Friday the Oregon Ducks saw their non-conference home win streak of forty games plus come to an end against Boise State. Tonight a similar occurrence is possible as SMU hopes to defend their 27 game win streak against USC. Thus far USC has not looked sharp against two formidable opponents. They were blown out by Texas A&M and struggled to defeat Vanderbilt in an overtime game. Look for USC to play much sharper than they’ve shown and cover an improper number. 

The Milwaukee Bucks return home after a successful west coast road trip. During their trip they defeated the Sacramento Kings as sizable road favorites to the tune of 112-87. With the Kings having played in Chicago last night that has further elevated the point spread for tonight. Grab the value here on the Kings.

In the ACC championship two one-loss teams will square off in Miami and Clemson. The defending National Champions in Clemson are ranked number one in the country. Meanwhile Miami can put themselves back into the playoff picture after a poor loss to Pittsburgh last week. With so much on the line you can expect Miami to be ready to compete at a high level. A level they haven’t showcased all season even in marquee wins. Look for Clemson’s comfort of knowing they have all but secured a BCS playoff spot to come into play from an ATS standpoint. Grab Miami.

Mercer has been a tough team to figure out. They’re as loaded as any non power conference team as far as depth and returning talent. For whatever reason that has not resulted in success this season. While Memphis does not have a team that likely will finish above sixteen wins they do have the athleticism to take advantage of a shaky Mercer team. Grab Memphis.

It’s highly unusual to see a skewed point spread with two teams with similar records. Yet, that’s the case Saturday as New Mexico State takes on South Alabama. On initial assessment South Alabama seemed like the proper side. In further assessment oddsmakers have placed proper devaluation on a South Alabama team that’s defense has been impacted by drastic offensive decline. Meanwhile New Mexico State has an upperclassmen laden team that has their minds on a bowl game. A squeak close win last week against an Idaho team playing with a third string quarterback impacted this line. Grab the Aggies.

Perhaps no team has slid further back in the Sun Belt than Lafayette. They’ve tried three different quarterbacks to no success, and are coming off a home loss to Georgia Southern. Appalachian State on the other hand finally showed their defensive and offensive arsenal in a standout win over Georgia State. Still, their quarterback in Taylor Lamb does not have the confidence of seasons past. Defensively look for a step back as well against an under rated Lafayette offense.

Non recognition for an undefeated season can be a deflating prospect. Central Florida’s 11-0 season was not enough to put them in the BCS playoff discussion. That combined with Scott Frost’s name drawing attention for open coaching positions can be a detractor for bettors. Instead, look for Central Florida to continue to show composure as they’ve fought through close victories over Navy, South Florida, and SMU.

Sometimes teams can realize their depth advantage when injuries occur. The Jazz have discovered that. Minus several key starters including Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood the Jazz have found offensive balance. After a key pull away victory last night in LA there is doubt that the lineup can hold up in a back to back situation. Instead look for the Pelicans to be the team looking ahead to their back to back scenario Saturday. Grab the Jazz to take advantage of their home court in the second half. 

Stanford gets a bit of a home field opportunity Friday as they take on USC in Santa Clara. This is a repeat matchup from week two’s 42-24 USC victory.  Since starting the season 1-2, Stanford has won eight of nine.  Stanford’s dominance over Notre Dame may cast an improper cloud as USC was blown out by the Irish. USC has the upper hand in all three phases and confidence over the opponent in Stanford. Grab the Trojans.

The Tar Heels offensive camaraderie has not been top notch, even in wins. That’ll be put to the test Friday against a solid scoring Davidson team. In order for the Tar Heels to get an upper hand tonight ATS look for Roy Williams to employ a similar strategy utilized in conference play the past two seasons. With the offense lagging they have the ability to step it up defensively. That’ll be the difference ATS tonight. Grab UNC.

Tonight in college basketball both East Carolina and UNC-Wilmington will aim to get back in the win column. This is a rematch from last year when UNC-Wilmington was heavily favored by thirteen points against the Pirates. An outcome that featured a backdoor conclusion for the Pirates. Offered tonight is a much smaller line as the Pirates have the upper hand with key upperclassmen. Look for the Pirates to cover again.

For years Michigan State was a team that would be incorrectly ranked and sputter out of the top twenty-five. Their opponent in Notre Dame has been the exact opposite over the last five years. They’re usually unranked but find their way into the top twenty five. This year is different for both programs as they’re each in the top five. The Irish have made a living off of playing up to the level of their opponents in big matchups. Tonight will be a different story as the Spartans can play to an even higher level than showcased against UNC.

The records of Charlotte (3-2) and Davidson (2-2) do not offer a proper early season assessment. The 49ers three wins were against subpar schools in Presbyterian, High Point, and D-3 school Methodist. Meanwhile Davidson’s losses were to 6-0 Nevada and an improving Appalachian State team. Oddsmakers are not treating this as an away game for Davidson and shouldn’t. Twenty-one miles separate both school campuses and Davidson is in need of ending their two-game skid. Still, side with Charlotte who have three experienced upperclassmen in their starting five. 

This early in the college basketball season there are obvious incorrect pre-season rankings. USC has the nucleus to be a top ten team but are facing a Texas A&M team playing at a higher level and with better team camaraderie. This is the case of rankings dictating a point spread. Grab the Aggies to continue to climb ATS.

Today’s CBB lineup is littered with dynamic matchups. In all likelihood the game of the day will be North Carolina and Michigan State. The past two years the prime ‘eye’ rise of the Tar Heels has been justified. A strong core of holdover talent remains from their national title. Yet, Michigan State’s buildup for this season has been pieced together over the course of two recruiting classes by Tom Izzo. Grab the youth of the Spartans to overtake the veteran Tar Heels.

Anytime there is a battle between the Philadelphia schools you can expect a great game. Temple has jumped out to a 3-0 start with quality wins over Old Dominion, Auburn, and Clemson. Those are radar ATS attention wins. LaSalle on the other hand has lost three straight while they try to intermix a new lineup. Still they have the best player on the floor in senior BJ Johnson. He’ll be the catalyst to get LaSalle the ATS edge. Grab LaSalle.

The Saints travel this season has been all over the place. They’ve played in London and are coming off a swing to Buffalo and home. There’s also eye value as the Rams were in a winnable game against the Vikings until late. A team the Saints were destroyed by to start the season. Still, there were compounding issues to the Rams loss that will carry over even at home. While the Saints may not be their offensive selves in this one look for the Rams ineffectiveness offensively to prevent their cover. Grab the Saints.

Wright State looks to get use their home court edge to get back over .500. Looking at their schedule one would see that they’ve had a tough time with mid-level division one schools. They’ve lost to Loyola-Illinois, Miami-Ohio, and Murray State while gaining three easy wins over lower level division one schools. Look for that to change here against Fairfield. 

Sunday week eleven’s card features an improper revenge spot. Indianapolis is coming off a bye week and has been superb as of late ATS. They covered against the Bengals, Steelers, and defeated the Texans outright. The Titans on the other hand were abysmal in Thursday loss to the Steelers. In their prior matchup the Colts controlled the majority of the game for three quarters. That was a pace that the Titans allowed the Colts to dictate. Look for a flip here. Grab the Titans.

It’s not often a six win team will be a double digit favorite to the tune of twenty plus points. In fact the point spread is within the deficits of loss of Oregon State’s last five games. Yet, this is the right spot to grab the Ducks based on their weekly ascension since the return of quarterback Justin Herbert. Don’t look for the Ducks to hold back on either side as they prepare to be bowl ready.

Over the years the ASU defense has had severe issues against dual threat quarterbacks. That will likely continue Saturday against Arizona. A difference to this year’s team than prior Todd Graham Devils teams is their ability to show perseverance. Quarterback Manny Wilkins has showed the maturation to lead this team, and will give the Devils a boosting seventh win on the season.

Both Appalachian State and Georgia State are 5-1 in the Sun Belt conference. An x-factor here ATS is the fact that Georgia State did not play last week. Based on Appalachian State’s road woes this would figure to be a spot to benefit Georgia State.  In fact in all five of Appalachian State’s road games they’ve failed to cover the number. Yet, that was due to improper carry over ATS value of prior seasons. That’s been corrected here and will bode to Appalachian State.

The Raptors saw their four game winning streak come to a halt their last game against the Knicks. It was the first road game of their current trip that witnessed the Raptors melt away a double digit lead. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I believe Indiana is one of the early season teams that’s ATS value is higher than it should be. Youth has helped the Pacers early on, but look for teams to adjust their game plans now that their core is known. Grab the Raptors today.

Towards the tail end of the season there is value to be had against fading teams. Virginia has been competitive throughout the season but from a wins standpoint peaked at the onset. They started the season 5-1, before a current stretch of losing four of their last five. The Hokies are the opposite. They’re a team that were ranked far too high at thirteenth three weeks ago in a loss to Miami. That loss took them a few weeks to recover but expect this in-state game to elevate their play. Grab the Hokies.

The Giants are coming off a home win that featured improved discipline defensively. The win was against a Chiefs team that ripped apart the Redskins defense in a Monday Night Football Showcase spot. Furthermore, the Redskins have been abysmal ATS at home with a 1-5 record. Still, the Redskins are receiving better play from their roster depth that’s had to step up with poor play and injuries at running back and wide receiver. That’ll be the difference in a quick turn around game from Sunday. Grab Washington.

ASU is off to a 4-0 start with Bobby Hurley’s recruits showcasing their talents. They’re playing awfully similar to his days at Buffalo and have an intermixed strong upper class. In all four of their games this season they’ve scored over 90 points, including two strong blowouts over UC Irvine and San Diego State. Yet, look for Kansas State to defend ASU’s perimeter and off the ball offensive attack. Grab Kansas State. 

Today in Las Vegas another day of tournament action proceeds as George Washington takes on Xavier in the Orleans Arena. Xavier is off to an electric start posting a 4-0 record. On the other hand George Washington has struggled with a twenty point loss to Florida State and a two point loss to Rider in their latest game. Although Xavier’s a juggernaut offensively expect one offensive lull to give GW the cover. Grab George Washington.

An unranked Virginia team is not getting proper attention in the polls or ATS. Today they’ll take on a Vanderbilt team that nearly pulled off an upset over USC. They showed an ability to play the pace offensively USC displays on a nightly basis but fell short in overtime. I’m leery of the contrast of pace of play affecting Vanderbilt today. Virginia doesn’t have the same defensive half-court levels of years past but still runs the same Tony Bennett system. It’ll disrupt the Commodores. Grab Virginia.

Over the past couple of seasons SMU has been an ATS juggernaut in non-conference play. They’ll take on a Northern Iowa team that has been untested to this point similar to their own schedule. SMU’s strength comes from a three-guard experienced tandem in Ben Emelogu, Jerry Foster, and electric scorer Shake Milton. Yet, look for Northern Iowa to show their worth in this matchup. Grab UNI.

A team that has looked confused with their lineup has been the Memphis Grizzlies. The loss of Mike Conley has caused disarray with Mario Chalmers and Chandler Parsons getting higher minutes. Even rookie Dillon Brooks has had to take on a higher role. Five losses in a row showcase just how much of a disarray the Grizzlies are, including three straight at home. Yet, look for their cold shooting to come to an end tonight against a poor Mavericks team. 

A team that has looked confused with their lineup has been the Memphis Grizzlies. The loss of Mike Conley has caused disarray with Mario Chalmers and Chandler Parsons getting higher minutes. Even rookie Dillon Brooks has had to take on a higher role. Five losses in a row showcase just how much of a disarray the Grizzlies are, including three straight at home. Yet, look for their cold shooting to come to an end tonight against a poor Mavericks team. 

Eastern Washington +7.5

Eastern Washington’s early season schedule has not been easy. They head into today’s matchup against Georgia State off of three straight games against Washington, Stanford, and UNLV. A blowout loss to UNLV has devalued them in today’s early MGM mid-afternoon game. Look for Eastern Washington to find better offensive execution today and cover the seven and a half.

One of the night cap college hoops games today involves a neutral site tournament game between Mercer and Colorado. Both teams are off to solid starts with Mercer at 4-1 and Colorado 4-0. With each team displaying dominant holdover starters the advantage lies in one key area. Colorado’s leading scorer is a high volume shooting point guard freshman in McKinley Wright. He’s averaging 16 points per game paired with backcourt Missouri transfer Namon Wright. Look for Mercer’s team balance to pose problems for Colorado’s new backcourt. Grab Mercer. 

The Giants have been a blood bath disaster for bettors all season. Their lone win was a double digit underdogs on a Sunday night game in Denver. For several weeks folks have been trying to jump on that lone glimmer of ATS value to no avail. After a disastrous season low showcase against the 49ers the locker room is at an all time low. With the Chiefs coming off a bye week they are the less traveled team. Yet, look for the Chiefs in-game woes to continue even against the depleted deflated Giants. Grab New York.

At 5-4 the Detroit Lions have not won in style and all their losses have been close. Consecutive weeks against undermanned teams in the Packers/Browns is going to make their road challenge against the Bears tough. Yet, the Bears are a team that are still over valued based on mid-season play. Though they haven’t left Chicago in November the value lies with the road team Lions.

Blaine Gabbert has officially been named a starter for the Cardinals on Sunday. His experience as a starter is actually far superior than the Texans Tom Savage. That is a factor in a small point spread along with the Cardinals star name talent. Yet this free fall for the Cardinals has been ongoing for two seasons. Expect the Texans to take advantage of a Cardinals team that’s record masks their overall issues. Grab Houston. 

Iona is just 1-2 on the season while Northern Kentucky has started off strong at 3-0. Northern Kentucky’s experience is a key factor here but Iona has showed some positive strides. Against Syracuse they erased a double digit deficit to tie in the second half before Syracuse pulled away. That experience will pay off here against Northern Kentucky. Grab the Gaels. 

Perhaps the most inflated team ATS are the Arizona Wildcats. After starting the season 2-2 with Brandon Dawkins, they’ve been a different team with Khalif Tate. Under center he has led a 5-1 surge and made Arizona an ATS juggernaut. Oregon on the other hand is just 2-5 in-conference and coming off a blowout loss to Washington. Yet look for Arizona’s primary reliance on Tate’s legs to give Oregon and defensive minded Coach Willie Taggart an advantage. Grab Oregon.

Here two teams are far below .500 in UMass and BYU. Yet both teams have also grabbed wins as of late. With BYU’s impressive ground game it’ll be tough task to limit for UMass. Still this is a spot where a healthy experienced quarterback should pay dividends ATS. Senior Andrew Ford from UMass will not finish his career in a bowl game and likely will challenge this game as one. Last year the Minute Men suffered a 51-9 loss at BYU and will seek revenge. Grab UMass.

Five straight victories by Northwestern has catapulted them into the top twenty five and put them in position for a much higher than anticipated bowl game. In fact their two losses were to top teams Penn State and Wisconsin. Yet look for Minnesota to support the oddsmaker touchdown value here off their downgraded 2-5 conference record. Grab the Gophers.

Portland

Sacramento returns home after a dreadful road trip that featured blowout losses to the Knicks, Wizards, and Hawks. Returning home seems like a sigh of relief but oddsmakers aren’t buying it. Although the Kings are 2-3 at home, side with the Portland Trailblazers to continue to expose the porous defense of the Kings. Grab Portland. 

A close victory against Ball State followed by a loss to Host has devalued Dayton for Friday. They’ll face an Ohio team that played a solid game in a five point loss to Clemson. Yet this will be the game that Ohio misses team leader Jason Carter the most. Look for Dayton to shoot the three ball much better tonight and create turnovers Ohio. 

Although the Terrapins did lose Melo Trimble, they retained four of five starters going into this season. Justin Jackson and Kevin Huerter played huge roles last season as freshman and have showcased solid development into their sophomore seasons. Butler on the other hand is a bit under the radar in a loaded Big East. Look for their under sized lineup to give problems to Maryland. Grab Butler.

We’ll grab the value here on the steep underdog Bulls. OKC has started to turn the corner in their level of play and clearly outmatch the Bulls. In fact OKC dominated the Bulls just a couple of weeks ago in Chicago. Yet, expect the Bulls to dig in and play a competitive game here on the road. Grab the Bulls.

A true shocker to start the season is to see Pittsburgh 0-2. They lost to Navy to start the season and also a close contest against Montana. That presents value heading into tonight’s game against UCSB. Look for Pittsburgh to neutralize UCSB’s prime talent in Gabe Vincent and correct early season issues on the defensive end of the floor. Grab Pittsburgh. 

Houston -6

Tuesday, the Rockets will look to win their seventh straight game as they take on the Toronto Raptors. This is the second game of the Raptors road trip which started with a loss to the Celtics. In the loss the Raptors surrendered a steep lead to a Celtics team minus Kyrie Irving. That’s a deflating start to a road trip and one that will carry over on the road against the dynamic Rockets.

At 7-5 the Grizzlies have shown a knack for staying in games. Of their five losses three have been by five points or less. With the Bucks adjusting to life without Greg Monroe and the insertion of Eric Bledsoe, one may expect their offensive lulls to continue against a solid Grizzlies defensive team. Instead, grab the Bucks to prevail with a higher level of offensive efficiency seen recently. 

Monday oddsmakers have set a steep line as Iowa State hosts UW-Milwaukee. After being blown out by fifteen points to Missouri, this is supposed to be a spot for Iowa State to get back on track. After all UW-Milwaukee is under a new Coach and had severe issues last season against fast paced teams. Yet Iowa State’s volume shooting should ignite a Milwaukee team to get out in transition. Grab Milwaukee. 

Monday, an in-state matchup lies with Vanderbilt against Belmont. Oddsmakers have put their faith into the home team here poised for an upset. Yet, look for Vanderbilt to wear down Belmont’s aggressive three-point shooting by attacking the hoop and winning the turnover battle. Grab Vanderbilt.

The most interesting spread of the day lies with LaSalle against Penn. We’ve seen LaSalle showcase themselves as a talented team in the A-10. They’ve done so with prime offense but have dipped with their on-guard defensive skills. Pennsylvania’s strict disciplined offense should be able to capitalize early in the season against an untrustworthy LaSalle half court defense.

The disastrous play exhibited by the Broncos offense has trickled over to their defense. Last week the team surrendered 51 points against the Eagles and looked defeated in all aspects. Facing a Patriots team coming off a bye week would seem to be a huge concern for a Denver team that’s lost four straight. Yet, quarterback Brock Osweiler has showcased his best performances in prime time. He’s boasted wins over the Bengals, Colts, and Patriots in 2015. Look for the Broncos to get on track and challenge an inflated number.

Over the last several years Washington has had it’s issues early in the season against smaller schools. In fact in non-conference play they’ve lost against Oakland, Yale, Stony Brook, and UC Irvine each of the last four years. After struggling to defeat Belmont to start the season one may expect rust in a quick turn around matchup. Yet, look for a new and refreshed team effort led by former Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins. 

At 5-7 the Oklahoma City Thunder have undoubtedly struggled to adapt to their new big three. One area they have been impressive is cashing ATS against teams in back to back scenarios. They’ve done so against the Pacers and their latest matchup against the Clippers. With the woeful Mavericks coming off last night’s loss to Cleveland this may seem a spot to back the Thunder again. Yet, look for the sluggish Thunder to leave the door open for Dallas.

Sunday there is value on the road Miami Heat against the Detroit Pistons. Detroit has jumped out to an impressive 9-3 start which features a 6-1 home record. In fact they have not left home in November as today marks their fifth straight home game. Miami on the other hand is playing their sixth straight road game that started in California. Grab the value here on Miami.

California will look to avoid the double-whammy in in-state losses against lower level California division one schools. In their first game of the season they lost 74-66 to Cal Riverside. While California is likely to come out with a lead and much more aggression against Cal Poly, the worry here is in the second half. Grab Cal Poly plus the points.

The Bengals started off the season going 0-3 before gaining a little trust back with consecutive wins. Yet over their last three games they’ve been outclassed by the Steelers and Jaguars with a narrow win at home against the Colts. With a 1-3 road record (lone win over winless Browns) there is a huge concern traveling on the road against the Titans. Still, Tennessee’s lack of taking care of their opponents early is a deciding factor to weigh ATS. Grab the road value here on the Bengals. 

Mounting injuries and issues at quarterback have drowned the Packers ATS value. Quarterback Brett Hundley has not shown much in dissecting two division opponents in the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions. At home this year the Bears have rose to the occasion with upset wins over the Panthers and Steelers. Coach Fox has done it with brilliant game plans that have attacked opponents offensive strengths. Yet the Bears haven’t had to step out of the box offensively. Look for the Packers to bring forth a proper game plan to attack Mitch Trubisky’s weaknesses.

For Zack’s second college basketball release we find value with Youngstown State against Kent State. Kent State was one of the hottest teams down the stretch of last season from a non power five conference. They used the momentum to win the MAC conference tournament and were led by departing graduate Jimmy Hall. He’ll be a big loss against a Youngstown State team that is much more competitive than their subpar record of 2016-2017 suggests. Grab Youngstown State. 

Saturday there is attractive value on the Bucks based on their extended road trip conclusion last night. They were able to defeat the Spurs and now will take on a Lakers team that has looked woeful on their current road trip against the Wizards/Celtics. Grab a favorable number here on the Bucks who are rejuvenated with the arrival of Eric Bledsoe.

Sometimes a non power five conference can hinder a teams true rating. A close week one loss against Nebraska took away some thunder for a 5-2 Arkansas State team. They’ve risen their level of play each week and are a formidable top 30 college football team. While South Alabama has talent in certain positions they’re a team fighting transition at the quarterback position. They have not settled in on utilizing junior quarterback Dallas Davis or junior Cole Garvin.

At 2-7 Texas State may seem like a home dog to ride against a Georgia State team that’s played above their capabilities. 4-1 in conference the Panthers have taken advantage of winning the turnover battle to win close games. Nothing comes easy for the Panthers but they’re getting road favorite value here. Grab Georgia State.

It’s not often you see a top twenty five team fade with three consecutive losses. Yet that’s what has occurred for Navy. All three losses have been by ten points or less. Certainly factored into this point spread is Navy’s attempt to halt their skid as well as SMU’s travel to Maryland. Look for Navy’s inability to close out games to continue to haunt them ATS. Grab SMU.

Over the last several years the SEC has struggled against Sun Belt opponents, including last week’s close call for Arkansas against Coastal Carolina. Saturday UL Lafayette travels to Ole Miss and will utilize their third starting quarterback of the season in Levi Lewis. Lewis a freshman showed flashes of a great future in his first start last week in a win against South Alabama. Assuredly he’ll face a challenge but look for Lafayette to hold within the number.

As a steep double-digit favorite Tuesday we have our eyes set on the Nuggets. This is a home-away series for the Nets who just played in one last night against the Suns. After losing at home to the Suns the Nets got revenge Monday. Yet, look for a different outcome Tuesday as the Nets surrendered a fifteen point home lead to get blown out by the Nuggets last week. Denver has the proper game plan to carry over that success against a Nets team playing in a back to back scenario. 

Tuesday we’ll look for a reversal with the Knicks recent great stretch. Having won five of their six games they’ve performed at a heighten level. Tuesday marks their fifth straight home game against a Hornets team that is just 1-4 on the road. Yet look for the Hornets to get on track after a poor outing Sunday against the Timberwolves.

Consecutive games value lies with the Timberwolves for Sunday. Having won four straight games they’ll be tested against a young Hornets team. The Hornets themselves had one three straight before a hard fought loss against the Spurs. Here look for the Timberwolves to show a veteran fortitude in a game that’ll catch attention of oddsmakers.

The Knicks are a team oddsmakers are trying to figure out. Minus Carmelo they’ve shown a new grit defensively and have reshaped their offense. Indiana on the other hand may be the early season out the gate inflated team. Ride the Knicks momentum as they topple oddsmakers adjusting value once again. 

The Jazz deep lineup should give the Rockets problems. Although Houston doesn’t have expanded depth they still have the ability to run D’Antoni’s dynamic offense to a high degree. Utah is 0-3 on the road and has had poor droughts offensively. Look for the Rockets to capitalize.

Over the years the Raptors dominance at home against the Wizards is alarming. The fact that the Wizards dropped consecutive home games is a value side for Sunday. In both losses the Wizards were exposed for lackluster defense as the Suns scored 122 and the Cavs 130. Yet look for road travels to spark the Wizards. Grab Washington.

The issue of Ezekiel Elliott’s looming suspension has not been a distraction for the Cowboys. They took care of business in road wins against the 49ers and Redskins all the while not hitting a top gear. Kansas City is a dangerous team but has hit the typical mid-season wall showcased by past Andy Reid teams. Dallas has not had many big tests this season against stiff competition aside from Denver/Green Bay. Look for the Cowboys to pass this time and get the ATS cover.

Perhaps no team has sunken quicker from an ATS standpoint than the Buccaneers, nor has a team rose as quick as the Saints. That pushes forth the first re-upped Saints home value spread in a couple of seasons. While the Saints offense has been in-tune there his a history of the Buccaneers causing issues for Drew Brees. They’ve had an ability to read his over the middle pass routes and I expect the same Sunday. While the Buccaneers offense will likely continue to have it’s woes look for the defense to hold fort. Grab the Bucs.

How disheartened will the Colts be after hearing the news of Andrew Luck out for the season? It’ll likely have a small psychological impact but not as big as the other side with the Texans. Keep in mind this is a Texans team that has had complete disarray at the quarterback position since Matt Schaub was demoted. Look for a deflated home effort and for the Colts defense to capitalize off of Tom Savage and the Texans.

The Bulls are coming off a two-game road trip in Florida that featured competitive affairs. After last night’s lopsided victory over the Magic they’ll make an unusual trek back to Chicago for a night game against the Pelicans. The Pelicans dynamic lineup may pose problems for the Bulls but look for Chicago’s home court edge to persevere ATS. 

Again we find value in the Pac-12 based on poor conference play. California’s lone Pac-12 victory came against Washington State in convincing fashion. On the other hand Oregon State has been winless in the conference. Yet consecutive close calls against Colorado and Stanford have flipped their ATS value. With California coming off a dreadful performance against Colorado look for the value here on Cal.

Push aside South Alabama’s victory over Troy and there is not much to be showcased for their season. Saturday they’ll host a Louisiana Lafayette team that has struggled mightily against higher grade offenses. Look for Lafayette to attack South Alabama’s defense and play much sharper than their last performance that featured a 47-3 loss to Arkansas State.

It has not been Georgia Southern’s season. At 0-7 it goes without saying that they’ve been a major failure on the football field. That goes with ATS support as well as they’ve been blown out recently against UMass and last week against Troy. Yet, this is a home spot where they can play within the number against a Georgia State team that’s inflated from their 3-1 conference record.

Oklahoma City is in another road spot tonight against the Bucks. The Bucks length and expanded depth figures to bode a big problem for the Thunder. While it may expect the new look Thunder to take advantage of late collapses in two recent games against the Timberwolves. Grab the veteran Thunder in this spot.

The Phoenix Suns travel to Brooklyn on Tuesday as they continue their west coast trip. While the Nets did not impress Sunday as a five point underdog against the Nuggets, look for that to change tonight against the Suns. Phoenix has shown much more grit with the subtractions of former Coach Earl Watson and exit of PG Eric Bledsoe. Yet, look for the young Nets to be up for the task tonight. Grab Brooklyn.

The 1-6 Mavericks have not resembled anything remotely close to an NBA franchise to start the season. Monday, they travel to Utah whom is a very dangerous home team. After a blowout win against the Lakers as steep favorites one would expect a similar outcome here. Instead, look for the Jazz’s defense to suffer against a Mavericks team that likes to push the ball. Grab the big spread dog here. 

The Spurs have lost consecutive road games with glaring issues. Against the Magic their defense was no where to be found. Yesterday against the Pacers they showed the effects of playing with a younger team and not protecting a lead on the road. Yet I see value in a back to back spot against a Celtics team off momentum building wins against the Knicks and Bucks. Grab the Spurs as a slight dog Monday. 

The Denver Nuggets have been winless on the road but should be in a good spot Sunday in Brooklyn. They have the lineup to attack the Nets fast paced strategy and depth to hurdle road fatigue. Look for Denver to get their first road win and cover.

Washington continues their west coast trip after two an overtime loss and an up and down frenetic game against the Warriors. One would expect tired legs and not 100 percent focus after two tight games. Instead look for the Wizards veteran depth to showcase their skillset and gain an ATS cover against a Kings team drained from a loss to the Pelicans. 

The Jets have lost consecutive heart breakers after surrendering steep leads. They’ll face a desperate Atlanta Falcons team that faced the same opponents in the Dolphins and Patriots. As odd as that is, the fact of the matter is the Falcons have lost their team identity offensively. This has caused a young defense to suffer. Look for the Jets to attack the Falcons defense and cover as five point home dogs.

At 4-2 Buffalo may be the least talked about team with an above .500 record in football. All of their wins and losses have been close results. Yet, they know how to pull finish games especially at home where they boast a 3-0 record. Sunday is expected to be 48 degrees with rain. Take the Bills to continue to protect their home field. 

An unusual dual quarterback system is working for Boise State. Utilizing their system has caught teams off balance and allowed Boise State to regroup after a demoralizing loss to Virginia. With Utah State coming off a blowout win over UNLV one may side with the home dog here. Instead grab the value on Boise State.

New Mexico State has had a peculiar schedule. Thus far on the season they’ve played five road games compared to two at home. It’s part of the reason why they’re short home dogs against undefeated Sun Belt opponent Arkansas State. All season New Mexico State has been a team that rises to the occasion against stiffer competition. Grab the Aggies.

As impressive as Penn State’s win was last week it should not be skewed ATS. Oddsmakers are aware of that and have priced accordingly against Ohio State. Ohio State’s vaunted offensive attack should not skip a beat against a Penn State team that hasn’t been tested to this degree. Grab the Buckeyes. 

Four of five losses for the Buffaloes have shown a far superior weakness offensively than anticipated in pre-season. Buffaloes quarterback Steven Montez performed so poorly last week against the Cougars that he was benched in the second half. Sometimes that is needed be done to get someone to respond. Look for Montez and the Buffaloes to finally resemble the team of last season.

Thursday the Pelicans will be without Anthony Davis as they travel to Sacramento. In a battle of 1-3 teams the plot will be on DeMarcus Cousins return to Sacramento. Though New Orleans does have an upper hand in bench depth the concern lies with minutes dispersed. Look for the Pelicans rotation to be out of sync as the Kings familiar rotation pays off at home. 

One of the strangest schedules to open a season belongs to the Atlanta Hawks. Friday, they’ll compete in their fifth straight road game to start the season against the Chicago Bulls. Though the Bulls are winless they showed a competitive spirit in their last matchup against the Cavaliers. Yet, don’t fall for the Hawks road trip trap line. Grab Atlanta.

The Utah Jazz are coming off a steep double-digit loss to the Clippers last night. The game was closer than the score indicated with a slim halftime deficit and the Jazz within a few baskets late fourth. With the Suns still in disarray as a franchise it’s not hard to see why they’re a steep underdog at home. Yet, look for the Suns to continue to rise to the occasion and get their second consecutive cover.

The Mavericks have started 0-4 and have looked like the worst team in the NBA. After a solid first half against the Warriors Monday, they unraveled for a thirty point second half loss. With Memphis undefeated off of wins against Golden State and Houston, this is a perfect spot to nab the Mavericks. Grab Dallas. 

The Timberwolves aren’t considered a super team but have the talent to contend with anyone. After a buzzer beater victory Sunday at Oklahoma City, they’ll take on the young Pacers Tuesday. Indiana has struggled defensively surrendering 119 points per game. They also have an intriguing look ahead game for Wednesday as they travel to OKC to take on their former teammate Paul George. Grab the Timberwolves here.

The Celtics injuries to Gordon Hayward and Marcus Morris has suddenly turned them into a team that has to rely heavily on youth. That furthers the burden for newcomer Kyrie Irving who is still adapting to his new setting. For the Knicks one has to wonder how they will respond from surrendering a 21-point lead Saturday to the Pistons. Expect their dreadful second half against Detroit to carry over against Boston. Grab the Celtics.

The Spurs have been a home dominant team against the Raptors. Minus Kawhi Leonard this line is severely downgraded from last year’s six to seven point range. Yet, the defensive intangibles that led to a Spur blowout are still there. Grab the Spurs to negate the Raptors superstars and start 3-0 on the season. 

Consecutive dominant wins by the Eagles has pushed their ATS value to a season-high. A combination of variables leads me to side with Washington here. One, week one’s road win by Philadelphia skews this line a tad. Also, the Redskins have not exhibited solid second half football that’s plagued them in recent matchups against Kansas City and San Francisco. Teams with Thursday game rest have been strong ATS the following week, but look for this game to reverse the course. Grab Washington.

Oddsmakers sometimes have to shift line value for the downright obvious reasons. Here the Steelers are taking on a team in the Bengals coming off a bye week. Their defense has been a factor in years past at limiting Big Ben and covering against the Steelers. Even though the Steelers offense isn’t scoring at the volume of years past, they’re finding a balance. Grab the Steelers to cover Sunday.

What I’ve seen in Vegas is the knack for bettors to continue to chase the Browns. Last week oddsmakers did a great job in inflating a line that did not matter against the Texans. This week they’ve done so again but the attraction lies with the Browns as a home dog. Unfortunately Cleveland catches a Titans team blossoming with confidence and is an untimely matchup. Grab the Titans.

Out in the Pac-12 perhaps no team has been as disappointing as Colorado. They haven’t had the killer injuries some teams have had yet have taken a major step back. Part of that has been due to Steven Montez’s woes. After squeezing out a win over lowly Oregon State, one may side with Washington State after their first loss. Instead, expect the Buffaloes to play their best game in a month. Grab Colorado.

Both the Ducks and Bruins have an inordinate amount of unexpected on the field talent issues. Minus Justin Herbert the Ducks have failed miserably in two straight blowout losses. Yet, UCLA lacks the team discipline to capitalize off of roster matchup advantages. Grab the Ducks to keep this close and within the spread.