The Boston Celtics were on the brink of faltering to 2-3 against an ultra hungry OKC team. On the road they rallied and held a winless OKC team to another loss. Now they’ll travel to Detroit to face the undefeated Pistons where value is on the Celtics. Detroit has had a home friendly schedule with all games decided in close fashion. Grab the Celtics to hand the Pistons their first loss. 

Over the years NC State has had Syracuse’s numbers winning outright in four straight. Quarterback Ryan Finley is the accurate deep ball quarterback that has exposed Syracuse’s aggressive defense year over year. Yet I believe we’re at the final stop of Syracuse’s ATS value after last week’s woeful performance against North Carolina. Sometimes a sloppy win over a poor team is an eye-opener. Look for Syracuse to finally hurdle their woes against NC State. 

Certain teams fall just short and that’s been the case of Tulsa. On the year they’ve faltered to a 1-6 record. Their first five losses were close in margin until last week’s 23-0 loss to Arkansas. Now they’ll face a Green Wave team that market wise is still generating the residual affects of an outright win over Memphis on national television. Grab Tulsa to finally end their regular season slide. 

Virginia is one of those teams with a winning record that leads you to believe a questionable conundrum ATS. Yes they’re winning but they’ve done so against the weaker ACC teams. They’re also not scoring a ton of points which is why this weeks line against North Carolina is smaller than one would expect. The Tar Heels nearly defeated Syracuse and I believe a sound Virginia team will be prepared to expose the poor Tar Heels defense. Expect gash plays that lead to touchdowns early and often. 

The undefeated Bucks venture to the Western conference to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday. An edge for bettors is oddsmakers dismissing the Bucks early season schedule which is common with such a small sample size. The depth of the Bucks is very underrated and will be the edge to clear a small road number to put them at 5-0.

Sometimes value can be had ATS simply by waiting for further money to pound the wrong team. That’s the case in today’s ACC showdown between the well rested Hurricanes and BC. Switching starters at quarterback to Rosier for the Hurricanes gives them a boost ATS and for people that remember the hurricanes strong run of 2017. Yet look for Boston College to cover on the improper line movement.

An 0-3 Lakers team ventures to take on a young Phoenix Suns squad Wednesday. As bad as the Lakers start has been their are positives to sidestep their early season record. Even minus two key players the Lakers should have enough of an arsenal to get by a Phoenix Suns team that is coming off consecutive lopsided road losses.  

Injuries have repeated a similar pattern as last season for the Chicago Bulls. Early in the season it’s unaccustomed to see a team have as poor of a schedule as the Hornets. Wednesday marks their fourth straight road game that started in Florida and ventured to Toronto, Canada two days ago. Spotting the Hornets as a road favorite in this spot speaks to oddsmakers faith in the Hornets overcoming their road fatigue. Grab the Hornets. 

Drop down line value exists in Tuesday’s lone college football action between Troy and South Alabama. South Alabama has not been a functional team in terms of wins and losses this year at 2-5. Meanwhile Troy has suffered a setback with quarterback Kaleb Barker out for the season. Fill in sophomore quarterback in Sawyer Smith struggled as they lost to Liberty in their last game. Yet look for a much more focused Troy team that should use their prime advantages offensively and defensively to run away from South Alabama. 

The 76ers have officially ruled Ben Simmons out for today’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons. That’s the type of value one is looking for early in the season in the NBA. Detroit’s 2-0 record have featured close tight games. A narrow three point victory over Brooklyn as well as a two point victory over Chicago. Look for the 76ers cohesiveness to pay dividends as they land the early season road victory. 

There are few teams at 2-4 that have been discounted as poorly as the Falcons have. On the year they’ve shown nothing trustworthy to back them, yet neither have the struggling Giants. Atlanta’s injuries at tailback and at kicker drove this line down as well as the Giants coming off a Thursday game. With no changes being made with Eli Manning nothing is going to change on the field. Expect the Falcons to show some of their prior Super Bowl pedigree as they take advantage of the Giants.

The Colts thus far this season have not been a trustworthy team ATS. From opening week melting down against Cincinnati to last week’s road debacle against the Jets. Yet this week will mark Andrew Luck’s seventh start since returning from injury. The offense has looked much improved and he should tone down his turnovers this week against Buffalo. Veteran quarterbacks getting starts sometimes are too over valued and that is the case here with Derek Anderson. Grab the Colts

Cleveland travels on the road after a putrid home performance against the Chargers. Rebounding back from such a brutal loss is tough for a team down weapons at the wide receiver position and also one relying on a rookie quarterback. Adding fuel to the fire was the Browns recent trade of top back Carlos Hyde. Now another rookie steps into the fold in tailback Nick Chubb. That’s value for a Browns team that faces a Bucs team that always leaves the door open with self driven miscues. Grab the Browns.

The Bears are a team that arguably are one of the most improved teams from last season to this year. That makes it very hard to dictate their proper line value. Case in point a poor road line against both the Dolphins and Cardinals haunted bettors. At home though they’re a higher grade team that bookmakers have failed to catch up on. On their resume is a stout victory over the Seahawks and a blowout win over the Bucs. With the Patriots rolling this forced the hand on a bad line. Grab the Bears to keep within the number.

The new look Spurs were able to hang on at home against the Timberwolves to start the season. Now they’ll travel to take on a Blazers team that looked superb to open up the season against the Lakers. The depth and home court edge for the Trailblazers figures to give the Spurs problems. Yet look for the Spurs to be able to answer the Trailblazers runs and cover the number. 

A big game will take place in Conference USA Saturday, as UAB hosts North Texas. On the year already North Texas has passed two major tests with blowout wins over SEC Arkansas and also SMU. That’s created value on a UAB team that people are over looking. Most teams show a level of unfocused leading up to a big game. That wasn’t the case last week as UAB crushed Rice in not allowing a single point. Grab UAB to carry that momentum over on their home field.

For the third time this season Oregon is featured in a small line matchup against a Pac-12 school. Coming off an outright home victory over Washington they have a chance to be the one-loss Pac-12 school to make some noise. Yet parity in the Pac-12 has always been a factor and historically Washington State has given the Ducks fits. Look for Mike Leach to have a proper game plan to take advantage of the Ducks speed. Grab the Cougars.

There is not a team in college football that has experienced the type of slide the Cal Bears have. They went from a viable ranked team to losing ATS and straight up against Oregon, Arizona, and UCLA. To lose the way they did against the Bruins a week ago shows a team that’s lost itself quite a bit. They’ll have a chance to wake up against an Oregon State team that still has know team identity. It may take until the fourth quarter but look for the Bears to show a small reason why they were formerly ranked.

Just three weeks ago Syracuse was a quarter away from being 5-0 and knocking off Clemson. They let that win get away and it carried over to a blown loss to Pittsburgh the following week. Post bye week one would think Syracuse has put aside the emotional let down losses. Yet in college sports one main turn in a season creates ATS momentum. Facing a 1-4 North Carolina team the value remains against the Cuse’. Grab UNC.

The well documented struggles of the Warriors in Utah are long standing. They fall into the category of many teams that struggle with rotations in the altitude of Salt Lake City. Early in the season this figures to be a problem as the starters aren’t going to play a high volume of minutes and the bench rotation is the weakest it’s been in years for Golden State. With Utah’s vast depth there will be issues of the Warriors playing from behind. Yet this team knows how to close and I wouldn’t be surprised of a big second half run that closes the door on the Jazz. Grab Golden State. 

The New York Knicks lit up the scoreboard in their opener over the Atlanta Hawks. The blended roles of youth shined and now they’ll get the fortune of playing their second home game right up the street in Brooklyn. That’s where the value lies as the short trek to Brooklyn in New York City is an attractor on a small line. This early in the season it’s enough of an indicator to take the proper value on the Nets. Grab Brooklyn.

The Lakers moves for improvement went beyond Lebron James. They added several key veterans in Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Rajon Rondo. These additions are expected to mesh well with the Lakers young talent and their fast pace style. Yet Portland is a stout home team that will have extra motivation. They had a quick exit in last year’s playoffs in which they lost four straight to the Pelicans, but they’ll also be playing for recently passed owner Paul Allen. Grab the value on Portland to spoil Lebron’s first game in LA.

Several key factors make the Broncos a solid Thursday play. For one they’ve been horrid on the road this year at 0-2. Furthermore in three consecutive weeks they’ve been ripped apart on the ground game as the Chiefs, Jets, and Rams have ran for near or over 200 yards each game. Yet look for Denver to be in better shape here as Arizona tries to protect their rookie quarterback in Josh Rosen. That should allow the defense to be more aggressive and give their team an added edge. Grab Denver. 

Zack sees value on the Magic for his second release of the NBA season. The Heat figure to be a top threat in the Eastern Conference but come into the regular season with injuries to several key players. Dion Waiters, Justice Winslow, James Johnson, and Wayne Ellington are all likely out. This is where their success last season with injuries creates value against them Wednesday. The Magic were the second worst Eastern Conference team last year and an in-state game figures to give the Heat the upper hand. Instead look for the Magic to show proper cohesion and get the cover on the small line. 

The Boston Celtics had one of the more impressive runs based on injuries in postseason memory last year. Now they must find a way to blend in Irving/Hayword and blend in everyone else’s roles. These chemistry issues were on full display as the Celtics struggled in pre-season. This is a factor in Tuesday’s small line against the experienced and hungry 76ers team that has revenge on their minds. Yet look for the Celtics to combat the 76ers and show they are the team to beat in the East. 

Rarely do you see a 5-0 team an underdog especially with a decisive victory under their belt from last year. Folks haven’t forgot the way the Chiefs tore apart Tom Brady and company to start the season in 2017. Yet 365 days later look for better defense from the Patriots and for the Chiefs to come down to Earth a bit offensively. The only team to take advantage of the Chiefs defense was the Steelers in the second quarter of week two. This go around look for Brady and company to stay focused and to the game plan for four quarters. 

The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the worst road defeats of the season last week against the Jets. Flat offensively and no answer for the Jets ground attack are recipes for disaster against the potent Rams. In the last two weeks the Broncos have surrendered over 350 yards on the ground. Yet there is value on them similar to when they faced the undefeated Chiefs at home. The Rams defense has not been the same. Expect the Broncos to ride their tailbacks and fortune on defense to ride this cover out.

Each and every week the Browns have done what bettors love. Cover. They have covered every game this season with one push against the Raiders. Baker Mayfield and the rush attack has been the story along with a defense that is improving. A third home game in four weeks should pose as a momentum builder for the Browns. Instead one has to look at their miscues and believe that they’ll finally come out against them. Grab the road Chargers here.

The Miami Dolphins were a fourth quarter away from being 4-1. Instead they unraveled offensively and let the Bengals over run them. Now they’ll face a Chicago Bears team that had the biggest blowout this season with a 48-10 victory over the Buccaneers. Yet there is value to be had with the Dolphins based on the Bears bye week. Look for Ryan Tannehill’s health and return from a year off to finally start to pay dividends. Grab the fish.

The Redskins are as banged up as any team possibly could be that has already utilized a bye week. Several starters will be missing on defense and offense which showcased a poor effort as a whole on Monday Night football. Still the matchup against the Panthers is favorable as Carolina is known to play to the level of their competition. Look for Alex Smith and company to get back to over .500. 

Every test this season West Virginia has passed with flying colors. They blew out Tennessee and Kansas State as well as had a nice resume road win against Texas Tech. For Iowa State the unknown at quarterback may help give them the edge they need at home. Third string quarterback Brock Purdy sparked a win against Oklahoma State and has the intangibles to give West Virginia a true test. Grab the home dog Cyclones.

Teams with winning records usually receive an upgraded edge ATS from oddsmakers returning home from a road trip. Out in the Sun Belt that appears to be the case with Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers return home to take on UL Monroe after a three-game road trip. Overall defensively UL Monroe ranks 127th of 130 division one teams. After giving up 70 points last week to Ole Miss the Warhawks enter their third straight road game. Grab the value on Monroe. 

The Huskies have been that familiar team in the top ten for the Pac-12 that have faltered to get over the hump. They’ll have a great chance Saturday in a tough environment against the octane Oregon Ducks. Oregon’s lone blemish on the season was a tough blown loss against the Stanford Cardinal. Off a bye week they’ll have the edge as far as preparation. Yet look for the Huskies defense to rise to the occasion and lead Washington to a victory.

The 1-3 Houston Texans will face the in-state Dallas Cowboys in prime time. While Dallas won’t have to travel far they’ll face a Houston Texans team that’s showing upward signs. Offensively DeShaun Watson appears to be getting back into form from last years season ending injury. Defensively look for the Texans to be ready to limit a Dallas Cowboys team that’s struggled at sustaining offense for four quarters.

Year after year we’ve seen oddsmakers chase a team’s number and fall short. That appears to be the case for the LA Rams whose road and home number just has not been strong enough. They’ll take on a Seahawks team that on paper is 2-2. A play here or a play there and they could easily be 4-0 with losses against the Broncos-Bears. Yet one could also say their two wins against the Cowboys-Cardinals were fortunate. While the Seahawks haven’t shown any signs of who they are the Rams have. They’re not going to sputter and allow the Seahawks home crowd to get into this. Grab the Rams.

The Jets will be without their defensive coordinator who is ill and have sputtered three straight weeks. Consecutive weeks as a public-sharp side against the Dolphins-Browns did not hit pay dirt. Extended rest to face the Jaguars proved to not pay dividends. Back home they should bode better against a Denver Broncos team that did not play well in their lone road game against the Ravens. Grab the Jets as Sam Darnold makes enough plays with his arm to boost the Jets. 

The UNLV Rebels should benefit from a bye week combined with their early season strength of schedule. Losses against Arkansas State and USC both showcased the Rebels potential. Meanwhile New Mexico is coming off a poor loss at home to Liberty. That’s put UNLV in an unfamiliar spot as sizable favorites. It’s not a common thing to see which poses value for Saturday. Grab the Rebels Saturday.

Colorado has planted themselves inside the top twenty-five with wins over Colorado State, Nebraska, and UCLA. All quality wins but also against teams that are not where they expected to be. ASU has had their down to Earth moments with consecutive losses to Washington and San Diego State. Look for the Sun Devils improvement offensively to give them confidence on the road against the Buffaloes. Grab the Sun Devils here. 

Four straight wins from the Buffalo Bulls came to a screeching halt as they were dismantled 42-13 by Army. Now they’ll travel to take on a Central Michigan team that has a tough time getting things going offensively. Junior quarterback Tommy Lazarro has failed to throw for more than 155 yards and the offense is dependable. Yet look for Central Michigan’s defense to carry over the confidence they showcased in the first quarter and parts of the second half against Michigan State. Grab Central Michigan.

The Bearcats will take on the Tulane Green Wave Saturday morning. Tulane comes into this game with sky high confidence after knocking off the octane Memphis Tigers in front of a nationally televised Friday audience. They’ll put the Bearcats defense to the test and will be a popular underdog to start off Saturday. Yet there are always undefeated non top twenty five teams that go under the radar. That’s typical in the American Conference and Cincinnati is a team that will continue to be undervalued ATS. Grab the Bearcats Saturday morning.

The Giants have notoriously been a poor team at home ATS. They’ll face a Saints team that has been nearly unstoppable offensively for three weeks. They lit up the Buccaneers in a week one loss, had yards galore against the Browns, and hardly punted against the Falcons. Many may expect a Giants team returning from consecutive road games in Texas to experience rust. Yet, look for enough spark plays from the Giants and for the first outdoor game of the season to affect the Saints. Grab the Giants. 

Desperation for NFL teams usually translates ATS. Considering the Raiders have been in winnable games each and every week, this would seem like a perfect spot to back them. Yet they’re facing a Cleveland Browns team that was very similar to them a year ago. In games each and every week but falling short. After a taste of a victory against the Jets look for the Browns to continue an unforeseen period ATS success. Grab Cleveland.

Miami has been one of the sloppiest weekly winners in the NFL. None of their wins have been stellar and two were at home against the Titans/Raiders. From an Xs and Os stand point the Patriots have been able to shred the Dolphins for years. It could happen Sunday as well but oddsmakers aren’t going to give out free money here. Look for the Dolphins to finish inside the number here even if down double digits most of the game. 

Oregon looked like a top ten team for three quarters against Stanford before the wheels fell off. Can a team respond the next week in a loss as such? It’s tough to do and I believe will be a difficult task against the Cal Bears. California already has two solid wins on the year against North Carolina and BYU and arguably should be favored in this matchup. Grab the home underdog.

Undoubtedly a poor loss is going to exponentially affect a team’s morale. Virginia Tech is in that boat after losing in all phases to Old Dominion. Compounding matters is the loss of their star quarterback in Josh Jackson. That’s going to put immense pressure on a Virginia Tech defense that must find a way to stop a high impact Duke offense. With their backs against the wall grab the Hokies to respond ATS.

A team that took some bumps a year ago with a freshman quarterback was Georgia Southern. Their woes were evident as they nearly went winless in Sun Belt play. They’ll take on an Arkansas State team that is well known outside of Sun Belt fans as being a solid ATS performer. Consecutive weeks of wins over Tulsa and UNLV would seem like indicators to prepare Arkansas State for Sun Belt play. Especially with three-year starting quarterback Justice Hansen under center. Yet grab the small line on the home underdog as Georgia Southern continues to show new dimensions compared to last season.

Eastern Michigan finds themselves in an unfamiliar spot as a favorite against Northern Illinois. Sometimes a strong schedule can be boosted too high. Northern Illinois has had that with losses against Iowa, Utah, and Florida State. That’s a value indicator for Saturday as Eastern Michigan is being devalued utilizing two quarterbacks. Grab the Eagles here.

Through two games the Arizona Cardinals have been outclassed on their home field by the Redskins and LA Rams. Aside from the Buffalo Bills they’re the only team in football that has not been in the same stratosphere as the oddsmaker’s line. The Bears defense attacked and sacked Russ Wilson several times and put the game away with a pick six. Yet, the Cardinals are one of those teams that needed some time outside of the pre-season to gel in the regular season. Expect a better performance and a home cover on a steep line.

Denver has shown just enough balance offensively and defensively to offset miscues. Victories over the Seahawks and Raiders came with stellar execution in both fourth quarters. The jury is still out on the Ravens whom seem to be lacking an identity offensively and were torched defensively week two by the Bengals. Yet look for the Ravens defense to keep the carry over issues of turnovers by Case Keenum going. Grab the Ravens minus the points.

The New Orleans Saints escaped week two with a victory over the Cleveland Browns. Now they’ll travel to face their first division opponent of the year in the Atlanta Falcons. Strength of schedule has a large factor in this slim point spread by oddsmakers. Atlanta has faced the defending champion and a tough Carolina Panthers team while the Saints have faced Tampa Bay-Cleveland. Yet look for the Saints to continue to get in their own way, grab the Falcons here.

This number continues to go up and rightfully so. Senior quarterbacks often times have a chip on their shoulder against a conference opponent. For Washington’s senior quarterback Jake Browning has that against ASU. Former Sun Devils Coach Todd Graham had his number in disguised defenses that caused Browning’s problems. His freshman year they lost a 17-0 lead and lost 27-17. Last year the Huskies sustained a poor loss in Tempe 13-7. Ignore ASU’s early season success and grab the Huskies to roll here with no mercy.

The Cajun Cajuns continue to have one of the worst defenses in college football. They’ll be put to the test against a Coastal Carolina team with a highly capable senior quarterback in Kilton Anderson. Anderson led an offense that rushed for 333 yards last week against Campbell. Yet look for the home Rajun Cajuns to match Coastal Carolina’s offense, in what should be a miniature Big 12 style result.

A yearly tricky ATS scenario surrounding Florida as a road favorite is their offense. Can they muster enough points in an SEC road environment? One result against SEC school Kentucky already showcased that an issue remains as the Gators lost 27-16. Yet a vulnerability for the Volunteers remains that they play to the level of competition especially in big games. Look for that issue to lurk again creating an ATS grab opportunity for the Gators. Grab Florida.

The Golden Gophers have been a juggernaut ATS to begin the season. At 3-0 they’ll face a Maryland team coming off an embarrassing loss to Temple. Yet sometimes a surprise loss creates carry over ATS value the following week. The Terrapins are never going to be a team that makes it easy, but they’ve grown due to the program issues of the off-season. Look for the Terrapins to cash as slim favorites.

A team that’s surely inflated their value ATS are the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats have toppled teams in UCLA and Miami Ohio as underdogs for outright wins. They’ll get their second MAC opponent of the year Saturday with a home matchup against Ohio. As great as the Bearcats defense has looked on paper, they’ve had the advantage of playing the right team at the right time. UCLA started a true freshman in Dorian Thompson and Miami-Ohio could not throw a wet ball in down pour conditions. Grab the road value here on Ohio.

When a team that had such a strong run such as the Seahawks struggles, it takes time for oddsmakers to adjust. Market value is not known for the Seahawks and is growing for the Bears. That represents an edge on the Bears side for Monday. Anticipate the three quarters of strong play presented by the Bears week one to carry over at home Monday. Grab Chicago.

Yearly the Giants and Cowboys are showcased on Sunday night football and we get it again for week two. New York as a whole has been awful ATS but has managed to stay in games. Dallas on the other hand is in a pressure situation to produce. Falling 0-2 is not where you would expect a team that looked so dynamic just two years ago. Yet, the Giants have upgraded at positions and should get enough from Eli to cover this small number. Grab the Giants.

Finding value early in the NFL season is tricky. Yet for the Chiefs it lies in multiple areas. First, they were destroyed last year in Sunday Night football by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Second, they’re one of the few teams in football that are starting off with two road games. Last, they’re facing a Pittsburgh team that needs to erase the memory of last week’s tie. Holdouts don’t get discussed ATS but look for Le’Veon Bell’s absence to continue to affect them against the number.

San Diego State’s value has continued to slide ATS. They opened the year with a dud performance against Stanford and followed that up by a two touchdown victory over lowly Sacramento State. Without their starting quarterback the Aztecs must try to contain a confident and now ranked Sun Devils team. This surge in Sun Devil value is not false but the number is. Grab the value on the home Aztecs.

For years Texas State has struggled in the Sun Belt conference. They’ll take on a South Alabama team that has converted to a senior quarterback to lead them. The Jaguars have some talent on both sides of the football to cause problems to a vulnerable Texas State team. Yet, look for Texas State to do enough to cover this double digit number. Grab Texas State.

Kansas pulled away last week after a stunning upset the prior. Now they’ll aim to win in consecutive games as home favorites against the Big 10 Rutger Scarlet Knights. This is a team that appears to be in the right situation at the right time in Kansas. Rutgers has been down trending since their days in the Big East and American conference. Grab the value on Kansas to begin the day.

The Seattle Seahawks made a plethora of moves to get their roster younger. Yet they still have key veterans in Earl Thomas, Russ Wilson, and Doug Baldwin. Denver on the other hand has been a revolving circle for starting quarterbacks and will have Case Keenum under center. Their decision to start Royce Freeman a third round rookie is one of the more under valued ATS movers for Sunday. His ability to hit the hole will aide Keenum in hitting the veteran Broncos receivers. Grab Denver.

Andrew Luck’s nearly year and a half away from football is one that should be proceeded with caution. No doubt the Colts will simplify the offense in order to protect their quarterback from taking unnecessary hits. On the flip side the Bengals have the assets and weapons to attack a Colts defense that has always been vulnerable. Yet, this is where the draw back of retaining Marvin Lewis will lurk. Grab the Colts to capitalize on the 50/50 plays and come out over the number. 

Whenever you see a plethora of people pour on a teams poor roster and future prospects it’s usually a value indicator. Nearly everyone and their mom has been down on the Bills season win total as their quarterback situation looks like the worst in football. Yet sometimes moving forward with youth at the position upgrades the roster as a whole. On the other side Baltimore has been an ATS favorite of sharps-public since their commonality Super Bowl run in 2012. Roster upgrades were done in the off-season and the familiarity of Joe Flacco-Harbaugh still exists. Yet look for the Bills to hang around in this one with enough offensive plays to cover. Grab Buffalo. 

Key line movement that’s noteworthy early in the season typically results in tickets cashed for bettors. Yet I’m leery of that being the case for the Stanford Cardinal. They do possess the experience edge over the talent on the field for USC, but USC showed another gear in the fourth quarter against UNLV. This is a program that’s held itself back for a few years but has had Stanford’s number. Although Stanford has a few days extra rest over the Trojans, look for the value to be on USC. Grab USC.

Cincinnati executed a proper game plan against the Bruins to pull off a double-digit outright road upset. Now they’ll head back to Ohio to take on a familiar opponent in Miami-Ohio. A rematch of last year’s 21-17 victory for the Bearcats. While many will boost the Bearcats from last year’s familiarity there are factors for caution. Miami-Ohio is a more fluid offense than the Bruins at this point and has a quarterback capable of carrying his team on his shoulders. Look for the RedHawks to avenge last year’s loss. 

Sunday, a neutral site matchup will take place in Arlington, Texas as Miami takes on LSU. No team free fell as fast as the Hurricanes did to close out the 2017 season. Three straight losses took them from a BCS contender to a team with questions heading into 2018. Accuracy struggles with quarterback Malik Rosier thwarted the offense. Now a senior look for Rosier and his Hurricane teammates to thrive against the SEC inflated LSU Tigers.

Saturday, SMU will be aiming to win their fourth straight yearly matchup against North Texas. None of the matchups have been close including last year’s 54-32 final. Yet North Texas showcased team growth last year with a 9-3 start. Consecutive losses to close out the year halted their momentum and has created value against an SMU team that has had their number. Grab North Texas.   

Florida International will host the Indiana Hoosiers in a yearly series that has been in order since 2014. Although last year’s game was cancelled due to Hurricane threats. For Indiana they’ll rely on quarterback Peyton Ramsey to push the ball against FIU. Suspended top tailback for the Hoosiers in Morgan Ellison is a blow for the Hoosiers. Yet look for Indiana to once again cover and defeat FIU on the road.

The Lakers showed last year that they take the summer league as serious as any team. They played key young talent and both rookies in Lonzo Ball/Kyle Kuzma extended minutes. The same has been showcased this year along with key young talent in Josh Hart and Alex Caruso. Still, look for the Bulls to limit the offensive explosion the Lakers showed in their debut Friday. Grab Chicago. 

A day off of rest and a new arena could be troublesome for the Memphis Grizzlies summer league team. They’ve made the trek down from Salt Lake City as they take on a Detroit team that will be looking to bounce back from a loss yesterday. Summer league play usually has teams switch the look of their rosters as days go on. This should bode to the advantage of the Pistons getting a steep plus four Saturday.

Summer league continues Saturday as the Brooklyn Nets take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nets fell short on Friday as their roster was not indicative of whom they played on the floor. The big name NBA roster players are not playing which has created value against the Thunder whom lost by a point Friday. Terrance Ferguson is one of the big names that generated solid minutes with the Thunder and creates this value opportunity.

Summer league continues Saturday as the New York Knicks will host Trae Young’s Hawks. Anyone whom watched the Hawks saw Young’s struggles as his team looked out of sync. Young couldn’t buy a basket and will now face tougher defense in a bigger tournament in Las Vegas. Yet look for the Hawks to finally display a team effort as they get the cover Saturday. 

Summer league provides opportunities of value based on makeshift short term teams. Value today lies with the fact that the Denver Nuggets first round pick in Michael Porter Jr. won’t be playing throughout the summer league. This comes via a team that traded away some of their younger assets in Emmanuel Mudiay and others. Grab the value on them as slight underdogs. 

Finding value in the summer league can get tighter as days go on. The reason being is more dynamic players begin to rest and some wrap up contracts to play overseas. Yet the new Sacramento/Salt Lake schedule brings high value. One today lies with the Memphis Grizzlies as they take on the host Utah Jazz.  Both teams are coming off day one dynamite victories but look for the Grizzlies to continue to shine offensively. Grab Memphis. 

On paper the Celtics seemingly are under manned. Yet the results beg to differ as the Celtics immense depth has flourished with their youth. They’re under valued home court has dominated ATS in the playoffs with a 5-0 mark. Yet the level of offensive efficiency witnessed in game one is not a familiar scene for the Celtics. Expect the 76ers high talent to adjust appropriately. Grab Philadelphia.

Key returning stars are always hard to re-implement in the playoffs. Steph Curry’s return surely will take away minutes from bench contributors as well as shots from the first-unit. The Pelicans have gelled with their post DeMarcus Cousins roster where nearly every player knows their role. Curry’s return combined with the Warriors game one dominance has created value on the Pelicans for Tuesday.

The Thunder and Jazz series is showing what we’ve become accustomed to with superstar player led teams. A more balanced Jazz team has the arsenal and schemes to outdo the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Carmelo’s downgraded play has been the majority of the season it’s Russ and Paul George’s play that’s more troubling. Both have been held in check for stretches in this series. At home in a potential season ending game value lies on the Jazz.

Recognition of line movement in a playoff series is crucial. After a dominating game three win by the Jazz, oddsmakers curiously lowered the game four spread. It’s noteworthy and centered around the improbability of the Thunder winning the series if they sustain another loss. Expect the Thunder to be much more prepared for game four even as Billy Donovan tinkers with rotation minutes. Grab the Thunder.

Instances of chaos this season amongst the Washington Wizards players were well documented. Yet the fact of the matter is the Wizards missed Wall for key games that derailed their true seed. Games three performance seemed to give the Wizards the jolt they need. While they may not have the same dominating output look for a cash out plus the points.

At the start of the NBA playoffs few teams have shown carry over value from the regular season. One team that has are the Western Conference top-seeded Houston Rockets. Houston destroyed the number and the Timberwolves in game two as the Timberwolves could not contain Houston. Yet, today is a value spot with yet another home team. As great as the Rockets have been against the Timberwolves this is a heightened line. Grab the underdog.  

The Pelicans have now won seven straight games as they defeated Portland in games one and two on the road. Thursday’s game will put to the test both teams as it’s a quick transition of just a couple of days rest. With the Pelicans struggles in second halves this may open the door for another close finish. Yet, look for the Pelicans to continue to get just enough from role players to go along with AD and Holiday. Grab the Pelicans to secure their eighth straight win and small line cover. 

The hindered Celtics looked like the flip-seed of the Bucks in game one. Yet, they had just enough in the tank to withstand the Bucks. While the depth and skillset advantage continues to lie with the Bucks the Celtics continue to have the upper hand in coaching. Knocking two points off game one’s point spread has withered away underdog value and posed proper value on the Celtics. Grab Boston.

Utah’s run post All-Star break was truly a spectacle to watch. They went from a team at 21-28 to a post-season team in the elite Western conference. From an oddsmaker stand point today’s line has more to do with Utah’s rise and layoff. Both the Jazz and Thunder have had four full days to rest after the regular season conclusion Wednesday. It’ll be a tight game but expect the Thunder to beat the number by a mere few points.  

The Pelicans enter the playoffs as the overlooked one-man show team. In this ERA of the NBA it’s almost unheard of seeing a team reach the heights the Pelicans have with one star. Portland’s home dominance and spurts will be a dangerous combination for a Pelicans team susceptible defensively. Still the Trailblazers looked out of sync as the NBA season wound down as they lost four straight games before a win over Utah. Grab the Pelicans to come out the gate in this series and cover.

Pelicans -3.5

Tonight the Pelicans will aim to keep their playoff intensity level secure as they take on the San Antonio Spurs. Having won four games in a row put the Pelicans in the playoffs without a worry in Wednesday’s regular season conclusion. Still, look for old school coach Alvin Gentry to continue to demand a solid output as the Pelicans aim for five wins a row. Grab the Pelicans.

The Celtics blow on losing point guard Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season is official news. Friday will be the first game that we see how the team handles the situation. Key starters in Al Horford and Jayson Tatum also won’t be playing Friday against the Bulls. That’s created drop down value on the Celtics as the Bulls have shown no signs of tanking with three straight victories. Grab the Celtics.

The Dallas Mavericks travel to face the Orlando Magic Wednesday. This is an interesting spot as the Mavericks are coming off a home win last night against Portland that concluded at 8PM PST. Travel for tonight’s game is further impacted as the Mavericks have decided to sit Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Dwight Powell, and Dennis Smith Jr. Still look for the Magic to showcase a bit of rust as well after a blowout win last night at Madison Square Garden. 

One of the biggest mystiques in the NBA has been the sporadic level of play of the Washington Wizards. This year they received a pass due to John Wall’s health. Now back the Wizards are devalued against the NBA’s ATS juggernaut in the Houston Rockets. In their last two games Houston has not been sharp with a narrow win against the Suns and a blowout loss to the Spurs. Look for the spread to be a factor once again and not on Houston’s side. Grab Washington. 

The assumption that Lebron can get his team to hit another gear at the tail end of the season is a fact. He’s led his Cavs/Heat teams to the title game in countless consecutive years. With just a handful of games left in the regular season this is where you’d expect a playoff intensity performance from the Cavs. Yet, the Cavs are no where near the level of play seen in recent Lebron post-season runs. With a league-wide day off Monday value has been created on the Raptors. Grab Toronto. 

Villanova has continued to play their style of basketball and dominate ATS. They’ve covered all games in the tournament culminating in the best performance seen in the Final Four in quite awhile. Meanwhile Michigan has served as the Loyola-Chicago of power five schools with narrow sloppy victories. Persevering no matter what the scenario has put them as the value play Monday. All tournament Michigan’s guards have been outplayed but this is a matchup that the guards can outshine Villanova’s and where John Beilein can match Jay Wright’s in-game adjustments. Grab Michigan. 

With virtually identical records the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves will square off Sunday. Where the ATS implications from oddsmakers circle around the log jam of five teams from the 4th-8th position separated by one game. The Timberwolves stout home record is voided here as the Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the league. Grab the oddsmakers hint and play on the Jazz.  

For the first time on their road trip the Indiana Pacers will face a team that is near full strength in the LA Clippers. LA does not have a starter below 6’5 now that Danilo Gallinari is back. Yet the Pacers should be able to shake off their rusty performance against the Kings and get a hard small number cover in LA. Grab Indiana. 

The Villanova Wildcats are fully healthy and playing at peak ability. It’s an uncommon occurrence to happen yet Jay Wright has found a way to get it done yet again. For Kansas their strong season will be put to the test against Villanova’s uncanny offensive spurts and defense. As was the case two years ago look for a similar pull away outcome from the Wildcats. Grab Nova. 

Phoenix +10

A home dog of double digits is an eye opener but not with the Phoenix Suns. They continue to rest or sit out key starters while signing-starting D-League talent. It’s a scenario oddsmakers have caught onto ATS in spots. Tonight is one of those spots as the Clippers have held well ATS recently. Grab the reverse tank value line here on Phoenix.

Minus Kyrie Irving the Celtics have relied on their young roster. That has resulted in  four straight wins and three consecutive on the road. Heading to Salt Lake City will be a stiffer test as the Jazz have won 24 of their last 29 games. Still in a nationally televised game look for the Celtics to continue their surprise road efforts. Grab Boston. 

For Tuesday, will take the value on the Denver Nuggets in consecutive road games. This comes in a spot that after last night’s blowout loss to the 76ers. This also marks the sixth straight road game for the Nuggets. Toronto’s standout home record has been in reverse with two home losses in their last three. While Toronto likely will maintain a double-digit lead early look for Denver for to finish on the proper side ATS. Grab Denver.  

Certain times top teams get flip-flopped ATS for appropriate reasons. Although Kansas is the one-seed and Duke has nine losses, it’s clear that Duke is the overall better team. This is a region mismatch for Kansas. Surely they’ll hang around but expect Coach K’s adjustments and depth to over ride Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Grab Duke. 

A winning streak is always going to catapult an ATS edge. The Spurs come into Sunday’s road matchup with a six-game win streak. The wins have been over quality teams such as the Pelicans, Timberwolves, Warriors, Wizards, and Jazz. Yet Saturday’s line move against the Bucks has more to do with the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Just hours before game time the line has continued to move north on the Spurs, hinting at Giannis resting another game. Either way, expect the Bucks to hold court at an irregular Sunday start time. 

Both Florida State and Michigan have elevated their regular season play in the big dance. Florida State’s combination of size/length is what gave Michigan problems in the Big Ten. Yet this is a case of a power five conference school over achieving and granting ATS buy down with top defeats over Xavier/Gonzaga. Grab Michigan.