15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Texas A&M -5.5 

Texas A&M opened 11-1 this season when they were healthy.  But then the Aggies were hit hard by injuries and proceeded to go 2-7 in their last nine games overall.  Now the Aggies are fully healthy again and should get back to being that 11-1 team sooner rather than later. 

Texas A&M is coming off back-to-back road losses as LSU and Kansas, which is no big deal.  Now the Aggies return home tonight where they are 9-2 on the season.  Look for them to take out their frustration on the overrated Arkansas Razorbacks tonight. 

Arkansas comes in overvalued off three straight wins by a combined 8 points with two of those coming at home.  But Arkansas is just 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in true road games this season, losing by an average of 10.4 points per game.  I think they get blown out of the building tonight. 

The Razorbacks are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.  The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Aggies are 4-1 ATS in their last five home meetings with Arkansas.  The Razorbacks are 4-11 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  Roll with Texas A&M Tuesday. 

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Oklahoma -6 

The Oklahoma Sooners are back to being undervalued finally after going 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  They have lost three of their last four straight up, but all three were on the road to Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Alabama. 

Now Oklahoma returns home where it is a perfect 10-0 on the season, scoring 97.5 points per game and outscoring opponents by 18.3 points per game.  The Sooners have recent home wins over Northwestern by 26, Oklahoma State by 20, Texas Tech by 10, TCU by 5 and Kansas by 5. 

Now the Sooners should be able to blow out a struggling Baylor squad that is just 12-9 overall and 2-6 in Big 12 play.  This is one of the worst teams Baylor has had in quite some time.  The Bears are 2-7 in their last nine games overall with both of their wins coming at home.  Baylor is 0-6 SU & 2-4 ATS in true road games this season, losing by an average of 12.4 points per game. 

Oklahoma is 29-14 ATS in its last 43 home games after having lost two of its last three games.  The Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.  Oklahoma is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games following a loss.  The Sooners are 25-11-2 ATS in their last 38 meetings with Baylor.  Take Oklahoma Tuesday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 

The Milwaukee Bucks are 3-0 since Jason Kidd was fired.  They have returned with a new focus and realize they weren’t playing hard enough or well enough for Kidd.  Their last two games have resulted in a 25-point home win over Brooklyn and a 14-point road win at Chicago. 

Now the Bucks will be out for revenge from a 94-116 road loss at Philadelphia on January 20th just over a week ago.  It’s certainly worth noting that the Bucks were short-handed in that game, playing without both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Malcolm Brogdon.  Anteteokounmpo is back healthy and playing at an MVP level, while Brogdon could make his return tonight. 

This is a tough spot for the 76ers, who will be playing their third straight road game, the second of a back-to-back, and their 3rd game in 4 days.  I don’t know that they’ll have much left in the tank after facing the Spurs and Thunder on the road the past two games, and now making this trip to Milwaukee to play for a second consecutive day. 

Plays on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Milwaukee) - a good shooting team making 48% or better on the season, after two straight games making 9 or more 3-point shots are 145-80 (64.4%) ATS since 1996.  The Bucks are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 games when playing on 0 days’ rest.  The 76ers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games when playing on 0 days’ rest.  Take the Bucks Monday.

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Indiana Pacers -3 

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most underrated teams all season.  They have played without star center Myles Turner for much of the campaign, but he is healthy now and the Pacers will be dangerous moving forward. 

The Charlotte Hornets have been as inconsistent as they come.  They are just 20-28 SU & 19-25-4 ATS on the season.  They are 6-14 SU & 7-10-1 ATS on the road.  They are getting way too much respect from the books as only 3-point road underdogs to the Pacers tonight. 

Indiana is 19-5 straight up in its last 24 home meetings with Charlotte.  The Pacers have won their last two home meetings with the Hornets by 21 and 16 points, respectively.  The home team has won five straight meetings in this series overall. 

The Pacers are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 Monday games.  Indiana is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 vs. NBA Southeast Division opponents.  Charlotte is 4-9-3 ATS in its last 16 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Pacers Monday. 

15* Notre Dame/Duke ESPN Monday No-Brainer on Duke -14.5 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish caught a tough break when their best player Bonzi Colson (21.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) was lost for the season on January 9th with a foot injury.  Then they were dealt another big blow when their second-best player Matt Farrell (15.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) suffered an ankle injury. 

Colson has missed the past seven games and Farrell has missed four games recently and both remain out.  Not to mention, they are playing without top 6th man D.J. Harvey (5.8 ppg), who has missed the past two games.  It’s no surprise that the Fighting Irish have struggled, going 0-5 SU & 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall. 

Now Notre Dame will be up against a motivated Duke team that is coming off a rare home loss to Virginia over the weekend.  Look for the Blue Devils to pour it on the Fighting Irish in this one.  Notre Dame simply won’t have the offensive punch without Colson, Farrell and Harvey to keep up with a Duke team that is scoring 90.3 points per game this season. 

Duke is 145-112 ATS in its last 257 games as a home favorite of 10 points or more.  The Blue Devils are 56-29 ATS in their last 85 home games with a total set of 140 to 149.5 points.  Duke is 176-134 ATS in its last 310 games following an ATS loss, including 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  The Blue Devils are 17-8-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.  Roll with Duke Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday UPSET SHOCKER on Chicago Bulls +2 

The Chicago Bulls come in highly motivated for a victory following three consecutive losses, including two by 5 points or fewer.  Look for them to get back on track with an ‘upset’ home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks today. 

The Bulls are an impressive 20-7 ATS in their last 27 games overall.  They have been undervalued for a couple months now.  Chicago is 38-18 ATS in its last 56 vs. Eastern Conference opponents. 

The Bulls have owned the Bucks, going 15-7 ATS in the last 22 meetings.  They are 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS against Milwaukee this season, actually winning each of their first two meetings on the road 115-109 as 8.5-point dogs and 115-106 as 7.5-point dogs.  Now there’s no way they should be underdogs at home. 

The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Bulls are 17-6 ATS off a home game this season.  Chicago is 9-1 ATS vs. poor rebounding teams that get out rebounded by 3-plus boards per game this season.  The Bucks are 0-6-2 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % below .600.  Milwaukee is 9-24 ATS in its last 33 Sunday games.  Roll with the Bulls Sunday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Indiana +9 

The Indiana Hoosiers are improving rapidly in head coach Archie Miller’s first season in Bloomington.  They have gone 4-2 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. 

The Hoosiers have been very impressive at home of late.  Indeed, the Hoosiers are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.  They now have the confidence to hang with a team of Purdue’s caliber. 

I think the Boilermakers come in overvalued due to their No. 3 national ranking.  They are starting to have to lay some big numbers, and it’s going to make it difficult for them to cover.  Asking them to win by double-digits on the road to beat us here is asking too much. 

Indiana is 29-16 ATS in all home games over the last three seasons.  Purdue is 7-22 ATS in its last 29 road games when playing against a team with a winning percentage from 51% to 60% after 15-plus games.  The Hoosiers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a loss.  Take Indiana Sunday. 

20* Villanova/Marquette FOX Sunday No-Brainer on Marquette +8 

Marquette only lost 90-100 at Villanova as 16-point underdogs in their first meeting this season on January 6th.  Now the Golden Eagles are catching 8 points at home in the rematch and will be out for revenge today. 

We saw last year the Golden Eagles pull off their biggest win of the season at home over Villanova.  They beat the Wildcats 74-72 as 5-point home underdogs.  They have a very good home-court advantage as they are 9-3 on their home floor this year. 

Villanova being the No. 1 ranked team in the country puts a huge target on their backs.  It also has them overvalued because the betting public wants to back them, especially since they have covered three in a row coming in. 

Villanova is 3-11 ATS after having won 18 or more of their last 20 games over the past three seasons.  The Wildcats are 1-5 ATS in their last six Sunday games.  The Golden Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss.  Bet Marquette Sunday. 

15* CBB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Virginia Tech +4 

It’s mind-blowing that the Fighting Irish are actually favored here Saturday against Virginia Tech.  They Fighting Irish are without their two best players in Bonzie Colson (21.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Matt Farrell (15.7 ppg, 5.3 apg).  They are also missing D.J. Harvey (5.8 ppg). 

All these injuries have really put the Fighting Irish behind the eight ball.  They are 0-4 SU & 1-3 ATS in their last four games overall.  I really don’t understand how they can even be favored here, especially against a team that caliber of Virginia Tech. 

The Hokies come in undervalued after losing two of their last three.  But they righted the ship with an impressive 80-69 upset victory over UNC last time out.  And now they realize they need to win games like this against Notre Dame if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. 

Notre Dame is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 home games after two straight games where it attempted 12 or fewer free throws.  The Hokies are 24-10-1 ATS in their last 35 games following an ATS win.  The Fighting Irish are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Buzz Williams is 9-1 ATS off two straight games where they made 10 or more 3-point shots as the coach of the Hokies.  Bet Virginia Tech Saturday.

15* NBA Saturday Total DOMINATOR on Hornets/Heat UNDER 205 

This will already be the 4th and final meeting of the 2017-18 season between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.  It’s safe to say that they are familiar with one another, and that familiarity certainly favors the defenses. 

These teams just played one week ago today with Miami winning 106-105 at Charlotte.  I think this rematch will be much more low scoring, especially with the way the Heat are playing of late.  And the Hornets have lost the first three meetings, so they will be fighting extra hard defensively to try and avoid the season sweep. 

The Heat have combined for 189 points with Houston and 177 points with Sacramento in their last two games coming in.  The Heat are one of the better defensive teams in the league giving up 101.5 points per game, but their offense has struggled all season at 100.7 points per game. 

Charlotte is 18-6 UNDER when revenging a home loss over the last two seasons.  Miami is 21-6 UNDER when its opponent allowed 100 points or more in its previous game.  The UNDER is 9-4 in Heat last 13 home games.  The UNDER is 6-1 in Hornets last seven vs. a team with a winning record.  The UNDER is 5-1 in in Hornets last six games when playing on 0 days’ rest.  The UNDER is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings, including 4-1 in the last five meetings in Miami.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* Kentucky/West Virginia ESPN ANNIHILATOR on Kentucky +10 

When is the last time you remember Kentucky being a double-digit underdog under John Calipari?  I can’t recall it, and I certainly am going to take advantage today and back the Wildcats in this big underdog role against the WVU Mountaineers. 

I realize this isn’t one of Calipari’s best teams, but the Wildcats are still 15-5 and improving every day.  That’s the best part about his teams is that they improve as much as anyone in the country over the course of the season with all of the freshmen he plays.  Kentucky does have five losses this year, but four have come by 8 points or fewer. 

It’s not like West Virginia is playing well enough right now to warrant being a double-digit favorite, either.  The Mountaineers are 1-3 in their last four games overall.  They lost at Texas Tech and TCU, while also getting upset by Kansas at home.  I think they will struggle with athletes the caliber of Kentucky’s here. 

The Mountaineers are 5-17 ATS in their last 22 games vs. SEC opponents.  West Virginia is 0-6-1 ATS in its last seven home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.  The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with Kentucky Saturday. 

20* Virginia/Duke CBS Saturday No-Brainer on Duke -4 

The ACC title is likely on the line when the Virginia Cavaliers (19-1, 8-0) visit the Duke Blue Devils (18-2, 6-2) at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday.  Being two games behind the Cavaliers already, the Blue Devils are looking at this as a must-win.  And given their past successes at home against Virginia, I have no doubt they get the win and cover tonight. 

The Blue Devils are 17-0 in their last 17 home meetings with the Cavaliers having not lost since 1995.  Duke hasn’t lost at Cameron Indoor in more than a full calendar year.  The Blue Devils are 10-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 29.4 points per game. 

Virginia has only played five true road games this season.  Their four wins came against VCU, VA Tech, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.  They were favored in all four games.  In their toughest road game, they lost 61-68 at West Virginia as 4.5-point underdogs.  Now this will be their stiffest road test yet. 

Plays against road teams as an underdog or PK (Virginia) - an excellent defensive team allowing 63 or fewer points per game against an average defensive team (67-74 ppg) after allowing 50 points or less are 46-16 (74.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Duke Saturday. 

20* Big 12/SEC GAME OF THE WEEK on Georgia +8 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on Georgia and ‘sell high’ on Kansas State as this spread has simply got out of hand here Saturday based on recent results.  We’ll gladly take advantage and back the Bulldogs as 8-point road underdogs here to the Wildcats. 

We’ll ‘sell high’ on Kansas State, which comes in 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in its last five games overall.  That recent success has the Wildcats way overvalued right now.  And this is a huge lookahead spot for Kansas State, which hosts Kansas on Monday.  Their only loss during this stretch came 72-73 at Kansas, so they will be looking ahead at getting revenge. 

Conversely, we’ll ‘buy low’ on Georgia, which is 1-4 SU & 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.  The Bulldogs will be extra motivated for a win here Saturday and with the way they play defense, they are more than capable of pulling off this upset and hanging with the Wildcats. 

Georgia is 15-6 ATS as an underdog over the last two seasons.  The Bulldogs are 7-0 ATS in road games off a loss over the last two years.  Georgia is 17-5 ATS in road games when playing a team with a winning record over the last two seasons.  The Wildcats are 1-7 ATS in their last eight non-conference games.  Kansas State is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Take Georgia Saturday. 

15* Knicks/Suns NBA Late-Night BAILOUT on OVER 217 

The Knicks are playing little defense at all right now, which is why they have gone through a 4-14 stretch over their last 18 games.  That has been even more apparent here of late as the OVER is 9-0 in Knicks last nine games overall. 

I think the Knicks are just a tired team right now, and that’s showing up on defense.  They are in the midst of a 7-game road trip and conclude that trip tonight.  During this 9-0 OVER run, the Knicks and their opponents have combined to average 231.6 points per game.  That’s nearly 15 points more than tonight’s posted total of 217. 

I don’t see much changing tonight against a Phoenix Suns team that doesn’t play any defense, either.  The Suns have allowed at least 100 points in 12 consecutive games coming in.  They are giving up 112.2 points per game on the season.  The Knicks are allowing 110.3 points per game on the road. 

The OVER is 3-1 in the last four meetings as the Suns and Knicks have combined to average 222 points per game.  The Knicks beat the Suns 120-107 for 227 combined points in their first meeting this season.  Play on the OVER on any team (New York) - after going over the total by more than 6 points in four consecutive games, on Friday nights are 28-5 (84.8%) over the last five seasons.  Roll with the OVER in this game Friday. 

15* NBA Friday Total DOMINATOR on Jazz/Raptors UNDER 208.5 

It’s easy to see there’s value with the UNDER in tonight’s matchup between the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors when you look at the recent series history.  Points will be hard to come by tonight. 

The Raptors and Jazz have combined for 209 or fewer points in each of their last five meetings.  They have averaged just 197 combined points in those five meetings, which is roughly 12 points less than tonight’s posted total of 208.5 

Both teams have played in some very low-scoring games here of late.  Utah combined for 194 points with Atlanta and then 193 points with Detroit in its last two games despite going to overtime against the Pistons.  Toronto combined for 187 with Detroit, 169 with San Antonio and 201 with Atlanta in three of its last four games. 

Utah is 8-1 UNDER off an upset win as an underdog this season.  Toronto is 14-5 UNDER vs. good 3-point shooting teams making 36% or more of their attempts this season.  The UNDER is 7-1 in Jazz last eight games following a win.  The UNDER is 7-3 in Raptors last 10 home games. 

Plays on the UNDER on road teams where the total is 200 to 209.5 (Utah) - off an upset win as an underdog against an opponent that’s off a road win are 48-19 (71.6%) over the last five seasons.  Take the UNDER in this game Friday. 

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Pacers/Cavs UNDER 223.5 

The Pacers and Cavs are extremely familiar with one another.  This will be their 4th and final meeting of the season already.  Based on the way the first three have been trending, it’s safe to say there’s value with the UNDER tonight. 

In Game 1, they combined for 231 points in a shootout.  But Game 2 saw just 208 combined points, and Game 3 saw even less at 192.  As teams become more familiar with each other, the defenses have the advantage. 

The Cavs are looking to do anything they can to play better defense amidst a 1-6 stretch.  Now they have decided to move Kevin Love from Center to Power Forward.  They are inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting center role now, and this will make them a better defensive team. 

Indiana is 10-1 UNDER after scoring 115 points or more this season.  The Pacers are 14-4 UNDER off one or more consecutive overs this season.  Plays on the UNDER on home teams where the total is 220 or more (Cleveland) - excellent free throw shooting team making 79% or better against a good FT shooting team (76%-79%) after 42-plus games are 25-4 (86.2%) since 1996.  Bet the UNDER in this game Friday. 

15* CBB Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Wichita State -13.5 

It’s safe to say the Wichita State Shockers are going to be highly motivated for a victory tonight following back-to-back upset losses to SMU at home and Houston on the road.  Look for them to put forth one of their best efforts of the season now at home against UCF. 

The UCF Knights are extremely vulnerable moving forward.  They just lost arguably their most important player in center Tacko Fall (11.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg) to a season-ending shoulder injury last time out.  A.J. Davis (10.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg) is nursing an ankle injury as well.  The Knights are 1-2 SU & 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall, losing by 9 at UConn, by 11 at home to Cincinnati and barely escaping with a 71-69 victory as 9.5-point favorites over lowly South Florida. 

Wichita State is 34-17 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points over the last two seasons.  The Shockers are 6-0 ATS versus poor offensive teams that score 64 or fewer points per game over the last three years.  Take Wichita State Thursday. 

20* Wizards/Thunder TNT Thursday No-Brainer on Oklahoma City -4.5 

Since December 1st, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 14-0 when all five of their normal starters play.  That’s Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Roberson and Steven Adams.  They are full healthy now and have all five starters going tonight. 

The Thunder will also be playing with a chip on their shoulder in the short-term, especially Paul George.  Westbrook and head coach Billy Donovan have both been vocal in the media about how George should have made the All-Star team.  He was arguably the biggest snub in the entire NBA, and he’ll be playing with added motivation moving forward. 

The Wizards have lost five of their last eight games overall.  They are in turmoil right now.  Their players’ only meeting clearly did not go very well.  In their first game after the meeting, they lost 75-98 on the road to the Dallas Mavericks.  And now they are dealing with an injury to one of their best players on Otto Porter Jr., who is questionable with a hip injury tonight. 

Washington is 3-11 ATS when playing its 2nd game in 5 days this season.  Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU & 4-1-1 ATS in its last six meetings with Washington.  The Thunder are 8-0 SU in their last eight home meetings with the Wizards, winning by an average is 11.1 points per game.  The Wizards are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Bet the Thunder Thursday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Temple +13.5 

I really like the situation for the Temple Owls tonight.  They will be out for revenge from a 53-55 home loss to Cincinnati as 7.5-point underdogs on January 4th.  I backed the Owls with success in that game, and I’m backing them again tonight as they are catching a whopping 13.5 points on the road in the rematch. 

No team has played Cincinnati tougher than Temple in recent years.  Each of the last five meetings have been decided by 7 points or less.  The Owls are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Temple is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to Cincinnati. 

Plays on underdogs of 10 or more points (Temple) - revenging a close loss vs. opponent by 3 points or less against a team that is off two straight wins over conference opponents are 46-17 (73%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Temple Wednesday. 

20* Louisville/Miami ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Miami -4 

The Miami Hurricanes come in motivated for a victory after losing three of their last five to drop to 14-4 on the season.  But they are 6-1 at home this season and winning by 18.8 points per game.  Their only home loss came to Duke when they blew a double-digit second half lead. 

I think Louisville comes into this game getting too much respect from oddsmakers for going 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall.  Now the Cardinals are only catching 4 points on the road to a team that is clearly better than them in Miami, and I have no doubt that will show on the court tonight. 

Louisville is 9-19 ATS in road games off a win over the last three seasons.  The Cardinals are 2-10 ATS in road games versus teams who commit 12 or fewer turnovers per game after 15-plus games over the past three seasons.  Jim Larranaga is 17-8 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less or PK as the coach of Miami.  Larranaga is 11-3 ATS after allowing 80 points or more as the coach of the Hurricanes.  Take Miami Wednesday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Chicago Bulls +6 

The Chicago Bulls continue to be greatly underrated despite going 20-5 ATS in their last 25 games overall.  They are also 15-9 SU in their last 24 games.  They have gone a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall heading into this showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The 76ers are starting to get too much love after going 7-2 SU & 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Now they are being asked to lay 6 points at home to these red-hot Bulls.  This is only the second time in the past 14 games that the 76ers have been a favorite of 6 points or more. 

The Bulls have really had the 76ers’ number in recent years, going 14-1 straight up in the last 15 meetings.  That’s another reason they should not be catching 6 points in a game they will likely win outright again tonight.  Especially with the 76ers playing without three key players in Markelle Fultz, J.J. Redick and T.J. McConnell. 

Chicago is 9-1 ATS vs. good rebounding teams who outrebound their opponents by 3-plus boards per game.  The Bulls are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last five trips to Philadelphia.  Bet the Bulls Wednesday. 

15* Cavs/Spurs TNT Tuesday No-Brainer on Cleveland -1.5 

The Cleveland Cavaliers held a players’ only meeting on Monday following their 124-148 home loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday.  They hashed out their problems, and I look for them to put forth a big effort tonight in San Antonio working on two days’ rest. 

The Spurs aren’t playing much better right now.  They are just 2-4 in their last six games overall with losses to the Lakers, Hawks and Pacers in there.  A big reason for the Spurs’ struggles right now is all of their injuries, while the Cavs come in healthy. 

The Spurs are without Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobli.  Those are four of their best players, and they simply don’t have the talent on the bench to replace them.  Until they get healthy, the Spurs are going to continue to struggle to win games. 

Play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (San Antonio) - after scoring 90 points or less in two straight games against an opponent after two straight games where both teams scored 100 or more points are 32-10 (76.2%) ATS since 1996.  Roll with the Cavaliers Tuesday. 

15* Missouri Valley PLAY OF THE DAY on Bradley -1 

The Bradley Braves are one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley this season.  And getting them as only 1-point home favorites against the Missouri State Bears is a gift from oddsmakers here tonight. 

Bradley is a perfect 10-0 SU & 7-0 ATS at home this season.  The Braves are outscoring their opponents by 15.8 points per game at home this year. 

Missouri State is 1-4 straight up in its last five true road games.  It has lost at Drake, Evansville, Illinois State and Oral Roberts, four teams that aren’t as good as this Bradley squad. 

The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.  The Braves are 22-4-2 ATS in their last 28 home games.  Take Bradley Tuesday. 

20* SEC GAME OF THE WEEK on Georgia -1.5 

The Georgia Bulldogs come in highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They have lost three of their last four with three of those four on the road.  Now they return home tonight and will be looking to get back in the win column.  Georgia is 8-1 at home this season. 

The Arkansas Razorbacks are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers tonight.  The Razorbacks are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Arkansas is just 2-4 SU in its last six games with its two victories coming by a combined 6 points at home over Missouri and Ole Miss.  Three of the four losses came by double-digits with a 15-point loss at Florida, a 21-point home loss to LSU and an 11-point road loss at Auburn. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 7-1 straight up in the last eight meetings.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Razorbacks are 0-8 ATS in their last eight SEC games.  The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.  Georgia is 20-8 ATS in its last 28 games following a loss.  Arkansas is 3-10 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  Bet Georgia Tuesday. 

20* NBA Monday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Chicago Bulls +6.5 

The Chicago Bulls continue to be massively underrated despite going 19-5 ATS in their last 24 games overall.  They are also 15-8 SU in their last 23 games overall.   

Now they are catching 6.5 points against the New Orleans Pelicans Monday.  I’ll gladly continue backing them at a tremendous value in a game they certainly have the ability to win outright tonight. 

The road team has dominated this series.  The road team is 23-9-1 ATS in the last 33 meetings.  The Bulls are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 trips to New Orleans. 

Chicago is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 road games.  The Bulls come in rested as this will be just their 2nd game in 5 days.  That’s important because Chicago is 12-1 ATS when playing just its 2nd game in 5 days this season.  Bet the Bulls Monday. 

15* NBA Monday Undervalued Underdog on Sacramento Kings +10 

The Charlotte Hornets can’t be laying double-digits against anyone right now.  They are just 18-26 on the season, including 12-13 at home.  I’ll gladly fade them here tonight in the double-digit favorite role. 

Certainly there hasn’t been a lot to like about the Kings of late as they have lost seven straight games coming in.  But that also gives us the opportunity to ‘buy low’ on them at this double-digit price. 

Charlotte is 3-13 ATS in home games off two consecutive home games over the past two seasons.  The Hornets are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 home games.  Charlotte is 8-18-1 ATS in its last 27 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. 

Plays on road underdogs (Sacramento) after failing to cover five or six of their last seven against the spread against opponent that covered two of their last three are 164-101 (61.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Kings Monday. 

15* UNC/VA Tech ESPN Monday No-Brainer on Virginia Tech +5 

It’s safe to say the Virginia Tech Hokies come into this game with the UNC Tar Heels highly motivated for a victory.  They have lost two straight to Louisville and FSU and four of their last six games overall.  They need a signature win at home here tonight to stem the tide. 

The Tar Heels come in a bit overvalued following four straight victories.  But the four came against Boston College, an injury-ravaged Notre Dame, Clemson and Georgia Tech with three of the four at home.  But the Tar Heels have only covered one of their last seven games overall. 

Virginia Tech is 10-2 at home this season, winning by an average of nearly 20 points per game.  The Hokies are scoring 88.2 points per game and shooting a ridiculous 54.2% from the floor at home.  They are scoring 85.6 points per game and shooting 52.1% on the season, so this team is loaded offensively. 

The Hokies are 12-3 ATS as a home underdog or PK over the last three seasons.  Virginia Tech is 11-1 ATS when playing with one or less days’ rest over the last three seasons.  The Tar Heels are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six road games.  The Hokies are 24-10-1 ATS in their last 35 home games.  The Hokies are 5-1 ATS in their last six home meetings with UNC.  Roll with Virginia Tech Monday. 

15* CBB Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Northern Iowa PK 

The Northern Iowa Panthers got off to a tough start in Missouri Valley play.  They opened 0-5 with four of their losses coming by 7 points or less.  But they have turned the corner here of late, winning and covering back-to-back games against Drake and Valparaiso. 

Now Northern Iowa will be out for revenge for one of those close losses, a 53-56 home loss to Southern Illinois.  I look for the Panthers to get their revenge today and beat the Salukis for the 5th time in the last 6 meetings. 

Southern Illinois is not playing well at all right now.  The Salukis are 2-4 SU & 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  Their two wins both came at home by a combined 6 points with a 2-point win over Evansville and a 4-point win over Illinois State. 

Northern Iowa is 13-4 ATS off two straight conference wins over the last three seasons.  Southern Illinois is 1-7 ATS after giving up 9 or fewer offensive rebounds in two straight games this season.  The Salukis are 2-8 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  Bet Northern Iowa Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Magic/Celtics UNDER 208 

The reason for the success of the Boston Celtics has been their work on the defensive end of the court.  The Celtics rank 1st in the NBA in defensive efficiency, giving up just 99.5 points per 100 possessions. 

But despite being such a young team, the Celtics actually run more of an old-school offense under Brad Stevens.  They slow it down and get the best shot available.  In fact, the Celtics rank just 20th in the NBA in pace.  Now the Celtics are dealing with an injury to their best player in Kyrie Irving, who missed last game with a shoulder injury. 

The Magic have a ton of injuries of their own right now that have really hampered them, especially offensively.  The Celtics are playing without Nikola Vucevic, Terrance Ross, Jonathan Isaac and Arron Afflalo.  The UNDER is 12-6 in their last 16 games overall and they have been held to less than 100 points in eight of those games. 

I think both teams will be sleep walking through this game Sunday with such an early start time, which will help aid the UNDER.  Boston is 22-9 UNDER after allowing 90 points or less over the last two seasons.  Orlando is 12-3 UNDER when playing against a team with a winning percentage of greater than 70% over the last two seasons.  The UNDER is 10-2 in Magic last 12 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.  Roll with the UNDER in this game Sunday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Pacific +9.5 

St. Mary’s is in a massive letdown spot here Saturday.  The Gaels are coming off an upset 74-71 win at Gonzaga as 7.5-point underdogs.  They exorcised some demons from losing all three meetings with the Zags last year. 

Now they’re up against a massively underrated Pacific team that will be upset-minded.  Pacific has gone 5-1 SU & 6-0 ATS in its last six games overall, including an upset win over BYU.  The only loss came at St. Mary’s 56-74 on January 4th, so they will also be in revenge mode here tonight. 

St. Mary’s is 4-22 ATS in its last 26 games off three consecutive road games.  Pacific is 7-0 ATS off a conference game this season.  The Gaels are 0-4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet Pacific Saturday. 

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Grizzlies/Pelicans UNDER 212 

Memphis at New Orleans just played on January 10th with Memphis winning 105-102 at home.  So these teams will be very familiar with one another playing just over a week later here Saturday, which favors the defenses. 

This has been a very low-scoring series as it is.  In fact, the Grizzlies and Pelicans have combined to average just 189.4 points per game at the end of regulation in their last nine meetings.  That’s roughly 23 points less than tonight’s posted total of 212. 

Each of the last nine meetings between Memphis and New Orleans have seen 207 or fewer combined points at the end of regulation.  That makes for a perfect 9-0 system backing the UNDER pertaining to this 212-point total.  Take the UNDER in this game Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Providence -2 

Providence will be out for revenge from a 64-83 road loss at Creighton back on December 31st.  But Providence was way banged up for that game, and now they are almost fully healthy.  Look for them to get that revenge at home this time around. 

Creighton is just 1-3 in its last four true road games.  Providence is 9-2 at home this season, recently beating the likes of Butler by 10 and Xavier by 9. 

Providence is 9-1 ATS off an upset win as an underdog over the last two seasons.  The Friars are 6-0 ATS in home games revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  Providence is 8-1 ATS when revenging a loss where opponent scores 75 points or more over the last two seasons.  The Bluejays are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS win.  Roll with Providence Saturday. 

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Seton Hall -2 

Seton Hall comes in motivated for a victory after losing two of its last three games.  Both were on the road, and now the Pirates are at home today for a big matchup with Xavier. 

Seton Hall is a perfect 11-0 at home this season, winning by 16.4 points per game on average.  Xavier is 0-2 in its last two true road games, losing at Providence by 9 and Villanova by 24. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  The home team is a perfect 7-0 SU in the last seven meetings.  Seton Hall is also a perfect 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings, and 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Take Seton Hall Saturday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Virginia Tech -1.5 

We are getting a massive discount on the Virginia Tech Hokies at home here Saturday.  They basically just have to win the game to cover, and I think they will do just that against Florida State. 

Virginia Tech is 10-1 at home this season with its only loss coming to Virginia.  Florida State’s true colors have shown in ACC play as the Seminoles are just 2-4 SU & 2-3-1 ATS so far with their only two wins coming at home over UNC by 1 and Syracuse in OT. 

The Seminoles are 0-3 in their last three true road games.  FSU is 1-8 ATS in January road games over the last three seasons.  The Hokies are 24-9-1 ATS in their last 34 home games.  The home team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet Virginia Tech Saturday. 

20* NBA DOG OF THE WEEK on Phoenix Suns +9 

I like the situation for the Phoenix Suns tonight.  They will be highly motivated to avoid the season sweep to the Nuggets after losing each of the first three meetings in this season.  This will be their 4th and final meeting and the last chance for the Suns to beat the Nuggets. 

Injuries to the Suns were a big reason for those three previous losses.  And now that they are mostly healthy they are ready to give Denver a run for its money.  Plus, the Suns are rested having two days off coming into this game, and this will be just their 4th game in 12 days dating back further. 

Denver will be playing its 3rd game in 4 days and its 9th game in 15 days.  The Nuggets played in Los Angeles on Wednesday and there’s certainly some distractions that go with that.  Also, I don’t expect the Nuggets to be very motivated at all tonight after already beating the Suns three times this season. 

The Suns are 4-1 ATS in their last five games when playing on two days’ rest.  Phoenix is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine games following a loss.  The Nuggets are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Bet the Suns Friday. 

15* Pac-12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Utah -7 

It’s safe to say the Utah Utes will be highly motivated for a victory at home here tonight.  They got off to a 10-3 start this season but have lost four straight since.  They will be laying it all on the line to get a victory here at home against Washington tonight. 

It’s easy to see why they have lost four in a row.  They had to play arguably the two best teams in the Pac-12 in Arizona and Arizona State at home, while also losing on the road to the next two best teams in the conference in UCLA and USC.  So their losing streak can be attributed to a brutal schedule as they have been an underdog in all four games. 

Now in comes one of the worst teams in the Pac-12 in Washington tonight.  This is a Washington team that is 3-2 in conference play, but two of the wins came against two of the worst teams in Washington State and California.  They just lost by 9 at home to Stanford and were beaten by 21 at UCLA.  I don’t expect them to be able to hang with the motivated Utes tonight. 

Utah has owned Washington, going 7-1 SU & 5-3 ATS in the last eight meetings.  The Utes have won all seven meetings by 5 points or more.  They won their two meetings last season by 22 and 24 points.  They have each of their last four home meetings with Washington by an average of 15.5 points per game. 

Utah is 19-8 ATS in its last 27 following four or more consecutive losses.  Washington is 6-20-1 ATS in its last 27 games following a loss.  The Utes are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight home games.  The Huskies are 3-9 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  Roll with Utah Thursday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Georgia Tech +8 

Over the past two seasons, Josh Pastner and Georgia Tech have pulled some huge upsets on a regular basis at home.  They Their most recent this season have been wins over Miami and Georgia Tech in their last two ACC home games.  They are more than capable of hanging with Virginia tonight. 

The Yellow Jackets are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  The key to their resurgence has been leading scorer Josh Okogie (18.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg), who missed eight games earlier this season.  Second-leading scorer Tadric Jackson (13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) also missed three games earlier.  But now the Yellow Jackets are fully healthy and playing their best basketball of the season. 

Virginia has won eight in a row coming in, which has them overvalued.  But they have benefited from playing seven of their last eight games at home with their only road win coming at Virginia Tech.  They lost their previous road game at West Virginia and have played just three true road games all season, also winning at VCU by 9. 

Georgia Tech is 11-1 ATS after three straight games committing 14 or fewer turnovers over the last two seasons.  The Yellow Jackets are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 home games.  Georgia Tech is 20-7 ATS in its last 27 ACC games.  The home team is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Take Georgia Tech Thursday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Orlando Magic +10.5 

The Orlando Magic have been grossly undervalued here in recent weeks.  That’s because they have gone 2-16 straight up in their last 18 games overall.  But now they are starting to catch too many points on a nightly basis, and they shouldn’t be catching double-digit points against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. 

The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  They only lost by 4 to Cleveland as 8.5-point home underdogs, by 7 at Milwaukee as 10.5-point underdogs, by 6 at Washington as 10.5-point dogs, and beat Minnesota by 6 as 8.5-point home dogs in their four covers.  So that also makes this a revenge spot for the Magic, who will be looking for payback from their 127-131 home loss to the Cavs on January 6th. 

Cleveland cannot be laying this kind of weight right now.  The Cavaliers are just 3-9 SU & 1-11 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  They are coming off a gut-wrenching 108-118 home loss to the Warriors, their biggest rivals.  That sets them up for a hangover spot here as they won’t be nearly as excited to face the Magic tonight, a team they just beat 12 days ago. 

Perhaps my favorite trend of the entire season is that Cleveland is 0-11 ATS as a favorite of 10 or more points this season.  They are actually losing these games 111.3 to 112.2 on average.  The Cavaliers are 1-10 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points this season as well.  Bet the Magic Thursday. 

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Creighton -4 

Creighton doesn’t have to wait long to get revenge from an 84-90 road loss at Seton Hall on December 28th in their Big East opener.  The Bluejays blew a 53-42 halftime lead and have not forgotten.  Look for them to have their revenge against the Pirates at home this time around. 

Creighton has one of the best home-court advantages in the country.  The Bluejays are 11-0 SU & 7-3 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by 26.5 points per game.  They are scoring 93.5 points per game and shooting 54.2% at home this year. 

Seton Hall has only played four true road games this season and has gone 2-2 straight up.  The Pirates have lost two of their last three road games in ugly fashion.  They lost 64-84 as 1-point favorites at Marquette and 65-71 as 8.5-point favorites at Rutgers.  This will be their toughest challenge yet on the road this season. 

Creighton is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 home games off three or more consecutive unders.  The Bluejays are 6-0 ATS off an ATS loss this season.  Creighton is 26-13 ATS in its last 39 home games when revenging a same season loss.  The Bluejays are 23-6 ATS in their last 29 games following an ATS loss.  The Bluejays are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 games following a SU loss.  Bet Creighton Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis Grizzlies -1.5 

The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the most underrated teams in the NBA over the last few weeks.  They have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall.  They have won three of their last four home games with their only loss coming by 2 as 4.5-point underdogs to Washington. 

Now they get to face a New York Knicks team that has been dreadful on the road all season.  The Knicks are just 5-15 SU & 8-12 ATS on the road this year.  They are losing by 7.4 points per game and giving up 107.9 points per game on the highway. 

The Grizzlies are 7-2 SU & 6-3 ATS in their last nine meetings with the Knicks.  Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last five games vs. a team with a losing record.  The favorite is 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings.  The Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six trips to Memphis.  Bet the Grizzlies Wednesday. 

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Valparaiso +8 

The Valparaiso Crusaders don’t have to wait long to avenge their 50-67 home loss to Missouri State back on December 31st.  They were banged up back then and now they are much healthier.  And they’re catching 8 points on the road to the Bears this time around. 

Missouri State is 4-2 in conference play this season, but three of the four wins came by 7 points or less.  They aren’t blowing teams out, and that 17-point win over Valpo earlier was the aberration.  I think this rematch goes right down to the wire tonight.  The Crusaders are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. 

Valparaiso is 22-10 ATS in its last 32 games when revenging a loss where they scored less than 60 points. Missouri State is 9-20 ATS as a favorite over the last two seasons.  The Bears are 0-6 ATS in home games after having lost two of their last three games over the past two seasons.  Missouri State is 21-43 ATS in its last 64 games off a conference home win.  Roll with Valparaiso Wednesday. 

15* AAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Tulane +7.5 

Head coach Mike Dunleavy has injected life into this Tulane Green Wave basketball program.  This is one of the most improved teams in the country at 11-6 on the season.  I like the value we are getting with the Green Wave catching 7.5 points at home to Houston. 

Houston is also an improved team at 14-3 under Kelvin Sampson.  But I think this is a tough spot for the Cougars, who have only had two days to prepare for Tulane.  And they have a rematch coming up with Wichita State on Saturday, and I can’t help but think they will be looking ahead to that huge matchup. 

Tulane comes in undervalued off back-to-back losses at Memphis and at home to UConn.  But just before those two losses, they upset SMU 73-70 as 8.5-point home dogs and Temple 85-75 as 10-point road dogs.   

The Green Wave are 8-2 at home this season.  The Cougars are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Green Wave are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit home loss.  Houston is 0-10 ATS vs. good passing teams who average 16 or more assists per game over the last two seasons.  Bet Tulane Wednesday.

15* NBA Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Atlanta Hawks +2.5 

Despite having one of the worst records in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks have been a real money maker for bettors.  They are 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 games overall.  Now they are home underdogs to the New Orleans Pelicans when they shouldn’t be. 

This is a tough spot for the Pelicans, who will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days.  And they are coming off back-to-back overtime road wins against the Knicks and Celtics.  They are in a clear letdown spot here after that huge win in Boston last night, and they won’t have much left in the tank. 

This will be just the 2nd game in 5 days for the Hawks, who beat the Spurs 102-99 as 5.5-point home underdogs last time out.  Plays against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (New Orleans) off a road win by 3 points or less, when playing on back-to-back days are 26-5 (83.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Hawks Wednesday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Charlotte Hornets -1 

After a slow start to the season, the Hornets are starting to rally and make their playoff push.  The slow start was due to injuries and the loss of head coach Steve Clifford, who just recently returned to the bench.  The Hornets have gone 4-2 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six games overall and are now pretty much healthy. 

The Wizards just aren’t playing very well at all right now.  They have lost three of their last five despite playing all five games at home.  And they are also 0-6 ATS in their last six games overall.  Now they continue getting too much respect from oddsmakers as only 1-point road underdogs to the Hornets here. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 9-1 straight up in the last 10 meetings.  The Wizards are 6-19-1 ATS in their last 26 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  Roll with the Hornets Wednesday. 

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida -6 

The Florida Gators are coming off an upset road loss at Ole Miss last time out.  That ended a six-game winning streak.  Look for the Gators to come back highly motivated for a victory at home tonight against the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

This Arkansas team is not playing well at all right now and is extremely vulnerable.  The Razorbacks have lost three of their last four games coming in with their only win coming by 2 points at home against Missouri.  They lost by 21 at home to LSU the game before.  The Razorbacks are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall. 

Florida is 11-0 straight up in all home meetings with Arkansas dating back to 1997.  Arkansas is 4-15 ATS in its last 19 road games after scoring 65 points or less in two straight games.  Florida is 11-3 ATS when playing against a good team (60% to 80%) over the last two seasons.  The Razorbacks are 1-7 ATS vs. very good teams who outscore their opponents by 8-plus points per game this season.  Arkansas is 0-6 ATS in its last six SEC games.  Take Florida Wednesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Boston Celtics -4.5 

The Boston Celtics have been one of the most underrated teams in the NBA all season.  They are 34-10 SU & 27-15-2 ATS in their 44 games this season.  And now they’re still not getting the respect they deserve as only 4.5-point home favorites over the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. 

This is a great spot for the Celtics as well.  They will be fresh and ready to go.  This will be just their 2nd game in 10 days, which is extremely rare in the NBA.  But it’s easy to see why as they played the 76ers in London on January 11th, so they needed extra time off to travel.  But this extra rest will be a huge boost for the team moving forward. 

The Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings with the Pelicans.  Boston is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 vs. NBA Southeast Division opponents.  The Pelicans are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Take the Celtics Tuesday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Orlando Magic +8.5

This game is the perfect storm.  The Orlando Magic couldn’t possibly be more undervalued right now after going just 1-16 SU in their last 17 games overall.  That has started to show of late as they’ve gone 3-1 ATS in their last four games, losing by 4 to Cleveland, by 7 at Milwaukee and by 6 at Washington.  They are starting to catch too many points. 

Conversely, the Timberwolves couldn’t be more overvalued right now.  They have gone 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  But all five games were at home.  Now they hit the road where they have lost three of their last four games to Brooklyn, Boston and Milwaukee out East. 

Minnesota is 18-43 ATS in its last 61 games after scoring 120 points or more.  The Timberwolves are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.  The Magic are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings with the Timberwolves.  The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Magic Tuesday. 

15* Clemson/UNC ACC Tuesday No-Brainer on Clemson +7.5 

To say the Clemson Tigers will be motivated for a victory tonight against the UNC Tar Heels would be a massive understatement.  One of the most shocking streaks in college basketball history is on the line tonight.  The Tar Heels are 58-0 against Clemson in Chapel Hill all-time, which marks the longest home winning streak against any opponent in NCAA history. 

But this is the first time in a long time that Clemson may actually have the better team.  The Tigers are 15-2 this season and have been underrated for much of the year, going 9-5 ATS in their lined games.  Even Roy Williams said this is the best team that Brad Brownell has probably ever had at Clemson, and I agree. 

UNC has been extremely vulnerable this season.  The Tar Heels have recent road losses to Florida State and Virginia, and they were upset by Wofford at home in late December.  They only beat Notre Dame 69-68 on the road last time out, a Fighting Irish team that was paying without their two best players.  They also have a recent narrow 73-69 home win as 14-point favorites over Wake Forest. 

Clemson is 6-0 ATS after having won six or seven of its last eight games this season.  The Tar Heels are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games following a win.  UNC is 1-4-1 ATS in its last six vs. ACC opponents.  The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with Clemson Tuesday. 

15* Warriors/Cavs TNT Monday No-Brainer on UNDER 233.5 

No two teams are more familiar with one another than the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. After all, they have met in the NBA Finals in three consecutive seasons.  And familiarity makes it tougher on the offenses and easier on the defenses because they know each other’s tendencies. 

That was certainly on display in the first meeting of the season between the Warriors and Cavs.  That game saw Golden State win 99-92 and stay well UNDER the 215.5-point total on Christmas Day.  Now they are playing just a few weeks later and the total is set at 233.5, so I think there’s a ton of value with the UNDER tonight. 

Cleveland is 19-7 UNDER as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last three seasons.  Golden State is 19-5 UNDER after leading its previous game by 15 or more points at halftime over the last two seasons.  The UNDER is 6-1 in Warriors last seven vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Cavaliers last six Monday games.  Roll with the UNDER in this game Monday. 

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Boston College +3.5 

Florida State is coming off a 101-90 (OT) victory at home over Syracuse on Saturday.  Now the Seminoles will be playing their 3rd game in 6 days and won’t have much left in the tank.  Making matters worse for them is that their leading scorer in Terrance Mann (15.1 ppg) is doubtful to play tonight with a concussion. 

Boston College has been one of the more underrated teams in the country this season at 12-6 on the year.  They have been especially tough at home, going 10-1 while beating Duke as a 15-point underdogs.  The Eagles’ only home loss came by a final of 70-74 as 5.5-point underdogs to Clemson. 

Florida State is 2-10 ATS in road games off two consecutive conference games over the last two seasons. The Seminoles are 1-9 ATS in road games versus teams who are called for 17 or fewer fouls per game after 15-plus games over the last three seasons.  The home team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet Boston College Monday. 

20* Lakers/Grizzlies TNT GAME OF THE WEEK on Memphis -2.5 

The Memphis Grizzlies will be playing more inspired today than they would on any average night.  It’s Martin Luther King Day, and with Memphis being the place of MLK’s death, this day holds an even more special day for these players and their fans.  Look for a big effort from them tonight. 

The Grizzlies have been much more competitive of late, going 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.  I believe they are currently undervalued.  And home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  The home team is 8-2 straight up in the last 10 meetings.  The Grizzlies are 6-0 straight up in their last six home meetings with the Lakers. 

Los Angeles is starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers due to going 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in its last four games overall.  But three of those four games were at home, and three were against some of the worst teams in the NBA in Atlanta, Sacramento and Dallas.  The Lakers had lost 12 of their previous 13 games prior to this streak. 

The Lakers could be without two of their best players tonight in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, who are both questionable.  The Lakers are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  The Grizzlies are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games following a loss.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet the Grizzlies Monday. 

15* NBA Monday Total DOMINATOR on Heat/Bulls UNDER 207 

Few teams play as hard defensively as the Miami Heat.  That was certainly on display yesterday as the Heat won their seventh consecutive game with a n impressive 97-79 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.  I think their offense will suffer playing the second of a back-to-back here, but their defensive intensity will be there to make up for it as they go for their 8th straight victory. 

But it’s the head-to-head history between Miami and Chicago that has me really intrigued by this UNDER. The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six meetings.  All six meetings saw 205 or fewer combined points.  The Bulls and Heat have averaged just 195.2 combined points per game in those six games, which is roughly 12 points less than today’s posted total of 207. 

Miami is 20-6 UNDER in its last 26 games off a win by 10 points or more.  The Heat are 10-1 UNDER in road games versus up-tempo teams averaging 88 or more shots per game over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 7-2 in Heat last nine games playing on 0 days’ rest.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Heat last five vs. a team with a losing record.  The UNDER is 35-17 in Heat last 52 road games.  The UNDER is 15-4 in Bulls last 19 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Take the UNDER in this game Monday. 

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Indiana State +10 

The Indiana State Sycamores are simply catching too many points today against the Missouri State Bears.  They have opened 3-2 in MVC play with their only losses coming by 3 points at Illinois State and by 3 points at home to Drake. 

Missouri State is also 3-2 in MVC play, losing back-to-back games to Illinois State and Evansville.  In their two home MVC games they have only won by 5 and 7 points.  So it’s not like they are blowing teams out. 

This has been a very closely-contested series in recent years.  Indeed, each of the last five meetings have been decided by 9 points or less, including four by 6 points or fewer.  Two of those games went to overtime. 

The underdog is 16-4-1 ATS in the last 21 meetings.  Missouri State is 9-19 ATS as a favorite over the last two seasons.  Paul Lusk is 2-9 ATS as a favorite of 10 points or more as the coach of Missouri State.  Bet Indiana State Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Miami Heat -2 

They Miami Heat have now won six straight games.  Now they are getting some reinforcements today as both James Johnson and Justise Winslow are returning from injury.  Now at basically full strength, this team is going to continue being dangerous moving forward. 

The Bucks have struggled of late, going 2-3 SU & 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  They are coming off a disappointing 94-108 home loss to the Golden State Warriors Friday in which they blew a 4th quarter lead.  I think they’ll suffer a hangover from that loss to the defending champs. 

Miami is 12-1 ATS off four or more consecutive wins over the last two seasons.  The Heat are 16-5 ATS versus poor rebounding teams getting outrebounded by 3-plus boards per game over the last two seasons.  The Bucks are 9-23 ATS in their last 32 Sunday games.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with the Heat Sunday. 

15* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Chicago Bulls -1 

We are certainly getting a nice value with the Chicago Bulls at home tonight as only 1-point favorites over the Detroit Pistons.  They just have to win the game essentially to cover, and this team has been doing a lot of winning and covering of late. 

Indeed, the Bulls are 12-7 SU in their last 19 games and 15-5 ATS in their last 10 games.  They have consistently been undervalued over the past month and that hasn’t changed one bit here tonight.  I love the passion this team has played with ever since Nikola Mirotic returned to the lineup. 

The home team is 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  None of those four meetings were even close as the home team won by 11 points or more in all four meetings and by an average of 17 points per game. 

Detroit is 4-17 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  Chicago is 9-1 ATS when playing just its 2nd game in 5 days this season.  The Bulls are 7-0 ATS in home games versus horrible foul drawing teams who attempt 21 or fewer free throws per game this season.  The Bulls are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a win.  The Pistons are 20-43 ATS in their last 63 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  Take the Bulls Saturday. 

20* NBA DOG OF THE WEEK on Brooklyn Nets +9.5 

Both the Wizards and Nets played last night, so there will be no advantage there.  The Wizards beat the Magic 125-119, while the Nets beat the Hawks 110-105.  But the difference here is that the Nets have the better bench and will be the fresher team because nobody played big minutes last night. 

Only one player played more than 29 minutes for the Nets, which was the 33 by Allen Crabbe.  Conversely, the Wizards had their three studs in John Wall (36), Bradley Beal (36) and Otto Porter (39) all play big minutes as they were fighting tooth and nail to beat the lowly Magic. 

The Nets have owned the Wizards this season, going 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS in the two previous meetings.  They won 103-98 as 3.5-point home underdogs, and 119-84 as 6-point home dogs.  Now they find themselves catching a whopping 9.5 points in the third meeting, which is simply too much. 

The Nets are 8-1 ATS in their last nine vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Brooklyn is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games overall.  The Nets are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 road games.  The Wizards are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Brooklyn is 12-3 ATS vs. good offensive teams scoring 106-plus points per game this season.  Washington is 4-14 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points this season.  Bet the Nets Saturday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Oklahoma State -2 

This is a very tough spot for Texas.  The Longhorns just found out their best player Andrew Jones has Leukemia before the TCU game on Wednesday.  They laid it all on the line for him and came away with a miraculous 99-98 victory in double-overtime. 

TCU missed a wide open layup in the second OT as time expired, making you wonder if the power’s that be made sure that Texas won that game.  Off such an emotional win, and still without their best player in Jones who averages 13.5 points, shoots 52.8% from the field and 47.5% from 3-point range, I expect a big mental letdown tonight against Oklahoma State. 

The Cowboys will be motivated for a win after opening 1-3 in Big 12 play.  Two of those losses were on the road to Oklahoma and Kansas State.  The Cowboys are 9-2 at home this season with their only two losses coming to two of the best teams in the country in West Virginia and Wichita State. 

The home team is 7-2 straight up in the last nine meetings.  Oklahoma State is 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings, including 4-1-1 ATS in the last six home meetings.  The Longhorns are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a win.  The Cowboys are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS loss.  Bet Oklahoma State Saturday. 

20* Big East GAME OF THE WEEK on Xavier -3.5 

Xavier will be playing with a chip on its shoulder today after back-to-back road losses to Providence and Villanova to fall to 15-3 on the season.  The Musketeers also want revenge from getting knocked out of the Big East Tournament by Creighton last year, 75-72. 

Xavier is 11-0 SU & 8-3 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by 19.2 points per game.  That’s why I have no doubt they’ll get right back on the winning track at home here Saturday as mere 3.5-point home favorites over Creighton. 

The Bluejays have only had to play four true road games this season.  They lost at Gonzaga by 17 and Seton Hall by 6 against the two best teams they played away from home, and two teams similar to Xavier talent-wise.  They beat Northwestern and Georgetown. 

Xavier is 51-28 ATS in its last 79 January home games.  The Musketeers are 15-4 ATS in their last 19 games after allowing a shooting percentage of 55% or higher.  Xavier is 6-0 ATS versus teams who force 12 or fewer turnovers per game over the last two seasons.  The Musketeers are 6-0 ATS versus good rebounding teams who average 4-plus boards more than their opponents this season.  The Bluejays are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.  Take Xavier Saturday.

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Georgia -4 

The Georgia Bulldogs have been grossly undervalued this season, especially when playing at home.  After blowing a halftime lead and losing at Missouri last time out, I expect the Bulldogs to be playing motivated here at home today. 

And Georgia will be looking to stay unbeaten at home this season.  The Bulldogs are 8-0 SU & 4-1 ATS at home this year, outscoring opponents by an averages of 13.9 points per game.  They have blowout wins over Georgia Tech (80-59), Temple (84-66), Ole Miss (71-60) and Alabama (65-46) in their last four home games, respectively. 

South Carolina is clearly in a rebuilding year under Frank Martin after last year’s surprise Final Four run.  The Gamecocks are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  The competition has gotten stiffer, and they have lost four of their last six by 16 to Clemson, by 5 to Ole Miss, by 11 to Missouri and by 14 to Alabama. 

These teams have five common opponents already this season.  Georgia is 3-2 against them and winning by 5.2 points per game, while South Carolina is 1-4 against them and losing by 8.0 points per game.  The Bulldogs are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games following a loss.  The Gamecocks are 3-12 ATS in their last 15 SEC games.  South Carolina is 0-5 ATS in its last five vs. a team with a a winning record.  The Gamecocks are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five road games.  Take Georgia Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Georgetown +12.5 

The Georgetown Hoyas just aren’t getting any respect from oddsmakers in their first season under Patrick Ewing.  But boy is he doing a fine job with them this season.  They are off to a 12-4 start with only one of their four losses coming by double-digits. 

Seton Hall is a very good team at 14-3 this season, but the Pirates have been fortunate in close games this year.  Each of their last four wins have come by 12 points or less against Manhattan, Creighton, St. John’s and Butler despite playing three of those four at home. 

Georgetown has gone 3-1 SU & 3-0-1 ATS in all road games this season.  It has road wins over Richmond, DePaul and St. John’s with upsets as underdogs in the latter two.  Its only road loss came by a final of 65-74 at Marquette, the same Marquette team that Seton Hall just lost 64-84 to last time out. 

This has been a very closely-contested series in recent years.  Each of the last five meetings have been decided by 8 points or less.  The Hoyas are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall, and 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Roll with Georgetown Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Kansas -12 

The Kansas State Wildcats just recently lost their floor general in PG Kamau Stokes to an injury.  Stokes averages 13.4 points and 4.6 assists per game.  They were able to overcome his loss to beat Oklahoma State 86-82 at home in their first game without him.  Beating Kansas on the road will be a monumental challenge without him. 

I think this is one of the rare times you will get Kansas at a cheap price.  That’s because the Jayhawks have actually lost at home twice already this season, which is unheard of in the Bill Self era.  But the Jayhawks are playing well, going 6-1 in their last seven games and 4-2 ATS in their last six games. 

Kansas is 19-1 SU & 12-8 ATS in its last 20 home meetings with Kansas State.  It still has arguably the best home-court advantage in the country.  And I don’t expect the Wildcats to handle the environment very well, especially now that they are without their starting point guard. 

Kansas State is 0-7 ATS versus teams who attempt 18 or fewer free throws per game over the last three seasons.  The Wildcats are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  Kansas State is 11-29-2 ATS in the last 42 meetings, including 3-13-1 ATS in its last 17 trips to Kansas.  Roll with Kansas Saturday. 

15* NBA Friday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on New York Knicks +9 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have gone 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.  This run has them overvalued now.  And the Timberwolves are clearly primed for a letdown after back-to-back huge home wins over the Cavaliers and Thunder. 

Plays against favorites (Minnesota) after beating the spread by more than 6 points in three consecutive games, a good team winning 60% to 75% or more of their games on the season are 38-12 (76%) ATS over the last five seasons. 

Conversely, the Knicks are undervalued after going just 2-8 SU & 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  But six of those eight losses came by 9 points or fewer, so they have been competitive.  And seven of those 10 games were on the road.  It has been a tough stretch, but the Knicks should be rejuvenated now as this will be just their 2nd game in 5 days. 

The Knicks have owned the Timberwolves over the past two seasons, going 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS despite being the underdog in three of those four meetings.  They just have the winning formula against the Timberwolves, and I think they will be the more motivated team in this matchup. 

The Knicks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games when playing on one day of rest.  The Timberwolves are 8-22-1 ATS in their last 31 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  The underdog is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  New York is 4-1-1 ATS in its last six trips to Minnesota.  Take the Knicks Friday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Indiana Pacers +2.5 

I’m not sure how the Cleveland Cavaliers can actually be favored tonight against the Indiana Pacers with how poorly they are playing.  After all, the Cavaliers are 6-25-1 ATS as favorites this season, so they have been money burners all year. 

And now the Cavs will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after yet another ugly 99-133 loss in Toronto last night against a Raptors team that was playing without two starters in Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.  That followed up a 99-127 loss at Minnesota the game before.  The Cavs are now just 2-6 SU in their last eight games and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 contests.  And now they’ll be without Isaiah Thomas, who is resting in this one. 

The Pacers haven’t won a game when Victor Oladipo has sat out.  But he returned from injury three games ago and the Pacers have gone 2-1 since.  They beat the Bulls 125-86 and the Bucks 109-96 while losing to the red-hot Miami Heat 106-114.  But they shot just 1-of-18 from 3-point range against the Heat, yet were still tied with a few minutes to go.  They won’t shoot that poorly again, especially not against a Cleveland defense that has allowed 129 points per game in their last three contests. 

Indiana is 9-1 ATS after having lost six or seven of its last eight games over the past two seasons.  It is winning by 7.8 points per game on average in this spot.  The Cavs are 1-9 ATS versus good shooting teams that make 46% of their shots or better this season.  Cleveland is 0-8 ATS in its last eight road gams.  The Pacers have won each of their first two meetings this season with the Cavs outright as underdogs.  Indiana is 12-4-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings.  Bet the Pacers Friday. 

15* Marquette/Butler Big East No-Brainer on Butler -4.5 

Off three consecutive losses, it’s safe to say the Butler Bulldogs are going to be highly motivated for a victory at home tonight against the Marquette Golden Eagles.  I expect a big effort from them to get the win and cover here and to get back on track. 

It’s easy to see why Butler has lost three in a row.  They were underdogs on the road to both Xavier and Creighton, and they only lost by 3 at home to Seton Hall after blowing a double-digit lead.  The game before this skid, they beat Villanova 101-93 at home.  The Bulldogs are now 9-1 SU & 7-2 ATS at home this season with one of the better home-court advantages in the country. 

Butler has really had Marquette’s number in recent meetings.  The Bulldogs are 5-1 SU & 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Butler is 7-1-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings overall.  Marquette has played a much softer schedule than Butler and will be taking a big step up in class here tonight. 

Butler is 8-1 ATS in home games when playing its 3rd game in a week over the last three seasons.  The Bulldogs are 8-1 ATS in home games versus teams who attempt 21 or more 3-point shots per game over the last three seasons.  The Golden Eagles are 0-4 ATS in their last four trips to Butler.  Roll with Butler Friday. 

20* NBA Thursday No-Doubt Rout on Sacramento Kings +1.5 

The Los Angeles Clippers are in a very difficult spot tonight.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days here.  And they are clearly in a letdown spot after beating the Warriors on the road last night.  Well, the Warriors sat both Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, so it comes with an asterisk. 

The Clippers won’t be nearly as excited to face the Kings, who will be highly motivated for a victory after dropping five of their last six games overall.  But in their last two home games they beat Denver 106-98 as 8.5-point dogs and led San Antonio nearly the entire way until the closing minutes, losing 100-107 as 5-point dogs. 

While the Kings are relatively healthy, the Clippers have all kinds of injury issues that will make this back-to-back that much more difficult.  They have been without Blake Griffin, who remains questionable with a concussion.  Austin Rivers, Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverly are all out.  C.J. Williams is doubtful, while Milos Teodosic is questionable. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Sacramento) - off a loss to a division rival, in January games are 24-6 (80%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Plays against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 (LA Clippers) - off two or more consecutive wins, playing on back-to-back days are 74-39 (65.5%) ATS over the last five years.  Bet the Kings Thursday. 

15* Cavs/Raptors TNT Thursday No-Brainer on UNDER 222 

The Toronto Raptors are going to be without two of their best offensive weapons in point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Serge Ibaka tonight.  They are going to have to muck it up and make this an ugly game if they want any chance to beat the Cavaliers tonight, which is why I think there’s value with the UNDER. 

The Cavaliers are frustrated right now, losing five of their last seven games overall coming in.  It can mostly be attributed to poor defense, but their offense has also been struggling.  They have been held to 101 or fewer points in all five of those losses.  I look for them to put a renewed effort defensively tonight after losing 99-127 to the Timberwolves on Monday.  They have had two days off since to fix their defense. 

These teams are very familiar with one another after squaring off in the playoffs each of the past two seasons.  I think that familiarity will make points harder to come by.  In fact, 14 of the last 17 meetings in this series have seen less than 222 points, which is what this total has been set at tonight. 

Cleveland is 10-2 UNDER off a non-conference game this season.  Toronto is 11-3 UNDER vs. good 3-point shooting teams who make 36% or better this season.  The UNDER is 7-0 in Cavaliers’ last eight vs. NBA Atlantic opponents.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Raptors last six home games.  The UNDER is 21-7 in the last 28 meetings in Toronto.  Take the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Ohio State -4.5 

Chris Holtmann has this Ohio State Buckeyes team on the rise in his first season.  He did big things at Butler and now he has carried over that success to Columbus.  The Buckeyes are 13-4 on the season, including 10-1 at home and winning by 16.8 points per game. 

Ohio State has gone 8-1 in its last nine games overall with its only loss coming to UNC on a neutral court. They beat Wisconsin by 25 on the road, Michigan by 9 at home, Iowa by 11 on the road and Michigan State by 16 at home during this stretch.  And you can bet Ohio State will be out for revenge following four straight losses to Maryland over the past two seasons. 

That’s the same Michigan State team that Maryland just lost by 30 to on the road a week ago today.  This Maryland team isn’t as good as the ones in recent years that made the NCAA Tournament.  The Terrapins are just 1-2 in true road games this season with their only win coming 92-91 against an Illinois team that remains winless in Big Ten play. 

Ohio State is 19-6 ATS in its last 25 home games off three straight games committing 11 or fewer turnovers.  The Buckeyes are 11-2 ATS in home games when playing against a good team winning 60% to 80% of their games over the last three seasons.  Ohio State is 9-1 ATS in home games vs. teams who are called for 3-plus fouls per game less than their opponents over the last three years.  Roll with Ohio State Thursday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Total DOMINATOR on Pelicans/Grizzlies UNDER 213 

Just looking at the recent head-to-head history in this series it’s easy to see that there is value with the UNDER tonight.  Plus the fact that the Pelicans are going to be without their best player in Anthony Davis makes me like the UNDER even more. 

The Pelicans and Grizzlies have combined for 205 or fewer points at the end of regulation in eight straight meetings, which makes for a perfect 8-0 system backing the UNDER pertaining to this 213-point total.  They have averaged just 190.4 combined points per game in those eight meetings, which is roughly 23 points less than this total.  The UNDER is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings in Memphis. 

Memphis is 8-1 UNDER in home games versus good 3-point shooting teams making 36% or more of their attempts this season.  New Orleans is 14-4 UNDER in road games vs. division opponents over the last three seasons.  Memphis is 8-1 UNDER vs. division opponents this season.  The Grizzlies are 10-1 ATS after covering four of their last five games against the spread over the last two seasons.  Take the UNDER in this game Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Memphis Grizzlies +1.5 

The New Orleans Pelicans are going to be without their best player in Anthony Davis tonight.  They haven’t been playing well of late anyways, going 2-3 SU & 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  They have upset home losses to Dallas and New York during this stretch, and an 18-point road loss at Minnesota. 

The Memphis Grizzlies are starting to play much better here of late.  They are 2-3 SU but 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall despite playing four of their last five games on the road, and their lone home game was a 2-point loss to Washington as 4.5-point dogs. 

The Grizzlies have owned the Pelicans, going 8-2 SU & 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  Plays against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (New Orleans) - after a win by 6 points or less against opponent off a loss by 6 points or less are 50-20 (71.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Grizzlies Wednesday.

15* Missouri Valley PLAY OF THE DAY on Evansville +2.5 

The Evansville Purple Aces have one of the more underrated home-court advantages in the country.  They are 9-1 at home this season, outscoring opponents by 14.3 points per game.  They are coming off a dominant 68-44 home win over Bradley as only 1-point favorites. 

Missouri State is a quality team this season, but it should not be favored on the road here.  The Bears have lost two of their last three road games despite being favorites in each.  They lost 66-73 as 12.5-point favorites at Oral Roberts, and 68-72 as 4-point road favorites at Illinois State. 

Evansville has owned Missouri State in recent meetings, going 6-1 straight up in the last seven meetings.  The Purple Aces are 4-0 in their last four home meetings with the Bears, winning by 8, 10, 19 and 7 points, respectively. 

The Purple Aces are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning record.  Evansville is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 home games.  The Purple Aces are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game.  Evansville is 9-2 ATS when the line is +3 to -3 over the last two seasons.  Missouri State is 9-18 ATS as a favorite over the last two seasons.  Take Evansville Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Indiana Pacers -5 

The Pacers had lost five in a row before the return of Victor Oladipo.  He returned Saturday and sparked the Pacers’ 39-point win.  The Pacers then led the entire way in an impressive 109-96 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Heat are overvalued right now due to winning five straight games.  But now they’re in a tough spot as they will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days after a 90-89 victory in Toronto against a Raptors team that was playing without Kyle Lowry last night.   

And now the Heat will likely be without one of their best players in James Johnson, who is expected to be suspended.  They were already missing Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow, and Tyler Johnson is questionable with a shoulder injuries.  That makes this back-to-back set even more difficult for them. 

Indiana is 10-0 straight up in its last 10 home meetings with Miami.  The Heat are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings in Indiana.  The Pacers are 8-0 ATS in their last eight vs. NBA Southeast Division opponents.  Miami is 1-9 ATS off two or more consecutive wins this season.  Bet the Pacers Wednesday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE MONTH on Georgia Tech -1 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are way overvalued right now due to their 5-game winning streak.  They were able to survive their first few games without Bonzie Colson, and even their last game against Syracuse without Matt Farrell.  But with their two best players out, this team is going to struggle moving forward, especially tonight. 

Colson (21.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Farrell (15.9 ppg, 5.1 apg) are simply irreplaceable on this team.  Colson has missed the past two games while Farrell missed one.  Both will be out tonight and really hamper Notre Dame’s chances of being successful.  In their first game without both, they managed just 51 points against Syracuse. 

Georgia Tech is really coming on strong of late.  The Yellow Jackets are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.  The loss was a 59-68 setback at Notre Dame as 14-point dogs, which places the Yellow Jackets in revenge mode.  They also upset Miami 64-54 as 5-point home dogs and easily covered as 9-point favorites in a 74-60 home win over Yale. 

Georgia Tech is 14-3 ATS in January games over the last three seasons.  The Yellow Jackets are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games after committing 11 or fewer turnovers in three straight games.  Georgia Tech is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 home games.  The Yellow Jackets are 42-20-2 ATS in their last 64 games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600.  Bet Georgia Tech Wednesday. 

15* SEC PLAY OF THE DAY on Ole Miss +10.5

The Auburn Tigers are in the ultimate letdown spot tonight.  They are coming off back-to-back wins over ranked teams in Tennessee and Arkansas for the first time since 2007.  They have now jumped into the Top 25 for the first time in 15 years.  It’s safe to say they will relax after accomplishing that feat. 

Ole Miss will give them a run for their money tonight.  The Rebels have gone 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five games with their only loss coming on the road at Georgia.  They have beaten both South Carolina and Mississippi State during this run, while winning their other two games by 23 and 22 points. 

Ole Miss simply owns Auburn, going a perfect 10-0 SU & 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  The Rebels are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  They won both meetings last season and have four starters back from that squad under Andy Kennedy this season. 

Ole Miss is 10-1 ATS when playing its 3rd game in a week over the last two seasons.  Auburn is 0-6 ATS after scoring three of its last four against the spread over the past three seasons.  The Rebels are 5-1 ATS in their last six SEC games.  Roll with Ole Miss Tuesday. 

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Nebraska -1.5 

Nebraska continues to get no love from oddsmakers this season.  The Huskers have opened 11-6 this year, and head coach Tim Miles is doing a tremendous job.  Their recent results have me believing they should be favored by more than 1.5 points at home against Wisconsin tonight. 

The Huskers are a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.  They beat Minnesota 78-68 as 9-point home dogs, only lost by 10 at Creighton as 12-point dogs, only lost by 1 at home to Kansas as 12-point dogs, beat UTSA by 10 as 9.5-point favorites, won outright at Northwestern by 15 as 7.5-point dogs, and gave Purdue a run in a 12-point road loss as 21-point dogs. 

Wisconsin has been one of the most overrated teams in the country this season.  The Badgers are just 1-5 SU & 1-5 ATS in all road games this season.  They are just 9-8 on the year as this is one of the worst Wisconsin teams in recent memory.  They have lost their last two true road games to Temple and Rutgers. 

Nebraska is 45-21 ATS in its last 66 home games with a line of +3 to -3.  The Huskers are 27-13 ATS in their last 40 home games as a favorite of 3 points or less or PK.  Nebraska is 7-0 ATS after playing a game as an underdog this season.  The Huskers are 6-0 ATS in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.  Take Nebraska Tuesday. 

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Heat/Raptors UNDER 207.5 

The Toronto Raptors just played a grueling 114-113 (OT) game in Brooklyn last night.  Kyle Lowry fell hard and hurt his tailbone, forcing him to leave the game.  It’s likely that he won’t be available tonight in this back-to-back set against the Heat, which would significantly hamper Toronto’s offense. 

The Heat prefer to play at a slow tempo.  They rank 27th in the NBA in pace at 96.8 possessions per game.  Miami is one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, especially when Hassan Whiteside is healthy, which he hasn’t been for much of the season until recently.  And the Heat are just 22nd in offensive efficiency. 

But the heat-to-head history here is the reason this is such a good bet.  In fact, each of the last 11 meetings between Toronto and Miami have seen 205 combined points or less.  And two of those games even went to overtime.  They have averaged just 190.3 combined points per game in those 11 meetings, which is roughly 17 points less than tonight’s posted total of 207.5.  We’ll take this 11-0 system straight to the bank tonight.  Bet the UNDER in this game Tuesday. 

20* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Indiana Pacers -1.5 

I love the situation tonight for the Indiana Pacers.  They just lost to the Bucks 101-122 on the road on Wednesday, January 3rd.  Now they get their chance at revenge less than a week later, and this time around they will have their best player in Victor Oladipo. 

After losing five consecutive games and remaining winless when Oladipo sits, they got a big boost with his return on Saturday.  Oladipo went 9-of-11 shooting for 23 points and delivered nine assists with five steals in a 125-86 rout of the Chicago Bulls.   

Now the Pacers will be fresh as this is just their 2nd game in 5 days, while the Bucks will be playing their 7th game in 12 days.  And the Pacers have owned the Bucks at home, going 34-12 straight up in their last 46 meetings. 

Plays on favorites (Indiana) - revenging a loss vs. opponent by 10 points or more against an opponent that’s off a road win are 106-60 (63.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Pacers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven Monday games.  The Bucks are 2-8-2 ATS in their last 12 vs. NBA Central Division opponents.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take the Pacers Monday. 

15* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Portland Trail Blazers -2.5 

The Portland Trail Blazers are getting healthy and will be a dangerous team moving forward.  They have had a rough season injury-wise thus far, yet they’re still 20-18 on the year.  Look for this team to make a push into the All-Star Break after going 4-2 SU & 4-2 ATS in their last six games overall. 

The Spurs have lost two of their last four to the Piston and 76ers with their two wins coming against the Knicks and Suns.  Unlike Portland, San Antonio is really banged up right now.  The Spurs are expected to be without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Danny Green and Rudy Gay tonight. 

The Spurs are just 9-11 SU & 7-12-1 ATS on the road this season.  Plays on home favorites (Portland) after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games, in Sunday games are 45-15 (75%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Blazers are 5-0 ATS in their last five Sunday games.  Portland is 7-1-2 ATS in its last 10 games following a straight up win by more than 10 points.  Take the Blazers Sunday. 

15* FSU/Miami ACC Sunday No-Brainer on Miami -2.5 

The Florida State Seminoles are in a really tough spot here.  They have opened ACC play having to play both Duke on the road and North Carolina at home.  Off a 1-point win over the Tar Heels, the Seminoles won’t have much left in the tank for the Hurricanes tonight. 

Miami comes in highly motivated off an upset road loss at Georgia Tech last time out.  The Hurricanes are still 12-2 on the season and have played nine road games and only five at home.  Miami is 5-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 26.6 points per game. 

Florida State is 2-9 ATS in road games off two consecutive conference games over the last two seasons.  Miami is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 home games versus teams who score 84 or more points per game.  The Hurricanes are 4-1 ATS in their last five Sunday games.  Roll with Miami Sunday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on New Orleans Pelicans +2 

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a brutal spot tonight.  They will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 5th game in 7 days.  They are a tired team right now, and it has shown with back-to-back road losses at Brooklyn and at Boston. 

After facing Boston last night, it will be a long flight back to Minnesota.  And compounding matters is the fact that they have to face a rested Pelicans team that has had two days off coming in, and one that will be playing just their 2nd game in 7 days. 

They will also be facing a motivated Pelicans team that has already lost twice at home to the Timberwolves this season.  So they’ll want some revenge here, and they should get it given their massive rest advantage. 

Plays on underdogs (New Orleans) - revenging a home loss vs. opponent, off an upset win as a road underdog are 98-54 (64.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Timberwolves are 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 home games.  Roll with the Pelicans Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Marquette +16 

This line is inflated because Villanova is off a loss, and the betting public is quick to back them off that loss.  But I think the Wildcats have a lot of issues right now, especially inside, that will have them overvalued in Big East play all season. 

Marquette is too good of a team to be catching 16 points to Villanova.  They are 11-4 this season with their four losses coming to Purdue, Wichita State, Georgia and Xavier.  Not one of those losses came by 16-plus points. 

Marquette hasn’t lost any of its last four meetings with Villanova by more than 15 points.  In fact, the Golden Eagles upset the Wildcats 74-72 at home last year.  The Golden Eagles are 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.  Bet Marquette Saturday. 

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Kansas State +10 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are in a bad spot today.  They are coming off a huge upset win at Kansas, which sets them up for a letdown spot.  And they’re being overvalued due to that Kansas win now as double-digit favorites here against Kansas State. 

Certainly the Red Raiders are improved this season, but they have mostly feasted on an easy schedule and cannot live up to the expectations they have created for themselves. 

The Wildcats are now pushovers.  They are 11-3 this season against a tougher schedule than Texas Tech has played.  They went on the road and beat Iowa State 91-75 in their conference opener before losing by 8 to a very good West Virginia team at home.  They are more than capable of hanging with the Red Raiders today.  Roll with Kansas State Saturday. 

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Syracuse -6 

Notre Dame is without its two best players today in Bonzie Colson (21.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Matt Farrell (15.9 ppg, 5.1 apg).  They won’t be nearly the team they were before without those two, and now they have to go on the road in a hostile environment against Syracuse. 

And the Orange certainly won’t be taking the Fighting Irish lightly.  They are coming off a road loss at Wake Forest and will be highly motivated for a win here at home.  They were last seen at home blowing out Virginia Tech 68-56, and they are 10-1 at home this season. 

Syracuse is 9-1 ATS in home games against conference opponents over the last two seasons, winning by an average of 10.8 points per game.  Notre Dame is 5-19 ATS in its last 24 games off a win by 20 points or more against a conference opponent.  Bet Syracuse Saturday. 

15* Big East PLAY OF THE DAY on Butler -3 

The Butler Bulldogs are certainly battle-tested coming into this game with Seton Hall tonight.  They beat Villanova 101-93 at home and lost 79-86 at Xavier in their last two games, while also winning in overtime at Georgetown to open conference play.  They’ll be ready for Seton Hall tonight. 

Conversely, Seton Hall has played four straight home games and has opened conference play with Narrow wins over Creighton (90-84) and St. John’s (75-70).  They certainly take a step up in class here and will be on the road for the first time since an ugly 65-71 loss at Rutgers as 8.5-point favorites. 

Butler has one of the best home-court advantages in the country.  The Bulldogs are 9-0 SU & 7-1 ATS at home this season, winning by 22.2 points per game on average.  The Bulldogs are 6-0 ATS in home games off a road loss over the last three seasons.  Butler is 8-1 ATS in its last nine meetings with Seton Hall.  Take Butler Saturday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Miami Heat -4.5 

The Miami Heat have done a great job of digging themselves out of an early hole to get to 20-17 and currently three games above .500.  They recently got James Johnson back in the lineup, and they are getting some big contributions from everywhere. 

The Heat have gone 9-4 in their last 13 games overall.  They are coming off a 111-104 win over the Pistons.  Kelly Olynyk had 25 points and 13 rebounds, Goran Tragic had 24 points and 13 assists, Josh Richardson had 25 points and 5 assists and Johnson provided 16 points in 24 minutes in his return from injury. 

I don’t like the mindset of the Knicks right now.  Kristaps Porzingis came out and said he is so tired right now, and that it’s mentally tough and he doesn’t have it in him.  That’s a bad statement and one that won’t sit well in the locker room moving forward. 

The Knicks have gone 1-6 SU & 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.  New York is 3-13 SU & 5-11 ATS on the road this season.  The Knicks are 1-12 ATS in road games against teams who attempts 21 or fewer free throws per game over the last two seasons.  Miami is 25-11 ATS when revenging a loss vs. opponent over the last two seasons.  The Heat are 28-11 ATS in their last 39 Friday games.  The favorite is 19-7 ATS in the last 26 meetings.  The Knicks are 4-10 ATS in the last 14 meetings.  Roll with the Heat Friday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE MONTH on Milwaukee Bucks +1.5 

I love the situation for the Milwaukee Bucks tonight.  They get a chance to avenge an overtime loss in Toronto on Monday, January 1st just a few days ago.  They will be the more motivated team here on Friday, January 5th. 

The Bucks come in playing well having gone 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  They have beaten Minnesota and Indiana at home, and Oklahoma City on the road while also losing to the Raptors on the road in overtime.  This team is really coming together. 

I think the Raptors are way overvalued right now as road favorites here over the Bucks.  They have won three straight coming in, but the schedule has been much lighter with games against the Hawks, Bucks and Bulls. They lost their two previous road games to the Thunder and Mavericks prior to this winning streak. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Milwaukee) - after going over the total by 48 or more points total in their last ten games, on Friday nights are 38-15 (71.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Bucks are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning record.  Bet the Bucks Friday. 

15* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Philadelphia 76ers -6 

The Detroit Pistons are extremely vulnerable right now due to all their injuries.  They are already without Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson and Jon Leuer.  Now they could be without All-Star center Andre Drummond tonight as he is questionable with a rib injury. 

The 76ers are in good shape on the injury front with their only player they’re missing being Markelle Fultz, who has been out for months.  This return to health has led to a 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS run over their last five games for the 76ers. 

I’m expecting a big effort here from the 76ers.  That’s because they won’t play against until January 11th, getting five days off in between games.  They want to go into this extended break on a four-game winning streak and should have no problem accomplishing that against the depleted Pistons. 

Philadelphia is 36-17 ATS in its last 53 games following an ATS win.  The 76ers are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 Friday games.  The Pistons are 19-42 ATS in their last 61 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  Detroit is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 vs. NBA Atlantic Division opponents.  The favorite is 39-18-1 ATS in the last 58 meetings.  Take the 76ers Friday. 

20* Thunder/Clippers TNT Late-Night BAILOUT on Los Angeles +2 

The Los Angeles Clippers are way under the radar right now.  They had some key injuries that led to a poor run, but now Blake Griffin and company are back healthy and the Clippers are playing their best basketball of the season coming into this game. 

Indeed, the Clippers are 6-1 SU & 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They won all six games by 8 points or more as well.  They had yesterday off and will be fresh and ready to go at home tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Conversely, the Thunder just played last night against the Lakers and will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back.  And spending the night in Los Angeles is always a shaky proposition because it’s likely the players went out and partied last night.  And the Thunder have been money burners on the road, going 7-11 SU & 6-12 ATS this season. 

Oklahoma City is 3-15 ATS in road games after covering four or five of their last six against the spread over the last two seasons.  The Clippers are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games overall.  Los Angeles is 8-0-1 ATS in its last nine after scoring 100 points or more in its previous game.  The Thunder are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a losing record.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet the Clippers Thursday.

15* Cincinnati/Temple ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Temple +7.5 

The Temple Owls are going to be highly motivated for a victory tonight following three consecutive losses coming in.  But the competition has been stiff with losses to Georgia, Houston and Tulane with two of those on the road.  And now they are battle-tested and ready to go against a ranked Cincinnati team tonight. 

Conversely, Cincinnati comes in overvalued off three straight blowout wins over weak competition in Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Cleveland State and Memphis.  The Bearcats have only played two true road games this year, and they lost at Xavier and won at UCLA.  This will be a tough test for them against a motivated Owls squad looking to avoid an 0-3 start in conference play. 

This has been a closely-contested series in recent meetings.  Each of the last four meetings have been decided by 7 points or less.  And Temple is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five meetings with Cincinnati.  That’s significant considering the Owls returned four starters this season and are much better than they have shown up to this point. 

Cincinnati is 4-15 ATS in road games when playing just its 2nd game in 8 days over the last three seasons.  The Bearcats are 0-6 ATS in road games after scoring 75 points or more in two straight games over the last two seasons.  Temple is 13-4 ATS versus good offensive teams scoring 77 or more points per game over the last three years.  The Bearcats are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.  Roll with Temple Thursday.

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Iowa +1 

After opening 0-3 in Big Ten play with losses to Penn State, Indiana and Michigan, it’s safe to say the Iowa Hawkeyes will be highly motivated for their first conference victory at home tonight.  This is a very important game for them since their next there games on the road, so they will be max motivated. 

Ohio State has not done well when stepping up in class this season, and the Buckeyes are 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.  They have losses to UNC, Clemson, Gonzaga and Butler with three of those losses coming by double-digits, so they have rarely been competitive against the better teams they have faced. 

The Hawkeyes are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four meetings with the Buckeyes.  They have won their last two home meetings with Ohio State by 13 and 9 points. 

The Buckeyes are 12-30-1 ATS in their last 43 road games.  The Hawkeyes are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games.  Ohio State is 0-7 ATS after having won five or six of its last seven games over the last two seasons.  Iowa is 6-0 ATS in home games with a total set of 150 to 154.5 over the last two years.  The Buckeyes are 0-6 ATS in road games versus good offensive teams scoring 77 or more points per game over the last two seasons.  Take Iowa Thursday.

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE MONTH on Suns/Nuggets OVER 217.5 

The books have set the bar too low in this game tonight between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.  This game will be a shootout, especially since both teams are almost fully healthy going in. 

The recent head-to-head series is all that needs to be seen here to know there’s value with the OVER.  The OVER is 4-0 in the last four meetings with combined scores of 235, 247, 234 and 224 points.  That’s an average of 235 combined points per game, which is roughly 18 points more than this 217.5-point total.   

Denver is 10-1 OVER in home games off an upset loss as a favorite over the last three seasons.  The Nuggets are 15-2 OVER versus terrible defensive teams that allow 110 or more points per game over the last two seasons.  Bet the OVER in this game Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on Virginia Tech +4 

Buzz Williams has this Virginia Tech program on the rise.  He led them to a 22-11 record and the NCAA Tournament last season.  Now he has four starters back from that team and his best team yet in his fourth season. 

The Hokies are off to an 11-3 start this season with their three losses all coming on the road to Syracuse, Kentucky and Saint Louis.  But they are 9-0 SU & 5-0 ATS at home this season, winning by an average of 28.8 points per game. 

And Virginia Tech has been able to upset Virginia at home each of the last two seasons.  The Hokies won 70-68 as 12.5-point home underdogs in 2016 and 80-78 as 5-point home dogs in 2017.  Now they are 4-point home underdogs and have their best team yet, so they should be able to pull the upset again here, especially with how well they play at home. 

Virginia is 5-21 ATS in its last 26 games off a close home win by 3 points or less.  Virginia Tech is 10-2 ATS in home games after playing a road game over the last three seasons.  The Hokies are 12-2 ATS as a home underdog or PK over the last three years.  Virginia Tech is 24-7-1 ATS in its last 32 home games overall.  The Hokies are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 vs. ACC opponents.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last four trips to Blacksburg.  Take Virginia Tech Wednesday. 

20* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on St. Bonaventure -1.5 

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies are absolutely loaded this season.  They returned four starters from last year including their killer backcourt of Matt Mobley and Jaylen Adams, who combined to average 39 points per game last season. 

It’s no surprise the Bonnies are off to an 11-2 start this season with wins over the likes of Maryland and Syracuse on the road thus far.  Adams is averaging 20.1 points and Mobley 18.3 points thus far to pick up right where they left off last year. 

Dayton was clearly going to be a rebuilding team this season.  They lost head coach Archie Miller to Indiana and lost four of their top five scores from last season.  It’s no wonder they are just 6-7 this season with losses to the likes of Hofstra, Old Dominion, Pennsylvania and Duquesne already.  Their six wins have come against Wagner, Georgia State, Tennessee Tech, Akron, Ohio and Ball State. 

St. Bonaventure is 10-0 ATS in road games after a combined score of 165 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Bonnies are 9-0 ATS in road games after scoring 85 points or more over the last three years.  Dayton is 0-6 ATS versus teams who commit 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season.  The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  These four trends combine for a perfect 30-0 system backing the Bonnies.  Bet St. Bonaventure Wednesday. 

15* Cavs/Celtics ESPN Wednesday No-Brainer on Boston -2.5 

The Boston Celtics want to make a statement tonight and let the Cleveland Cavaliers know that they are coming for them in the Eastern Conference.  Look for a big effort from the Celtics, especially given the advantageous situation for them. 

The Celtics were a tired team in December with a brutal schedule and few breaks.  But they got a big break heading into this game with two days off having last played on Sunday against Brooklyn.  They will be rested and ready to go tonight. 

Conversely, the Cavaliers will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a home win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night.  It was Isaiah Thomas’ season debut, and he played well and showed what might be a sign of things to come.  But now Thomas will sit this game to rest, and the Cavaliers will be fatigued quickly. 

The Cavaliers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games following a win.  Cleveland is 0-4 ATS in its last four road games.  Boston is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games following an ATS loss.  The Celtics are 11-4-1 ATS in their last 16 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.  Take the Celtics Wednesday.

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Orlando Magic +8 

The Houston Rockets cannot be 8-point road favorites over the Orlando Magic tonight.  They just lost their best player and MVP candidate James Harden to a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a couple weeks.  They’ll still be good with Chris Paul, but they cannot be laying this kind of weight. 

Conversely, the Orlando Magic are getting healthy.  They just recently got back their top two scorers in Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon, who both average over 18 points per game.  They have been competitive in their three games since their return, beating Detroit by 13 and only losing to Miami by 6 and Brooklyn by 3. 

Home-court advantage has been big in this series as the home team is 5-1 straight up in the last six meetings.  The Magic have won two of their last three home meetings with the Rockets outright, and their only loss came by 7 points, which is less than this 8-point spread. 

The Rockets are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a losing record.  Houston is 0-6 ATS in its last six games overall.  The Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.  The Magic are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 meetings with the Rockets, including 6-2 ATS in their last eight home meetings.  Roll with the Magic Wednesday. 

15* Florida/Texas A&M ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Florida +2.5 

The Texas A&M Aggies are a great team to fade opening SEC play.  I did just that when they were ranked 9th and traveled to Alabama.  I took Alabama +1 and the Crimson Tide delivered with a 79-57 blowout victory.  I’ll fade the Aggies again tonight for many of the same reasons. 

Texas A&M has a ton of injuries and suspensions right now.  They are missing leading scorer DJ Hogg (14.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg) due to suspension and third-leading scorer Admon Gilder (12.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) due to a knee injury.  Fourth-leading scorer Duane Wilson (12.1 ppg, 4.5 apg) is also doubtful with a knee injury.  It’s no wonder they were nearly upset by Northern Kentucky at home recently in a 6-point win and were blown out by Alabama. 

Florida has suffered several close losses this season that has it undervalued.  The Gators are only 9-4, but three losses came by 6 points or fewer, including a 3-point loss to Duke and a 2-point loss to Clemson.  This team has been through the gauntlet with one of the toughest schedules in the country, which will only benefit the Gators heading into conference play. 

Florida is 33-14 ATS in its last 47 games after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games.  The Gators are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 road games following three or more consecutive home games.  Texas A&M is 4-12 ATS in all home games over the last two seasons.  The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Florida coach Mike White is 9-1 ATS in road games after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games in all games he has coached.  Take Florida Tuesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday Total DOMINATOR on Blazers/Cavaliers OVER 211.5 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, and one of the worst defensive teams in the league up to this point.  Now Isaiah Thomas is expected to make his season debut for the Cavaliers tonight.  Thomas is a great scorer and a terrible defender, so he’ll fit right in. 

The Cavaliers rank 3rd in the NBA in offensive efficiency, averaging 111.1 points per 100 possessions.  But what has held them back this season is the fact that they rank 28th in defensive efficiency, giving up 108.7 points per 100 possessions. 

Portland also gets some good news tonight with the return of leading scorer Damian Lillard, who missed the past five games with a right hamstring strain.  The Blazers have put up 114 and 124 points in two of their last three games without him, but getting him back will only make them even more explosive offensively moving forward. 

The OVER is 21-10-1 in Cavaliers last 32 home games.  The OVER is 8-3 in Cavaliers last 11 games when playing on 2 days’ rest.  The OVER is 7-1 in the last eight meetings in Cleveland.  They combined for 262 points in their lone meeting in Cleveland last season.  Roll with the OVER in this game Tuesday. 

20* Michigan/Iowa ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Iowa +3 

The Iowa Hawkeyes have really turned it around in the month of December.  They have gone 5-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  Four of their five wins have come by 23 or more points, and the lone exception was an 80-73 victory as 3.5-point favorites over Colorado on a neutral. 

Michigan is having a solid season overall at 12-3.  But the Wolverines have lost two of their four true road games to Ohio State and North Carolina.  And I think they will be in over their heads here against an Iowa team that has owned them recently. 

Indeed, the Hawkeyes are a perfect 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings with Michigan despite being an underdog in the last two.  They have won those five meetings by an average of 12.0 points per game to boot.  I think the one-sided nature of this series continues tonight as the improving Hawkeyes get the win and cover. 

Iowa is 8-0 ATS in home games vs. teams who shoot 45% or better and give up 42% or worse over the last three seasons.  The Hawkeyes are 6-0 ATS in home games versus good defensive teams allowing 64 points or fewer over the last three seasons.  Iowa is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five home games.  The Hawkeyes are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  Throw in the 5-0 ATS run against Michigan, and we have a combined 27-0 system backing the Hawkeyes here tonight.  Bet Iowa Tuesday. 

15* NBA Monday PLAY OF THE DAY on Orlando Magic +2 

The Magic just recently got healthy with Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon returning to the lineup.  These are their two leading scorers as Gordon averages 18.9 PPG while Fournier scores 18.3 PPG.  They have gone 1-1 since their return with an upset win over Detroit by 13 and a 6-point loss to Miami as underdogs. 

I think the Magic can take advantage of a Nets team in a terrible situation tonight.  The Nets will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 5th game in 7 days after a tough 105-108 loss in Boston last night.  They won’t have much left in the tank here. 

The spot is even worse for the Nets considering they are coming off a five-game road trip with a ton of travel.  I usually like fading tired teams off an extended road trip in their first game back home.  They are usually distracted, and the Nets will certainly be distracted considering last night was New Year’s Eve. 

The Nets are 6-17 ATS in home games off a division game over the last three seasons.  Brooklyn is 18-33 ATS when playing 8 or more games in 14 days over the last three years.  Bet the Magic Monday. 

20* NBA Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Sacramento Kings -2 

This is the perfect spot to fade the Memphis Grizzlies.  They are coming off a 128-141 shootout loss to the Golden State Warriors on the road last night.  So they will be tired now as they are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 7th game in 12 days tonight. 

The Kings come in rested with yesterday off and motivated for a victory following an upset home loss to the Suns.  It was an understandable loss as they were coming off a 109-95 upset win over the Cavs as 9.5-point dogs, so it was clearly a letdown spot.  Look for them to be refocused and ready to go tonight against the fatigued Grizzlies. 

Sacramento is 10-1 ATS off a loss to a division opponent over the last two seasons.  The Kings are 35-16 ATS in their last 51 games off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a home favorite.  Memphis is 2-11 ATS when the total is 190 to 195.5 this season.  The Grizzlies are 2-11 ATS vs. a team with a losing record this season.  Sacramento is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games following a loss.  Bet the Kings Sunday. 

20* Georgia/Kentucky SEC Sunday No-Brainer on Georgia +10 

The Kentucky Wildcats are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers off their 90-61 win over rival Louisville on Friday.  Well, Louisville isn’t the same team without Rick Pitino and is clearly down this season. 

That win has the betting public quickly forgetting that the Wildcats lost 75-83 to UCLA in their previous game.  I think the Wildcats came out inspired because of that loss.  But now they won’t have much left in the tank as they will be playing their 2nd game in 3 days here. 

Georgia, on the other hand, hasn’t played since an impressive 84-66 home victory as 2-point favorites over Temple on December 22nd.  This is the best Georgia team that Mark Fox has had in some time as the Bulldogs are off to a 9-2 start and have some NBA talent.  They are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with this Kentucky outfit that clearly isn’t as good as in years’ past. 

Georgia is 10-1 ATS in road games against conference opponents over the last two seasons.  The Bulldogs are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as road underdogs.  Georgia is 9-1 ATS when playing against a team with a winning percentage of 80% or better over the last two seasons.  Roll with Georgia Sunday.