The Sixers have won nine of the last 10 meetings and covered in seven of those games. The Sixers are a more complete team at this point of the season. The Lakers two stars are banged up for this game, and LeBron could miss the game. We like the Sixers for a big win whether LeBron and AD play or not. Every team gives their best effort against the Lakers, but this is just another game for LA, who is trying to work out the kinks. This team is definitely focused on the postseason more than the regular season. Philly has been one of the best betting teams this season, and they are undervalued again today.

Boston didn’t win the cup last season, but this is the team that most opponents get hyped to play. Are you going to get more hyped if Boston or Vegas comes to town? The answer is obvious. Columbus is playing their best hockey of the season recently. They have won two of the last three, including a road win in New Jersey, and they have covered the puckline in five of their last seven losses. The Bruins are playing their worst stretch of hockey recently. They have lost three of the last four. Their defense has dropped from the No. 1 spot after allowing 12 goals in their last two games. The Blue Jackets have won of covered the puckline in three of the last four visits from the Bruins.

10 Unit Play. Take #251 Jacksonville Jaguars over Houston Texans (1p.m., Sunday, November 26 CBS) TOP FOOTBALL PLAY OF THE WEEKEND Houston should have lost last week to Arizona, as CJ Stroud played his worst game as a professional. Now they face the divisional leader Jaguars, a team that just destroyed the Titans last time out. Just feel the Texans will hit a wall in the later portion of the season. The Jaguars have won 8 straight games playing outside of Jacksonville (8-0 ATS as well). Houston is not ready for primetime, and Trevor Lawrence and company will lock up the division with a victory today.

10 Unit Play. Take #142 Michigan Wolverines over Ohio State Buckeyes (12p.m., Saturday, November 25 FOX) This game is for all the marbles with the winner winning the Big 10 Championship Game next week and a ticket to the playoffs. Ohio State has been one dimensional on offense and whoever runs the football better wins this game (happened over 20 years in a row). Ohio State is 8th in the Big 10 in rushing this season. I feel Michigan is better in all 3 phases of the game especially on special teams. Ohio State has Marvin Harrison, but their quarterback is subpar and I just do not believe he can beat them with his arm. Michigan against the world continues, as the Wolverines advance to the playoff with a double-digit victory at the Big House.

10 Unit Play. Take #476 Kansas City Chiefs over Philadelphia Eagles (8:15p.m., Monday, November 20 ABC) This is a rematch of Super Bowl 57 and I look for the Chiefs to win this game again. Philadelphia has been winning ugly much of the season and it will catch up to them in this game. Andy Reid is 27-4 in his career following a bye week. Kansas City is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games against NFC teams. Coach Reid will enjoy beating his former team for the second time in less than a year.

10 Unit Play. Take #367 Utah Utes over Arizona Wildcats (2:30p.m., Saturday, November 18 PAC12N) TOP NCAA FOOTBALL PLAY OF THE WEEK. Arizona has been on a roll and will enter this game having won 4 straight games. This will be the toughest team they faced in their last 5 games, as Utah will not self-destruct like UCLA, Oregon State and Washington State did. The Utes are extremely well coached and I feel the Wildcats are playing a little over their heads at the moment. They have had a great season, but this is a team that lost to Mississippi State earlier this season (just fired their coach). The spread tells me that the Wildcats are not as good as their record would indicate, and reality will hit them in this game. Jedd Fisch is a hot coaching commodity and should win Pac 12 Coach of the Year, but the overachievers take a step back on Saturday. Utah has beaten Arizona six straight times (5-1 ATS). Utah is 15-3 in their last 18 road games when they are an opening line underdog. 

Miami has been racking up the wins lately, but four of those games came against four of the worst teams in the NBA so far this season. They take a big step up in class tonight and this should be a very tough game for them. Brooklyn has won five straight meetings with Miami. The Nets are 9-1-1 ATS on the season. This team doesn’t have any big names so they don’t get respect from the oddsmakers, but they compete hard every night and play with a true team mentality. They also have plenty of talent and a roster of players that compliment each other. We think they have a great chance for the outright win tonight. Miami is not a good regular season team, and things have been going a little too well for them lately.

The Hawks have the better record right now but there’s no doubt to us that the Knicks are the better team. They already won comfortably here last month. They have been playing very well recently until they played their worst game of the season last time out on a back-to-back against Boston. But Boston is a Top 3 team in the NBA, and the Hawks should provide a nice opportunity to get back on track. This time the Hawks are on a B2B. And even though Young didn’t play last night (new father), the rest of the roster will have a tough time keeping up the pace against this physical Knicks team.

Even though it has been at home, the Knicks have won three straight. And they have looked good in the process. And sometimes building confidence at home can translate to continued success on the road. We don’t doubt that New York will be hyped for this matchup even though they are on a B2B. But they easily dispatched Charlotte on Sunday and this game was early so not too intense a B2B. These teams opened the season against each other so this sets up a revenge scenario since Boston won the first one.

10 Unit Play. Take #149 Michigan Wolverines over Penn State Nittany Lions (12p.m., Saturday, November 11 FOX) We are fading the Penn State offense in this game. Michigan has not been tested and this will be the best defense that they have faced all season long. But Penn State looked terrible against Ohio State, and I believe Michigan has a better defense than the Buckeyes. The Wolverines have won the last two games and are 6-3 straight-up and 7-2 ATS stretching that out to 9 games. Michigan has an us against the world mentality with all the outside noise going on around the program. JJ McCarthy is a much better player than Drew Allar and the offensive weapons are much better for the Wolverines. Penn State got a raw deal with this being a 12 p.m. game instead of a white out game at night. That edge allows Michigan to dominate this game and win it by double digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #269 New York Giants over Las Vegas Raiders (4:25p.m., Sunday, November 5 FOX) NFL GAME OF THE YEAR The Raiders are a mess, and we liked this play even before they fired their coach, offensive coordinator, and General Manager. Throw in they are starting a rookie at quarterback in Aiden O’Connell, and I see them really struggling on offense this entire game. Las Vegas is coming off back-to-back double-digit losses, and one of those was against the Bears. Finally, the Raiders have no home field advantage playing in Las Vegas, and expect a lot of Giants fans in attendance for this game.

The Giants did everything they could to lose a game that had over a 95% chance of winning last week. They could not muster any passing game, yet their defense played the best game of the year. The Jets offense is a lot like the Raiders offense, and I see another strong game from the Giants on Sunday. Danny Dimes is back, and that gives the Giants a much better chance to move the football via the air. He can run or pass, and he will need to utilize both in this game. The Giants are 17-8 in their last 25 games as a road underdog, including 9-0 during this streak when facing losing teams. They are 6-1 ATS (1 push) in their last 8 games against AFC teams. New York is also 4-1 ATS when facing foes coming off a Monday Night Football game. The Giants win this game, and we collect in the process as well.

Memphis is 0-5 to start the season. We think they will get their first win tonight with style points. This team has lots of talent even without Morant. This is their first game of the in season tournament, so we think there is a great chance for this to be the impetus for them to snap out of this funk. Portland will finish with one of the worst records in the west. While Memphis hasn’t played well, this roster is miles better than what the Blazers will be trotting out, and if this matchup was the first game of the season (without the way the Grizzlies have played), Memphis would probably be around a 7- or 8-point favorite here based on the talent.

We love the Jazz in this spot tonight. We think they are being punished too much by the oddsmakers for this being a back-to-back. But this is a young team, and this is early in the season, so we don’t think that will come into play tonight. The Jazz ran roughshod over the Grizzlies last night and the starters got some extra rest. No starter played more than 28 minutes. These teams don’t play often, but the Jazz are 8-1 in the last nine meetings. Orlando normally doesn’t play well here. The Magic are an exciting, up and coming team, but they were bad on the road last year and they should be this year also. The Jazz were a surprise team at the start of last season and they were one of the best betting teams early. We think they are a solid bet at this point in the season, and we expect them to win outright tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #472 Philadelphia Eagles over Miami Dolphins (8:20p.m., Sunday, October 17 NBC) The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday against the Jets. Expect them to bounce back in a big way tonight at home against the Dolphins, a team that has been beating up on bad team this season. Miami laid an egg against the only tough team they played this season in Buffalo, losing by 28 points on the road. The Eagles will be the best defense that they have faced in 2023 and look for them to go on another long winning streak similar to what they did in 2022. After the Eagles lost their first game of the season to the Commanders last October, they went onto win their next 5 games. The weather will be cold and not pristine conditions like Miami likes. Philadelphia is 10-1 in their last 11 games against AFC teams that won in their previous week. The Eagles get back on track, take care of the football and win this game by double-digits.

10 Unit Play. Take #326 Ohio State Buckeyes over Penn State Nittany Lions (12p.m., Saturday, October 21 FOX) Big 10 Game of the Year. Getting Ohio State playing at the Horseshoe at this line does not happen very often. Penn State has looked impressive this season, but they have not played anyone of significance and will not be battle tested for this game. Many people have been critical of Ohio State QB McCord, but he has an 11-1 touchdown to interception ratio and Penn State does not have a veteran quarterback either. Penn State has lost 10 of their last 11 games to Ohio State including 6 games in a row. The Lions have not gotten many explosive plays this season and they will need a bunch in order to beat Ohio State. Coach Franklin does not win many road games against elite teams and Saturday should be no different. DC Manny Diaz never seems to live up to the hype and I always like fading him in big spots. Ohio State has great wide receivers and many of their running backs should be back for this game. The Buckeyes have improved greatly on defense and Penn State has not seen a unit this strong yet this season. Ohio State is accustomed to winning these type of games and Penn State once again in not in that class to knock off big teams in true road games. Penn State is on a monster ATS run but I look for that to end on Saturday, as Ohio State wins this game by double-digits.  

10 Unit Play. Take #190 Oregon State Beavers over UCLA Bruins (8p.m., Saturday, October 14 FOX) We went against UCLA at the Rose Bowl last week and were a tough luck loser, as Wazzou offense played terribly in the second half. Now that makes this play at Oregon State much stronger in favor of the Beavers. Oregon State is 14-1 ATS in their last 15 home games. They have already beaten Utah at home, and they have a similar quarterback situation that UCLA does (freshman on the road). The Beavers are on a rampage and want to knock off all the teams leaving the conference next season. The fan base is that much more motivated, especially when playing UCLA, a team that started the dominos falling. UCLA has a strong defense, but they will not be able to win that game on defense alone. Oregon State is the best team that have played thus far, and they will not be up to the challenge.

10 Unit Play. Take #631 New York Liberty over Las Vegas Aces (9p.m., Wednesday, October 11 ESPN) WNBA Playoff Game of the Year. The 2023 WNBA Playoffs have been a snooze fest thus far and the league, tv partners, and fans really need New York to win this game straight-up to create some excitement. The Liberty were ahead at halftime before faltering in the second half. All the games against the Aces for the Liberty have been blowouts one way or the other. The Liberty have won their fair share of games against the Aces and I am confident they will bounce back on Wednesday. Sooner or later one of these games will go down to the wire and this way be that game. New York has the best player on the floor and they have the size to contend with Las Vegas in the post. The Aces are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 WNBA Finals Games. The desperate team wins and we collect big in the process.

This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports and this is always the biggest game of the season for the Canadiens when they face off with Toronto. And, despite the talent disparity, Montreal normally put up a good fight or outright won the last few years. But these teams are going in different directions, and Toronto may have one of their best squads of all time this season, while Montreal is still a long way from being competitive and should be among the worst teams in the NHL this season. And the last two meetings, both in Toronto, were very one-sided as both were blowouts and the Maple Leafs had a goal differential of +10 in those two matchups. Toronto will not only want to get the season started off on the right foot but also take their main rival down a peg in the process, and with a bitter rivalry like this, there is also an incentive for the better team to run up the score, as we witnessed in the last two meetings. We expect more domination from Toronto here and a big season-opening win

10 Unit Play. Take #394 Alabama Crimson Tide over Ole Miss Rebels (3:30p.m., Saturday, September 23 CBS) TOP NCAA PLAY OF THE WEEK Many pundits and fans are throwing dirt on the grave of Alabama and Nick Saban, but I am not one of them. They have major issues at quarterback, but I feel they will right the ship on Saturday and win this game by double digits. Nick Saban is not a fan of Lane Kiffin, and he is 28-3 lifetime when facing his former assistants. Ole Miss never has a strong defense and tries to win most of their games by outscoring their opponents. They have beaten Alabama once in the past 16 meetings, and they just do not have the depth of a Nick Saban team. This is the game that Alabama will right the ship, and getting them at home with less than a touchdown is too good to pass up. 

7 Unit Play. Take #176 Florida Gators over Tennessee Volunteers (7p.m., Saturday, September 16 ESPN) The SEC appears to be way down this season and giving this many points on the road is not a recipe for success. Florida has dominated this series, winning 16 of the last 18 matchups. Tennessee has not won in Gainesville since 2003. Tennessee was loaded last year and still only beat Florida by 5 points in 2022 and that game was in Knoxville. The underdog has dominated Florida games going 14-3 ATS in their last 17 lined games. This is a rivalry game and Florida should be motivated to put on a good show and get their coach and quarterback off the hot seat.

7 Unit Play. Take #624 New York Liberty over Las Vegas Aces (7p.m., Monday, August 28 ESPN2) We will follow the line movement in this game and expect the Liberty to take care of business at home and move closer to earning the No. 1 seed in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs come September. Four of the Five losses the Aces have suffered have come on the road the Liberty have proven they can beat the Aces on the road already this season. They also have the best player in the game in Breanna Stewart and the Aces have struggled a little without Candance Parker coming off the bench. Las Vegas is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games. New York is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games. These are the dog days of August for the Aces and expect them to lose this game by close to double-digits.

8 Unit Play. Take #652 Atlanta Dream -2.5 over Chicago Sky (7:30p.m., Friday, August 18 ion) The break could not have come at a better time for Atlanta. The Dream will enter this game having lost 5 of their last 6 and did not perform well on a west coast trip. That being said, they still have 3 all-stars and are playing a depleted Chicago team that has injuries and lost their coach earlier this season. The Sky have also dropped 3 in a row and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Defense is always an issues for Chicago, as they have allowed 83 or more points in their last 8 games. Atlanta has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games against Chicago. The top end talent of Atlanta is just far superior to Chicago in this game and that is all you can ask for when you release a big play.

10 Unit Play. Take #620 Dallas over Connecticut (8p.m., Tuesday, July 24 ESPN3) We have been on Dallas all season long including a season win total. Tonight, will be no different, as the Wings look for their 9-home victory in only 11 attempts. Dallas has won 5 straight games and has a big three that can score points at will from anywhere on the court. Connecticut is the third best team in the league, but most of that work has been done by beating the bad teams in the league. They will be playing their second straight road game, after beating Atlanta in two consecutive games. The loss of Brionna Jones will eventually catch up to this team and prevent them from advancing far into the playoffs. Connecticut is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games played on Tuesday’s. Dallas is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games. When Dallas wins, they tend to win big, as they have won their last 2 games by 14, 10, & 40 points. This is a game Dallas needs more to remain in the top four and they will get it by close to double digits.

We think the pressure got to the Heat a bit in this series and they had just come off a grueling Eastern Conference Finals. They have never quite got their footing in this series. The pressure is essentially off now that they are in a big hole and we think they will play free here and we just think this is too many points. The Denver defense has been good, but also the Heat haven’t shot well so they are due for a better shooting game. We think they Nuggets might not bring their A Game with such a cushion in this series and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Heat challenged for the win here. We know from what we have seen in these playoffs that the Heat aren’t just going to roll over.

Some people might follow the Zig Zag Theory here in Game 4 assuming Miami will strike back and even up the series. They have been resilient for sure. But we don’t think so. Denver is the best opponent they have faced in the postseason and the Nuggets are a complete team. Denver got a wake-up call in Game 2, and they responded like we expected in Game 3 in Miami with a dominant performance. This team is hungry, and the championship is right there for them. We don’t think they are going to squander the opportunity, and we think they will treat this game as a must win and bring their A Game tonight. With that Game 3 win, Denver has now covered five straight in Miami, and they are 27-10 ATS long term against the Heat, which is a long term string of domination since these teams don’t play often.

This Heat run in the postseason has been legendary, but we have to go with our handicapping here and that states the Nuggets are the stronger team. Miami used a big fourth quarter for their Game 2 win, and they shot the lights out in that game with almost 50 percent shooting from the floor and three-point land. We think Denver will clamp down more on defense and we see a slower paced game here and we think Denver will come out on top with a comfortable win.

Love Denver in this spot in Game 2. Denver is almost unbeatable at home, and teams that win in this playoffs are covering at a very high rate. Miami looked great and this run has been incredible, but Denver is definitely their strongest opponent yet in this postseason, and the Heat have been on the wrong end of plenty of blowouts this postseason. They have lost six games in the playoffs by nine or more points. We think Miami will put up a fight in the first half but that the Nuggets will start to pull away in the second and should win this one comfortably by the final buzzer.

All the pressure is on Boston here. They have been one of the favorites in the East all season, while not much was expected out of Miami, especially after they landed in the Play In Tournament. We have history on our side here as no team has ever come back from down 3-0 to win a series. But we will go with the spread in the case of a close game. We expect a low scoring game here, and that makes the points with the underdog all the more valuable. Also love that this one is on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 (when the team down stops fouling at the end of the game).

Love the Celtics to win here and we think this line is more than fair after the beating Boston put on Miami in Games 4 and 5. They have totally taken back momentum in this series. We don’t know if they will go on to win this thing, but we do think they will force Game 7 tonight. Boston seems focused and they haven’t once panicked even down 3-0 in this series. They have the swagger and experience to get the job done here, and they have a major edge in talent on the floor. They have stepped it up on the defensive end the last two games, and we see more of the same here in Game 6.

Boston has tons of talent and a lot of playoff experience, and we don’t think they are out of this series yet. We don’t even think they are panicked. They sure didn’t look like it in Game 4. They put their heads down and confidently got the job done. That was a 17-point road win with their season on the line. All they need to do is take this one game at a time and a win here would put them right back in this series. And the oddsmakers seem to agree with this line. But we aren’t worried about the points here. Boston has covered in every game they have won this postseason, and in 12 straight stretching back to the regular season. Even though we took Miami in the first three games of this series, we love to back the Celtics this season because of their resilience and their competitive fire. They don’t want to just win, they want to dominate. We think they captured the momentum in this series and we expect another big win as they have seemed to figure things out a bit and made the necessary adjustments.

The Celtics have a lot of postseason experience and we don’t think they will be too panicked here. It is rare to come back from this deficit, but the Celtics can take it one game at a time and get back in this series. A win here, and they are back at home and favored for Game 5. Miami has been the better team in the series but the Celtics have the players are experience to avoid the sweep tonight. Also, might the refs give Boston some extra calls? We are confident the NBA doesn’t want two sweeps in the conference finals.

It is very rare to get a sweep in the NBA Playoffs, especially the conference finals, and we just don’t see it happening today. The Nuggets have the series firmly in hand, and they will likely let up a little here and won’t have that killer instinct on the road, while the Lakers will be clinging to any last hope to save their season and extend this series another game. Even though Game 3 was pretty one-sided, the Lakers hung tough in Games 1 and 2, and we think they go all out to get the win here tonight.

The Nuggets match up very well with the Lakers and despite this being a must win for LA, we think Denver has a great chance to put LA on the brink of elimination here then they could let down in Game 4. But we think this team is very hungry for a championship and Denver will treat this like a must win. Denver has shown they can hang with the Lakers offensively, but they are the stronger defensive team, and that will be the difference here in Game 3, at least where the spread is concerned as we just don’t see LA running away with this one.

We are a big believer that when Boston wins they normally cover. But we think this may be a rare situation where they win but don’t cover the spread. This is simply too many points. We had this line handicapped at 6, so this number, on the other side of the key NBA number of 7 (when a team with the lead stops getting fouled at the end of the game), offers very nice value. Miami is playing their best basketball of the season right now and they have proven to be a legit championship contender. We are sure they are aware that Boston came back from an early hole to beat Philly, so we think they will go all out to try and win this one and put Boston in the worst possible spot for the series.

Denver is almost unbeatable at home, and we expect another big performance tonight. The Lakers have surprised in the playoffs and they have looked good, but they will be facing, in our opinion, the best team in the west here, and they are taking a big step up in competition for the conference finals. The Lakers haven’t been good on the road this season. And they have had trouble in Denver in the last couple seasons, where they are 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings here. Denver is 21-9 ATS at home against above .500 teams, and they will be ready for another dominant performance tonight.

Philly had Boston right where they wanted them for Game 6 with a chance to close it out at home, but they couldn’t get the job done and now Boston is a decent favorite at home to win the series and they have all the momentum. Boston is one of the teams we love to trust as they usually win by more than the spread when they do win. And they are excellent as a favorite. Boston has tons of postseason experience and the guys know what they need to do here. We think they bring their A Game today.

We rarely ever bet on the Lakers, so you know we like them if that is the way we are moving on this game. Golden State has stunk on the road all season. They had some road heroics in the first round at Sacramento, but this is a lot better team they are facing tonight. The Lakers made the right moves at the deadline and they are gelling at the right time. The Warriors had a long season last year with their extended playoff run and we think this team will finally run out of gas here in Game 6. Golden State has been following the Zig Zag theory for NBA playoff betting as they are 1-5 ATS after a win. They haven’t covered in the last five games in Los Angeles.

Home court has held serve in this series so far, and we expect more of the same tonight. We think Denver is the better team and we expect a strong showing with one of the best home court advantages in the league. We doubt Booker will play like he has in the last couple games, and we think we will see some top performances from some of the role players on Denver.

Love the Nuggets in this spot. We feel they are clearly the better team. They were never going to sweep the Suns, but Phoenix got their win in Game 3 and played about the best game they could, but Denver was still in striking distance at the end. We expect a better effort from the road team in this one and not quite the same effort from the home team. We had the Nuggets as a one-point favorite in our handicapping, so excellent value here and the points could come in handy if the game goes down to the buzzer.

We absolutely love the Celtics in this spot. We think one of the best things that could have happened to this team for the series was to lose Game 1 at home. That has upped the intensity and the urgency for this team, and it showed in their dominating Game 2 performance. Embiid came back for the Sixers in Game 2 and played decently. But who knows how his health will hold up here. If this was the regular season, he would for sure be out for an extended period, and it’s never a great idea to rush a player back. But even if he is 100%, we still like Boston here. The Celtics normally cover when they win. This has been one of the safest teams to bet on for several years as they normally bring their A Game and they play great team basketball. This is a team that you can trust. And they know they have a great path to the championship this year with some contenders bowing out early. We really think this is an important game for Boston, and they are a tier above the Sixers, and we think they flex their muscles tonight and take back home court advantage in the series.

We were not impressed with what we saw from the Suns in the first round. They let the Clippers hang around in almost every game despite a banged up LA squad. They face a huge step up in competition here. Denver is flat out the better team, and they have the best player on the court. Jokic also has more help around him than ever before, and they are almost unbeatable at home. We think the home teams will win in this series, and there is great value in this line as the Suns are overvalued in the market right now.

We don’t see the Kings going down without a fight, and if they can scrap to a win here, then they have a great chance to close the series out at home. They have suffered only one blowout in this series, and we don’t see it happening again here. They have covered in 12 of the last 15 meetings here, and we don’t see them being intimidated. This team has played with a lot of confidence and swagger, and they are the team with nothing to lose tonight, so they can play free. We see another close game here.

Love the Kings in this spot. They were the much better team in the regular season, and this isn’t just a flash in the pan as this team will likely be good for years. Maybe we will be seeing a changing of the guard in this series for the top team in California. Golden State is 11-30 on the road this season, and we don’t expect them to suddenly fix their road woes in the postseason. They are also 5-13 in the last 18 meetings against Sacramento. The Kings won’t want to let a season worth of hard work to go to waste by giving up home court in Game 1, and we think the Warriors are getting too much respect in this Game 1 because of past accomplishments.

We were on the Wolves against the Lakers and were lucky to cover that one after one of the worst fourth quarter performances of the season. OKC looked great against the Pelicans and they didn’t look nervous or intimidated. They looked like a playoff team. Minnesota sure didn’t. We think the poor play late will carry over here and we think the internal problems the Wolves are facing will be too much to overcome here.

We can’t deny that the Timberwolves are a circus right now with everything going on with this team right now. But with all the negative media attention, plus the Lakers being one of the biggest public betting teams in all of sports, this line has been way over adjusted. Minnesota still had a solid team to bring to the court tonight, and they have covered in six of the last seven meetings and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 trips to LA to play the Lakers. Some very nice value in this line tonight.

Bad teams that are spunky and with fight are normally pretty good against the puckline. But not the Ducks. They are 37-42 ATS overall and 16-22 at home. Anaheim surprised the Avs last time out, but Colorado has won the previous seven meetings, all by multiple goals. Both teams played Saturday and enter on a back-to-back, but the Ducks played extra hockey as they lost in OT to the Coyotes. They are probably happy with that moral victory and they face a big step up in class here.

10 Unit Play. Take #962 Tampa Bay (-1.5 RL) over Oakland (6:40p.m., Friday, April 7 MLB.tv) The Rays are the only undefeated team in baseball, and they are playing one of the worst teams in the league tonight at Tropicana Field. All six of their victories came by at least 4 runs and tonight should be no different. Zach Eflin was outstanding in his first start this season and the same cannot be said for Ken Waldichuk. Oakland is 18-38 in their last 56 road games. Tampa Bay is 36-17 in their last 53 home games. The Rays are 19-7 in their last 26 home games against a left-handed starter.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

The Coyotes had their nice hot streak where they were very competitive at home for a stretch but the wheels have fallen off despite the venue. They have lost eight straight, and they have a goal differential of -15 in their last three games.  In their last match, they lost to this Kraken club here in Seattle 8-1. Seattle is still fighting for playoff position, so they have motivation here, while the Coyotes look like they are ready to pack it in for the season and they have been playing their worst hockey of a lousy season recently.

It’s not often that we see the Spurs listed as a favorite, but here we are. And we think it’s very justified for this game tonight. Both teams have skeleton rosters here. But the Spurs have the better roster here and home-court advantage. Plus, they are in a better state mentally than the Blazers. The Spurs have been tanking all season and they know what they are. The Blazers had high expectations this season and fell well below them, and this franchise will be facing a lot of changes soon. The Spurs are just further ahead in their plan and we think that translates on the court tonight. They also have a winning record as a rare favorite and have covered in five of the last seven meetings.

We liked the rested Clippers before we saw the Lakers use tons of energy last night vs. Utah, and now this looks like an even worse spot for them against the Clippers, a team that has owned them in recent years. The Clippers have won and covered five straight in the series. They are coming off two straight losses and they need a win badly here. The Lakers have played two grueling road games since the Clippers last played, and they needed OT last night to get by Utah, so this is a supersized back-to-back and their third game in four nights. Tough task against a Clippers team desperate for a win.

We have been all over the Coyotes puckline in home games this season. But this team has been overworked lately, and no one could blame them to not give 100% here in a game that would get ugly quickly. Not only is this a back-to-back for Arizona and their third game in four nights, but they played extended hockey last night with OT and a shootout. They lost that shootout to the Avs, and they looked out of gas there at the end of the game. Edmonton was off Sunday and they have won seven of eight in this series, five of which came by multiple goals.

The Sixers two best players are questionable here and this Philly team is reeling a bit. They have lost two straight and three of four, and those losses weren’t pretty. Denver has won and covered three straight and four of five, and it seems this team’s recent struggles are in the rearview mirror. Denver matches up well here and this team seems to have raised their level of play lately and in the last few games this team looks like a squad that can beat anyone. We think they will want to make a statement in this possible NBA Finals preview.

10 Unit Play. Take #645 Xavier over Texas (9:45p.m., Friday, March 24 CBS) NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME OF THE YEAR. Just feel this will be too big of stage for Texas and their interim coach. Rodney Terry still has not been given the full time gig yet and I feel that will be a detriment to them in this game. The Musketeers have had a ton of success in the NCAA Tournament and Sean Miller has had good success at this level as well. Texas has not been at this round since 2008 prior to this run and they have not had much NCAA Tournament success in the last 15 years. Xavier is a great offensive team and that is something Texas did not see much of in the Big 12 this season. Texas plays in the better conference but I still do not believe they have seen an offensive team like Xavier will show on Friday. Xavier is 25-8 ATS (2 pushes) in their last 35 NCAA tournament games. Texas is 2-11 ATS (1 push) in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games. Teams have struggled to score all tournament long and giving up this many points does not bode well for Texas. Take the points, as Xavier does not need them and marches onto the Elite 8.

This is a strong revenge spot for the Clippers after the Thunder edged them here on Tuesday. Not only is this a revenge spot, but the Clippers are mad/frustrated with their performance on Tuesday as they had the ball with a near full shot clock down 1 at the end of the game and didn’t even get a shot off. Paul George will miss this game and all the others to end the regular season. But Kawhi and a deep roster around him should be able to pick up the slack against a Thunder team that has been playing above their heads recently.

Columbus got smacked around by Anaheim last time out and they are up against a much better team here on Sunday. They have won seven of their last nine and have looked good doing it, with three of their last four wins coming by double digits. Vegas lost last time out, and this looks like a great spot for them to bounce back with a multi-goal win.

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

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

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

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

Best of Luck, Doc's Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

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

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

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

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

10 Unit Play. Take #101 Kansas City Chiefs over Philadelphia Eagles (6:30p.m., Sunday, February 12 FOX) All the talk is about the Eagles dominate run to reach the Super Bowl, but the odds makers are having no part of that. They have kept this game as a pick’em and I believe that the books wants Philadelphia money in this game. I believe that the difference in this game will come down to experience, something Kansas City has a major edge in at the quarterback and head coaching positions. Jalen Hurts did not throw the ball well in the conference championship and if the Chiefs can contain the rushing attack and make him beat them they should be in a good shape. Philadelphia has had a cake walk to reach the Super Bowl and just are not as battle tested as Kansas City is. Philadelphia is 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. Andy Reid earns his second Super Bowl victory, and this is one bittersweet coming against his former team. 

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

The Coyotes have been profitable on the puckline this season, mainly as a home underdog and they are 12-8 ATS at home. With extra rest, they should be able to defend the home fortress tonight and keep this one close. Minnesota has a pair of extra time wins and three losses in their last five, so they aren’t in top form. Last time we saw the Coyotes at home, they upset the Blues 5-0. We think they will be competitive here. The Coyotes have covered the puckline in the last three meetings and we think they make it 4-for-4 here tonight as this team isn’t a total pushover anymore and the oddsmakers have been slow to adjust.

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

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

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

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

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

10 Unit Play. Take #323 Cincinnati Bengals over Kansas City Chiefs (6:40p.m., Sunday, January 29 CBS) Everyone is on the Bengals, which is sometimes a scary proposition, but as the games dwindle down, the public usually gets the big games correct. The Chiefs opened up as a favorite, but the wise guys and public were having no part of that. Cincinnati is now favored and the line during the week keeps going up. Joe Burrow has beaten Kansas City all three times in his career including earlier this season. The Chiefs are 1-8 (ATS) 1 push in their last 10 home games. The Bengals have won 10 straight games and will earn another trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Cincinnati has offensive line issues, but that was not a factor last week in Buffalo. Kansas City has quarterback issues with Patrick Mahomes suffering a high ankle sprain against Jacksonville last time out. He will play but I expect the injury to be worse this week compared to last week. Cincinnati is 13-2 ATS (1 push) in their last 16 games against teams with a winning record. Kansas City is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Joe Cool advances as we ride the public and the hot hand.

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

The Islanders are in a freefall and have lost eight of their last nine. Five of those losses were by multiple goals. Things won’t get any easier tonight as they face a Toronto team that has won five of eight and is playing very well. They tangled with their biggest rival on Saturday and lost as a big favorite in Montreal despite playing a hard-fought game. They will no doubt be looking to get back on track here. Toronto has won five of seven in the series, and four of those wins have come by multiple goals.

10 Unit Play. Take #318 San Francisco 49ers over Dallas Cowboys (6:30p.m., Sunday, January 22 FOX) The Cowboys played great last week against the Buccaneers, but I just do not believe they can follow that up with a second straight road victory. San Francisco has won 11 games in a row and have two extra days to prepare for this game. They have also covered the spread in 12 of their last 14 home games. Brock Purdy has been up to the challenge thus far and feel he will be playing with a lead most of this game. QB Prescott just had not been very consistent this season and playing his fourth straight road game will be too much to overcome. Dallas is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games played in January. San Francisco is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 divisional playoff games.

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

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

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

10 Unit Play. Take #152 Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Dallas Cowboys (8:15p.m., Monday, January 16 ABC) Do not trust either coach in this game, but I do trust the greatest quarterback of all time. Dallas has not played well on offense of later, struggling to run the football and turning over the ball at an alarming clip. Tom Brady is 7-0 in his career against Dallas. Tampa Bay won the first meeting this season by a score of 19-3 and that was in Dallas. The Cowboys do not play well on grass and it showed last week in Washington and will show this week in Tampa.

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

Note: there will likely be line movement in this game because of MVP favorite Jokic and his injury status. He is questionable with a wrist injury. We like the Clippers for a comfortable win whether he plays or not. We think Revenge is an overrated NBA handicapping angle. That is unless the teams played recently. And the Clippers no doubt remember that game last week in Denver where they got spanked, 122-91. The Nuggets have won six of seven, but they have been enjoying some home cooking lately. All those wins were at home, but they are just 2-4 in their last six road contests. Even though George is out tonight for the Clippers, this team is very deep with talent, but they just have not had consistent rotations. But they looked real good last time out in a double-digit home win vs. the Mavs, and wins and losses have come in bunches for this team. But they need to start stacking some wins together after the lackluster start to the season, and we expect them to bring their A Game tonight and for Kawhi to lead the way to a win and cover.

Oklahoma City was one of the best ATS teams last season, and they are doing it again as they are the No. 1 betting team this season at 25-16 ATS. This is the perfect betting team as they play hard almost every night yet keep it close more often than getting the outright win. They have covered in four of their last five games, and we expect them to keep this close tonight. OKC does most of their ATS damage as a big dog as they are 18-7 ATS when getting three or more points. If this line goes up to double digits, they are a perfect 5-0 ATS in those scenarios. While teams like the Lakers and Warriors get the best shot from other teams even when they aren’t high in the standings, OKC is a team they often overlook and we don’t see the Sixers bringing their A Game tonight. OKC has covered in four of the last five meetings in Philly.

Love the puckline here for the Kraken, one of the hottest teams in the NHL and one that is playing as well as any team in the league right now. They have won six straight entering this one. Those includes multiple-goal wins on the road at Toronto and Edmonton, so it’s not like this team is just beating up on a bunch of scrubs. They won’t be intimidated heading into Boston. Boston has won both lifetime meetings, but both were one-goal results and the last meeting went to OT. One of the key factors here why we like the road team is that Boston has been off since Sunday. While the rest was much needed, that is a long layoff in the middle of the season and it probably will throw their momentum off here. Boston doesn’t lose at home. But they do have close games here. The last three home games for the Bruins have all been one-goal games. We are expecting the same here on Thursday.

For Dallas, Luka Doncic is questionable for this matchup. If he plays, the line will move. But we like the Clippers to win this one by a comfortable margin despite the line movement. Paul George is out for LA but Kawhi should play. Tonight., we have to plug our noses and take the Clippers, who are on a 6-game losing streak. This is the worst losing streak in years. This team has been inconsistent. But this just has the feeling of a Must Win game, and we think LA will respond to the pressure tonight. It’s not like they have lost to scrubs, as all the losses were to playoff type teams. They played their best game of the bunch last time out vs. the Hawks, who eventually rallied for the win. But LA has covered in five of the last seven meetings, and this is a good familiar foe with which to halt the losing streak.

Two teams on winning streaks as the Bulls have won three straight and the Celtics have won two straight. But Boston has not been covering many lines as they have been overvalued by oddsmakers and they haven’t been playing at their top level. They have covered only one of their last four games. Chicago covered in all three of their recent wins. We expect a hard fought game here. The Bulls typically bring their A Game when playing Boston. They are 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings and they have covered four straight in Boston. We were planning to take the Bulls here and thought the line would be closer to 6, so there is excellent value here tonight.

10 Unit Play. Take #470 Denver Broncos over Los Angeles Chargers (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 8 CBS) Denver has gotten clarity on their coaching situation and they played better last week. The Chargers do not have much to play for in this game and would not be surprised if they rest a few of their starters. Denver has won 4 of the last 7 meetings between these two teams and all 4 of those victories came as an underdog. The Broncos are 3-0 straight-up (3-0 ATS) as well in the last 3 games against the Chargers played in Denver. QB Wilson wants to finish the season on a high note and look for that to occur on Sunday.

We took the Celtics for a big play last time out against the Mavs after their embarrassing loss to the Thunder and they destroyed Dallas by nearly 30. Now we are going to back Dallas with the same philosophy, backing a good team after an embarrassing loss. They didn’t show up in that game, and they will no doubt produce a better effort here win or lose. They come in rested, while the Pelicans are on a B2B after a game they probably wanted more in Brooklyn last night that was hard fought but ended up a loss. New Orleans is not a very deep team, and they are missing two of their Big Three and we think their lineup will be lacking here in the B2B. Dallas has been an awful ATS team this season, but that can turn around. We think they have a great chance for a blowout here.

The Mavs have won seven in a row, while the Celtics have been blown out in two straight and lost to OKC by 30+ last time out. Yet the Celtics are still favored here on the road. That tells us a lot. We always like to take a good team after an embarrassing loss. The Celtics certainly fit the bill here as they are arguably the best team in the NBA. And that loss is certainly embarrassing, but it’s also forgivable. During the long grind of the NBA season, teams just don’t always show up to play. But after a real poor effort, we expect the Celtics to bring their A Game tonight in Dallas. The Celtics have covered in 12 of 17 meetings here and they are the much better team. We think they show it tonight.

This is the perfect revenge spot for the Bucks, who lost to Washington here on this same floor in a blowout Sunday. Antetokounmpo and Holiday, the Bucks two best players this season, missed that game but both should be back here. Milwaukee has lost five of six, so there should be a sense of urgency here tonight. Four of those losses were on the road, and three were to the other top teams in the east, so it’s not like they have been beaten by a bunch of bad teams. This looks like a good spot for a blowout win and revenge.

Montreal is in the worst form of any NHL team right now. They have lost eight of nine games. They have a goal differential of -17 in their last four games. Nashville is a solid team that has been playing .500 hockey in their last six games, but their three losses have come to Colorado (OT), Dallas by one goal, and Vegas (OT). So even in their losses they have been very competitive. But we don’t think they will pass up this chance for a big win here over a struggling team. In Montreal’s eight recent losses, only two have come by one goal. Nashville has won six of seven in this series, and three of the last four wins have come via multiple goals. This one looks like a major mismatch to us.

10 Unit Play. Take #277 Mississippi State Bulldogs over Illinois Fighting Illini (11a.m., Monday, January 2 ESPN2) ReliaQuest Bowl. Bowl Game of the Year. Just feel Mississippi State wants to send out the pirate with a win. The Bulldogs have most of their key players and have promoted from within to take over for Mike Leach next season. Mississippi State is making their 13th straight bowl appearance and I feel that Illinois got exposed during the second half of the season. They lost 3 of their last 4 games including two home games against so-so teams in Michigan State and Purdue. The Illini have a strong defense, but their competition was not of SEC caliber offenses, and they will be without CB Witherspoon for this game. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win in their previous game. The Fighting Illini are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game. Expect a low scoring game that the Bulldogs win straight-up and end the Mike Leach era on a positive note.

10 Unit Play. Take #128 Green Bay over Minnesota (4:25p.m., Sunday, January 1 CBS) The Packers continue to win games of late. We expect them to run the table and make the playoffs. Minnesota has already clinched the division and they luck in one score games continues to be impressive. When they lose, they seem to lose big and that is what we are looking for on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota is 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record. The home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings between Minnesota and Green Bay.

10 Unit Play. Take #729 Utah over Stanford (4p.m., Saturday, December 31 PAC-12N) The Cardinal just cannot put together a solid season under Jerod Hasse. He has had talented players and experience but has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament and this will be his last year at the farm. Utah continues to improve in year two of Craig Smith and they returned most of their talent from last season. They are 3-0 in conference play and do not have any bad losses on the season. They also have the best player on the floor in Branden Carlson and if they keep winning games like this, they will be an NCAA Tournament team coming March. The Tues are 17-6 ATS (1 push) after allowing less than 50 points to their opponent in their previous game. Stanford is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played on Saturdays. Maples Pavilion during the holiday break will not provide any atmosphere or home crowd edge for the home team. Utah wins this game straight-up.

Utah has not been playing great on the road and is 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. The Kings shine has worn off since the start of the season as this team has been inconsistent. But they are healthy here and this line is more than fair. This homestand hasn’t been the best, but they head on the road after the new year so we think this game is a priority to get a win and salvage the homestand. Utah hasn’t looked very good the last couple games and even lost to the Spurs. They are 7-13 on the road and we think they are in for another tough game tonight.

Boston has been the best team in the NBA to start the season, but now that the Clippers are healthy, they have possibly the strongest roster in the league. They should have most of the squad playing tonight, and this is just too many points. The Celtics were in a big slump but have won three straight, but wins over Minnesota and Houston don’t really move the needle. Just don’t think this club is in top form right now. The Clippers always seem to play well in Boston, where they are 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings, and we think they bring their A Game tonight.