Out in the SEC Wednesday an intriguing matchup lies between Mississippi State and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mississippi State has lost two of three games including a home loss Saturday to undefeated Auburn. They’ll need to step up their offense against a Crimson Tide team that has scored ninety or more points in four straight games. In what should be a back and forth game look for the Bulldogs size and athleticism to override Alabama’s frantic pace. Grab the Bulldogs.

West Virginia proved they belong amongst the second or third tier in college hoops with a competitive loss against Kansas. For Oklahoma State they just lost by twenty points against a defensive minded Baylor team. The Mountaineers are successful because of their defense and ability to limit games possessions. Yet Oklahoma State should be able to bounce back and hand the Mountaineers their second straight loss 

The Utah Jazz have been on a tear having won five straight games and ten of eleven overall. Throughout their winning streak the Jazz have found uncanny ways to cover ATS, including narrow spread wins over the Nets, Pistons, and Bulls. Tonight though look for the Pelicans to show some life as they’ve been a team improving. Grab the Pelicans to thwart the Jazz’s incredible surge. 

An obscure point spread is offered Monday in the Sun Belt between UT Arlington and South Alabama. At 5-10 Arlington comes in as a sizable favorite. This is a case where one has to examine a teams losses and Arlington has a plethora by minimal points. While South Alabama nearly defeated Auburn they’re going to run into a buzzsaw motivated Arlington team Monday. Grab Arlington 

The Pac-12 will conclude Sunday night action with a big game as USC travels to play Washington. The Huskies fell out of the top twenty five with a loss against Houston on Christmas Day. That tournament in Hawaii has appeared to effect the Huskies as they were flat in a home loss against UCLA on Thursday. With USC at 12-2 and two capable seniors this could be another poor spot for the Huskies. Instead grab Washington on a trimmed spread to break out of their rut. 

Sunday in the Atlantic 10 the Richmond Spiders will travel to take on Rhode Island. The Spiders have a three-win differential over Rhode Island and have defeated teams in Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, and Boston College. Off an embarrassing loss against Brown look for Rhode Island to be prepared for their first Atlantic 10 matchup of the season. Grab Rhode Island.

Saturday an under the radar matchup in the Missouri Valley conference is Southern Illinois vs Illinois State. Neither team has a record above .500 but the Salukis come in having won four straight home games. Illinois State’s limited bench is a concern but look for the Redbirds to build off their big win over Northern Iowa. Grab Illinois State. 

Oklahoma heads into Big 12 play Saturday aiming to stay undefeated at home. They’ll take on a Kansas State team that had a very disappointing non-conference record of 7-5. A main culprit in the Wildcats woes has been inconsistent shooting and a lack of playmakers. Yet opening conference play look for the Wildcats to hold tough against the Sooners. Grab Kansas State. 

Memphis surge into the top ten has been done with just one win over a top twenty-five team. Putting forth two strong halves has been an issue in close wins this year for the Tigers. Saturday they’ll get a big test against Georgia but expect the Tigers to put forth a full forty minutes of great basketball. Grab Memphis.

The Utah Jazz have now won eight of their last nine games. They’ve done so with a an increase in offense without limiting their half court defense. That’s a style adjustment that has led to several blowouts but one that can’t be sustainable. Tonight look for the Bulls to take advantage of their home court and keep this game close. Grab the Bulls. 

One of the early New Year’s Eve games in the NBA will be between the Clippers and Kings. The Clippers have dealt with a few injuries that have caused them three losses recently. Point guard Patrick Beverly remains out for today’s game. For the Kings they’ve lost seven straight games. The majority of those losses have been competitive games. Yet look for another loss as the Clippers play with an edge to close out 2019.

Typically poor play at the end of non-conference is going to carry over into conference play. For Clemson they have dropped five of their last six games. Scoring points has been the main issue as they’ve failed to score over sixty points in all but one of those losses. Off of an extended nine days break look for Clemson to execute and get the ATS win over the Hurricanes.

The Utah Jazz head into Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons winners of seven of their last eight games. Expect another big effort from the Jazz as they’re facing a Detroit Pistons team unsettled on both ends of the floor. An uncanny schedule from the Jazz is in the middle of seven of nine road games. Look for the Jazz to take advantage Monday of a home spot before a three game road trip. 

College of Charleston heads to face a Delaware team that’s 11-3. This has been a one-sided rivalry in past seasons by Charleston. They also the benefit of a much tougher non-conference schedule than Delaware. Yet this is a spot where you can lean on Delaware as they have the team to play above the strengths of Charleston. Buck the trend of years past and take Delaware.

Long layoffs from both Xavier and Villanova are factors to consider in Monday’s Big East matchup. Villanova is coming off a big win on December 21st against Kansas but did so with strictly defense. In order to topple Xavier they’ll need to execute more efficiently offensively. Look for that to be the case as Villanova shows they’re ready for Big East action. Grab the Wildcats 

The fire power of Duquesne has led them to a 10-1 record and drawn the eyes. Yet they’re just 5-6 ATS. Marshall has the capability of hanging around in this one and matching the scoring capabilities of Duquesne. With both teams coming off an extended holiday break look for sloppy play and an ATS friendly final for Marshall. 

Horizon league play begins Saturday as Oakland will host Detroit. Neither team has a winning record as Oakland comes in having lost six of seven games. With electric sophomore guard Antoine Davis on Detroit’s side value may seem to be on the Titans. Yet Davis is struggling with a whopping five turnovers a game and a shooting percentage of thirty-seven percent. Grab Oakland to pull away here.

Losses in four of their last six games has landed the Wisconsin Badgers at 6-5. Saturday, before Big 10 play begins they’ll take on the Tennessee Vols. Record wise the Volunteers look the part at 8-3. Yet look for the Badgers to fight hard in this one and play to the level the number suggests. Grab Wisconsin.

The Golden State Warriors have now won three straight games. Their win over the Rockets on Christmas Day showcased their rising youth along with Draymond Green and DeAngelo Russell. Friday they’ll face a Suns team that’s been trending in the wrong direction. Yet look for the Suns to be the aggressor early and end the Warriors win streak. Grab Phoenix 

News of Luka Doncic returning for the Mavericks today is big news for Dallas. Minus Doncic they had struggled with consistency going 3-4 over their last seven games. An area they’ve faltered throughout the year is creating a standout identity on their home floor. Look for tonight’s task against a veteran Spurs team that’s out of sync to be of capitalization. Grab Dallas. 

The Brooklyn Nets come into Thursday’s game against the Knicks with a full five days of rest. Brooklyn has won both matchups this year against the Knicks by a combined margin of six points. This included a matchup on November 24th where the Nets allowed a backdoor cover after nearly surrendering an eleven point lead. Grab the Knicks here for another competitive matchup even with Spencer Dinwiddie playing at an elite level. 

Christmas Day features five main games in the NBA, and I’m eyeing the first. The Boston Celtics will take on a team in the Toronto Raptors that have been outstanding at home. They also got Kyle Lowry back from injury a few games ago. Yet this Celtics team has gained major momentum over the last ten days. Look for their rising strength to show on the road in a tough environment against the Raptors. Grab Boston.

The LA Clippers travel up north to face Oklahoma City. It’s their third game in four days and will be a back to back scenario. That likely means no Kawhi Leonard to go up against Paul George’s former team. Keep in mind the Thunder also have a plethora of ex Clippers including veteran leader Paul George. Yet this Clippers team has a different pedigree even minus Leonard. Grab the Clippers. 

Ohio State and Kentucky will be the premier matchup in college hoops Saturday in Las Vegas.  The Wildcats are coming off a sloppy performance and loss to the Utah Utes. Coach Calipari is rarely in a spot for consecutive losses but this is a spot to be leery of. Ohio State has played exceptional against top teams and will not be up for the challenge in Sin City. Grab Ohio State. 

Georgia State has now won six straight games. Their veteran team had held up even with a coaching change over. Yet Saturday they’ll face a Texas State team that knows that let a win slip away against Georgia Southern. Except an aggressive Texas State team early which should give the Panthers troubles. Grab Texas State

Surprisingly the Boston Celtics will meet the Detroit Pistons for the first time this season Friday. The Celtics were able to avoid a three game losing streak by mounting a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. The late surge was done via offensive spurts that should carry over against the Detroit Pistons. Grab the Celtics to roll Friday.

Thursday night a big game will take place between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets have already defeated the Clippers once this season but that was when the Clippers were minus Paul George. Houston has also been sporadic as of late. Yet even with the Clippers strong home record look for the Rockets to play spoiler as they did earlier this season. Grab Houston.

Wednesday the Boston Celtics will look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. They’re on the road against a Dallas Mavericks team that ended the Milwaukee Bucks eighteen straight victories on Monday. It was a big win but also showcased the Mavericks strong away record at 10-2. At home they’re not as strong. Look for the Celtics to take advantage tonight. 

Aside from a blowout losses to Milwaukee and Houston the Orlando Magic have been ATS friendly against teams above .500. A strong reason for that is their immense depth which translates to different scoring options. Yet look for the Jazz to have one of their showcase home wins as they neutralize the Magic’s depth advantage.

Tuesday extended rest is on the side of North Texas as they travel to take on the Dayton Flyers. The Mean Green come in on ten days of rest while Dayton played on the fourteenth. Tail end of non-conference end of first semester has always been a tricky spot for teams. With the Mean Green recent single digit losses to Utah State and Oklahoma don’t expect the Flyers to be lackadaisical. Grab Dayton.  

One of the more peculiar lines for Saturday in college basketball lies with Wisconsin-Green Bay against Evansville. Evansville and Wisconsin-Green Bay have opposite records in terms of wins and losses with Evansville boasting a 7 and 3 record. Their stand out victory over Kentucky will likely go down as the biggest upset of the season. Yet Wisconsin-Green Bay has been battle tested with seven of their ten games on the road. They hang around in recent double-digit underdog losses against Central Florida and Xavier. Look for a break out game for the Phoenix Saturday. 

    DePaul fell from the list of unbeaten teams in their last matchup against Buffalo. Saturday they'll face an Illinois-Chicago team that is just 4-6 and whom they defeated 70-50 in 2018. Expect an angle of revenge to be at hand for Illinois-Chicago. They may be 0-3 away but have a sound starting five that includes electric scoring guard Tarkus Ferguson. Grab the points here on the Flames

Pre-season expectations can overwhelm teams and that appears to be the case for Michigan State. Three losses have dropped them to sixteenth in the country. They're coming off a game against Rutgers that was closer than the final score of 77 to 65. Expect Michigan State to have a complete two halves of excellent basketball against and cruise against Oakland to begin Saturday's college basketball slate. 

The Knicks just ended their elongated losing streak but still made it difficult on themselves. They blew an 18 point lead against the Warriors and had to win the game in overtime. Friday they’ll face a Kings team that has won three straight games. They also have a road blowout win at Madison Square Garden under their belt. Still look for the Knicks to continue to show fight as they continue on their west coast road trip 

Ineligibility for Oscar Frayer and Jaylen Fischer for Grand Canyon has had a ripple effect on the Antelopes. They opened the year with a loss to a division two school in a pre-season exhibition and also lost their first three games . Dan Majerle’s limited depth have led to playing only seven athletes. They’ll need to find scoring somewhere to hold against a Northern Iowa team that is 9-1 and just upset Colorado. Look for the edge for the Antelopes to come at the free throw line and with a turnover advantage. Grab Grand Canyon. 

Eight straight losses by the Cleveland Cavaliers have put them in another predicament. Trade rumors have began to swirl around big man Kevin Love as the Cavaliers look to go in a complete rebuild mode. Friday they’ll face a Spurs team that has recently patched together wins after losing ten of eleven. Still there are high concerns in uncharted territories for a Spurs team coached by Popovich. Grab the points here on the Cavaliers. 

Matchup issues exist tonight for the Cyclones as they take on in-state rival Iowa. Big man Luka Garza will be the main point of emphasis for Iowa State. Garza on the year is averaging over twenty-two points a game, which included a recent forty-four point effort against Michigan. Garza’s play has led to kick out passes for perimeter shots and extended trips to the free throw line. Look for the Cyclones to feed off their crowd and make enough runs to hold off the Hawkeyes. Grab Iowa State.

The Michigan Wolverines avoided back to back let downs with a win over Iowa. They did so by putting on a clinic offensively and scoring 103 points. Today they’ll face a Big 10 opponent in consecutive games which is also the case for Illinois. The Fighting Illini nearly defeated the Terrapins but failed to execute for two halves. Look for that to change tonight as they look to make a statement against Michigan. 

The Virginia Tech Hokies began the season 6-0 and covered every number in the process. This included a big upset win over Michigan State. Since their play and results on the court have flipped dramatically with three consecutive losses. Today they’ll face a small school opponent in Chattanooga that has value based on the Hokies losing streak. Grab the Mocs.

The Miami Heat’s home dominance has reached double digits at 10-0. Two of their victories have came against tonight’s opponent in the Atlanta Hawks. Both matchups were decided by nine points or more. With the Hawks poor defense and Heat’s ability for explosive offensive quarters a third victory is likely for Miami. Yet I’ll take the points here as Atlanta gives a better effort than the prior two.

A team that has vastly under performed to start the season has been Providence. Not just from a wins and losses stand point but also ATS. They had lost three straight games before surviving to hold off a hot shooting Pepperdine team. All four of those matchups they faltered ATS. Friday look for a change over as Providence started to find their flow offensively in their latest win over Pepperdine. Grab Providence.

An uncanny conference matchup starts the college hoops schedule off Friday. Michigan will host Iowa looking to redeem themselves from a tough loss against Louisville. They’ll face a Hawkeyes team that has had heavy travel. Iowa had a tournament in Las Vegas last week before traveling to upstate New York against Syracuse. While the Wolverines likely will dictate tempo look for the Hawkeyes to have a scouting report and execution edge over the Wolverines

The High Point Panthers stand at 1-7 with their only win against a non division one school. In fact all of their losses have been by double figures including a 59-33 loss to Boston College and their latest loss 93-70 against North Florida. Yet look for tonight to be a winnable game against an Elon team that’s vulnerable on the offensive end of the floor. Grab the points here. 

With Houston’s loss last night the Mavericks moved up to first place in the division. Winners of eight of their last nine games the Mavericks have shown they are a true elite contender in the West. They’re also returning home from three straight road wins that featured a six-point outright win over the Lakers. I’ll still take the points here as the Mavericks have shown a bit of weakness at home and the Timberwolves on the other hand play better on the road. Grab the Timberwolves. 

South Carolina’s struggles to begin the year have featured three losses. Two losses to non power five schools in Boston and Northern Iowa as well as a blowout loss to Wichita State. The offensively challenged Gamecocks will face a Umass team on a three-game losing streak. Look for South Carolina to impose their defensive presence to offset their offensive issues. Grab the Gamecocks. 

Offensively the Portland Trailblazers have seen a spark since acquiring Carmelo Anthony. Where they still are lacking is defensively. That could be troublesome Tuesday against a Clippers team that prides itself of both ends of the floor. On a big number look for Portland to have a couple of surges offensively to offset the number and Clippers 12-1 home record. 

A young Indiana Hoosiers team will have their hands full Tuesday against Florida State. The Seminoles climbed in the polls thanks to an impressive week that featured wins over Tennessee and Purdue. Yet this Florida State team is missing one more scorer that was vital to their tournament runs in recent years. Look for the young undefeated Hoosiers to gain another win. 

The Miami Heat extend from Brooklyn to Toronto for Tuesday’s big showdown. Miami’s win over the Nets boosted them back over .500 on the road at 6-5. Meanwhile the Raptors have been undeniable at home with a stout 9-0 record. They’ve been able to carry over last year’s title run with a deep roster of talent. Tonight though look for the Miami Heat to match the Raptors intensity and come within the number.

Internal issues have once again carried over onto the court for the Chicago Bulls. Three straight losses have dropped them to 6-14. If not for a dramatic come from behind win against the Hornets they’d be on a five game losing streak. They’ll face a Sacramento Kings team coming off a thrilling crazy fourth quarter against the Nuggets that led to an overtime win. Here though look for the Bulls to finally showcase a formidable effort and get the job done ATS. 

Saturday’s slate features a bit less of matchups after a heavy board in prior days of college basketball tournaments. A game of focus for Zack will be the Hoyas against UNC Greensboro. Greensboro returned several starters that fell one game short of reaching the big dance last year.  They also played Kansas tough a few weeks ago in a 74-62 loss. Yet Patrick Ewing has the Hoyas trending in the right direction. Grab Georgetown to secure an ATS win with strong offense for two halves 

Tuesday the Washington Wizards will embark on their second west coast road trip of the season. They’ll begin in Denver ahead of back to back scenario Wednesday night against the Suns. Denver has raced out to a 12-3 record while picking up three straight home wins over the Rockets, Celtics, and Suns. That’s created a window of value on a Wizards team that will not let up on the offensive end. Grab Washington. 

Down in Florida in more tournament action Radford will take on Monmouth. Both teams are struggling out the gate with subpar records. The Monmouth Hawks though have faced stiffer competition with losses to power five schools in Kansas State, Kansas, and Pittsburgh. Although Radford has only one win against a division one school expect the Highlanders to pull away here.

One of last year’s opening round thrillers came with New Mexico State losing in the final seconds against Auburn. The Aggies retained several key players heading into the 2019 season but are minus guard AJ Harris (fractured finger). South Florida lacks the depth and scoring power of the Aggies but have adjusted without their injured leader Alexis Yetna. Grab South Florida.

The Murray State Racers may be minus Ja’Morant but they’ve kept their offensive system in line. Today down in Florida they’ll face a La Salle team that is just 1-2 on the year. LaSalle has shot the ball poorly as they look for consistency amongst a young starting five. Look for the neutral court to help the Explorers as they break out of an offensive rut. Grab LaSalle.

Value is to be had on a tough Pittsburgh squad Wednesday. They’ll face a Kansas State team that is undefeated but playing in a tournament format today. That should change the ebb and flow of both halves to better suit Coach Capels solid half court defense. Grab the points here with Pittsburgh 

The Brooklyn Nets will play their in town New York City NBA team in the New York Knicks. For the Knicks they’re coming off a  blowout home loss against a Spurs team that had dropped several straight. As great as the Nets are at scoring look for the Knicks to find rhythm even in a back to back scenario. Grab the Knicks 

On a neutral court tonight Fresno State and St. Mary’s will play in Sacramento. The Gaels have one of the best returning backcourts in the country led by Jordan Ford. Ford’s efficient career shooting has carried over to his senior season as he is shooting 47 percent from three point range. Fresno State’s youth depending on two freshman is a bonus ATS tonight. Grab Fresno State as they give the Gaels a sweat for forty minutes. 

Just six days ago the Miami Heat blew out the Cavaliers on the road by eleven points. The final score was not indicative of the halftime twenty-four point lead the Heat held over Cleveland. In the second half the Heat scored just forty points. This time around look for value on the Cavaliers as the Heat’s unblemished 5-0 home record gets tested. 

A team that has carried over their strong home court edge from the past two seasons has been the Toronto Raptors. They’re 5-0 at home and have been soaring past the ATS number. Tonight look for that to change based on Orlando Magic team soaring with confidence. They’ve won three straight games and will be aiming to avenge last year’s embarrassing playoff series against the Raptors. Grab Orlando. 

A team that has passed the eye test amongst smaller conferences thus far has been Ball State. They have hindered opposing teams in Illinois-Chicago and Indiana State to an average of 51.5 points. Their lone loss was against an Evansville team that toppled Kentucky. While Northern Kentucky has hold over upperclassmen talent they’re missing interior defense and prone to turnovers. Grab Ball State. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder return home in hopes of reversing losing three of their last four games. A positive is they’ve been a juggernaut at home ATS, covering four of their last five. For the 76ers their road heavy schedule to start the season has shown in the wins and loss column. Overall in 11 games they’ve played seven on the road. Look for the Sixers to shown a road warrior mentality in this one and get the win ATS. 

A small sample size to begin the season has shown huge weaknesses for Florida Gulf Coast. Their athleticism from their hey day runs has diminished. Furthermore they’re 0-3 to begin the year and are coming off just a 49 point performance. Traveling on the road against former conference rival Mercer is an untrustworthy spot from oddsmakers. Instead look for FGCU to overcome their small sample size woes and get the cover.

Phoenix was brought down to Earth two nights ago as the Lakers pulled away to defeat them. They’re now 6-4 but have caught the attention of NBA circles with their strong starting five and young bench. Thursday they’ll face an electric young Hawks team that is coming off a big outright win over the Denver Nuggets. Yet Thursday look for the Suns hosting their fifth straight home game to pull through ATS.

Wednesday saw a Big 10 school in Ohio State destroy Big East and national power Villanova. Thursday a short handed Seton Hall squad must try and halt an experienced Michigan State team. Turmoil of Pirates Coach Willard serving a suspension and injury to star Myles Powell are signs to fade the Pirates. Instead look for the Pirates to show the level of maturity of a Big East school that deserves to be ranked in the top twelve. Grab Seton Hall

A first true road game for any college basketball team is difficult. Tonight power five school Oklahoma State heads to take on College of Charleston. Expect the Cowboys balance offensively and defensively to prove to be a challenge for College of Charleston. Turnover issues from the Cougars should lead to the ATS road pull away tonight. Grab Oklahoma State. 

The Memphis Grizzlies head to take on a Charlotte team Wednesday that has lost a bit of their early success. After beginning the season 4-3 they’ve dropped three straight. Offense shouldn’t be an issue for the Hornets tonight at home but look for their defense to continue to suffer. Memphis gets the job done Wednesday with their impact young roster.

What will give Sunday? The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a back to back scenario. Typically back to back games involve travel but that’s not the case as the Thunder are hosting consecutive nights. The team they will play in the Milwaukee Bucks is enduring their fourth straight road game. Expect the Bucks to get back on track after a let down against the Jazz Friday. Grab Milwaukee. 

Over reaction to game one of the college hoops season can lead to quick over reaction. For Princeton they had a sizable early lead over Duquense before things snow balled quickly. They ended up yielding over ninety points defensively and were blown out. Now they’ll travel to play a San Francisco team at the brand new Chase Center. As balanced as San Francisco is they play a heavy rotation. Look for that to open the door for Princeton to get the cover. 

The Pelicans have shown flashes of what they can be but are lacking a secondary scorer. Brandon Ingram needs help and should get it Saturday against a Hornets team that has issues with on ball defense. Expect Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to be able to attack and get their shots. The Pelicans finally get back in the win column and go to 2-7.

One of the more intriguing college hoops matchups Saturday involves San Diego State and BYU. Both have already opened up the season with wins. This is an old Mountain West matchup that changed when BYU joined the WCC. BYU can be a difficult place to play but look for the Aztecs to hang for two halves. Take the points 

Losing a coach from a smaller school typically gets side stepped. That’s not the case for Georgia State as losing Ron Hunter to Tulane made waves throughout college basketball. Although College of Charleston has some holes offensively they play solid half court ball denial defense. Look for their sets to frustrate Georgia State. Grab College of Charleston 

The Miami Heat extend their NBA road trip as they play the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s hard to argue the Heat’s depth and team defense. That’ll put up a challenge against a Lakers team that has still shown to be highly vulnerable defensively. Still look for the Heat to showcase a bit of tired legs in the second half. Grab the Lakers. 

The Thunder went from 1-4 to 3-4 thanks to consecutive home wins over the Pelicans and Orlando Magic. Still they have a lot of pieces in their starting five and bench rotation that are becoming accustomed to NBA minutes. Facing a well coached veteran Spurs team on the road will be a challenge. Yet look for the Thunder to continue to be competitive and close within the number. 

For the first time in a couple of seasons Florida State begins the year outside of the top twenty five. Three straight years of seeing talent head to the NBA has left them with several voids on the bench and amongst their starting five. They’ll face a Pittsburgh team that endured the rigors of a team in transition in 2018. Returning four starters gives them automatic cohesion for game one. Yet look for Florida State’s athleticism to lead them to victory and a cover. Grab Florida State. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off one of the worst home losses by an NBA team this young season. Against the Dallas Mavericks they were gave up 131 points in a twenty point blowout loss. This loss showcased their young back court and inexperienced NBA coaching from John Beilein. With the Celtics coming off strong wins look for value here on the home Cavs. 

A contrast of styles will take place tonight as East Carolina hosts VMI. VMI is known for a fast pace tempo with scorers multiple volume scorers. A four-game win streak to conclude the regular season in 2018 should embolden a team that has four of five starters back. Yet look for East Carolina’s transition defense to lead to easy baskets and a pull away from the number. Grab East Carolina.

Indiana has just one win on the season and will be without Myles Turner tonight against the Cavs. That shouldn’t stop their potent offensive attack and may even increase their pace to a higher level. That’s concerning for a Cavaliers team that uses several big men for offensive balance with Kevin Love/Tristan Thompson and still has a young back court adjusting to the NBA. Grab Indiana here.

The pressure is on the LA Lakers after an opening night loss to the Clippers. In the loss they showed they do have the offense to contend right away. Several spurts erased big Clippers leads but the defense just was not there. That’s going to continue to be a problem for Friday’s contest against the size and half-court sets of the Jazz. Grab Utah. 

For the first time in several seasons the New York Knicks have formidable players at every starter position. Backing the starters up will be one of the more intriguing second units in the NBA. What will be missing in game one against the Spurs is on court execution. Expect the Spurs embedded style of basketball to wreak havoc in turnovers for the Knicks and create pull away opportunities. Grab the Spurs. 

The new look Boston Celtics will be missing three familiar players in Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier. They’re now expected to let their young stars in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum take the next step forward alongside free agent pickup Kemba Walker. Facing a Philadelphia 76ers team that has elevated expectations and improved defense will be an immense challenge. Yet grab the Celtics to make a statement and cash Wednesday. 

The second day of the NBA season features a bevy of marquee games. One that will fly under the radar are the Timberwolves vs the Nets. Minnesota’s core of players has the same featured talent while the Nets kick things off with Kyrie Irving. Lacking big names around him should provide Irving a calmer setting to just play his game. Look for the Nets to feed off his play while the Timberwolves falter in the second half. 

The new season kicks off with all eyes on the new acquisitions of both LA teams. The Lakers of course added Anthony Davis and a bevy of veteran free agents. Their quest looks much stronger than the youth mix they had a season ago. Meanwhile the Clippers big acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will be minus George to start. That’s a factor but expect the Lakers units to struggle at times adjusting to the new season. That’ll leave the door open for the Clippers to cash in a neutral site game. Grab the Clippers. 

For the fourth straight game line movement has went against the Golden State Warriors. Injuries, depth concerns, and the health of Klay Thompson are all main factors for Friday. The series could easily be a 3-0 lead for the Raptors if not for an early third quarter meltdown in game two. Still I’m leery of the Raptors newfound offense continuing to grow. Look for the Warriors to have an efficient game and pull away late to cover in game four. 

Three straight losses from the Bucks has put themselves in a single game elimination environment.  Failing at home with multiple big leads in game five is a spread influence for game six. This is why seven game series exist in the NBA. Expect the Bucks to respond in what surely will be a hostile environment in Toronto. 

The Bucks and Raptors have all the dynamics of a seven-game series. Each team has shown an ability to play at a heightened level on their home floor. That’s a bit of a conundrum for oddsmakers at this stage of the playoffs. Youth is the downside of the Bucks but their advantage on their home floor is uncanny. Grab Milwaukee to get back on track after a game four let down.

The Trailblazers heartbreak in game two featured every component. After losing a seventeen point lead the Blazers regrouped and had game two won. Yet they couldn’t muster defensive stops and the Warriors were able to take advantage. Instead of expecting the Warriors to get in position to sweep look for the Blazers to take this next phase of the series head on. They still haven’t clicked 100% offensively as we saw in their series against Oklahoma City and Denver. Look for their home crowd to energize them and get the win Saturday. Grab Portland. 

The Bucks stormed back to not only win game one but topple the number ATS in the final seconds. It was a gut-wrenching loss for bettors and should motivate the Raptors to fix their issues from the fourth quarter. Yet the Bucks have different units to throw at the Raptors and will continue to adapt for four quarters of a game. Grab the Bucks to grab another ATS win.

Adjustments will need to be made quickly by the Trailblazers after ineffective offense and lackluster ball screen defense in game one. Expect an increase in both areas and for the Trailblazers to respond ATS. Golden State’s weakness remains with their role players and this should be an opportune time for the Trailblazers second unit to shine similar to game seven against the Nuggets. Grab Portland. 

Consecutive victories by the Warriors ended the Rockets chances to take advantage of the Warriors minus Kevin Durant. Portland took advantage of a young Nuggets team that appeared to more talented but lacked the experience to put a game away. That’s where the Warriors advantage comes into play and should be worthy of backing in game one. Grab Golden State.

The series between the Portland Trailblazers and Denver Nuggets has been a delight each game. Yet the mistake of the Nuggets was the overtime game three matchup in which the Nuggets blew several chances to win. Portland found their legs in game six and should use their veteran roster to hurdle the number ATS. Grab Portland.  

In a potential close out game expect the Philadelphia 76ers to do their best to rise to the occasion. Amidst heavy media debate on the way they’ve lost the 76ers have created their own unnecessary added pressure. Expect the Raptors to feed off of this and use their experience in a do or die game four to surge forward. Grab Toronto. 

One overtime in game three that went the Rockets way has completely swung the series against Golden State. In years past the Warriors have been on the fortunate side against the Rockets with injuries to CP3 (Rockets-Clippers). Changes have been made by Mike D’Antoni that have kept the Rockets fresh for four quarters. Oddsmakers may have bumped this point spread up a point from games one and two but it is the incorrect move. Grab the underdog. 

The Denver Nuggets had several opportunities to take advantage of the Trailblazers in game three. Turnovers and poor execution likely cost them that victory. Now they’ll face a Portland Trailblazers team that has a chance to take control of the series. Look for the Trailblazers to continue to elevate their play via guards and do their best to contain Nokic and Millsap. Grab Portland. 

The Warriors and Rockets yearly series matchup has been dominated by the Warriors. This seems to be the case for 2019 as the Warriors handled their business on their home floor in games one and two. With the Rockets having issues with James Harden’s eye and Chris Paul’s woes game three is amped up even more. It’s a must win for the Rockets and the Warriors know it. Yet expect Houston to make this a series and cover the number Saturday.

In game two the Nuggets were vulnerable to Portland’s perimeter shooting and never could recover from an early deficit. Yet this how the young Nuggets are. They lack playoff experience and although they are a two-seed oddsmakers haven’t deterred from proper point spread adjustments. After a statement win by Portland one has to anticipate that game two being the outlier of the series. Grab the Nuggets in what should be a better matchup.

Houston losing game one has put the pressure on them to showcase themselves in game two. One would expect Kevin Durant to continue his upward play and for Curry/Thompson to be sharper. Riding their home crowd the Warriors are in-line for another trip to the Western Conference Finals. Only if it were that easy. Look for the Rockets to play with the proper chip on their shoulder and for CP3 to be the main catalyst. Grab the Rockets plus the points. 

The woes of the Warriors first round against the Clippers were mainly defensive. How will they adjust in a quick turn around for game one against the Rockets? A team that gave them fits last year until Chris Paul’s injury changed the series. That angle and the Rockets seemingly growing forward are all in play for the underdog Sunday. Yet look for the Warriors to keep their playoff mode on high for game one. Grab the Warriors. 

The Eastern Conference’s first round was a quick flash for both the 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Both teams adjusted to game one losses to cruise past their opponents. Extra rest should alleviate concerns for the 76ers in Joel Embiid Saturday. Yet the Raptors are a team that finally has depth solidified to over power the 76ers. Look for game one to side on the Raptors side ATS. 

The Golden State Warriors find themselves engulfed in a first round series against the LA Clippers. A series that should have been a sweep has suddenly been extended with new life from the Clippers after game five. Returning home the Clippers have a chance to force a game seven. Instead look for the Warriors to have a crisp flow and game plan and take care of business ATS.  

The Denver Nuggets have a chance to close out the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. After a complete rout of the Spurs in game five it appears that the Spurs are struggling to adjust. Tweaks have been made by Denver that have nullified the Spurs ability to score with them. Yet Coach Poppovich is a mastermind in these scenarios and will have his Spurs prepared to withstand the Nuggets in game six. Grab San Antonio.