games. Both teams come in hot, but the different in this game will be the Cowboys offensive firepower.

10 Unit Play. Take #752 Mississippi State over Alabama (6p.m., Saturday, January 15 SECN) The Tide are not the same team that they were last year on either side of the floor. They do not shoot it that well from the arc and they are not defending at the same level either. Alabama has lost two straight games and now face an under the radar team in Mississippi State who is getting back Tolu Smith back for this game. The Bulldogs are a much better team at home, and they will enter off a blowout win against Georgia. The favorite is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 games and the home team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 games between Alabama and Mississippi State. Alabama is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games.  

The Spurs are a bit in desperation mode here as they have lost seven of the last eight games. They have played a brutally tough schedule, however. Their last eight games included matchups with: NY and Brooklyn, Philly, Boston, Toronto, Memphis and Utah. They have lost two of their last six games in overtime. Seven of their last eight were on the road. Now they are back home and very much in need of a win. They have the perfect opponent to get it against tonight as the Rockets are of a much lower caliber than most of the Spurs recent opponents. They have lost their last three games by a full 40+ points over the very generous lines they have been given. This looks like another potential blowout but we think a comfortable Spurs lead is all but certain. They have one of the best coaches in NBA history. They have covered five of the last seven meetings in San Antonio.

The Thunder are one of the best ATS teams in the NBA and they are decently healthy and they had the night off Monday. No reason they should be getting this many points at Washington, a lousy ATS team that hasn’t been favored by this many points against anyone this season. When they have been a favorite of three or more points, they are 5-10 ATS. OKC has covered in four of their last five games, while the Wizards have failed to cover in three straight. OKC has the rare game where they get blown out of the water, but this is a winnable game for them and we think they put their best foot forward tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #481 Los Angeles Chargers over Las Vegas Raiders (8:20p.m., Sunday, January 9 NBC) The Raiders have played better of late to stay in the hunt for a wild card berth, but this franchise has not won many games like this during the 21st century. Los Angeles dominated the first meeting of the season winning by 14 points. Las Vegas is just 4-4 at home with losses to Chicago and Washington part of those 4 losses. Los Angeles has better playmakers on both sides of the football, and they will march onto the playoffs next weekend. The road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings between the Chargers and the Raiders. Las Vegas is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.

10 Unit Play. Take #855 Wisconsin over Maryland (7:30p.m., Sunday, January 9 BTN) Wisconsin is the hottest team in the league and will enter Sunday off back-to-back impressive wins against Purdue and Iowa. Maryland has already made a coaching change this season and they have yet to record a win in the Big 10 this season. I just do not trust Danny Manning as a head coach, and they will be up against the best player in the conference and a likely top 10 pick in the NBA draft come June. Wisconsin has won 4 straight games and will move up the ranking likely into the top 10 come Tuesday. Wisconsin is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. Maryland is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games when they are an underdog. The favorite is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Wisconsin and Maryland.

10 Unit Play. Take #308911 Montana State Bobcats over North Dakota State Bison (12p.m., Saturday, January 8 ESPN2) This line has been trending down and with this long of a layoff I expect his to be a low scoring competitive game. The over under in this game is just 42 points and that is a low total for a team to cover more than a touchdown spread. NDSU is solid on both sides of the football but their offense is not as dynamic as it has been in previous seasons. The Bobcats have the more impressive resume in 2021 with a ton of skill players. Montana State is starting a freshman quarterback but he has the ability to beat you with his legs and arm. Expect this to be a defensive battle and we will grab the points in this championship game.

The Kings are definitely the more healthy team right now. This team has been back and forth and you kind of never know what you are going to get with them on a nightly basis. But they are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between these teams, and we think they match up well tonight, especially against this inflated number. This is a winnable game for them. The Nuggets are coming off two consecutive losses, so they aren’t in top form. They also are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.

We like to back a good team after a bad/embarrassing loss, and that is the case here for the Bucks on Wednesday as they suffered an embarrassing home defeat last time out to the Pistons (they were 17-point favorites; we had the Pistons plus the points). That snapped a six-game winning streak. We think the Bucks are in a good spot to bounce back here. Toronto has been playing well but are coming in on a back-to-back. They have done well in these situations, but they become harder as the season wears on. This is also their third game in four nights, while the Bucks are well rested as they have had a much lighter schedule. But Milwaukee should be ultra motivated tonight. A big win here puts that Detroit loss well in the rearview mirror and can be chalked up as a bad night.

10 Unit Play. Take #125 Detroit Lions over Seattle Seahawks (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 2 FOX) Seattle is coming off a bad loss to the Bears and the reality of a bad season is starting to set in with them. They have make major changes in the offseason and they do not even have their first round draft pick in 2022. Detroit has been more competitive of late winning against Arizona and should have won against Atlanta last Sunday. Detroit is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games. Seattle is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played during the month of January. Seattle has too many issues on both sides of the football to be this big of a favorite.

10 Unit Play. Take #257 Tennessee Volunteers over Purdue Boilermakers (3p.m., Thursday, December 30 ESPN) MUSIC CITY BOWL Just believe Purdue underachieved this season and now will be without David Bell and George Karlaftis for this game. Throw in the face this game is played in Nashville giving the Volunteers a big home field advantage and I expect Tennessee to win this game by double-digits. Purdue was in this same bowl in 2018 and got run over by a so-so SEC team and that same situation presents itself on Thursday. Tennessee held their own in the SEC West and has a first year head coach that wants to finish off the season the right way. They have won 3 of their last 4 games (only loss to Georgia) and should be able to outscore Purdue in this game. Purdue struggles to score points and they need their defense to create situations for their offense. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams. Purdue is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 bowl games.

Cleveland is by far the best ATS team in the NBA, and they still hold value in the odds as the public bettors are not big on this team with the absence of any big stars. But this team plays great fundamental basketball and strong defense, and they are absolutely a playoff team and one that could put a scare into one of the contenders. They are on a different level then the Pels, and we see another comfortable win SU and ATS here as the odds are in our favor again.

10 Unit Play. Take #257 Tennessee Volunteers over Purdue Boilermakers (3p.m., Thursday, December 30 ESPN) MUSIC CITY BOWL Just believe Purdue underachieved this season and now will be without David Bell and George Karlaftis for this game. Throw in the face this game is played in Nashville giving the Volunteers a big home field advantage and I expect Tennessee to win this game by double-digits. Purdue was in this same bowl in 2018 and got run over by a so-so SEC team and that same situation presents itself on Thursday. Tennessee held their own in the SEC West and has a first year head coach that wants to finish off the season the right way. They have won 3 of their last 4 games (only loss to Georgia) and should be able to outscore Purdue in this game. Purdue struggles to score points and they need their defense to create situations for their offense. Tennessee is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams. Purdue is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 bowl games.

Whenever an NBA team is catching this many points, you have to take a look at the underdog and see if there is a good chance they can cover. We can cover this line even in a blowout. And we think the Thunder are primed to cover tonight. OKC is the No. 3 ATS team in the NBA at 19-11 ATS. They are even better than the Suns, who have been great ATS also. Even though the Thunder are on a B2B, they have a favorable injury report tonight (good thing there is no nightlife in OKC!). They are also in good form as they have won three straight SU and covered in four straight ATS. All of those wins came against playoff contenders. This is a letdown spot for the Suns. Phoenix played the Lakers last time out, and they are preparing for their rematch against the Warriors on Christmas. So they probably won’t give full effort here against OKC. And we think the Thunder will play hard here against the best team in the NBA. OKC has a strong betting history here as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings.

We like to take a good team after a bad loss. We aren’t sure yet if this Clippers team is a good team or not yet, as they have looked great one night then awful the next. But last game out this team suffered a really embarrassing home loss to the Spurs. The team flat out did not show up to the arena, and Coach Lue made it known he wasn’t happy with the effort. We expect a strong effort here, and Paul George has a game under his belt to get back in the groove. Not to mention the Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six trips to Sacramento.

The Bulls are as rested as any team in the NBA at this point in the season as their last game was over a week ago. Both teams are still having Covid issues, but the Lakers will also be without AD, who is now out for a month at least. And Chicago is getting some players back in the mix for tonight. The Lakers roster is thin anyways, and chemistry is a major issue here. The Bulls will be excited to get back on the court, and that should be reflected in the final score.

10 Unit Play. Take #308 Buffalo Bills over Carolina Panthers (1p.m., Sunday, December 19 FOX) The Bills have been struggling of late but Carolina should allow them to get back on track. When Buffalo wins games this season it tends to come via blowouts and today should be no different. Buffalo is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games against NFC teams. Carolina has lost 3 straight games and 8 of their last 10 overall. All of Buffalo’s 7 wins this season have come by at least 15 points, over today’s posted number.