No team is hotter ATS than the Chicago Bulls. Bringing Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic off the bench has reinvigorated not only the second unit but the starters as well. Six straight wins has led to a complete 360 from oddsmakers from a point spread perspective. Meanwhile the Orlando Magic have lost five straight games and will be without two key starters Wednesday. Pick this spot as a good opportunity to jump in against the Bulls. Grab the Magic. 

A year ago one of the more popular attractors came with a matchup of East Tennessee State and Detroit. The number moved up significantly towards the Bucs before tip-off and proved to be correct in a big way. Yet, I see value with this rematch as Detroit is coming off a severe blowout loss to Michigan, and East Tennessee State nearly upset Xavier. Grab Detroit here as East Tennessee State’s defense and offensive efficiency isn’t nearly the same as a year ago. 

Based on USC’s lackadaisical play there is no reason to see them as double-digit favorites against UC Santa Barbara. UCSB has improved offense to match their typical strong half court defense. Yet, USC being 0-3 against solid competition has given them value tonight as well as UCSB’s short travel to LA. Look for their offense to outrun UCSB Sunday night just enough for the cover. 

Colorado State hopes they can stay undefeated at home as they take on Texas State.  A home court they protected in a solid win over Pac-12 school Colorado. With the Rams coming off consecutive blowout road defeats against Arkansas and Oregon, this would seem like a spot for a team to get their confidence back. Especially considering Texas State lost by four points on the road in their latest game to Abilene Christian. Instead look for Texas State to give the Rams a handful and a cover.

Tennessee’s lone loss this season was in a game they dominated for a large stretch against Villanova. UNC on the other hand has looked vulnerable especially against athletic teams such as the Vols. Yet this is where the Tar Heels can use their veteran experience as did Villanova stay calm during Tennessee’s runs.

After playing in matchups last night the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies will take on each other in Memphis tonight. The Celtics have now lost three of their last five games as offensively they’ve taken a step backwards. The value here lies with the Grizzlies inability to cover in a a close win Friday night. The victory was against a Hawks team in a back to back scenario as well. Yet, look for the Grizzlies to carry over the win to an ATS advantage.

Cincinnati travels to Los Angeles to take on a UCLA Bruins team that is 5-0 at home. Two losses to Xavier and Florida have pushed the Bearcats on the brink of falling outside of the top twenty five. In both losses the Bearcats failed to sustain the offense to keep up with their opponents. That figures to be an issue against UCLA yet look for the Bearcats to take advantage of their depth and skillset advantage. Grab the Bearcats.

Southern Utah takes on a dynamic Central Michigan team from an offensive and scoring standpoint. While Southern Utah does not have the exposure or top-tier schedule they’re also capable of playing a fast-paced style. Look for Southern Utah to answer the bell and what should be an entertaining game. Grab the points here. 

Memphis woes are hard to ignore. They played poor in a road effort against the Wizards which extended their losing streak to sixteen of their last seventeen games. Yet suddenly they’re steep favorites at home against the Hawks Friday. Although this is a short road trip for Atlanta, look for the Grizzlies to let off some prolonged frustration of losing. Grab the Grizzlies tonight.

Injuries continue to mount for the Clippers to an unfathomable level. Tonight they’ll be minus several key starters against a Wizards team that is fresh with John Wall back in the lineup. After losing to the Clippers on the road just three games ago this would seem like an easy revenge spot. Yet LA’s players and current lineup is use to filling in for spot start duty. Grab them to play another competitive game against the Wizards. 

A formidable opponent for the Wisconsin Badgers lies with Western Kentucky tonight. The Hilltoppers run just an eight man rotation but have key transfers in Lamonte Bearden (Buffalo) and Dwight Coleby (Ole Miss/Kansas) at their disposal. In their first road game of the season the Hilltoppers stumbled in a five point loss to Ohio. That’s created an interesting line tonight in the same range against a Wisconsin team that is lacking confidence with six losses against power five schools. Grab the value here on Western Kentucky.

Tonight John Wall makes his return from injury at an appropriate time. The Wizards were not been getting the same level of contributions from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. that were vital with Wall healthy. Memphis on the other hand has been abysmal with a roster of talent that has not blended together. Three losses in a row has created value on the road tonight in Washington. Grab Memphis.

LA Lakers +3

Consecutive road wins for the Lakers have placed a tough spread for Tuesday. The Knicks return home where they boast a 12-5 record. After an ugly loss to the Bulls the Knicks bounced back with a home win against the Hawks. Yet the young Lakers seem to be playing better away from home and growing as a team. Look for Luke Walton to continue his proper rotations and have the advantage over the Knicks. Grab the Lakers.

To become a true contender in the West the Utah Jazz must find away to win on the road. Thus far on the year they’re just 2-8 away from home. Saturday, they’ll hope to end a two-game losing streak as they travel to Milwaukee. Having won five of six the Bucks are starting to find their balance on both ends of the floor. Still, one has to rank the level of play in the Western conference appropriately. Grab the hidden value here on the Utah Jazz who would be favored if not for a poor road record.

Saturday, there is value to be had on the Providence Friars as they take on UMass. UMass is struggling this year at just 4-5, but should be ready for their best effort in this in-state matchup. For the Friars they’re coming off a close call against Brown on Wednesday. Down twelve points at halftime they needed a late surge to win in OT. That’s created value for today. Grab the Friars.

The Vols have an in-state matchup against small school Lipscomb Saturday. At 6-1 the lone loss by the Vols were to the Villanova Wildcats. In that loss they blew a double-digit lead, which puts at the forefront not taken an opponent lightly. Look for Tennessee to handle Lipscomb and continue to rise up in the polls.

Thursday, Zack will look for the value on Eastern Washington. The Eagles are just 3-5 and have been lackluster as all five of their losses have been by double-digits, including a 19 point loss to Seattle in their last game. They’ll face a San Francisco team that narrowly avoided a three-game losing streak with a close home win over Central Arkansas. With Eastern Washington playing in their third straight road game ATS value is on their side. Grab the Eagles here.  

Denver Nuggets +5

We’ll grab value on the Denver Nuggets as road dogs against the Pelicans. As a road team the Nuggets are just 3-8 overall. This includes a poor loss in their latest game against the Dallas Mavericks. In the outing the Nuggets trailed by double-digits for the majority of the game. Minus Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic the Nuggets are missing a size/scoring combo that’s detracted their ATS value. Yet, look for the Pelicans to have a hangover performance after letting an opportunity to beat the Warriors slip away. Grab the Nuggets here. 

The Spurs find themselves as an underdog on the road against OKC. OKC has won five straight home games and will look to avenge a road loss to the Spurs. This is where the point spread has swayed to value on the Spurs. San Antonio is just 5-5 on the road while the Thunder have been stout at home at 7-3. Still, the Thunder are below .500 because of inconsistencies with their core team development. Grab the Spurs to cover here. 

Oddsmakers are not fooled by the Bradley Braves whom have started the season 7-1. They’ve battled in competitive games all season against subpar competition. San Diego State on the other hand has provided a much tougher schedule and should have the right mindset in this Missouri Valley-Mountain West challenge. A key here is San Diego State is not afraid to play a slow pace half court game. They’ll have the proper tactics to offset tempo with winning the turnover and free throw battle. Grab SD State.

One typically won’t see a team below .500 as a sizable road favorite. Yet that’s the case for the Stanford Cardinal as they take on Long Beach State. At 4-5 Stanford has not looked like a Pac-12 team with losses to Portland State and Eastern Washington. Yet they found a bit of confidence against Montana and should expose a poor defensive 49ers team. Grab Stanford.

A true barometer test lies with Seton Hall Sunday as they take on Louisville. Louisville has the talent from Rick Pitino’s tenure but showed glaring weaknesses in a loss to Purdue. The veteran laden Pirates need to put their foot on the gas early to keep the confidence away from the Cardinal. Look for that to happen and for the Pirates to hold off a late flurry from the Cardinal.

We’ll take the points on Samford today against Jacksonville State. Jacksonville State has opened up the season 5-2 with both losses within reach against Buffalo and Mississippi State. They also blew out Richmond and defeated a sound Chattanooga team. Meanwhile Samford has had all types of issues as they deal with a new lineup that hasn’t meshed yet. Still, this is too many points to pass up. Grab Samford. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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. 

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. 

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. 

During the off-season the Western Conference grew in strength. While many teams have rising youth, the Mavs are a team still led by veteran Dirk Nowitzki. Behind him is strong uncertainty that will build behind rookie Dennis Smith Jr. In an opening night matchup you would not expect a mid-point line against a talented young Hawks team. Yet, look for the Mavericks to capitalize and take advantage of a home court edge.

The Warriors come in off another NBA championship after destroying the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals. There’s no doubt there destined for another run but I’m always leery in backing a champion off the bat of a season. Houston lost their on ball strong guard defender in Patrick Beverly in a trade for Chris Paul. Bringing together chemistry of two talented guards is hard to do with Paul and Harden. Yet, I like the steps the Rockets role players took last season. They’ll match the Warriors role players and get enough from Harden/Paul to cover. Grab Houston.

Monday, we'll grab the home Miami Heat as they look to bounce back from a poor showing against Brooklyn. They will take on a Charlottes Hornets team that has an extended five days of rest. The Hornets do have several key pieces in place that pushed a Dwayne Wade led Heat team to a seven game series two years ago. Still, look for the Heat to show signs of last years team ascension. Grab the Heat tonight. 

During the regular season consecutive road games at Portland and Utah are extremely tough. With the Jazz already 2-0 at home in the pre-season, Phoenix will be in for a tough test against the depth of Utah. Still, there is too much room for value on the Suns side to ignore five points. Grab the Suns. 

An unordinary position lies for the Atlanta Hawks. They’ll be on the road for their third straight pre-season game. I find value here on the home Pistons based on the Hawks standout sixteen point victory over the Cavaliers in their last game. Though the Pistons struggled defensively in their opener look for an increased level of defense tonight.

Both Brooklyn and the Heat have jumped out to 1-0 records in the pre-season. This is a series that was dominated by the Heat last season, as most teams did against the lowly Nets. Though there are new faces in the Nets starting lineup there are enough players remaining that will serve a payback performance. Grab the Nets.

Game one's take will side with the Cavaliers. A healthy Steph Curry and addition of Kevin Durant have spiked this spread based on the two past Finals. Yet, I look for two keys to stand out in game one. Quietly over the last two postseasons the Cavaliers have won by the merit of playing Golden State offense. Last post-season they shot 40% from three point range and this year a league best 44% (Five percentage points better than the Warriors). Yet the biggest key in game one hails with the Cavaliers small ball lineup. Tristan Thompson's versatility proved critical last year as he averaged ten points and ten rebounds a game last NBA Finals. Not to mention Kevin Love's natural all around game as a big. The addition of Kevin Durant was the eye-popping move but losing size with Festus Ezeli, Andrew Bogut, Harrison Barnes, and Anderson Varejao leaves the Warriors with a high dependance on Durant and Green to rebound. Grab the Cavaliers to cover game one.

Kawhi Leonard's serious ankle injury has flipped the series completely. Without him in game two the Spurs were unable to put forth any type of challenge. Dating back to game one when Leonard left in the third quarter the Spurs haven't resembled a playoff team. Yet, in game two support ATS was on the Spurs and failed miserably. Here, look for a better effort and value on a two point increase.

The Cavs came out ready and on fire in game one. With the Celtics in a must win situation this may seem like an opportune spot to grab the Celtics. Instead, look for the Cavaliers mission of excellence to continue. Proper rest is on the Cavaliers side and that will pay the difference tonight ATS.

Mistakes happened in the post-season linger. With that being said the Wizards great play through three games is bound to come to a screeching halt Sunday. While the Wizards did creep back into this series on game three, they dug themselves a hole blowing games one and two. This is where Boston can seize full control of the series and head back home for game five. Grab the value here on the Celtics off of game three's blowout loss.

There's been a little movement here ATS for good reason between the Warriors and Jazz. Golden State has dominated the first two games yet did not cover games one and two. With the Jazz strong home court ways this may be a spot to see them get back on track. Yet a veteran team like the Warriors wants to leave little room for the Jazz to have a confident surge. Look for the Warriors to make a statement here through four quarters.

Seizing control of the series was a possibility for the Wizards, but they failed to guard the perimeter in game one. Offensively they have the flow to cause problems for the Celtics, who are riding a five game playoff win streak. That's factored into tonights spread by a solid 1.5-2 points. Grab the value here on the Wizards.

After looking down and out after three games, the Raptors have switched gears and exposed the Bucks in games four and five. With the Bucks defense weakening it has regained the Raptors confidence. Yet, bettors can't over react to a lopsided game five. The Bucks at home can frustrate the Raptors into poor shots. Grab the Bucks.

Typically a veteran laden team in a mismatched series will prevail in a big way for one moment in a series. We saw that from the Grizzlies over the Spurs two nights ago. For Saturday expect more of what we saw from games one and two from the Spurs with much better defense. Grab the Spurs.

The Pacers have tested the Cavaliers for six of eight quarters in the post-season. In a do or die game this is a tricky spot for a Cavaliers team that has no new wrinkles for the Pacers to identify. Look for Indiana to cover the small number with proper scoring balance amongst their core starting five.

We've seen in the East how off the ATS number is for the eighth seed versus the one. The same can be said in the West with the top seed Warriors still showcasing reluctancy to play tenacious offense and defense for four quarters. The Blazers were fortunate to get into the post-season and have a nucleus of core talent that's hungry to develop. Grab the Trailblazers. 

Sunday, look for value on Oklahoma City's side on the road in Houston. Thunder Coach Billy Donovan comes in devalued because of a seismic shift in personnel from last season. Lost from last post-season were his brilliant in-game and game to game adjustments that curtailed Dallas, San Antonio, and nearly Golden State. Grab the Thunder to have the road defense needed to cover this number. 

Two narrow wins helped the Wizards end a three-game skid. Yet, they needed to erase a twelve point halftime deficit against the Hornets and beat an undermanned Knicks team by three points. They'll face a Heat team Saturday that is in complete desperation mode as they sit one game back of two remaining playoff spots in the Eastern conference. Still, it's hard to ignore their extended road trip as they were in Charlotte on Wednesday, Toronto Friday, and DC tonight. Grab the Wizards to hold their home edge tonight.

A two game losing streak by the Hornets has all but eliminated their chances of getting into the playoffs. Their opponent Saturday is also on a costly two-game losing streak in the Boston Celtics. Just a few days ago the Celtics were looked at as the top seed in the East, and now could be in jeopardy of slipping to the fourth seed. While the Hornets haven't shown the defense of last year's playoff team they're still one of the more dangerous offensive. Grab the Hornets to continue the Celtics end of season slide.