Utah has won two straight, including an impressive home win over Boston. They have covered in six straight and they are trying to hold onto their spot in the play in here tonight. The Blazers are cooked and don’t have a realistic chance to make the play in, so they are basically playing out the string here. They enter on a six-game skid.

4 Unit Play. Take #615 Wisconsin over Oregon (9p.m., Tuesday, March 21 ESPN) This line has come down this morning and I expect it to be a game to be competitive. Wisconsin is motivated to be in this tournament, and this has the size to matchup with Oregon in the paint. Elite 8 matchups in the NIT tend to go down to the wire and I expect that to case on Tuesday. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Oregon is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Brooklyn has lost three straight both SU and ATS. They had been playing well after the big trade, but they seem to have fallen off a cliff lately and their offensive struggles have been the culprit. That doesn’t bode well for tonight against the top defensive team in the NBA. Cleveland has been playing well, and they have been beating up on bad teams lately. We think this one has a good chance to be a blowout.

The Clippers are trying to put it together before the playoffs. They had their four-game winning streak snapped last time out vs. Orlando, but this team should bounce back well here, with or without Kawhi, who is listed as questionable. Portland has lost five straight and covered in only one of those games, so they are definitely vulnerable, and you know the Clips want to string together some wins and solid play before the postseason.

4 Unit Play. Take #854 Wisconsin over Liberty (12p.m., Sunday, March 19 ESPN2) Wisconsin showed on Tuesday that they want to play in the NIT and look for them to use their size and strength to advance to round 3 of the NIT. Liberty plays a similar style that Wisconsin does and I feel they will struggle against the length that Wisconsin has. The Flames are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games. The Badgers are 4-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 home games.

There is some reverse line movement here as the majority of the cash is on the Sixers but the odds have moved the other way, which is always a good sign since we were really high on the Pacers to start off with. The Sixers are playing great, but they are on a back-to-back here and playing their third game in four nights, while the Pacers are well rested here with Friday off. Philly has been playing very well, but they should be tired here and we don’t see them giving 100%. These teams played two weeks ago, here in Indiana, and the Sixers had to rally for a four-point win. We think Indiana can do even better here and possibly win outright. Indiana needs to win games down the stretch to make the play in. So they will be the more motivated team. Philly traditionally struggles in this matchup as they are 0-4 ATS in the last four visits to Indiana and 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings overall.

10 Unit Play. Take #803 Duke over Tennessee (2:40p.m., Saturday, March CBS) Rick Barnes is a loser and we have faded him numerous times in the postseason and been highly successful doing it. Duke is playing as well as anybody in the country and will enter this game having won 9 straight games. The Blue Devils have the size to matchup with Tennessee and are much better on the perimeter without Zakai Zeigler playing. The Volunteers are 1-7 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. Duke is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.

Cleveland has gone over in the last four games, but we are getting a great number here as the oddsmakers have overadjusted. Cleveland has the No. 1 scoring defense in the league. We expect them to hold Washington to a real low total. The Wizards are underrated defensively. They are in the top half of the league for points allowed. The under has gone 6-2 in the last eight meetings, and we think that is where the value is tonight. Cleveland is coming off a blowout loss to Philly last time out, and we think they will step up the defense here against an inferior team. This one has a chance to be a blowout, which would bode well for the under.

2 Unit Play. Take #743 Vermont over Marquette (2:45p.m., Friday, March 17 CBS) Marquette and Shaka Smart do not have a great record in the NCAA Tournament of late and look for this to be a struggle for them to advance. Coach Smart did not win an NCAA Tournament games while at Texas and has not won a game since 2013. Vermont is 18-7 ATS (1 push) in their last 26 games following a victory in their previous game. Marquette is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NCAA Tournament games. The Golden Eagles do not have the size to dominate this game and thus I expect it to be a single digit game.

4 Unit Play. Take #766 Northwestern over Boise State (7:35p.m., Thursday, March 16 TruTV) No bet against the Mountain West is a bad bet in the NCAA Tournament. The MWC has won just two games in their last 15 including going 0-4 in 2022. Northwestern plays a style that can frustrate Boise State and the time off with a Friday exit from last week will do them some good. Boise State got beat badly by Utah State two times over the last ten days and I do not expect them to bounce back in a big way on Thursday. Northwestern won their first round NCAA tournament game a few years ago and I expect history to repeat itself. Boise State is 2-8 ATS (1 push) in their last 11 games. Northwestern is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.

10-Unit Play Take LA Clippers -2.5 over Golden State (10 p.m. EST,  Wed March 15)

Something has finally clicked with the Clippers. After a season of trials and tribulations, this team finally is playing at the level that most expected coming into the season. And tonight is their most important game of the season as they are tied with the Warriors and a game behind the Suns. By the end of the weekend, if all goes according to plan, Los Angeles could see themselves in the Top 4 in the West. After a season of major ups and downs, LA is in a great position to get a decent seed and do some damage in the postseason. But they need a win tonight. And we think they do just that. This team is well rested and has had three nights off coming into this super important game. The Warriors are coming off consecutive wins over the Bucks and Suns. So they are in a letdown spot here. And this team has been horrible on the road this season. They are 7-26 on the road. And they are 8-23-1 ATS on the road. A healthy and clicking Clippers team is better than the Warriors, and we think they prove that on the court tonight.

Best of Luck, Doc's Sports

2 Unit Play. Take #705 Youngstown State over Oklahoma State (7p.m., Wednesday, March 15 ESPN+) This is not a good setup for Oklahoma State. They are disappointed they did not make the NCAA Tournament and now have to travel on the road in the NIT despite being a higher seed. Mid-majors hardly ever get to post Power 5 teams and look for the Penguins and their fans to be excited for this game. The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record.

There is a chance this line could move through the day depending on the status of Damian Lillard for Portland, but we like the Knicks for a comfortable win even if the Blazers star plays. The Knicks are often underrated on the road, where they have played excellent basketball this season, and are 23-12 ATS on the road. This current road trip hasn’t gone the best, with a head-scratching loss in Charlotte and losses to playoff teams in the Clippers and Kings. So there will be a little bit or extra urgency here to salvage the road trip. Brunson will likely miss this game for the Knicks. But this is a more complete team than the Blazers, and we think New York will be fine without him. This is the Blazers first home game after a long road trip and that can often be tricky for a team as the players often have their minds on personal business rather than the task at hand.

3 Unit Play. Take #676 Wisconsin over Bradley (9:30p.m., Tuesday, March 14 ESPN) Bradley is a poor man’s version of Wisconsin, as both teams like to grind it out with scoring in the sixties. Wisconsin seems happy to be in this game and wants to reach the final four in Las Vegas. Bradley is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS loss. Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a loss in their previous game. NIT is all about motivation and look for Wisconsin to finish this game strong.

Sacramento is a very good team but Milwaukee is a great team. They are coming off a loss at Golden State and will want to get back on the winning track here. Milwaukee should be getting the Greek Freak back tonight, and this Bucks team can go toe to toe with the Kings on the offensive end. But they are much better at defending, and they will have a big edge on the boards, which should result in many second chance points.

The Spurs are coming off an improbable win over Denver, but this team is not going to build a winning streak or anything. They are probably too happy with that win and this could be a letdown spot. OKC has won and covered in four of their last five, so they are in good form. The Spurs have covered only one of the last eight meetings.

6 Unit Play. Take #624 Kansas -2 over Texas (6p.m., Saturday, March 11 ESPN) Just do not believe Texas can beat Kansas twice in one week. Both teams have interim coaches, but playing in Kansas City will give Kansas a huge edge in fan support. Kansas is also more rested having won their game earlier in the day and it was not very competitive down the stretch. The favorite is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Texas and Kansas. The Longhorns are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games. The Jayhawks are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Brooklyn is Fat and Happy with three wins in their last four, but we don’t see that success continuing tonight. The Wolves are the better team and this line is more than fair. Minnesota has also won three of four and they are playing well right now. Brooklyn usually doesn’t play well here and they are 5-16 ATS in the last 21 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #845 Connecticut over Marquette (6:30p.m., Friday, March 10 FS1) Connecticut in New York City is always a strong bet. They will have a huge fan base and they already beat Marquette by 15 points last meeting. This is the rubber game, but the Eagles lack of size will be the difference in this game. Marquette has had very little success in the Big East Tournament and look for that to continue on Friday night. UCONN is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral game sites. Marquette is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 neutral game sites. 

The Pacers are not a great team. But they can score. And they will be highly motivated here as they are a couple games out of the Play In Tournament. They know that if they don’t get a convincing win here, that they don’t belong in the postseason. We think they get the job done. The Rockets are one of the most tanking teams right now, and they have covered only two of their last nine games. Both of those were against the Spurs, another tanking club, so maybe that was just a case of San Antonio wanting the loss more. They aren’t covering despite some very generous lines from the oddsmakers. Indiana has covered six of seven, so they have been a money machine lately and underrated by the oddsmakers. The Pacers are 21-13 ATS at home, and they normally take care of business against bad teams. The Rockets are 11-22 ATS on the road, where they normally get massive spreads like we see tonight. Houston normally doesn’t play well here and they are 4-11 ATS in the last 15 meetings in Indiana.

The Clippers have been a schizophrenic team, but when they start playing well they can string together some good games. They are healthy and they snapped their losing streak last time out vs. the Grizzlies. They also played well in a one-point loss at Sacramento before that. We think they are primed for a win and a cover here. Kawhi will no doubt want to play well against his former team, and this just looks like a game where the Clips Big Two could potentially go off for a big game. You know the Clippers stars like their rest, and this team has had two nights off.

10 Unit Play. Take #680 Wisconsin over Ohio State (6:30p.m., Wednesday, March 8 BTN) All season long the odds makers and metrics have overrated this Ohio State team. They were a quad 1 team for most of the season despite having a losing record. They won two home games down the stretch but they have won just 3 games since January 2nd. Wisconsin is playing for their NCAA Tournament lives and already beat this Ohio State team in Columbus back in February. The Badgers got right on offense on Sunday against Minnesota and look for that to continue on Wednesday. Ohio State is 2-12 ATS in their last 14 games following a loss in their previous game. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.

Milwaukee is playing the best basketball of any team in the NBA. They ended their long winning streak lately vs. Philly, but they look to start another winning streak tonight. These teams played last week in Milwaukee, and the Bucks won by 20+. We don’t think a venue change will make too much of a difference here. Revenge is out the window since the teams have had games in between. Orlando has a nice foundation for the future, but they are not playing as well as they were a couple months ago. This team is unlikely to make the play in tourney, so looks like tanking is in order down the stretch.

2 Unit Play. Take #630 Over 125.5 in Northern Kentucky vs Cleveland State (7p.m., Tuesday, March 7 ESPN) The Norse are an under team and the Vikings are an over team. We will side with the over and this total is low for a college basketball game. Cleveland State has gone over the posted total in 8 of their last 9 games following a win in their previous game.

The Pacers have covered in five of six, and this team is playing well at the moment. This is a letdown spot for the Sixers after their big win vs. the Bucks on Saturday. Indiana has covered five of six in this series and they normally bring their A Game when facing off against Philly. The Sixers have also covered only one of their last seven meetings here. Indiana needs all the games in hand that they can get and we think they come into this one wanting the win.

Portland has been on the wrong end of some blowouts lately, in five of their last six games. Orlando is sneaky good this season and they will not hesitate to take advantage of a team on a slump. They have won two straight and three of four in this series and we see another comfortable win here on Sunday.

3 Unit Play. Take #767 Maryland over Penn State (12p.m., Sunday, March 5 BTN) Just do not trust Penn State to handle prosperity. A win today would get them a single bye in the Big 10 Tournament and likely a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Maryland played terrible last time out against Ohio State and I believe they will bounce back in a big way on Sunday. Maryland is 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games. Penn State is 1-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 5 games following a win in their previous game.

Miami has covered in only two of their last 10 games, and this team continues to be one of the worst bets in the NBA night after night. The Hawks have won three of four and they are playing well right now. We think they have a great chance to win here in what should be a close game.

10 Unit Play. Take #620 Auburn over Tennessee (2p.m., Saturday, March 4 ESPN) Unranked team that is favored against a ranked team is always a great indicator to play the favorite. Auburn played outstanding against Alabama last time out and they will win this game by close to double digits today. Just not been a fan of Tennessee this season and feel this lack on offensive punch to make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament. Throw in the fact they lost their point guard for this game in Zakai Zeigler and I see them being a quick out in both the conference and NCAA Tournaments. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. Auburn is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a loss in their previous game. Auburn has revenge and is the more desperate team, needing a win to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

We don’t get in the habit of taking NBA double-digit favorites, but we think it is justified in this situation. After the trade deadline, the Nets are sinking and will be lucky to make the play in once all is said and done for the regular season. This team is clearly looking towards next season. They have lost four straight, three by double digits, and two by 20+. In their last game, they allowed 142 to the Knicks. They have allowed 129 or more in three of their last four. That doesn’t bode well against what is, in our opinion, the best team in the league. This Boston team is a covering machine lately. This is one of the most poised, veteran clubs out there – not to mention one of the most talented – and they aren’t a team that is going to take many nights off or overlook an opponent. We think they bring their A Game here as the playoffs are quickly approaching. They are right on the heels of the Bucks for the No. 1 seed, so they know every game is important down the stretch. They have won the last three meetings by double digits (they have covered in six straight meetings), and they won by 40+ at the start of February against a stronger Nets team.  This one looks like blowout city to us.

6 Unit Play. Take #754 Wisconsin over Purdue (9p.m., Thursday, March 2 FS1) Purdue is starting to be exposed and teams are figuring out how to defend them. Teams that have needed wins all week long have gotten them and Wisconsin falls into that boat tonight. It is Senior Night and look for Wisconsin to play well in front of a sellout crowd. The home team is 7-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 10 meetings between Purdue and Wisconsin. Purdue is 0-3 ATS (1 push) in their last 4 road games. Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a loss in their previous game.

This is a letdown spot for Philly after their big revenge win over the Heat last night. Now they are on a back-to-back and with their best player questionable. Even if Embiid does play, he will not likely be 100%. Since they won last night, we think they rest him again here and hope for the best. The Sixers have played four straight unders, and the under has hit in five consecutive meetings between these teams. We think this total is about five points too high.

The Bucks have been playing amazing basketball and have some high profile wins lately, but this looks like a game where they could have a letdown effort. They are on a back-to-back here and also have Philly on deck. Orlando is rested, healthy and a team on the rise. They have been money in this price range (16-9-1 ATS as a dog of 7.5 or more), and we think they bring their A Game tonight and they should be confident they can compete for the win against a tired team.

OKC is such a fun team to watch. They are great offensively and play little defense. Their games are often shootouts, and we see that being the case here tonight. We agree with the oddsmakers that this will be a competitive game, and we think both teams get their share of the points to send this one sailing over the total.

This sets up as a nice revenge spot for the Heat’s win Monday in Philly. That was a rare cover for them recently, which shows the oddsmakers have been continuously overrating them. Philly is 14-6 ATS as a small favorite this season, and they are clearly the better team in this matchup. Miami has been one of the worst ATS teams all season and they continue to get too much respect from the oddsmakers. Revenge is an overrated handicapping angle in the NBA UNLESS these teams played recently, and that is certainly the case here.

2 Unit Play. Take #680 Ohio State over Maryland (7p.m., Wednesday, March 1 BTN) Look for the Buckeyes to win two straight home games after a terrible season. Maryland is not the same team on the road that they are at home and they can afford to drop this game on Wednesday. The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between Maryland and Ohio State.

The Clippers have been inconsistent but they still have been a better bet this season than the Wolves, and we think they will want to bring their A Game tonight and leave nothing to chance after a pair of OT losses to Sacramento and Denver. The Wolves have covered in only one of the last seven meetings to LA and we think they are in for a tough game tonight.

5 Unit Play. Take Boise State -140 money line over San Diego State (9p.m., Tuesday, February 28 CBSSN) The Broncos are desperate for a victory and need this quality win badly to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Aztecs do not have much to play for in this game after beating New Mexico last time out. They have a 99% chance of winning the regular season championship regardless of the outcome of this game. This is their second straight road game and third in the last four games. SDSU is 1-4 ATS (1 push) in their last 6 games played on Tuesdays. Boise State fell to San Jose State last time out and needs to get back on track Tuesday night at the former Taco Bell Arena.

The Heat are one of the worst ATS teams in the league and they have covered in only one of their last nine games and enter on a four-game losing streak. The Sixers had their five-game winning streak snapped vs. Boston even though they played well, and this looks like a great bounce back spot. Philly is one of the best ATS teams in the league, and they do their best work at home. We see them getting a comfortable win tonight, and a blowout isn’t out of the question.

5 Unit Play. Take #825 Wisconsin over Michigan (2p.m., Sunday, February 26 CBS) Wisconsin and Michigan are both on the bubble and thus I look for this game to go down to the wire and we will grab the points in this game. The Badgers already beat Michigan this season and look for another grinder. The underdog is 17-8 ATS in the last 25 games between Wisconsin and Michigan.

3 Unit Play. Take #618 Detroit over Wright State (1p.m., Saturday, February 25 ESPN+) We have faded the Raiders a couple of times recently and look to do so yet again on Saturday. Detroit has won 3 of their last 4 games and has the best player on the floor in Antoine Davis. He is looking to break the all-time points mark by Pistol Pete. The favorite is 32-15 ATS (1 push) in the last 51 meetings between Wright State and Detroit. The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

Love the Thunder in this spot. The Suns will be shorthanded as Durant will likely be postponing his Suns debut. The Thunder are on a back-to-back here but they have been solid in these situations at 4-3 ATS on the season. In fact, this is one of the best ATS teams in the NBA on the year. They are 8-2 ATS on the season when getting around this many points. They normally bring their A Game on the road against top teams, where they are 25-9-1 ATS in their last 35 against a team with a winning home record.

3 Unit Play. Take #827 Cal Bakersfield over Cal State Northridge (10p.m., Thursday, February 23 ESPN+) No bet against Northridge is a bad bet. They have lost 6 of their last 8 games and Bakersfield beat them by 15 points during this span. The Roadrunners are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a losing record. The Matadors are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games.

Teams will want to get off to a strong start for the stretch run after the all-star break, and we think this is a game that the Sixers will want to take very seriously. These teams are somewhat close together record wise but we think the Sixers are the much stronger team, and they should take care of business with a comfortable win here in front of the home faithful. Philly is one of the best betting teams this season at 34-23 ATS, while the Grizzlies have a losing ATS mark. The Sixers are a dominant home team at 23-8, while Memphis does their best work at home as well but is 11-17 on the road. The Sixers won and covered four straight before the break, and we think that momentum will continue here after. The Grizzlies have covered only one of their last six road contests. They have covered in only one of their last six visits to Philly. They are 9-19 ATS in road games this season, while the Sixers have been dominant, at 21-10 ATS at home. Memphis is 3-7 ATS when in an underdog role this season, and we think they come up well short of the cover here tonight

6 Unit Play. Take #732 Wisconsin over Iowa (6p.m., Wednesday, February 22 BTN) Iowa does not play much defense and this is just what Wisconsin needs to get back on track. The Badgers already won at Iowa City this season and the Hawkeyes are just not the same team when playing on the road. They have lost 4 of their last 5 road games with their only win coming against Minnesota during this slide. Iowa is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 road games. The underdog is 3-1 ATS (2 pushes) in the last 6 games between Iowa and Wisconsin.

4 Unit Play. Take #602 Xavier over Villanova (6:30p.m., Tuesday, February 21 FS1) Villanova just is not the same team this season without Jay Wright at the helm. Xavier has another get right game after dropping 2 of their last 3 and they should be able to win this game by close to double-digits. The Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Musketeers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a victory in their previous game.

5 Unit Play. Take #838 Cleveland State -140 money line over Northern Kentucky (3p.m., Sunday, February 19) The Vikings have a ton of talent and should be able to knock down the Norse at home on Sunday afternoon. This team has gotten off to hot starts most of the season and are hitting a team playing their second straight road game on Sunday. The No. 1 seed is still up for grabs in the Horizon League and the winner of this game will be in strong position to make a claim to that spot. Cleveland State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. Northern Kentucky is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.

7 Unit Play. Take #614 Wisconsin (pk) over Rutgers (12p.m., Saturday, February 18 BTN) Wisconsin is in the middle of a 3 game homestand and I believe that they will win all 3 of these games. Rutgers has lost 4 straight road games and they are no longer ranked on the season. They are a good matchup for Wisconsin and feel that the Badger will grind out a 6-8 point victory in this game. Rutgers is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games against teams with a winning home record.

5 Unit Play. Take #870 Cleveland State -1.5 over Wright State (7p.m., Friday, February 17 ESPNU) Just feel Cleveland State is the more talented team and they will earn the season sweep of Wright State tonight at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. The Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win in their previous game.

Six straight meetings have gone under. We think both teams will lock down defensively and expect this one to finish at least five points under the total as we had this one handicapped under 220. The Suns have been trending to the under and we think their defense will hold the Clippers to a reasonable score tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #826 Arizona -11 over Utah (10p.m., Thursday, February 16 PAC12N) The Line has moved two points since it was released on Wednesday afternoon. Arizona needs to win their next 4 days in order to have a chance to win the regular season title. They also have revenge on their minds, as Utah beat them bad earlier this season. The Wildcats have covered the spread in 4 straight home games.

3 Unit Play. Take #713 Indiana over Northwestern (9p.m., Wednesday, February 15 BTN) We will follow the line movement in this game. It would be a tough task for Northwestern to knock off both Indiana and Purdue in consecutive games. These are the two best teams in the league and Northwestern just is not on that level. The road team is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Indiana and Northwestern.

The Clippers have been an under team this season, especially at home, so the oddsmakers have to be sure not to set the totals too high. But they went too low here, in our opinion. Even without Curry on the court this team can score, and they are going to push the pace. They have gone over in five of their last six. Two of the last three meetings have gone over, and we see this one as being high scoring as well, and the Clippers offense should benefit from the pace here tonight.

7 Unit Play. Take #644 Wisconsin over Michigan (9p.m., Tuesday, February 14 ESPN2) Both teams are desperate for a victory after giving away games over the weekend. Look for the Badgers to prevail at home, as they will be up for this game after Juwan Howards actions in the game last year. Michigan is a good matchup for Wisconsin, as the Badgers have the size to help with Hunter Dickenson. Michigan is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games.

Both teams have been playing well but we just don’t believe in the Thunder as a favorite although we love to take them when getting points. But they are laying too many here in what we think is pretty much a coin flip of a game. OKC is 2-5 ATS as a small favorite like this. We think this is a great chance for a rare road win by the Pelicans tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #838 Cleveland State +2.5 over Youngstown State (1p.m., Sunday, February 12 ESPN+) The Vikings are a tough team with their length and I see them winning this game today against the top team in the league. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games between Youngstown and Cleveland State. The Vikings are 4-0 ATS against teams with a winning record.

We really like the Bulls to compete here tonight and think they have a decent chance for the outright win. The Cavs have to be exhausted on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. The Bulls come in rested and have lost two straight. So they will likely bring their A Game tonight as they had won three straight before the current slide. Cleveland has had a pretty favorable schedule lately. They should be fat and happy here tonight and probably won’t have much urgency like the Bulls should have.

4 Unit Play. Take #705 Wisconsin over Nebraska (4p.m., Saturday, February 11 BTN) Wisconsin seems to play better on the road and look for that to be the case again on Saturday. The Badgers have won their last two road games and those came against better teams that are better than Nebraska.

These teams played Sunday and the total went under by 21 points. The oddsmakers didn’t make enough of a downward adjustment on this total, in our opinion, and there is nice value here on the under. The under is 18-7 in the last 25 meetings in Philly. It is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings overall. While the offenses will likely make some adjustments from Sunday’s game, we have a lot of wiggle room here for the total even if the offenses play much better. But these are two very good defensive teams. Philly is No. 3 for defense, while the Knicks are right outside the Top 10. But the Knicks have held three of their last four opponents to 104 or less, including these Sixers, and they have stepped up the defense lately. Philly has gone under in four of five, and they have been excellent on the defensive side. We see this one as comfortably under the number.

The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings against the Lakers in Los Angeles, As a small-market team they normally bring their A Game when playing under the bright lights in the big city, and we think that will be the case again tonight. LeBron broke the scoring record last time out and that is one of the biggest stories in the nation, and we think this could create a letdown spot for them. He is also listed as questionable tonight and his status will no doubt move this line, but we like the Bucks for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. The Bucks are in playoff form right now with eight straight wins, and the Lakers are still trying to figure things out.

4 Unit Play. Take #790 Northern Arizona over Sacramento State (8p.m., Thursday, February 9 ESPN+) The Jacks are just 2-10 in Big Sky play but they have been very competitive of late and look for them to notch their third conference victory of the season at the Skydome.

4 Unit Play. Take #727 Wisconsin over Penn State (7:30p.m., Thursday, February 8 BTN) Wisconsin is a bad team to play laying points, but they are a strong team to play as an underdog. With a total in the 120s, it will be hard for Penn State to cover this spread unless they go off from the arc. Wisconsin already beat Penn State once this season and expect this game to go down to the wire as well. The underdog is 20-6 ATS in the last 26 meetings between Wisconsin and Penn State.

The Suns have quietly been playing great basketball and they get their Big 3 back tonight as Booker is expected to join the roster. They face a Brooklyn team in flux after the trade of Kyrie Irving, and the Suns will be facing a depleted roster tonight that is on the second night of a back-to-back. We expect a double-digit win from the road team here.

The Clippers are quietly one of the hottest teams in the league. They have won seven of nine and their two losses were by one in Milwaukee (in a game they led at one point by 20+) and in Cleveland on the second of a B2B when they rested half the team. Tonight they face a very vulnerable Nets team that not only is missing Durant, but they have other key players on the way out of town and others coming in via the Dallas trade. The Nets will try their hardest but they just don’t have the firepower to stay competitive here tonight. LA has covered in seven of their last eight, and we think this team won’t overlook the Nets since they had lots of struggles before things came together for this recent positive run.

5 Unit Play. Take #856 Wisconsin -165 money line over Northwestern (6:30p.m., Sunday, February 5 BTN) We keep getting burned with low numbers so we will lay the money line price on Sunday. Wisconsin cannot afford to lose to Northwestern at home if they plan on making the NCAA Tournament come March. The favorite is 18-7 ATS (1 push) in the last 26 games between Northwestern and Wisconsin.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

These are two strong defensive teams. The Knicks are coming not only off a back-to-back but after an OT game vs. the Clippers where they let a lead slip away. So this looks like a flat spot for them, and we don’t see them putting up a big point total here against the No. 6 defense. We think NY will have to rely on their D to keep them competitive here.

The Clippers at full strength, which they will likely be tonight, have been playing some of the best basketball in the NBA recently. They deserved the win last time out in Milwaukee and controlled most of that game but couldn’t hit any shots late and lost by one. That makes this game against a lesser opponent even more important. The Clippers have covered in six of their last seven games, with the only non cover coming in Cleveland in the game where a lot of key players sat out. With some of those types of games on the schedule, it makes full squad games like this more important, and we think they take care of business here tonight. The Clips have covered in seven of the last nine visits to MSG.

10 Unit Play. Take #666 Iowa over Illinois (2:30p.m., Saturday, February 2 FOX) BIG 10 GAME OF THE YEAR Iowa is the more desperate team in this contest, and they are finally getting healthy. They are 11-2 at home this season and have the best player on the floor in Kris Murray. He is averaging over 20 points per game and look for a big outing from him today in Iowa City. Illinois has been on a nice run of late, but most if not all of that damage has come against bad teams. This includes wins against Ohio State, Nebraska (2), Wisconsin (2) and Minnesota. Iowa is better than all of those teams. We have seen across the country over the last couple of weeks, that parity is here, and the more desperate team usually gets the win. That will be the case again today with Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 45-20 ATS (3 pushes) in their last 68 home games. They are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games. They get it done today by close to double-digits.

We like to back a good team after a bad and embarrassing loss as they normally bring their A Game in the next outing. That is the case for the Suns here. They were embarrassed at home by the Hawks last time out, 132-100. NBA players have a lot of pride and ego, and good teams don’t often fail to show up in consecutive games. And the Suns had been playing well as they had won six of seven entering that game. Boston has been winning, but they have covered only one of their last seven games as the oddsmakers are posting too high of spreads. They probably won’t be on their A Game against this out-of-conference foe. The Suns aren’t a big underdog often, but they are 5-2 ATS when getting five or more points. The Suns have also had great betting success here in Boston as they have covered in eight of the last 11 meetings. They have also covered in 10 of the last 14 meetings overall.

Both teams have been inconsistent on offense, and we think this is an inflated total tonight. Five of the last six for Dallas have gone under. Four of the last six for New Orleans have gone under. These teams played a high-scoring game last month but that the bookies have not adjusted the total from that matchup tells us a lot here.

3 Unit Play. Take #773 Wisconsin over Ohio State (7p.m., Thursday, February 2 FS1) Both teams are in freefall at the moment and desperate for a victory. The metrics continue to overrate this Ohio State team and they are not as good as their net rating suggests. Wisconsin needs to keep this game low scoring and if they do they should be able to keep this game in single digits. Ohio State is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games.

The Warriors are 8-16 ATS on the road. Minnesota has won three of four and five of seven, and they are quietly playing great basketball right now. These teams have traded ATS covers for the last seven meetings, and it’s now the Timberwolves turn. We think they have a great chance for the outright win.

3 Unit Play. Take #662 Georgetown over Creighton (6:30p.m., Wednesday, February 1 CBSSN) Georgetown has been playing better of late and their last 4 games have been played under tonight’s posted number. Creighton is coming off a big win over the weekend but they are still not ranked and this is a lot of points to be laying on the road. Expect a letdown by them after beating conference leader Xavier last time out.

3 Unit Play. Take #644 Maryland over Indiana (9p.m., Tuesday, January 31 ESPN2) Maryland is at home and the Hoosiers are still not whole. The Terrapins will enter having won their last two games via blowout and 3 of their last 4 overall. They have the quickness at the guard position to take advantage of the Hoosiers in this game. Indiana is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. The home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games between Indiana and Maryland.

The Clippers offense has finally found its stride and the oddsmakers haven’t adjusted enough. We had this total handicapped in the low 230s, so there is insane value on this total tonight. The Clippers had a dud of an offensive game last time out, but half the team was scratched before the game and they played the Cavs, one of the best defensive teams in the league. But prior to that outing, the Clips had scored 120 or more in four of their previous five games. They have gone over in six of their last eight games, and we see the pace and scoring here being fluid and see a competitive game where both teams get their share of the total.

The Suns have won five of six. They are getting healthier and trending upwards. We think this line is more than fair for the home team tonight. The Raptors normally don’t play up to expectations when a small dog like this as they are 4-7 ATS when a dog of under 2.5 points. They are only 2-7 ATS in the last nine meetings in Phoenix and 5-14 ATS in the last 19 meetings overall. Since these teams don’t meet often, that is a trend that goes back years. We expect the home team to pull away late in the game.

2 Unit Play. Take #822 Villanova over Providence (12p.m., Sunday, January 29 FS1) The Wildcats are the more desperate team in this matchup and have played pretty well at home this season. The Friars are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games played on Sunday.

4 Unit Play. Take #658 Wisconsin over Illinois (3p.m., Saturday, January 28 FOX) Wisconsin is in freefall but Illinois at home is the spot for them to get back on track. They were completely healthy for this game and played pretty well at Illinois without Tyler Wahl earlier this month. Wisconsin must win the game in order to make the NCAA Tournament come March.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Bucks are trending upward and have won four of five, including a big win over Indiana less than two weeks ago. The Bucks needed a rally as the Pacers played well in the first half. But Milwaukee ended up winning by double digits. We expect to see a more complete game from the Bucks here. They match up very well against the Pacers and have a strong history against them as they have covered in seven of the last nine meetings. Five of those games were double digit blowouts. The Pacers started off the season strong but now might not even make the play in. They have covered only two of their last 10 games.

The Clippers have won three straight, including a win over these Clippers in San Antonio, and they are playing better every game as they get healthy. The last time they played here in LA they won by more than 20, and we could see that type of result here with the Spurs coming in on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights.

OKC has had a couple days off and they should be well rested and ready to go here and are winners of five of their last six. This is one of the top ATS teams in the league the last couple seasons and they keep getting the job done. Atlanta is much better at home than on the road, and they are trending downward with two straight losses. OKC has covered 25 of the last 36 meetings.

4 Unit Play. Take #685 Wisconsin over Maryland (7p.m., Wednesday, January 25 BTN) Wisconsin already beat Maryland once this season and with a total of only 125 I expect this game to go down to the wire. The road team is 3-1 ATS (1 push) in the last 5 games between Wisconsin and Maryland.

Despite the Clippers struggles recently, they are the better team here, and they are almost worthy of a blind bet when playing the Lakers. They are 11-0 ATS when the Lakers are the HOME team. They are 37-17 ATS in the last 54 meetings, one of the strongest betting trends in the NBA long term. They are getting healthy and have been playing well, and the Lakers are not healthy at the moment and we expect a dominating performance.

2 Unit Play. #619 LSU over Arkansas (7p.m., Tuesday, January 24 ESPN2) Just do not believe Arkansas is that strong this season to be laying double-digits against conference opponents. LSU has been on a bad streak of late but they have played a brutal schedule and Arkansas is the worst team they will have played in their last 7 games. The Razorbacks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games. The underdog has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings between LSU and Arkansas.

Sacramento has won six of seven, but most of those wins came against sub par competition. They face one of the best in the west tonight, and we think the Grizzlies are quite a bit better than the Kings. The Grizzlies started this road trip with consecutive losses to the Lakers and Suns, by a combined three points. So they will really be focused on getting a win here and this team doesn’t want to drop three straight. They can do it against a team they have had a lot of success against. They have covered in all four of their recent trips to Sacramento and are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall.

6 Unit Play. Take #875 Wisconsin +3 over Northwestern (6:30p.m., Monday, January 23 BTN) This game was delayed until Monday due to Covid within the Northwestern program (yes that is still a thing). Just do not believe the Wildcats should be favored, as Wisconsin has dominated this series this century. Tyler Wahl should play much better in this game and the size of Wisconsin will be the difference in this game. Northwestern is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on Mondays. Wisconsin is 12-5 ATS in their last 17 road games against teams with a winning home record.

2 Unit Play. Take #829 Michigan State over Indiana (12p.m., Sunday, January 22 CBS) Still believe Michigan State is the healthier team and getting points with them is too good to pass up. Michigan State got back on track last time out and look for another strong showing on Sunday. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between Michigan State and Indiana. The Hoosiers are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games overall.

10 Unit Play. Take #786 Wright State over Cleveland State (7p.m., Saturday, January 21 ESPN+) Just feel the Vikings playing 4 straight road games will be the difference in this game. The Raiders are the much better offensive team scoring close to 80 points per game and that will allow them to cover this field goal spread. They also have the best player floor in Trey Calvin, who has scored 49 points per game in his last two outings. Cleveland State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Wright State is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following an ATS loss in their previous game.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

Boston is missing Tatum for this one, so their offense will definitely take a hit. Toronto has been trending to the over, so we think we are getting an inflated number here. But four of the last five meetings have gone under the posted number, and we see a defensive battle here this afternoon.

1 Unit Play. Take #896 New Mexico over Boise State (11p.m., Friday, January 20 FS1) We have gotten burned twice this week with teams not covering low numbers, so we will focus on the money line tonight expecting the Lobos to win. New Mexico is 12-1 at home this season and Boise State is just not the same team away from home.

This is an opponent that the Clippers normally play well against. They are 4-1 ATS in the last five visits to San Antonio and 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. LA has been playing horribly. They have been dealing with more injuries, a problem that has to this point derailed their season. But it looks like the Big 2 will be playing tonight, and this team is desperate for a win. They have lost many games lately, but they have had a tough schedule littered with playoff teams. Their last easy opponent was vs. Houston, and they won by 21. We think we could see s similar result here as if the Clippers don’t get a convincing win here then it might be time for heads to roll in LA. We think they bring their A Game tonight.

We have seen that the Suns aren’t a great team at full strength, but with the two best guys of their Big 3 missing and some other injuries, this team has been in a free fall lately. The Nets are without Kevin Durant, and they have lost three straight. But Kyrie Irving should be back tonight, and the Nets have a much better roster taking the court tonight, and this should be a nice spot to get back on the winning track.

2 Unit Play. Take #741 Northeastern over Stony Brook (7p.m., Thursday, January 19) Both teams have similar overall records and similar records in the CAA. The Huskies being favored on the tells me something and I feel they are the much better team.

OKC is playing excellent basketball right now. They went 3-1 on their recent four-game road trip, with wins at Philly and Brooklyn. They have home blowouts vs. Dallas and Boston in their last eight games. Indiana is going the other direction as they have lost four straight and they have covered in only one of their last five, showing they have been overvalued by the oddsmakers recently. We think that is the case again tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #686 Texas A&M over Florida (7p.m., Wednesday, January SECN) Florida is overvalued in this situation and we will ride the red hot Aggies tonight at Reed Arena in College Station, TX. The Aggies have won 6 straight games and five of them have been via blowout. They even won at Florida during this winning streak. The Gators are 6-16 ATS in their last 22 games against teams with a winning record. The Aggies are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games being played on Wednesday.

5 Unit Play. Take #642 Wisconsin over Penn State (8:30p.m., Tuesday, January 17 BTN) Tyler Wahl practiced on Monday and should give the Badgers a lift after laying an egg over the weekend in Bloomington. Home court means everything in the Big 10 and Wisconsin needs this game to get back on track. Penn State is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a win in their previous game. Not often you see this low of a number for a true road game for Penn State and we expect a Badger victory by close to double digits.

This one has a strong history of the under, with 10 of the last 12 meetings going under the posted number. These are two Top 10 defenses, and the offenses are towards the bottom of the league. Both teams are coming in on a back-to-back, where the teams are a combined 8-3 to the under on the second end of a B2B. We expect a low scoring game here.

The Knicks are coming in on a back-to-back, but they have a winning record ATS in these situations, so we aren’t really worried about that aspect too much. They barely broke a sweat in a blowout at Detroit yesterday. The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won seven of eight and covered in six of those contests. The oddsmakers are punishing them too much here for the B2B. Toronto is 5-13 on the road this season and this will be another tough situation for them to get the win. They hosted the Knicks earlier in the month and lost by four. This one should see a larger margin of victory.

2 Unit Play. Take #864 Michigan State over Purdue (2:30p.m., Monday, January 16 FOX) Michigan State has gotten healthy and I just do not believe Purdue is all that strong outside of Zach Edey. Michigan State needs this more since they are at home and I expect them to win it straight-up on Monday. The home team is 6-2 ATS (1 push) in the last 9 meetings between Purdue and Michigan State.

The Magic have been solid as a big underdog, with a 16-10-1 ATS record when getting five or more points. This team has cooled off since their big win streak but they have still been covering, as they enter on a two-game cover streak and they have covered in three of four overall. They catch a Nuggets team that is a little banged up now, though Jokic should return tonight. But this game is sandwiched between important conference games against the Clippers and Blazers, so if there were to be a game they would take less seriously, it would probably be this matchup against the Magic, who we think can keep this one within single digits.