2 Unit Play. Take #751 Richmond over Auburn (12p.m., Sunday, December 8 SECN) This is an 11 a.m. local tipoff and I just feel Richmond can stay within this gigantic number. The Spiders are well coached and run a slower style of offense and should benefit us to cover this number.

The Grizzlies are playing as well as any team in the NBA right now and have won seven of their last eight games. We think they are in a good spot here for Saturday against the Celtics, who come in on a back-to-back after a tough game vs. Milwaukee, and this is their third game in four days, while the Grizzlies are rested. The Celtics have covered only two of their last 10 games, and it’s obvious their lines are being shaded at this time.

6 Unit Play. Take #621 Wisconsin over Marquette (1:30p.m., Saturday, December 6 FOX) This is just too many points to be giving for this in-state battle that has been dominated by the Badgers in recent years. Both teams are coming off losses during the week and I expect this game to go right down to the wire. Chase Ross went out in that game with an ankle injury for the Golden Eagles and did not return. Wisconsin struggled with size from Michigan, but Marquette does not have that to threaten them in this game. The Badgers have beaten the Golden Eagles three times in the last three years.

These teams played on Friday in Charlotte and the Hornets gave the Knicks quite a scare, with New York winning only by a single point. That prevents any surprises here, in our opinion, and gives the Knicks the opportunity to play a well-rounded game and not overlook this banged-up Hornets team. Charlotte is without Ball and Miles Bridges tonight and this team that will take the court isn’t much more talented than a G-League squad. The Knicks, in our opinion, are one of the four best teams in the league. They are getting healthy, too, and might get Achiuwa back tonight. Before that close game on Friday the Knicks had won the previous four meetings by 14 or more points, covering in all four.

Just think this line is too big. We have been burned by going against Boston a couple times recently but they just shot the lights out in those games but we think this one will be closer and the hot shooting can’t last forever. Boston generally hasn’t been good ATS this season and we think the Pistons can keep this one within double digits.

7 Unit Play. Take #646 Wisconsin over Michigan (9p.m., Tuesday, December 3 Peacock) Michigan is an improved team once they replaced Juwan Howard, but this is still in a rebuild and they already lost at Wake Forest. Wisconsin is 8-0 on the season and they tend to play to the level of their competition especially early in the game. They will be up for this game and I expect a strong 40 minute effort for them, as they need to protect their homecourt during conference play. Michigan has been beating some second tear teams, but this will be their toughest test of the season. I just do not believe they are ready to win at Wisconsin.

The Celtics are definitely not in playoff form right now as they have covered only one of their last seven games. We think this is an inflated line also. Brown and White missed yesterday’s game against the Cavs, and Boston faded down the stretch in that game and they looked fatigued. That was a big game for Boston, and this is a letdown spot. Miami has revenge for their playoff series loss last season, and this is their first crack at Boston, so we think they will want to play their best. Yesterday’s game was definitely bigger for Boston than this matchup with the Heat, and Boston might be missing a couple key players. Miami have been their typical regular season selves and have been pretty average, but we think this is a matchup where they will bring their A Game, and this spread is simply too large.

The Clippers already beat Denver in October, in Colorado no less, and they have actually won three straight meetings. Jokic is a beast as always, but Denver hasn’t been getting the contribution from his running partners that would produce a championship level squad. The Clippers are playing great team basketball right now and they are incredible defensively. We think they have a great chance to win this one outright.

The Hornets are banged up but we think this is a major letdown spot for the Hawks after back-to-back blowout wins over the Cavs. The truth is that the Hawks are 8-12 ATS and this team has been overrated by the oddsmakers. Those wins followed a three-game losing streak and the Hawks haven’t been much better than the Hornets overall. Charlotte has covered six of the last seven meetings and we think they will challenge for the win today.

3 Unit Play. Take #306649 Northwestern State over LSU (8p.m., Friday, November 29 ESPN+) LSU is back on the court after a third-place finish from the Greenbriar Classic and I see this game being played within 20 points. The Demons have played a tough schedule and they stayed within this posted number against most of their schedule. Look for that to happen again on Friday.

2 Unit Play. Take #812 Under in New Mexico vs Arizona State (11:30p.m., Friday, November 28 TruTV) This is a lot of points for a game that will see teams sitting around all day waiting to play in a make-shift basketball arena. This total has come down and I see the under cashing a ticket for us in this game. Arizona State has overachieved this season but I do not see a great offensive team under Coach Hurly.

The last meeting surpassed 260, and we think we could see this type of wild game here tonight. Seven of the last 10 meetings have gone over the posted total. We have seen that the Clippers can put up big stat lines against poor teams, and we think they could get over 125 tonight. Washington has given up that kind of score in 5 of their last 8 games. LA needs a strong performance here after being embarrassed by Boston last time out.

2 Unit Play. Take #730 Under in Louisville @ Indiana (12p.m., Wednesday, November 27 ESPN) I always believe it is hard to shoot in this building and playing the early game is never easy for both of these teams. I do not like the pieces for Louisville rebuild and feel they will struggle this season, especially on the offensive side of the floor.

These are two of the better defensive clubs in the league. And while Houston is rated No. 2 for defensive rating, Minnesota will get there. This is a big game for both teams as Minnesota needs to get some Ws after a slow start and this is a good test for the Rockets to beat a high-caliber team on the road. Who would have thought a few years ago that this would be a marquee matchup? But we think both teams will step up the defense in a critical matchup.

2 Unit Play. Take #306551 VMI over Loyola Maryland (7p.m., Tuesday, November 26 ESPN+) We will follow the massive line movement overnight and side with the Keydets tonight in Baltimore, MD. VMI has played some decent teams this season and the Greyhounds already have a home loss to Columbia.

The Clippers have won four of the last six meetings outright and they have covered in four of the last five. This looks like a very public line tonight. The Celtics have been winning but they haven’t been covering these inflated lines. They have covered just two of their last eight games. Both teams are on a B2B, so no advantage either way, and the Clippers have nice depth. LA is a team that is 11-6-1 ATS this season. They can be a nice moneymaker all season as they play some of the best defense in the league and don’t have any household names on the current roster except James Harden, who the public sees as washed up. But they play hard every night, and this team is a playoff quality squad right now and that is without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. They have won five straight, and their last four opponents were all likely playoff teams. They rolled over Philly yesterday without breaking a sweat, so they should have nice energy here. Boston had a much tougher matchup as they needed a lot of energy down the stretch in a tight win over the Timberwolves.

2 Unit Play. Take #858 South Dakota Sate over Boise State (1:30p.m., Monday, November 25) We will grab the points in game, as I feel South Dakota State is not getting enough respect against another mid-major team. Boise State is good this season, but I feel this game will be played in single digits, as SDSU is 5-1 on the season with wins over McNeese.

6 Unit Play. Take #722 Wisconsin over Pittsburgh (5:30p.m., Sunday, November 24 CBSSN) Not sure why Pittsburgh is favored in this game, but we will grab the points with Wisconsin and use them again in the Championship Game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division. Wisconsin has been scoring points at will early in the season and playing a second game in this building should help him from the arc. The Badgers have size down low and I see them pulling away late and winning this game by close to double-digits.

Minnesota has got off to a slow start and haven’t been good ATS but this is a game they will be up for and this is a legit NBA Finals preview. Minnesota will get things straightened out and this is a very good team. They have covered three straight vs. Boston and this is a Get Right game for them and we think they challenge for the win. Boston has only covered two of their last eight games and they are overrated by the oddsmakers right now. Just can’t pass up this juicy line today.

The Knicks have been playing well and should dominate this matchup. The Jazz routinely suffer blowouts, and they have a losing ATS record despite always getting very generous lines from the oddsmakers. The Knicks have won and covered in three of four meetings. Utah is coming off a grueling road trip where they lost all four, and the first game back at home can be tricky for the home squad in most cases.

Brooklyn has been one of the best ATS teams in the league and Philly one of the worst. We don’t think the home team cares much about this NBA Cup as they have bigger issues right now with a ton of injuries to start the season and lousy chemistry. Brooklyn has won and covered two of the last three and we think they are more motivated in this tournament matchup.

7 Unit Play. Take #881 Wisconsin over Central Florida (5p.m., Friday, November 22 CBSSN) Wisconsin has been strong with a new cast of characters and should move to 6-0 on the season and up the rankings. UCF has also been good this season, but I do not see them doing much this season in a loaded Big 12 Conference. Wisconsin always seems to start the season off well under Greg Gard and they will have the best player on the floor in John Tonje. The will also have the crowd advantage in West Virginia and that will allow them to win this game by double-digits in this makeshift arena at the Greenbriar.

The Lakers have LeBron and AD questionable, but we expect one or both to go tonight. The Lakers have been prefect at home and they are playing extremely well right now. They catch the Magic in a bad spot on a back-to-back after a grueling game against the Clippers, which they lost. That dropped them to 2-7 on the road. We think the Lakers pull away in the fourth quarter as the fatigue really starts to set in for Orlando.

3 Unit Play.  Take #748 Nevada -2.5 over Vanderbilt (7:30p.m., Thursday, November 21 ESPNU) Both teams have opened with 4 home games against inferior competition. Just feel Nevada is farther along than Vanderbilt with a new coach at this stage of the season. Coach Alford has a knack for performing well in this MTE lightweight tournaments and it should be no different Thursday.

These teams are a combined 19-11 to the under this season. When all is said and done we think these two squads will be in the Top 5 for points allowed on the season. The last meeting was a 100-97 Clippers win in Orlando, and we could see a similar result here. We aren’t afraid of the low total. The Magic have held six straight opponents under the century mark, and the Clippers are not a good offensive club. They will have to step up the defense in order to be competitive tonight.

2 Unit Play. Take #689 Long Beach State over Gonzaga (9p.m., Wednesday, November 20 ESPN+) The Beach always play a brutal nonconference schedule and this is a buy game where they go to Gonzaga to collect a check. I believe they can keep it under 30 points and thus we will grab the gigantic number tonight at the Kennel. The Bulldogs are heading to the Battle 4 Atlantis next and thus might not be all that focused tonight looking ahead to that tournament.

Awesome start for Cleveland. You can’t really take anything away from them. But they haven’t played the toughest schedule. And Boston is still the better team. We feel like the sportsbooks are begging the public to load up on Cleveland here with this line. Don’t fall for the trap! Boston has also been incredible and they are 11-3 on the season and have played a road heavy schedule. That is impressive considering many champion teams take awhile to get into the groove of the season with a smaller offseason than most clubs. This will be a playoff type atmosphere and no doubt a game the Celtics will want to win, so we think they will bring their A Game here, and there aren’t many teams that can beat Boston when playing their best.

2 Unit Play. Take #603 Cleveland State over Minnesota (7p.m., Tuesday, November 19 BTN) Minnesota is always at a coaching disadvantage and expect them to struggle to blow out Cleveland State at Williams Arena tonight. Cleveland State has already played five games this season and only against Michigan were they noncompetitive. The Gophers are 3-1 with a home loss to North Texas and they are struggling to score points in the early part of the season.

2 Unit Play. Take #872 Michigan over Miami OH (6p.m., Monday, November 18 BTN) The Wolverines have played a difficult schedule thus far with two power 5 opponents from their first three games. They get to take a major step back tonight facing Miami OH and should be able to win this game by at least 25 points. They already beat Cleveland State this season by 48 points.

2 Unit Play. Take #306577 Campbell +6 over Navy (1p.m., Sunday, November 17 ESPN+) Just do not feel Navy should be this big of a favorite against anyone in the country. They Midshipmen give up a lot of points and that should allow Campbell to take this game down to the wire.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

7 Unit Play. Take #878 Wisconsin over Arizona (9p.m., Friday, November 15 Peacock) The line has come down a lot from one it was posted yesterday afternoon and the value clearly lies with the home team. Arizona is not the same team that they were last year and Wisconsin has gotten better by subtraction. Wisconsin also have revenge on their minds after getting pounded by a much better Arizona team last year. The new look Badgers led by John Tonje should be able to take this game down to the wire and that will give us the cash with whoever comes out on top.

We had the under when these teams clashed on Wednesday. There was an insane amount of scoring in the first half and the total only went over by the hook. With both teams familiar with each other, they should make some defensive adjustments. The Clippers only way to stay competitive here is to batten the hatches on defense, and we expect this one to land fairly well under the total.

2 Unit Play. Take #738 Arizona State over Grand Canyon (9p.m., Thursday, November 14 ESPN2) I am not ready to take little brother against big brother in this neutral site game in Phoenix. The Sun Devils have been sneaky good this season, currently 2-1 on the season with their only loss coming at Gonzaga. The Lopes are 2-0, but did not play great in either of their home wins and I do not see them blowing out Arizona State on Thursday. Take the points and expect this game to go down to the wire.

The Clippers are one of the best defensive teams in the league. They gave up a ton of points last night in their NBA Cup loss to the Thunder so they will want to tighten things up here defensively as they take a major step down in competition. The Rockets haven’t been playing well at all on offense, and we think both of these clubs will be ferocious on the defensive end. These teams are a combined 14-8 to the under this season, and seven of the last nine meetings have gone under the posted total.

2 Unit Play. Take #675 Over in Richmond @ Charlotte (7p.m., Wednesday, November 13 ESPN+) Much like yesterday we will play an over with a total that is unexpectedly going down this morning. Both teams scored over 100 points in one of their games this season and they have scored at least 72 points in all four games. We will not worry about who covers this game and instead just focus on the over.

10 Unit Play. Take #649 Over in Norther Arizona @ Stanford (10p.m., Tuesday, November 12 ESPN+) The Cardinal have a new coach, and the early results seem to be paying dividends. They have blown out two opponents so far this season at home and should make it three in a row after beating Northern Arizona tonight. The main thing so far this season is that they are scoring points in the eighties, something they seemed to struggle with under their former Coach Hasse. Northern Arizona has scored over 100 points in both of their games this season against two non-division one teams. They will not come anywhere close to that tonight, but seeing the ball go into the basketball so much should allow them to at least reach 70 points in this game.

These teams already played earlier this month and the total ended up under 200 in a 105-92 Thunder win in LA. The oddsmakers adjusted this total, but not enough in our opinion. These are two of the Top 3 defenses for points allowed in the NBA, and that is not a fluke and these teams will likely finish the season in the Top 5. We think both teams will dig deep defensively in this one and we don’t see the Clippers getting over the century mark here so they will have to step up on defense to keep this one competitive.

2 Unit Play. Take #306626 Under in Long Island @ Air Force (4p.m., Monday, November 11 MWN) The Force is not a high scoring team and both of their games this season would have stayed under the posted total of this game. This is the third straight game against a weaker team and I see at least one team struggling to reach 65 points.

2 Unit Play. Take #778 Wake Forest -1 over Michigan (1p.m., Sunday, November 10 ESPN2) The Wolverines have a new coach and system. We will follow the line movement in this game, as Michigan opened up a 3-point favorite, now they are an underdog.

When the season ends, barring injury, we think the Clippers will be in the Top 5 for points allowed. They stated that is their goal and they have the personnel to get the job done. We think that Toronto will have a hard time putting up a big statline on offense tonight.  The Clippers have held their last two opponents under the century mark and we think there’s a good chance that happens again tonight.

3 Unit Play. Take #664 Nevada -6.5 over Washington (10p.m., Saturday, November 9 NSN) The Huskies are in a complete rebuild and will struggle most of this season under new coach Danny Sprinkle. They lost all their starters and will have issues early in the season. Nevada just rebuilds and have a great rotation and should be able to win this game by double-digits.

2 Unit Play. Take #873 Over in George Mason @ Marquette (9p.m., Friday, November 8 Peacock) Both teams scored enough points to allow this game to easily go over if they hit those numbers again. The Golen Eagles scored 102 points, and the Patriots scored 75 points. I feel Marquette will want to play fast in this game and thus we should be able to hit another totals play on this young college basketball season.

The Thunder have been great both SU and ATS, but the word is out now and we think their numbers will start to become inflated. We think this one definitely is. We had this one handicapped on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7 (the point where the losing team stops fouling at the end of the game). The Rockets won their last visit here in OT and have covered in three of the last five meetings. Houston has a very good team this year but they are a bit under the radar compared to OKC. So they still hold line value. They have won four of their last five, including double-digit wins over the Spurs and Knicks in their last two. They have been solid on the road this season. We expect a close game here and we think Houston will get the easy cover.

Portland is well rested while the Spurs are on a back-to-back and playing their third game in four nights. They haven’t looked good at all. They got out to a big lead against the Clippers and ended up losing that one badly. Then last night they barely put up a fight in a blowout at in-state rival Houston. Portland is 5-2-1 ATS so they have been better than their perception and they have covered five of their last seven with one push.

6 Unit Play. Take #652 Under in Milwaukee @ Northern Iowa (8p.m., Thursday, November 7 ESPN+) The Panthers are still coached by Ben Jacobson and they are usually strong on defense and struggle to score points. Tonight should be no different, as this are playing a team from a border state and both want to win this game to improve their resume. This is not a buy game and thus it should be high intensity and not a fast break layup contest. Take the under and we will not worry if UNI can cover the number and instead just collect with the under.

4 Unit Play. Take #306669 Over in Holy Cross @ Wisconsin (8p.m., Monday, November 4 BTN+) The Badgers will be shooting a lot of three points in this game and season, and I expect them to reach 90+ points in this game. That should put us in great shape to collect with the over. Holy Cross is out of the Bill Carmody era and plays faster in the last few years.

Brooklyn has been one of the best bets in the league at 5-1 ATS, while Detroit is getting off to another slow start to the season as the individual pieces on this team have yet to gel. They are 1-5 on the season although they have covered some lines as a big underdog. The Nets have won consecutive games in strong fashion and they have to be confident they can make it a three-game winning streak here. They have won four of the last five meetings.

Miami has covered only one of the last six meetings (one push). We think the Wizards will be a scrappy team this season that will cash some big spreads as an underdog. Miami doesn’t deserve to be this big of a favorite. This team is known for the playoffs and not the regular season, where they are a slightly above average team that will once again likely be competing in the play in tourney. They have covered only one game so far this season. The Wizards have some injuries here, but they will still fight hard with the roster they have on the floor, and they should be confident after consecutive wins over the Hawks.

These teams haven’t even sniffed close to a total this high in the last seven meetings. These teams usually play extremely low scoring games. When all is said and done, there’s a great chance that these two teams are in the Top 5 defensively for points allowed at the end of the season, so we think this will be a defensive battle through and through. Orlando will be without their top scorer tonight and will have to concentrate on defense in order to stay competitive. They are banged up in general but the defensive systems are in place, and if the players execute then they will be able to slow the Cleveland offense down. If not, then this could be a blowout, which would bode well for the under. We just don’t see the Orlando offense doing their part to get this one over the posted total.

Brooklyn is a better team than the oddsmakers expect coming into the season, and as long as they stay relatively healthy they should cover a lot of lines this season, especially ones like this in the double digit variety. This team has started off 1-3 but they are 3-1 ATS, and this team has some very nice young talent. The Grizzlies have covered just one of their first four matchups and this team hasn’t shown us anything that should put them into the double-digit favorite category yet. This team might be good later in the season, but they aren’t there yet.

Both teams are on a back-to-back and we think that zeros out any advantage for Utah. Usually the road team has it rougher, but the Kings had the short flight from Sacramento last night while Utah came in from Dallas. Both teams got in around the same time to Salt Lake. And the Kings are an athletic team and it’s very early in the season, so we think the back-to-back is a non issue for them. And they pulled their starters early in their first win of the season last night vs Portland in a blowout. The Kings have owned this series. They have won six of the last seven meetings. They have covered three straight and scored a blowout in their last visit to Utah. They have had a real tough schedule to open up the season, but this team should be racking up wins all season long and should be one of the top seeds in a strong Western Conference.

This is the first total in the 220s these teams have faced in eight meetings, and all of those eight games have gone under the posted total. This number has been inflated because Cleveland has opened with some massive point totals on offense. But you have to look at who they played, three of the worst teams in the league. They played Toronto, Detroit and Washington. None of those teams are known for defense right now. But Cleveland will face a very good defensive team tonight. In fact, both teams here should finish in the Top 5 this season defensively, barring major injuries. New York has faced two of the best offensive teams in the league to start the season in Indiana and Boston. They held the Pacers under the century mark and Boston ran up a big score on them with ridiculously hot shooting. We expect both teams to step up the defense tonight, and we expect this total to land well beneath the posted number.

We were on the Clippers last night as they got the win in Denver as a big underdog. This is a tough B2B but we feel as if the Clippers are being punished too much by the oddsmakers on this line. LA is a younger team this year and they have some nice depth. And this early in the season we don’t think that fatigue will be too much of an issue here. With Kawhi and PG B2Bs were always an issue, but Clippers coach Tyronn Lue will have plenty of roster options here. Golden State has earned a pair of blowout wins to start the season, but this team isn’t the same Golden State team we have known in past seasons and they will have a tough test tonight. The Clippers have won three straight meetings.

Detroit is being lined here like they are still one of the dregs of the league, but this team has a lot of potential and we see them competing for a play-in spot this season. Boston has looked great in opening the season but this team will get their best shot from their opponent on a nightly basis and we don’t think this team will be an automatic cover this year when laying double digits. Detroit didn’t play well at Cleveland last night, but they probably had their eyes on this matchup.

Detroit has been stockpiling talent for years, and we think this is the year it starts to pay off and this team should at least make the play in. They barely missed the cover in their first game but this team should be covering a lot early in the season especially. Last season they suffered a lot of injuries and this young team threw in the towel and didn’t play hard for long stretches. But with a new year and hopefully a healthy roster this team will be pulling some upsets and covering big lines like this.

Minnesota is going to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season and they also will probably be one of the better under teams as well. We are already seeing too high totals with them to start the season. The Kings did sign DeMar DeRozan in the offseason and he will help bolster this Kings offense. But Sacramento was a consistent under team last season as they didn’t always meet the oddsmakers offensive expectations and they played better defense than expected with the athletic players they have on the roster. Three of the last four meetings have gone under the posted number. We think the Wolves will really clamp down defensively here after losing their first game to the Lakers.

Tonight begins a new era for the Clippers, as they play their first game in the Intuit Dome. They have played second fiddle to the Lakers for years at Staples/Crypto.com, so it’s about time they have their own arena. As we all know, Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely and we might not see him for months, if at all. We think the team will forge ahead with the thought process that he won’t be back to lead the team any time soon. But the Clippers made some great moves in the offseason and this team is highly underrated right now. This looks like a team that will play excellent defense and compete hard on a nightly basis. Phoenix is running it back with a similar team as last year that was one of the worst ATS squads in the league and it looks as if they are once again starting the season overrated. The energy should be amazing tonight and we think the home team will feed off of that.

Boston has a really great team that will try to Run it Back, but New York is underrated and they will be a main competitor for Eastern Conference supremacy this season. They made some excellent moves in the offseason and the only reason they flamed out of the playoffs last year was because of injuries. They have a much better team this season and also better depth. They should have the hunger for a championship and we will have to see how hungry Boston remains after winning their chip last season. But this pick tonight basically boils down to a public line, as we had this one handicapped at 3.5, so a couple extra points of value here.

We think the extra time off benefited Boston more, especially since they start this series at home. Boston has been one of the best betting teams for several years as they normally cover when they win, and we love that we are getting them for Game 1 on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7. We think the offenses will be ahead of the defenses to start this series off, and that also benefits Boston.

First of all, we think this is too many points for Dallas in a series where they have had the upper hand and where most of the games have been close. This is not only a must-win for the Timberwolves but also nearly a must win for Dallas as they will let Minnesota fully back into this series with a loss. We think both defenses will lock down here in this crucial matchup and we think we saw our fair share of circus shots in Game 4 and this game will be more straightforward.

If the roles were reversed here we think there would be a ton of pressure on the team down 0-3, but we don’t think that applies to the Pacers here. They weren’t supposed to be here and this was an overachieving season. They should be proud of what they accomplished and we don’t think they will come into this game feeling tons of pressure and we think they will leave everything on the court tonight to in order to win at least one game in this series. Not sure if it will happen, but we think this will be a close game regardless.

4-Unit Play Take Indiana +7.5 over Boston (8:30 p.m. EST, Saturday May 25)

Even with Haliburton questionable for the Pacers, this line is just too large. Boston had their way with the Pacers in Game 2, but this series could easily be tied at 1-1 as the Pacers played well enough to win in Game 1. We like the depth of the Pacers even if Haliburton doesn't play, and we had this game handicapped at 4 so we think there is nice value here on the other side of the key NBA betting number of 7.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

The Timberwolves slipped up in Game 1 but this series will go back and forth but when the dust settles we think the Wolves will wind out on top. They played pretty well in Game 1 but Dallas just went crazy late in that game and we don’t see that happening again tonight. Minnesota is the more well-rounded team and Dallas relies too much on two players. It has worked out for them so far but against more flawed teams than the Wolves. We think both teams put up some points tonight but that Minnesota pulls away for a comfortable win.

We loved the Pacers in Game 1 and they let that one slip away at the end of the game but we like them even more in Game 2. Indiana has played free and loose this entire postseason and we just feel like they aren’t going to dwell on that missed opportunity and that they will just come out and play their game here in Game 2. We don’t think it was a fluke at all that Indiana almost won Game 1 and this game should be close, too. The oddsmakers made only a small adjustment on this game from the last one, and we still think there is excellent value. We are going to sprinkle a little on the moneyline here, because, remember, the Celtics lost Game 2 to both Miami and Cleveland, and the Pacers are a much better squad than those two clubs.

This spread is ridiculous for Game 1. The Pacers are battle tested in this postseason and they have a real chance in this series. A double digit spread for Game 1? We will bite! We think they match up well with Boston and this is not going to be an easy series for the Celtics. We think Indiana keeps it close in a high scoring Game 1. We think this is a very public line tonight and the Pacers should bring their A Game tonight.

Dallas has taken control of this series and we think this one ends at Game 6 in Dallas. They have won and covered three of the last four games in this series, and they seemed to have figured the Thunder out, as the only loss was by four points. The Thunder started the playoffs great, but their inexperience is starting to show, and teams need several seasons of trials and tribulations in the postseason to be able to excel in a high-pressure situation like this. We think Dallas rolls tonight.

The Cavs have covered two of the three double digit spreads they have faced in this series. It’s obvious this squad is not championship caliber, but they fight hard and we think they will go down swinging tonight. They could be missing some key players but they will play strong defense and we think they have a great chance to keep this one within double digits.

New York didn’t get their share of the total in Games 3 and 4, but the number has been adjusted downward and also the Knicks will probably have better luck on offense in Game 5, at home and after a cold shooting night in Game 4 that wasn’t all a result of Indiana defense but rather some shots that just didn’t fall. The Pacers can probably still be counted on to score their share. But we think New York will play better and this should be a competitive game as this is them most pivotal game in the series.

We think this game can go one of two ways. Either it is a blowout from Boston or the Cavs go all out on defense and keep it close in a low scoring game. We think both outcomes bode well for the under. Cleveland can’t just let Boston run rampant on offense and they have to buckle down or they don’t stand a chance. Mitchell is questionable here and if he is limited or can’t play at all then that will hurt the Cavs offensively. We also think the Cavs understand that they can’t get in a hole early as this is not the type of team that can come back from a big deficit against the top dogs in the league. We do think the Cavs will make some adjustments from Game 3 and expect this to be one of the lowest scoring games of the series.

The Pacers had every chance to win Game 1 but the refs gave them some bad calls down the stretch. The Knicks have a short rotation and we think that will start to hurt them as this series goes on as the Pacers have more depth. Indiana should come into this one with a chip on their shoulder and we think they will be very focused after getting robbed of the win in Game 1. Nice price on the moneyline here and we think this one goes back to Indiana tied 1-1.

Cleveland got blown out of the water in their first two games in Orlando and we can’t imagine what a rested Celtics team will do to them, especially after coming off a 7-game series with Orlando. Boston got a great matchup here as they avoided the Pacers and Knicks, both who would have presented more of a challenge in the second round. The Cavs are probably not mentally over their last series and this team has looked mentally weak at times in this playoffs, especially those two games in Orlando in which they didn’t even show up. We have to think Boston will want to make a statement here.

These teams always find a way to Game 7 and we think the Clippers will leave everything on the floor tonight. There are big issues for LA as a franchise if they bow out in six games in the first round and this team is built to withstand an injury to one of their two stars. They have won two of three in Dallas and we think they won’t be intimidated here. Dallas can be streaky and we don’t see them dominating two straight games. And the Clippers know if they can somehow win this series that Kawhi could be back at some point in Round 2 and then they would have a serious chance at a championship run. We see a close, high-scoring game here and LA has a legit chance to win in our opinion.

The Celtics have rolled in three of the four games of this series but this is an elimination game and the Heat will leave it all on the court. They have the better coach at the end of their bench and we think he will cook up a game plan to keep them competitive with the limited players they have on the court. Boston is probably due for a letdown game, especially after losing Porzingis for a good chunk of the second round. We consider a double-digit win a blowout, and we can het blown out here and still cover. But we think the Heat will play hard and with pride here and keep this within double digits.

The Thunder look every bit the No. 1 seed and they have made it look easy in this series so far. They got off to a slow start in Game 1 but then they have turned it on and dominated. The Pelicans are an incomplete team without their best player, and they can’t have a lot of team morale going on the court tonight. OKC will pull ahead in the fourth quarter and win this one comfortably.

We liked the Bucks to flame out in the playoffs even before the Freak went down with injury. Now we think it will likely be in the first round. The Lillard acquisition was a bad one for Milwaukee, and it has hurt their defense, while the offense hasn’t been consistent. The Pacers don’t play much defense either, but that isn’t their focus. And their offense is consistent. They match up really well with the Bucks and have won five of the last seven meetings, including a high stakes in season tourney game. We think they win this comfortably.

Both Games 1 and 2 went over this total, and we expect Game 3 to do the same. We expect another close game and expect both teams to get their points. With the way Game 2 ended, overtime would not be out of the realm of possibility. But we don’t think we will need OT here to cash this ticket. The Knicks are no longer anemic on offense and this team can put up some points. They have scored over 110 in 7 of their last 9 games. They scored 120 or more in four of those. Jalen Brunson is a threat to have a big scoring night at ant time, and he seems like the type of player that will step up in a game like this. We don’t think the Sixers can rely on defense to get the win here. So they will need to execute on offense. We expect both teams to get their share of the total tonight, and both teams should surpass the century mark just as they did in the first two games of this series.

Just don’t see the Heat getting blown out by Boston in consecutive games. This total is crazy low at 203.5 at the time of this writing. With such a low total, every point for the underdog is more valuable. We agree this will be a low scoring game and we think the Heat will keep this competitive on the strength of their defense. This Miami team is banged up right now but they play with a lot of heart and are well coached. They will have a plan coming into this game and they aren’t going to just roll over tonight. And we have to remember that it is the Heat who have played in two Finals in recent years while this super team from Boston has been to only one. It’s telling that the bookies have not adjusted the line since the Celtics covered in Game 1 and we think the public is all over Boston here and we will side with the sportsbooks and count on the Miami defense to pull some tricks out of their sleeve and keep this one competitive.

The Pacers were off on their shooting in Game 1 but that was one of their worst offensive games in forever and we just think they are more competitive tonight. We lean towards them to win the series still as the Bucks have seemed like a team that will flame out in the postseason – mainly because of their defense. They played a strong defensive game last time out but without their best player on the court we think it will be tough for them to go up 2-0, and the Pacers should be able to score the ball a lot better tonight. We think they have a great chance to steal this one.

Some say that Dallas will dominate this series and it will be an early end for the Clippers and another disappointing season. But we see this series being long and drawn out, like these teams always tend to do when they meet in the playoffs, The Mavs normally get the early jump on LA, then the Clippers rally late in the series. With word Kawhi Leonard may be able to come back later in the series, this script could play out again. But here for Game 1 we see the Mavs dominating. They are incredibly hot heading into the postseason and they have the upper hand here. The Clippers sputtered down the stretch. We think they will figure some things out later in the series, but Game 1 will be all Dallas.

We have had the opinion all season that the Timberwolves are a regular season club but they will flame out in the playoffs. On the other end of the spectrum, the Suns had a disappointing regulars season, but this team is built for the postseason. Phoenix has covered in nine straight meetings. They have won eight of those outright. We think this is a bad matchup for the Wolves in the first round. Seeding is thrown out the window if you can win the first game on the road, and we think there’s a great chance that happens in Game 1.

Sacramento is playing really well at the moment and we think they deserve a playoff spot. They ended the Warriors dynasty in their first playoff game and they looked confident and were extremely effective on both ends of the court. The Pelicans can’t have a lot of confidence right now after their best player went down. They have lost five straight home games and their prospects aren’t looking good here. We had the Kings handicapped at -4.5 here, so we think there is excellent value and we think there is a great chance they win by a lot more than that.

This is a very important game for the Pacers. They need to win here to stake their claim to a playoff spot and avoid the play in tournament. If they make the playoffs, they will have plenty of time off before their first round matchup. So they have to go all out here. Atlanta plays mid week in their play in game and all their focus is on that matchup. They don’t want to expend too much energy here or risk injury. And Indiana is a team that can really pour on the points, so we don’t think they will have any trouble getting the cover here.

It’s fade city for Utah tonight. We sometimes mention a team being Fat and Happy. That is when a poor team gets a big win that wasn’t expected and they usually rest on their laurels and come out flat in the next couple contests. This is the case for Utah tonight as they are on a back-to-back after winning in Houston last night as a double-digit underdog. Utah has a very thin roster with injured starters and this is a very tough back-to-back, no matter who plays for the Clippers. LA has a very deep roster and they have something to play for as seeing is still a factor for the first round. This win for Utah last night was their first in 14 games, and they have covered only four games during this stretch despite very generous odds from the bookies. These teams played here earlier this month, without Kawhi, and the win and cover were never in question for LA. We think this will be a one-sided game from the opening tip.

Love the Knicks in this spot. The Celtics have nothing but pride to play for, while the Knicks need this game for seeding, With the new NBA playoff format with the play in tourney, there is no momentum for teams already set in the bracket, so we don’t think Boston cares at all about this game or if they lose out for the regular season as long as they are healthy for the playoffs. The Knicks are legit championship contenders this year and we think they bring their A Game here tonight.

This is a quick revenge spot as the Knicks lost to the Bulls by 8 here on Friday. The Bulls don’t have much chance to rise above the play in tourney, while the Knicks can definitely drop into the play in. So they have the motivational edge tonight along with revenge. They have won and covered in four of the last six meetings, and we will give them a mulligan for the poor performance on Friday and expect them to bounce back strong here. They are also fairly healthy tonight, while the Bulls have a long injury list and could be missing key players tonight.

Detroit is not a deep team by any means and not only are they on a back-to-back, but they are playing their third game in four nights. The Nets have had two nights off. Brooklyn has been eliminated as well but they will want to finish the season strong and should take this game seriously and this is one they should win by double digits.

The Suns have been one of the worst ATS teams this season but they seem to be making a playoff push and are playing some of their most inspired basketball of the season. They have covered in five of their last seven, and they catch the Cavs on a B2B and Mitchell is questionable after missing their game against Utah last night. We think Phoenix is just in better form right now, and these back-to-backs, especially on the road, really start to take their toll here at this point of the season.

The Jazz stink and are missing some key players here, but this is simply too many points. The Jazz still have some players that can compete, and they have one of the better home court advantages in the NBA. Despite players in and out of the lineup, they have played well enough at home recently to keep games close and haven’t lost by more than 10 in four straight, including games against the Mavs and Timberwolves. Cleveland has covered in only one of their last seven games, so the oddsmakers have them a bit overvalued recently. We think the home team keeps this one within double digits.

Whenever we see a line this high, we always try and figure out a reason to take the underdog. And we like the Blazers to keep this somewhat close tonight. Even if this one is a blowout, we can cash the ticket with this many points, and a backdoor cover is always in the mix. The reason we like the Blazers here is because of the very low total. In a low-scoring game, every point becomes all the more valuable. Portland had one of their worst games of the season last time out but have had a couple days off and we think we see a more focused effort here tonight.

The Nets have won two straight in this series, and we think they will challenge for the win today. The Lakers are banged up and we don’t yet know who will suit up. Even with the Lakers at full strength, we think Brooklyn will play well at home. The Nets are still alive but their season is on life support and this is essentially a must win game. They have won three straight and are playing well at the moment. And the Lakers have been a lousy team all season on the road, where they are 14-21 on the season.

1 Unit Play. Take #658 Duke -7 over NC State (5:05p.m., Sunday, March 31 CBS) The Elite 8 is the round most Cinderella teams go to die. NC State has not beaten Duke twice in a season since 1995. I do not see it happening on Sunday, as Duke makes the Final 4.

10 Unit Play. Take #643 NC State over Marquette (7:09p.m., Friday, March 29 CBS) We collected going against Marquette last week and feel we will be able to cash another ticket on Friday night. This is a lot of points to be laying, and the ACC has already proven they should have had more teams make the field of 68. NC State has some size that they can use to their advantage, and I feel they will get this game close late in the second half and take it down to the wire. Take the points in the first Sweet 16 game on Friday.

The over has hit in seven straight meetings, and we expect another high scoring affair here. Milwaukee has been playing well offensively and has scored 114 or more in six straight games. Just like the oddsmakers, we expect a very close game here and we think both teams will get their points, and overtime is not out of the realm of possibility. We see a similar type of result to the Pelicans last game against OKC here at home that easily went over the total.

10 Unit Play. Take #634 Connecticut over San Diego State (7:39p.m., Thursday, March 28 TBS) This is a rematch of the 2023 National Championship, and I feel it will be another side sided affair. San Diego State did not have a great year especially during Mountain West play and they will be running into a buzzsaw having to play UCONN in Boston. The Huskies have been on a roll of late and I do not see any team being able to knock them off before the Final Four. They have too much size for the Aztecs and if they shoot it well at all they should be able to win this game by double digits. We will not overthink this play and just back the home Huskies.

2 Unit Play. Take #621 Over in UNLV @ Seton Hall (7p.m., Wednesday, March 27 ESPN) UNLV is an over team and Seton Hall is an under team. Expect the Rebels to be able to control the pace of this game, as they already played in New Jersey during this tournament and got the Tigers to up their pace.

Dallas has been racking up wins lately, but they have played some bad teams on the road and their toughest matchups at home. We feel they are a bit overvalued in this spot as we had the Kings laying a couple more points in our handicapping. The Kings have been playing well also (also against an easy schedule), and they scored a very impressive win at Orlando two games ago. We think they will be up for this game as these teams have identical records so this is am important game for playoff position. Sacramento has won two straight meetings, and three of four, and has covered in four straight meetings.

2 Unit Play. Take #612 Indiana State over Cincinnati (9p.m., Tuesday, March 26 ESPN) Indiana State is over the heartbreak of not making the NCAA Tournament and now seems poised to make the Final Four in Indianapolis, IN. They have already beat two Power Conference teams and are getting better as the tournament goes on. Cincinnati has played two mid major programs and playing this one on the road will be too much for them to overcome.

Toronto should play hard in this winnable game and they will want to end their long winning streak. But this is more a bet against the Nets than for the Raptors, as there is no situation where Brooklyn should be favored by this many on the road against any team. This team is 10-26 on the road this season. They have lost five straight on the road. Nice value on the Raptors tonight.

Four of the last five meetings have gone under the posted number, and we expect a low scoring game here as well. The last meeting totaled 205, and we would not be surprised to see a similar score. Minnesota has one of the best defenses in the league, and we think they will set the tempo at home.

Memphis has a long history of success in this series but the tide is turning and the Spurs are the better team now. Memphis is wrought with injuries this season and they are fielding a glorified G-League squad right now. The Grizzlies are a team likely to reset in the offseason, so this team is a fade the rest of the way out, while the Spurs are building something special here with their phenomenal rookie and some nice supporting players. We think, with both squads eliminated, that there will be not a lot of defense played here but when all is said and done, the Spurs should win this one by double digits.