We normally don’t like laying this many points. But we think this situation warrants it. The Pacers have been fine without Oladipo and they actually seem to be playing better. At least the offense has been on point. They have scored 136 and 116 in their last two games. They have won four straight and covered in three of four. This team seems intent to show they are still a strong team despite the loss of their best player, and they have an opponent tonight that they can easily blow out. Cleveland is coming in on a back-to-back and we just don’t think they can keep up on the scoreboard with the Pacers if they continue to score the basketball like this.

4 Unit Play. Take #652 Marquette over Villanova (2:30p.m., Saturday, February 9 FOX) Villanova is extremely well coached but they talent level is nowhere near where it has been the last three years. They are not one of the top teams in the country and I see them losing this game today in Milwaukee. The Golden Eagles are coming off a home loss their last time out to St Johns. Some may think of that as a bad loss, but I do not since the Red Storm has the most talent in the Big East. Marquette needs this game more and I just do not see Villanova running the table in the Big East. The Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 match-ups.

4 Unit Play. Take #606 Over in Wisconsin @ Michigan (12p.m., Saturday, February 9 FOX) Both teams are good enough from the 3-point line to each hit 60 points in this game. Michigan has a great defense but they are starting to find out they cannot just win games on defense alone and need to focus some of their attention of offense. The total is way too low and expect this to be a close game and we will not worry if Michigan can cover the spread and just collect with the over.

The Mavs have traded a bunch of starters over the trade deadline. This team will be fine in the short term and probably really good by next year. But in the very short term this team is in for some rough patches. They have to fit these new players in the lineup and tinker around with rotations. The Bucks are a bad team to try these experiments out on. The Bucks have won 11 of their last 12 games and they are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now. And this team is not only winning but also covering lines. They are 8-3-1 ATS during this current surge. They put up 148 points last time out against the Wizards, and an offense can’t be running much better than this one is right now. Dallas has been one of the best betting teams this season and they have been covering a lot of lines lately also. But the trade deadline changed the makeup of this team and it might take a few games to figure things out. And Doncic is questionable tonight for Dallas. If he is not at 100% that hurts this team a lot. We think there’s a great chance for a double-digit win here for the road team.

5 Unit Play. Take #644 Arizona over Washington (9p.m., Thursday, February 7 ESPN 2) Washington is not going to run the table in the conference and they will be lucky to win one of their next two games. Arizona wants this game and they played pretty well last week against Arizona State with Chase Jeter back in the line-up. Arizona is 17-6 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 26 home games against teams with a winning road record.

The Clippers are a team we have used plenty this season and they have been one of the better ATS teams in the league. But with the trade deadline moves this team made it’s clear they are tanking on this season now. They sent Harris, their best player, and a couple glue guys, to the Sixers for mostly draft picks. Management sent a clear message to the players that this is a lost season, and what was one of the deepest benches in the NBA has been gutted a bit. The Clips are in the midst of a long road trip and we just don’t see the players rising up to play hard in this one. They needed big comebacks to beat Detroit and Charlotte recently and they should have never been in that big of a hole to begin with. They played a real lackluster game on Sunday in Toronto. Indiana seems to be adapting well to life after Oladipo and they have won three straight entering this game. They played one of their best games of the season last time out vs. the Lakers, and we think they come into this game very confident and we see this as a potential double-digit win for the home team.

6 Unit Play. Take #829 Wisconsin over Minnesota (9p.m., Wednesday, February 6 BTN) Just do not believe Minnesota is consistent enough to beat Wisconsin twice in a season. Wisconsin is playing much better since they lost to Minnesota in early January and will enter this game having won 6 straight games by at least 8 points. Minnesota will make the NCAA Tournament, but they are not one of the top teams in the league and I just do not believe they shoot the ball well enough to win these type of games consistently. Minnesota is 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

The Mavs are by far the best betting team this season at 32-19-1, and they don’t really move the needle with the general betting public due to the lack of big names on the roster. But this team has been easy to trust this season, and we will back them again here Wednesday. These teams played last month in Charlotte and the Mavs recorded one of the biggest blowouts on the NBA season, and we know they match up well in this contest. Dallas comes into this one with three nights rest and the Hornets played last night so they enter on a back-to-back. They looked awful in the second half in giving back a big lead to the Clippers, and we think they will have a hangover effect here. Dallas is 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven and the oddsmakers just keep posting value lines with this team. We will take advantage again tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #787 Maryland over Nebraska (7p.m., Wednesday, February 6 BTN) We went against Nebraska on Saturday and will continue to fade them until they prove otherwise to us. Nebraska has lost 5 straight games and they have not been competitive in any of them. This team is lost without Isaac Copeland and I feel they will have a coaching change at the end of the season if they do not make the NCAA Tournament. Maryland is a young team and expect them to bounce back after a tough road game against Wisconsin last time out. Maryland is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games. Nebraska is 0-6 ATS following a loss in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #798 Richmond over George Mason (7p.m., Wednesday, February 6 ESPN+) NO bet against Richmond is a bad beat as they have a coach that will be replaced come March. The Spiders seem to be competitive early in games only to fade in the second half. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games and most of them have not been competitive. George Mason is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games. Richmond is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Atlantic 10 games. George Mason is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings against Richmond.

Miami has been playing very strong defense lately, and we think they will slow the game down here. And with a lower-scoring game, that makes the points more valuable with the underdog. This is the first game of a long road trip for the Heat, and we think they do their best to get off to a strong start on the trip. The Heat haven’t been playing as well as they are capable of, but as they have dropped down in the playoff picture they know they need to have a solid road trip. We think they put their best foot forward tonight with a strong defensive effort.

Miami has been playing very strong defense lately, and we think they will slow the game down here. And with a lower-scoring game, that makes the points more valuable with the underdog. This is the first game of a long road trip for the Heat, and we think they do their best to get off to a strong start on the trip. The Heat haven’t been playing as well as they are capable of, but as they have dropped down in the playoff picture they know they need to have a solid road trip. We think they put their best foot forward tonight with a strong defensive effort.

Toronto is the better team in this matchup and we think they are getting too many points tonight. We had this game as a pick, and we think the road team has a great chance for the outright win. We think revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle, but we also have no doubt the Raptors remember the beatdown they suffered here in December. They also lost to Boston last time they played, so this game is important for EC supremacy. We think the better team will rise to the challenge tonight.

We had the Clips last time out as a big dog in Toronto on Sunday and they lost big on the second end of a back-to-back. That turned out to be a bad spot for them. But this team is playing well overall and we think they bounce back tonight. They are a much better overall team that the Hornets, and they have won and covered five of the last seven meetings in this series. We expect a strong effort from the visitors tonight.

The Pacers have covered just one of their last seven games overall. This team really missed Oladipo, who was the heart and soul of this club. The Lakers are trending up with LeBron back and this is the time for this team to make a playoff push. Plus, the Pacers are on a back-to-back here while the Lakers have had two nights off since their matchup with the Warriors. At this point in the season that extra rest is crucial.

4 Unit Play. Take #612 Kent State over Miami Oh (7p.m., Tuesday, February 5 ESPN+) The Golden Flashes should be able to win this game at home and win their second straight game. The Redhawks have been playing better of late but this will be their second straight road game. The home team has covered the spread in 3 of the last 5 meetings (1 push). Kent State is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games played on Tuesday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Suns have a long losing streak going, so they will want to end that and they should be focused. This game comes after big games for Houston as they played at Denver and at Utah in their last two matchups. They gave a lot in those games, and we think this will be a letdown spot. They can beat the Suns without giving full effort, and this line looks shaded to us as the bookies added a couple points to this number. Bettors just don’t want to take the Suns these days. But Phoenix is getting healthy and they have a nice young core. We think they keep this one close.

4 Unit Play. Take #856 Oklahoma over Iowa State (9p.m., Monday, February 4 ESPN2) Oklahoma needs this game more and playing at home will allow them to emerge victorious. The Sooners have lost two straight games, but they still have talent and I do not trust this Cyclone team to win consistently on the road. The home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings between Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Detroit has covered in three of the last four meetings, and we like the dog again here tonight. Detroit has just as many wins at home as the Nuggets do on the road. Denver is the better team, but they don’t play as well on the road as they do at home. We feel this is a public line tonight and we think the home team has a great chance to challenge for the straight up win.

The Clippers are being punished too much for the back-to-back here. We think that they can handle it. This team is 5-4 ATS on the second end of a back-to-back, so they are better than average in this situation. This squad is all about team basketball and they normally put in a full team effort. They sure did on Saturday as they mounted a huge comeback at Detroit. That just shows that this team never gives up. They don’t have any household names on the roster, but there is a lot of talent here. These players play unselfishly and they seem to like playing together and are well coached. We think they will keep this one close on Sunday. The Raptors have been awful when laying big points. They are 7-12 ATS this season when laying nine or more points. They have been overrated by the oddsmakers all season and are one of the worst betting teams in the NBA after their hot start. This team came back down to earth a bit but the oddsmakers never adjusted. The Clippers haven’t been big dogs like this often, but they are 2-0 ATS this season when getting 8 or more points. Toronto has failed to cover in three straight games and in six of their last nine. Besides that head-scratcher vs. Atlanta the Clippers have been playing very well. And in the tough Western Conference they need every game badly. Not sure they can win this outright, but we expect a close game here and this is too many points!

Philly had their biggest win of the year last time out, beating the Warriors in the Bay Area. But that makes this a big letdown spot, and the Kings are a very underrated team. The Sixers are a very mediocre team on the road this season. This is the classic sandwich game for the Sixers as it comes between the Warriors matchup and their next matchup as they host Toronto in a big EC matchup. We don’t see them giving their best effort tonight. Sacramento has won and covered both of the last two matchups, and we see the same result tonight.

The Hawks have not covered in six straight meetings in this series (one push). The Suns are getting healthy and they have more upside than the Hawks as they have a nice young core that is building to the future while the Hawks are more at the start of their rebuild. Phoenix has played a brutal schedule lately but we think they will put their best foot forward tonight in a very winnable game. Lay the points here on Saturday night.

These teams met in LA about two weeks ago and the Warriors delivered a beatdown by almost 20 points. LeBron was out, of course, in that one, but the Lakers shot 50% from the floor and could not even come close to Golden State, who is in top form right now. LeBron is back, but he is still integrating himself into the lineup and he is not 100% healthy by his own admission. The Warriors have been playing flawless basketball lately, but they hit a speedbump last time in a home loss to Philly. We will give them a mulligan on that one and we expect to come out fired up in that one. Judging by the last time these teams met, the Lakers bring out the best in the Warriors kind of like the Clippers used to when Paul and Griffin were on the team. And even if they are up big they will still play hard and keep trying to run up the score. All signs point to a blowout in this one.

10 Unit Play. Take #650 Illinois over Nebraska (2:15p.m., Saturday, February 3 BTN) Nebraska is shot and injuries and this 4-game losing streak have all but ended their chances for an NCAA Tournament bid. They have lost 4 straight games and have not been very competitive in their last two games against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Both were home losses in which they were favored like they are in this game. The Illini are still in rebuilding mode under Brad Underwood but they have shown some flashes of late beating Maryland last week and pounding Minnesota at home on January 16. But this play is more about going against Nebraska, as they have a coach on the hot seat and are becoming one of the most disappointing teams in the country that had expectations this season. Nebraska has failed to cover the spread in 4 straight Big 10 games. Illinois gets out to a good start and takes this game down to the wire earning a two-point victory despite being an underdog.

4 Unit Play. Take #870 Wisconsin over Maryland (9p.m., Friday, February 1 FS1) Wisconsin has revenge on their minds in this game after losing a close game to Maryland last month. The Badgers have been playing outstanding having won 4 straight games by double-digits. Maryland is still a young team and playing on the road is always a tough task, especially at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin is 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games following a victory in their previous game. Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Maryland.
Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Charlotte, like many teams in the NBA, is much better at home than on the road. They have played a road-heavy schedule lately, and the results have been predictable, so bettor confidence is down with this team. But they are home tonight where they are 17-8 and have a winning ATS record as well (Memphis is 8-18 SU and 10-16 ATS on the road). This team won in Memphis about a week ago by 11, and we think there is a great chance this one is a double-digit win again tonight. We always say revenge is an overrated factor in NBA handicapping. Memphis has a ton of issues now and their best two players, and anyone on the roster really, could be on the way out of town any day now. They aren’t foaming at the mouth for revenge against the Hornets, and that is just one of many losses for this team recently. We think the Hornets will be extra motivated after getting beat down in Boston last time out.

3 Unit Play. Take #858 Harvard over Yale (7p.m., Friday, February 1 ESPN U) Look for the Crimson to win this game at home as they do not want to fall two games back in the Ivy League Standings. Harvard is 11-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games played on Friday. The Crimson need this game more and they will get it in a hard-fought game by 5-6 points.

4 Unit Play. Take #654 Take Under in Gonzaga @ BYU (11p.m., Thursday, January 31 ESPN2) The Bulldogs have played under the posted total in 8 of their last 10 games. BYU has gone under the posted total in 5 of their last 6 games. The two teams have played under the posted total in 4 of their last 5 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #650 Over in Cal Poly @ Riversides (10p.m., Thursday, January 31) The Mustangs are gone over the posted total in 9 of their last 13 games. The Highlanders have gone over the posted total in 6 of their last 8 games. The Mustangs have gone over the posted total in 27 of their last 37 games.

The Spurs won last time out, but that game was at home against the Suns and they needed a buzzer beater to get the win. After the game Coach Pop ripped the team a new one in his presser. With some coaches in the league that might not be a big deal. But with Pop and how well respected he is we think the players will respond tonight. He criticized the team’s lack of defense, and we think they will step in up in that area tonight. The Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio.

The Spurs won last time out, but that game was at home against the Suns and they needed a buzzer beater to get the win. After the game Coach Pop ripped the team a new one in his presser. With some coaches in the league that might not be a big deal. But with Pop and how well respected he is we think the players will respond tonight. He criticized the team’s lack of defense, and we think they will step in up in that area tonight. The Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings in San Antonio.

We had the Mavs last night at the Knicks, and they scored a rare road win and scored us a winning ticket. But now this team is on a back-to-back, and the fact is that they have only five wins on the road after last night. They are also 1-7 in back-to-backs this season, so this team is no good without rest. The Pistons have their issues, but they are well rested here. And this is also a revenge spot since these teams played on Friday in a hard-fought game on both sides where the Pistons lost by 5. We think they get payback tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #611 Delaware over Elon (7p.m., Thursday, January 31) The Blue Hens currently sit in second place in the CAA and should be able to pull away late against this bottom feeder team in Elon. The Phoenix have lost 5 of their last 7 games. The favorite has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 games.

4 Unit Play. Take #840 Washington over Southern Cal (11p.m., Wednesday, January 30 FS1) Washington is asserted themselves as the best team in the PAC-12. They have righted the ship from a poor performance in nonconference play and will receive a big into the NCAA Tournament. USC has yet to win a conference road game this season including getting blown out by 21 points at Oregon earlier this month. USC is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. Washington is 7-0 in their last 7 games following a straight-up win in their previous games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We expect playoff intensity in this game, and we think it will be a defensive battle. Five straight meetings have gone under the posted total, and we think this number is too high as well. We think that the Jazz will try and control the pace here and we see both teams locking down on defense, especially in the fourth quarter if the game is close. But in the end we think this total is about 4-5 points too high and we think the home team pulls away late to win this one.

We expect playoff intensity in this game, and we think it will be a defensive battle. Five straight meetings have gone under the posted total, and we think this number is too high as well. We think that the Jazz will try and control the pace here and we see both teams locking down on defense, especially in the fourth quarter if the game is close. But in the end we think this total is about 4-5 points too high and we think the home team pulls away late to win this one.

The Kings have won and covered three of the last four meetings. The Kings are the much better team here, and we think that this line is short. Sacramento has cooled off after a very hot start to the season. But this team plays in the much tougher Western Conference, and they face tough opponents night in and night out. They are coming off a tough road trip that had mixed results, but we expect them to take care of business tonight in this very winnable home game. Great chance for a double-digit win tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #830 Over in San Jose State @ Utah State (9p.m., Wednesday, January 30) The Spartans are terrible, but they have been going over the posted total in a lot of games of late. Their games have gone over in 5 of their last 6 games overall. Utah State has gone over the posted total in 6 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record.

The Pelicans gave everything they had last night in a win at Houston, and we think they left it all on the court last night. We think their tank will be empty tonight and expect the Nuggets to roll to a double-digit win. This team circled the wagons last night with a depleted roster and the Anthony Davis trade rumors. We don’t see any way they can replicate that effort here tonight. New Orleans is 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS in the second half of a back-to-back, and we think that trend continues tonight as the fresh Nuggets roll.

Dallas has been really bad on the road. They have only four wins away from home. However, this team toils in the Western Conference where many road games are much tougher than this one. But New York has the same amount of wins at home that the Mavs have on the road. Dallas is the much superior team and we expect them to win this game convincingly. The Knicks are just 8-13 ATS at home despite very generous lines from the oddsmakers, and Dallas, despite their poor road record, covers half their games on the road.

4 Unit Play. Take #786 George Washington over Fordham (7p.m., Wednesday, January 30) No bet against Fordham is a bad bet. They are 0-7 in the Atlantic 10 and will enter this game having lost 8 straight games. Fordham is 15-32 ATS (1 push) in their last 48 games. George Washington is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight-up loss in their previous game.

6 Unit Play. Take #628 Nebraska over Wisconsin (8p.m., Tuesday January 29 BTN) Nebraska needs this game in a big way. They are in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament since they sit at 3-6 in the Big 10. They have lost three straight games including two at home. Wisconsin has been beating up on bad teams in their last two games and they have some wiggle room in this game since they currently sit in fifth place in the conference. Nebraska is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against Wisconsin in Lincoln. Wisconsin is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. Nebraska is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games played on Tuesday. The line keeps moving the way of the home team and we will jump on board with the movement.

This Cleveland team is bad, but there is no reason that the Wizards should be laying this many points on the road. This is flat out too many points for a Washington team, while playing better since Wall went down with injury, is just not very good. The Wizards are just 4-9 ATS on the road against sub-.500 teams this season. They normally play down to their level of competition. We expect a close game here.

These are two of the better under teams in the NBA, and we think this is another total that has been posted too high for Tuesday. Detroit has really been struggling on offense lately and this has been one of the most inept offenses in the NBA this month. The Bucks had their long winning streak broken last time out so they will probably be in a good bounce back spot here, and we think they will lock down on defense. The over has hit only once in the last seven meetings between these teams.

The Magic are a more competitive team than most people think. They are facing a very public line tonight. The Magic have actually covered in six of the last four matchups between these teams. They won three of the last four outright, and the one loss was in OT. Orlando has covered three of their last four overall so they are playing above oddsmakers current expectations. We think they come to play tonight with a chance to win this one outright.

We are surprised by this line as we expected a number in the 8-9 range. Nice value here as well. The Clippers are being punished too much for this back-to-back and they are 5-3 ATS in the second of a back-to-back this season. They will be fine with no rest. This is a very well-rounded team and they play great team basketball, so if one player is having a down night there will likely be someone else to step up. The Clips are trending upwards as they have won and covered three straight and four of five. The Hawks haven’t bee covering many games despite very generous numbers from the bookies. The Clips can’t afford to overlook a game like this so we think they put their best foot forward and take care of business tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #854 Over in Baylor @ Oklahoma (9p.m., Monday, January 28 ESPNU) Baylor has gone over the posted total in 8 straight Big 12 games. Oklahoma has gone over the posted total in 7 of their last 10 games following a victory of more then 20 points in their previous game.

3 Unit Play. Take #855 TCU over Texas Tech (9p.m., Monday, January 28 ESPN) The Red Raiders have not been playing well of late losing three of their last four games and three straight Big 12 games. They struggled to put away a poor Arkansas team on Saturday and expect this game to go down to the wire as well. The road team is 13-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 17 meetings between TCU and Texas Tech.

3 Unit Play. Take #857 Southern Utah over Northern Arizona (2p.m., Monday, January 28) The Thunderbirds are a very well coached team and they should be able to complete the season sweep of the Lumberjacks today in Flagstaff. Southern Utah has won 4 of their last 5 games and this is important to not began a losing streak of 2 straight games. The road team is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 matchups.

The Thunder are playing very well right now and are on a four-game winning streak entering this game. We expect them to extend that tonight, and we had the Thunder as a slight favorite in this game. We think the wrong team is favored here. OKC has had two nights off heading into this one, and that extra day of rest is crucial here at this juncture of the season. The Bucks enter on a winning streak of their own, but they have had a very easy schedule lately. This is by far the toughest game during this current streak. OKC is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings, and we just think this line is a very public line since the Bucks are oddsmaker darlings this season. We think OKC has a good chance to win this one comfortably.

3 Unit Play. Take #835 Iowa over Minnesota (5p.m., Sunday, January 27 FS1) Look for Iowa to bounce back against Minnesota after losing to Michigan State last time out. Iowa is still in good shape to make the NCAA Tournament and they are a much better shooting team than is Minnesota. The Gophers lost on a last second shot to Michigan last time out and expect a carryover effect in this game.

Oladipo suffered a bad injury lately and is out for the season. We expect his team to step up in his absence. This has been a strong team environment all season. The loss of their best player hurts for sure, but this team is still strong, and we should get some value lines with them in the near future. Memphis has all sorts of problems right now, mainly as two of their three best players could be on their way out of town. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and we expect them to hold Memphis to a real low score tonight.

Oladipo suffered a bad injury lately and is out for the season. We expect his team to step up in his absence. This has been a strong team environment all season. The loss of their best player hurts for sure, but this team is still strong, and we should get some value lines with them in the near future. Memphis has all sorts of problems right now, mainly as two of their three best players could be on their way out of town. Indiana is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and we expect them to hold Memphis to a real low score tonight.

The Clippers have struggled lately against a tough schedule and this team is now on the verge of being out of the playoff picture. But this team is trending back upwards and they have been one of the better bets in the NBA most of the season. They have won and covered two of three, and they can’t afford to overlook this Bulls team tonight. Past versions of the Clippers might do just that, but this team seems better suited to win these types of games despite lacking the overall talent of the Clippers with the Big 3 on the roster.

Brooklyn has been playing well and this team has made us some nice profits this season. But they are great in the underdog role but now the public is catching on and they are nearly a double-digit favorite here. We just don’t think they are ready to lay that many points as this is still a mediocre team. And while the Nets are the more talented team by far, this is a big regional rivalry so there’s a good chance the Knicks will put their best foot forward and be competitive.

The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the NBA but this line is just ridiculous and we have to take a stab at the underdog here. The Heat have lost six of their last nine and enter on a two-game slide. Just no way they should be favored on the road by this much against any NBA team. We are pretty sure most NBA players are aware of the spreads for their games, and if the Cavs have any pride they will take that as a big disrespect and play hard in a very winnable game.

4 Unit Play. Take #666 UCLA over Arizona State (11p.m., Thursday, January 24 FS1) These are the type of road games that Arizona State has not been winning over the last two years. The Bruins are looking to get back on track following two straight losses but playing back at home should be just what the doctor ordered. The home team is 15-5 ATS (1 push) in the last 21 meetings. Arizona State is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played on Thursday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

It is becoming evident that the Wizards are a better team without John Wall. The last couple years when he has been out for extended periods they played better basketball, and that has been the case again this year. They have played really well on this homestand, winning four of five, with the only loss coming to Toronto in overtime. They were blow out early in the season on the road against the Warriors, and every team wants to play well against the defending champs at least once, so we think they give a much better effort here. The Warriors have really been rolling lately, and they have been covering some spreads, which is something they have struggled to do the last couple seasons with inflated spreads. This has been one of the worst betting teams in the NBA the last couple seasons. And the lines are quick to get big again, which is the case tonight, since public bettors will take the Warriors no matter the number. This team has won eight straight entering this game. But they don’t care about streaks whatsoever. They are just treating this as another game. They are probably due for a letdown game, and with the Celtics coming up next in the marquee game on Saturday, this team could be caught looking ahead to the next game.

Denver has been the better team this season. But on paper Utah is just as good, and they are at home here. We just think that this number is short tonight and that there is nice value here. Utah had won six straight before losing last time out against Portland, but they are playing better now after a slow start to the season. This is the point of the season when top playoff contenders that started slow start to play better, and we think this number has value tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #832 Over 131 in Cal Riverside @ Cal Poly (10p.m., Wednesday, January 23) The Highlanders have gone over the posted total in 5 of their last 6 games. The Mustangs have gone over the posted total in 8 of their last 11 games. This match-up has gone over the posted total in 3 of the last 5 meetings (1 push).  

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

6 Unit Play. Take #827 Wisconsin -4 over Illinois (9p.m., Wednesday, January 23 BTN) The Illini but they are not ready to beat the top teams in the league. Wisconsin is coming off their best game of the year beating Michigan by double digits over the weekend. This team will not be intimidated by the pressure of Illinois and will record their third conference road win on the season tonight in Champaign. The road team has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings. Wisconsin is 12-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 meetings in Champaign. The favorite has been the play in this match-up going 19-6 ATS (1 push) in the last 26 meetings.

These are two of the worst teams in the NBA, but the Bulls are much worse than the Hawks. Atlanta has more wins on the road than the Bulls have at home. The Hawks have been pretty competitive lately as they have wins vs. OKC and at Philly. We had the Hawks listed as a slight favorite in this matchup and we think they have a great chance to win this game. The Bulls are coming off a rare win over the Cavs, but this team has been awful lately and the Hawks have at least been playing with pride on a more regular basis.

The Hornets don’t win much on the road, but they have a great chance to win this one tonight. Gasol and Conley, the Grizzlies best two players, are on the trade market. This team is heading into a massive rebuild and the team just doesn’t have a lot of motivation to play well. They have lost six straight heading into this game, and they covered only one of those games despite some very generous lines. The Hornets come into this one having won three of their last four games, and they have won and covered in all of the last three meetings.

Brooklyn has covered in five straight meetings between these teams, winning four of those games outright. This team is playing with a lot of confidence right now as they have won and covered in four straight games. This team has some very nice talent and they are one of the nicer surprises in the NBA this season, yet they remain under the betting radar for most gamblers. Sometimes teams like this do well as an underdog but fail for bettors as a favorite, but this team is 8-4 ATS as a favorite this season and we think they get the job done again tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #801 Illinois State (pk) over Bradley (7p.m., Wednesday, January 23 ESPN+) These two teams are heading in opposite directions during MWC play. The Braves have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Illinois State is 9-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 12 MVC games. Bradley is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

3 Unit Play. Take #795 Valparaiso +2.5 over Indiana State (7p.m., Wednesday, January 23 ESPN3) We will grab the points in this match-up of two even teams tonight. The Crusaders are 5-1 in conference play with their only loss coming at Loyola, the team that made the final four last year. The Sycamores have lost three of their last four games including two home games during this stretch. Indiana State is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 conference games. Valpo is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Portland has a strong history in this series, they are in fine form right now, and they are one of the better betting teams in the NBA this season. This seems like too many points in a game where the Blazers can threaten for the straight up win. Portland has won six of the last seven meetings between these teams. The one where they didn’t was earlier this month in a two-point loss at home. Portland enters on a three-game winning streak and they have covered six of their last seven overall. They are playing very confident basketball right now and unless they just have an off night we just don’t see any way this won’t be a close game. These teams match up well. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back but the Thunder had to travel from NY compared to Utah for Portland and that is a much easier travel schedule. We think there are a lot of factors that point to the road team tonight, and this also seems like an inflated spread.

5 Unit Play. Take #620 Kansas State over Texas Tech (7p.m., Tuesday, January 22 ESPN 2) Just do not feel the odds makers have a good feel for this Kansas State team. The line on Saturday against TCU was a joke and that is why we used it as our college game of the year. They are playing a better team tonight in Texas Tech, but the line is two points to low. Kansas State is just a different team with Dean Wade back in the line-up and playing at Bramlage Coliseum is always a tough task. The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games against Kansas State in Manhattan.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4 Unit Play. Take #860 Georgetown over Creighton (8:30p.m, Monday, January 21 FS1) This game will likely go down to the wire and sooner or later Georgetown will pull out one of these close games that they play at home. The Blue Jays got pounded by St Johns last time out and playing their second straight road game will doom them in tonight. The Hoyas have played a ton of home games thus far and they need to start winning them with road games ahead during Big East play. Creighton is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games. Georgetown is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games played on Monday.

We just think that this is too many points for the Mavs to be getting here on the holiday. Both teams are amongst the top betting teams ATS this season, but this line is just too large. This is one of the biggest numbers the Mavs have faced this season, and they are a perfect 2-0 ATS when getting double digit points. You have to go all the way back to 2014 as to when the Bucks covered a game in this series, and Dallas is 8-1-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #836 Omaha -4.5 over South Dakota (7p.m., Sunday, January 20 ESPN+) The Mavericks are one of the top teams in the Summit League and should be able to take down the Coyotes at home tonight. This is the second straight road games for South Dakota, and they will lose this game by 8-10 points. South Dakota is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games. Omaha is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights, and we expect both offenses to be sluggish and think there will probably be some sloppy basketball in this one with two fatigued teams. Five of the last eight meetings in this series have gone under the posted total. The under is also 5-2 in the second leg of back-to-backs for the Pacers. The Pacers are the No. 1 defense in the NBA for points allowed and we think they can keep the Hornets down to a real low score but we think there is a very good chance both offenses struggle in this one.

10 Unit Play. Take Minnesota over Penn State (8:30p.m., Saturday, January 19 BTN) We will lay the small change tonight with Minnesota looking to move to 4-3 in Big 10 play. Penn State has yet to win a game this season in conference play and that will continue tonight at the Barn. Most of Minnesota’s conference games tend to be blowouts one way or the other and thus since we think they will win, they will also be able to cover this spread. The Gophers are coming off an embarrassing performance last time out against Illinois, but Penn State will not be able to pressure them like Illinois did. Penn State is coming off two straight home losses and their coach is likely to be replaced come March. Penn State is not only losing games they have not been covering the spread as well going 1-6 ATS in their last 7 conference games. The Nittany Lions are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at the Barn. The favorite has covered the spread in 8 of their last 11 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #602 Duke over Virginia (6p.m., Saturday, January 19 ESPN) Just do not believe Duke will lose two straight home games and two straight home games against Virginia. The Blue Devils are a little banged up, but they still have a ton of talent. I believe a loss in this game will do wonders for Virginia, as nobody is taking them seriously until the NCAA Tournament. Most of the ATS trends points towards Virginia, but it is not often you find this low of a number at Cameron. Duke needs this game more and they get it by 6-8 points.

We think the Hornets are way overrated coming into this game. This team has low morale after a bad road trip. The Suns played very well last time out and gave Toronto all they could handle. Phoenix did very well ATS a few weeks ago as they had a nice streak and with Booker back they could have value against the betting line. This looks like too many points tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #674 Kansas State over TCU (4p.m., Saturday, January 19 ESPN2) The Wildcats have gotten a second wind, having won three straight games including two road games at Iowa State and at Oklahoma. Those are very hostile environments and with Dean Wade back this year should challenge for the top two spots in the league. TCU has made great strides under Jamie Dixon but they are not a top team in the league and will struggle to win these type of games on the road. They played a very easy nonconference schedule and they are just a middle of the pack team in the Big 12. K-State is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against TCU.

4 Unit Play. Take #605 Michigan over Wisconsin (12p.m., Saturday, January 19 ESPN) This line seems low, but we feel it is too good to pass up. Michigan is legit and has the better player at 4 of the 5 positions on the court. They are undefeated and pounded Wisconsin last season in Madison by 11 points. That score does not reflect how big of a blowout it was, as Michigan lead by 23 points in the second half. Wisconsin is just a mess now with a lack of talent, lack of shooters, and a lack of a head coach. They made a nice rally at Maryland on Monday but losing in heartbreaking fashion will not benefit them in this game. Michigan is 21-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 29 road games. Wisconsin is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Michigan is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in Madison.

New Orleans has been pretty inconsistent and we think the Blazers are more trustworthy tonight than the Pelicans are. Portland has lost two of three but this team has been flawless at home lately and we expect them to take care of business tonight. New Orleans is coming off their big game against the Warriors where they collapsed late, and we think there will be some lingering issues from that game. The future is uncertain for this Pelicans club, and they don’t give max effort every night, especially on the road where they are 6-18 SU on the season. We expect the Blazers to come out and win this one comfortably by 6-7 points.

One of the safest bets in the NBA lately has been to bet against the Memphis Grizzlies. They have covered only once in the last 11 games. And things will probably get worse before they get better. The trade deadline is coming up, and Gasol and even Conley might be on their way out of town. It’s time for this team to do the total rebuild that they have been putting off for years and everyone knows it. And this team is just not playing with any fire lately. They have lost two straight by double digits, and we see that as the likely result again tonight. Boston hasn’t been as stable as we like this season but they are streaky and this might be the start of another hot streak coming off the big win vs. Toronto last time out. Boston has covered seven straight at home, and when this team wins it normally covers, so we think this is a very solid bet tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #852 Ohio State over Maryland (6:30p.m., Friday, January 18 FS1) The Buckeyes need a win to right the ship having lost three straight games and fallen out of the top 25 rankings. Maryland is still a very young team and they will struggle to win games on the road in the Big 10. The favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings between these two teams.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

10 Unit Play. Take #644 Arizona Wildcats over Oregon Ducks (9p.m., Thursday, January 17 ESPN) Arizona is going to win the PAC-12 this year! Despite a poor showing in the nonconference portion of the season they are putting things together and will enter this game with a perfect 4-0 record in conference play. Oregon is not the same team without Bol Bol and they will struggle to a .500 team in conference play. Arizona has won 6 straight games and are righting the ship. Oregon is 1-5 ATS (1 push) in their last 7 road games. Arizona is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 PAC-12 games.

 The Hornets are coming off a long road trip where things didn’t go that well, as expected as this team is just not good away from home. But this squad has been pretty good at home and they are 14-8 here this season. We think revenge is a way overrated NBA handicapping angle, but we do think that it comes into play when teams have recently met, and the Kings won in Sacramento when these teams played just five days ago. It was a pretty close game despite the Hornets shooting poorly in the second half. We expect a much better effort here at home. Like the Hornets are undervalued due to a recent poor road trip, the Kings are overvalued here since they have had some success at home lately. But we think this line is too short tonight.

Both of these teams have been bad against the spread this season but the Warriors are normally overrated by the oddsmakers and that is the situation here tonight. Golden State is on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They played in the high-altitude of Denver last night and that makes this back-to-back even tougher tonight. Not to mention that game against Denver was a much bigger game than this one. New Orleans is 4-1 in their last five games, and they are quietly playing some of their best basketball of the season right now.

The Jazz have won four straight but those games were all at home and this team is just really banged up now, especially at point guard with multiple injuries. The Clippers have been alternating streaks as they have now lost three straight after winning three in a row. We think this is a good spot for the Clippers to get back on the winning track against a Utah team that won’t be anywhere near full strength and all these injuries, while significant, have not affected the line too much in this matchup.

The Spurs have won five of the last six meetings in this series. And despite the Mav’s stellar record at home, we think the Spurs are in a good spot to win here on the road. The Spurs have been playing rather well lately but they hit a rough spot lately and have lost three of four, but we just think that makes them put their best foot forward tonight against an opponent they are very familiar with and one against which they have the superior talent.

3 Unit Play. Take #805 Dayton over Virginia Commonwealth (8p.m., Wednesday, January 16 CBSSN) I feel that Dayton is the best team in the league and getting points with them against anybody is too good to pass up. VCU just does not have the same magic it had under previous coaches and they are coming off their first loss of the season against Davidson last time out. VCU is 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games played on Wednesday.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Orlando actually has one more win than Detroit on the season, and we think this is a very public line. This is the first game back home after a long West Coast road trip for Detroit, and the first game back home can often be tricky since the players’ minds may be focused more on personal matters. Orlando is confident here, coming off home wins against Houston and Boston. They have also covered in seven of the last eight matchups in this series!

4 Unit Play. Take #782 Rhode Island over St Bonaventure (6p.m., Wednesday, January 16 CBSSN) 74% of the money is coming in on Rhode Island we will follow suit with that. The Rams have alternated wins and losses over the last 8 games and expect that to hold true again on Wednesday. The Rams made the NCAA Tournament last season and they still can beat team in Kingston. St Bonaventure is 0-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 road games. Rhode Island is 7-0 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games played on Wednesday.

We think that the wrong team is absolutely favored here. Denver has a very good team this season and they are a real threat for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. This is an up-and-coming team and they actually care about the regular season, while the Warriors just want to be healthy and in a good state of mind once April rolls around. This game is important for a potential tiebreaker down the line and we think the Nuggets are much more serious about this matchup than is Golden State. Denver has a strong recent history in this series as they have won the last two meetings straight up. The Warriors haven’t covered in four straight meetings (one push) and they are 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings. We like Denver for a big time win here.

4 Unit Play. Take #641 Davidson over St Joes (9p.m., Tuesday, January 15 ESPN U) The Hawks are in freefall at the moment having lost 4 straight conference games and will lose tonight by double digits on Hawk Hill. Davidson has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings. The Wildcats are 20-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 29 conference games.

4 Unit Play. Take Georgetown  over Marquette (8:30p.m., Tuesday, January 15 FS1) If you cannot play the money line just play the point spread with Georgetown). The Hoyas seem to take everyone down to the wire, but I believe this will be a blowout. Markus Howard is very streaky and is not shooting a great field goal percentage. Georgetown will make him take tough shots and win this game straight-up.

Both these teams are like most of the mid-tier NBA squads in that they can’t win on the road. The Timberwolves are 6-15 away from home this season. But the Sixers are 18-4 at home and we think this line looks quite a bit short for Tuesday night. Philly has won and covered in four of the last five meetings. The Sixers haven’t been in the greatest form but they have had a road-heavy schedule lately and we think they are primed for a strong performance here in front of the home fans against a Timberwolves team that is very inconsistent.

4 Unit Play. Take #608 Illinois State over Southern Illinois (7p.m., Tuesday, January 15 CBSSN) These are two similar teams with homecourt being the difference tonight. Southern Illinois is 5-20 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 games against Illinois State. Illinois State is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 MVC games.

This New Orleans team should be much better. They look better on paper. They have one of the NBA’s best players. But there are some internal problems with this team, Anthony Davis is probably on his way out of town soon and everyone knows it, and this team is underachieving big time. That is almost the opposite of the Clips, who have put together a blue-collar effort that has them right in the playoff mix despite very low expectations. We think the number is right here and we think the Clips have a great chance for a comfortable win.

The Blazers had their four-game winning streak halted last night in Denver but we think this is a great spot for them to bounce back and get a win tonight. Portland is both 4-2 SU and ATS this season, so we don’t think the back-to-back will bother them. The Kings are much improved this season, but the Blazers are still the much better team and we think they have a great chance for the outright win here. Portland has won four straight in this series outright, and the Kings have not covered in the last four meetings (one push).

Utah has a strong history in this series as they have won and covered in five straight meetings in this series. This game is the last of a four-game road trip for the Pistons, and things mostly haven’t gone well. But they had their best game in awhile last time out in an emotional win in Blake Griffin’s first game back to play his old Clippers team. We think because of that big game and this being the last game of the road trip that this is a bad spot for the road team. Utah has won three straight and five of six and they are in fine form right now.

4 Unit Play. Take #879 Northern Colorado over Montana State (9p.m., Monday, January 14) Two of the top teams in the Big Sky are set to do battle in Boseman. The Bears are coming off a blowout loss at home to Montana and expect them to take out their frustration on the Bobcats. Northern Colorado is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 conference games. Montana State is 22-48 ATS (1 push) in their last 71 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

4 Unit Play. Take #871 Wisconsin over Maryland (8:30, Monday, January 14 FS1) Just do not see a blowout in this game and we will grab the points in this game. Wisconsin is undefeated on the road this year in conference play including wins at Penn State and Iowa. Maryland has played an easy schedule in conference and will be tested much more in the next three games. Wisconsin is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games. Maryland is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 home games. The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the 8 last meetings.

This series has a strong history to the over as that has cashed in 10 of the last 11 meetings and five straight in Los Angeles. These teams don’t play often, so that trend stretched back a long time. We expect another shootout tonight. Sharp money has driven this total up since release, but we think there is still nice value here as we had this number handicapped at 226-227. There won’t be a lot of defense played in this one, and we think this game might be competitive as both teams should get enough points to push this one over the number.

Denver is also one of the best teams in the NBA at home this season, where they are 17-3. Portland is good at home, too, but worse than mediocre on the road at 8-10 on the season. They are coming off a home-heavy schedule where they had a lot of success and they are a bit overrated by the oddsmakers coming into this game. Portland has failed to cover in any of the last four meetings (one push), and we see the Nuggets getting a comfortable 7+-point win here tonight.