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Date	Match Up	Rating	Score	Result	Profit	Lead Time	Analysis
12-05-17	Suns v. Raptors -13	Top	113-126	Push	0	17 h 22 m	Show
The Suns caught the 76ers playing probably their worst game of the season and upset them, 115-101, as 10-point road 'dogs Monday night. But the Suns aren't going to catch the Raptors in such a generous mood. Toronto is playing extremely well, has been dominant at home, is itching to play having been idle since Friday and won't be taking the lightly-regarded Suns lightly like the 76ers mistakenly did last night. Not only are the Suns in a letdown mood following their imprressive victory, but they could be out of gas, too, as this is the finale of a six-game, 10-day road trip that has resulted in close to 5,000 miles of travel. It's Phoenix's third game in four days, second in two nights and fifth in eight days. The well rested Raptors are 8-1 at home. They have won three in a row beating the Hawks on the road, Hornets and Pacers by a combined 52 points. The Raptors are averaging 119.3 points during their win streak and rank fourth in the NBA in scoring at 110.9. They also have a top-10 defense. Phoenix ranks last defensively in the league surrendering 115.2 points per game. So the Raptors certainly should pile up a high point total.
12-05-17	Islanders v. Lightning -1.5		2-6	Win	160	14 h 59 m	Show
The buy sign is back on Tampa Bay. The Lightning looked good beating San Jose, 5-2, at home this past Saturday in their last game. It was encouraging to see Nikita Kucherov reuturn to his hot ways scoring two goals after being switched to a line with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat. The line change also energized Tyler Johnson, who scored two goals playing with Steven Stamkos and Vladislav Namestnikov. Kucherov and Stamkos rank first and second, respectively, in scoring in the NHL. Tampa Bay has dominated the Islanders winning seven of the last eight meetings. New York, though, defeated the Lightning, 5-3, in Tampa on Nov. 18 during the previous meeting. The Lightning should be fired-up remembering that recent loss, just their third home defeat in 15 games. The Islanders played a tough game last night squeaking past the Panthers, 5-4, on the road. I like the goalie matchup, too, from a Lightning standpoint much preferring Andrei Vasilevskiy against either Thomas Greiss or Jaroslav Halak. Vasilevskiy has been one of the top goalies this season leading the NHL in wins with 14 and rating fifth in goals-against-average at 2.22.
12-05-17	Islanders v. Lightning OVER 6		2-6	Win	100	3 h 7 m	Show
The Islanders have been a huge Over team this season cashing 68 percent. New York has scored four or more goals in eight of its last 10 games, including a 5-4 victory against Florida last night. Tampa Bay got its offense rolling again beating San Jose, 5-2, this past Saturday. The Lightning made some line changes that paid off. I see Tampa Bay having another big offensive game here against the Islanders' bad defense, which ranks in the bottom-six in many of the key defensive categories.
12-05-17	Rangers v. Penguins OVER 6		4-3	Win	100	3 h 6 m	Show
Only once has the Under cashed in the last eight meetings between these two teams. Look for that trend to continue. Only twice in their last 10 games have the Rangers failed to score at least three goals. They aren't going against Matt Murray either, but backup goalie Tristan Jarry, who has built up impressive stats facing the weak Sabres during his last two games. He's due for a bad game - and I see it happening here against the resurgent Rangers. The Penguins are averaging 4.4 goals in their last five games. So their offense is hot, too. The teams met earlier this season and the Penguins won, 5-4. The Rangers had Henrik Lundqvist in net for that one, too.
12-05-17	Jets v. Red Wings OVER 5.5		1-5	Win	101	3 h 5 m	Show
I see value here going Over 5 1/2 goals. The Red Wings are really struggling defensively giving up an average of 5.1 goals in their last seven games. Winnipeg has the offense to take advantage ranking No. 5 in goals scored and with the second-best power play. These two teams have a history of going Over, too, with 13 of the last 17 going above the total.
12-05-17	Gonzaga v. Villanova UNDER 148.5		72-88	Loss	-110	15 h 50 m	Show
It's easy to think offense in this marquee matchup of fourth-ranked Villanova against 13th-rated Gonzaga. After all, Villanova averages 86.4 points while the Bulldogs average 92.9 points a game, third-best in the nation. But what's overlooked is the high quality of defense both teams play. It's not a fluke that the Under has cashed in 68 percent of Villanova's last 34 games. Keep in mind, too, this is a neutral site game in spacious Madison Square Garden with its difficult shooting backdrop.
12-05-17	Winthrop +12 v. Georgia		82-87	Win	100	7 h 54 m	Show
Winthrop has the offense to hang in against Georgia. The Eagles scored 85 points against Auburn and average 90.4 points per game. Winthrop has talent with Anders Broman and Xavier Cooks. Georgia may not have its full intensity after upsetting Marquette on the road in its last game this past Saturday. The Bulldogs are 1-6 ATS following a victory and have failed to cover in seven of their last 10 home contests.
12-04-17	Bucks v. Celtics -5.5	Top	100-111	Win	100	11 h 5 m	Show
Boston just may be the second-best team in the NBA next to Golden State. Certainly right now the Celtics are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 20-2 in its last 22 games and has won 10 of its past 11 home games. The Celtics have dropped just two home games all season. One of these losses came in their second game of the season to the Bucks. The Celtics had just lost to the Cavaliers the night before and also lost Gordon Hayward for the season with a gruesome injury. The Bucks took advantage of the spot. Boston hasn't forgotten. A motivated Celtics team can beat any team in the NBA at home as they proved when they defeated the Warriors on Nov. 16. The Bucks have a losing record when meeting above .500 opponents. Milwaukee improved when it acquired Eric Bledsoe, but the Bucks are nowhere near the Celtics' level
12-04-17	Bucks v. Celtics OVER 203		100-111	Win	100	11 h 44 m	Show
There are reasons why the Over has won in seven of the Celtics' last eight games. Boston's scoring is up and its defense is trending down. Kyrie Irving is getting more comfortable with his new teammates and players like Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are benifitting from it. Boston has scored 108 or more points in seven of its last eight games. The Bucks are an average at best defensive club. They give up the highest 3-point shooting percentage in the league. The Celtics, though, have yielded at least 103 points in four of their past six games. The Bucks' offense has picked up since they acquired Eric Bledsoe. Milwaukee is averaging 108 points per game in regulation during its past five games. Bledsoe is averaging 22.6 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor during the last five games. The Over has cashed in four of those games. Giannis Antetokonumpo and Irving are two of the best scorers in the NBA ranking second and 14th, respectively. The Bucks have better backcourt scoring because of Bledsoe and Kris Middleton is a potent offensive player at the wing. Matthew Dellavedova is out for the Bucks, which helps the Over since he's one of Milwaukee's best defensive players.
12-03-17	Eagles v. Seahawks +6.5		10-24	Win	100	91 h 49 m	Show
These teams met in the Seahawks' 10th game of the season last year. Seattle was a 6 1/2-point home favorite and won, 26-15. Now, a little more than a year later, the Eagles are favored by nearly that amount. Is a 12-point swing justified? The Eagles are greatly improved. Carson Wentz has become a franchise quarterback. Seattle is missing two defensive back stars, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. The Seahawks have lost their last two home games. But, no, this line is out of whack. I expect the Seahawks to win this game straight-up. Never in Pete Carroll's eight years in Seattle have the Seahawks dropped three home games in a row. Century-Link Field remains the toughest outdoor venue in the league for opposing teams. The Seahawks have a history of stepping up late in the season under Carroll as evidenced by a 19-6-1 ATS mark during their past 26 December games. Seattle's defense still is very good. The Seahawks limit opponents to 98.4 yards rushing. They rank in the top 10 in fewest yards allowed, rushing defense and pass defense. Seattle has held its past two opponents to fewer than 200 yards passing despite not having Sherman and Chancellor. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Seattle's front seven remains imposing especially at home. Wentz has been tremendous. But Russell Wilson is one of the few quarterbacks who trump him. Wilson is the best quarterback in the NFC, accounting for a higher percentage of his team's yards than any other player in the league. Wilson has good receiving targets and his uncanny mobility offsets Seattle's poor offensive line and lack of a ground attack. The Eagles can afford a loss here. The Seahawks can't. The urgency to win is with Seattle.
12-03-17	Stars v. Avalanche -103		7-2	Loss	-103	10 h 36 m	Show
Colorado is 10-2 the past 12 times hosting Dallas and in a very good spot to win again at home. The Avalanche draw the Stars playing their third game in four days and fourth game in six days. Dallas is 2-8 the past 10 times when playing a fourth time in six days. The Stars are coming off a home-and-home series sweep of the Blackhawks. Dallas is playing well, but Colorado is strong at home - 8-2-1 in home games played in Colorado - while Dallas is 5-8-1 on the road. The Stars also are playing short-handed due to injuries and illness.
12-03-17	Coyotes +160 v. Golden Knights		2-3	Loss	-100	10 h 34 m	Show
The Coyotes are off their best game of the season, a 5-0, win against the Devils last night at home. Arizona enters this matchup with its confidence up and in triple revenge mode. The Golden Knights aren't playing well. They are 0-3 in their last three games losing those matchups by a combined eight goals. Las Vegas is averaging only 2.0 goals during its losing skid. Las Vegas last was home this past Tuesday when it lost 3-0 to Dallas to begin its losing streak.
12-03-17	Panthers +4.5 v. Saints		21-31	Loss	-110	88 h 21 m	Show
Both teams are 8-3 and first place is at stake in the NFC South Division. The Saints are home and have the more dynamic offense. But the Panthers are a strong road club with the superior defense and in revenge mode. The points are generous. So I'm going with the 'dog. New Orleans is much improved defensively. This improvement just makes the Saints average on defense, though. The Saints also may be missing their starting cornerbacks with Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley hoping to gain clearance after sitting out last week with injuries. Carolina has a very strong defense ranking No. 2 in fewest yards allowed and eighth in scoring defense. The Panthers have the No. 3 run defense and are sixth in pass defense. The Saints will have to earn their points. New Orleans has played three strong teams this season - the Vikings, Patriots and Rams. The Saints lost each of those matchups. Aside from beating Carolina, 34-13 in Week 3, the Saints' only other victory against an above .500 team came against the Lions in a wild matchup. Cam Newton played terrible in the Panthers' loss to the Saints. He had a season-low passer rating and threw three interceptions. I expect him to play much better. Newton is far more effective when he's running and that should be the case against the Saints in this division showdown. Carolina has covered in seven of its last eight road games. This has been an underdog series with the 'dog going 6-0 ATS. The Panthers are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 visits to New Orleans. The Panthers are in a better travel spot, too. They had their bye two weeks ago and then got some rust off playing the Jets this past Sunday. The Saints were fortunate to defeat a beat-up Redskins squad two weeks ago at home and had to return from the West Coast this past Sunday following a loss to the Rams.
12-03-17	Browns v. Chargers OVER 42.5		10-19	Loss	-110	96 h 39 m	Show
The Chargers are averaging 41 points during their last two games. The well-balanced Chargers attack is going to produce a large share of points against an overworked Cleveland defense that no longer has its best defensive back (traded Joe Haden) and linebacker (injured Jamie Collins.) Cleveland ranks 30th in scoring defense giving up 26.3 points a game. The Chargers may even try to pour it on the Browns being in revenge mode. The Browns upset the Chargers for their only victory last season. The key is having the Browns produce points. I believe they will be more offensive-minded this week. DeShone Kizer can move the ball and is a running threat. He finally has two quality wide receiving targets with Corey Coleman and Josh Gordon set to make his season debut. The Browns also have one of the better receiving running backs in the NFL in Duke Johnson.
12-03-17	Kansas State v. Vanderbilt UNDER 139.5		84-79	Loss	-110	9 h 24 m	Show
I'm not impressed with Vanderbilt's offense and Kansas State's mix-and-match defense is tough particularly against non-conference opponents. The Under has cashed in 67 percent of Kansas State's last 53 non-league matchups. The Wildcats have held five of their seven opponents this season to under 60 points. A major plus to going Under in this matchup is that both teams prefer a slow tempo.
12-03-17	49ers v. Bears OVER 40.5		15-14	Loss	-110	94 h 41 m	Show
I like each team's chances of putting up at least three touchdowns. The weather is going to cooperate with temperatures in the 40s and little wind. The 49ers should get a spark with Jimmy Garoppolo making his first start for them. Garoppolo is used to Chicago weather being from Arlington Heights, which is about 30 miles away from Solider Field. Garoppolo played at Eastern Illinois. He's an upgrade on C.J. Beathard. The Bears are missing a number of key defenders, including Leonard Floyd, Jerrell Freeman, Willie Young and Quintin Demps. John Fox should take the training wheels off Mitch Trubisky. The 49ers rank among the bottom five teams in points allowed, yards given up and rushing yards. Their secondary is decimated by injuries.
12-03-17	Bucs v. Packers +1.5		20-26	Win	100	86 h 35 m	Show
Jameis Winston's return is the big news for Tampa Bay. But underneath that headline should be that the Buccaneers are going to be without two starting offensive linemen, right tackle Demar Dotson and center Ali Marpet. Both were injured this past Sunday and are out for the season with knee injuries. They were among the Buccaneers' top three offensive linemen. Doug Martin likely is out, too, for Tampa Bay after suffering a concussion. He's by far the Buccaneers' best running back. Winston might be rusty after being out a month. He's a hot and cold quarterback capable of throwing multiple touchdown passes, or multiple interceptions. The Buccaneers are 4-7 and headed nowhere. Their victories have been against foes who have a 13-31 combined record. The Packers' offense finally showed life under Brett Hundley on the road in Pittsburgh against a very strong defense, one much better than Tampa Bay's. The Packers put up 28 points, the second-most points the Steelers have allowed all season. That has to boost Hundley's confidence. Jamaal Williams has been solid at running back and Hundley should have ample time to find Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb since the Buccaneers lack a pass rush ranking last in sacks with 15. The Buccaneers also are at the bottom in total defense.
12-02-17	Pistons +5 v. 76ers		103-108	Push	0	13 h 43 m	Show
Any time the better team is getting points, especially this many, I'm strongly looking underdog. Yes, the Pistons played last night. They didn't play well either getting embarrassed by the Wizards, 109-91, on the road. That halted a three-game Detroit win streak and Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy was not happy ripping his team for not playing hard. I expect the Pistons to play better and with more intensity today. Detroit has covered each of the past five times following a loss. The Pistons also have revenge for a home loss to the 76ers from back on Oct. 23. Detroit is 14-7 on the season and in the argument for second-best team in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have covered eight of their 11 road contests. The 76ers are greatly improved, but their record is 12-9 and they are striving to be more consistent with a lot of young talent that still is looking to mesh.
12-02-17	Blue Jackets v. Capitals -114		3-4	Win	100	6 h 30 m	Show
The Capitals can be hard to figure out, but I believe they come up big here taking advantage of the Blue Jackets having played last night and their own history versus Columbus. Washington has defeated the Blue Jackets eight of the past 10 times at home. The Blue Jackets are playing well, but had to play last night beating the Ducks, 4-2. The Capitals are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Kings on Thursday. The Blue Jackets have managed just six goals in regulation during their last four road games.
12-02-17	Georgia +3 v. Auburn		28-7	Win	100	5 h 57 m	Show
Sharp money has come on Georgia and I can understand why. The Bulldogs are in a huge revenge spot and Auburn is coming off a huge home win against Alabama. The Bulldogs have the best running attack in the SEC with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and a defense that gives up the fourth fewest yards per game in the country. I don't see Auburn stopping the Bulldogs on the ground like it did in the first meeting.
12-02-17	Clippers v. Mavs UNDER 207		82-108	Win	100	8 h 42 m	Show
Because the Dallas Stars hockey team is playing tonight at American Airlines Center, the Mavericks are hosting the Clippers in a day game. It's a morning start for the Clippers. The unusual early start time should be a plus for the Under. The Clippers are minus their two best offensive players, Blake Griffin and Danilo Gallinari. They are struggling to find a true point guard in their post Chris Paul-era with Milos Teodosic injured. LA is minus four of its opening night starters meaning such non-luminaries as Wesley Johnson, Montrezl Harrell, C.J. Williams and Sam Dekker are part of the rotation. So it's not a surprise the Clippers are averaging 89.3 points in their last three road games discounting the 116 points they put up against the Hawks. Dallas ranks in the bottom-four in scoring and field goal percentage. The Mavericks haven't broken triple digits in 10 of their last 15 games. Neither team gets much scoring production from their center. The intensity level in this series has been ratched up, too, the past couple of years when then free agent DeAndre Jordan went back on his word to the Mavericks and resigned with the Clippers. Dallas hasn't forgotten that.
12-01-17	Illinois +6 v. Northwestern		68-72	Win	100	8 h 14 m	Show
Northwestern has been an early season disappointment opening 4-3, including losing its past two games. Illinois started fast until losing 80-73 to Wake Forest. The Illini are 4-1 in their last five meetings against the Wildcats, winning both matchups last season. The Illini are playing up-tempo under new coach Brad Underwood. So they won't get caught up in Northwestern's slow-down tactics. This is a very early Big Ten meeting so points figure to matter a lot.
12-01-17	Spurs v. Grizzlies UNDER 193.5	Top	95-79	Win	100	13 h 6 m	Show
San Antonio gives up fewer points per game than all but one team. The Spurs have gone Under in seven of their nine road games this season. Memphis ranks sixth in both defensive scoring and defensive field goal percentage. The Grizzlies have gone Under in nine of their 11 home contests this season. So there is a clear pattern of Unders involving the home/road breakdowns of these two strong defensive clubs. Now let's get down to the specific matchup. The two teams just met on Wednesday in San Antonio. The Spurs won 104-95. So that was a total of 199 points, which went Over the 195 total. This total opened lower. But for good reason. The teams combined to make 34 of 40 free throws for 85 percent in Wednesday's game. Both are above average free throw shooting teams, but not nearly that good. The Spurs and Grizzlies both shoot 79 percent from the foul line. Memphis made 11 of 22 shots from 3-point range. The Grizzlies rank 29th in 3-point shooting hitting 33 percent. The Spurs shot 50.7 percent from the floor. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 41 points on 17 of 24 shooting from the field. San Antonio ranks 16th in field goal percentage at 45.6 percent. Aldridge is an outstanding player and he's have a great season. But the Grizzlies aren't going to let him beat them again. Memphis is in desperation mode, losers of nine in a row. This will be their second game under interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. I can't back the Grizzlies when they don't have Mike Conley, who is out with an Achilles injury. Memphis is averaging 90.6 points in its last six games - all without their star point guard. Tony Parker is back for San Antonio. This is just his third game, though, of the season. So he's still rusty. Put this all together and I believe Under is the way to go.
12-01-17	Golden Knights v. Jets OVER 6		4-7	Win	100	4 h 41 m	Show
The Jets have some big goal scorers and they usually are at their most dangerous when playing home. It's a factor why the Over has cashed in eight of Winnipeg's 11 home contests this season. The Jets, who average four goals at home, catch the Golden Knights carrying a high fatigue rating playing without rest and for the third time in four days. Las Vegas doesn't have a lot of defensive depth and it is likely to be starting third-string goalie Maxime Legace. The Golden Knights haven't gone Under the total during their past five road games.
12-01-17	Stanford v. USC UNDER 59	Top	28-31	Push	0	58 h 28 m	Show
USC rushed for 302 yards in beating Stanford, 42-24, back in early September. That's the most yards Stanford has allowed since David Shaw became its coach in 2011. I don't see that happening again in this rematch, which will decide the Pac-12 championship. Stanford hasn't allowed more than 24 points during its last eight games - seven games against Pac-12 opponents in a wide open throwing conference and powerful Notre Dame. During this span, the Cardinal are giving up an average of 15.6 points a game. The Under has won in seven of these last eight Stanford games. Stanford has the pass rushers, particularly senior Harrison Phillips, to bother Sam Darnold and also will be very aware of the run knowing how USC dominated on the ground in the first meeting. Phillips is No. 1 in the country in tackles for losses with 16 1/2. Note, too, that the first meeting was played at USC. This one is at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which is known for having a very loose and slippery grass field. I see the Trojans doing well on defense also. The Cardinal is now going with redshirt freshman quarterback K.J. Costello. He's averaging 130 yards passing a game. The Cardinal relies heavily on running back Bryce Love, who isn't 100 percent because of an ankle injury. Stanford is very methodical on offense, which runs clock.
11-30-17	Stars v. Blackhawks -130		4-3	Loss	-130	12 h 10 m	Show
The Blackhawks are playing well, goalie Corey Crawford is hot and the spot sets up well for Chicago. So I'll lay this juice in order to back the Blackhawks here. Chicago is is 5-2-1 in its last eight games. The Blackhawks rested Crawford in their last game, a 3-2 road loss to the Predators this past Tuesday. Crawford is 4-0-1 in his last five starts. Chicago was 3-0 versus Dallas last seasoh when Crawford was in net. Dallas is coming off a rare road win beating Las Vegas, 3-0, this past Tuesday. That snapped a four-game road winless skid for the Stars, who are 4-8-1 away this season. Dallas has a terrible history when playing above .500 foes on the road going 5-22-2 the past 29 times. Goalie Ben Bishop played well versus the Golden Knights. But Bishop has struggled most of the season on the road. His road statistics are 3-6 with a 3.62 GAA and .887 save percentage. Chicago is a top-10 scoring team that is averaging four goals per game in its last eight games. The Blackhawks have fired 35 or more shots on goal in all but two of their last 14 games.
11-30-17	Cavs v. Hawks UNDER 216	Top	121-114	Loss	-110	11 h 56 m	Show
LeBron James isn't the sole reason why the Cavaliers have won nine in a row. James is playing great, but Cleveland has clamped down defensively holding their past nine foes to 99.8 points per game. Don't look for the Cavaliers to lose their defensive intensity against this lowly foe. The Hawks stunned the home Cavaliers, 117-115, when the teams last met on Nov. 5. Cleveland should have plenty of motivation for this rematch. James may see a reduction in minute, though, as this is Cleveland's third game in four days and a game it should win easily. The Cavaliers play again on Saturday hosting Memphis. Atlanta should have some defensive intensity, too, after being torched, 112-78, at home by the Raptors this past Saturday. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer ripped into his team following that loss. The Hawks have had four full days off to practice, game plan and concentrate on this matchup. They also could be rusty offensively because of the extra time off.
11-29-17	Warriors -11 v. Lakers		127-123	Loss	-110	8 h 25 m	Show
Off a shocking loss to the Kings on Monday, I want the Warriors going for me today especially against the Lakers, a probable lottery bound team. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are both expected to play boosting the Warriors' chances. Neither played against the Kings. The Warriors should dominate all phases against the overmatched Lakers.
11-29-17	Jets v. Avalanche OVER 5.5		2-3	Loss	-125	20 h 34 m	Show
Both teams rank among the top seven in goals scored. Winnipeg has scored three or more goals in 10 of its last 13 games, reaching four or more eight times during this span. The Jets are likley to face goalie Semyon Varlamov. He's Colorado's best goalie, but he might be rusty having missed the last four games due to illness. Colorado has scored at least three goals in all but one of its nine home games this season. The Avalanche should bring a lot of energy as they've been idle since Saturday. The Over is 9-1-1 the past 11 times the Avalanche have played on three or more days rest.
11-29-17	UNLV v. Northern Iowa +1		68-77	Win	102	7 h 21 m	Show
UNLV has been a major early surprise. But the Rebels have played lesser competition except for Utah. The Rebels like to get up and down the floor. Northern Iowa is a tough foe for them because the Panthers play much slower. The Rebels are 5-18-3 ATS in their last 26 road contests. Unlike UNLV, Northern Iowa is battle-tested having faced Villanova, SMU and NC State. The Panthers dictated pace against those foes - and that pace was slow. Northern Iowa has held its last six opponents to 43 percent or worse shooting from the floor. The Rebels may not have the proper focus either with a rivalry showdown on tap gainst Arizona.
11-29-17	Thunder -5.5 v. Magic	Top	108-121	Loss	-110	13 h 46 m	Show
The Thunder give up the second-fewest points per game in the NBA. They have the sixth-best point differential per 100 possessions. And, oh yes, they have three superstars in their lineup - Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony along with an underrated center who does much of the dirty work, Steven Adams. Yet Oklahoma City is 8-11 SU and ATS. What in the heck gives with this team, anyways? I'm certainly not a fan of Billy Donovan as an NBA coach. He should go back to college. Westbrook, George and Anthony are all playing below expectations especially with their shooting and Oklahoma City can't win on the road going 2-8. This, of course, begs the question of why back them as road chalk? I admit, some of it may be a leap of faith. The Thunder are coming off a horrendous 97-81 road loss to lowly Dallas. That was back on Saturday. They've had to live with the sting of that for three full days. Now finally they get to play again. So part of the handicap is based on situation. Oklahoma City has had ample time to rest and game plan. Orlando is home for the first time in nine days following a four-game road trip that conclued Monday night in Indiana. The Magic are the coldest team in the NBA losers of nine in a row with six of those defeats occurring by double-digits. Orlando is surrendering an average of 117.4 points during its nine-game loss streak. Westbrook, George and Anthony should get well against such a terrible defense. The Thunder average 12 more points per game than the Magic. Orlando doesn't defend well, shoot well and makes poor decisions on offense. Oklahoma City is a bully. The Thunder can beat bad teams. The Magic aren't only bad, but they're soft, tailor-made for the Thunder to exploit. Orlando has a bad history, too, versus Oklahoma City losing in nine of the past 11 meetings, including five of six at home.
11-28-17	Stars v. Golden Knights OVER 6		3-0	Loss	-100	19 h 38 m	Show
Dallas always has an above average offense. The Stars have plenty of offensive star power with Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov and Jamie Benn. Las Vegas, though, has been a surprise with its offense. The Golden Knights are the No. 2 scoring team in the league. Las Vegas is riding an eight-game home win streak averaging 4.5 goals during this span, never scoring fewer than three goals. Dallas is giving up an average of 4.5 goals during its last five away games. Dallas goalie Ben Bishop has played far worse on the road. The Stars are giving up an average of 4.7 goals in Bishop's past four road starts. The Golden Knights have been forced to use backup goalies. So, given their outstanding scoring production, it's not a surprise the Golden Knights have been a big Over team. The Over is 11-2-2 in their last 15 games.
11-28-17	Stars v. Golden Knights -113	Top	3-0	Loss	-113	19 h 36 m	Show
It's time to take the Golden Knights serious especially when they are home. Las Vegas leads the Pacific Division with a 15-6-1 record. A key is a 9-1 home mark. The Golden Knights have won their last eight games at T-Mobile Arena. They won five of those eight games by multiple goals. Dallas happens to be a terrible road team. The Stars are 9-2 at home, but 3-8-1 on the road. Dallas has dropped its last four away contests. Part of the reason why the Stars struggle on the road is poor goalie play from Ben Bishop. He's been much better at home. The Stars have given up 19 goals in Bishop's last four road starts. Las Vegas goalie Malcolm Subban, by contrast, is 4-0 this season with a 1.87 GAA and .935 save percentage. The teams met in the first game of the season. That was in Dallas and Las Vegas won, 2-1. Now the Golden Knights get the Stars in Las Vegas where they have won 90 percent of the time.
11-28-17	Illinois v. Wake Forest UNDER 162		73-80	Win	100	15 h 9 m	Show
Illinois is a top-25 scoring team and Wake Forest is coming off its highest shooting percentage game under Danny Manning connecting on 61.5 percent against UNC Greensboro. So the oddsmaker has set a high total. The total is too high in my view. This is Illinois' first road game and first decent opponent. The Illini is averaging 89 points - all at home and against bad defensive teams. What's overlooked about them is the defensive improvement they've shown under first-year head coach Brad Underwood. The Illini ranks No. 2 in the nation in turnover margin and fifth in forcing turnovers. Wake Forest has played against weak defensive opponents, too.
11-28-17	Canucks v. Islanders OVER 5.5		2-5	Win	100	2 h 2 m	Show
The Islanders are the third-highest scoring team in the NHL at 3.6 goals per game. Vancouver has picked up its scoring netting three or more goals in four of its last five games. Neither team has strong goalies going and there are key trends pointing to an Over here. The Over is 7-2 in Islander home games this season. The Over has cashed in five of Vancouver's last six games.
11-27-17	Lakers +5 v. Clippers		115-120	Push	0	8 h 32 m	Show
First off, there is no home court advantage since both teams play at Staples Center. There are more Lakers fans in the area than Clippers fan. The Lakers have been idle since Wednesday when they lost to the Kings on the road. They are anxious to get back playing and have had good practices. The Clippers, on the other hand, are returning back to LA after five consecutive road games that concluded Saturday night against the Kings. The Clippers have really struggled due to multiple injuries. Losing Patrick Beverley really hurts their backcourt, which was in transition in the post Chris Paul era. The Clippers are 3-11 SU and ATS in their last 14 games with their only victories coming against the Mavericks, Hawks and Kings. The combined record of those teams is 14-45. The Lakers get back Larry Nance today. They also have a quality defensive center in Andrew Bogut to counter DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers have dominated this series taking advantage of the Lakers' rebuilding in winning the past 10 times. The Lakers are better now and the Clippers have regressed.
11-27-17	Ducks v. Blackhawks UNDER 5.5		3-7	Loss	-100	10 h 25 m	Show
The Ducks are 27th in scoring. So they're not a big scoring team. The spot is sluggish for both teams. The situation and history show Under is the way to go here. The Ducks just played at the Kings on Saturday scoring one goal for the second straight game. They are now heading out of California for the first time since Oct. 29. The Under is 8-2-1 the past 11 times the Ducks have played on one day's rest. Chicago yields the fourth-fewest goals per game. The Blackhawks catch a break in that Anaheim will be without its leading scorer, Rickard Rakell. He's out with an upper-body injury. This is Chicago's first home game since Nov. 15. The Blackhawks are flying back from Florida after defeating the Panthers, 4-1, on Saturday. The Under is 6-1-1 the last eight times the Blackhawks have played at home following a road trip of seven or more days. The Ducks rank ninth in fewest goals allowed. The Under is 12-3-1 during the team's last 16 games in Chicago.
11-27-17	Wild v. Jets -119		2-7	Win	100	10 h 24 m	Show
The Jets have high expectations this season and have been playing well especially at home where they've gone 13-3 the past 16 times. Winnipeg is coming off its first shuout loss of the season, though, losing 4-0 at San Jose this past Saturday. The Jets had played well beating the Kings and Ducks on the road during their previous two games. But fatigue and a veteran Sharks team caught up to them. Even so, the Jets fired 38 shots. Outstanding goaltending by Martin Jones held hold off the Jets. It has been 14 games since Winnipeg lost two in a row. The Jets can take advantage of a cold Devan Dubnyk or backup goalie Alex Stalock. Dubnyk is giving up an average of four goals a game during his last four games. The Wild looked bad in their last game, a 6-3 road loss to the Blues on Saturday. This marks the Wild's third game in four days and fourth in six days.
11-27-17	Oakland v. Oral Roberts OVER 148		93-86	Win	100	12 h 32 m	Show
This teams have met six times, including last season. There never has been an Under. Oakland traditionally is a high scoring team. The Golden Grizzlies are playing at a fast pace again this season and are due for a big offensive showing after road games against Syracuse and Kansas. Oakland can take advantage of Oral Roberts' weakness on the boards. Oral Roberts is coming off a bad game against Penn State shooting just 33 percent from the field. The Over has cashed in eight of Oral Robets' past nine home contests. This one is about offense not defense and the due factor kicking in for both teams.
11-27-17	Blazers v. Knicks OVER 204		103-91	Loss	-110	4 h 33 m	Show
The Knicks averaging more than 109 points per game in 12 games at Madison Square Garden this season while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor compared to 44.9 on the road. New York is expected to have back Kristaps Porzingis, which is huge for its offense. Defensively, though, the Knicks are going to have problems containing Portland's Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who average a combined 47.4 points a game.
11-26-17	Packers v. Steelers -14	Top	28-31	Loss	-104	60 h 44 m	Show
You have to go all the way back to 1976 to find the last time the Packers were two-touchdown underdogs like they are here. I've been closely following the Packers since the early 1960's. It hasn't all been Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. I've seen a lot of bad Green Bay quarterbacks. Brett Hundley can take his place among them. Hundley has played 19 quarters. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is 2-to-10. He's been sacked 17 times and his passer rating is 63.6. The Packers are averaging 13.4 points in the five games Hundley has played since replacing the injured Rodgers. All but one of Hundley's starts have come at home, too. Now the Packers have to play at Heinz Field where they will be lucky to score 10 points against a Pittsburgh defense that is second in sacks with 34. The Steelers defense is solid up front, has linebackers who run and hit and have a strong secondary with physical safeties in the middle. No team has scored more than 17 points on the Steelers during their past five games. Hundley isn't playing with a full deck either. Green Bay is down to third-string running back Jamaal Williams and has a huge hole at offensive right tackle. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb have been exposed as mediocre commodities nearly totally dependent on Rodgers setting them up. Davonte Adams has been the Packers' only effective receiving target since Rodgers went down. Unfortunately for the Packers, they also face great obstacles on defense. The Steelers have tremendous weapons and their offense is playing at their highest level coming off a 40-17 victory against Tennessee last Thursday. Ben Roethlisberger has helped Pittsburgh win five in a row by throwing for 1,328 yards, 10 touchdowns and compiling a 102.7 quarterback rating during this span. Antonio Brown is leading the NFL in receptions and yards. Le'Veon Bell is back leading the league in rushing. The Packers have a cluster injury problem in their secondary and may be without linebacker Clay Matthews and underrated nose tackle Kenny Clark. Pittsburgh is on extra rest and sure to be motivated with this being a nationally televised home game. Since Heinz Field opened in 2001, the Steelers are 19-3 in prime time night games when Roethlisberger has been under center. So, yes, this is that time to lay heavy wood in an NFL game.
11-26-17	Titans -3 v. Colts		20-16	Win	100	53 h 2 m	Show
I get that Marcus Mariota has a poor road record. But the difference between these two teams is far more than a field goal. That was proven back in Week 6 when the Titans controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes in whipping the Colts, 36-22. So what has changed? Nothing. Andrew Luck was last spotted in Europe. The Colts offense is several tiers below the Titans not only at quarterback, but in the offensive line and running back. The Colts have the best wide receiver in T.Y. Hilton, but the Titans have the superior tight end and the second and third-best wideouts. Mariota wasn't even 100 percent when the Titans defeated the Colts by two touchdowns. He is now. The Colts' defense is well below average with few legitimate NFL starters. The Colts are off a bye, but the Titans also are on extra rest having played last Thursday. The Titans have playoff motivation. The Colts have no such incentive and could be flat drawing their bye so late in the season. It could be difficult for them to rejuvenate their juices especially with no playoff hope.
11-26-17	Bucs +10.5 v. Falcons		20-34	Loss	-135	51 h 16 m	Show
Atlanta isn't nearly as good as last season, while the Buccaneers are playing better with the pressure off winning their last two, both with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. The Falcons have a below .500 ATS mark. They are 3-4 SU in their last seven games. Only once in their last eight games have they won by more than five points. The Falcons' Big Three of Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman are not matching last year's marks. Ryan is averaging 53 fewer yards passing per game. Jones has only one touchdown and just two 100-yard receiving games. Freeman could be out of action for a second straight game due to a concussion. The Buccaneers have gotten healthier on defense. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball. Tampa Bay has won and covered in three of its last four meetings against the Falcons. Atlanta is coming off a Monday upset road win against the always physical Seahawks. So the Falcons are on a short week.
11-25-17	Ducks v. Kings UNDER 5.5		1-2	Win	100	10 h 15 m	Show
I see an extremely low scoring game here. The Ducks are 25th in scoring. The Kings are 19th. This is a rivalry matchup and both teams carry high fatigue ratings so both teams figure to be in defensive mode. That's the way this matchup usually goes with the Under going 16-6-4 the past 26 times they've met.
11-25-17	Colorado +10.5 v. Utah		13-34	Loss	-110	18 h 45 m	Show
I'm very surprised this line is so high. Both teams will be sky high for this matchup with bowl eligibiity at stake for each squad. Recent history indicates a close gamed as the last six meetings have all been one-score finals with the average victory margin being 5.3 points. I really like Colorado's balanced attack with running back Philip Lindsey, who ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 in yards from scrimmage, and quarterback Steven Montez, who has come on throwing for more than 300 yards during the past three games. Lindsay has scored 14 touchdowns and three Colorado receivers have more than 500 yards receiving. Utah is coming off a disappointing 33-30 road loss to Washington in which the Utes blew the game by allowing 10 points in the final 58 seconds. That dropped Utah's record to 1-6 in Pac-12 games. The Utes have lost at home to Washington State, Stanford and Arizona State as a 10-point favorite. Colorado, on the other hand, has had two weeks to prepare for this game after a much needed bye last week. Utah last had a bye in September. So I'm expecting the Buffaloes to be the fresher team and certainly well prepared.
11-25-17	Bucks -118 v. Jazz		108-121	Loss	-118	14 h 38 m	Show
Since their second game of the season, the Jazz have defeated just one team that has a record above .500. That was Portland and the Jazz won that game in overtime. I have to think the Bucks have become good enough to defeat the Jazz, who are minus their best player, rebounder and shot-blocker Rudy Gobert. Utah is 3-4 without Gobert. The victories have come against the Nets, Magic and Bulls. The Nets and Bulls are among the six-worst teams in the NBA and Orlando is playing its worst ball losing seven in a row. The Jazz now are forced to heavily rely on Rodney Hood, Derick Favors and Donovan Mitchell. These are role players. Contrast this with Milwaukee's star power - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, Malcolm Brodgon and Eric Bledsoe. I'd say those four player give Milwaukee the best four players in this matchup. Antetokonumpo is in the MVP arrgument scoring 29.7 points a game, while averaging 10.3 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game. He's fully expected to play after sitting out Wednesday's game against the Suns to rest a sore knee. Opponents are shooting 50.3 percent inside against the Jazz since Gobert has been out. That percentage was less than 47 percent when Gobert was in the lineup. Antetokounmpo ranks No. 2 in the NBA behind only LeBron James in baskets off drives to the lane at 60.3 percent.
11-25-17	Thunder -5 v. Mavs		81-97	Loss	-110	13 h 22 m	Show
Oklahoma City covered a 10-point spread when it defeated Dallas, 112-99, at home two weeks ago. The Thunder accomplished that without Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams. Anthony averages 20 points a game and Adams is the Thunder's second-leading rebounder and best big man. Both will be in action here. Yet the spread opened half of what it was in the first meeting. OK, Dallas is home and has been playing better. But the Mavericks can't match the Thunder's superstar trio of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Anthony. Westbrook is averaging 34.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists during his last four games versus Dallas. The Thunder are in angry mood, too. Just two days off their biggest win of the season, a 17-point victory against the Warriors at home, the Thunder lost 99-98 at home to the Pistons last night blowing a 15-point lead. Look for Oklahoma City to vent its frustration against the Mavericks, a team they have beaten seven of the last eight times. The Thunder have pounded lottery-bound teams like the Mavericks going 16-5 ATS the past 21 times when playing opponents with a winning percentage below .400.
11-25-17	Spurs -125 v. Hornets		106-86	Win	100	8 h 58 m	Show
San Antonio defeated Charlotte, 108-101, at home three weeks ago. San Antonio has been disappointing on the road so far, but have enough factors going its way that they should be backed here. The Spurs are an above average free throw shooting team. Charlotte ranks last in the NBA in free throw percentage. Missed free throws cost the Hornets in a 100-99 road loss to the Cavaliers last night. Now the Hornets have to play without rest while the Spurs have been idle since Wednesday night following a 107-90 road loss to the Pelicans. You know a 17-point loss didn't sit well with Gregg Popovich, the best coach in the Western Conference if not all of basketball. This is Charlotte's third game in four days. The Hornets had to go overtime against the Wizards on Wednesday. Three of the Hornets starters had to log more than 35 minutes last night. The Hornets were without Nicolas Batum, who has an elbow injury, against the Cavaliers. That moved Jeremy Lamb into the starting lineup and further weakened an already mediocre Charlotte bench. The Spurs' reserves outscored Charlotte's bench, 64-16, in the first meeting.
11-25-17	Devils v. Red Wings -125		4-3	Loss	-125	6 h 9 m	Show
Detroit is in stop the pain mode after three straight losses. The Devils are coming off a 3-2 home win against the Canucks last night. The Red Wings lost 2-1 to the Rangers in overtime last night. They outshot the Rangers, 41-31, only to be denied the victory by the great goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. The Red Wings go from Lundqvist to Devils backup goalie Keith Kinkaid. Detroit should get a boost returning home to their new arena where it has a winning record. The Red Wings have defeated the Devils in three of the last four meetings.
11-25-17	Old Dominion v. Middle Tennessee State OVER 48.5		10-41	Win	100	12 h 12 m	Show
Sparked by star running back Ray Lawry, Old Dominion has taken its offense up a notch scoring a combined 61 points during its last two games. Lawry has rushed for 278 yards and scored three touchdowns during this span. Middle Tennessee State can't just key on Lawry either because the Monarchs have a balanced attack. The Blue Raiders are going to get their share of points with Brent Stockstill back at quarterback. He's facing an Old Dominion defense that yields nearly 31 points a game.
11-25-17	Duke +11.5 v. Wake Forest		31-23	Win	100	8 h 48 m	Show
Duke needs to win to keep its bowl hopes alive. Wake Forest already is bowl eligible. The Blue Devils are 5-5 with four of their defeats coming by seven points or less. Duke stopped the bleeding with an impressive 43-20 win against Georgia Tech last week as a 6 1/2-point home 'dog. This is the first time Duke hasn't been favored in this series in five meetings. Only one of the last 10 games in the series has been decided by more than 11 points. That was Duke's 41-21 victory against the Demon Deacons in 2014. Wake Forest has a strong offense. But Duke's defense should keep them in this game. The Blue Devils are 25th in scoring defense surrendering more than 24 points just twice.
11-24-17	Canisius v. Texas State UNDER 140		68-62	Win	100	19 h 4 m	Show
These are two Under the total teams - and that's the way I'm going here. The Under has cashed in five of Texas State's last six games, while Canisius is 7-2-1 to the Under in its last 10 games. Note that this matchup is at a neutral site, which also is a plus for the Under since neither team is familiar with the court and rims. The Golden Griffins are 8-3-1 to the Under in their last 12 neutral site games. The Golden Griffins don't play at such a slow pace as Texas State does. But they do have a tendency to play at the pace of their opponent. So look for a slow, methodical type of matchup that eats a lot of clock and results in a low-scoring result.
11-24-17	Flames v. Stars -126		4-6	Win	100	8 h 18 m	Show
This is going to be an emotional night for the Stars as Jare Lehtinen's number is going to be retired. Dallas has only retired four other numbers. Lehtinen helped the Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup. That team was coached by Ken Hitchcock, who is back with the Stars. The Stars are coming off a 3-0 road loss to Colorado. That was the first time they've been shut out all season. The Stars play much better at home where they are 8-2 on the season and 8-1 in their past nine home contests. Ben Bishop will be in goal for Dallas and he's played far better at home, too, with a 7-1 record, 1.32 GAA and .950 save percentage. Dallas defeated Calgary, 2-1, on the road when the teams met late last month. A rare road win for the Stars.
11-24-17	Western Kentucky -135 v. Florida International	Top	17-41	Loss	-135	52 h 10 m	Show
Not only is Western Kentucky the superior team and playing better than Florida International, but the Hilltoppers have tremendous motivation. Western Kentucky is trying hard to gain a foothold in recruiting Florida players. So they really want to look good here. A possible bowl bid is at stake, too, for Western Kentucky. Quarterback Mike White came up huge for Western Kentucky last week throwing for 485 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-38 triple overtime victory against Middle Tennessee State. White is a native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., which is only about 25 minutes from where this game is being played. White is one of 11 Florida players on Western Kentucky. Florida International lost to Middle Tennessee State, 37-17. The Golden Panthers also lost 37-30 at home to Old Dominion, a team Western Kentucky defeated 35-31 on the road earlier this season. The Golden Panthers are not playing well. In the last two weeks, they've not only lost to Old Dominion, which averages a meager 21 points a game, but also to Florida Atlantic, 52-24. Florida International yielded 333 yards rushing in that loss. The Hilltoppers have covered four of the last five against the Golden Panthers, including wining 49-21 last year.
11-24-17	Blazers -3.5 v. Nets		127-125	Loss	-110	14 h 59 m	Show
Portland is the better team, has short revenge and a monster backcourt edge with Brooklyn down to its third-string point guard. The Trail Blazers are legtimate playoff contenders in the stronger Western Conference. The Nets are bottom feeders in the Eastern Conference, losers of eight of their last 11 games. Portland's defense has been better, but its offense has been disappointing. The Trail Blazers, though, shouldn't have problems putting up points versus the Nets, who rank 29th in points allowed at 114.2 and is 25th in defensive ratings. Only twice all season have the Nets held opponents to fewer than 100 points. Not only do the Nets rate an edge in the frontcourt with Jusuf Nurkic, backed up by Ed Davis and Meyers Leonard. but own a huge guard advantage with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Those two compose one of the top guard tandems in the league. Brooklyn has lost Jeremy Lin and D'Angelo Russell, its two best scorers. Untested reserve Spencer Dinwiddie is holding down the fort right now at point guard. Led by Russell's 21 points, the Nets upset Portland, 101-97, 13 days ago. The Trail Blazers had won the previous four games in the series.
11-23-17	Vikings -135 v. Lions	Top	30-23	Win	100	72 h 46 m	Show
Matthew Stafford is a good quarterback. He's not elite, though, and he has no ground game and just an average at best offensive line. The Vikings have a vastly superior defense and more playmakers on offense than the Lions do. So I don't see this game being close at all. The Vikings have held seven of their last eight opponents to 17 points or fewer. This past Sunday they held the Rams, the No. 1 scoring team in the NFL entering the week, to just seven points. Minnesota doesn't have a defensive weakness. Under defensive guru Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have played the Lions seven times. Detroit is averaging 16.1 points in those matchups. Zimmer knows how to defend Stafford. The Lions were lucky to beat the Browns and Bears during the past two weeks. Case Keenum doesn't have Stafford's talent. But he's been doing a good job and has better receiving weapons with Adam Thielen, who leads the NFL in receiving yardage, Stefon Diggs and tight end Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings' offensive line has been playing much better, too, yielding only one sack in the last five games.
11-22-17	Spurs v. Pelicans OVER 207.5	Top	90-107	Loss	-105	17 h 10 m	Show
Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins command the headlines as they rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in scoring. But there are more subtle factors that contribute to making an Over work in this matchup. The Pelicans rank 27th in points allowed per game at 110.4. Opponents are making better than 40 percent of their 3-point shots against the Pelicans in New Orleans. The Spurs are above average in shooting 3-pointers. They are the No. 1 free throw shooting team in the NBA. New Orleans is coming off a 114-107 home victory against Oklahoma City this past Monday night. A key takeaway from that game was Rajon Rondo playing a season-high 30 minutes and looking good creating shots for Davis, Jrue Holiday and his other teammates. Rondo had eight assists. A healthy and happy Rondo is one of the top best ball distributors in the league freeing up Holiday to look more for his shot.
11-22-17	Canucks v. Penguins -1.5	Top	5-2	Loss	-100	17 h 22 m	Show
I see this as a kill spot for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is going to be well-rested and motivated having last played this past Saturday when it lost 2-1 to the Blackhawks at home. That was just the Penguins' 12th loss in their past 52 home games. Vancouver is in a flat spot following its 5-2 upset road win against the Flyers Tuesday night. The Canucks entered that matchup against the struggling Flyers ranked 27th in goals and 24th on the power play. The Penguins are going to be missing superstar Evgeni Malkin for the first time this season. He suffered an upper-body injury in the loss to the Blackhawks. But the Canucks have been without their best defenseman, Chris Tanev. He's been out since suffering a thumb injury two weeks ago. Even if Tanev returns to the lineup here, I still like the Penguins enough to lay 1 1/2 goals and in return get a plus price.
11-22-17	Senators v. Capitals -135		2-5	Win	100	6 h 28 m	Show
The Capitals are not the power of past seasons, but they remain very respectable especially on home ice where they are a dominating 68-27 during their past 95 home contests. Ottawa is struggling losing three in a row while averaging just one goal per game during this losing streak. The Senators will be without injured defenseman Mark Borowiecki. The Capitals' five-game home win streak was snapped by Calgary two nights ago. That was a bad performance by the Capitals. I don't think it will be repeated tonight.
11-21-17	Davidson v. Nevada OVER 160.5	Top	68-81	Loss	-110	21 h 16 m	Show
Not only are these two outstanding 3-point shooting teams, but neither team forces many turnovers. Davidson has only committed just seven turnovers in its two games. The Wildcats lead the nation in 3-point percentage and in scoring at 109 points per game. Nevada is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range and can take advantage of Davidson's lack of height. The Wolf Pack have firepower from all of their starters. They are averaging 88 points in two home games. This game is going to be all about offense and the total isn't high enough to reflect that.
11-21-17	Oilers v. Blues -145		3-8	Win	100	11 h 26 m	Show
I'd like to get involved with the Blues here and the price does present enough value to do so as this is a clear mismatch plus St. Louis is home. While the Blues are a serious Stanley Cup contender and playing well - 9-3 in their last 12 - the Oilers have been a major disappointment and have lost four of their past. Aside from Connor McDavid, the Oilers aren't scoring much ranking 27th on offense. Edmonton's defense has been below average, too, and goalie Cam Talbot is not playing well either. The Oilers are going to have problems containing the Blues' dynamic line of Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn, who have combined for 74 points and a plus 44 rating. Making matters worse for the Oilers is the Blues get back two-time All-Star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and McDavid may not be 100 percent. He missed practice on Monday because of sickness.
11-21-17	Bowling Green v. Eastern Michigan -13		31-34	Loss	-108	7 h 3 m	Show
I'm expecting very little from Bowling Green, which is 2-9 SU and ATS. Mike Jinks hasn't done a good coaching the Falcons. It wouldn't shock me if he was out after this season. Eastern Michigan is far better than its deceiving 4-7 mark. The Eagles have lost six games by a total of 23 points. Three of their losses occurred in overtime. They are 18-6 ATS during their past 24 games, a solid money-maker. The Eagles have superior coaching with Chris Creighton their defense is much better than Bowling Green's. The key comes down to motivation. I see the Eagles, with many seniors, wanting this game more than Bowling Green.The Falcons gave a strong effort for a half against rival Toledo last week before giving up in the second half and getting buried.
11-20-17	Ducks v. Sharks UNDER 5.5		3-2	Win	100	9 h 44 m	Show
No surprise that when these teams last met the Sharks won, 2-1, in a shootout. That was 16 days ago. These are two low-scoring teams with excellent goalies. San Jose is last in the NHL in goals with 44. The Sharks, though, have given up only six goals in their last four games. The Ducks are minus several top offensive players, including Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. Anaheim John Gibson is playing very well and San Jose goalie Martin Jones has a 1.33 GAA and a .944 save percentage in six career games versus the Ducks. The Under is 5-0-1 the past six times the teams have played in San Jose.
11-20-17	Jazz v. 76ers OVER 210.5		86-107	Loss	-115	11 h 0 m	Show
It's not strange seeing a total lined this high involving Utah anymore. This one actually opened short. Minus Rudy Gobert, the supreme defensive force and shot-blocker in the Western Conference, the Jazz have been forced to change their identity. They play more up-tempo and their defense isn't nearly as good. Utah has given up at least 106 points in four of its past five games. The 76ers have the offensive players to take advantage. Sparked by exciting rookie Ben Simmons, the 76ers rank in the top-five in possessions per game and have averaged 113.5 points in their last four games. The Over has cashed in eight of Philadelphia's last 10 games. The last three games involving Utah also have gone Over. Philadelphia put up 74 points in the first half against Golden State in its last game this past Saturday. The Warriors came back to win, though, 124-116. That loss taught the 76ers they need to play hard the entire game. So I don't see the 76ers letting up no matter what the score or situation in this spot. The 76ers are not a good defensive squad ranking 26th. They have permitted their past five foes to average 116.4 points a game. That would rank last in the league if computed over a full season. The Jazz can take advantage with their new faster pace style. Sparked by a now healthy Rodney Hood, the Jazz are averaging 111 points in their last three matchups. Hood is averaging 26 points during this span. Utah has reached triple digits in eight of its last 11 games.
11-20-17	Wolves +2 v. Hornets		102-118	Loss	-110	11 h 59 m	Show
This is a case of the better team getting points and coming off a tough loss. Minnesota blew an 11-point lead at home on Sunday falling to the Pistons, 100-97. The Timberwolves will be eager to redeem themselves for that slip-up here. Yes, the Timberwolves are playing without rest. But Charlotte carries a fatigue rating, too. This marks the Hornets' third game in four days and fourth game in six days. Minnesota easily handled the Hornets, 112-94, at home 15 days ago when also playing without rest. The Timberwolves dominated the boards in that victory outrebounding Charlotte, 54-40. The Timberwolves also did an excellent defensive job on Kemba Walker. The Timberwolves have greatly improved their defense this month holding seven of their first nine November foes to 101 points or less. Walker is a very good player. But Jimmy Butler is better and Karl-Anthony Towns gives the Timberwolves the best big man. The Hornets just played the Bulls and beat-up Clippers. This represents a big step-up game for the Hornets.
11-20-17	Blue Jackets v. Sabres +146		3-2	Loss	-100	7 h 26 m	Show
Buffalo has lost its last five games. But I'm going to take this high price on the home 'dog Sabres, who definitely are in stop-the-pain mode. The last four losses the Sabres have suffered have all been close games, including two in overtime one of which came to the Penguins on the road. It's risky to lay a price with the Blue Jackets because they are such a low-scoring team. Columbus has scored eight goals in its last five games, never more than two a game during this time frame. The Sabres are expected to go with Robin Lehner in goal. He's 5-2 lifetime against the Blue Jackets with a 1.81 GAA and .951 save percentage.
11-20-17	Blue Jackets v. Sabres UNDER 5.5		3-2	Win	100	7 h 25 m	Show
I'm surprised this total came out 5 1/2 instead of 5 because these are two very low-scoring teams. Columbus ranks 20th in scoring and has just eight goals in its last five games. The Blue Jackets haven't scored more than two goals in any of their last five games. The Sabres rank 31st in scoring averaging 2.3 goals a game. Defending Viezna Trophy winner Sergie Bobrovsky is having another big season. The Sabres are expected to go with Robin Lehner in net. He has a good history against Columbus. This should be a tight-checking conservative game with the Sabres desperate to halt a five-game losing streak.
11-20-17	South Dakota State v. Wyoming UNDER 164		65-77	Win	100	8 h 51 m	Show
South Dakota State is stepping up here taking on Wyoming. The Jackrabbits are not used to facing this many athletic rim protectors and wingspans. The Cowboys have been playing strong perimeter defense, too, Oregon State could make only 4 of 20 shots from 3-point range in a 75-66 loss in Wyoming's previous game. Wyoming has some good scoring options, but are more efficient on defense, especially at this early stage
11-19-17	Bulls v. Suns -145		105-113	Win	100	12 h 26 m	Show
Phoenix averages 12 more points per game than Chicago, is home and some of its young talent are playing better. The Bulls have lost six of their seven road games this season. They've dropped their past three away matchups by a combined 57 points. Chicago is coming off its best offensive performance of the season, beating the Hornets at home, 123-120, this past Friday. The Bulls haven't won two games in a row all season. Now they're coming from the cold to the desert fat and happy. So focus could be an issue. Some teams can win without bringing their best effort. The Bulls aren't one of those teams. The Suns allow the most points per game in the NBA. Chicago, however, is the second-lowest scoring team in the league and ranks last in shooting percentage. The Bulls were averaging fewer than 87 points a game during their previous three matchups before their outburst against Charlotte. After being trounced by the Rockets on Thursday, the Suns bounced back to defeat the Lakers on the road, 122-113, on Friday. Devin Booker has become a monster ranking 13th in scoring while improving his production in the other statistical categories. T.J. Warren has displayed intriguing potential and point guard Tyler Ulis and center Alex Len had their best games of the season in the win against the Lakers. So the Suns should have a lot of confidence especially against this opponent.
11-19-17	Patriots -6.5 v. Raiders	Top	33-8	Win	100	143 h 46 m	Show
The Patriots are coming together both offensively and defensively. New England hasn't allowed more than 17 points to any of its past five opponents holding those foes to an average of 13.4 points during this span. Tom Brady is having another masterful season. He should pick apart a soft Raiders secondary that still does not have an interception yet. Dion Lewis is coming on, Rob Gronkowski is healthy and speedster Brandin Cooks has to be taken into account, too. The Raiders were torched by Jay Cutler in their last game. So they're very vulnerable to the much superior Brady. Derek Carr still might not be 100 percent. He's not going to be able to keep up with Brady. This game is being played in high altitude in Mexico City. The Patriots just played the Broncos in Denver and are staying in Colorado this week to get fully acclimitated to the higher elevation.
11-19-17	Patriots v. Raiders OVER 52		33-8	Loss	-109	135 h 46 m	Show
The Raiders are giving up an average of 29.3 points in their last three games. They were torched by Jay Cutler in their last game. Tom Brady should have a field day versus a banged-up Raiders secondary that still does not have an interception. The Patriots' offense is healthy and back on track with the offensive line playing better and Bill Belichick's many role players fitting in. The Patriots have four good running backs to attack the Raiders, who have to be concerned about how they're going to match up against Rob Gronkowski and dangerous speedster Brandin Cooks. I'm expecting New England to put up a long of points here. Note that this game is being played in Mexico City, which has a very high elevation. That could mean defenses, especially Oakland's, will be tired and worn out earlier than usual.
11-19-17	Chiefs v. Giants OVER 43.5		9-12	Loss	-120	99 h 46 m	Show
The Chiefs should rack up a lot of points going against a Giants defense that has shown signs of quitting. Morale is low on New York to say the least. New York has given up a combined 106 points in its last three games. The names are there on the Giants defense. But the production isn't. Jason Pierre-Paul and Landon Collins are having terrible seasons. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins have taken turns getting suspended by the team. Olivier Vernon isn't 100 percent. Eli Apple has gotten worse. The Giants have surrendered four touchdown passes of 47 or more yards during their last two games. They were torched by C.J. Beathard and the toothless 49ers this past Sunday giving up 31 points and more than eight yards per play. The Chiefs rank fifth in points per game and yards. They've had two weeks to prepare and game plan. Alex Smith is having a career season. Travis Kelce is a top-five tight end and should have a monster game as the Giants have given up a touchdown to every tight end they've faced this season. Rookie Kareem Hunt should be rejuvenated. While the Giants defense is off the rails, Eli Manning keeps fighting. The prideful Manning has gotten more in sync with his new receivers. The Giants' ground game has improved, too. The Chiefs are no prize on defense especially on the road where they've allowed 27 or more points in seven of their past eight away matchups, including the last six.
11-19-17	Jaguars v. Browns +8.5		19-7	Loss	-115	28 h 28 m	Show
I understand the Browns are snake bit and find ways to not only lose games, but fail to cover spreads. But I have to take more than a touchdown here with Cleveland. The oddsmaker is projecting a low score and I concur. That means points should be at a premium. The Browns rank 11th in total defense and fourth in run defense. They have talent on defense. The Jaguars are run-oriented. They could be missing their best runner, rookie Leonard Fournette. He's dealing with an ankle injury. This is Jacksonville's first cold weather game of the season and first away matchup in four weeks. The Jaguars are in a flat spot, winners of three in a row and now playing the worst team in the NFL. Cleveland is hungry for a victory especially at home. Rookie DeShone Kizer is coming off his best game. Kizer has derailed the Browns offense with his turnovers. However, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has been a turnover machine, too, during his NFL career. Improvement should continue to come for Kizer as we're into Week 11. The Jaguars would prefer to grind out a victory without having to trust Bortles especially with a banged-up wide receiving corps. That should ensure a close game. If Bortles throws more than warranted than the Jaguars are going to be in trouble.
11-19-17	Bucs v. Dolphins OVER 41.5		30-20	Win	100	28 h 36 m	Show
The Dolphins have opened up their offense more since they've moved on from Jay Ajayi and a power ground game to set up the pass. Jay Cutler has been playing better and Kenyan Drake, Ajayi's replacement, has more speed and is a more dangerous pass-catcher out of the backfield. Tampa Bay's defense has been terrible on the road surrendering at least 30 points in each of their four away matchups. So I'm expecting the Dolphins to put up a fair share of points. I equally expect the Buccaneers to put up a lot of points, too. Miami's defense is at low ebb allowing an average of 37.3 points in its past three games. The Dolphins are particularly vulnerable on pass defense starting a rookie and second-year player at the cornerback spots. Mike Evans is back from suspension joining DeSean Jackson in giving Ryan Fitzpatrick two big play weapons. Fitzpatrick is turnover-prone, but he knows the Dolphins having played against them three times in the last two seasons enjoying good success against them. The Dolphins have the second-worst quarterback rating in the NFL at 104.8. They have only three interceptions while allowing 16 touchdown throws. Fitzpatrick, given his receiving weapons and running back Doug Martin, should produce good numbers.
11-18-17	Avalanche v. Predators OVER 6		2-5	Win	112	4 h 50 m	Show
Colorado ranks fifth in scoring, but just 26th defensively. The Avalanche are averaging 4.5 goals during their past seven games. The Over is 22-7-1 in Colorado's past 30 games. Nathan MacKinnon has been red-hot producing 15 points, including five goals, during the last seven games. Nashville has picked up its offense scoring four or more goals in five of their last six games never scoring fewer than three goals a game during this span. The Over has cashed in eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
11-18-17	Celtics v. Hawks UNDER 203	Top	110-99	Loss	-110	15 h 10 m	Show
The Celtics have gone under in 11 of their 16 games this season, including going below the total in six of their eight away contests. Most of these Unders have been way below the lined total, too. Boston showed why its No. 1 in the NBA in fewest points allowed and defensive field goal percentage holding defending world champion Golden State to a season-low 88 points in a 92-88 home victory two nights ago. The Warriors entered that matchup averaging a league-best 119.6 points. This puts the Celtics in a flat spot against the 3-12 Hawks. I regard Brad Stevens as the best coach in the Eastern Conference. He'll keep the Celtics focused defensively on the Hawks reminding his players that Atlanta scored 107 points in a three-point road loss to Boston just 12 days ago. That was was the most points the Celtics have allowed all season and only one of two games in their last 14 matchups that Boston has surrendered triple-digits. The Hawks have short revenge so that should ensure a strong, focused defensive effort from them. Atlanta hasn't played since Wednesday when it blew out the Kings by 46 points. So there could be a shooting rust factor for the Hawks having had two full days off. There's also a huge step-up factor for them going from the Kings to the Celtics. But how did the Hawks-Celtics play such a high-scoring game in Boston's 110-107 victory? Each team shot well above their norm from the floor. The Celtics rank 27th in field goal percentage making 42.7 percent of their shots. They hit 48 percent in that game. The Hawks also shot 48 percent from the field. They are a 45.5 percent shooting team. Atlanta also made 13 of 26 shots from 3-point range.
11-18-17	New Mexico State v. UL-Lafayette +4.5	Top	34-47	Win	100	25 h 47 m	Show
This has been an underdog series with the 'dog getting the money in seven of the past eight meetings. That should be the case again this year as I see no justification for making New Mexico State a road favorite against Louisiana Lafayette. The Aggies were road favorites against Georgia Southern and Texas State. Those two teams are a combined 2-17. The Ragin' Cajuns are a clear cut above those bottom feeders. Each team is 4-5 trying hard to get two more victories to become bowl eligible. Lafayette still has a chance to claim a share of the Sun Belt Conference title and has a much better pedigree than New Mexico State having gone to a bowl game in five of the last six seasons. This also is Lafayette's homecoming game. The Aggies have a poor November history, too, failing to cover 17 of the past 25 times during November. The Ragin' Cajuns are off a bad road loss to Mississippi, but had four players suspended for that game, including their starting running back and leading rusher Trey Ragas. They will have them all back for this matchup. Ragas will be fresh, too. New Mexico State has the better passer in Tyler Rogers. But he's thrown 15 interceptions. That's more than twice as many interceptions as the Ragin' Cajuns quarterbacks have thrown.
11-18-17	Syracuse v. Louisville UNDER 73		10-56	Win	100	40 h 12 m	Show
Syracuse has a good offense - and its high totals like this reflect that. The Orange, though, have gone Under in 11 of their last 13 ACC games. Syracuse QB Eric Dungey missed the last game with a leg injury. So his status and condition could be a factor that favor the Under. Louisville is playing better defense. The Cardinals held Virginia to 21 points, 277 yards and had four sacks last week. Another key factor here is weather. Heavy winds are forecast along with around a 70 percent chance of rain. That could mean more running plays. Syracuse isn't a great running team and Louisville's defense is better versus the run.
11-18-17	South Alabama v. Georgia Southern UNDER 47		0-52	Loss	-110	119 h 47 m	Show
South Alabama has gone Under in eight of its last nine games. It's not a shock. The Jaguars have one of the top defenses in the Sun Belt Conference, but only average 22.1 points a game, which ranks 107th in the nation. Georgia Southern is ground-oriented. South Alabama has a top-50 rush defense. Both teams are slow-paced. There were just a combined 33 points scored in last year's game.
11-18-17	Arizona State v. Oregon State OVER 59		40-24	Win	100	35 h 43 m	Show
Arizona State is peaking offensively averaing 40.5 points and rushing for 675 yards during its last two games. Oregon State ranks among the bottom four in the country defensively allowing more than 40 points per game. Arizona State has the second-best red zone scoring percentage in the country. The Sun Devils can almost cover this total alone. But the Beavers should be able to pitch in with some points. They've scored 28 and 23 points during their past two games and have improved their ground attack. Arizona State is weak versus the run.
11-18-17	Virginia +18.5 v. Miami-FL		28-44	Win	100	21 h 25 m	Show
Miami is in letdown mode after consecutive huge home victories against Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. Virginia has the passing game to put up enough points to cover this spread. Cavaliers QB Kurt Benkert has thrown 21 TD passes and throws for 249.2 yards per game. The Hurricanes are 0-2 ATS as double-digit ACC favorites. Neither time did they come close to covering beating Syracuse by eight points and North Carolina by five.
11-18-17	Minnesota +7.5 v. Northwestern		0-39	Loss	-115	115 h 12 m	Show
Minnesota beat Northwestern, 29-12, last season and the Gophers are better this season under P.J. Fleck. The Gophers have bowl incentive needing another victory to reach six wins. Northwestern has won five in a row, but three have come in overtime. The Wildcats don't have better athletes than the Gophers. I see these teams being close to even in terms of talent so this is a generous spread. Minnesota historically does well on the road against the Wildcats covering in eight of their last nine trips to Evanston.
11-18-17	Minnesota v. Northwestern UNDER 46		0-39	Win	100	102 h 2 m	Show
Both of these teams are in the bottom 50th in scoring. Minnesota ranks 111th in total yards. So a low scoring game is expected with the defenses dominating. But making it even more of a defensive battle are the expected weather conditions. It's going to be cold and the forecast is calling for winds gusting from 22-to-30.
11-17-17	Middle Tennessee State v. Western Kentucky UNDER 59	Top	38-41	Loss	-115	18 h 26 m	Show
The total has been steamed up. I can understand why because both teams have good quarterbacks and a reputation for high scoring games. But I believe the market isn't paying enough attention to each team's defense. Brent Stockstill is the leading passer in Middle Tennessee State history. He recently returned from a collarbone injury and is not having a big season completing barely 55 percent of his passes. His top wide receiver, Richie James, remains out. Western Kentucky ranks No. 22 in pass defense. Only three teams in the nation have surrendered fewer 20-yard plus passes than the Hilltoppers. DeAndre Farris is one of the top cornerbacks in Conference USA. Mike White is a very good quarterback for Western Kentucky. But the Hilltoppers are one-dimensional averaging just 69.4 yards rushing per game, last in the country. Not once has a Hilltopper runner gained at least 20 yards on a run. Middle Tennessee State ranks 19th in holding opponents to 3.5 yards per rush. A key for Western Kentucky is protecting White. The Hilltoppers rank ninth-worst in the nation in sacks giving up 3.2 per game. They've permitted nine sacks during their last two games. Middle Tennessee State is a blitzing team with a sharp defensive coordinator in Scott Shafer, former head coach at Syracuse. The Blue Raiders have held foes to only 194 yards passing per game.
11-17-17	Pistons +1.5 v. Pacers	Top	100-107	Loss	-105	16 h 7 m	Show
Much is being made of the Celtics possibly being the best team in the Eastern Conference right now. But quietly, under the radar, are the Pistons. They've compiled the second-best record in the East. Boston and Detroit also have the two best pointspread marks in the NBA. Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson, Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley are all playing well. Drummond is leading the NBA in rebounding while putting in his best all-around season even improving his free throw shooting making 63 percent after sinking a miserable 38.6 percent of his free throws last season. I like the spot. Detroit is coming off a road loss to the Bucks, 99-95, on Wednesday while the Pacers are off an upset road win against the Grizzlies also on Wednesday. Detroit hosted Indiana eight days ago and won, 114-97. The Pacers are playing better since then. Still, that's a 17-point victory and Myles Turner did play in that game. Drummond had a big performance with 21 rebounds and 14 points. Drummond, though, also had his worst free throw shooting game of the season in that game missing all seven of his free throws. Indiana made 77 percent of its free throws to Detroit's 64 percent yet still were blown out.
11-17-17	Quinnipiac v. Colorado UNDER 150		69-70	Win	100	10 h 23 m	Show
Colorado is a monster 17-point favorite here against Quinnipiac. That's important because the Buffaloes could be playing three games in three day depending on how they fare. Colorado will play either Drake or Wake Forest on Saturday. So the Buffaloes figure to give their starters plenty of rest in a blowup situation, which is likely. This game is being played at a neutral site, at Liberty University in Virginia. So neither team is familar with the settings and rims. Quinnipiac is stepping up in class after opening against a pair of Ivy League teams, Dartmouth and Brown.
11-16-17	Providence v. Washington UNDER 150		77-70	Win	100	11 h 25 m	Show
Providence is a strong defensive team. But Friars coach Ed Cooley wasn't happy with how his team defended in an 86-74 loss to Minnesota on Monday. Look for the Friars to play excellent defense here. Washington showed a slower tempo in its first two games under new coach Mike Hopkins than last season under Lorenzo Romar. This game is being played at Madison Square Garden. Providence is 21-7 to the Under in its last 28 non-conference games. Washington has gone Under 10 of the last 12 times it has played at a neutral site.
11-16-17	Blues v. Oilers OVER 5.5		4-1	Loss	-110	8 h 9 m	Show
Edmonton had been underachieving offensively especially with Connor McDavid on the roster. But the Oilers exploded for eight goals against Las Vegas this past Tuesday with McDavid scoring two goals. I see the Oilers keeping up their strong offense against St. Louis, which has given up 12 goals in its last two games. The Oilers upgraded their offense trading for veteran Michael Cammelleri. The Over has cashed in 11 of Edmonton's past 14 home contests. The Blues rank 11th in scoring. They've scored three or more goals in six of their last eight games.
11-16-17	Warriors -7 v. Celtics	Top	88-92	Loss	-110	11 h 31 m	Show
Boston very well may be the best team in the Eastern Conference. But if Golden State is fully motivated and plays well, which I believe the Warriors will do here perceiving a real challenge and starting a four-game road trip, no team can stay within double-digits of them. The Celtics are extremely well coached. Brad Stevens, though, doesn't have enough talent to match up up against Golden State's star-studded lineup and excellent bench. It doesn't help matters for Boston that Kyrie Irving is adjusting to playing with a mask on after suffering facial fractures. Boston has to step up big-time here. The Celtics have faced only two probable playoff teams in their last eight games. The Warriors average an NBA-best 119.6 points a game. They also are No. 1 in field goal percentage and assists and expect to have Stephen Curry back. Golden State's average victory margin is 19.9 points. The Warriors have won during each of their last four visits to Boston.
11-15-17	76ers v. Lakers UNDER 219	Top	115-109	Loss	-110	17 h 41 m	Show
A matchp of marquee rookies Ben Simmons versus Lonzo Ball is drawing all the attention in this game. What's lost is how much the Lakers have improved their defensive performance. The Lakers haven't just gone Under in their last four games, but way, way Under. They've gone Under by a combined 94 points during these last four games, which were against the Celtics, Wizards, Bucks and Suns. The Lakers have gone all the way from last in defense last season to fourth in points per 100 possessions this season. A strong commitment to defense, better rim protection courtesy of Brooke Lopez and Andrew Bogut and the horrendous shooting of Lonzo Ball has made the Lakers an Under team right now. Simmons is a great young talent. So is Ball. But I'm more interested in the spot and total. The Lakers' last four games all came on the road. This is their first home contest in nine days. The 76ers are finishing their five-game, nine day road swing here. They are coming off a 109-105 win against the injury-riddled Clippers on Monday. The Clippers defense has fallen apart. They had surrendered an average of 117 points during their previous three games before meeting the 76ers, who scored 109. So the 76ers' jump shots could be off due to tired legs, while the Lakers' concentration level might be off hurting their offense more than defense, which is their fallback position. Another factor in taking the Under is the 76ers and Lakers are the two worst free throw shooting teams in the NBA.
11-15-17	Magic v. Blazers UNDER 211		94-99	Win	100	15 h 20 m	Show
Orlando is thin at point guard, struggles against big, physical teams such as Portland and the Trail Blazers rank third in many of the major defensive categories. Elfrid Payton has missed eight games with a hamstring strain. He still might not be 100 percent. This puts Orlando in a bind at point guard because second-string point guard D.J. Augustin remains out. The Magic are the sixth-highest scoring team in the NBA, but they built up their high scoring average early in the season when their point guards were healthy. Orlando has the second-best 3-point defense in the league holding foes to 31.7 percent shooting. The Trail Blazers heavily rely on their own star point guard, Damian Lillard. He's in a shooting slump, though, making only 32.6 percent of his shots from the floor during his last three games. Lillard is just 4-for-23 (17 percent) from beyond the arc during his last four games.
11-15-17	Bruins v. Ducks UNDER 5.5		2-4	Loss	-120	11 h 16 m	Show
Both Boston and Anaheim rank among the bottom-10 in scoring. That's understandable given the multiple injuries each team has suffered to its best offensive players. The Bruins have scored two or fewer goals in seven of their last nine games. They will be without Brad Marchand again. The Ducks' John Gibson has been one of the better goalies this season. The Ducks have scored one goal in three of their past six games.
11-15-17	Wizards v. Heat -117		102-93	Loss	-117	13 h 39 m	Show
This is the first of a home-and-home series between these two teams. I like the Heat to protect their home turf knowing they'll be underdogs in the rematch Friday. Miami has defeated Washington five consecutive times, including four times last season. The Wizards are riding a three-game win streak. Those victories, however, occurred against the Lakers, Kings and Hawks. Before those games, the Wizards lost by 14 points to the Mavericks. So the combined record of Washington's last four opponents is 13-43. Miami is a couple levels higher than the bottom-feeding Mavericks, Kings and Hawks. Hassan Whiteside is back in rhythm after returning from a knee injury. He's played three strong games in a row giving the Heat the best inside player on the court and by far the best defender. The Heat showed improvement during their six-game road trip going 3-3. Their losses were to the Warriors, Pistons and Nuggets by one point. Those three teams are a combined 29-12. Miami finished its trip on Sunday so it has had ample time to get acclimitated to being home again.
11-14-17	Nebraska-Omaha v. New Mexico OVER 161.5		71-103	Win	100	18 h 53 m	Show
New Mexico opened its season with a 147-76 win against Northern New Mexico. OK, Northern New Mexico isn't exactly Duke. But 147 points is 147 points. The Lobos are a run and press team playing very up-tempo under new coach, Paul Weir. Weir prefers this style in order to offset his team's lack of size. Nebraska Omaho certainly will run with the Lobos. They've always been a high tempo team. Nebraska Omaho opened with a 108-89 road loss to Oklahoma. This is a high total, but it's still not high enough. So expect an Over.
11-14-17	Purdue -5 v. Marquette		86-71	Win	100	4 h 55 m	Show
Purdue is far more experienced than Marquette with six of its top seven scorers back. I believe Purdue will have a stronger focus, too, for this matchup. The Boilermakers also have a height advantage. The Golden Eagles have just one senior, Andrew Rowsey, and Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski is searching for the right rotation. Following this game, the Golden Eagles head off to Hawaii to compete in the Maui Invitation so focus may be an issue, too, especially for such an inexperienced squad with nine players in either their first or second season. Purdue has a strong track record in non-conference games covering 23 of the last 32 times.
11-14-17	Coyotes v. Jets OVER 5.5		1-4	Loss	-103	8 h 47 m	Show
Arizona has allowed the most goals in the NHL. The Jets rank in the top 10 in scoring and average 3.7 goals per game at home. The Over has cashed in Winnipeg's last five home contests. The Coyotes have scored three or more goals in half of their last eight road games. The Over has cashed in seven of the Coyotes' 11 road games this season.
11-14-17	Lipscomb +14.5 v. Alabama	Top	64-86	Loss	-110	13 h 50 m	Show
Lipscomb isn't being given enough credit here. The Bison is tough. Lipscomb has mde good progress under coach Casey Alexander. The team went 20-13 last season, finishing second in the Atlantic Sun and have nine of its top 10 returning scorers back. Rob Marberry and Garrison Mathews are excellent players for Lipscomb. Mathews is averaging 31 points in two games this season. The team ranked ninth nationally in scoring last season and has improved its defense. Alabama is nicked up and faces the distraction of playing in its first home game of the season. This is going to be a far closer game than the oddsmaker envisioned with this spread.
11-13-17	Nuggets v. Blazers -115	Top	82-99	Win	100	16 h 48 m	Show
The Trail Blazers have matched up well to the Nuggets winning six of the past seven in the series, including going 3-1 last season. Yet the line opened around pick because Portland is just 6-6 while the Nuggets are 7-2 in their last nine games. Portland, though, could be 10-2 instead of 6-6 if close games had gone its way. The Trail Blazers rank No. 1 in rebounding percentage, hold a strong backcourt edge on the Nuggets with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and rank fifth in 3-point percentage. Denver is in an odd scheduling spot. The Nuggets have played six straight home games. This is their first road game in 12 days. The Nuggets then return home to host New Orleans. That game doesn't come until Friday. Denver is 1-4 ATS in its last five road contests. The Nuggets beat Orlando, 125-107, this past Saturday night. The Magic, though, were without their two top point guards. The Nuggets rolled to an 18-point victory. Denver defeated Oklahoma City in its previous game before Orlando. So I don't believe the Nuggets will have as much intensity as the Trail Blazers will have. Portland has one of the best home-courts in the NBA. The Trail Blazers are off a surprising and hugely disappointing home loss to the Nets this past Friday. They had the weekend to steam about that defeat. Now they have an opportunity to vent that frustration in a favorable scheduling spot against a foe they've had good success against.
11-13-17	Blues -109 v. Flames		4-7	Loss	-109	13 h 42 m	Show
I'll take the better team at this price especially off a bad loss. St. Louis has lost only two of its last 12 games during regulation. But one of those defeats was a 5-2 home loss to the Islanders this past Saturday. That left a bad taste for the Blues and should ensure they will be up for this game in bounce back fashion. The Blues are one of the best road clubs winning 18 of their last 26 away matchups. They have beaten the Flames four of the past five times in Calgary. These two teams met Oct. 25 in St. Louis. The Blues crushed the Flames, 5-2.
11-12-17	Sharks v. Kings UNDER 5.5		2-1	Win	100	13 h 41 m	Show
These two teams recently played the up-tempo Lightning and each gave up five goals. Look for a normal defensive struggle now that the Sharks and Kings are playing each other. I'm surprised the total didn't open 5. I'm willing to lay higher juice to get 5 1/2. San Jose ranks No. 1 defensively. The Kings are right behind them with the second-best defense. Both teams have outstanding goalies with Martin Jones slated to be back in goal for San Jose and Jonathan Quick going for LA.