We like to back a good team after an embarrassing loss, and that’s surely the case here as the Thunder were run out of the building in Portland on Wednesday. This is a proud team and they should be able to right the ship against a lousy New Orleans team that comes in having lost three straight. These teams met earlier in the month and OKC won by double digits. We don’t see any reason why this could not be a similar result.

Miami is one of the strongest defensive teams in the NBA. And we agree with the ossdmakers here that this will be a blowout, and we think that bodes well for the under. With this current lineup the Warriors have really struggled on the offensive end. We don’t see them having any success tonight, and the only way they can hang in this game is to concentrate on strong D. But we fully expect their team total to come in under the century mark tonight.

This series has been trending to the under for awhile, but we see this one going the other way. These teams had the day off on Thanksgiving, so we think the jump shots will fall. Three of the last four for the Hornets have gone over the posted number, and they have been giving up lots of points on defense, while their offense has turned a corner. These teams played Wednesday and the total reached only 203. But the oddsmakers have posted another high number here. The second meeting in these home-and-homes normally go the other way ATS and over/under than the first one!

Toronto has dominated this series and they have been the ATS darling of the NBA this season. They have also dominated this series. But beating the NBA oddsmakers is never that easy. If this line came out on the first game of the season, Orlando would probably be a slight favorite. But they have gotten off to a slow start and bettors are down on this team, a non-public team that doesn’t get wagered on in the best of times. They played well last time out in getting their first road win, and we think that positive momentum will put them in a position to compete for the win here tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #770 North Carolina over Michigan (1:30p.m., Thursday, November 28 ESPN) Michigan has been impressive thus far but this will be the strongest team they have faced this season. North Carolina has just been going through the motions thus far but feel they will break out in this game and advance to the finals of the Battle for Atlantis.

Happy Thanksgiving – Doc’s Sports

Portland just doesn’t seem to have it this season. They are 6-12 on the season and, although they have played a road-heavy schedule so far, they are just 1-4 at home. They are just coming off a disastrous road trip where they went 2-4 with only wins over the struggling Bulls and Spurs. This will be the tricky first game home after a long road trip. This is a game where the home team sometimes struggles as the players often have their minds on their life off the court and there are plenty of distractions. The Thunder have been a good betting team at 10-6 ATS, and this new mix of players has had their moments. They have been playing strong defense for sure. This looks like a very winnable game for the road team, and with the day off tomorrow we think the Thunder will be the more focused team in this matchup, They also have revenge for an October loss in OKC in a game that was very close. We see this one as close also and think the road team will do what needs to be done to eek out a close win at the final buzzer.

7 Unit Play. Take #738 Penn State over Mississippi (5p.m., Wednesday, November 27 ESPN2) The Lions always seem to play well in New York and have had good success in the post season NIT this century (winning it twice since 2009). They have a dominating win against Georgetown and return 4 starters from their squad from last season. The Rebels are coming off a loss last time out to Memphis, a team that was playing without their all-everything player in James Wiseman. Penn State is 12-2 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 16 games. 76% of the money is coming in on Penn State and they will win this game by 7-9 points.

Washington has covered in five of the last six matchups, and they look primed for another cover tonight. This team is 9-4-1 ATS this season. That’s a great betting recipe for success when a team isn’t getting wins on the court but covering numbers. They can hold value for a long time since they escape the public’s radar. They are a perfect 6-0 ATS when getting four or more points this season, and it looks like they are being underestimated again tonight against a Denver team that is overvalued despite their 12-3 record as they are just 7-7-1 ATS.

4 Unit Play. Take #667 Wisconsin over New Mexico (5p.m., Tuesday, November 26 ESPN2) The Badgers need this game to avoid dropping both games in Brooklyn after a disappointing performance last night against Richmond. The Lobos got blown out last night and I see them losing this game by 8-10 points. Wisconsin will shoot it better this afternoon and they is an NCAA Tournament team, the same cannot be said about New Mexico. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against MWC teams.

The under in this series is one of the strongest trends in the NBA and almost an automatic play. The under is 12-1 for the last 13 meetings in the Bay Area and 20-7 overall in the last 27 meetings. Golden State’s problems have been well documented and they are dealing with more injuries tonight. Their offense has been horrible, and they face one of the best defensive teams in the NBA tonight. We expect these strong under trends to continue.

3 Unit Play. Take #826 Bradley over Northwestern (8:30p.m., Monday, November 25 FS1) Northwestern has fallen off the last few years and it does not appear they will be able to get back to the NCAA Tournament anytime soon. The Braves made the NCAA Tournament last year and have started this season with a 4-1 record. They will be motivated for this game to beat a Big 10 team from the state of Illinois. Bradley is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big 10 teams. Northwestern is 7-18 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 games.

Philly hasn’t been any good on the road, where they are 4-5 on the season, while the Raptors are a perfect 6-0 at home. The Raptors were expected to take a step back this season after losing Kawhi Leonard, but they have way exceeded expectations so far. They are 11-4 and have been profitable ATS at 9-6. We think they are being undervalued here again by the oddsmakers. Some very nice value on an early-season line.

These teams met last week and the total wound up under 200. We think there’s a great chance this one finishes with an even lower total. These are two of the better defensive teams in the NBA, and we have reason to believe the offenses won’t be up to snuff tonight. Sacramento is coming in on a back-to-back and this offense has been inconsistent. On their lone second night of a back-to-back this season they scored only 81 points. Boston is back home for the first game after a long road trip, which is usually a bad spot for the home team with family/personal obligations looming large. Three of the last four meetings have gone under the posted total.

4 Unit Play. Take #828 Wisconsin over Richmond (7p.m., Monday, November 25 ESPN2) This line should be much higher. Richmond has a lame duck coach and a bunch of young players that will get destroyed in this game. This will be the Spiders first game away from Richmond and they will struggle to keep this game in single digits. Wisconsin is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against Atlantic 10 teams. Richmond is 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games against Big 10 teams.

3 Unit Play. Take #787 Over in Wright State @ Weber State (5p.m., Monday, November 25) Wright State has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 7 nonconference games. Weber State has gone over the posted total in 9 of their last 13 games played on Monday’s. Do not expect this to be a complete blowout and thus there should be some late game fouling to get this game over the posted total.

3 Unit Play. Take #741 Florida over Xavier (8:30p.m., Sunday, November 24 ESPN) The Gators have gotten off to a slow start and need to start putting things together in order to earn some quality wins before SEC play. This team was on a lot of analysts Final Four predictions and they have a lot of talent. Xavier is 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 games against teams from the SE. Florida is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.

3 Unit Play. Take #748 Nevada over Valparaiso (5:30p.m., Sunday, November 24) Nevada has a veteran team and they can win most of their games against teams without great athletic ability. The Crusaders have played a very easy schedule thus far similar to Fordham, the Wolf Pack’s game one opponent. Valpo is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Nevada is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 MVC games.  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #728 LSU over Rhode Island (2:30p.m., Sunday, November 24 CBSSN)

We think this is a good spot for the Grizzlies on Saturday. The Lakers come in on a back-to-back after the second part of their home-and-home against the Thunder and this just feels like a letdown spot for them as they take a step down in competition. While the Lakers are coming in with no rest, the Grizzlies have had three nights off and they should be primed for a strong showing as an underdog. They had won three straight, including a win at home vs. Utah, so we know they can compete here if focused. But they come off two bad losses so they will likely be really focused on a strong performance here. We think they will get it.

6 Unit Play. Take #657 Arizona State over St Johns (2:30p.m., Saturday November 23 ESPN3) The Red Storm made a play to hire Bobby Hurley last April, but he chose to stay with a better situation at Arizona State. He holds a grudge like few others, and you know he does not want to lose to Mike Anderson in this game. St Johns is in a complete rebuild and they have not been that impressive against some weak teams to open the season. They lost to Vermont and do not have a quality win on the season. Arizona State beat St Johns in the play-in NCAA Tournament games last season to advance to the round of 64. ASU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Big East teams. St. Johns is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games against PAC-12 teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #818 USC over Temple (11p.m., Friday, November 22 PAC12N) Temple has a new coach and system and they have played cupcakes to open up the season. USC is more battled tested and have great size that should be able to do damage in this game. The Owls are 7-18 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 27 nonconference games. USC has covered the spread in 5 of their last 7 games.

3 Unit Play. Take #810 Oregon over Houston (9p.m., Friday, November 22 PAC12N) Houston lost a bunch of talent from last year and they have not been impressive this year. They lost to BYU on a buzzer beater and struggled to put away Rice giving up 89 points last time out. The Ducks are 4-0 this year and they have not been in a competitive game. Oregon is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 nonconference games. Houston is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a victory in their previous games.

Both teams have been playing solid defense and both offenses have been inconsistent. We have a feeling this will be a defensive battle tonight. Both teams are trending to the under, with six of eight combined for both teams have gone under the posted total. We think this total is about four points too high and think there’s some nice value on the under.

The main reason we like this play is that the Pistons should not be laying this many points to anyone. This team has currently lost five straight and they haven’t covered in any of those contests. Atlanta has lost seven of eight. They have had a ridiculously tough schedule, however. In their last three games, they finished off a five-game road trip with visits to Staples to face the Clippers and Lakers and then came back home to face Miami. That’s probably the three best teams in the NBA. But now they are going way down in class tonight. They seem to normally play well against Detroit and have covered three straight meetings and five of six. This is the biggest favorite Detroit has been all season, and they are 1-3 ATS as a favorite at any number so far.

4 Unit Play. Take #863 Over in Texas vs California (5p.m., Friday, November 22 ESPN2) This is a low total and I expect both teams to reach the 60s in scoring and thus give us a great chance to cash this ticket. This game is more important to Texas, as they feel apart in the second half last night against Georgetown. Consolation games generally have less coaching and are more up-tempo and that should be the case again on Friday. The Golden Bears have gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 8 nonconference games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Blazers have gotten off to a poor start this season at 5-10, and the Bucks look like arguably the most complete team in the NBA right now. But this is just way too many points for a Blazers team that is pretty solid even with Lillard sidelined tonight. This is by far the most points that the Blazers have received on the handicap this season, and the Bucks are just 1-3 ATS when they are laying big points like this. They normally get the job done but don’t blow teams out as big favorites, and we expect a similar showing tonight in Milwaukee.

We expect a barnburner here as these teams both allow around 112 points on defense. We have a feeling both teams will give up more points than that tonight. Both of the last two meetings have gone over the posted total. Four of the last five games for the Pistons have gone over the total. The Bulls have been trending to the over as well, with three of their last four games going over the total. Both teams have been struggling but we see the offenses doing well tonight. And the Pistons are getting g healthy and we think they are the stronger team tonight and we think they will win this track meet.

4 Unit Play. Take #705 Over in IUPUI @ Loyola (8p.m., Wednesday, November 20 ESPN+) All of the trends with the Ramblers have been going over the posted total and that should hold true again on Wednesday. Loyola has gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 11 home games. IUPUI has gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 6 games against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference. Loyola has gone over the posted total in 26 of their last 34 games against teams from the Horizon League.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #696 Georgia over Georgia Tech (7p.m., Wednesday, November 20 SECN+) Both teams are undefeated, but I just do not see a light at the end of the tunnel for Georgia Tech. They have a terrible coach and cannot play in postseason play this season. The Bulldogs have a proven coach in Tom Crean and should get better this year and expect them to make the NCAA Tournament next year. The Bulldogs are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 nonconference games. The favorite is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 nonconference games.

The Suns are one of the best betting teams in the league at 9-3 ATS on the season. We think they are undervalued here again tonight. They are being punished too much by the oddsmakers are a back-to-back here, and this team is young and so is the season, so we don’t think it’s as big of a deal as the oddsmakers do. We just can’t help but remember the last time these teams squared off, last month, with one of the more one-sided second halves we have seen this season with the Suns outscoring the Kings 70-36 in the second half of a rout. We think Phoenix matches up well here tonight also.  They have covered in five of the last seven meetings. We think they have a great chance to win this outright, and we had the Suns, who we think are a better team, laying one point on our line.

4 Unit Play. Take #635 Charleston over Marshall (7p.m., Tuesday, November 19) The Thundering Herd are a different team this year without Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks. They are coming off back to back losses by double digits and they will be a middle of the pack team this year in Conference USA. The Cougars are 2-1 this season with just a loss to Oklahoma State on their docket. Charleston is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Conference USA teams. Marshall is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a loss in their previous game.

The Pacers are just the better team in this matchup right now. Brooklyn gpt a lot of attention this offseason for some big moves, but they are being lined like a superstar team right now but Durant will not be here until likely next season. Right now they are just another decent team trying to find their way. Remember, Kyrie Irving never did much to lead his team to big places before he teamed up with LeBron. They have lost three of four coming into this game and they are just 5-7 ATS, which tells us the bookies have them overvalued. Irving is banged up right now but will probably go and LeVert is a key player for Brooklyn who has missed some time. Indiana has been pretty good even while they wait for Oladipo to rejoin the lineup. They have lost two straight coming into this game, but that was at Houston and vs. Milwaukee, and we think they have a much better chance to succeed here against lesser competition. The Pacers are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings and 5-0 ATS the last five meetings in Brooklyn. They tend to play well here, and we see that being the situation again tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #612 Over in Utah Valley @ Kentucky (7p.m., Monday, November 18 ESPN2) The Wildcats are coming off an embarrassing home loss to Evansville last time out. Expect them to take it out on Utah Valley State tonight by scoring over 80 points in this game. If that happens we should be able to collect with the over and not worry if the Wildcats can cover this big number. The Wolverines have gone over the posted total in 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning % above .600.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Four of the last six meetings have gone under the posted total. Both teams are playing pretty good defense to start the season, and Boston is will be one of the better defensive teams in the league when all is said and done. Sacramento has really struggled on offense the last couple games, and we don’t see them having a breakout on the offensive end today in this early Sunday start.

7 Unit Play. Take #834 Wisconsin over Marquette (1p.m., Sunday, November 17 FS1) Wisconsin needs this game more. Marquette already recorded a quality win this week beating Purdue but this is the game not having the Hauser twins will show up. Marquette has dominated this series in recent years but Wisconsin has the veterans to pull away and win this game at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on Sunday. Marquette is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

This isn’t the biggest matchup for the Clippers this season, but this is probably the biggest game so far, because Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are expected to play together for the first time. Kawhi is fully integrated as the leader of the team now. And George seemed to fit in perfectly in scoring 30+ in his debut, even though it was a losing effort. Even if these guys don’t instantly click, which there is no reason to indicate that they won’t, after all Kawhi chose George as his preferred running mate, the rest of the team should rise up and play their best here. This team truly seems to be buying into the team mentality, and even though the Clips have gotten off to a slow start, at full strength we don’t think there’s a better team in the NBA. They are coming off two tough losses, at Houston in a game they didn’t play well in, and at New Orleans on the second of a back-to-back. They won’t take Atlanta lightly. The Hawks are on the fourth game of a rough road trip and were routed by a lesser Suns team last time out. The Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games, and we expect to see the best version of this LA team on Saturday night.

4 Unit Play. Take #782 Arkansas over Montana (5p.m., Saturday, November 16 SECN+) We have used Arkansas in both games this far this season and will ride them again on Saturday looking to complete the trifecta. The Grizzles do not have a quality win and lost to Stanford by double digits. Montana is 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games. Arkansas is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 nonconference games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #730 California over California Baptist (10p.m., Friday, November 15) This is a buy game for the Golden Bears and expect them to take care of business tonight at Haas Pavilion. The Bears have won both of their games thus far and they have covered the spread in 7 straight games. The Lancers have some talent but playing in their second straight road game against a Power 5 team will doom them in in this game.

4 Unit Play. Take #724 Boise State over Cal Irvine (9p.m., Friday, November 15) The Broncos should be able to get back on track tonight at home against the Anteaters. Boise State got pounded by Oregon but the Ducks are one of the top teams in the west this season. Irvine has a road loss to Pepperdine and expect a similar result tonight at ExtraMile Arena. Boise State is 14-6 ATS (1 push) in their last 21 games against Big West teams.

4 Unit Play. Take #728 Utah over Minnesota (9p.m., Friday, November 15 PAC12N) Minnesota has played a difficult schedule and playing their second straight road games will doom them in. The Gophers have lost three straight games and playing in the Huntsman Center is always a tough task. Utah has a nice road win over Nevada, and they can a chance to make the NCAA Tournament if they win their home games. Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 nonconference games. Utah is 49-21 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 73 home games against teams with a losing road record.

We are getting good value on the Spurs here in what is a very winnable game for them. They come into this one having lost three straight and five of six. They have had a very tricky schedule, however, and we think this team will be fine and there is no reason to panic. This team is one of the best coached in the league, and they don’t often go on extended losing streaks, and we have a feeling they will just come into Orlando and take care of business in a professional manner. They are certainly the better team in this matchup. If the Spurs had played to expectations so far they would be at least PK here. We have them as a slight favorite in this game, so getting this many points is just icing on the cake. And it’s not like Orlando has been dominating or anything, they have endured a lousy start to the season and are 4-7 so far on the year. Also, the Spurs always seem to play well here in Orlando, where they have covered in six of the last eight meetings.

This is a very high total. We think this will be a high-scoring game, but nowhere close to this posted number. The Clippers are going through a lot of transition tonight. Kawhi is likely going to sit here after playing 40+ minutes last night. Paul George is likely playing his first game in a long time and should be rusty. The Clippers are on a back-to-back so the players that played in the hard-fought game last night should be fatigued. The Clippers shots weren’t falling last night, and that could extend to this game. And the Clips should have more of a focus on defense after a poor showing on Wednesday. Six of the last eight meetings have gone under the posted number.

4 Unit Play. Take #666 Over in San Jose State @ Arizona (8p.m., Thursday, November 14 PAC12N) The Wildcats have score over 90 points in both of their games this season. If they hit that mark on Thursday, we should be able to collect with the over. San Jose State has gone over the posted total in 5 straight games against PAC 12 teams. Arizona has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games against Mountain West teams. Both trends hold true tonight.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #662 Over in Vanderbilt @ Richmond (7p.m., Thursday, November 14 ESPN+) The Commodores have more of an NBA style under Jerry Stackhouse and have averaged 77 points per game thus far. If they hit that number tonight that should be good enough for us to collect with the over. Richmond has gone over the posted in 39 of their last 57 games (1 push). Vanderbilt has gone over the posted total in 5 straight nonconference games.

5 Unit Play. Take #656 Georgetown over Penn State (6:30p.m., Thursday, November 14 FS1) Both teams have played cupcakes to open up the season. We will side with the home team as Patrick Ewing looks for even better things in year 3 of his tenure. Georgetown is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against Big 10 teams. Penn State never seems to have a good season and always does just enough to fall short of NCAA Tournament consideration and expect this year to be no different under Coach Chambers.

4 Unit Play. Take #646 Northwestern over Providence (9p.m., Wednesday, November 13 BTN) The Wildcats have an embarrassing loss to open the season against Merrimack. But that loss has over adjusted this line and we will grab the points tonight with a home underdog. Providence is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games against Big 10 teams. Northwestern is 10-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 15 games against Big East teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sport

The Clippers have played a home heavy schedule so far. They are just 1-2 on the road this season, and their lone win was against Golden State, which turned out to be not that special as the Warriors just aren’t good this season. This is their biggest road test so far. Westbrook is out for the Rockets, but this is still a very good team. It looks like Kawhi will play tonight for the Clippers, but George will probably debut for Los Angeles tomorrow, and it seems like this team has a bit of distraction for that situation heading into this game. The Rockets are a team that seems to care more about the regular season and seeding while the Clips want to be healthy for the playoffs. We think they will take this game far more seriously tonight, and we have a short line here for a Rockets team that has won four straight and is playing with a lot of confidence.

4 Unit Play. Take #604 Over in Villanova @ Ohio State (7p.m., Wednesday, November 13 FS1) This total has creep down from 131 and now has value for us to use as a selection. The Wildcats have played over the posted total in 6 of their last 7 games. Ohio State has gone over the posted total in 4 of their last 5 games following a victory in their previous game. This game should go down to the wire and we will not worry about who wins and just collect with the over.

4 Unit Play. Take #602 VCU over LSU (6p.m., Wednesday, November 13 ESPN2) An unranked team that is favored against a ranked team is usually a sign to play them. The Rams will be playing their third straight home game and expect them to move to 3-0 on the season. LSU is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games. VCU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 SEC games.

Both teams are off to a slow start. But we think this is just a slow start for the Blazers but that the Kings are likely a lousy team. Despite generous lines they are not covering many early-season games like they did last season (although they come into this one on an ATS streak). The Blazers got a confidence-boosting win last time out against Atlanta and they have had a pretty difficult schedule lately and we expect them to use that positive momentum to score the win tonight against this short line as a slight road favorite.

We really like what we have seen from Phoenix so far this season and this looks like a legit strong team. Last year the Kings got off to a hot start and were in the playoff discussion until falling off a cliff later in the season. But this strong play looks sustainable for the Suns barring injury. But we think that they are in over their heads tonight against a Lakers squad that is one of the best three teams in the league and looks much more together at this early point in the season than we assumed heading into the new season. The Suns have had a fairly easy schedule thus far and we think the Lakers will come into this one with a sense or purpose after a rare home loss last time out against Toronto. An angry and focused LA team should be too much for this upstart Suns club tonight, and we expect them to score a comfortable victory. They have also covered in seven of the last nine in this series!

4 Unit Play. Take #819 Memphis over Oregon (9p.m., Tuesday, November 12 ESPN) Memphis is going all in this season with James Wiseman and I just believe they are more talented than Oregon is. Playing in Portland will give the Ducks a homecourt edge, but talent wins out at the end of the day. Memphis is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games. Oregon is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played on Tuesday.

4 Unit Play. Take #781 Auburn over South Alabama (8p.m., Tuesday, November 12 ESPN+) Auburn made the final four last year and their style of play allows them to score enough points to cover this big number on the road. The Tigers have covered the spread in 8 straight road games. South Alabama is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 nonconference games. Expect Auburn to win this game by double digits.

4 Unit Play. Take #769 Northern Kentucky over Costal Carolina (7p.m., Tuesday, November 12 ESPN+) The Norse made the NCAA Tournament last season and they return most of the talent from that team. They got beat at Missouri, but they should be able to win at Coastal Carolina tonight. The Chanticleers got beat but Campbell last time out and now face a much stronger team in NKU. Coastal Carolina is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games played on Tuesday.

Golden State was getting some very big lines there for awhile but they have covered three of four games and the bookies seemed to have backed off here a bit as we thought this one would come in at double digits. We think there’s a great chance Utah could win this one by 10+. After a two-game slide the Jazz are playing well again and they come in on a two-game win streak with impressive victories over the two best teams in the East, Philly and Milwaukee. Utah has covered in six straight meetings in this series, and we think they will take some pleasure in kicking the Warriors while they are down tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #742 Texas A&M over ULM (8p.m., Monday, November 11 SECN+) We will side with the home team in this battle of unbeaten teams tonight in College Station. The Aggies were not that impressive in their opening game and did not come close to covering the 27.5 number against Northwestern State. I expect a 20+ point victory tonight and that will be more than enough to cover this spread. ULM is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a victory in their previous game. A&M is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Both teams have leaned heavily to the under this season so far with a combined 12-7 record for the over. Also, six of the last seven meetings have gone over the posted total. Minnesota comes in on a back-to-back and they played OT yesterday and also OT in their Nov. 8 game vs. the Warriors. We just don’t see them having the energy to play strong defense tonight and we see this Detroit club achieving their offensive goals tonight. We agree with the oddsmakers that this should be a close game and both teams get their points, and OT would not be out of the question for Minnesota for three straight games!

The Suns have been almost perfect for bettors this season at 7-1 ATS. They played their worst game of the season last time out in a home blowout loss to the Heat. But they have had two nights off to regroup and they should play much better here tonight. We think the Nets come into the season a bit overrated. This team will be a real contender when Durant is in the mix, but he won’t be on the court until next season most likely. But it seems like the bookies are lining their games like he is playing because this team had a lot of offseason buzz.  

Orlando ended a four-game losing streak last time out with a big win over the Grizzlies. It’s only the Grizzlies and this is not a good team, but Orlando was super dominant in that game and we think this is a team trending upwards after a slow start. They have won three straight in this series and covered in four of five meetings, and we think they match up well here as well, especially with Oladipo still sidelined for the Pacers.

The Timberwolves have played a road-heavy schedule thus far this season, and we think they are a but undervalued right now. We had this game handicapped at PK, so we think there is nice value here. The public is heavily on the road favorite here, and often that is a good spot for a sharp bet on the home underdog. We think the Wolves will bring their A Game here in this Sunday afternoon matchup and expect them to compete for the outright win.

4 Unit Play. Take #688 Under in Florida State @ Florida (1p.m., Sunday, November 10 ESPN) This game usually goes down to the wire and I see both teams playing this close to the best on Sunday afternoon. All the trends on both teams point to the under, as the Gators have gone under the posted total in 6 of their last 7 home games. Florida State has gone under the posted total in 19 of their last 26 road games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3 Unit Play. Take #675 Fullerton over Stanford (11p.m., Saturday, November 9) Just do not like to use Stanford in early season nonconference games with a big number. Their home crowd is almost nonexistent and the energy will have to be provided by the players themselves. Stanford is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win in their previous game. Expect this to be an 8-10 point victory at Maples for Stanford.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Spurs have covered in five of the last six meetings, and we think this line is short again today. We like both of these teams, but on their home court we think the Spurs are the better squad. The Spurs are healthy and they are 4-1 at home this season, and this team just is under the radar right now we think because we had this line handicapped at 4.5 and think there is nice value here at this small number. Boston is 3-1 on the road but the only legit team they played was Philly, and that was their lone loss. They beat New York, Cleveland and Charlotte, three of the NBA’s worst teams. We see the Spurs likely winning this one by 5+.

4 Unit Play. Take #622 Air Force over Texas State (4p.m., Saturday, November 9) The Falcons laid an egg in their opening game and thus we have value today using them against Texas State. Air Force returns a ton of talent from last year and they are much better than what they showed earlier in the week. Air Force is 23-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 32 games following an ATS loss in their previous game. Texas State is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games played on Saturday.

4 Unit Play. Take #771 Northern Kentucky over Missouri (8p.m., Friday, November 9 SECN+) We will grab the points as the Darrin Horn era gets back underway tonight in Columbia. The Norse made the NCAA Tournament last year and return 4 starters off that squad. Never been a big Conzo Martin fan and do not feel he is a great x and o coach and thus I see this game going down to the wire and well under the posted total. Missouri is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a winning record.

3 Unit Play. Take #774 Over in Eastern Illinois @ Wisconsin (8p.m., Friday, November 9) The Badgers know that they need to play at a faster pace this season. They struggled to score in their first game against Saint Mary’s but that is mostly due to the Gaels style of offense. Expect them to come close to scoring 80 points tonight and that should get the game over the posted total. Eastern Illinois has gone over the posted total in 10 of their last 11 nonconference games.

These teams already played a little over a week ago and the total wound up at only 190. The oddsmakers adjusted this total down just a bit but not nearly enough. When two teams like this have played each other recently, they could even play better defense against each other since the teams are familiar with each other. These teams have played twice on this young season already, so they should know each other’s defensive tendencies. These teams both played well offensively in their last game and that is why we are getting such a nice number here. But we don’t see either team having a repeat performance, and we think there’s a great chance the Pistons are held under 100 points, which would bode very well for the under tonight.

Orlando is off to a slow start this season but they have had just a brutal schedule. They have lost four straight, and that stretch of games was particularly tough. They lost to Milwaukee and Denver at home and then fell to OKC and Dallas on the road. But make no mistake, this is a solid club. They are just off to a bad start against a tough schedule. They have mostly taken care of business against lousy teams, and that is the case tonight as Memphis isn’t a good team. We had this game handicapped at 9 with a lean to the Magic even at that number so we are thrilled that the bookies are underestimating the home team tonight. The Grizzlies have been getting much better lines from the oddsmakers but still are playing under expectations. We think this is a get right game for Orlando and expect a double-digit win tonight.

 These teams are a combined 12-1-1 ATS this season. But the Suns are a perfect 7-0 ATS and this team is very much improved from last season, and some people are even talking playoffs when discussing this team in the tough Western Conference. The general betting public hasn’t caught on to this Phoenix team yet since there are much bigger stories in the NBA going on right now. The oddsmakers have made a small adjustment on this team but all they have to do here is win and they will probably cover the spread, and we expect that to happen tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take Over in Seattle @ Washington State (9p.m., Thursday, November 7 P12N) It is a new era for Washington State with Kyle Smith taking over as head coach from Ernie Kent. He has been a winner in both of his previous stops and expect him to create excitement tonight with an up-tempo game. Washington State has gone over the posted total in 16 of their last 22 home games. The Cougars have gone over the posted total in 7 straight non-conference games.  

The Spurs have covered in six of the last eight meetings in this series. While the Spurs may not be as good as they were during their peak years, this is a very stable franchise and they have one of the best home-court advantages in the entire NBA. OKC is going through a lot of changes in this transition season. The Spurs are coming off two losses so we are getting some nice value here as last season this line would have been about 3, but the Thunder aren’t close to the same team as last season with Westbrook out to Houston. The Spurs are 3-1 this season at home while OKC is winless on the road, and we think the Spurs have a great chance for a 7+-point win tonight.

Boston is rolling and they are doing in very quietly while some of the other teams in the NBA are grabbing the headlines. That makes for a strong bet, and they have failed to cover in only one of their last five games (one push). The Hornets have been playing well but doing it against a very easy schedule. We think the Celtics have a great chance for a double-digit win tonight. Aside from last season, the Celtics have been one of the best bets the last few seasons in the entire NBA, and with the hype gone from last season we think they will be profitable again this season.

Kawhi is out tonight and we think these are the best two teams in basketball. But with their star out of the lineup, the Bucks are the much better squad. This is a chance to make a statement for them. It’s likely that Leonard is sitting out here and will play tomorrow in the more important conference matchup against Portland on TNT. While this Clippers team plays hard every night, we think they will really bring their best effort on Thursday while this move by Doc Rivers shows that this game is just not as important to the team, and that can have a mental effect on the squad as a whole.

Philly was kind of exposed during their trip to Phoenix as they lost their first game of the season. The Suns are much improved for sure. But they aren’t anywhere near as good as this Utah team. The best teams in the West are much better than the top teams out East, Milwaukee withstanding as the Bucks are a true title contender. We had this line handicapped at 4.5 and think there is nice value tonight on this short line.

3 Unit Play. Take #714 Over in SE Missouri State @ Vanderbilt (8p.m., Wednesday, November 6 SECN+) The Commodores had a coaching change and will want to impress fans with a new style of basketball being played. Hopefully that means up-tempo with an NBA style under Jerry Stackhouse. SE Missouri State has gone over the posted total in 4 straight road games. Do not believe this will be a 20+ blowout and thus we should get some fouling at the end of the game to increase the total.

Even though the Warriors beat the Blazers getting big points last time out, we still think this is a team to fade. The Blazers played very poorly and they underestimated the Warriors in that game. We still think the Warriors are a team to fade with the current lineup they have on the court right now. Because they have the name Warriors on the jersey they have more respect from oddsmakers and bettors than they should. Teams aren’t going to care about kicking them when they are down, and a team like the Rockets that can score lots of points should have a field day against this defense.

3 Unit Play. Take #671 Saint Mary’s over Wisconsin (9p.m., Tuesday, November 5 ESPNU) The Badgers will likely struggle this season to make the NCAA Tournament and I do not see things going well in this opening game against the Gaels. Saint Mary’s is nationally ranked to open the season and return 4 starters from their NCAA Tournament team Wisconsin struggled to shoot the basketball last year and now will be without Ethan Happ for the first time in 4 years. Saint Mary’s pull away late to win this game by 8-10 points.

A battle of 2-4 teams tonight but we like the underdog to keep this close and possibly win outright. The Magic have a more stable team heading into the new season. This team has underperformed for sure, but they are stable as the Thunder have a lot of change and they are working things out on the fly. Orlando has played the best defense in the NBA up to this point and we think that will keep them in the game to the end.

3 Unit Play. Take #632 South Dakota State over Rio Grandy Valley (8p.m., Tuesday, November 5 ESPN+) The Jackrabbits are always a top team in the Summit League and should be able to take care of business tonight against the Vaqueros. SDSU is 25-12 ATS (1 push) in their last 38 home games. The Vaqueros are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 nonconference games. 82% of the money is coming in on the home team and we will side with them as well.

3 Unit Play. Take #634 Arkansas over Rice (8p.m., Tuesday, November 5 SECN+) The Eric Musselman Era gets underway tonight in Fayetteville. Musselman plays a short bench and keeps his best players in the whole 40 minutes and should be able to beat the Owls by 20+ points. Rice is predicted to finish last in Conference USA and will not be competitive in this game tonight at Bud Walton Arena. Rice is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 nonconference games. Arkansas has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games.

3 Unit Play. Take #642 Northern Iowa over Old Dominion (8p.m., Tuesday, November 5 ESPN+) The Panthers look to get back to the MVC and need to protect their homecourt. The Monarchs will be in rebuilding mode after back-to-back 25+ wins seasons. AJ Green should lead this cast of 4 returning starters for the Panthers and after finishing below .500 last year it is important for UNI to get off to a good start this season. ODU is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall. UNI is 9-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games played on Tuesday.

Boston has been one of the best defensive teams to open the season, and as a result they are 4-1 thus far to the under on the season. We don’t see Cleveland having much success on offense tonight, and in fact we think there’s a good chance for a blow out here, which would bode well for the under. Boston has been off for awhile and their offense could be rusty to start the game but their defense should be in top form with lots of energy from the time off. Great chance the Celtics hold the Cavs under the century mark tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #610 Clemson over Virginia Tech (7p.m., Tuesday, November 5 ESPN U) Buzz Williams got out of town and I do not believe Virginia Tech will be very competitive this season during ACC play. Both teams lost a bunch of talent from last season but Clemson had extra practices this summer in the University Games to strengthen their newcomers for the start of the season. The home team is 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 meetings between Virginia Tech and Clemson. Clemson needs to get off to a good start with a coach on the hot seat and pick up a win tonight at Littlejohn.

This is a really interesting situation with the Golden State Warriors this season, at least until Stephen Curry comes back. With him out and Draymond Green out and likely Russell as well, this is barely a G-League squad that the Warriors are fielding tonight. I have seen some NBA writers exclaim that this is the worst team fielded in the NBA for years. There are some really bad teams in the NBA every year. And they normally get generous points from the oddsmakers, and that is definitely the case here tonight. But the strange thing about this situation is that the Warriors are the biggest dynasty in the NBA for the last five years and teams are not going to overlook them. I think teams will take pleasure in “kicking them when they are down” and especially in the West this season where every win is a potential playoff tiebreaker we think that Golden State could have a really tough time covering numbers and we might start to see 10+ points with them every night until they get healthy.

Dallas has had a tough schedule to open the season. They are coming off a tough OT loss to the Lakers. They should be highly motivated to get back on track here tonight against one of the worst teams in the NBA and the easiest matchup on their schedule so far. Every game counts in the West, especially for a team like Dallas that could be on the fringes of playoff eligibility in April. They are 2-0 on the road this season, so early indications are that this team is ready to compete in road games. We see them notching a comfortable win tonight.

We went against the Magic last night and they were blown out of the water at home by Milwaukee. Now they face a good team off an embarrassing loss. Denver was blown out in New Orleans last time out, giving the Pelicans their first win of the season. Mike Malone called his team out publicly for lack of effort. When your boss calls you out for lack of effort, you are going to give a better effort next time out… right? Me neither! But we think the Nuggets players will respond tonight. Good teams off a bad loss are normally a good bet in the NBA as they give better effort next time, and with their coach calling them out we think the Nuggets will bring their A Game. They were off Friday while the Magic were getting rolled by the Bucks, and you would think Orlando would want to play their best game against a conference foe. But this team has gotten off to a real slow start and they have covered only one line this season, but two points against the lowly Knicks. We think Denver will flex their muscles a bit in this one and they should cruise to a comfortable win.

The Knicks are in the Bottom 3 offensively so far this season. They are only four games in, but it’s hard to see them rising too much as the season goes on. This isn’t a very good team. And they will be facing a very good defensive club in the Celtics tonight. The Knicks have gone under the total in all four games so far this season. They managed only 83 points last time out against the Magic. They have already faced off against the Celtics, at home, and managed only 95 points. They should have even more trouble here on the road. And with the teams so familiar after having just played, there’s a good chance the Knicks D will be more effective against the Celtics this time around.

Orlando has gotten off to a real slow start for a team that is on the rise and they have covered in just one of their four games so far. Their defense has been good but this team just can’t generate any offense right now. Milwaukee is averaging 119 points on offense thus far. We don’t think the Magic defense will be able to slow them down, and we for sure don’t see their offense being able to keep up. Milwaukee should have extra motivation after losing by double digits last time out at Boston. A motivated Bucks team is by far the best team in the East, and we see them taking their frustrations out on a Magic team that still seems to be figuring some things out in the early going of the season.

The Clips should have Kawhi back tonight to play against his old team, in case he needed any extra motivation after LA lost in Utah last night. The Spurs are 3-0 SU but 0-3 ATS, as the bookmakers have them overvalued at this point of the season. In the tough Western Conference, every game is important, and the Clippers will not want to lose two in a row to the teams they may be battling for seeding in the postseason. The Spurs are down this season from what we are used to, despite their current record, and the better team will get a comfortable win tonight.

The Clippers had a slip up against the Suns, but besides that they have taken care of business with an exclamation point against any test thrown their way. Even with Paul George yet to join the squad, this looks like the best team in the NBA to us, and they seem to be very motivated for a hot start. This team is playing selfless basketball. We had this line handicapped at PK so we think there is nice value here with them getting a decent amount of points tonight.

These teams don’t play often, but they have seen some very high scoring games in recent meetings. We don’t see any reason this one will be different, and it seems like the Rockets offense is way ahead of the defense so far as they have played in three high-scoring games where both teams put up a lot of points on offense. The Wizards offense has gotten off to a slow start, but we saw encouraging signs last time out in a 122-point effort at San Antonio, and we think that will carry over tonight against a team that hasn’t been playing good defense but plays at a fast pace.

The Raptors have played really well to open the season, but this team is just not as good as their team last year. Not even close. And The oddsmakers are lining them tonight like they still have Kawhi. Detroit has been inconsistent but they should get up for this game against the defending champs, and this line seems about three points too high to us. Detroit has covered in four of the last five meetings, and we think they come to play tonight.

The Cavs gave up 129 last time out to the Bucks, and we see them giving up a big number tonight as Chicago comes to town. The oddsmakers expect this to be a close game, and we agree, so the Cavs should get their points as well. The Bulls haven’t looked great on offense, but this game against Cleveland should be the cure, and four of the last five meetings here have gone over the posted total.

Orlando has covered in four of the last five meetings and we like them to do the same tonight. Orlando has gotten off to a slow start to the season, and they haven’t yet covered a line. But in NBA betting you have to take each game as a new opportunity, and this should be a good game for a solid Orlando team to get things back on track against a very poor Knicks club. We see a double-digit win here for the home squad.

We think that this is a few too many points for the Hawks tonight, a team that has gotten off to a strong start on the season. They have covered in all three of their games this season, and their only loss was last night at home vs. Philly, a Top 2 team in the East, by only a bucket. We think the Hawks are being punished a little too much by the oddsmakers because of a back-to-back as it’s early in the season and these players are somewhat fresh still. And Atlanta always seems to being their A Game against the Heat as they have covered in four straight and six of seven meetings.

We will back the Warriors again after their bad performance yesterday vs. OKC. But this team does not want to start 0-2 so they will put forth their best effort tonight. It’s early in the season and this is the youngest team in the NBA so the back-to-back should not be a problem. Golden State is better than they have looked so far, and the oddsmakers made too big of an adjustment here to this line.

This is only the Magic’s third game of the season, while Toronto has played three and one went to OT, so we think the road team will be primed for a strong performance. Orlando is an under-the-radar team that public bettors tend to stay away from, so there should be value with this team early. This is an improving club. Orlando has played excellent defense to start the season, and we think that will continue tonight. We expect a close game tonight.

We think the Bulls are underrated by the oddsmakers early this season, so we will go with them again here on Monday. They are coming off a bad loss to Toronto but should play a lot better here tonight. The Knicks are winless to start the season, and once again this team looks like one of the worst in the NBA. With this short line the Bulls basically just need to win, and they have the better talent on the court tonight and should have nice motivation.

We don’t think the Warriors are as bad as they looked in their opener at home against the Clippers. Los Angeles was dialed in for that game and made the Warriors look bad. But they are the stronger team here, and they will anxious to get the season back on track. Kerr will devise a gameplan to give Golden State the best chance for success here, and Curry give his teammates on the court the best chance to succeed. And the Warriors have covered five of the last six in OKC.

The Clippers have covered in seven of the last eight meetings in this series. And they have their best team ever right now. To us this is the clear cut best team in the NBA and Paul George hasn’t even started playing yet. We can tell that this team wants to get off to a strong start to the season. We don’t see them having a letdown tonight. They have a very tough schedule coming up and they need to win games like this. This Clippers team seems very bought in to the team goals and is playing very unselfish team basketball. The Suns have some issues right now with No. 1 draft pick Ayton getting suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA drug policy. He might win his appeal, but he won’t be available here tonight. Like any team, the Clippers will face some adversity during points in the season. But for right now this team looks extremely motivated. And it seems they are having fun. Don’t think there’s a lot of joy in Phoenix right now. This looks like a double-digit win to us.