The Denver Broncos have rolled off three straight wins, including last week’s blowout over the Las Vegas Raiders. Sunday’s game should be much different as the Chargers are coming out of a bye week. They’ll also be hungry to end a two game skid. With any rookie quarterback there are going to be highs and lows. Look for the Chargers to be prepared to limit Bo Nix effectiveness. Take the Chargers.

The New Orlean Saints find themselves on a short week against a Buccaneers team coming off a Thursday game. On top of that, they are going to be starting a rookie fifth round quarterback in Spencer Rattler. Look for the Saints to rely on their defense and have enough in the arsenal to move the ball with Rattler. The defense sparked the Saints in an upset late in the season during the Buccaneers four game win streak. Grab the home underdog here in the Saints.

Through the first month of the season one of the pleasant surprises in college football were Washington State. They had a couple of outright upsets as underdogs over Texas Tech and Washington. With their new Mountain West heavy schedule they’ve had difficulties in the conference. San Jose State had a double digit lead late, and Boise State blew them out. Off a bye week look for Fresno State to regroup off a 59-14 loss to UNLV. Take the home team here in the Bulldogs plus the points.

The Washington Huskies travel to Iowa off a big time home victory over formerly tenth ranked Michigan. Traveling on the road in the Big 10 12PM time slot is different for this Huskies team. Yet, look for the Huskies who typically play to the level of their competition to rise above that here. The Hawkeyes may feel the residual effects of last week’s loss to Ohio State early in this one. Take the Huskies plus the points.

The Clemson Tigers offense hit a bit of road block in last week’s 29-13 win at Florida State. It was the first time in a month that the Tigers did not cover the spread. Look for that to quickly revert back as the Tigers are facing one of the weaker defenses in ACC play in Wake Forest. Experience may be there with sixth year senior quarterback Hank Bachmeier but we’ve seen his down play at Boise and Louisiana Tech as conference play stretches on. Take Clemson.

Out in the MAC a battle of two struggling teams will take place between 1-4 Ball State, and 0-5 Kent State. The Cardinals led by freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza have been in multiple close three point losses, including last week’s 45-42 loss to Western Michigan. On the other side Kent State has faced top competition in Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Penn State.  Look for a competitive game here with Kent State covering as home underdogs. 

The Kansas City Chiefs remain one of two teams left that are undefeated. With all their injuries on the offensive side of the football, it has caused the offense to look average. On top of that Patrick Mahomes has just six touchdowns to five interceptions. Yet, this Chiefs team showed in their Super Bowl run last year that they don’t need their offense to be elite to get wins and covers. Look for the defense to set their offense with manageable drives and keep the Saints offense in check.  Take the Chiefs as the favorite.

The Las Vegas Raiders have turmoil within the organization once again. It was this time a season ago that the falling out was nearing an end with Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce and the Raiders got away with a win last week against the Browns despite a poor first quarter down 10-0, and a fourth quarter they were completely outplayed. That plays into the hand of Sean Payton that has his team prepared for a four quarter battle. Take the home team here with the Broncos.

Sunday offers a buy low spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Who had opportunities in last week’s loss to Houston, and afterwards Doug Peterson took some heat. Often times we see a veteran backup quarterback come in and succeed. Joe Flacco did so filling in for Anthony Richardson in last week’s win over Pittsburgh, but getting a start is entirely different. Take Jacksonville as they get their first win of the season and cover at home.

The Minnesota Vikings have jumped out to a 4-0 season record, as underdogs in three of the four matchups. Now they find themselves as the biggest favorites they have been this season against the Jets in London. This should be an all out battle, but look for the way that the Vikings finished their game against the Packers to have lingering effects. For the first time they looked vulnerable as they barely held on after a four touchdown lead. Take the Jets to cover the small number.

The Arizona Wildcats began the year with high expectations, but faltered in a big way to Kansas State. After utilizing their bye week they pulled off a complete game upset over the Utah Utes. Expect, the Wildcats to build on that win similar to last year’s run in October. Lay the home favorite tonight against Texas Tech.

The Kansas Jayhawks travel to Arizona State as one of the more disappointing teams in college football. At 1-4, they have found ways to lose games against UNLV and West Virginia that have spiraled their season. Today, look for the Jayhawks to finally over ride their issues against an Arizona State team that is accustomed to tight games. Take the Jayhawks as the rode underdog.

The Washington Huskies have dropped two of their last three games.  Now they will have the tough task of facing a Michigan team that defeated them in the championship last season. Although the coaches and quarterback are different, look for the Huskies fan base to give them a spark. Michigan has been involved in consecutive close games, and left the door open in last week’s win against Minnesota. Grab the home team in the Huskies.

Boston College will have Thomas Castellanos back after he missed last week’s win over Western Kentucky. The offense as a whole has averaged just over 21 points per game over the last three weeks. That tends to wear on a defense especially in conference play where Virginia is coming off a season best forty three points against Coastal Carolina. They also played the Eagles tight last year in what was a three point game. Take the home team to prevail here in Virginia. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels after starting the season 3-0 have stumbled with consecutive losses. James Madison scored 70 points against them, and last week the Tar Heels came up just short against Duke losing by a point. Yet, making the change to Jacolby Criswell was the right move. With a few starts now under his belt, the Tar Heels are prepared for today’s matchup against Pittsburgh. Take the Tar Heels to threaten the outright win as a home underdog, but at least cover the small number.

The NC State Wolf Pack had high expectations coming into the season with the fourth best odds to win the ACC. That has shifted as for the time being the Wolf Pack continue to start freshman quarterback CJ Bailey. As poor as Wake Forest has been on the season, conference play can open the door for a fresh start for the Demon Deacons. Follow the line move here on Wake Forest’s side plus the points.

Texas State has not made it easy on themselves this season. In their first game they had a tough time defeating Lamar, 34-27. A tough loss to Arizona State was followed up by a loss this past Saturday to Sam Houston after having a 22-0 first quarter lead. Yet, Troy has both quarterbacks in Goose Crowder and Tucker Kilcrease questionable for Thursday’s game. Expect the coaches and players to regroup against a Troy team that is down from last year’s that took down the Bobcats. 

The Cincinnati Bengals truthfully could be a 3-0 team. They were in position to win all three of their games against the Patriots, Chiefs, and last week’s loss against the Commanders. The offense has to help their struggling defense by turning drives from field goals to touchdowns. Often times we see veteran backups step in at the quarterback position and ignite their team in their first start before a big swing the other direction. Take the Bengals to pick up their first win of the season and cover.

The New Orleans Saints must recover after a poor showing offensively in last week’s home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With a bevy of injuries on both sides of the football the game plan is going to center on their defense. Atlanta is already 0-2 at home and there seems to be a lack of synergy to finish out a game. Take the Saints to manage through their injuries against the Falcons.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the daunting task of traveling on the road once again after Monday’s blowout loss to Buffalo. The good news is they will be playing a divisional rival in the Houston Texans. It’s actually the last win Trevor Lawrence had under center back in November of 2023. Look for the offense to perform better without a ballooned deficit to work out of. Take the points with the Jaguars.

New Mexico State has endured one of the toughest transitions from a lower level college football team. Their former coach Jerry Kill retired and they also lost transfer quarterback Diego Pavia. After leading most of their week two game against Liberty, the wheels have fallen off. Look for New Mexico to take advantage with their potent offense and get the road cover in Las Cruces.

As is typical for the Ohio State Buckeyes they are huge road favorites even in conference play. In last week’s win over Marshall the Buckeyes were finally tested in the first half from a defensive stand point. That was the proper tune up to get the Buckeyes defense ready for conference play. They limit Aidan Chiles enough to get the road cover. Lay it with the Buckeyes.

Charlotte’s lone win on the season was a narrow one point win over FCS Gardner Webb. Yet, money continues to bring down their spread today against Rice. It’s a conference opponent that has really struggled on both sides of the football, and is coming off a blowout loss as six point underdogs against Army. Look for the 49ers to lean on last year’s late season matchup in a revenge spot today. Take the underdog here with Charlotte.

South Florida has a tough American conference opener against Tulane. They will travel on the road after facing Alabama and Miami in two of their last three games. Look for Tulane to continue to run their offense through tailback Makhi Hughes. Hughes had 128 rushing yards against Kansas State, and in last week’s win 166 yards against UL Lafayette. The ground attack and consistent offense for two halves gets the Green Wave past the number.

The Navy Midshipmen are now 3-0 thank to last weeks upset over Memphis. Today is a potential let down spot in a neutral site game against UAB. UAB is off consecutive losses but gave Arkansas a battle last week. As talented as their senior quarterback is in Jacob Zeno, they struggled a season ago with just six points against Navy. Take Navy to get past the number and start the season 4-0.

BYU finds themselves ranked after a surprising blowout win at home against Kansas State. Now ranked, this is typically where a team falters. BYU is playing in their first game not after 5PM, and is going up against a team in Baylor that will test their defense. Look for Baylor to respond off of last week’s melt down loss to Colorado.

Over Trevor Lawrence’s last seven starts the Jaguars are winless. But this creates a value spot on an over reaction. Jacksonville was still in both of their games thanks to their defense, in two close losses. Additionally, Jacksonville excelled in last year’s London 25-20 win over Buffalo. The defense limited the Bills to just twenty nine rushing yards, and Trevor Lawrence had one of this two 300 yard passing games on the season. Grab the points with Jacksonville.

Detroit is fortunate they are not 0-2 on the season. Sometimes getting on the road for the first time can help alleviate some of the early season rust. Detroit gets to face an Arizona Cardinals team that is coming off their most lopsided victory since the 2016 season. Sell high spot here on the Cardinals, as the Lions gut out a tough road win in Arizona.

Tampa Bay’s start to the season has featured two strong performances over Washington and Detroit. Washington featured a rookie quarterback in his first start, and Tampa Bay had familiarity in their third matchup against Detroit in the past year. As poor as Denver has played offensively, they have lost both their games by a touchdown or less. Look for Denver to fight once again and get a road cover at Tampa.

Arizona State goes into Big 12 conference play with a surprising undefeated record. Their turn around is the real deal but this is a tough conference opener for the Sun Devils. This is their first time slot of the season that is not a night game. They also struggled in their first true road game of the season at Texas State, digging a 21-7 hole. Look for the Texas Tech Raiders to continue their potent offensive scoring that has scored 52 and 66 points at home. Take Texas Tech.

Mid-week my initial thoughts were to take the West Virginia Mountaineers. They are coming off a tough loss blowing a ten point lead last week late to the Pittsburgh Panthers. As down as the Jayhawks have played they are to potent to continue miscues offensively. Expect quarterback Jalon Daniels to finally exhibit two halves of solid play, and for the team to pick up their energy on the road. Take the Jayhawks as the slight underdogs. 

Washington State has had back to back upsets over Texas Tech and Washington to put themselves on the map. Friday expect a test from San Jose State who have one of the top wide receivers in college football. 25 year old Nick Nash has 485 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Quarterback Emmett Brown also has a chance to defeat his old team as he was a backup quarterback at Washington State last season. Take the Spartans to hang within the double digit spread plus the points.

Pittsburgh showed their defensive might in week one on the road against Atlanta. The offense did not have to show much, and now will have to go on the road for a second consecutive week. Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix did not have a good first game, but stuck with it and got the Broncos into the end zone on their final drive. Take Denver at home to clean up the offense and battle defensively against the Steelers.

The Detroit Lions will be sizable favorites every week, and showed that with an enormous line move before Sunday night football last week. Now instead of a 3.5 point favorite they have ballooned double the number against Tampa Bay. This is a rare spot I don’t mind backing the big number. This is the third matchup between the Lions and Buccaneers over the last two seasons, and Tampa Bay has always been an untrustworthy team off a big win. Lay it with the Lions

East Carolina has started the season 2-0, and will now face Appalachian State for the third time in the last four years. For Appalachian State it was not the fact that they lost to Clemson last week, but the fact their defense gave up fifty six points in the first half. In last year’s matchup the Pirates led 28-22 in the third quarter before unraveling. Look for East Carolina to finish off the job this season. 

Last season the Washington State Cougars nearly tripped up the Washington Huskies undefeated season, in a close 24-21 loss. This year both teams are different as the Huskies replaced Michael Penix with Will Rogers. In his first two games the Huskies faced Eastern Michigan and Weber State. A different caliber team in the Cougars who should be able to hang around similar to last season. Take the points.

Through their first two games the South Carolina Gamecocks point spreads have been way off. Their first game as nearly three touchdown favorites against Old Dominion they were almost upset, and last week they trounced Kentucky as nine point underdogs. Look for LSU to show up on both sides of the football as they finally showcase their true potential, and the number to be off on Gamecocks games for a third straight week.

We have seen a swift adjustment twice on the Arizona State and Texas State matchup. Arizona State has had the exposure in nationally televised games and won in a big way over Wyoming and Mississippi State. Yet, their tailback Cam Skattebo carried a heavy work load of 33 carries for 262 yards. His durability could be in question on a short week. Additionally, Texas State has an uncanny ability to put up points that is going to test ASU’s defense. Take the home team here in Texas State.

The New York Jets throughout most of the summer were +5.5 against San Francisco, now we have seen the number bounce around to 3.5,  now back to 4.5. This is a key number to grab early in the AM as this likely will come down again. This is a 49ers team similar to Cincinnati that has had distractions with their premier wide receiver in Brandon Aiyuk, tackle in Trent Williams, and Christian McCaffrey is dinged up going into the season. Not to mention Brock Purdy was shaky in the preseason. Take the Jets plus the points.

The Washington Commanders are another team that have a new Coach in Dan Quinn and a new OC with Kliff Kingsbury. They got their rookie quarterback with Jaylen Daniels who is going to bring a versatile element that’s unexpected week one. Expect the Commanders to be ready on both sides of he football from a prep stand point. Take the Commanders. 

I’m a proponent of backing a team with a new coach. For the LA Chargers they not only brought in John Harbaugh as coach, but they shifted a lot of personnel. No longer is Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler. Still defensively, they’ve had success against the Raiders including Khalil Mack having a monster sack game. Take the Chargers as Harbaugh comes out victorious on the small number

The Chicago Bears have heightened new expectations even with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams. Last year the Tennessee Titans were one of the more frustrating teams because of their inability to compete in second halves. That’s a trait I don’t expect Will Levis to shake in week one against a strong Bears defense. Take the Bears to win by four points or more.

The Minnesota Vikings have veteran Sam Darnold leading the team with rookie JJ McCarthy out for the year. With all the issues the Vikings had the second half of the season at the quarterback position, the Vikings could be getting decreased attention from oddsmakers in week one. The New York Giants will be better than most anticipate offensively, but expect the rust to show for Daniel Jones who is as turnover prone as any starter in football. Take the Vikings.

After week one the books adjusted the win total of Arizona State from three to six wins. That’s as drastic of a shift as you will see, and that means bigger spreads as favorites for the Sun Devils. The students are back in Tempe, as last week’s student section crowd set a record since 2010. Look for the crowd to be fired up once again, as Arizona State starts off the season a surprisingly 2-0.

San Diego State is a team that has very little expectations for 2024. Yet, being a six point home underdog is a bit to high in my opinion against Oregon State. The Beavers have had a lot of moves including their former coach heading to Michigan State. Take the Aztecs to have a ball control game plan under quarterback Danny O’Neil.

Both Texas State and UTSA had close calls in their week one games. The Roadrunners nearly blew a double digit lead against Kennesaw State, and Texas State defeated Lamar by just a touchdown. Expect Texas State to clean up the issues they had defensively in the second half against Lamar. Led by quarterback Jordan McCloud look for the Bobcats to pile up the yards in the win.

Each of the last four seasons the road team has won in the Iowa-Iowa State series. Additionally, the games are typically low scoring by the nature of both teams styles. Expect the Cyclones to focus on limiting the Iowa rush attack, as they limited Kaleb Johnson to just twenty eight yards on fifteen carries last season. Grab the points here with Iowa State.

The season for the Michigan Wolverines at one point may hit a wall. Their offense has a lot of work to do, but in week two they can still live off their defense. A defense that has given up just 9.5 points over their last eight home games. Going into Ann Arbor is always tough, and will give the Texas Longhorns problems. Back the Wolverines.

There are offenses that you can depend on even with a susceptible defense in week one. That’s the case with the Memphis Tigers who should be good for a range of 50-55 points with their potent offense. In last season’s opener they won 56 to 14. Expect a similar result that would get us the cover once again. Take Memphis.

South Alabama is entering a new era as former starting quarterback Carter Bradley is now in the NFL. That gives us a bit of line value in the Jaguars season opener against North Texas. New quarterback Gio Lopez has been with the program and capable of leading an explosive Jaguars offense. This is a case where a strong second half will pull away from the number here. Take South Alabama.

South Carolina is a three touchdown favorite in their first game against Old Dominion. The Monarchs as a team and quarterback Grant Wilson had mixed results a season ago. They played competitively as big underdogs against James Madison and upset Appalachian State. Yet, facing South Carolina is too tall of a task even with the Gamecocks transitioning from Spencer Rattler. Lay the three touchdown spread with the Gamecocks.

In collegiate sports I love the angle of attacking a team making the step up to division one. Last season I used the angle for both Jacksonville State and Sam Houston as they covered in their week one matchups. I’ll do the same today with Kennesaw State against a UT San Antonio team making their transition without long time quarterback Frank Harris. Look for one down quarter of play to be enough on a large spread. Grab the points with Kennesaw State.

We have already seen the Big Ten struggle in week one matchups from an ATS stand point, this includes Wisconsin having issues against MAC opponent Western Michigan. Look for Miami Ohio to give Northwestern problems as well. The RedHawks were an excellent defensive team last season, and defeated Northwestern on the road just two seasons ago. Grab the points here with Miami Ohio. 

The Michigan State Spartans bring in a new era with Coach Jonathan Smith. He over hauled the Spartans roster with high end transfers including bringing over quarterback Aiden Chiles. Florida Atlantic also has a new quarterback in Cam Fancher that is eager for a fresh start after a woeful season with Marshall. Likely a double digit result here for Michigan State but on the low end closer to ten points. Grab the points here with Florida Atlantic. 

When one thinks of a college football revenge game, it’s typically related to conference matchups. Yet, early in the season there are several repeat matchups from a season ago. One includes Minnesota who was embarrassed last season 31 to 13 against North Carolina. On their home field look for their defense to fare better this season, and newcomer at quarterback Max Brosmer to deliver. Take the home underdog in the Gophers.

Colorado closed out last season with a steep decline by losing their final six games. Expectations are much different going into this season, and the pressure is on Coach Deion Sanders. They’ll be improved but this spread has rose far to much for an opening season game. Take the points with North Dakota State now getting a double digit spread.

Early in the season there are just matchups that are far to high on a point spread. We saw it in week zero where both lopsided spreads fared to the underdog, in Delaware State and Nevada. That is the case for Western Carolina, who will face an NC State team working in a top level transfer quarterback in Grayson McCall. McCall did not finish out last season with an injury so there will be rust in week one and likely the first few games for NC State. Grab the points with Western Carolina.

In week zero we know that there is going to be a bit of sloppy football on display. That does not bode well for the Nevada Wolf Pack who have won two games each of the last two seasons. Last season Preston Stone in his first year as starting quarterback began the season slow, but in his final six games the Mustangs scored an average of fifty points per game. Take SMU as the big road favorite.

Each game so far between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks has been down to the wire. That is not typical of a postseason series, and I expect game five to be the game that is not competitive. Minnesota limited PJ Washington, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving all below thirty three percent shooting in game four. They’ll continue to have success on the defensive end, and look to end a 1-4 postseason stretch at home. Tail the Twolves.

It’s going to take rapid adjustments from the Minnesota Timberwolves to even the series after losing game one to the Dallas Mavericks. Offensively they had a couple of surges to begin the fourth quarter and erasing a 97-89 deficit, but could not put it together. Look for Minnesota’s adjustments to come on the defensive end, in particular on Luka Doncic who looks as healthy as he has been in the postseason. Take the Timberwolves to respond in game two.

A weakness for the Dallas Mavericks in the postseason has been their performances in game ones. They lost decisively by twelve points in both game ones to the Oklahoma City Thunder and LA Clippers. The stage is different now and I believe they will be ready for the road challenge against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Take the value on the underdog with the Timberwolves coming off a series win over the defending NBA champions.

I’m tailing the Denver Nuggets as the final game seven of today. It’s clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves have the better overall team in my opinion, but the Nuggets have the edge in coaching and home court. Look for the home crowd to spark Denver and Michael Malone to have his team ready to get back to the WCF. Take Denver. 

Indiana and New York has been a fantastic series, and one that each team has traded blows to get to seven games. What we do not know is the level of effectiveness Josh Hart or OG Anunoby will provide the Knicks on the floor. Expect those minutes to possibly hurt the Knicks as the Pacers play determined basketball. Grab the Pacers as the slight underdog.

The Oklahoma City Thunder should already be eliminated with as poor as they have played offensively against the Dallas Mavericks. Yet, they found a way in game four with a late rally at Dallas, and all it takes is that one game for a team to wake up in the postseason. Take the Thunder to finally look a bit more fluid offensively for the first time since game one.

During this postseason we have seen the Indiana Pacers be a resilient group off a loss. Game five featured a high level effort from the Knicks in particular Jalen Brunson. Expect the Pacers to re-adjust defensively and be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. This goes seven games like the Twolves-Nuggets. Lay it with the Pacers.

The youth of the Oklahoma City Thunder may cost them in this series against the Dallas Mavericks. They had the Mavericks on the ropes in game three but completely unraveled in the third quarter allowing a big 15-0 run. Yet, they still had a chance to win late and in their first test of needing a win I think they respond tonight. Take the Thunder in game four, as this series has seven games written all over it.

Postseason patterns have been apart of the Boston Celtics playoff runs for years. Game two has been an issue thus far in both postseason series, but look for Boston to turn it up a notch in game three. From an offensive stand point expect a night and day difference from game two. The Cavaliers may be in the second round but they are extremely vulnerable as witnessed in three losses to the Magic, and game one to the Celtics. Lay it with Boston.

The Thunder had their first postseason loss in game two on their floor to the Mavericks. Dallas responded well with a bump up in play from their bench led by Tim Hardaway Jr. Yet, this Thunder team will make adjustments, including playing Wiggins more than struggling Josh Giddey. Expect better defense on Doncic as well. Grab the Thunder in game three

Denver heads to Minnesota for game three in a heap of trouble. They were blown out at home in game two, and now find themselves attempting the impossible. This series is likely going to go the Timberwolves way, but I look for the defending champs to put together a better effort tonight.  With three days off since game two, take the points with Denver.

We always refrain from laying heavy juice in baseball. So I’ll recommend the run line today between the Rays and White Sox. Tampa Bay is attempting to return the favor after the White Sox swept them in late April. Through both Monday and Tuesday’s home games the Rays have won on the run line, and get to see Chris Flexen for the second time in less than two weeks. Lay it with the Rays on the RL

Denver is going to have their difficulties against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but game two I believe goes there way convincingly. For as mediocre as Denver played in game one, they still had the lead for stages and had a chance to win late. Expect Denver to have better team balance and get more shots for Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and their star guard Jamal Murray. Play the Nuggets on the spread.

This spread in game one is a bit high in my opinion. We have the Knicks coming off a physical series against Philadelphia, to now facing a team that plays with tempo in Indiana. Indiana has the better overall depth that could test the Knicks, and they won two of the three regular season matchups. The lone loss was by just four points. Take the Pacers on a generous second round spread.

We finally saw a competitive game in game five between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. I think we see one once again as the Cavaliers try to avoid the blowouts we saw in games three and four. Jarrett Allen was at shoot around this morning, so having Allen would be a huge upgrade to the Cavaliers. Take the Cavs as they get the cover in Orlando tonight.

The New York Knicks should be resting after letting game five slip away multiple times. As great as Tyrese Maxey was, the Knicks have to feel comfortable with how well they’ve kept the 76ers in check the majority of the series. Expect Jalen Brunson to defer the ball a bit more, and give his teammates the open shots that are there. Take the Knicks plus the points in game six.

The Pacers played very poor in game five, where the road element likely got to them. Milwaukee over the last three games has shown their veteran makeup, pushing Indiana in both games at Indiana, and the blowout on their home floor. Yet, Indiana had these type of letdowns in the regular season, and is just to potent of an offensive team. They’ll bounce back with or without Gianna/Lillard on the floor. Play Indiana.

One has to wonder how much is left in the tank for the Milwaukee Bucks. They fought hard in Indiana taking game three to overtime, and hanging around for the majority of game four. Yet, with Damian Lillard out in game four the Bucks made ten less three pointers than Indiana. Fatigue along with that factor will be the difference in game five. Take the Pacers.

Of all the NBA series, the Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks has been arguably the most competitive. Three of the four games so far have went down to the wire. Closing out a team in the playoffs is so difficult, and I expect the Knicks to feel that pressure on their home floor. Additionally, both Josh Hart and Donte Divencenzo struggled in game four. Take the points here with Philadelphia.

In a crucial game four for the LA Clippers, there is no doubt we will see a heightened effort. Where Dallas has grown is their ability to wear down the Clippers on the offensive end of the floor. In both games two and three they scored below ninety six points. That leaves the door open for one key run for a talented team like Dallas to push past the number late. Take Dallas on the spread.

In the NBA playoffs right now we are seeing lopsided series in the West with Dallas winning consecutive games, Minnesota up 3-0, and Denver up 3-0. The Pelicans if they are going to take one game the best opportunity will be in game three. Oklahoma City is coming off an A+ offensive game in which they put in over 120 points. But in the third quarter the Pelicans got their star finally going in Brandon Ingram. He should be much more aggressive in game three and the Pelicans will feed off his energy. Take the Pelicans.

We saw the Dallas Mavericks flip the switch in game two on the defensive end of the floor. They forced tough shots the entire game from the Clipper’s star players in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George. Now expect the Mavericks to defend their home court as they were the top team in the NBA down the stretch of the season.

The Boston Celtics are once again huge favorites in game two. Thanks to a big fourth quarter run from the Miami Heat in game one, I expect an even faster start from the Celtics in game two. Additionally, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will play with a chip on his shoulder after Caleb Martin collided into him at the tail end of the game. Miami just does not have the personnel to run full speed with the Celtics for four quarters. Take the Celtics to cover once again.

Look for the Pacers to respond in game two tonight in Milwaukee. As poor of a first half as the Pacers played they fought back to cut the deficit to just twelve points. They held Damian Lillard scoreless in the second half, and Milwaukee to just forty points post half time. Look for Indiana to shoot much better from the field and not be held under 100 points again. Take Indiana.

At first I leaned towards the Oklahoma City Thunder side but sometimes we see teams get better through a key injury. The Pelicans know they will be without Zion, but have one of the better developed rosters in the NBA. Ingram looks ready to go, and I expect CJ McCollum to bounce back from two rare off games in the play in. Additionally, the Pelicans had one of the eight wins on the Thunder’s home floor this season. Take the Pelicans. 

Today presents another fade spot for the woeful Colorado Rockies who are just 4-16 on the year. George Kirby settled in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds after a couple of poor outings. I expect another sharp performance for him, with the Rockies poor lineup. Their starter today in Cal Quantrill will remain winless. Tail the Mariners on the run line.

One of the toughest elements of the postseason is handling a team’s talent and escalated pressure. For the Minnesota Timberwolves they had a banner year but now enter a phase they have not experienced as a higher seed in the Western Conference. To make matters worse the Suns have won nine out of the last ten matchups including a road win last Sunday. Take Phoenix to get another win over the young Timberwolves. 

Atlanta goes into the play in with a record of just 36 and 46. At ten games below .500 they lost the final six games of the season. Yet, this team has adapted after missing Trae Young for nearly two months. Furthermore, Chicago is a team they defeated at the United Center on April 1st by a margin of twelve points. Grab the generous amount of points here on the Hawks side.

The Sacramento Kings are a team that down the stretch of the season did not look like a postseason team. Yet, they have two young talents in D’Aron Fox and Sabonis that can override their depth issues for one game. Additionally, the Warriors appear to have peaked towards the end of the season. Lets not forget they Rockets were a game back of catching them for the tenth spot. In a Northern California battle grab the Kings plus the points.

The Milwaukee Bucks head into Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks with three straight losses against the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Toronto. Piling on to the matter is the fact that Giannis is questionable. Expect the Knicks to give maximum effort as they are two games back of the Bucks for the 2nd seed in the East. Tail the Knicks as the Bucks woes continue.

The Detroit Pistons put forth a disastrous effort and performance yesterday against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies. That creates a buy low opportunity today against a Brooklyn Nets team they defeated last month by six points. Jaden Ivey had his second best performance of the season with 34 points, and is coming off thirty one points in yesterday’s loss to the Grizzlies. Take the points here with Detroit.

The Philadelphia 76ers used a late surge to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last game. The win was Joel Embiid’s return, but also devalued because the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Thursday, the 76ers get a solid matchup against a Heat team they defended well and limited to 91 points on March 18th. Grab the 76ers as the slight underdogs.

One constant for Indiana State during the NIT has been their offensive excellence. They can play from behind as they did against SMU and Cincinnati, and they can hold off runs as they did from Minnesota and Utah. Seton Hall had problems with the Sycamores type of offense in particular against St. Johns. Look for Indiana State to complete their NIT title and get the win over the Pirates.

The Portland Trailblazers continue to have key players out in Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and off the bench Matisse Thybulle. As a result the Trailblazers have lost ten straight games as they utilize more role players. Yet, they did come close to defeating the Magic as they lost by one point. Take the Blazers in what is a solid matchup against the Hornets.

The Houston Rockets had their eleven game win streak snapped in a big way by the Dallas Mavericks. Now the Rockets are two games back of the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot, and will face a Timberwolves team driven to win. The Timberwolves are just one game back of the top seed in the Western Conference, and are coming off a poor let down home loss to the Bulls. Grab the Timberwolves.

Utah has been dominant in the NIT with three decisive wins by nine points or more. Their size has been a big advantage with 7 footer Branden Carlson having his way. Yet, Indiana State has shown an ability to adjust in-game. They came back from big deficits against SMU and Cincinnati, and also handled a run from Minnesota. Being tested is something Utah has not experienced since the Pac-12 tournament. Take Indiana State on a neutral court.

The Phoenix Suns will aim to bounce back after a twenty five point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last three times they have lost by double digits they have responded with wins by an average margin of ten points. Additionally, the Suns have incentive for their true last attempt to get out of the play in round. Two games back of the sixth spot Pelicans, they have tonight and at the end of the week a home matchup against New Orleans. Take the Suns.

Typically in a repeat matchup I will take the prior winner. In this case I’ll make the exception and back Alabama. In non-conference play Clemson’s first true  test was against Alabama, while the Crimson Tide had come off a tournament. As a result, Clemson wore tired out Alabama down the stretch outscoring the Crimson Tide by fifteen points in the final thirteen minutes. Look for Alabama to give the Tigers problems with their pace for forty minutes, as we have seen Clemson struggle to score in second halves. Back Alabama.

Under Doc Rivers the Milwaukee Bucks have had several mini stretches that make a person scratch their head. They appear to be in the middle of another down turn after blowing a near twenty point fourth quarter lead to the Lakers, and then falling to the Pelicans. Atlanta may be lacking depth but they have won four straight, including two wins over the Celtics. Play the Hawks

Throughout NC State’s seven game winning streak they have not been tested in terms of a deficit. They’ve been in the lead or as was the case against Virginia tied at halftime. Look for that to change today against a Marquette team that has had their leader back for a couple of games now in Tyler Kolek, after he missed their last six. The Golden Eagles are also the best team that the Wolfpack have faced this season in terms of field goal percentage. Lay it with Marquette.

North Carolina was a trendy team to go down in their last game against Michigan State. The Spartans just could not execute enough in the half court on two occasions with a big lead and a comeback in the second half. Alabama offensively is going to give North Carolina problems with their flurry of runs and the high level play of Mark Sears. They may survive but the result will favor the underdog. Grab the points with Alabama.

The ACC has been a surprise in March Madness where they have been 8-0 overall. Clemson nearly blew their last matchup against Baylor but did just enough to hold on. The Tigers have an upper hand on knowing Caleb Love’s strengths from his years as a Tar Heel. Chase Hunter has also emerged as he has been the leading scorer for the Tigers in both tournament games. Grab the points with Clemson.