The Boston Celtics went into Game 5 saying that they weren't going to let Steph Curry beat them like he had in previous games. They did just that, keeping Curry under check and keeping Curry from hitting a 3-point shot for the first time in is playoff career. However, Wiggins went off on the Celtics and so did Thompson as other stepped in to lead Golden State to the win and cover in game 5. Tonight, the venue moves back to Boston as the Warriors can win the NBA Championship on the road here tonight. I have hit my last four NBA playoff selections including my last two NBA Totals. Tonight, I see another physical, low scoring game. I won't get involved with the line here tonight. Rather I'll be on the UNDER.

The Boston Celtics went into Game 5 saying that they weren't going to let Steph Curry beat them like he had in previous games. They did just that, keeping Curry under check and keeping Curry from hitting a 3-point shot for the first time in is playoff career. However, Wiggins went off on the Celtics and so did Thompson as other stepped in to lead Golden State to the win and cover in game 5. Tonight, the venue moves back to Boston as the Warriors can win the NBA Championship on the road here tonight. I have hit my last four NBA playoff selections including my last two NBA Totals. Tonight, I see another physical, low scoring game. The more I look at this game tonight the more I expect the Celtics to pull this one out and force a game seven. I'll take the Celtics on the Money Line.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight as they move venues back to Northern Cal. The teams have traded punches thus far with Boston winning games one and three, both S/U and ATS. The two games that the Warriors won, game two and four, both also went under the total. The Warriors defense is what has gotten them wins and with that defense has come the under in the game too. Tonight, the winner will be down to winning one of the final two games. That makes this a pivotal contest for both teams, since neither team has won two-in a row yet. I look for this game to be very physical and low scoring. I have to give the edge here tonight to the home team and with that I'll be on Golden State with the MONEY LINE, just to WIN.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight as they move venues back to Northern Cal. The teams have traded punches thus far with Boston winning games one and three, both S/U and ATS. The two games that the Warriors won, game two and four, both also went under the total. The Warriors defense is what has gotten them wins and with that defense has come the under in the game too. Tonight, the winner will be down to winning one of the final two games. That makes this a pivotal contest for both teams, since neither team has won two-in a row yet. I look for this game to be very physical and low scoring. For me, I'll be on the UNDER.

The Boston Celtics jumped out to a big lead in game three of the NBA Finals, only to have Golden State rally in the third and take a lead entering the fourth quarter. However, like game one, the Warriors collapsed in the fourth quarter and Boston won going away to also cover the spread, 116-100. Thus far none of the three games have been close, with Boston winning game one by 12, Golden State game two by 19 and the Celtics game three by 16. Today, I'm looking at the under. Just one of the first three games have gone under and that was game two in Golden State, 88-107. First, Stephen Curry hurt his foot in game two and while he's probable today, have to wonder if that will effect his performance here today. 2nd, I'm looking for a much more physical game here in game four. That will mean fewer scoring opportunities. So far it's been over, under and then over. If the bounce comes right, we are looking at another under here in game four. Play the UNDER.

The Boston Celtics jumped out to a big lead in game three of the NBA Finals, only to have Golden State rally in the third and take a lead entering the fourth quarter. However, like game one, the Warriors collapsed in the fourth quarter and Boston won going away to also cover the spread, 116-100. Thus far none of the three games have been close, with Boston winning game one by 12, Golden State game two by 19 and the Celtics game three by 16. First, Stephen Curry hurt his foot in game two and while he's probable today. The Warriors have proved they can come back from big deficits. They just need to get their act together in the fourth quarter. With the experience of this team and leadership of Curry, I can't see another fourth quarter collapse. I'll take the points here on Friday and won't be surprised by a straight-up win by Golden State. Take the Warriors.

Game three of the NBA Finals moves to Boston for tonight's contest. The Warriors returned their game one blowout loss with their own blowout in game two to even the series at 1-1. The Celtics were close in game two but came out the break and shot very badly in the third quarter which led to their demise. The Celtics also missed a lot of wide open shots in game two, something they need to fix tonight if they want to win. Tonight, I'm looking at the UNDER. The Warriors have gone under in 11 of their last 13 vs a team with a winning straight up record. They are also 1-4 O/U in their last five games when the dog. The UNDER has also been quite dominant in this series, with seven of the last 10 meetings in Boston going under and 20 of the last 28 overall meetings going under. I'll take the under here today in game three.

It's really this simple, the Warriors blew a huge lead they held for three quarters of game one. They got totally blown out in the fourth quarter to lose badly. They have to regroup here in game two or this series is likely done. I don't believe the Warriors can win four of five games with three of those at Boston. So tonight, the Warriors can't let what happened in game one happen here. They are too experienced and too good to let it happen again. I have to take the Warriors here tonight. And as big as the money line will be, I'm going to lay the money line with Golden State.

 Game one of the NBA Finals here tonight as the Boston Celtics make the long trip West to take on the Warriors from Northern Cal. The Celtics had to withstand a big comeback in game seven of their Eastern Conference finals against Miami to hold onto their four point win, 100-96. Meanwhile, the Warriors had little trouble dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in five games, including their final win 120-110. The Warriors are on familiar ground, having been to the NBA Finals in six of the last eight years. And, while the Celtics have been to the Finals 22 times, they have not been here in the last 12 seasons. That gives the Warriors a huge experience factor here of 132 games to zero. The other factor to figure here in game one is fatigue. Golden State winning has everything to do with fresh legs and the penalty of travel. The Warriors have not played for a week while the Celtics have seen their last two series go to seven games, including a highly emotional win at Miami Sunday. Between the history and the recent play, I'll take the Warriors here in game one on the Money Line.

 I believe the Boston Celtics could have cost themselves a NBA Finals appearance by losing game six at home the Miami Heat. The series returns to Miami for game seven and the winner moving on to the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Two things stand out to me; 1st is that the Heat took all the momentum in this series after losing game six. The other and bigger thing is that NBA home teams have a distinct advantage in game 7 of a series. Let take a quick look. The Celtics have the most games 7's in NBA history, with 33 and that will be 34 after Sunday's game. There have been 133 games 7's with the home team winning 79% of the time or 105-28. That is a huge stat when it comes to home court advantage. And yet, here we have the Miami Heat a home dog in game seven. Not only do they not have to win, but they have a couple of points to play with as they currently are +2.5 or +3 points. For me, the momentum has shifted to Miami and with home court here in game seven, I'll take the points.

The Boston Celtics took a 3-2 lead in this NBA Eastern Conf Finals Championship series with their win on Wednesday night, 93-80. In what was a very low scoring contest, the Heat led at the half, 42-37. However, the Celtics came out of the half firing and won the third quarter 32-16 and then the fourth quarter 24-22. Now the Heat are force to win the last two games in this series, including Friday's contest at Boston. The Celtics are a 3-point shooting team, they live and die beyond the arc and that's why we've pretty much seen blowouts in every contest. The Celtics opened game six line as a 9-point favorite and that's for good reason. Miami guard Tyler Herro missed Wednesday's game and that's a big loss for this team. With his status in question for game six here on Friday and the game in Boston, this becomes my favorite play in the championship series. Take Boston.

The Golden State Warriors have to wait at least one more game to wrap-up their NBA Western Conference Finals and move on to the NBA Championship series. The Warriors led 3-0 in this series before not showing up in game four in their loss to Dallas, 109-119. Despite the loss, the Warriors did shoot fairly well in game four, hitting 48.8% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point arc. Both those numbers were actually better then their game three win at Dallas. The big jump came in the Mavs shooting as they had their best game in this series hitting 50% from the field and 46.5% from 3-point arc. Line has gone up significantly here tonight but for me I'm going to lay this in what looks like another blowout win. Take Golden State.

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are tied 2-2 in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals Championship. The Heat got beat bad ly in game four on their home court, 82-102. In fact, these teams have alternated win/losses with the winning team covering the spread. The Heat had to play game four without their guard Tyler Herro, who has a groin injury. Herro is questionable today and the Heat could really use his 20.7 ppg average. The Heat also need this game to maintain home court advantage or else they face going back to Boston down 2-3. For me, this is a key game for the Heat, lose and they are likely done in the series, win and they only have to win one of the last two games. I'll take Miami here tonight, especially since I believe Herro will return. Play Miami.

The Golden State Warriors can wrap-up their Western Conference Finals with the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in this series after beating the Mavs in Dallas last game, 109-100. The Mavs led early, but once they fell behind in the 2nd quarter they never were able to fully recover. The question for me here tonight is how much does the Warriors want to win this game. A win and they get a nice rest while the Eastern Conference teams battle it out for their rep in the Title match. Sometimes too much rest can take away from a teams momentum too. But tonight, I think the Warriors want the rest and will do all it takes to put this series to an end. Play Golden State.

The Boston Celtics look to even this best of seven series at 2-2 with a win tonight at home over the Miami Heat. The Celtics lost game one in Miami, 107-118, took game two 127-102 and then lost at home in game three, 103-109. The Heat will be with0out guard Tyler Herro tonight who has a groin injury. They do look to have guard Jimmy Butler playing though who was upgraded to probable with a knee injury. The Celtics Jayson Tatum is expected to play with a cervical sprain. Celtics can't afford to lose another game on their home court. This line is a bit stiff, but I look for the Celtics to win here tonight. Play Boston.

The Mavericks could easily be tied 1-1 in this series, but instead they are 0-2 after their two games at Golden State. The Mavs led by double digits at half time in game two and led at the end of the third quarter. However, they were outscored by 11 points in the third quarter and not only lost 117-126, but failed to cover the 6-point dog line. That means game three is pivotal here today for the Mavs. Lose and they go down 0-3 in this best of seven series. Win, and they are back in it. Something that could help their cause is that Warriors' guard Andrew Wiggins is questionable today with a ankle injury. I look for this to be the game the Mavs must win and I'll give them a shot. Take Dallas on the Money Line.

Game three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals changes venues here tonight as this best-of-seven series moves to Boston. The Heat took game one at home 118-107 and then lost in game two, 102-127. The Celtics live and die from the 3-point line and that proved out thus far. In their game one loss, the Celtics hit 32.4% from beyond the 3-point arc. Then in their game two blowout, the Celtics hit 50% from 3-point land. The Heat are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as a road dog. They are also 12-5-1 ATS in their last 18 road games overall. The Heat have also done well in this series, covering 10 of the last 13 games in Boston. If the Heat can keep the Celtics three-point shots from getting out of control, they should cover if not win this game outright tonight. Play Miami.

 The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors play game two of their series here tonight in Northern California. The Warriors blew out the Mavs in game one, 112-87. The Warriors were red hot, hitting 56.1% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point arc. The Mavs had their worst shooting performance in the playoffs, hitting just 36% from the field and 22.9% from the 3-point line. The Mavs have been a good covering team, going 9-4 ATS their last 13 games. The Warriors are 2-6 ATS their last eight as a favorite. The Mavs have done well vs the Warriors, going 11-4 ATS their last 15 meetings and 6-2 ATS their last eight meetings in Golden State. I don't see the Mavs shooting that bad again here tonight. I'll take the Points with Dallas.

Game two of the Eastern Conference Championship has the Miami Heat with a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. The Celtics took pretty good pounding in game one, though the 107-118 final made the game look closer than it was. The Celtics have lived and died by the three-point shot this year. They had 110 attempts vs the Bucks and that was third all time in the NBA playoffs for 3-pointers attempted. In game one they hit 32.4%, well below their game seven win over the Bucks of 40%. Still, the Celtics do well as road dogs, going 7-1-1 ATS their last nine. They also bounce back well, going 4-1 ATS their last five after losing straight-up by 10 points or more. The Celtics have done well vs the Heat, going 13-6 ATS their last 19 meetings in Miami and 23-11-1 their last 35 overall. I look for the Celtics to bounce back here in game two.

Game two of the Eastern Conference Championship has the Miami Heat with a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series. The Celtics took pretty good pounding in game one, though the 107-118 final made the game look closer than it was. The Celtics have lived and died by the three-point shot this year. They had 110 attempts vs the Bucks and that was third all time in the NBA playoffs for 3-pointers attempted. In game one they hit 32.4%, well below their game seven win over the Bucks of 40%. Still, the Celtics do well as road dogs, going 7-1-1 ATS their last nine. They also bounce back well, going 4-1 ATS their last five after losing straight-up by 10 points or more. As for the total, the Celtics have gone under in five of their last seven games. Miami has been a very good under team of late with nine of their last 11 playoff games going under when they are favored. Game one went over, but I'm taking game two to go under here tonight.

Game one of the NBA Western Conference Championships here tonight as the Dallas Mavericks take on the Warrior in Golden State. The Mavs pulled the big upset thus far, beating the regular season best team in the NBA the Phoenix Suns. And they did so by taking games seven in Phoenix in a blowout win, 123-90. Three of the seven games went over the total and three of the four on the road went over for the Mavs. The Mavs have now gone over in eight of their last 11 road games. Golden State beat the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 in their series. They split the over/unders with three over and three under. The Warriors have been a very good over team when they have rest, evidenced by their 15-5-1 O/U/P record their last 21 with 3 days or more of rest. This has also been a over series with 12 of the last 16 games going over. I'm taking game on OVER here tonight.

It took seven game but the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Championships after beating Milwaukee. They had little trouble with the Bucks in game game, cruising to a 109-81 win. The Celtics were 4-2-1 ATS in the series. The Miami Heat advanced to the Championship series by beating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. They were 4-2 vs the number and their two losses were on the road. They had little trouble on their home floor, winning by 40, 16 and 14 points. This will be a rematch of the 2020 conference finals when they were played in the bubble in Orlando. The Heat won that series in Orlando. The Celtics live and die by the 3-point shot. They had 53 more 3-pointers than the Bucks in that seven game series. With their 110 3-pointers, the Celtics tied for third most in any playoff series. The Heat had the East's best home court record at 29-12 this year in the regular season. They are 6-0 at home in the playoffs. I'll take the Heat here in game one on the money line.

It's Game 7 of this Eastern Conference Clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. The Bucks extended the series with a game 6 win, 108-95 to force this game seven back in Boston. Four of the six games in the series have gone UNDER the total. Milwaukee has had some very poor shooting games in this series, hitting just 41.5% or worse in four of the six games. Their three-point shots have also been bad with half their games having a 26.5% or worse mark. Two of the three games in Boston have gone under and for me, I'm sticking with a lower scoring game here today. Play UNDER.

The Memphis Grizzlies facing elimination here tonight as they play game six of this Western Conference best of seven series from Golden State. The Grizzlies staved off elimination in game five with a blowout of the Warriors, 134-95. Now they return back to Golden State where they once again get 8 to 9 points as they did in game four. Sure, they are without star Ja Morant, but they are now like 25-4 without him in the lineup this year. And they have played a lot without and done well. I don't see that changing here tonight. They will be close when this game is over. I'll take the points. Play Memphis.

 Game six of this Eastern Conf Semifinal has the Celtics taking on the Bucks from Milwaukee. The Celtics somehow lost game five, despite a large 4th quarter lead. Now the Celtics face elimination with a loss here tonight. In their previous two games at Milwaukee, Boston lost 101-103 and won 116-108. The Celtics live and die outside the paint. They did well last game hitting 51% from the field but just 32% from 3-point line. Only one other game they shot worse and that was also a losing effort. The first three games in this series went under the total with the last two going over. I'm going back to the UNDER here tonight.

Game six of this Eastern Conf Semifinal has the Celtics taking on the Bucks from Milwaukee. The Celtics somehow lost game five, despite a large 4th quarter lead. Now the Celtics face elimination with a loss here tonight. In their previous two games at Milwaukee, Boston lost 101-103 and won 116-108. The Celtics live and die outside the paint. They did well last game hitting 51% from the field but just 32% from 3-point line. Only one other game they shot worse and that was also a losing effort. I look for the Celtics to rebound here today and take this game six and force a game seven back in Boston.

Game 6 of this best of seven series tonight shifts back to Dallas after the Mavericks lost game five in Phoenix, 80-110. The Mavs now face elimination tonight with a loss. Like a lot of other series, this has been dominated by the home team. The Mavs lost the first two games in Phoenix and failed to cover either game, then won and covered the next two at home, before getting blown out in game five at Phoenix. The Suns are a small favorite, but I'm sticking with the home team in this series and that means a small dog here on Dallas.

Game six of this best of seven series and the Philadelphia 76ers now facing elimination after losing game five at Miami, 85-120. This has been a home series with the home team winning and covering every game thus far. The Sixers return home tonight where they won game three 99-79 and game four, 116-108. Good news it that Joel Embiid is probable tonight for the Sixers with his thumb injury he sustained earlier. How effective he will be is yet to be seen. But for me, I'll take the Money line here and only ask the Sixers to win this game.

The Memphis Grizzlies face elimination here tonight in this Western Conference Semifinal matchup with the Golden State Warriors. The Grizzlies lost game four, 98-101, but played well and were in the game from the start. And, they played without star Ja Morant. That makes them 24-5 this year when Morant has been out of the lineup. It appears Morant will miss again here tonight with that knee injury. The Grizzlies played both games on their home court tough, winning 106-101 and losing 116-117. In fact, they have covered three of the four in this series. I'm going to take the Grizzlies again here in game five plus the points and won't be surprised by a straight-up win.

The Grizzlies jumped to a double digit dog here today because of Ja Morant status now doing to doubtful with a knee injury. But really the Grizzlies seem to step up play when Morant hasn't been in the line. They are 25-4 this year when Morant has been out. The Grizzlies are down 1-2 in this series after losing on Saturday at Golden State, 112-142. I highly doubt the Warriors can his 63% from the field again here today and 53% from 3-point arch. The Grizzlies look to be without Morant and even if that's so, I'll take the extra points here on Monday. Play Memphis.

The Boston Celtics are down 1-2 in this best of seven semi-final matchup with the Bucks. They played tough in game three, but came up just short in a 101-103 loss, pushing the 2-point dog line. The Bucks look to be without forward Khris Middleton here today who has a knee injury. Middleton averages 20.1 ppg and 5.4 assists per game. Otherwise both teams come into today's contest healthy. Line here is pick'em or either side one-point favorite. For me, I'm taking the Celtics as I look for them to even this series tonight at 2-2.

The Dallas Mavericks got a win on the board in Game three with a 103-94 win. That makes the series 2-1 in favor in favor of Phoenix. The Mavs will look to even the series at 2-2 here on their home court on Sunday. Dallas also got their first cover of this series in game three. Both teams appear healthy here in game four. I'm going to take the Suns to bounce back after a very lackluster game three. Take Phoenix on the Run Line

The best of seven series is tied at 1-1 after the Bucks lost game two in Boston, 86-109. However, they did gain home court by stealing game one in Boston. The Bucks return home today and are a 1.5 to 2 point favorite in this contest. The Bucks will be without Forward Christ Middleton today who has a knee injury. The Celtics guard Jaylon Brown is probable today with a hamstring injury. Both these teams have been good at covering spreads. The Bucks are 4-1 ATS in their last five and 7-2 in their last nine playoff games as a favorite. I expect a close game here today but I'll take the Bucks to bounce back from that horrible game 2 showing. Play Milwaukee on the Money Line.

This best of Seven semifinal series between the Suns and Mavs returns to Dallas for game three tonight. The Suns took games one and two by seven points in game one and 129-109 in game two. That takes us to this pivotal game three in Dallas. The Mavs are in desperate need of a win here tonight if they hope to have a chance to move on in the playoffs. The Mavs have been a good under team at home, evidenced by their 3-14-1 O/U mark their last 18 games at home vs a team with a road winning record. They are also 20-48-1 O/U in their last 49 home games. This series has also been a good under play, despite the first two games going over. The last 16 of 23 games played in Dallas have gone UNDER. I look for the UNDER here tongiht.

Bad news for the 76ers as it looks like Joel Embiid will likely miss the rest of the playoffs with a concussion. He hurt his hand in the last round, but still played. Now he's out with this concussion and that's 30.6 ppg that the Sixers will have to replace. Philly has lost the first two games of this series at Miami, 92-106 and then the last game, 103-119. Now they return home here tonight for a pivotal game three in which they could face going down 0-3 in the series. The Heat have covered both games in this series and have also covered 11 of their last 14 games overall. They also will have guard Tyler Herro in the lineup tonight with a ankle injury that landed him on the injury report. I'm going to take the Heat here tonight on the Money Line with Embiid definitely out.

 The Dallas Mavericks lost game one of this best of seven series with the Phoenix Suns, 114-121. Despite trailing by double digits most of the game, the Mavs rallied and just missed cover the 5.5-point dog spread. The Mavs won 4-2 in their series with Utah, covering five of the six games. In fact, the Mavs are 11-3-1 ATS their last 15 games. The Suns finally got healthy and it showed in game one, though the Mavs made it closer at the end then the game ever was. Game two here today and the Mavs are looking to steal a game and gain home court. I believe they put forth their best effort here tonight. Play Dallas

 The Boston Celtics lost home court in the first game of their semi-final series with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics getting beat soundly in game one, 89-101. You have to go back to December 29th for the last time the Celtics scored fewer points. They hit a miserable 33% from the field and were out-rebounded. Now they can ill afford to go down 0-2 on their home court. The Celtics are too good a team having won 55 games to do so. Plus, the Bucks are happy to escape Boston 1-1 so I don't look for a win here today by the Bucks. I'll lay the points with Boston and see if they can even the series. Play Boston.

Game one of this best of seven series between the Mavericks and the Suns from Phoenix tonight. The Mavericks took six games to beat Utah including winning the last two games. The Jazz also covered every game in that series except the first game. The Suns had the best record in the regular season, but had to go to six games to beat the New Orleans Pelicans. They did have some injury issue with Devin Booker is recovering from a hamstring injury. Booker looked limited in game six of the Pelicans series but looks ready to go at full speed here in game one tonight. With the Suns back at full strength I do like them here in game one. Play Suns.

 Game one of this best of seven Semi-Final series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors won their quarterfinal matchup with the Denver Nuggets 4 games to 1. The Warriors also covered three of the five games in the series. With the exception of the last game, the Warriors hit 50% or better from the field in the other four games. The Warriors were never the dog in any of the five games either. The Memphis Grizzlies won their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, four games to two. The Grizzlies were tied 2-2 before taking the last two games in the series. The Grizzlies covered three of the six games and were favored in all six games. Game one should be excellent between these team and I'll take the road club here on Golden State.

The Dallas Mavericks can close out this best of seven series here tonight, but it will take a win at Utah. The Mavs opened this series with a loss at home to the Jazz, 93-99. Then rebounded with a pair of wins, including one at Dallas to take a 2-1 lead. They lost game four at Utah, 99-100 to even the series and then won game five on their home court, 102-77. If they win tonight they will be the only road team thus far to close out a series on the road. The Jazz Donovan Mitchell has been upgraded to probable for tonight's contest as he's been ailing with a quad injury. Otherwise both teams are healthy for this game. This game is virtually a pick'em so I'll take the Mavs here tonight to see if they can win the series.

 The Toronto Raptors have staved off elimination in this series twice now as they have won the last two games against the 76ers. The Sixers opened with three straight wins before losing game four at Toronto, 102-110 and then losing game five at home, 88-103. Now the series returns to Toronto where the Raptors can force a game seven. After a high scoring game one, the last four games have all gone UNDER. Have to wonder how much of this is due to the injury Joel Embiid suffered in the series. He hurt his thumb and will require surgery when the season is over. Also the Raptors, guard Fred Vanvleet is doubtful tonight with a hip injury. This series has slowed down and with key injuries on both sides, I'll stick with the UNDER.

Game five of this best of seven series between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks is an elimination game should the Bulls lose. The Bulls are down 1-3 in this series and facing the end of their season tonight. So far all four games have gone under in this series as the Bulls have had trouble scoring points. The Bulls have 95 or fewer points in three of the four games. I'm not getting involved in this big line today, rather I'll stick with the UNDER as the Bulls exit the playoffs.

The Miami Heat can wrap-up their best of seven series tonight on their home court. The Heat lead the series 3-1 after taking the first two games at home and then splitting the next two at Atlanta. They won game four in Atlanta, 110-86. They have also covered three of the four games in the series. That makes nine out of the last 11 games the Heat have covered. The one mark against the Heat tonight will be the loss of guard Kyle Lowry, who is out tonight with a leg injury. Is this an issue tonight? Well, consider that Lowry also missed game four and the Heat still won by 24 points. I believe this will be more of an issue going forward in their next series. For me, I'm taking the Heat to wrap it up tonight and cover this game. Play Miami.

The Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz are all tied up at 2-2 after four games. Game five here tonight in Dallas where the Mavs lost game one and then won game two. the Mavs then won game three and lost game four in Utah, 99-100, but covered the 5.5-point spread. The Mavs are still covering spreads too, going 3-0 their last three, 6-1-1 ATS their last eight games. Both teams look pretty healthy for game five tonight. That being said, I'm take the Mavericks to go up 3-2 in this series after tonight. I'm taking the Mavs on the Money Line just to win.

The Toronto Raptors staved off elimination in game four with a win over the Sixers, 110-102. That was the clubs first win and cover in the four games thus far. In addition, three of the games have gone UNDER the total. The Raptors will be without a key offensive player tonight in Fred VanVleet, who is out with a hip injury. The 76ers were also dealt a blow when Joel Embiid tore a ligament in his right thumb. That injury will require surgery after the season is over. He has vowed to play through the injury. However, with both teams having key offensive players hurt, I have to wonder how this game makes it over tonight. I'll take this game UNDER.

 Game three of this series looked like a dead under until about 1 minute left when the teams went wild hitting threes and making foul shots to send it over. That makes two straight in the series that have gone over. However, The Suns have been a decent under team, having gone under in six straight and eight of the last nine before these last two games. The Suns have taken a 2-1 lead in this series and regained home court after taking game three at New Orleans, 114-111 as a 2-point favorite. This should be another close game and I will take the UNDER one more time.

It's really do or die time for the Brooklyn Nets tonight. The Nets have lost the first two games of this series with the Celtics and can ill afford to go down 0-3 in the series. That means this is the pivotal game three they must have. They lost a close one in game one, 114-115 and then lost game two 107-114. The Nets will get one boost tonight, forward Blake Griffin is expect to play after having been out with an ankle injury. Stats don't do much for you at this juncture. It comes down to how badly the Nets want it. I'll take them here tonight.

The Phoenix Suns were the best team in the NBA this season and by far. So it was a bit shocking when the Suns lost game two of this series with the Pelicans on their home floor, 114-125. The Suns need to regroup as they hit the road to New Orleans here tonight for game three. For me, I'm taking the under in this game. The Suns have been a good under team, going UNDER in six of their last seven games and eight of the last 10. The Pelicans are 1-8 O/U the last nine times the won the previous game straight-up. They are also 1-7 O/U in their last eight games when they have had two days of rest. I'm going to take tonight's contest UNDER.

Game three of this Best of Seven Eastern Conference series moves venues tonight to Chicago as the Bulls host the Bucks. The Bucks won a low scoring game one, 93-86, but failed to cover the 10.5-point line. The Bucks lost game two, 110-114, also not coming close to the 10-point line. With the series tied 1-1, the Bulls grabbed home court and need to keep it here tonight. So far, both games have gone under. The Bucks have also gone under in three of the last four. The Bulls have gone under in five of their last six playoff games when the dog. The Bulls are also 8-17 O/U in their last 25 overall games. These teams have gone under in five of the last six meetings and that's what I'm sticking with here today. Play UNDER.

The Golden State Warriors have had little trouble with the Denver Nuggets. Well, at least in Golden State where they won both games by 20 and 16 points. Now they have to travel to Denver and the higher elevation. Golden State has been hot, winning their last seven games S/U and going 6-1 ATS. Denver was a fair home team this year, going 25-18 S/U and a poor home covering team at 15-26 ATS. Denver is just 2-5 S/U and ATS their last seven games. Denver is also just 3-9 ATS their last 12 games vs a team with a winning S/U record. I'm going to take the Warriors on the money Line tonight.

The Toronto Raptors return home for game three of their best of seven series with the Sixers down 0-2. They lost game on in Philly, 111-131 and then lost game two, 97-112. This is a pivotal game three as they can ill afford to go down 0-3 in this series. Up until this series, the Sixers had not been a good covering team. Yet they covered both games so far in this series. The Raptors do have a few good things here in game three. They are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home games vs a road team with a winning record. They are also 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games playing on one day rest. The Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last six games vs the Sixers in Toronto. I'll take the Raptors here as it's do or die. Play Toronto.

The Phoenix Suns showed the league why they are the best team in the NBA this year as they opened the playoffs with a decisive win over the Pelicans in game one, 110-99, covering the 10-point spread. Despite the close cover, the Suns led by double digits most of the way. Phoenix has now covered four of their last five playoff games as the favorite and is 4-0 ATS their last four quarterfinal games. New Orleans will try and avoid returning home down 0-2. They haven't done well lately against good teams, going 1-6 ATS the last seven against a winning team. They are also 0-4 ATS their last four as a dog. I don't look for Phoenix to have any more trouble then they did in game one. Of all the games in round one, this is the one that believes plays out just as it should, a Phoenix blowout.

Utah looks to take a commanding 2-0 lead back to Utah with a win here tonight at Dallas. the Jazz won game one, 99-93 as a 5-point favorite. The Jazz held Dallas to just 38.2% shooting from the field and 28.1% from the 3-point line. The Jazz are just 3-9 ATS their last 12 games as a road favorite. Dallas looks to eve the series tonight. The Mavs loss on Saturday was just the teams 2nd loss in their last nine games. The Mavs are also 6-2-1 ATS their last nine games. The Mavs also bounce back well, covering 16 of the last 22 times after a ATS loss. The Mavs are 10-4-1 ATS the last 15 vs the Jazz in Dallas and 5-1 ATS the last six overall. I look for a Dallas rebound tonight as they even the series.

The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers play game two of their best of seven series here tonight. The Sixers had little issue with the Raptors in game one, cruising to a 20-point win, 131-111 as a 4.5 point favorite. Tonight that line has jumped to seven as the oddsmaker compensates for that blowout win. The Raptors had been good for bettors. They are 5-2 ATS in their last seven quarterfinal games. They are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 playoff games as a underdog and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games. Still, they get no respect from the oddsmaker here tonight. Philadelphia has been winning but not covering until recently. The Sixers are 6-1 S/U their last seven games but just 3-4 ATS. Philly is also 3-7 ATS their last 10 games overall. The Raptors have covered four of the last five in this series. I look for a rebound here by Toronto tonight, if not a straight-up win. Play Toronto.

 The New Orleans Pelicans made it to the main playoff even with a pair of play-in wins over San Antonio (113-103) and a come-from-behind win over the Clippers, 105-101. Now they face the best regular season team in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns. The Pelicans have been a decent spread covering team this year. Though they were just 1-5 ATS in their last six games against a team with a winning record. The Pelicans have also covered just one of the last five meetings against the Suns. The Phoenix Suns were the standout in the NBA this year, holding the best overall record at 64-18 overall and beating the next closest team by a lot. While the Suns did lost four of their last six games of the season they were resting players as those games had no bearing on their best record in the NBA. Phoenix is now 13-5 ATS in their last 18 playoff games when installed the favorite. They are also 6-2 ATS in their last eight conference quarterfinal games. I'm going to lay the points here today with the best team in the NBA.

The Bulls and Bucks begin game one of their best of seven series here today at Milwaukee. The Bulls ended the regular season with a win over Minnesota, 124-120. That win snapped a four game losing streak by the Bulls. The Bulls are now just 4-10 ATS their last 14 games against a team with a winning record. They are also 7-21 ATS their last 28 games as a underdog and 3-10 ATS the last 13 when those dog games were on the road. Milwaukee finished the regular season with a 51-31 record and lost a meaningless game at Chicago on the final day, 115-133. The Bucks are now 6-1-1 ATS their last eight games in the Conference Quarterfinals. The Bucks have also covered five of the last seven games in this series. I'll take the Bucks and lay the points here today.

The Toronto Raptors had a fine season, finishing 48-34 and right behind Philly in the Atlantic division. The Raptors finished the regular season with a loss at the Knicks, 94-105. However, they did go 14-4 S/U and 12-6 ATS their last 18 games. Philly finished 51-31 and tied for first in the division with the Boston Celtics. While Philly won five of their last six games, they only covered two of those. The Raptors have covered the last four games in this series with the Sixers. I'll take the points and Raptors here in game one.

The Timberwolves and Grizzlies begin their best of seven series here today at Memphis. The T'Wolves split their last four games 2-2 S/U and 1-3 ATS. The Wolves are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as a dog. They are also 3-8 ATS their last 11 rod games vs a team with a winning home record. Memphis finished the regular season with a loss to the Celtics, 110-139 in what was a meaningless game for the Grizzlies. Still, they would like to get back to the streak that saw them win seven straight games. Unlike Minnesota, Memphis has been hot vs the number. They are 17-4 ATS their last 21 games at home. They are 14-3 ATS their last 17 as a home favorite. They have also dominated the T'Wolves of late, covering the last 16 of 21 meetings. They are even better at Memphis, going 24-8 ATS their last 32 vs the T'Wolves. I'm taking Memphis here in game one.

Win and move on, lose and you go home. That's the theme here tonight for these two teams. The Pelicans won their first play-in game last Wednesday, beating the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 as a 5.5-point favorite. The Pelicans are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games and 10-4 in their last 14 road games as a dog. The LA Clippers got some bad news today when star shooting guard Paul George tested positive for Covid and will have to miss this game. That's a huge loss since they are already playing without their Superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers lost their opening Play-In Round game to the T'Wolves, 104-109. This line dropped to a pick'em with George out tonight. I'm taking the Pelicans as they move onto the seeded playoffs.

NBA Play-In tournament continues here today as the San Antonio Spurs take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Spurs finished the regular season with a 34-48 record. They did lose their last three games though they covered two and pushed the other. In fact, this Spurs team has bee a very good team vs the number, going 5-0-1 ATS the last six games and 9-1-1 ATS their last 11 games. The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of injury questions coming into today. However, two seem solved with center James Valancions and forward Brandon Ingram now both probable for today. Forward Zion Willamson does remain out though with a foot injury. The Pelicans finished the regular season with two losses both S/U and ATS. The Spurs have covered eight of the last nine in this series and all seven of the last seven meetings in New Orleans. I'll take the Spurs here in the Play-In game.

Play-In tourney game here today pits the Charlotte Hornets against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets surprised everyone this year with a 43-39 record and 3rd place SouthEast division finish. The Hornets finished the season strong, winning and covering their last three games. The Hornets do well with rest, evidenced by their 11-4-1 ATS record when they get two days of rest. They are also 10-4-1 ATS their last 15 games as a road dog and 15-5-1 their last 21 overall on the road. The Atlanta Hawks finished with an identical 43-39 record. The Hawks won and covered their last game of the regular season against the Rockets. The Hornets are 3-1-1 ATS the last five meetings between these teams. Atlanta will also be without forward John Collins who is out with a foot injury. I'm going to take the points here today with the Hornets.

The NBA play-in tournament begins here on Tuesday with the LA Clippers taking on the Timberwolves from Minnesota. The winner gets the No 7 seed in the West Playoff bracket. The Clippers beat the Wolves in three of their four meetings this year. The Clippers continue to play without Kawhi Leonard who will remain out. As for the Wolves, their point guard D'Angelo Russell is questionable for this game with an illness. The Clipper finished strong down the stretch, winning their last five games and covering four of those. The Wolves struggled a bit their last few games, going 1-2 S/U and 0-4 vs the spread. In fact, they were just 2-7 ATS their last nine regular season games. The Clippers have pretty much owned this series, going 4-1 ATS the last five meetings and 15-6-1 ATS the last 22 meetings in Minnesota. I'll take the short points with the Clippers here on Tuesday.

Early action on the NBA hard court today as the 76ers host the Pacers. The Indiana Pacers are just playing out these last two days before their vacation. However, the Philadelphia 76ers still have something to play for this weekend. The Sixers are in 4th in the East, just a half game behind the Celtics for third place. They are 1.5 games back of Milwaukee and 1.5 games ahead of Toronto. The Sixers had their three-game win streak snapped at Toronto on Thursday, 114-119 as a 3.5-point favorite. Philly will close out their season at home against Detroit tomorrow. Both these games should be wins for the Sixers, which will put some pressure on those teams in front of them. The Pacers won't win here today. They haven't won since March 20th, losing eight straight games. They have also covered just three of their last eight games. The Sixers can't let down now. I'll lay the points with Philly today.

 Neither of these teams will be going to the playoffs this year. Does this mean that the Lakers will shut down their stars? Russell Westbrook, Lebron James and Anthony Davis are all questionable tonight. I'll be looking at the total here tonight. The Thunder are 16-6-1 O/U in their last 23 games as a dogl. They are also 16-7-1 O/U their last 24 overall games. The Lakers are 8-3 O/U their last 11 games. While we may or may not see the stars play tonight, I like these two teams to put up plenty of points and take this game OVER. They have gone over in seven of their last 10 meetings and that is what I expect tonight.

The Phoenix Suns have the best record in the NBA locked and put away. They really have nothing left to play for in these final days of the regular season. In fact, I won't be surprised to see key players doing a lot of sitting here tonight. The Suns snapped a two-game losing streak last game with a win over the Lakers, 121-110. Still, they haven't covered a game in four straight. The Clippers have already clinched a Playin berth as they currently sit 8th, four games ahead of the Pelicans. The Clippers have won two straight games and covered both after a stretch that saw them go 1-6 S/U and ATS. The Clippers are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 meetings in LA with the Suns and 19-9 ATS the last 28 overall meetings. I'll take the Clippers here tonight.

Interconference game here has the West's Dallas Mavericks taking on the East's Detroit Piston. The Pistons are done for the year after this week. They are already eliminated from the playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks are 4th in the West, just one game back of the Warriors and two games ahead of the Jazz. The Mavs have split their last two games, losing at Washington, 103-135 and then beating Milwaukee, 118-112. The Mavs are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. While the Pistons are out of the NBA playoffs, they still are playing hard, winning three straight games including their last over Indiana 121-117 as a 4.5-point road dog. The Pistons are now 5-0 ATS their last five and 17-3 ATS their last 20 games. I'm taking Detroit here as they are fighting to the end.

West Conference matchup here has 2nd place Memphis taking on 6th place Utah. The Grizzlies have nowhere to go as they are 7-games back of Phoenix and 5.5-games ahead of Golden State. The Grizzlies are hot though and look to keep the momentum as the playoffs start soon. Memphis has won seven straight games and 10 of their last 11 games. They are also 7-2 ATS their last nine games. The Griz are also 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games as a underdog and 41-18 ATS their last 59 games overall. The Utah Jazz can go up or down in the standings since they are right in the middle of a three pack with Denver and Minnesota. The Jazz have not been hot, going 1-6 S/U and 0-7 ATS their last seven games. The Jazz are 15-33-3 ATS their last 51 games overall. They are also 5-16-1 ATS their last 22 games vs a team with a win percentage over 60%. These two usually play high scoring games and I expect we'll see plenty of action tonight too. I'll take the points with a very hot Memphis club.

As we come down to the finals games of the NBA regular season, Miami finds themselves sitting in 1st place in the East, 2-games against of the Boston Celtics and 2.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and Philly. While the Heat have clinched the SouthEast division, they would like to lock of that top spot in the East. Charlotte looks to hold one of the two Play-In berths in the East. The other currently held by Brooklyn. Charlotte is coming off a loss at Philly, 114-144, failing to cover the 5.5-point dog line. While Charlotte has been good at covering, they don't do well against very good teams. They are just 8-18-2 their last 28 games vs a team with a 60% or better winning mark. Miami had to endure a four-game losing streak in last March. However, they have rebounded and have won four straight both S/U and ATS. More good news tonight, star Jimmy Butler, who has been rested, is probable tonight. I like Miami here, they need to win to lock up that top East Spot.

The NCAA Men's Final comes down to two teams that are not strangers to the Big game, North Carolina and Kansas. North Carolina is 29-9 overall on the season and after losing in the ACC Tournament has won five straight in the NCAA's. They have covered all five also after they beat Duke in the Final Four, 81-77, as a 4.5-point dog. The Tarheels have the 18th ranked efficient offense according to the Kenpom rankings. They have averaged nearly 78 points per game and allowed 68 points. In the NCAA tournament they have averaged 82.2 ppg while allowing 68.2 ppg. They are 39th in defense. North Carolina is looking for its 7th National Title and first with HC Hubert Davis. The Kansas Jayhawks were the only No 1 seed team to make the Final Four this year. They have a 33-6 record and are coming off a blowout win over Villanova, 81-65. The Jayhawks won the Big 12 Tournament this year, just the first time in their last four years. Both of these teams peaked at just the right time and both are loaded with great coaches. The one area Kansas has trouble is foul shooting, where they are just 60% in the tournament. This could prove crucial down the stretch. In a close game like this, I'll take the points. Play North Carolina.

The New York Knicks have lost two straight games and dropped to 34-44 overall. Those losses have eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs as they sit 12th, six games back. The biggest loss though came a few days ago when they lost Julius Randle with a quad injury. Looks like Randle is done with the Knicks out of the playoffs. Orlando also wont' be going to the playoffs with their 20-58 record. And while they don't win often, they do better against the spread. They are 4-0 ATS their last four games as a dog. They are also 8-3 ATS their last 11 games with one day of rest. The Magic have also covered four of the last five in this series with the Knicks. Neither team going anywhere, but with Randle now out the Knicks shouldn't be laying these kind of points on the road. I'll take the points with the Magic and they might even win a rare game straight up here today.

Early game here on Sunday has the Washington Wizards taking on the Boston Celtics in a NBA Eastern conference clash. Washington was eliminated from the playoffs as they sit 11th, 5.5 games back of 10th place Brooklyn. The Celtics are 3rd in the East and can improve or fall back. They are a half game back of 2nd place Milwaukee and two back of 1st place Miami. The Wizards are just 3-7 ATS their last 10 games as a road dog. They are also 6-16 ATS their last 22 games on one day of rest. The Celtics snapped a two game losing streak with a win over Indiana, 128-123, though they failed to cover the 15-point favorite line. Still, the Celtics are 6-3 ATS their last nine games. The Celtics have also gone 12-4-1 ATS their last 17 games against the Pacers at Boston. I'll lay the big number here today with a Boston team that can still change their playoff position.

Money Line (Duke): Isn't it fitting that in Duke's Coach K last season that he as a final four meeting with none other than his old foe, North Carolina. These two storied college basketball teams clash here today. Ironically, this is the first time these two teams will have ever met in a Final Four! Coach K can win an illustrious sixth title this year and that would be a fitting way to end his storied career at Duke. You can make a case for either team at this point in the season. So I have to find something that stands out. For me that is Coach K. His players really want to win this one for him and that's a motivation you just can't manufacture. This will be the North Carolina starting five vs the Duke zone defense. Should be a great game, but I'm taking Duke on the Money line here as part of my 2-team NCAA Final four Parlay.

Eastern Conference clash here today has the 8th place Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks both tied in the standings. The Nets, Hornets and Hawks are all holding those last three playoff spots in the East and all three are two games back of Cleveland. All three will make the playoffs, but the question is in which position. That makes this game huge here today for both clubs. The Nets are coming off a loss to Milwaukee in OT, 119-120, as a 2-point favorite. The Nets are 2-3 S/U and 1-4 ATS their last five games. The Nets have not done well as favorites, evidenced by their 9-25 ATM mark their last 34 games in that role. The Atlanta Hawks have been hot, winning and covering their last four games. They are also 9-3 S/U their last 12 games. Atlanta is also 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games vs a team with a winning road record. The Hawks are also 14-6 ATS their last 20 home games. I'll take the home dog Hawks here today.

It took Kansas an entire half, but they finally woke up in the 2nd half against Miami in their Elite 8 matchup. Kansas trailed the Canes at half, 29-35, but came out like gangbusters in the second half. They outscored Miami 47-15 in the 2nd half to win the game, 76-50, as a 5-point closing favorite. There was a lot of money on Miami, as they opened a 9-point dog and close at around 5-points. Now Kansas will get to face Villanova. Villanova didn't have a lot of issues with Houston as they led at the half, 27-20 and held on for the 50-44 win over the Cougars as a 3-point dog. Again the money on Houston as the opened 1.5-points and close at 3-points. Villanova did suffer one loss in the game, that of guard Justin Moore who tore a Achilles tendon in the final minutes of the game. Moore will not play again this year with surgery looming. Moore, a third year starter, was second team All Big East this year. Moore averaged 14.8 ppg and his leadership will be greatly missed. For me, losing Moore is the difference maker in the tone of this game. Both these teams are very good defensively with Kansas ranked 17th and Villanova 18th in the Kenpom adjusted defensive rankings. Now without Moore that will hurt this Nova offense. I'm am taking the UNDER here in this Final four matchup.

Money Line Play (Kansas): It took Kansas an entire half, but they finally woke up in the 2nd half against Miami in their Elite 8 matchup. Kansas trailed the Canes at half, 29-35, but came out like gangbusters in the second half. They outscored Miami 47-15 in the 2nd half to win the game, 76-50, as a 5-point closing favorite. There was a lot of money on Miami, as they opened a 9-point dog and close at around 5-points. Now Kansas will get to face Villanova. Villanova didn't have a lot of issues with Houston as they led at the half, 27-20 and held on for the 50-44 win over the Cougars as a 3-point dog. Again the money on Houston as the opened 1.5-points and close at 3-points. Villanova did suffer one loss in the game, that of guard Justin Moore who tore a Achilles tendon in the final minutes of the game. Moore will not play again this year with surgery looming. Moore, a third year starter, was second team All Big East this year. Moore averaged 14.8 ppg and his leadership will be greatly missed. For me, losing Moore is the difference maker in the tone of this game. I'm going to take Kansas here on the Money line as part of my 2-team Final 4 Parlay.

The Basketball Classic Championship here tonight between Fresno State and Coastal Carolina. Fresno State lost three of their last four games to close out their season. They have hit the NIT running though, beating Eastern Washington, Youngstown State and then last game over Southern Utah, 67-48 as a 7-point favorite. Fresno not the best offensive team, as they rank just 148 in the Kenpom offensive efficiency rankings. They do better in defense though, ranking 32nd overall. The Dogs haven't done well covering against winning teams, evidenced by their 3-9 ATS mark their last 12 games. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have just 19 wins on the season. Though six of those have come in the last seven games. They lost in their conference championship game to Georgia Southern and have since won three straight in this tournament. The last coming over South Alabama, 69-68, as a 1-point dog. Carolina just out of the top 100 in both. Carolina is 6-1 ATS their last seven games. Have to figure Carolina with chance to win today, so I'll take the points with them.

The Basketball Classic Championship here tonight between Fresno State and Coastal Carolina. Fresno State lost three of their last four games to close out their season. They have hit the NIT running though, beating Eastern Washington, Youngstown State and then last game over Southern Utah, 67-48 as a 7-point favorite. Fresno not the best offensive team, as they rank just 148 in the Kenpom offensive efficiency rankings. They do better in defense though, ranking 32nd overall. The Dogs haven't done well covering against winning teams, evidenced by their 3-9 ATS mark their last 12 games. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have just 19 wins on the season. Though six of those have come in the last seven games. They lost in their conference championship game to Georgia Southern and have since won three straight in this tournament. The last coming over South Alabama, 69-68, as a 1-point dog. Carolina just out of the top 100 in both. Carolina is 6-1 ATS their last seven games. Have to figure Carolina with chance to win today, so I'll take the points with them.

The NBA comes down to the wire as teams jockey for playoff position. The Cleveland Cavaliers are in 7th right now, two games ahead of the Nets and three games ahead of the Hawks. The Hawks are holding down that last playoff spot at number 10 and should make the playoffs as they lead 11th place New York by 5.5 games. The Hawks can greatly improve their lot though as they are just a half game back of 9th place Charlotte, one game back of 8th place Brooklyn and three games back of 7th place Cleveland. Cleveland comes in off a loss to Dallas, 112-120, as a 1.5-point dog. The Cavs are just 1-4 S/U their last five games and 0-6 ATS their last six. Atlanta has won three games in a row both S/U and ATS after their blowout win at Oklahoma City on Wednesday, 136-118. The Hawks can improve their playoff spot against a key leader here. I'll take Atlanta.

NIT Championship here today from Madison Sq Garden in NY, NY. The Xavier Musketeers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Xavier had a rough road to this final, having to beat Cleveland State, Florida, Vanderbilt and St Bonnies. The Muskateers have a very good offense, ranked 39th in the Kenpom adjusted efficiency rankings. The defense isn't bad either, ranked 79th. Xavier is now 35-14-2 ATS in their last 51 games on a neutral site as a dog. Texas A&M still smarting by being passed over for the NCAA now has 27 wins on the season. The Aggies have won four straight at the NIT over Alcorn State, Oregon, Wake Forest and Washington State. They covered three of those four. The A&M Defense is very good, ranked 27th in Kenpom. The offense, not quite as good, ranked 68th. One Achilles heal is that they are not a good offensive rebounding team, 340th in the nation. That doesn't translate into a lot of second chance points. Two very good teams here tonight but for me I like to take the points with a team I know can win outright too. Play Xavier.      

The Memphis Grizzlies have clinched a playoff spot as they sit in 2nd in the NBA West. While 1st place Phoenix is too far away (8.5 games ahead), they do have just a 5-game lead over 3rd place Golden State. However, it's looks like a solid 2nd place spot in the West for the Grizzlies. Memphis has been excellent of late, going 5-0 both S/U and ATS their last five games. They are also 12-3 S/U their last 15 games. The Grizzlies are also 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games as a favorite. They have also played well on the road, going 22-9 ATS in their last 31 away games. The San Antonio Spurs are tied for the last playoff spot in the West with the Lakers. Both teams sit one game back of 9th place New Orleans. The Spurs have won their last four games, covering three of those. However, they are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight overall games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a dog and 1-8 ATS in their last nine games as a home dog. The Grizzlies look too tough for the Spurs here on Wednesday. Play Memphis.

The Miami Heat have not only clinched their Division, but they have the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of Philly and one game back of today's opponent, Boston. The Heat snapped a four game losing streak with a win over Sacramento, 123-100, last game as a 13.5-point favorite. The Heat have not been good at covering spreads, going 1-7 ATS their last eight games. A win tonight by Boston and they will be tied with the Heat. The Celtics had their six game win streak snapped in their last game at Toronto, losing 112-115, but covering the 8.5-point dog line. They have now covered three straight and six of their last seven games. I'll lay the points here tonight with Boston.

The Minnesota T'wolves are in 7th place in the NBA Western Conference, a good six games ahead of 8th place LA Clippers. They are just two games back of 5th and 6th place Utah and Denver. The Wolves are coming off a loss at Boston, 112-134, as a 6-point dog. That makes them 1-3 S/U over their last four games. They are also just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as a dog. Toronto is in 6th place in the East, one game ahead of Cleveland and just a half game back of Chicago. Toronto has won three straight games and nine of their last 11 games. They are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. The Raptors are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games vs a team with a winning record. The Raptors have covered five of the last six meetings in this series. I'll take Toronto here tonight.

NIT Semifinals here tonight from Madison Square Garden in NY, NY has Washington State taking on Texas A&M for the right to go to the NIT Finals. Washington State has had a very good run, starting in the PAC-12 tournament where they beat Oregon State, Oregon and Cal before losing to UCLA, 65-75. They then have won three straight in the NIT, beating Santa Clara, SMU and BYU, covering all three games. The Cougars are decent offensive team, ranked 77th in the Kenpom adjusted offensive efficiency rankings. They are a better defensive team, ranking 26th. Offensively they are one of the worst 2-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 313th with a 46.2%. Texas A&M has been equally impressive as Washington State in their recent run. They beat three very good SEC teams in their tournament against Florida, Auburn and Arkansas, before losing to Tennessee in the finals. They opened NIT with a win over Alorn State, then beat Oregon and lastly Wake Forest. They have covered nine of their last 11 games. They have also won 10 of their last 11 games. The Aggies also have a very good defense, ranked 32nd in the Kenpom rankings and a slightly better offense, ranked 72nd. A&M has been a very streaky team, losing eight in a row mid-season and then closing with a nice win streak. I like A&M here tonight.

The Chicago Bulls look to rebound from their loss on Monday to the Knicks, 104-109, as a 3.5-point favorite. The Bulls are currently 5th in the East, tied with the Raptors. They are one game ahead of the Cavaliers and four games up on Brooklyn. They can improve their lot in the playoffs, but they are one 3.5-games back of Philly, Boston and Milwaukee. Washington has won two-straight games including a win last game over Golden State, 123-115. The Wizards are now 32-42 overall and 29-42-3 vs the spread. They are also 3-7 ATS their last 10 games as a home dog. The Wizards are 12th in the East and 5.5-games back of Atlanta for that final playoff spot. Even though the Bulls are slumping of late, they have covered eight of the last 11 meetings with Washington. I'll take the Bulls here tonight.

St Bonnys and Xavier meet here tonight in Madison Sq Garden for the right to advance to the NIT Finals. St Bonnies is 23-9 overall on the season after winning three straight in the NIT over Colorado, Oklahoma and last game over Virginia, 52-51, as a 2.5-point Dog. They covered all three games and are now 10-3 ATS their last 13 games. The Bonnies are a very well balanced team, ranking 73rd offense and 78th defense in the Kenpom efficiency rankings. The Xavier Musketeers are 21-13 overall on the season and have beaten Cleveland State, Florida and last game over Vandy, 75-73 in their three NIT Games. They are just 1-3 ATS their last four games. They are also 5-15 ATS their last 20 games. Have a hard time backing a poor covering team like Xavier. I'll lay the small line here tonight with St Bonnies.

The Basketball Classic Semifinals tonight have Fresno State hosting Southern Utah. Winner moves on to the tournament finals. The Southern Utah Thunderbirds are 23-11 overall after winning three straight in this tournament. They opened with a win over Kent State, 83-79, then beat UTEP, 82-69 and last game beat Portland, 77-66, covering all three games. In addition So Utah is 7-2 ATS their last nine games. So Utah has the nation's 87th most efficient offense according to Kenpom. They are 34th in 2-point FG%. This would account for why the team has scored 71 points or more in 10 of the last 12 games. Fresno State also has 23 wins on the season after winning both of their TBC tourney games. They beat Eastern Washington, 83-74, to open the tourney and then beat Youngstown State, 80-71, last game. They have failed to cover both games as a favorite. The Bulldogs are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games and 2-9 their last 11 games vs a team with a winning record. I'm taking the generous points here today with Southern Utah.

The Orlando Magic have dropped two games in a row and now sit last in the SouthEast Division at 20-55 S/U and 33-41-1 ATS. They are coming off a loss to the Kings, 110-114 as a 2.5-point favorite. The Magic are now 1-5 ATS their last six games. Cleveland looks to snap a 3-game losing streak here tonight. The Cavs have dropped to 41-33 overall after their most recent loss to Chicago, 94-98 as a 1.5-point home favorite. The Cavs are now 7th in the Eastern conference playoff picture, 4 games ahead of 10th place Atlanta and 5.5 back of first place Boston. Lots of movement possible for the Cavs so wins are important this time of year. I'll take Cleveland tonight.

The Minnesota Timberwolves having a much better season than many thought they might have had as they sit at 43-32. The NBA regular season is winding down and the Wolves find themselves in 7th in the West, comfortably within the top 10 of the playoff picture. They snapped a two-game losing streak last game with a win over Dallas, 116-95, as a 4-point home favorite. They haven't done too well as a dog of late, going 3-7 ATS in that role their last 10 games. They are also 1-6 ATS in their last seven road games as a dog. Meanwhile, the Celtics are cruising towards the playoffs, winning five games in a row and improving to 46-28. They have moved into a tie for 3rd in the East, just a half game back of both Philadelphia and Miami for he best record in the East. They are also 10-1 their last 11 games. The Celtics are 7-3 ATS their last 10 games as a favorite. I like Boston here today at home. Play Boston.

The Best of the East meets the Best of the West today as Philly travels to Phoenix. It's a four way dog fight for the best record in the NBA East, with Philadelphia 76ers percentage points in first. The Sixers have won three straight to improve to 46-27 overall and 35-37-1 vs the spread. They have also gone over in three straight games, scoring 122, 126 and 113 points in those games. The Phoenix Suns have the NBA West best record all theirs with a 8 1/2 game lead over 2nd place Memphis. They also have the NBA's best record by far over the East. The Suns have been a scoring machine of late, posting 125 or more points in each of their last seven games. They have also gone over in seven of their last eight games. The Suns are 13-3 O/U in their last 16 home games vs a winning team. This has been a great over series, with the last six meetings in Phoenix going OVER and 18-7-1 the last 26 overall meetings going OVER. I'm taking OVER here today with these two powerhouse teams.

The Cinderella team of 2022 is the St Peter's Peacocks. They opened beating a very good Kentucky team, 85-79, and then upended 30+ win Murray State, 70-60, before beating Purdue in the Sweet 16, 67-64. While the Peacocks have just 22 wins on the season, they have now won 10 straight games both S/U and ATS. The Peacocks do crack the Kenpom defensive rankings, coming in at 25th overall in defensive efficiency. They are holding opponents to just 29.3% from 3-point (15th), 44.3% overall shooting (12th). The defense is so good they have held nine of their last 10 opponents to 65 points or fewer. Only first round win over Kentucky did the Cats score 79 points. North Carolina had better not look past St Peters here today as already having punched their ticket to the Final Four. Purdue made that mistake and they are all home today. North Carolina lost to Virginia Tech in the ACC Conference Tournament, 59-72. Since then they have beaten Marquette, 95-63, Baylor, 93-86 in OT, and last game over UCLA, 73-66. The Tar Heels have the 19th rated efficient offense, according to the Kenpom ratings. They also have the 42nd ranked defense. The key for me in this matchup is the very good St Peters defense holding North Carolina under 70 points. If they can do that, they will cover this game. Play St Peters.

If not for being overshadowed by St Peters, Miami Florida would be the longshot team to make it to the Elite 8 with a chance to advance to the Final Four. Miami has beating USC, 68-66, Auburn, 79-61, and last game over Iowa State, 70-56 to advance to today's Elite 8 contest vs Kansas. Miami has covered four straight and six of their last seven games. They are also 19-6-1 ATS their last 26 games as a underdog. Miami has an excellent offense, ranked 18th overall in the country according to the Kenpom adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. They are also 22nd overall in the country in 2-point FG% (55.0%). They are a good but not great defense, ranked 114th overall in defensive efficiency. The Kansas Jayhawks continue in the NCAA where they left off in the Big 12, winning games. After running the table in their conference tourney, the Hawks have beaten Texas Southern, 83-56, Creighton, 79-72 and last game over Providence, 66-61. They have failed to cover their last two games. In fact, they are now 1-5 ATS in their last six NCAA tourney games. Kansas has the 6th ranked most efficient offense and 23rd ranked defense, making them a very well balanced team. Kansas is the last remaining No 1 seed in the tournament and the now favorite to win it all. Miami has outscored their last two opponents (Auburn and Iowa State) by 32 points. Miami as the defense to stay close to Kansas here today. I'll take the points with Miami to cover here today.

Coach K's run toward his final season glory is still alive. Coach K retires after this year for Duke and they aren't ready to let him go just yet. After losing to Virginia Tech in the ACC, Duke has won three straight in the NCAA over Cal Fullerton, 78-61, Michigan State, 85-76, and Texas Tech last game, 78-73. They covered two of the three games. Arkansas pulled off the huge upset last round, beating top seeded Gonzaga, 74-68 as a 9.5-point dog. They held Gonzaga to just 23.8% from three-point line and 37.5% shooting overall. Arkansas has a outstanding defense, ranked 11th in the Kenpom efficiency listings. However, the height advantage definitely goes Duke's way in this game. The Blue Devils are the highest ranked offensive team left in the tournament after Purdue got ousted by St Peter's yesterday. It seems like Duke has been fortunate to advance at every level, however they are playing very well right now. I look at Duke as having all the offensive power in this game to go with their height advantage. Arkansas is the better defensive team, but I see Duke's firepower being too much here today. Play Duke.

The Indiana Pacers are 25-49 overall on the season and 33-39-2 vs the number. The Pacers bring a two-game losing streak into today's contest both S/U and ATS. They are coming off a loss at Memphis, 103-133 as a 11.5-point road dog. The Pacers are just 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games vs a team with a winning record. They are also 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as a dog. The Raptors are 41-32 overall on the season and 40-32-1 ATS. Toronto is coming off a win at home over Cleveland, 117-104, as a 5-point favorite. They have won seven of their last nine games both S/U and ATS. The Raptors are 29-14 ATS their last 43 meetings with the Pacers in Toronto. I'll lay the points here with Toronto.

Houston has now won six straight games after winning their own conference tournament and now winning round one and two of the NCAA tourney. They beat Illinois in round one, 68-53, as a 3.5-point favorite and then beat Arizona, 72-60 as a 1.5-point dog in round two. The Cougars defense has been the reason they are winning. They held Illinois to jut 34% from the field and then held Arizona to 33.3% from the field. At the same time they hit 46% vs Arizona and 42.4% vs Illinois. Meanwhile, Villanova has won eight games in a row and 13 of their last 14 games. The Wildcats beat Delaware in round one, 80-60, Ohio State in round two, 71-61 and then Michigan in the last round, 63-55. What I like most about Villanova is how deep their bench is. They have six players that will play a lot of minutes and their defense is excellent. I also look for Villanova to slow the pace in the game and spread the floor a lot. This is a veteran Villanova team that is no stranger to the Elite eight in the NCAA tournament. Play Villanova plus the points.

Iowa State is the worst offensive team left in the NCAA tournament. The Cyclones are lucky to get out of the 50's in most games these days. In addition their offense is just the 160th ranked efficient offense in the Kenpom rankings. This offense turns the ball over a lot (294th in the country), doesn't hit 3-pointers (265th in the country) and is a poor free thrown shooting team (290th in the country). Yet, here they are in the Sweet 16. They beat LSU, 59-54, holding the Tigers to just 54 points. Then last game they beat Wisconsin, holding the Badgers to just 49 points. Bottom line for this Cyclones team is that they won't outscore anyone. So here comes Miami, a team that has scored at least 71 points in 11 of their last 12 games. They beat USC in round one, 68-66 (their only game under 70) and then last game over Auburn, 79-61, as a 6.5-point dog. I think time has run out for this Iowa State team. I'm taking Miami here tonight.

 The New York Knicks are 31-42 S/U and 34-39 after winning their last game at Charlotte, 121-106. That snapped a two game losing streak for the Knicks. The Knicks could be without a key cog in their team tonight, center Julius Randle is questionable with a quad injury. Randle average 20.3 ppg and 10 rebounds. The Miami Heat are having a fine season at 47-26 overall and 40-31-2 vs the spread. The Heat look to snap a two-game losing streak here tonight. They are coming off a loss to the Warriors, 104-118, as a 10-point favorite. The Heat usually bounce back after such a poor home performance the game before, evidenced by their 5-0 ATS mark the last five games after a double-digit home loss. The Heat have the edge in this series, going 8-2 ATS their last 10 meetings and 4-1 ATS the last five in Miami. I'll take the Heat here tonight.

The Providence Friars look to punch their ticket to the Elite 8, but it will take a upset win over Kansas today. Providence has beaten South Dakota State, 66-57, and then Richmond, 79-51, to get to the Sweet 16. They covered both those games and have covered five of their last seven games. Providence has the 31st ranked most efficient offense in the Kenpom rankings and 57th in defense. Kanas hit the 30 win mark with their NCAA tourney win over Creighton, 79-72. They did fail to cover that game as a 12.5-point favorite. The Big 12 Tourney Champion has won seven straight games. Kansas has the 6th ranked most efficient offense and the 28th ranked defense. Providence is now 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as a dog. As good as Kansas is, they are just 1-4 ATS in their last five NCAA tourney games. I'm taking the points here with Providence today.

The Washington Wizards dropped to 30-42 after losing two straight games. The Wizards are coming off a loss at Milwaukee, 102-114, as a 8.5-point dog. In addition, the Wizards have been horrible vs the number, going 2-7 ATS their last nine games. In addition, they are just 8-21-1 ATS their last 30 road games. Washington will be without star guard Bradley Beal, who remains out with a wrist injury. They could also miss forward Kyle Kuzma, who is nursing a knee injury. The Detroit Pistons are just 20-53 overall on the season. However, they have been decent vs the spread, going 40-33 overall. They have covered 14 of their last 16 games. They are also 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games. Detroit has been great at covering spreads and I don't see that changing tonight against a injured Washington team. Play Detroit.

It's the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and we get a great matchup here on Thursday as Houston takes on Arizona. Houston advanced here by beating UAB in round one, 82-68, and then Illinois in the 2nd round, 68-53. That makes five straight wins for the Cougars both SU and ATS since they rolled through their conference tourney also. Houston is now 11-1 their last 12 games S/U and 9-2 ATS their lasts 11 games. Houston has one of the best balanced teams in college basketball, ranked 10th both in offensive and defensive efficiency by Kenpom. They also hit the boards really well, 3rd in the nation in offensive rebounds 37.7% and 8th in blocked shots. Arizona Wildcats have beaten Wright State, 87-70, and TCU, 85-80 in the NCAA Tournament. However, they didn't cover either of those games. Arizona is slightly better on offense than Houston, 7th overall, but worse in defense, 17th overall. Should be a great game to watch, but for me I'm taking the Cougars plus the couple of points. Play Houston.

Coach K looks to continue his final year as the head coach of Duke with a semifinal win here on Thursday. The Blue Devils have beaten Cal Fullerton and Michigan State to get here today. The latter was their only cover in their last six games. Duke hasn't fared well lately in the NCAA tournament, covering just one of their last eight games. They face a Texas Tech team who beat Montana State in round one, 97-62 and then Notre Dame in round two, 59-53. Texas Tech has a very good offense, ranked 45th overall in the adjusted Kenpom efficiency. However, it's their defense that stands out, No 1 in the nation in the Kenpom defensive efficiency rankings. There is very little negative you can point out about this Tech team. The few problem areas are free throws (253rd) and 3-point FG (252nd). But its the defense that will win this game today for the Red Raiders. Take Texas Tech.