Winning Sports Picks

20* Purdue/Texas ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Texas +2.5

It’s safe to say the Texas Longhorns will be highly motivated for a victory tonight.  They opened 5-0 with wins against Arkansas and North Carolina, but not they’ve lost three straight to Michigan State, Redford and VCU.  They want to get back in the win column here tonight in a bad way. 

Purdue is coming off a 62-60 home win as 9-point favorites over Maryland.  Now they step out of conference here.  They only have two days’ rest after playing on Thursday, while Texas has three days’ rest after last playing on Wednesday. 

While Texas has four returning starters, Purdue has just one returning starter and has been grossly overvalued this season.  The Boilermakers also have three losses this year, and they are 0-2 in true road games losing to Michigan and Florida State by an average of 10 points per game. 

The Boilermakers are 7-17-1 ATS in their last 25 games overall.  Purdue is 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Boilermakers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight road games.  Texas is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games as a home dog of 3 points or less or PK.  Bet Texas Sunday. 

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Grand Canyon +11

Nevada (9-0) is getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers after its unbeaten start and No. 6 ranking.  Now the Wolf Pack are being asked to lay double-digits in what is essentially a home game for Grand Canyon at Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix. 

Dan Majerle is doing big things at Grand Canyon, and it helps that they have some of the best facilities and weather in the country, which has helped him get recruits.  Grand Canyon is 5-3 this season with all three losses coming by 9 points or less, and they were all on the road to the likes of Utah, Seton Hall and South Dakota State. 

But what I really like about this game is the fact that Grand Canyon is rested with seven days in between games having last played on December 1st.  Nevada just played on Friday, December 7th in a hard-fought 72-66 win over Arizona State in Los Angeles.  So the Wolf Pack only have one day to prepare for Grand Canyon.   

That’s a huge scheduling advantage for the Antelopes here.  The Antelopes are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Wolf Pack are simply getting too much respect from oddsmakers, and that will show tonight as the Antelopes give them a run for their money.  Take Grand Canyon Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday Late-Afternoon ANNIHILATOR on San Francisco 49ers +4.5 

With three more turnovers last week against the Seahawks, including a 98-yard INT return TD, the 49ers now have the worst turnover differential (-20) in the NFL.  These teams with horrible turnover differentials are undervalued this late in the year, because there’s a big element of luck in turnovers. 

I have no doubt the 49ers are better than their 2-10 record would suggest.  And a quick look at the numbers shows that this should at least be a 6-6 team or better.  They 49ers have outgained their opponents by 174 yards on the season.  They are outgaining them by 15.2 yards per game.  That’s not the sign of a 2-10 team. 

The Broncos are +8 in turnovers over the past three weeks, which has allowed them to win three straight games over the Steelers, Chargers and Bengals.  But they had no business winning those games against the Steelers and Chargers as those two teams simply gave the game away.  And the Bengals are decimated with injuries playing with a backup QB.  They’re broken. 

The 49ers do show up every week.  Their 16-43 loss to the Seahawks last week makes most bettors seem like they packed it in.  But that wasn’t the case, and it was one of the most misleading finals of the week.  I mentioned the 98-yard INT return TD the Seahawks got at the end of the game.  But the 49ers gained 452 total yards and gave up 331, actually outgaining the Seahawks by 121 yards in that contest.  They deserved better, and Nick Mullens had one of his better games of the season with 386 passing yards. 

The Broncos have some key injuries this week that will make them less effective.  Emmanuel Sanders suffered an Achilles injury in practice on Wednesday that has landed him on IR.  Sanders was having a great year with 71 receptions for 868 yards and four touchdowns.  And since the Broncos traded away Demaryius Thomas, his loss is even more significant.  The Broncos are seriously lacking weapons for the mediocre Case Keenum now.   

Plus, the Broncos’ best pass defender is Chris Harris Jr., and he’s out with a fractured fibula now.  The 49ers were without both Marquise Goodwin and Pierre Garcon last week.  But Goodwin is expected to return, giving Mullens another big weapon outside.  And Garcon is questionable and could make his return this week as well.  Mullens should be able to make some more plays in the passing game this week. 

Denver is 0-6 ATS vs. teams who force one or fewer turnovers per game on the season over the last two seasons.  The Broncos are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games after gaining more than 150 rushing yards in their previous game.  This is clearly a ‘buy low’ situation on the 49ers, and a ‘sell high’ situation on the Broncos.  Roll with the 49ers Sunday. 

15* Ravens/Chiefs AFC Sunday No-Brainer on Baltimore +7 

I agree with this line move.  The Chiefs opened as 7.5-point favorites or higher, and now this line has been bet down to 6.5 in most places as of this writing.  So if your book as +6.5 make sure to buy it up to +7 and bet the Ravens. 

This really comes down to the numbers for me.  The Ravens have the numbers of an elite team in spite of their mediocre 7-5 record.  They are outgaining teams by 102 yards per game on the season.  To compare, the Chiefs are only outgaining teams by 20 yards per game, which isn’t the sign of a 10-2 team.  I think the Chiefs are grossly overrated at this point of the season. 

The problem with the Chiefs is that they give up 27.2 points per game while ranking 31st in the league in total defense at 417 yards per game allowed.  Only the Bengals have been worse.  The Ravens rank 1st in the NFL in scoring defense at 17.8 points per game allowed, and 1st in total defense at 281.7 yards per game allowed. 

Lamar Jackson took over three games ago, and the Ravens have gone 3-0 in his starts while outscoring their three opponents by a combined 30 points, or by an average of 10 points per game.  They have become a run-heavy team since Jackson took over, averaging a whopping 238 rushing yards per game in their last three games.  That doesn’t bode well for the Chiefs, who are tied for dead last in the NFL in allowing 5.1 yards per carry this season.  So this is a great matchup for the Ravens’ offense.  They can control time of possession and keep Mahomes off the field with their ground game. 

It’s also a great matchup for the Ravens’ defense.  The Chiefs won’t be running the ball much now that Kareem Hunt has been released.  And they'll certainly miss his 1,202 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns as he was a matchup nightmare, especially in the passing game.  The Chiefs will be putting the ball in Pat Mahomes’ hand even more.

Well, the Ravens rank 2nd in the NFL against the pass, giving up just 194.4 passing yards per game.  Better yet, the Ravens are 1st in the NFL in passing yards per attempt (6.1) allowed.  No other defense is even close to them in that department as only three teams allow fewer than 6.8 per attempt this season. 

Baltimore is 11-1 ATS in their last 12 road games vs. terrible defensive teams that allow 375 or more yards per game in the second half of the season.  Kansas City is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games after gaining 450 or more total yards in its previous game.  The Ravens are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games after gaining 150 or more rushing yards in their previous game.  Bet the Ravens Sunday. 

20* AFC South GAME OF THE MONTH on Indianapolis Colts +5 

In the NFL, lines are very tight.  And if a line if a point or two off, that’s all it takes for there to be some value.  I think this line should be Texans -3.  So we are basically getting two points of value on the Colts +5 this week.  That’s enough for me to pull the trigger. 

I believe the Texans are overvalued due to their 9-game winning streak.  And they’re coming off a misleading 16-point win over the Browns last week.  The Browns basically gave that game away by losing the turnover battle 4-0.  They had a 75-yard TD called back by a penalty, and they had another would-be 75-yard TD on the next play end in a player fumbling the ball through the end zone for a touchback.  The Browns gained 428 yards on the Texans and outgained them by 44 yards for the game. 

I believe the Colts come in undervalued this week off their upset 6-0 shutout loss at Jacksonville last week.  But the Colts actually outgained the Jaguars by 54 yards and held them to 211 yards.  In fact, the Colts have now outgained eight of their last nine opponents coming in.  That’s the sign of an elite team and one that I want to put my money behind, especially as 5-point underdogs. 

There’s no doubt the Colts want revenge from their 34-37 (OT) home loss to the Texans earlier this season in their first meeting.  The Colts gained 478 total yards on the Texans and moved the ball at will.  I think the Texans will relax this week.  They have a three-game lead over both the Colts and Titans in the division, so they can afford a loss.  Meanwhile, the Colts are in must-win mode here trying to stay alive for a wild card spot. 

Andrew Luck has been tremendous off a loss.  In fact, Luck is 25-8 SU & 24-9 ATS in his last 33 games as a starting quarterback following a defeat.  Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Indianapolis) - revenging a loss where opponent scored 35 or more points, who are also off a close loss by 7 points or less to a division rival are 30-9 (76.9%) ATS since 1983. 

The road team is 6-1-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Colts are 7-3-2 ATS in the last 12 meetings.  The Colts are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five trips to Houston.  Indianapolis is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games after scoring 14 points or fewer in its previous game.  The Texans are 1-7 ATS in their last eight December games.  Take the Colts Sunday. 

25* NFL BLOWOUT GAME OF THE YEAR on Buffalo Bills -3 

The Buffalo Bills deserved to blow out the Miami Dolphins last week.  But the fact that they somehow lost that game 17-21 has them undervalued coming into this game.  They failed to cover the spread as closing 3.5 points underdogs, and it was one of the most misleading finals of the season. 

The Bills gained 415 total yards and held the Dolphins to just 175 total yards, outgaining them by 240 yards for the game.  Those stats alone show that the Bills should have won the game.  But Charles Clay dropped what would have been a game-winning touchdown catch late as well.  I think it works out better for us this week that they actually lost though, because now we’re laying only 3 points instead of 4 or more. 

The Jets are getting too much credit for giving the Titans a run for their money last week.  The Jets actually led that game most the way, but eventually lost 22-26, covering as 10-point underdogs.  But they were thoroughly out-statted as well.  The Jets gained just 280 total yards and gave up 403 total yards, getting outgained by 123 yards by the Titans. 

The Jets are now 0-6 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  They have been blown out consistently with all six losses by 4 points or more, five losses by 7 points or more, and four losses by 14 points or more.  They have been outscored by 90 points during this losing streak, or by an average of 15 points per game. 

The reason I love this Bills team is because they play defense.  In fact, the Bills rank 2nd in the NFL in total defense, giving up just 294.2 yards per game.  The third place Bears give up 317.9 yards per game, and they only trail the Ravens (281.7) in this category.  They have an elite defense, yet they don’t get credit for it. 

The Bills have played much better on offense when either Josh Allen or Matt Barkley has been under center at quarterback.  In fact, Allen ranks 3rd in the NFL in rushing over the last two weeks, rushing for a combined 234 yards the past two games.  I don’t think he gets enough credit for being the dual-threat he is, completing opening up this offense and making opposing defenses defend the entire field. 

The Jets are a bad team, period.  They get outgained by 75.4 yards per game on the season, while the Bills only get outgained by 8.5 yards per game.  The Jets rank 23rd in total defense, giving up 376.4 yards per game on the season.  New York also ranks 30th in total offense, averaging just 301.0 yards per game on the season. 

Buffalo blew out New York 41-10 on the road as 7-point underdogs in their first meeting this season.  This was every bit the blowout the final score showed and wasn’t misleading at all.  The Bills gained 451 total yards in that game and gave up just 199 yards, outgaining the Jets by 252 total yards in that contest.  The Bills rushed for 212 yards on the Jets, and Matt Barkley played well with 232 passing yards and two touchdowns.  Allen and company should also have plenty of success on this Jets defense once again. 

The Jets are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 games off a road cover where they lost straight up as an underdog.  New York is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 road games after allowing 25 points or more in two straight games.  Buffalo is 15-3 ATS in its last 18 home games vs. bad defensive teams who give up 24 or more points per game in the second half of the season.  The Jets are 0-5 ATS in their last five vs. AFC East opponents.  The Bills are 5-1 ATS in their last six home meetings with the Jets.  Bet the Bills Sunday. 

20* T’Wolves/Blazers NBA TV Late-Night BAILOUT on Portland -2 

It’s time to ‘buy low’ on the Portland Trail Blazers.  They have lost six of their last eight and are just 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.  The betting public doesn’t want anything to do with them, and these are just the types of teams I’m looking to back. 

The Blazers are coming off a 22-point win over the Suns, though, and now they get star guard CJ McCollum back from injury tonight.  They are 100% healthy and should make easy work of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are getting way too much respect from the books right now. 

We’ll ‘sell high’ on the Timberwolves, who are 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  But those six wins have come against six teams with losing records, so they have simply feasted on an easy schedule.  The only good team they played during this stretch was Boston, and they lost at home. 

The Timberwolves are just 2-8 on the road this season, losing by 7.1 points per game.  The Blazers are 9-4  at home and winning by 8.6 points per game.  Portland is 37-10 SU in its last 47 home meetings with Minnesota, including 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in its last five home meetings.  The home team is 9-0 SU in the last nine meetings. 

The Blazers are 37-13-1 ATS in their last 51 meetings with the Timberwolves.  Minnesota is 0-8 ATS in road games after covering three of its last four against the spread over the past two seasons.  Portland is 9-1 ATS after allowing 90 points or less over the last two years.  The Blazers are 25-10 ATS in their last 35 home games.  Bet the Blazers Saturday. 

15* NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Memphis Grizzlies -2 

Both the Grizzlies and Lakers are in tough spots tonight playing the 2nd of a back-to-back.  However, the Grizzlies have had more rest over the last few weeks, so they are the preferred side here.  The Grizzlies will be playing their 5th game in 11 days, while the Lakers will be playing their 6th game in 10 days. 

The Lakers have been pretty dreadful on the road this season at 5-6 SU & 4-7 ATS.  They lost by 13 to the Spurs last night and by 32 to the Nuggets in their last two road games.  Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 8-3 SU & 8-3 ATS at home this season.  And they basically just have to win this game to cover the spread. 

Making matters worse for the Lakers is the fact that they are playing without two key players right now in Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo.  Given this tough rest situation, their lack of depth to make up for those two key losses is huge.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Grizzlies tonight.  The Lakers are 0-6 ATS in their last six games when their Starting 5 combines for more than 160 minutes played the previous day. 

Los Angeles is 1-8 ATS vs. good ball-handling teams who commit 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season.  The Lakers are 4-13 ATS after having won four of their last five games over the past two seasons.  Memphis is 13-3 ATS in home games off an upset win as an underdog over the last three years.  The Grizzlies are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 home games, and 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Bet the Grizzlies Saturday. 

20* NBA Saturday No-Doubt Rout on New York Knicks -2.5 

There are so many factors favoring the Knicks to win and cover tonight against the Brooklyn Nets.  I’ll gladly lay the short number with them here at home in a game they should win in blowout fashion. 

The Knicks are rested playing just their 2nd game in 5 days and their 4th game in 10 days tonight.  The same cannot be said for the Nets, who will be playing the 2nd of back-to-back, their 3rd game in 4 days and their 6th game in 9 days.  This is a tired, vulnerable Nets team right now, especially after going into overtime last night.

The Nets are just 1-8 SU in their last nine games overall.  But they did upset the Raptors 106-105 at home last night.  However, that works against them now because it’s a letdown spot after beating the team with the best record in the NBA.  They won’t get up for the Knicks nearly as much as they were up for the Raptors last night, and they certainly won’t have much left in the tank for the Knicks. 

The Knicks own the Nets, going 5-1 SU & 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.  They won by 19 at home earlier this season, and by 16 in their final home meeting last season.  They also won by 21 in their first home meetings last season.  Each of their last five wins in this series have come by 7 points or more, including four by double-digits. 

Brooklyn is 0-7 ATS when playing its 3rd game in 4 days this season.  It is losing by 8.4 points per game on average in this spot.  The Nets are also 0-7 ATS in their last seven games when playing on zero rest.  The Knicks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home meetings with Brooklyn. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (New York) - vs. division opponents, off a road loss by 10 points or more are 36-12 (75%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Knicks Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Dallas Mavericks +3 

What more do the Dallas Mavericks have to do to get some respect around here?  Until they do, I’ll keep backing them as home underdogs tonight against the Houston Rockets, who have no business being favored with the way they are playing right now. 

The Mavericks are a perfect 8-0 SU & 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games.  They have beaten the likes of the Thunder, Jazz, Warriors, Celtics, Clippers and Blazers at home during this stretch, so it’s not like they are feasting on weak competition.  And now the Mavericks have two days’ rest to get ready for the Rockets after last playing on Wednesday. 

The Rockets are just 3-6 SU & 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall.  They are coming off a 27-point loss to the Jazz, which is their fourth loss by at least 9 points during this stretch.  One of those was at home against the Mavericks on November 28th as the Mavs won 128-108 as 5.5-point dogs, covering the spread by 25.5 points. 

The Mavs are 7-0 ATS at home with a line of +3 to -3 this season.  The Rockets are 0-7 ATS in their last seven when heir opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.  Dallas is 7-0 ATS off an ATS loss this season.  And add in that the Mavericks are 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games, and we have a combined 29-0 system backing Dallas in this one.  Roll with the Mavericks Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Loyola-Chicago +9.5 

Loyola-Chicago went 32-6 last season and made a surprising run to the Final Four.  And they brought back three starters from that teams in MVC Player of the Year Clayton Custer (13.2 PPG, 45.1% 3-Pointers Last Year), Marques Townes (11.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG) and Cameron Krutwig (10.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG).  They’re loaded again. 

However, it’s understandable Loyola-Chicago came into this season overvalued after making the Final Four.  They have gone a disappointing 5-4 SU & 3-6 ATS this season, and now the betting public is off of them.  I think this is a great ‘buy low’ opportunity on the Rambles Saturday. 

The Ramblers were favored in 8 of their first 9 games, but now they are in their biggest underdog role of the season here as 9.5-point dogs against Maryland.  And this is a great spot for them.  While they’ve had two days’ rest coming in, Maryland is in a very difficult travel spot. 

Indeed, the Terrapons lost 60-62 at Purdue on Thursday, so they only have one day to get ready for Loyola.  And they step back out of conference here off three straight difficult games against Virginia, Penn State and Purdue.  I just see this as a ‘hangover’ spot off that loss to Purdue, and certainly the Terrapins could be running out of gas by now. 

Loyola is a perfect 8-0 ATS off four straight games where they committed 14 or fewer turnovers over the past two seasons.  This isn’t a true home game for Maryland, and the Rambles are 7-2 ATS in their last nine neutral site games.  The Terrapins are 1-4 ATS in their last five neutral site games.  Roll with Loyola-Chicago Saturday. 

15* Georgetown/Syracuse ESPN No-Brainer on Georgetown +10.5 

The Georgetown Hoyas are getting zero respect from oddsmakers here as 10.5-point road underdogs to the Syracuse Orange.  I think this is too many points, and it has shown in recent years in this rivalry that home-court advantage means nothing. 

Georgetown (7-1) has already gone on the road and beaten Illinois 88-80 as 9-point underdogs in their only true road game this season, but they’ve also played a couple neutral court affairs.  And they have an extra day of rest and preparation here after last playing on December 3rd, while Syracuse last played on December 4th. 

Syracuse already has bad upset losses to UConn by 7 as 7.5-point favorites and Oregon by 15 as 2-point favorites, both on a neutral court.  Their six wins have all come against suspect competition as favorites of 12.5 or more points, outside of their upset win over Ohio State, which was an aberration. 

Series history really favors Georgetown here.  The Hoyas are 6-4 SU & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings with the Orange.  All four losses came by 7 points or less, and three of those came in overtime.  In fact, Georgetown hasn’t lost by more than 7 points to Syracuse in any of the last 11 meetings.  That makes for a perfect 11-0 system backing the Hoyas pertaining to this 10.5-point spread.  Take Georgetown Saturday. 

20* Army/Navy CBS Saturday No-Brainer on Navy +7 

The Army Black Knights will be going to the Armed Forces Bowl on December 22nd to face Houston.  They have a lot to look forward to still.  As a result, they won’t be as motivated as Navy in this matchup, which missed out on a bowl game this season with a 3-9 record.  This is Navy’s bowl game. 

And you can bet Navy wants revenge from back-to-back losses to Army in this series, losing 21-17 in 2016 and 14-13 last season.  The difference here is that Army goes from being the hunter to the hunted here.  Army hasn’t been favored in this rivalry game since 2001.  Now, all of a sudden the Black Knights are whopping 7-point favorites this year.  It’s simply too much. 

Army feasted on an easy schedule this season that ranked 99th in the country.  The Black Knights haven’t faced an FBS opponent since their 17-14 home win over Air Force back on November 3rd.  They closed the season playing Lafayette and Colgate, and they haven’t played a game since November 17th, so they could certainly be rusty.  It could take them a quarter or two to fully get into this game. 

Navy played the 66th-toughest schedule as their schedule was much more difficult than that of Army.  That contributed to their 3-9 record, but so did several close losses along the way.  Navy lost three games by a total of 9 points this season to SMU, Tulane and Temple.  All three of those teams will be going to bowl games, and they played nine bowl teams this season.  To compare, Army only played six bowl teams. 

I like the way Navy finished the season.  They went 3-0 ATS in their final three games.  They gave UCF all they wanted on the road in a 24-35 loss as 23.5-point underdogs.  They then beat Tulsa 37-29 at home as 5.5-point favorites.  And they finished going on the road losing 28-29 at Tulane as 6-point dogs.  Tulane had a huge second half comeback and needed that win to make a bowl.  They won on a 2-point conversion in the final minutes. 

Navy is 6-0 ATS in road games off three straight games where they committed one or fewer turnovers over the past three seasons.  Army is 16-35 ATS in its last 51 games off a bye week.  The Black Knights are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Midshipmen simply want this game more, and even if they don’t win there’s a great chance they stay within a touchdown, just as they did the past two seasons.  In fact, each of the last four meetings were decided by 7 points or fewer.  Bet Navy Saturday. 

15* NBA Friday Undervalued Underdog on Chicago Bulls +9 

I think the Bulls are a ‘bet on’ team in the immediate future right now.  That’s because they fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday, and getting a new voice will be good for them as veteran assistant Jim Boylen has taken over the reigns.  I cashed in the Bulls +8.5 against the Pacers on Wednesday, and I’m back on them again tonight. 

I don’t think Hoiberg got a fair shake, but he clearly wasn’t getting through to his players.  And now Boylen takes over just in time for their best player in Lauri Markkanen returning from injury.  This will be his third game back from injury after missing the first 23 games of the season.  And the Bulls are rested and ready to go playing just their 2nd game in 6 days here. 

Oklahoma City will be playing its 3rd game in 5 days here.  The Thunder erased an 88-65 deficit to beat the Nets 114-112 as 6-point road favorites on Wednesday thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer from Paul George.  I think the Thunder are way overvalued right now, and this is definitely a ‘hangover’ spot for them off that huge comeback win. 

Oklahoma City is 15-33 ATS in its last 48 games following a road win by 3 points or less.  Chicago is 14-3 ATS in December games over the last two seasons.  Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Chicago) - in non-conference games, off three or more consecutive losses are 31-8 (79.5%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Bulls Friday. 

15* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Sacramento Kings -2.5 

The Sacramento Kings are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.  They sit at 12-11 on the season and will win their third straight game here against the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers.  I love the spot for the Kings as they are rested and ready to go, playing just their 2nd game in 6 days here tonight.  It will also be just their 4th game in 12 days. 

The Cavaliers are a tired team right now, which has contributed to their 1-5 SU & 2-4 ATS record in their last six games overall.  They will be playing their 9th game in 15 days.  They are coming off a 105-129 home loss to the Warriors, and that makes this a ‘hangover’ spot for them after playing the defending champs. 

The Cavs are decimated by injuries right now.  Kevin Love, Sam Dekker, JR Smith and David Nwaba are all out.  Plus, they traded Kyle Korver to the Jazz.  These injuries have taken their toll, especially since the Cavaliers were already short on talent coming into the season.  And their lack of depth is really catching up to them now. 

Sacramento is 10-1 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5 this season.  Cleveland is 6-22-1 ATS in its last 29 games following a double-digit home loss.  The Cavaliers are 3-14 ATS off a blowout loss by 20 points or more over the last three years.  The Kings are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  Sacramento is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 trips to Cleveland.  The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take the Kings Friday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Charlotte Hornets +1 

The Denver Nuggets are starting to get too much love for going 7-0 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They’re now road favorites over the Hornets tonight and they shouldn’t be.  I think this is a great spot to fade the Nuggets, who will be playing their 4th straight road games and are coming off an overtime win over the Magic.  Four of their seven wins during this streak have either come by 3 points or less or in OT. 

I love the spot for the Hornets.  They’ll be highly motivated for a win off three straight losses to Utah, New Orleans and Minnesota.  And they will be rested and ready to go as they will be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days here.  They are primed for one of their best efforts of the season.  Plus, the Nuggets will be without leading scorer Gary Harris tonight, and his absence is a big one. 

The Hornets have had the Nuggets’ number in recent seasons.  They have gone 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four meetings.  They won 110-93 as 2-point home underdogs last year, and 122-114 at home the season prior.  The Hornets are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings, including 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Charlotte. 

Plays on underdogs (Charlotte) - after being beaten by the spread by 30 or more points in their last three games, a marginal losing team (40% to 49%) playing a winning team are 46-19 (70.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last six vs. a team that wins more than 60% of their games on the season.  Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last six Friday games.  Bet the Hornets Friday.  

20* Rockets/Jazz TNT Late-Night BAILOUT on Utah -2 

The Utah Jazz were knocked out of the playoffs by the Houston Rockets last year.  Their revenge tour doesn’t stop just because they won 100-89 in Houston earlier this season.  They want to kick the Rockets while they’re down and win at home here tonight as mere 2-point home favorites. 

This is a Rockets team that’s really struggling right now.  They have gone just 2-5 SU & 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They’ve lost to the likes of the Pistons, Cavs, Wizards, Mavericks and Timberwolves.  Their only wins came against the Bulls and struggling Spurs. 

The Jazz are playing better now that their best player in Donovan Mitchell is healthy.  They have gone 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall with their only loss coming on the road by two points.  Their three wins came by a total of 52 points, or by an average of 17.3 points per game. 

The Jazz are 4-1 ATS in their last five games when playing on one days’ rest.  The Rockets are 0-6 ATS in their last six when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.  Quin Snyder is 37-19 ATS when playing against a team that wins 40% to 49% of their games as the coach of Utah.  Bet the Jazz Thursday. 

15* Jaguars/Titans AFC South ANNIHILATOR on Jacksonville +5.5 

Let’s start out by looking at this game from a line value perspective.  The Jaguars were 10-point favorites over the Titans at home in their first meeting.  So adjust for home-field advantage, they would have been roughly 4-to-5-point road favorites at that time.  Instead, they are 5.5-point road underdogs, which is basically a 10-point adjustment.  The line value is clearly on the Jaguars tonight. 

I like the fact that they didn’t quit on their season.  The Jaguars shut out the Colts 6-0 last week, playing the role of spoiler very well.  And now they want revenge on the Titans from three straight losses against them, including their 6-9 upset loss earlier this season.  They would love to beat the Titans here and end their playoff hopes as well. 

The Titans were fortunate to escape with a 26-22 home win over the lowly Jets last week.  They trailed the Jets 6-19 in the 3rd quarter, but scored a touchdown with 36 seconds left to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  And that’s a bad Jets team that loses by double-digits week after week.  They’ll have a much bigger problem with the Jaguars tonight. 

The Jaguars have been a lot more competitive whenever Leonard Fournette has been in the lineup.  He has missed several games due to injury, and last week he was out with a suspension.  But he’s back this week and ready to have a big game against the Titans.  Fournette has only played in five games this season.  He’ll be fresh since he had last week off following a very productive game against the Bills the previous week. 

I know the Jaguars are going with backup Cody Kessler again this week.  However, he’s not much of a downgrade from Blake Bortles, who has had a brutal season.  Kessler has actually shown well, completing 72.2% of his 54 attempts this season with one touchdown and one interception.  He’ll be much more comfortable in his second start of the season here for the Jaguars. 

The Jaguars (4-8) are the team with the stats of a 6-6 or better team, while the Titans (6-6) are a team with the stats of closer to a 4-8 team.  The Jaguars actually outgain their opponents by nearly 20 yards per game on the season.  They have an elite defense that ranks 3rd in the NFL in giving up just 315.6 yards per game. 

The Titans are actually getting outgained by 31 yards per game on the season.  They have a dreadful offense that scores just 18.4 points per game while ranking 28th in total offense at 310.2 yards per game.  The Jaguars should be able to shut them down, which will be a big reason why they are able to stay within this 5.5-point spread tonight. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Jacksonville) - in a game involving two good defensive teams that allow 18-23 PPG, after eight-plus games, after scoring and allowing 14 points or less last game are 30-8 (78.9%) ATS since 1983. 

The Titans are 0-6 ATS vs. poor offensive teams that score 17 or less points per game over the last three seasons.  The Jaguars are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games after scoring and allowing 14 points or less last game.  Tennessee is 0-6 ATS after gaining 400 or more total yards in its previous game over the last three seasons.  The Titans are 15-33-3 ATS in their last 51 vs. a team with a losing record.  Roll with the Jaguars Thursday.

15* Knicks/Celtics TNT No-Brainer on UNDER 217.5 

The Knicks and Celtics are clearly familiar with one another by now.  This will already be their 3rd meeting of the season.  Familiarity favors defense as it’s tougher for the offenses to get to their spots because the defenses usually know those spots and take them away. 

The UNDER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.  They have combined for 209 or fewer points in five of those seven meetings, so I think there’s some value here with the UNDER.  And both teams will be prepared defensively because the Celtics come in on four days’ rest, while the Knicks come in on two days’ rest. 

Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is 200 or higher (Boston) - revenging a straight up loss vs. opponent as a home favorite of 7 points or more, who are also off a road win are 35-13 (72.9%) over the last five seasons. 

Boston is 14-4 UNDER off an upset win as a road underdog over the last three seasons.  The UNDER is 4-1 in Knicks last five games vs. a team with a winning record.  The UNDER is 8-3 in Celtics last 11 games vs. a team with a losing record.  Take the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

20* Big Ten GAME OF THE WEEK on Minnesota +3.5 

The No. 24 Nebraska Cornhuskers just got ranked in the Top 25 this week for the first time since 2014.  I always love fading teams who jump into the Top 25 in all college sports when they aren’t used to being there.  It’s a distraction, and it’s a sense of validation that makes them come out feeling a little too good about themselves, and not playing with the chip they had on their shoulder previously. 

And this is a Minnesota team that I really like this season.  The Golden Gophers returned five starters this year and are off to a 6-2 start this season.  Their only two losses came in their only two true road games to Ohio State and Boston College. 

Nebraska has feasted on a pretty weak schedule thus far playing just one true road game, which was a 2-point win at Clemson.  They lost to Texas Tech by 18 on a neutral in their other tough game.  This will be their toughest game yet here against a Minnesota team that is 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS at home this season, outscoring opponents by 14.6 points per game. 

The Huskers are starting to get too much love from oddsmakers because they are 24-5-1 ATS in their last 30 games overall.  But the value has been zapped, especially with their Top 25 ranking now, and that’s evident by the fact that they’re actually road favorites here against a quality Minnesota squad.  They shouldn’t be favored in this matchup.  The Gophers are 4-1 ATS in their last five home meetings with the Huskers.  Bet Minnesota Wednesday. 

20* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis Grizzlies -2 

The Memphis Grizzlies will be highly motivated for a victory tonight after losing four of their last five games coming in.  All four losses came by 8 points or less, so they were competitive in every game.  But I really like this game because of a couple other factors as well, including rest and revenge. 

The Grizzlies are clearly the more rested team.  They will be playing on two days’ rest having last played on Sunday.  Plus, this will be just their 3rd game in 8 days.  Meanwhile, the Clippers will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days and their 4th straight road game. 

The Grizzlies want revenge from their 107-112 (OT) loss at the Clippers on November 23rd less than two weeks ago.  Since that game is fresh in their minds, revenge is a factor.  And given their rest advantage, they should be able to win at home this time around after losing in OT on the road in the last matchup.  Keep in mind the Clippers were coming in on two days’ rest prior to that win as well. 

The Grizzlies are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 home games.  Memphis is a perfect 6-0 ATS in its last six games when playing on two days’ rest.  Bet the Grizzlies Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Night BLOWOUT on Southern Illinois -2 

I really like this Southern Illinois team, and I think they are showing great value as only 2-point home favorites over Saint Louis tonight.  It’s an SIU team that returned all five starters from a team that won 20 games last year.  They will challenge Loyola for the MVC title this season. 

The Salukis returned more returning scoring options than any other team in the league.  Senior guard Armon Fletcher (14.1 PPG last year), senior center Kevin Pippen (12.1 PPG), senior guard Sean Lloyd (12.1 PPG) and junior guard Aaron Cook (9.8 PPG) are all back.  Plus, they get the return of forward This Bol (9.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG in 2016-17), who missed all of last season with a knee injury. 

The Salukis are playing team basketball this season as they have five players averaging double-digits scoring with those four returning starters plus Eric McGill (10.8 PPG, 47.1% 3-pointers).  Four of their top six scorers all shoot 43% or better from 3-point range, including three that shoot 47% or better. 

Southern Illinois is 5-3 this season, but they’ve played a brutal schedule with five of their eight games on the road.  Two of those losses came to Kentucky and Mass on the road, and the other was a home loss to a very good Buffalo team as dogs.  They have gone 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall, winning by 10 on a neutral to Tulsa, by 15 at Colorado State outright as underdogs, and by 21 as 10-point favorites at SIU-Edwardsville. 

Saint Louis is getting a lot of respect for its 6-1 start this season.  But it has come against a very soft schedule with five of those seven as home games.  The two road games resulted in a 2-point win against a rebuilding Seton Hall team, and a loss to Pittsburgh on a neutral.  The home win over Butler last time out was impressive, but it also sets the Billikens up for a big letdown spot here. 

Saint Louis is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 December road games.  Southern Illinois is 8-1 ATS in home games when playing just its 2nd game in 8 days over the last three seasons.  The Billikens are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games overall.  Saint Louis is 17-35-1 ATS in its last 53 non-conference games.  The Billikens are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. MVC opponents.  Saint Louis is 1-7 ATS in its lsat eight games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Salukis are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 vs. A-10 foes.  Roll with Southern Illinois Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Brooklyn Nets +7 

I think this is a good time to ‘buy low’ on the Brooklyn Nets and ‘sell high’ on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight.  This number has been inflated because the Thunder have been covering machines lately, while the Nets have been big point spread losers. 

Indeed, the Thunder are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games overall, while the Nets are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  Oddsmakers have to adjust for these trends, and I think they have over-corrected here tonight. 

The Nets gave the Thunder all they wanted in both meetings last year.  The Nets won 100-95 as 7-point dogs on a neutral court in their first meeting.  They only lost 108-109 as 9.5-point dogs at Oklahoma City in the second meeting. 

Brooklyn is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  The Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings with the Thunder.  Plays against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (OKC) - after going under the total by 54 or more points in their last 10 games, in the first half of the season are 40-11 (78.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Nets Wednesday. 

15* NBA Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Orlando Magic +5.5 

I know the Magic are playing the second of a back-to-back tonight after their 105-90 win in Miami last night.  But it’s short travel, and they had three days off prior to that game.  So they’ll still be playing just their 2nd game in 5 days here, which clearly negates this back-to-back situation.  And the Magic are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games when playing on zero rest. 

The Nuggets are being overvalued right now due to going 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall. And they are in a huge letdown spot here off their 106-103 road win over the Raptors on Monday.  I don’t think they’ll be nearly as excited to face the Magic on the road tonight as they were the Raptors. 

The Magic have been grossly undervalued for a month now, and it hasn’t stopped.  They have gone 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  They have won outright as underdogs six times during this stretch, and they’ve been a dog in 11 of those 13 games.  And now they are 5.5-point home dogs here when this line should be closer to a pick ‘em. 

Plays against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Denver) - in non-conference games, off an upset win as a road underdog are 70-28 (71.4%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Plays against favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Denver) - after going under the total by 48 or more points in their last 10 games, in December games are 58-17 (77.3%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Magic Wednesday. 

15* Spurs/Jazz NBA TV ANNIHILATOR on San Antonio +8.5 

The Utah Jazz aren’t playing well enough to be laying 8.5 points to the San Antonio Spurs tonight.  They are just 7-11 SU & 7-11 ATS in their last 18 games overall.  I’ll gladly fade them here as massive favorites over the Spurs tonight. 

I think the Jazz are a tired team right now.  They will be playing their 11th game in 19 days tonight.  And they’ve been on the road for 10 of their last 12 games coming in.  All this travel is certainly wearing on this team.  And they have the distractions from returning home from that long road trip, dealing with friends and family back home. 

Plays against home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Utah) - a tired team playing 6 or more games in 10 days, in December games are 69-36 (65.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Jazz are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Take the Spurs Tuesday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Chicago Bulls +8.5 

I always like backing teams in their first game with a new head coach because they seem to respond well.  And I expect that to be the case for the Chicago Bulls here tonight.  They fired Fred Hoiberg on Monday, and now longtime NBA assistant Jim Boylen takes over.  Boylen was an assistant coach under Frank Vogel and the Pacers from 2011-13. 

The Bulls also recently got back their best player in big man Lauir Markkanen, who scored 10 points in 26 minutes in his season debut against the Rockets after missing each of team’s first 23 games with an elbow injury.  Markkanen is expected to start Tuesday after coming off the bench against the Rockets. 

The Pacers have been without guard Victor Oladipo for the past seven games due to a knee injury.  He remains out tonight.  The Pacers have gone just 2-4 SU & 2-4 ATS in their last six games with one of their wins coming against the lowly Suns by 5 points.  They can’t be laying 8.5 points tonight to the Bulls without Oladipo. 

Plays on underdogs (Chicago) - off two or more consecutive road losses, in December games are 67-32 (67.7%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Bulls are 13-3 ATS in December games over the past two seasons.  Bet the Bulls Tuesday. 

20* Notre Dame/Oklahoma ESPN Tuesday No-Brainer on Oklahoma -1.5 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the Oklahoma Sooners inside Madison Square Garden tonight.  While both of these teams are 6-1 on the season, it’s easy to tell that the Sooners have the more impressive 6-1 record and they should handle the Fighting Irish at home here tonight. 

Notre Dame lost its top two scorers and three of its top four from a year ago in Bonzie Colson (19.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG), Matt Farrell (16.3 PPG, 5.5 APG) and Martinas Gene (11.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG).  That’s a lot of production to have to replace. 

All you really need to know is that Notre Dame lost to Radford 60-63 at home as 11.5-point favorites.  And they’ve played each of their first seven games of the season at home against weak competition, so this will be their first road game and by far their stiffest test of the season.  They barely beat a bad Illinois team 76-74 at home, which is the best team they’ve faced yet. 

Oklahoma’s 6-1 start has been much more impressive.  The Sooners have played five of their first seven games either on a neutral court or on the road.  They beat both Dayton and Florida on a neutral court, and their only loss this season has come to Wisconsin on a neutral, and Wisconsin is one of the best teams in the Big Ten. 

Notre Dame is 2-10 ATS after covering two of their last three ATS over the last two seasons.  Oklahoma is 15-6 ATS when playing against a team that wins greater than 80% of their games over the last three seasons.  Lon Kruger is a perfect 9-0 ATS after allowing 60 points or less in two straight games as the coach of Oklahoma.  Roll with Oklahoma Tuesday. 

20* Redskins/Eagles MNF TOTAL OF THE MONTH on UNDER 45.5 

This is a division rivalry with a lot at stake.  The Eagles are trying to keep pace with the Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC East, while the Redskins are just trying to stay afloat after a fast start to the season.  I think this game will be played closer to the vest, and I certainly think it favors both defenses than both offenses, which is why I’ll side with the UNDER Monday night. 

Both offenses are really struggling this season.  The Redskins rank 27th in total offense at 331.5 yards per game, while the Eagles are 19th at 353.9 yards per game.  The Redskins are also 27th in scoring offense at 20.0 points per game, while the Eagles are 23rd at 20.9 points per game. 

Both of these teams are led by their defenses.  The Redskins are 7th in scoring defense, giving up just 20.8 points per game.  The Eagles are 15th at 23.0 points per game, but I have no doubt they are better than that with the talent that’s on hand. 

And Philadelphia should have no problem shutting down a Washington offense that has been plagued by injuries along the offenses line, at the skill positions, and at quarterback.  The Redskins are using backup QB Colt McCoy after Alex Smith suffered a gruesome injury a few weeks back.  And he’s getting no protection and terrible play from the skill positions outside of TE Jordan Reed due to injuries. 

Plays on the UNDER on any team against the total (Washington) - in a game involving two good defensive teams that allow 18-23 PPG, after allowing 30 points or more last game are 38-13 (74.5%) over the last five seasons. 

Philadelphia is 6-0 UNDER in home games vs. poor pass defenses that allow 7 or more yards per attempts over the last three seasons.  The Eagles are 9-2 UNDER in home games where the total is 42.5 to 49 points over the last two seasons.  Philadelphia is 8-0 UNDER in home games off a division game over the last three years.  The Eagles are 7-0 UNDER in home games after having lost two of their last three games coming in over the last three years.  Take the UNDER in this game Monday. 

15* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Houston Rockets -1.5 

The Houston Rockets have been very good when Chris Paul, James Harden and Clint Capela have been on the floor at the same time.  They’ve been dreadful without one or more of them.  Well, all three are healthy, and the Rockets are as healthy as they’ve been all season right now. 

It has started to show in their play the past two games as well.  They went into San Antonio and won by 31 as 4-point favorites.  Then they handled their business at home against Chicago in a 16-point win as 13-point favorites.  And I expect them to go on the road and beat the Timberwolves tonight. 

Minnesota played well without Jimmy Butler for a while, but it’s going to catch up with them sooner rather than later.  And they lost to the Celtics 109-118 at home as 1.5-point favorites last time out.  That was a Celtics team in a tough spot playing the second of a back-to-back. 

The Timberwolves are simply getting way too much respect from oddsmakers because of their recent success without Butler, but it has come against some of the worst teams in the NBA in Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland and San Antonio.  This is a big step up in class, just like the Celtics were. 

The Rockets have simply owned the Timberwolves, going 10-1 SU in the last 11 meetings.  Houston is 12-0 ATS in its last 12 games following seven or more consecutive overs.  Roll with the Rockets Monday. 

15* NBA Monday UPSET SHOCKER on New York Knicks +2 

The New York Knicks have been flying under the radar in recent weeks. They have gone 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall, and I’ve been on them for the majority of the wins.  And now they’re once again undervalued as home underdogs to the struggling Washington Wizards when they shouldn’t be. 

The Knicks have four outright upsets as 7.5-point dogs or more in their last seven games, which just shows how undervalued they’ve been.  They won outright on the road as 14.5-point dogs at Boston and 8-point dogs at Memphis.  They also won outright at home as 7.5-point dogs against New Orleans and 8-point dogs against Milwaukee. 

The Wizards are 9-14 SU & 8-14-1 ATS this season.  They have really struggled on the road, going 2-9 SU & 2-9 ATS while getting outscored by a whopping 14.1 points per game in the process.  They play zero defense on the road, giving up 122.4 points per game.  I just don’t agree with them being favorites here given their road woes and how well the Knicks are playing. 

Washington is 6-21 ATS in road games against Atlantic Division opponents over the last three seasons.  The Wizards are 1-9 ATS vs. teams who attempt 18 or more 3-point shots per game this season.  Washington is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Take the Knicks Monday. 

20* Chargers/Steelers NBC Sunday Night BAILOUT on Pittsburgh -3 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a misleading 17-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos.  I think it has them undervalued this week, and they should be laying more than a field goal to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football. 

The Steelers clearly deserved to win that game against the Broncos.  They amassed 527 total yards and held the Broncos to 308, outgaining them by 219 yards.  Yet, they still found a way to lose because they lost the turnover battle 4-0.  They had several drives inside the Denver 20-yard line that resulted in zero points, including the final drove where Big Ben was intercepted in the end zone. 

I still believe the Steelers are closer to the team that had won six straight prior to that lost while going 5-0-1 ATS than the one that lost to the Broncos.  They should be re-focused at home Sunday night against a Chargers team that has lost every time they’ve stepped up in class. 

The Chargers lost by 10 at home to the Chiefs and by 12 on the road to the Rams.  They also lost at home to that same Broncos team.  Their eight wins have come against the Bills, 49ers, Raiders (twice), Browns, Titans, Seahawks and Cardinals.  Only one of those teams has a winning record, and that’s Seattle, and the Chargers had a bye prior to facing the Seahawks so it was a dream spot for them.

The Chargers lost their best weapon on offense last week to a knee injury in Melvin Gordon.  His absence is huge in this game as the Chargers need all the weapons they can get to keep up with this high-powered Steelers offense.  Gordon has rushed for 802 yards and nine touchdowns, while also catching 44 balls for 453 yards and four scores.  He is their third-leading receiver, so he’ll be missed in the passing game as well.

Plays on favorites (Pittsburgh) - after having won three of their last four games against an opponent that has won eight or more of their last 10 games are 30-6 (83.3%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Mike Tomlin is 8-1 ATS after gaining 500 or more total yards in their previous game as the coach of Pittsburgh.  Take the Steelers Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Dallas Mavericks +2.5 

The Mavericks are playing their best basketball of the season right now and should not be home underdogs to the Los Angeles Clippers.  They are 7-2 SU & 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall with their only two losses coming on the road to the Lakers and Grizzlies. 

The Mavs are 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS in their last six home games, beating the Wizards, Thunder, Jazz, Warriors, Nets and Celtics along the way.  So they have beaten some of the league’s best teams at home during this stretch.  They also won at Houston by 20 as 5.5-point underdogs. 

The Clippers are the team that’s starting to get too much respect from oddsmakers after their surprising 15-6 start to the season.  They have won eight of their last nine coming in, but most of that has come against the league’s worst teams.  Now they are road favorites over the Mavs when they shouldn’t be. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series.  The home team is 5-0 SU & 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  The Mavs have won 29 of their last 40 home meetings with the Clippers.  The Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Dallas is 14-2 ATS in its last 16 games following a loss by more than 10 points.  Take the Mavericks Sunday. 

20* AFC East GAME OF THE MONTH on Buffalo Bills +4.5 

I won on both the Bills and Dolphins last week.  They were my two top play winners in an otherwise disappointing 2-3 Sunday.  But I’m sticking with the Bills this week and fading the Dolphins.  The Dolphins go from being 9-point underdogs to the Colts to now 4.5-point favorites against the Bills.  That’s nearly a 14-point swing from week to week, and I think it’s too much. 

I believe the Bills to be the better of these two teams.  Miami has one of the worst home-field advantages in the NFL over the past several seasons because fans simply don’t show up.  So they can’t be laying 4.5 points here.  This line should be Miami -2.5 or even -3 at the most. 

I trust the Bills more because of their defense.  They actually rank 2nd in the NFL in total defense this season.  They rank 3rd in the NFL in yards per play defense, only behind the Ravens and Bears.  And the offense got a jolt last week with Josh Allen returning at quarterback to beat the Jaguars.  When Allen or Matt Barkley have been under center, the Bills have been a great bet this season. 

Injuries are another reason I think the Bills have a huge advantage.  The Bills have stayed remarkably healthy this season as they only have four players currently on the injury report.  One is backup QB Derek Anderson, and TE Charles Clay is questionable with a hamstring.  So they basically just have two players out with season-ending injuries.  Miami already has 11 players lost to season-ending injuries.  Two of those are their best playmakers in Albert Wilson and Jakeeem Grant, and Danny Amendola is questionable. 

Having Ryan Tannehill back at quarterback helps the Dolphins, but he is lacking weapons on the outside.  And the Dolphins’ 24-27 loss to the Colts last week was misleading.  They only managed 314 total yards and gave up 455 total yards, getting outgained by 141 yards by the Colts.  Indianapolis simply kept the Dolphins in the game by committing three turnovers.  And that was a home run spot for Miami coming off their bye week.  The Bills also had a bye last week, so both teams are fresh. 

Tannehill is really going to struggle without his top playmakers against a Buffalo defense that has allowed 126, 116 and 107 passing yards in its last three games, respectively.  They are giving up just 116.3 passing yards per game over their past three games, and they’ve held six of their past seven opponents to 156 passing yards or fewer.  That’s almost unheard of in today’s NFL and it just goes to show how elite this defense really is.  They have held four of their last six opponents to 83 or fewer rushing yards as well. 

Miami is 0-8 ATS in its last eight home games vs. poor offensive teams that average 4.75 or fewer yards per play.  The Dolphins are 18-46-3 ATS in their last 67 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Buffalo is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 meetings with Miami.  Bet the Bills Sunday.

15* NFL Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 

This is the ultimate ‘buy low, sell high’ situation here.  We’ll buy low on the Bengals, who have lost three straight and five of their last six, meaning the betting public wants nothing to do with them.  And we’ll sell high on the Broncos, who are coming off back-to-back upset victories over the Chargers and Steelers. 

The Broncos were coming off their bye prior to that win over the Chargers, so it was a great spot for them.  And only poor coaching by the Chargers allowed the Broncos to win that game.  They erased a 19-7 deficit to win 23-22.  And the Steelers win was even more misleading.  The Broncos were outgained by 219 yards and gave up 527 total yards to the Steelers.  But they won the turnover battle 4-0.  It was a complete fluke. 

The Bengals have been plagued by injuries, which is a big reason for their recent struggles.  But they are expected to get star receiver AJ Green back from injury this week, and he makes a huge difference for this team.  I know the Bengals will be without Andy Dalton this week, but Jeff Driskel really impressive me last week, and I think he’s good enough to beat the Broncos with Green at his disposal now. 

The Bengals trailed the Browns 28-0 last week.  They only ended up losing 20-35, and a lot of that had to do with Driskel.  They seemed energized when he came into the game, and that should carry over this week.  Driskel finished 17-of-29 passing for 155 yards with a touchdown in the comeback attempt, while also rushing for a score.  I think this team continues to be energized by their backup QB, who is better than he gets credit for. 

Plays against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points (Denver) - after having won two of their last three games, a team that wins 40% to 49% of their games on the season playing a losing team are 68-27 (71.6%) ATS since 1983. 

The Broncos are 4-11 ATS int heir last 15 road games.  Denver is 1-7-1 ATS in its last nine games after allowing more than 250 passing yards in its previous game.  The Bengals are 9-3 ATS int heir last 12 vs. AFC opponents.  Cincinnati is 20-8-1 ATS in its last 29 December games.  The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet the Bengals Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Atlanta Falcons -1.5 

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are getting way too much respect for back-to-back home wins against the Bengals and Raiders.  These two teams have been two of the worst in the NFL over the past month-plus, so those wins are nothing to write home about. 

Plus, they only beat the Bengals by a final of 24-21 as 6.5-point home favorites, so they failed to cover the spread.  And they were extremely fortunate to cover against the Raiders last week as 13-point favorites, winning 34-17 thanks to two non-offensive touchdowns with one on special teams and one on defense. 

The Ravens take a big step up in class this week against the Falcons.  The Falcons are undervalued off three straight losses, which followed up three straight wins.  But they had their chance to win each of the last three games, but they blew it with red zone struggles. 

Atlanta’s 17-31 loss at New Orleans last week was one of the most misleading final scores of the week.  I know because I had the Falcons +13.5 in that game and was extremely unlucky not to cash that ticket.  The Flacons outgained the Saints and held them to just 312 total yards, but they committed four turnovers, including three fumbles inside New Orleans’ 20-yard line.  Had they simply kicked one field goal on one of those three drives, they would have covered the 13.5-point spread. 

Now Atlanta has the rest advantage in this one after playing last Thursday, while Baltimore had to play on Sunday.  So the Falcons got to watch Baltimore and Lamar Jackson, and their defense will know how to stop them.  Their offense will also find some holes, unlike Cincinnati or Oakland did the two previous weeks with two bad offenses.  And the Falcons have a better defense than either of those two teams, especially since they are supposed to get MLB Deion Jones back from injury.  He’ll be key in slowing down Jackson and company this week. 

Baltimore is 0-6 ATS after outgaining its previous opponent by 150 or more total yards over the past three season.  It is coming back to lose by 6.3 points per game on average in this spot.  The Ravens are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a win by 14-plus points.  The value is on Atlanta as a short home favorite this week.  Roll with the Falcons Sunday. 

20* Northwestern/Ohio State Big Ten BAILOUT on Ohio State -14 

Because Ohio State came out No. 6 in the playoff rankings this week, they know they need style points to get in.  This really feels like a few years ago when they needed style points against Wisconsin.  They were actually underdogs in that game and won 59-0.  They got in over TCU because of it, and went on to win the national title. 

Ohio State knows how to put the hammer down when it needs to.  And the Buckeyes certainly put the hammer down last week by scoring 62 points against Michigan’s No. 1 ranked defense in the country.  I don’t think I’ve seen a more impressive performance all season.  And it just shows what the Buckeyes are capable of when they are locked in.  They’ll be locked in Saturday night looking to impress the playoff committee again. 

I’ve thought Northwestern was overrated most of the season.  They’ve squeaked out a ton of close wins this season to win the Big Ten West division.  And basically everyone else in their division fell apart around them to help them out.   

This is a Northwestern team that is only outscoring opponents by 2 points per game this season.  They are actually getting outgained by 27 yards per game in Big Ten play.  Their offense ranks 126th out of 130 teams in yards per play (4.6).  They are one-dimensional, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry.  It’s an offense that puts up just 23.7 points per game this season, and I just don’t believe Clayton Thorson is capable of matching the Buckeyes score for score. 

I like the fact that this game is played indoors in a dome in Indianapolis.  That’s going to favor Ohio State’s high-powered offense.  The Buckeyes average 43.3 points and 544 yards per game this season.  When I’m laying double-digit points, I need it to be with an elite offense that I know is going to hang a big number.  Ohio State certainly fits the bill. 

I don’t believe this game will ever be close with the exception of early on in the first quarter.  But say Ohio State is up by 10 in the final minutes.  They won’t simply kneel on it.  They’ll go down and try to score for style points because they need to leapfrog Oklahoma or whoever else is in their way in the playoff standings.  So we have that in our back pocket if we need it.  I don’t think we’ll need it, though. 

The Buckeyes are 7-2 ATS in their last nine neutral site games.  Ohio State is 5-1 ATS in its last six meetings with Northwestern.  Urban Meyer is 13-1 ATS off an upset win as an underdog in all games he has coached.  Take Ohio State Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on South Dakota State -3.5 

The Northern Iowa Panthers are a tired team right now.  They’ve stayed in hotels 16 of the past 21 nights and it’s clearly affecting their play.  Now they’re in another hotel for this US Bank Stadium Classic in Minneapolis to face South Dakota State tonight. 

This is a very good SDSU team that returned four starters from a squad that went 28-7 last year, including 13-1 in Summit League play.  They got great news in the offseason when Mike Daum announced he was returning to SDSU after initially entering his name in the NBA Draft.  He has won the Summit League Player of the Year each of the last two seasons, and Freshman Player of the Year before that.  He averaged 23.9 PPG and 10.3 RPG last season. 

Northern Iowa gets too much love for what it has done in year’s past, but the Panthers just haven’t been very good the past two seasons.  Head coach Ben Jacobson is trying to implement a more up-tempo system in this rebuilding year, and it’s not going so well.  The tough travel hasn’t helped as they will now be on the road for a 7th consecutive game. 

Northern Iowa is 3-4 SU and just 1-5 ATS in lined games this season.  Their only wins have come against Bemidji State, Eastern Kentucky by 5 and Old Dominion by 1.  They lost to Pennsylvania by 7, UT-Arlington by 9, ODU by 7 and Utah State by 19.  And South Dakota State is probably the best team they will have faced yet. 

Northern Iowa is 1-10 ATS in December games over the last three seasons.  The Panthers are 0-7 ATS off a loss by 15 points or more over the last three years.  The Jack Rabbits are 15-2 ATS vs. teams who attempt 21 or more 3-point shots per game over the last two seasons.  Bet South Dakota State Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on New York Knicks +8.5 

The New York Knicks have been grossly underrated over the last few weeks.  They have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall, which includes outright road upsets over Boston as 14.5-point dogs, Memphis as 8-point dogs, and a home upset of New Orleans as 7.5-point dogs. 

I’ve been riding the Knicks for the majority of these games.  Their only non-cover was against the 76ers last time out, but that was the second of a back-to-back and a tough spot.  They have now had two days’ rest since playing the 76ers on Wednesday and should be fresh and ready to go at home tonight. 

The Bucks are starting to be grossly overrated due to their hot start to the season.  They are 15-6 on the season, but just 2-2 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last four games.  They lost outright to the Suns as 13.5-point home favorites, and outright to the Hornets as 4.5-point road favorites.  They only beat the Spurs by 6 as 10-point home favorites and the Bulls by 3 as 15-point home favorites.  And now they are massive 8.5-point road favorites against the Knicks tonight, which is simply too much. 

New York wants revenge from a 113-124 loss at Milwaukee as 11.5-point underdogs in their first meeting of the season on October 22nd.  The Bucks are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games.  The underdog is 9-3-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings. 

Plays against any team (Milwaukee) - off a home no-cover where they won straight up as a favorite, in Saturday games are 70-33 (68%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Knicks Saturday. 

15* Georgia/Alabama SEC ANNIHILATOR on Georgia +14 

The betting public is infatuated with Alabama right now.  They are just betting the Crimson Tide blindly because they have been so good to them all season.  It’s time to ‘sell high’ on the Crimson Tide this week because bettors are clearly paying a tax to bet them at this point in the season.  They should not be two touchdown favorites over Georgia, one of the top teams in the country. 

The tax caught up to the Crimson Tide two weeks ago in their 50-17 win over The Citadel.  That game was tied 10-10 at halftime believe it or not.  And last week they only led Auburn 17-14 at halftime and did not deserve to cover the 25.5-point spread.  But they outscored the Tigers 35-7 after intermission to get the cover.  Georgia will offer a lot more resistance than any other team Alabama has played this season. 

Georgia has had revenge in mind since a 26-23 (OT) loss to Alabama in the National Championship Game last year.  They led that game 13-0 at halftime and feel like they let it slip away.  I am 100% confident we’ll get the biggest effort of the season from Georgia in the SEC Championship Game this week, and that should be enough to stay within two touchdowns of the Crimson Tide, possibly pulling off the upset. 

I think Georgia’s 16-36 loss at LSU was a blessing in disguise back in early October.  They gave that game away by committing four turnovers.  They have only committed five turnovers in five games since, and they’ve gone 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.  Their only non-cover came in a 39-point win as 41.5-point favorites over UMass.  Big deal.  They have won all five games by at least 17 points. 

Alabama hasn’t had to face an offense as good as Georgia’s this season.  The Bulldogs score 40.1 points per game an average 481 yards per game.  Their ground game is elite once again as they rush for 260 yards per game and 6.3 per carry.  And Jake Fromm is completing 69.1% of his passes with a 24-to-5 TD/INT ratio while averaging 9.6 per attempt.  He held his own against Alabama as a freshman last year and was the biggest reason they had a shot to win that game.  Fromm won’t fold in the SEC Championship Game having that experience in his hip pocket. 

Georgia is 9-1 ATS after having won four or five of their last six games over the past two seasons.  The Bulldogs are 12-3 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record over the last two seasons.  Georgia is 10-2 ATS vs. good rushing teams who average 4.75 or more yards per carry over the last two years.  The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings. 

Plays on neutral field underdogs (Georgia) - an excellent rushing team that averages 225 or more rushing yards per game, after gaining 225 or more rushing yards in four straight games coming in are 23-3 (88.5%) ATS since 1992.  Roll with Georgia Saturday. 

25* Conference Championship GAME OF THE YEAR on Memphis +3.5 

I was on the Memphis Tigers last week in a dominant 52-31 win over Houston.  They took advantage of Houston’s starting QB being out, and now they’ll take advantage of UCF’s starting QB being out this week as well.  The wrong team is favored in this matchup, and I love everything about Memphis in this AAC Championship Game Saturday. 

The streak ends here.  UCF has won 24 consecutive games over the past two seasons, but all of that was with QB McKenzie Milton at quarterback.  He has accounted for 80 total touchdowns over the past two seasons, more than any other player in college football.   He is simply irreplaceable. 

UCF’s backup is freshman Darriel Mack Jr.  He has gotten some action this season in either mop up duty or like last week against USF in the second half after Milton went out.  He has not been impressive at all.  Mack Jr. is completing just 48.8% of his 43 attempts and averaging only 4.0 yards per attempt.  He hasn’t thrown a single touchdown pass on those 43 attempts, either. 

Mack Jr. is more of a running quarterback as he has rushed for 281 yards on 40 attempts.  Well, that plays right into the hands of Memphis, who have the better defense in this matchup, especially against the run.  The Tigers are only giving up 3.9 yards per carry on 40 attempts per game this year.  That is the strength of their defense. 

UCF has been good at stopping the pass, but terrible at stopping the run.  The Knights give up 212 rushing yards per game and 4.5 per carry, including 262 rushing yards per game in their last four games coming in.  The Tigers average 276 rushing yards per game and 6.4 per attempt.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a great passing team at 254 yards per game and 8.6 per attempt behind Brady White, but their strength is their ground game. 

And Memphis has one of the best running backs in the country and a future NFL star in Darrell Henderson.  He has rushed for the second-most yards in the nation with 1,700 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 8.6 per carry.  He is a huge back who is tough to bring down, and he has tremendous explosiveness and quickness for a big guy.  Henderson rushed for 199 yards against UCF in their first meeting. 

Speaking of that first meeting, Memphis will be playing with triple-revenge from three losses to UCF over the past two seasons.  They blew a 30-14 lead over UCF and lost 30-31 at home in their first meeting this season.  They also lost during the regular season last year at UCF and again at UCF 55-62 in overtime in last year’s AAC Championship Game.  To say they want revenge would be a massive understatement, and they don’t care that Milton is out, they just want to beat this UCF team so badly. 

I don’t think UCF should be favored at all without Milton.  And I just don’t see how the Knights can keep up on the scoreboard with this high-powered Memphis offense that averages 43.8 points and 530 yards per game this season.  They hung 52 on Houston last week and amassed 610 total yards, including 410 rushing.  They have gone 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall and are playing their best football of the season down the stretch when these games matter most. 

Memphis is 7-0 ATS vs. poor rushing defenses that allow 200 or more rushing yards per game over the last two seasons.  It is winning by 30.3 points per game on average in this spot.  Bet Memphis Saturday.

15* Oklahoma State/Minnesota BTN Late-Night BAILOUT on Minnesota -2.5 

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are primed to be one of the most improved teams in the country this season.  They are coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued 15-17 season.  And they are definitely flying under the radar in the early going.  This is a Minnesota team that returned five starters from last year while also bringing in talented transfers and freshmen. 

Oklahoma State loses four of its top five scorers from last year, including Jeffrey Carroll (15.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG) & Kendall Smith (13.1 PPG).  They also lost five of their top seven scorers who combined to average 53 points per game.  That’s going to be tough to replace with just two starters returning and their leading returning starter averaging 8.7 PPG. 

Minnesota is happy to be back home after four straight road games, and they’ve done well to go 5-1 this season.  They are 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS in their last two home games, beating Nebraska-Omaha by 28 as 14.5-point favorites and Utah by 9 as 8-point favorites. 

Oklahoma State is 4-2 on the season.  It is getting too much respect from its wins over LSU, Memphis, UTSA & College of Charleston.  But they lost by 19 to Villanova on a neutral, and they suffered a big upset in their only true road game at Charlotte as 13-point favorites.  If they can’t beat Charlotte on the road, they have no chance of this deep, experienced Minnesota squad. 

Oklahoma State is 9-22 ATS in its last 31 games as a road dog of 3 points or less or PK.  Dating back further, the Cowboys are 24-45 ATS in their last 69 games as a road dog of 6 points or less or PK.  Boynton is 2-9 ATS after having won four or five of his last six games as the coach of Oklahoma State.  Roll with Minnesota Friday. 

20* Utah/Washington Pac-12 Championship No-Brainer on Washington -5 

The Washington Huskies were one of the most overrated teams in the country all season.  So despite the fact that they went 9-3 SU, they went just 3-9 ATS.  They were consistently laying too many points week in and week out because many expected them to be a playoff contender coming into the season. 

This is the role I like them in.  The Huskies are only 5-point favorites here against the Utes.  Two of their three covers this season came as a small favorite or underdog.  They won 21-7 at Utah in their first meeting as 4-point favorites, and then last week put together their most complete performance of the season in a 28-15 win at Washington State as 3-point dogs. 

The line in that first meeting with Utah is important.  Washington was a 4-point favorite in that true road game, and now they are only a 5-point favorite on a neutral field in the rematch.  When you adjust for Utah’s massive home-field advantage, Washington would have been around an 8-point favorite on a neutral back then.  So we are getting value here. 

And I think Utah has gotten worse since that game while Washington has gotten better.  The Utes have lost starting QB Huntley and starting RB Moss, their two best players on offense.  Washington State has gotten a healthy Myles Gaskins back at RB after missing a few games and TE Hunter Bryant who missed the first nine games of the season. 

The Huskies outgained Washington State by 250 total yards last week.  They rushed for 258 yards, including 170 and three touchdowns from Gaskins.  And Bryant is one of the most talented tight ends in the country, so Jake Browning is glad to have him back.  He caught three balls for 108 yards and a touchdown in the snow against the Cougars. 

Meanwhile, Utah had to erase a 27-7 deficit in the second half last week to come back and beat BYU 35-27.  The Utes did not deserve to win that game at all as they managed just 296 total yards and were outgained by 61 yards.  But they used a lot of energy to erase that deficit, and they haven’t had a bye since mid-September.  They are running on fumes right now. 

Washington gets an extra days’ rest after playing Washington State last Friday, while Utah had to play a late-night game on Saturday.  And the Huskies just had their bye on November 10th, so they are by far the fresher team.  It explains their solid play to close out the season, and I think they have another big performance in them here Friday night as they claim the Pac-12 title in blowout fashion.  Bet Washington Friday. 

15* NBA Friday No-Doubt Rout on Boston Celtics -12 

The Boston Celtics are a good ‘buy low’ candidate right now. They have gotten off to a disappointing 11-10 start this season, but they are starting to play up to their potential.  They beat Atlanta by 18 on the road and New Orleans by 17 on the road in winning two of their last three coming in. 

Now the Celtics are well-rested and ready to go having last played on Monday, coming in on three days’ rest.  Meanwhile, they’ll be playing a Cleveland Cavaliers team that will be playing their 5th game in 8 days.  So the Celtics should have a huge advantage in the rest department here. 

And I haven’t even factored in that the Cavaliers are one of the worst teams in the NBA yet.  Cleveland is 4-16 this season, including 1-9 on the road where they are losing by an average of double-digits per game.  They are coming off a 17-point loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. 

Boston is 12-1 ATS after having lost four or five of their last six games coming in over the past two seasons.  The Celtics are 15-3 ATS off an upset win as an underdog over the last two seasons.  The Cavaliers are 19-43-2 ATS in their last 64 games following a loss by more than 10 points.  Boston is 20-7 ATS in its last 27 home games.  Take the Celtics Friday. 

20* Clippers/Kings TNT Late-Night BAILOUT on UNDER 235.5 

I cashed the Clippers/Suns UNDER 230 last night with ease in a game that saw only 214 combined points.  And now I’m back on the UNDER in another Clippers game tonight, this time with a total even higher (235.5) and against the Sacramento Kings. 

The Clippers won’t be looking to push the tempo playing the 2nd of a back-to-back here.  And a big reason I was on the UNDER last night was because Avery Bradley is healthy now, and the Clippers have the best defensive backcourt in the NBA with Bradley and Patrick Beverly.  They made life tough on Devin Booker last night, and they will make life tough on De’Aron Fox and the Kings guards tonight as well. 

I think this number is inflated because the Kings have gone over the total in six straight, while the Clippers have gone over seven of their last nine.  It’s an overreaction and one we’ll take advantage of here just as we did last night. 

The Clippers and Kings have combined for 236 or fewer points in 86 straight meetings dating back to 1996.  They have combined for 232 or fewer points in 84 of those 86 meetings.  The UNDER is 16-5 in Kings last 21 home games.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Kings last five games following a double-digit home loss. 

Plays on the UNDER on road teams where the total is 210 or higher (LA Clippers) - who give up 43.5% to 45.5% shooting on the season against a team that gives up 45.5% to 47.5% after five straight games where they held their opponent to 42% or less are 26-6 (81.2%) over the last five seasons.  Take the UNDER in this game Thursday. 

15* Pacers/Lakers NBA Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Los Angeles -4.5 

The Los Angeles Lakers should be highly motivated for a victory at home tonight.  They are coming off back-to-back losses, including their worst loss of the season in an 85-117 setback at Denver.  It was definitely Lebron James’ worst game of the season.  James and company will be looking to make amends tonight. 

The Pacers are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers off back-to-back road wins at Utah and Phoenix. And now they’ll be playing their 3rd road game in 4 days.  Plus, they’ll be without their best player in Victor Oladipo (21.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.7 APG).  I just don’t think they’ll even be competitive tonight against a motivated Lakers squad without Oladipo. 

Home-court advantage has been huge in this series between the Lakers and Pacers.  The home team is 8-1 SU & 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Lakers have won their last two home meetings with the Pacers outright as underdogs by 13 points each, and they didn’t have James or near the talent they have now in those two matchups. 

The Pacers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win.  The Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games vs. a team that wins more than 60% of their road games.  Los Angeles is 7-2 ATS in its last nine Thursday games, while Indiana is 16-33-2 ATS in its last 51 Thursday games.  The Lakers are 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Roll with the Lakers Thursday. 

20* Saints/Cowboys NFC Thursday No-Brainer on Dallas +8 

The New Orleans Saints have now covered in nine straight games.  The betting public has made a fortune off this team and they’ll continue to back them every week until they lose.  Oddsmakers haven’t been able to set their lines high enough.  And there’s no question the value is on the Dallas Cowboys this week catching more than a touchdown at home. 

I had the Falcons +13.5 against the Saints last week in a 14-point loss.  It was clearly a right side loser as the Falcons were the better team in that game but found a way to lose by 14.  They outgained the Saints by 54 yards and held them to 312 total yards, but lost the turnover battle 4-1.  And the Falcons lost three fumbles inside New Orleans’ 20-yard line that took points off the board.  It was a complete fluke. 

I like the way the Cowboys have rallied the troops and are feeling good about themselves right now.  They have gone 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall, which includes upset road wins over the Eagles and Falcons, and a 31-23 home win over the Redskins last week.  They dominated the Redskins in that game. 

This Dallas offense has taken off since Amari Cooper came over from Oakland.  Cooper already has 22 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns in four games for the Cowboys.  He has opened up things for Ezekiel Elliott, who has rushed for at least 121 yards in three straight games now.  This offense has what it takes to move the chains and keep Drew Brees on the sidelines. 

Of course, it also helps that the Cowboys have one of the best defenses in the NFL.  Dallas ranks 7th in the NFL in total defense, giving up just 331.1 yards per game.  The Cowboys are even better in the all-important scoring defense (19.4) category.  Only the Ravens and Bears have been better in that department. 

Sean Payton is 2-10 ATS in road games after having won eight or more of their last 10 games as the coach of the Saints.  Dallas is 11-2 ATS after gaining 400 or more total yards in its previous game over the last three seasons.  The Cowboys are 6-0 ATS vs. poor defensive teams that allow 350 or more total yards per game over the last two seasons.  The underdog is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet the Cowboys Thursday.

20* NBA TOTAL OF THE WEEK on Suns/Clippers UNDER 230 

The Clippers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA when both Avery Bradley and Patrick Beverly are on the floor.  They make life hell on opposing guards, and they’ll do just that against Devin Booker of the Suns tonight. 

The Suns have improved defensively this season, but their offense as stalled because nobody other than Booker can make plays consistently.  The defensive improvement has come from the additions of Trevor Ariza and DeAndre Ayton.  The Suns are combining with their opponents to average just 218.4 points per game this season.  That’s well UNDER this 230-point mark. 

I think the fact that the Clippers have gone over the total in seven of their last eight coming in has inflated this number.  But they didn’t have Bradley for the majority of it, and having him back healthy will improve their defense greatly. 

The UNDER is 3-1 in the last four meetings with combined scores of 210, 203 and 218 in the three UNDERS.  The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Los Angeles.  Phoenix is 16-5 UNDER after allowing 105 or more points in five straight games over the last two seasons.   

Plays on the UNDER on all teams where the total is 210 or more (LA Clippers) - after a win by 6 points or less against an opponent that’s off a loss by 6 points or less are 52-22 (70.3%) over the last five seasons.  Bet the UNDER in this game Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday Late-Night BAILOUT on Portland State +12 

Portland State has been grossly underrated the last few seasons in non-conference play.  The Vikings are 15-4-2 ATS in their last 21 non-conference games.  They are coming off a 20-win season and should be competitive in the Big Sky once again this year. 

The roster now has the quickness that will fit second-year coach Barret Peery’s up-tempo, high-pressure style.  The Vikings do lose three starters from last year’s team, but they return Big Sky Freshman of the Year Holland Woods, who averaged 10.5 PPG and led the league in assists last year.  And Peery got a large influx of talent via transfers this offseason that will help with depth. 

Stanford also returns just three starters and lost three of its top four scorers from last season, including its top two in Reid Travis (19.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG) and Dorian Pickens (15.1 PPG).  It’s no wonder the Cardinal have struggled to a 3-3 start this season with its only wins coming against Seattle, UNC-Wilmington and Middle Tennessee.  All three losses came by 16 points or more. 

Stanford is 1-9 ATS after allowing 60 points or less last game over the past three seasons.  Portland State is 11-2 ATS in non-conference games over the past two years.  The Cardinal are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big Sky foes.  The Vikings are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five vs. Pac-12 opponents.  That includes their upset 87-78 win over Stanford as 6.5-point dogs last year on a neutral court.  They’ll hang around in the rematch this season.  Take Portland State Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday UPSET SHOCKER on San Antonio Spurs +4.5 

The Timberwolves are starting to get too much love from oddsmakers.  They have won three straight, but those three victories came against the Nets, Bulls and Cavs, three of the worst teams in the entire NBA.  They take a big step up in class here against the Spurs tonight. 

Few teams have owned a franchise quite like the Spurs have owned the Timberwolves.  San Antonio is 14-1 SU in its last 15 meetings with Minnesota.  That’s why they should not even be underdogs in this game, let alone 4.5-point dogs, which could easily come into play tonight. 

The Spurs are 6-1 ATS in their last seven trips to Minnesota.  Roll with the Spurs Wednesday. 

15* NBA Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Utah Jazz -3.5 

The Jazz have to be highly motivated for a victory right now.  They have lost four of their last five coming in.  But they get their best player in Donovan Mitchell back from a rib injury, and he is worth more to the point spread for this team than almost any other player in the NBA. 

The Nets suffered a big blow when they lost Caris LeVert, their best player, to a foot injury a few weeks ago.  They have struggled to find their footing, going just 2-7 SU & 3-6 ATS in their last nine games overall.  They should be catching more than just 3.5 points here against the Jazz. 

Brooklyn is 0-5 ATS in its last five vs. Western Conference opponents.  Utah is 6-2 ATS in its last eight meetings with the Nets, and 5-2 ATS in its last seven trips to Brooklyn. 

Plays on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Utah) - after being beaten by the spread by 48 or more points total in their last seven games, in non-conference games are 39-15 (72.2%) ATS since 1996.  Take the Jazz Wednesday. 

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Evansville -2.5 

Both Evansville and Wyoming are inexperienced teams who return one starter apiece.  But I’ll gladly fade the Cowboys, who lose four of their top five scorers from last year, and are currently playing without one of their starters in Jordan Naugton due to a knee injury. 

I like Evansville’s hiring of hometown legend Walter McCarty, a 10-year NBA veteran and former All-American at Kentucky.  He was hired off Brad Stevens’ staff with the Celtics.  He brings the program some hope, and the early returns haven’t been bad. 

Evansville has gone 3-1 ATS in lined games this season.  They blew out their two opponents at home, including their 22-point win over Texas Southern as 4-point favorites.  Their three losses all came on the road to Illinois, Xavier and Ball State, but they covered the spread in two of those, including their 6-point loss at Xavier as 20.5-point dogs. 

Wyoming has had a plethora of questionable results thus far.  They lost to UC-Santa Barbara outright by 10 as 6-point home favorites and Niagara outright by 5 as 7.5-point home favorites.  They also lost by 19 as 10-point dogs at Oregon State and by 12 as 8-point dogs to Boston College.  They are just 1-5 ATS this season and their two wins have come against Grambling by 8 as 12.5-point favorites and by 2 over Richmond.  I’m not quite sure why they are getting so much respect from oddsmakers tonight based on those results. 

Evansville is 6-0 ATS in his last six home games with a total of 140 to 149.5 points.  The Purple Aces are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 non-conference games.  The Cowboys are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall.  Wyoming is 16-33-3 ATS in its last 52 games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Cowboys are 4-12-1 ATS in their last 17 games following a win.  Bet Evansville Wednesday. 

15* NC State/Wisconsin ESPN 2 No-Brainer on Wisconsin -6 

I love fading NC State in this situation.  The Wolfpack have opened 6-0 and are getting a lot of respect from oddsmakers because of it tonight.  But they haven’t played anyone of any significance, and now they’ll be playing their first true road game of the season against a Wisconsin team I’m very high on. 

For starters, NC State lost its two best players from last year in Allerik Freeman (16.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG) and Omer Yurtseven (13.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG).  And NC State’s six wins have all come at home against the likes of Mount St. Mary’s, MD-East Shore, UNC-Asheville, Maine, St. Peters and Mercer.  And they only beat Mercer by 4 as 19.5-point favorites last time out. 

Wisconsin returned all five starters from last year and is a legit contender in the Big Ten.  They also got some key guys back from injury and are fully healthy.  They are off to a 5-1 start this year and they’ve been through the gauntlet.  They beat Xavier in a true road game by 9, beat Stanford by 16 on a neutral and Oklahoma by 20 on a neutral.  Their only loss came against nationally ranked Virginia by 7 as underdogs on a neutral.  They are battle-tested and ready for this showdown with NC State to say the least. 

NC State is 0-7 ATS off three straight games where they committed 14 or fewer turnovers over the past two seasons.  The Wolfpack are 1-8 ATS in road games when playing against a team that wins better than 80% of their games on the season over the last three years.  Wisconsin is 7-0 ATS in home games when playing against a team that wins better than 80% of their games over the last three years.  These three trends combine for a 22-1 system backing the Badgers. 

NC State is 6-20 ATS in its last 26 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The Badgers are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  Wisconsin is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Badgers are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 vs. ACC opponents.  The Wolfpack are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. Big Ten foes.  Take Wisconsin Tuesday.

20* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK on New York Knicks +7.5 

The New York Knicks have been undervalued for four straight games now, and I’ve been on them for three of them.  I’m on them again tonight catching 7.5 points to the Pistons.  Oddsmakers and the betting public just keep failing to realize this team is actually pretty good, and much better than their 7-14 record would suggest. 

Four games back, the Knicks only lost by 4 as 7.5-point home dogs to the Blazers.  Then they went on the road and beat Boston by 8 outright as 14.5-point dogs.  Then they upset the Pelicans by 5 as 7.5-point dogs.  And last time out they went into Memphis and won outright by 5 as 8-point dogs.  And here we are again with the Knicks catching another big number against Detroit tonight. 

The Pistons come in overvalued here after going 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  Unlike New York, Detroit is actually getting respect from oddsmakers now.  And these are expectations that I don’t think they can live up to tonight here against the Knicks as this one should go right down to the wire with New York possibly pulling off a 4th straight upset. 

Plays on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (New York) - off a road win, a bad team that wins 25% to 40% of their games when playing a team with a winning record are 28-8 (77.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Knicks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on one days’ rest.  Bet the Knicks Tuesday. 

15* Titans/Texans AFC South No-Brainer on Houston -3.5 

The Houston Texans are one of the hottest teams in the NFL.  They have reeled off seven straight victories since their 0-3 start to the season.  But they could have won any of those first three games as they were all one-score games.  And they are finally winning their share of one-score games during this seven-game winning streak. 

Now the Texans are as healthy as they’ve been all season.  They get some key players back on defense this week and will be playing just their 2nd game in 22 days because they had a bye in Week 10.  They should be primed for another big effort here on Monday Night Football to cement their place atop the AFC South standings. 

The Texans will be out for revenge from a 17-20 road loss at Tennessee in their first meeting.  Well, they dominated the Titans in that game and should have won.  They outgained Tennessee 437 to 283 for the game, or by 154 total yards.  The Titans got a 66-yard fake punt TD in that game that proved to be the difference. 

Home-field advantage has been huge in this series as the home team is 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Houston is 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in its last six home meetings with Tennessee with all six wins coming by 6 points or more and by an average of 19.7 points per game.  So based on this series history, we are getting the Texans at a pretty cheap -3.5 price here tonight. 

Tennessee is a fraudulent 5-5.  The Titans are getting outgained by nearly 40 yards per game on the season.  They are scoring just 17.8 points per game and rank 30th in total offense at 295.4 yards per game.  The Texans are a legit 7-3, outgaining teams by 34 yards per game.  They are scoring 23.9 points per game and rank 15th in total offense at 364.2 yards per game.  And they have posted better defensive numbers than the Titans as well.  The Texans rank 4th in yards per play (5.0) allowed, while the Titans are 10th in yards per play (5.5) allowed. 

Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last five vs. AFC opponents, while Tennessee is just 19-43-4 ATS in its last 66 vs. AFC foes.  The Texans are 10-4-1 ATS in the last 15 meetings.  Roll with the Texans Monday. 

20* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on TCU -12.5 

TCU dropped from the Top 25 with its 64-73 upset loss to Lipscomb last time out.  The Horned Frogs are now 3-1 SU but 0-4 ATS on the season.  I think this is the time to ‘buy low’ on them knowing they’ll be primed for a big effort to bounce back from that upset loss.  We’ll get TCU’s ‘A’ game tonight. 

It’s easy to see why TCU opened the season in the Top 25.  They returned five players who started at least 14 games last season, and five players who all averaged at least 7.9 points per game, including three that averaged in double figures.  This is still a very good team, but one that hasn’t played up to its potential yet.  And the Horned Frogs have had five days off since that loss to Lipscomb to get better in practice and prepare for Eastern Michigan. 

Meanwhile, Eastern Michigan will be playing its 2nd game in 3 days after a 74-78 loss to Detroit as 10.5-point home favorites.  The Eagles are just 4-3 this season and 1-4 ATS in their lined games.  Their four wins have all come at home over Rochester (by 10), Drexel (by 4 as 13.5-point favorites), Goshen and Boston U.  They were blown out in their two true road games at Duke (by 38 as 26-point dogs) and at Rutgers (by 27 as 7-point dogs).  Those two efforts make be believe they aren’t capable of staying within 13 points of this motivated TCU squad. 

EMU is 10-24 ATS in its last 34 road games vs. teams who average 16 or more assists per game.  EMU is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 road games vs. good shooting teams that make 45% of their shots or better.  The Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  The Horned Frogs are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games following a loss.  Bet TCU Monday. 

15* Rockets/Wizards NBA TV ANNIHILATOR on Washington +2.5 

The Washington Wizards are starting to play up to their potential now that the trade rumors started swirling.  They realize they are playing for their jobs now, and it’s finally nice to see them play to their capability. 

The Wizards are 2-1 SU & 2-1 ATS in their last three games overall.  They beat the Clippers 125-118 at home as 1-point favorites and the Pelicans 124-114 at home as 3.5-point favorites.  Their only loss came on the road at Toronto during this stretch.  And they should not be home dogs to the Rockets here. 

Houston is coming off back-to-back upset road losses at Detroit (by 5) as 3.5-point favorites and at Cleveland (by 9) as 6.5-point favorites.  They have some serious injury issues right now with Chris Paul (leg) questionable and Gerald Green (ankle) questionable, and they still haven’t gotten a replacement for Carmelo Anthony.  They just aren’t playing well at all right now at 9-9 on the season, and they are one of the most overrated teams in the NBA. 

The Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games.  The Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.  Houston is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games after allowing 100 points or more in its previous game.  The Rockets are 0-5 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Take the Wizards Monday. 

15* Miami/Seton Hall ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Miami -5 

Seton Hall is a team I had circled as one that I should fade all season when given the opportunity.  That’s because they return just one starter this season and lose their three stars from last year in Khadeem Carrington, Angel Delgado and Desi Rodriquez, who combined for nearly 47 points per game last year.   

That trio is irreplaceable.  It’s clearly a rebuilding year for head coach Kevin Willard.  That has been evident in two games for the Pirates this season.  They lost 57-80 at Nebraska as 8-point underdogs, and lost outright as 6-point favorites in a 64-66 home loss to Saint Louis.  I think the fact that they’ve won and covered their first two games of this Wooden Legacy Tournament has them overvalued, because wins over Grand Canyon and Hawaii are far from impressive. 

Miami returned four players from last year that averaged at least 8.8 points per game each, and several other key reserves.  It’s no surprise that the Hurricanes are off to a 5-0 start this season.  And I think they should be bigger favorites tonight against this rebuilding Seton Hall squad. 

Plays against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Seton Hall) - a good team from last season that won 60% to 80% of their games playing a team that had a winning record, with just one or fewer starters returning from last season are 28-8 (77.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Miami Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on New York Knicks +8.5 

The New York Knicks are getting zero respect from oddsmakers and I’ll continue to back them until they do.  They are catching 8.5 points here against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, which is simply too much. 

The Knicks have gone 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.  They only lost by 4 as 7.5-point home dogs to the Blazers, won outright by 8 as 14.5-point road dogs to the Celtics, and won outright by 5 as 7.5-point home dogs to the Pelicans.  This team is better than the betting public realizes, and they should give the Grizzlies a run for their money tonight. 

No question the Grizzlies have been undervalued up to this point.  They have gone 12-6 SU & 12-6 ATS on the season.  However, now they are being asked to lay a big number here, when usually they are in the role of the underdog.  In fact, Memphis hasn’t been more than a 7.5-point favorite in any game this season.  So this bar has been set too high here as 8.5-point favorites over the Knicks. 

Plays on road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (New York) - off a win, a bad team that wins 25% to 40% of their games when playing a team with a winning record are 60-28 (68.2%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet the Knicks Sunday. 

20* AFC GAME OF THE WEEK on Miami Dolphins +10 

The Colts are getting way too much love this week.  That’s because they have gone 4-0 SU & 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games overall coming in.  Now the betting public is on them, and it’s time to ‘sell high’ here Sunday.  They are coming off a 38-10 beat down of the Titans last week.  I had the Colts in that game, and was fortunate Marcus Mariota got hurt.  The rest was history.  But I’ll gladly fade them this week as 10-point favorites over the Dolphins. 

Indianapolis has only been favored by more than 3.5 points once this season, and that was as 7-point favorites against the Bills.  And now they have to play a motivated, rested Dolphins team that is coming off their bye week at 5-5 and looking to make a playoff push.  And the Dolphins get Ryan Tannehill back at quarterback this week, which is a big upgrade over Brock Osweiler. 

The Dolphins opened 3-0 this season before back-to-back road losses to the Patriots and Bengals.  Tannehill led them to that 3-2 start, and the Dolphins led the Bengals big before he got hurt.  Speaking of injuries, the Colts suffered a big blow when they lost center Ryan Kelly to a knee injury against the Titans last week.  Center is one of the most underrated positions in the NFL.  Kelly is their best linemen, and the Colts have a couple other key injuries along the offensive line that will make life more difficult on Andrew Luck this week. 

Plays on any team (Miami) - in a game involving two poor defensive teams that allow 23-27 PPG in the 2nd half of the season, after scoring 14 points or less in two straight games are 39-15 (72.2%) ATS since 1983.  The Colts should be closer to 3-point favorites than 10-point favorites this week.  We’ll take the value on Miami.  Bet the Dolphins Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Carolina Panthers -3 

I was on the Panthers last week as my free play, and it was probably a week early.  They lost 19-20 to the Lions after going for a 2-point conversion to win the game in the closing seconds.  To my credit, the Panthers outgained the Lions by 78 yards and probably should have won that game.  But their road struggles continued and they lost. 

But now the Panthers return home highly motivated for a victory after back-to-back road losses.  This is a place of comfort for them as the Panthers are 5-0 SU & 4-1 ATS at home this season, outscoring the opposition by 9.8 points per game in the process.  They should get back on track at home here with a win and cover as only 3-point favorites over the Seahawks. 

This is a bad matchup for Seattle.  The Seahawks lead the league in rushing, but they are just 28th in passing offense, averaging only 196.8 passing yards per game.  The weakness of Carolina is their pass D, but the Seahawks won’t be able to exploit it.  Carolina ranks 7th in the NFL against the run, giving up just 98.5 rushing yards per game.  They have the speed at linebacker with Luke Keuchly and company to stuff the read-option that Seattle likes to run. 

Seattle is only 2-3 in true road games this season.  One of those came 20-17 at Arizona, a terrible team and arguably the worst team in the NFL this season.  The other was at Detroit the week they were coming off a bye, so they were primed for a big effort there.  This is clearly a step up in class for the Seahawks, and I expect them to fail here Sunday. 

The Panthers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a loss.  Carolina is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 home games.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Ron Rivera is 9-1 ATS off an upset loss as a road favorite as the coach of Carolina.  Rivera is also 22-4 ATS off a road loss as the coach of the Panthers.  Roll with the Panthers Sunday.

20* NFL Sunday UPSET SHOCKER on Buffalo Bills +3.5 

We’ve already found out that the Buffalo Bills are trying to win every game they play.  That was evident last time out in a 41-10 win as 7-point road dogs over the New York Jets.  And now they are coming off their bye week feeling good about themselves, so they’ll be rested and motivated for another win here against the Jaguars. 

I certainly question Jacksonville’s motivation at this point.  This is a team that made the AFC Championship Game last year, and now they sit at 3-7 off six consecutive losses.  There are issues in the locker room that aren’t fixable.  And they just blew a big lead in a 20-16 loss to the Steelers last week.  I don’t like their state of mind coming into this game at Buffalo. 

Now the Jaguars have to head to colder weather, which they aren’t used to.  And they have to try and get back up off the mat to face a 3-7 Bills team.  I just don’t think they will be motivated at all the rest of the way, especially this week in a hangover spot from that loss to the Steelers. 

The Bills have the 2nd-best defense in the NFL according to Football Outsiders.  That matches up with their season-long stats as well.  The Bills are 2nd in the NFL in total defense, giving up just 302.2 yards per game.  They are also 2nd in yards per play (4.9) allowed.  This is an elite defense, and one that will shut down this putrid Jacksonville offense. 

The Bills get a big boost this week with rookie QB Josh Allen returning to the lineup from an elbow injury.  They have been highly competitive with Allen this season, and pretty bad without him with the exception of that Jets came when Matt Barkley came in and gave them a spark.  I think this offense will take another step forward this week with Allen having two full weeks to prepare for the Jaguars. 

The Jaguars have a laundry list of injuries that has contributed to this six-game losing streak, and it’s not getting any better this week.  The Bills are 5-1 ATS in their last six games after rushing for more than 150 yards in their previous game.  The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Take the Bills Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Oakland Raiders +11 

The Oakland Raiders showed last week they wouldn’t quit on the season when they went into Arizona and won 23-21 as 4.5-point underdogs.  This line of Baltimore laying 11 points Sunday indicates that the Raiders have quit, but they obviously haven’t.  I think there’s a ton of value on the Raiders catching double-digits points here this week. 

Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a 24-21 win over the Bengals last week.  And Jackson will make another start in place of Joe Flacco.  But now the Raiders have some game film on him they can use.  And Jackson isn’t going to lead the Ravens to a ton of points simply because his style doesn’t suit it. 

Jackson only threw fate ball 19 times last week for 138 yards against the Bengals.  They rushed 54 times.  They are going to implement a similar game plan here with a run-heavy scheme.  And that will keep the clock moving and make it very predictable for the Raiders. 

It also helps out the Raiders dramatically because they rank 32nd in the league in yards per pass attempt (8.9) allowed, which is their biggest weakness.  The Raiders have at least been respectable against the run and should be able to limit the Ravens’ rushing attack this week. 

The Ravens are 1-3 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.  There’s no way they should be getting this much respect from oddsmakers.  They are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a favorite, and they have been favored in six consecutive games.  I’m confused at all the love for the Ravens at this point. 

Plays on underdogs of 10.5 or more points (Oakland) - off an upset win as a road underdog are 39-15 (72.2%) ATS since 1983.  Baltimore is 1-8 ATS in its last nine games after outgaining its last opponent by 100 or more yards.  The Ravens are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take the Raiders Sunday. 

15* NFC PLAY OF THE DAY on San Francisco 49ers +3.5 

The Bucs can’t be trusted to be laying 3.5 points at home to the 49ers this week.  They are 1-7 in their last eight games overall with their only win coming by exactly 3 points at home against the Browns.  I think this is a game where the 49ers have an excellent chance to win outright. 

The Bucs keep playing musical chairs at quarterback.  Now they are going back to Jameis Winston this week.  He has been worse than Ryan Fitzpatrick this season, but they aren’t giving up on him for whatever reason.  Whoever is under center has turned the ball over at an alarming rate, and that won’t stop this week.  The Bucs have 29 turnovers in their last nine games, averaging 3.2 turnovers per game.  It’s simply too tough to win that way. 

The Bucs also have a ton of injury issues coming into this game.  They are missing four starters on defense in Lavonte David, Chris Conte, Kwon Alexander and Vernon Hargreaves.  They have two DE starters questionable in Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul.  They are without their stud tight end in OJ Howard, plus C Ryan Jensen and WR DeSean Jackson are questionable. 

The 49ers are coming off their bye week, so they are as healthy as they have been since Week 1.  That should have them primed for a big effort here against the hapless Bucs.  And I like the fact that Nick Mullens is getting another start this week.  Mullens is completing 70.5% of his passes for 512 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in his two starts this season.  Those are better numbers than both Jimmy G and C.J. Beathard have put up this season. 

The 49ers have the numbers of a team that is much better than their 2-8 record would indicate, too.  They are outgaining opponents by 13.1 yards per game this season.  You’d expect them to be at least .500 with those numbers.  And their defense has really stepped up the last two weeks, holding the Raiders to just 242 total yards and the Giants to just 277 total yards.  They have given up 331 or fewer yards in four consecutive games now. 

Tampa Bay is 1-12 ATS after going OVER the total in their previous game over the past two seasons.  The 49ers are 21-9 ATS in their last 30 road games off an upset loss as a favorite.  The Bucs are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight games overall.  Bet the 49ers Sunday. 

20* BYU/Utah FS1 Late-Night BAILOUT on BYU +12 

This is a very precarious spot for the Utah Utes.  Even though it’s a rivalry game, I don’t expect them to be motivated at all.  That’s because they have their big game on deck next week in the Pac-12 Championship against the Washington/Washington State Apple Cup winner.  And if they win that game, they’ll go to the Rose Bowl. 

I just don’t foresee the Utes being motivated at all to face BYU this week.  And even if they were motivated, it would be tough for them to cover this 12-point spread because BYU simply doesn’t get blown out.  I have no doubt the Cougars will want this game more, and I’ll gladly back the more motivated double-digit underdog in this matchup. 

Utah lost its two best players on offense in a 20-38 loss to Arizona State.  The Utes were able to win their next two games against Oregon and Colorado without those two players, but I think it catches up with them here.  Those two players are QB Tyler Huntley and RB Zack Moss, who rushed for 1,092 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first nine games this season. 

BYU has had a nice bounce-back season this year and they want to cap it off with an upset win over retire rivals.  They are 6-5 this season, but three of those losses have come by 5 points or less.  Like I said, this team just doesn’t get blown out.  And I think they’ll hold their own in what is sure to be a defensive battle with a total set of only 44.  I love taking double-digit dogs in expected defensive battles. 

BYU is 6-0 ATS in November road games over the last three seasons.  Plays on underdogs of 10.5 to 21 points (BYU) - off a home win by 17 points or more against an opponent that’s off a double-digit road win are 37-14 (72.5%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take BYU Saturday. 

20* NBA Non-Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Washington Wizards +1 

This is a play against the New Orleans Pelicans.  They are already without one starter in Elfrid Payton, and now they could be without their best player in Anthony Davis, who had to leave last night’s game against the Knicks with a strained quad.  Even if Davis plays I still like this pick, but if he doesn’t it would be an added bonus. 

The Pelicans are running on fumes right now.  They’ll be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 6th game in 9 days, which is one of the toughest situations in the entire NBA.  And the Pelicans have been awful on the road this season, going 2-8 SU.  So they shouldn’t be favored here given the spot and their road struggles. 

The spot isn’t nearly as bad for the Wizards.  Yes, they will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back as well, but they had two days off prior to last night’s game.  That means it will be just their 2nd game in 4 days here.  And they are a young, deep enough team to where these back-to-backs don’t affect them as much. 

The Wizards have owned the Pelicans, going 12-1 SU in the last 13 meetings.  They are a perfect 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings as well.  New Orleans is 0-7 ATS off a road loss this season.  The Pelicans are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games following a loss.  Bet the Wizards Saturday. 

15* NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on Denver Nuggets +6 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are starting to get too much respect from the books after going 12-2 SU in their last 14 games overall.  I faded them last night with success on the Hornets +6, and I’ll fade them again here in this tough spot as the Thunder will now be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days. 

The Nuggets are in the same situation, but I worry less about them, especially after they blew out Orlando 112-87 last night so their starters didn’t have to play too many minutes.  Plus, the Nuggets are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, so they are suited for these back-to-back situations as well as anyone.  The Nuggets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games playing on zero rest. 

The Nuggets have had the THunder’s number, going 4-1 SU & 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Their only loss during this stretch came by a single point as 5-point road dogs in a 95-94 loss.  And here they are catching 6 points, which could certainly come into play tonight even if they don’t win straight up. 

The Nuggets are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 division games, while the Thunder are just 8-20 ATS in their last 28 division games.  The underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.  Roll with the Nuggets Saturday. 

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Kansas State +14 

The Iowa State Cyclones had their dreams crushed last week.  They went into their showdown with Texas last week controlling their own destiny to get to the Big 12 title game.  Simply win that game and this week against Kansas State, and they would have made the conference championship game. 

But they got worked and lost 10-24 in a game that wasn’t even that close.  And for a program like Iowa State, it was an extra crushing loss because they almost never get the opportunity they had last week.  And now they will have a hard time getting back up off the mat to face Kansas State this week. 

We know Kansas State will be motivated.  The Wildcats currently sit at 5-6 and one win shy of bowl eligibility.  They have won their last two games against Kansas and Texas Tech to put themselves in this position.  And that 21-6 win against Texas Tech as 6.5-point dogs was mighty impressive.  They held the high-powered Red Raiders to just 181 total yards.  And they are capable of shutting down this mediocre Iowa State offense as well. 

Now team has owned Iowa State quite like Kansas State.  Indeed, the Wildcats have gone 10-0 SU in their last 10 meetings with the Cyclones.  And now they’re catching 14 points, which makes absolutely zero sense.  The Cyclones have struggled to score points against the Wildcats in recent years, and that will be the case again Saturday.  Especially in this ‘hangover’ spot off the loss to Texas.  Bet Kansas State Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Rutgers +27.5 

Quietly, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have been big money makers down the stretch.  They haven’t quit.  They have gone 4-0 ATS in in their last four games overall.  They only lost 15-18 as 20-point home dogs to Northwestern, 17-31 as 29-point road dogs at Wisconsin, 7-42 as 37-point home dogs to Michigan, and 7-20 as 28-point home dogs to Penn State. 

Rutgers has covered the spread by a combined 49 points in its last four games.  The betting public wants nothing to do with 1-10 Rutgers, which is why they are consistently catching too many points here down the stretch.  And oddsmakers still haven’t adjusted as they are once again catching 27.5-points this week against Michigan State. 

I just can’t see Michigan State being motivated enough to beat Rutgers by this kind of margin.  The Spartans are 6-5 this season and off back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Nebraska in which they scored a combined 12 points in those two losses.  And that’s the issue here with the Spartans.  Can they even score 28 points? 

Michigan State has a putrid offense that is putting up just 20.3 points per game this season.  And Rutgers has a respectable defense that is allowing 409.8 yards per game on the year.  The Scarlet Knights are definitely good enough defensively to hold Michigan to less than 28 points.  And their offense should contribute a touchdown or two. 

The total set in this game is only 37 points.  I always like taking big underdogs in games that are expected to be low scoring.  Basically they are saying the score is going to be 32-5 based on this total.  I think Rutgers can score 7, and I don’t think Michigan State can score 32. 

Plays against home favorites (Michigan State) - after going under the total by more than 28 points in their previous game, in weeks 10 through 13 are 33-9 (78.6%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Michigan State is 10-27 ATS in its last 37 games after scoring 7 points or less in the first half of two straight games.  Mark Dantonio is 0-6 ATS after scoring 6 points or less last game as the coach of Michigan State.  Bet Rutgers Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Vanderbilt -3 

Both Vanderbilt and Tennessee have a lot to play for here Saturday.  The winner will be going to a bowl game, while the loser will be staying home for bowl season.  And it’s Senior Day for the Commodores on their home turf.  I just think Vanderbilt is the better team, and they should be laying more than a field goal at home here to the Vols because of it. 

Vanderbilt has impressed me a lot here down the stretch.  They have played well in five straight games coming in, and that consistency is why I like them so much.  It started five weeks ago when they led Florida 21-3 at home, but couldn’t hold on in the second half, losing 27-37 and failing to cover as 9.5-point dogs only after a 43-yard field goal by Florida with 37 seconds left. 

Since that defeat, Vanderbilt has gone 4-0 ATS in its last four games, consistently being undervalued.  They only lost 7-14 at Kentucky as 10-point dogs, upset Arkansas 45-31 as 2-point road dogs, only lost 28-33 at Missouri as 14.5-point dogs, and beat Ole Miss 36-29 at home as 3-point favorites. 

Tennessee has not played well down the stretch, going 1-2 ATS, with their only win coming at home over Kentucky in a clear flat spot for the Wildcats after losing to Georgia the previous week.  They only beat a bad Charlotte team 14-3 at home as 21-point favorites.  And they lost 17-50 to Missouri as 6-point home dogs last week. 

While Vanderbilt has been able to stay remarkably healthy this season, Tennessee has not.  They have seven players who are out for the season, and several others who are probable or questionable, including QB Jarrett Guarantano.  This guy has taken a beating all season from poor offensive line play, and it’s starting to take its toll.  He is dealing with a head injury, and if he takes another big hit Saturday, he’ll get the hook quick.  And the drop-off from him to backup Keller Chryst is significant. 

No question we are backing the better offense and the better quarterback here in Kyle Shurmur.  The senior will be looking to make a statement in his final home game.  Shurmur has thrown for 2,477 yards with a 20-to-6 TD/INT ratio this season while completing 61.4% of his passes in the rugged SEC.  He has a stud running back to hand the ball off to in Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who has rushed for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging a jaw-dropping 7.1 per carry. 

Tennessee’s offense averages just 23.6 points per game overall and 21.3 points per game in conference play.  And this is a pretty evenly-matched game defensively, tho the Vols give up more points overall (27.0) and in conference play (35.9) than Vanderbilt does overall (26.2) and in conference play (31.7).  So we’re getting the better offense at home on Senior Day playing for a bowl game.  That’s worth more than 3 points in my eyes. 

Vanderbilt is 4-2 SU & 5-1 ATS in its last six meetings with Tennessee.  The Vols are 0-4 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Commodores are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS win.  Vanderbilt is 4-0 ATS in its last four conference games.  Take Vanderbilt Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER On Florida International +3 

I’ve cashed in FIU each of the last two weeks.  They won 45-7 as 10.5-point favorites at UTSA and 42-35 as 3.5-point favorites at Charlotte.  And I’m on FIU again this week simply because I believe they continue to be undervalued here as 3-point home underdogs to Marshall. 

Motivation is a big reason I’ve been on FIU.  Three weeks ago, win out and they controlled their own destiny to get to the C-USA title game.  They’ve completed the first two steps, and now I expect them to finish it off and improve to 7-1 in C-USA with a win over Marshall Saturday. 

Marshall is in a questionable motivational spot.  Sure, they are still alive for the C-USA East title, but they would also need some help.  They would need Middle Tennessee to lose at home to UAB, a team that has nothing to play for this week.  I just really like the motivational spot better for FIU here, especially at home on Senior Day, and I simply believe they are the better team as well. 

This FIU offense has been impressive this season, averaging 35.5 points per game.  And their defense has held opponents to 24.4 points per game.  James Morgan is having a huge season at quarterback for the Golden Panthers, completing 65.5% of his passes, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt, and compiling a 26-to-5 TD/INT ratio. 

Marshall has an uninspiring offense that is putting up 28.1 points per game this season.  Against the same two opponents FIU played the last two weeks, they only managed 30 points against Charlotte and 23 against UTSA.  FIU scored 45 on UTSA and 42 on Charlotte.  I just don’t think the Thundering Herd have the firepower to keep up in this one. 

Marshall is 19-34 ATS in its last 53 games as a road favorite.  The Golden Panthers are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.  FIU is 6-1 ATS in its last seven vs. a team with a winning record.  The Thundering Herd are 0-6 ATS in their last six games after allowing more than 20 points in their previous game.  Marshall is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win.  Roll with Florida International Saturday. 

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Ole Miss +2.5 

The Baylor Bears are in a rebuild under Scott Drew this season.  They lost each of their top four scorers from last year in Manu Lecomte (16.2 PPG), Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (14.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG), Terry Maston (11.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG) and Nuni Omot (9.9 PPG).  That’s 51.5 points per game lost from last season.  You simply don’t just replace those four players. 

The signs were there that this would be a rebuilding season from Game 1.  Baylor lost 69-72 at home to Texas Southern as 22-point favorites.  They also only beat lowly Prairie View A&M 91-80 as 16.5-point favorites.  And now the Bears will be playing their first road game of the season here Friday. 

The Ole Miss Rebels hired Kermit Davis from Middle Tennessee this offseason.  Davis won at least 24 gams six times in his 16 years with the Blue Raiders.  He was one of the most underrated coaching hires of the offseason.  And the cupboard wasn’t bare as the Rebels returned three starters, led by All-SEC caliber G Terence Davis (13.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG last year), plus two breakout candidates in F Bruce Stevens (10.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and G Breein Tyree (10.8 PPG). 

I’ve been impressed with the job Davis has done already.  The Rebels are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS, beating Western Michigan 90-64 as 14-point home favorites and Nicholls State 75-55 as 18.5-point home favorites.  They also gave Butler a run for its money in its only true road game thus far, only losing 76-83 as 9-point underdogs.  I have no doubt the Rebels are the better team in this matchup and should not be underdogs. 

Baylor is 4-17 ATS in its last 21 games off a cover as a double-digit favorite.  The Bears are 0-7 ATS in their last seven vs. SEC opponents.  The Rebels are 5-1 ATS in their last six non-conference games.  Bet Ole Miss Friday. 

20* NBA DOG OF THE WEEK on Charlotte Hornets +6 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are primed for a letdown here.  They went into Thanksgiving Break with a huge National TV win over Golden State 123-95 on Wednesday.  After beating the defending champs, they’ll have a very hard time getting up to play the Charlotte Hornets tonight. 

The Hornets have improved as much as almost any team in the NBA this season.  They are off to a 9-8 SU & 11-6 ATS start this season while outscoring their opponents by 5.4 points per game.  The improvements have come on offense, where they are scoring 115.7 points per game.  And Kemba Walker is having an MVP-caliber season thus far to lead the way, plus all of their young talent is starting to come into their own. 

Plays on road underdogs (Charlotte) - off three straight games where both teams scored 100 points or more against an opponent that has scored 110 points or more in three straight games are 41-17 (70.7%) ATS since 1996.   

Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet the Hornets Friday. 

15* NBA Friday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on New York Knicks +7.5

The New York Knicks are way undervalued right now.  They got off to a fast start this season, became overvalued, but then have lost six of their last seven coming in.  And they’ve been catching too many points here of late, including tonight at home against the Pelicans. 

The Knicks only lost by 4 as 7.5-point home dogs to the Blazers, and won outright by 8 as 14.5-point road dogs at Boston in their last two games.  And now they are catching 7 points here at home against a Pelicans team that is simply getting too much love right now. 

Indeed, the Pelicans have won six of their last eight coming in, while also covering five of their last seven against the spread.  And when you consider the Pelicans are only 2-7 SU on the road this season, there’s no way they should be favored by 7 points on the highway here against the Knicks. 

New York wants revenge from a 124-129 road loss at New Orleans as 11-point dogs on November 16th just a week ago today.  That also sets the Knicks up for a very profitable system in support of them. 

Plays on underdogs (New York) - revenging a same-season loss vs. opponent, off a huge upset win as a road underdog of 10 points or more are 22-4 (84.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take the Knicks Friday. 

15* NBA Eastern Conference ANNIHILATOR on Washington Wizards +10 

The Washington Wizards have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA thus far.  And there is now trade talk where management says nobody is off limits.  That negative media attention certainly has the Wizards undervalued right now. 

The Wizards showed a ton of heart last time out after the rumors, coming back from 19 points down at halftime to beat the Clippers 125-118.  If they were going to quit, it would have shown in that game.  And now I think they can rally around that comeback victory and start playing up to their potential moving forward. 

The Raptors are starting to get a lot of love from oddsmakers after their 15-4 start to the season.  And I think this is a terrible spot for them.  They are coming off a four-game road trip, and I always like fading teams on their first game back from an extended trip.  Plus, they’ll be playing their 3rd game in four days here while dealing with family obligations at home Thursday.  The Wizards come in on two days’ rest. 

Plays on underdogs of 10 or more points (Washington) - after allowing 55 points or more in the first half of two straight games against an opponent that scored 120 points or more last game are 27-8 (77.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Wizards Friday. 

20* AAC GAME OF THE WEEK on East Carolina +19.5 

East Carolina may be just 3-7 on the season, but they have the stats more of a 7-3 team, which has them undervalued at this point in the campaign.  The Pirates are actually outgaining their opponents by 58 yards per game on the season. 

The problem for the Pirates has been turnovers.  But they finally won the turnover battle last week, and they beat UConn 55-21 as a result.  And I think they can hang with Cincinnati this week.  This is a Cincinnati team that has committed at least three turnovers in four of their last six games coming in. 

It’s also a Bearcats squad that had their dreams crushed last week in their 25-point loss to UCF.  That game decided which team was going to the AAC Title game, and they fell flat on their faces.  I don’t expect these Cincinnati players to get back up off the mat in time to face lowly East Carolina.  They probably think they can just show up and win, but that won’t be the case. 

Especially now that stud freshman Holton Ahlers has taken over at quarterback.  He has really thrives the past five games since taking over against mostly a brutal schedule that has included Houston, UCF, Memphis and Tulane.  Ahlers has thrown for 1,601 yards with an 11-to-2 TD/INT ratio this season, while also rushing for a team-high 571 yards and six scores on 5.2 per carry.  He is one of the best freshman QB’s in the country that not many folks know about. 

Cincinnati is 0-6 ATS after allowing 37 points or more last game over the past three seasons.  The Bearcats are 0-7 ATS in home games when the total is 49.5 to 56 over the last three years.  I don’t expect the Bearcats to show up at all this week.  That’s going to make it extremely difficult to cover this 19.5-point spread.  Bet East Carolina Thursday. 

15* CFB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis -7 

The AAC West title is on the line here when Houston visits Memphis Friday afternoon.  I think the home team has a ton of advantages here that will allow them to not only win, but also cover this generous 7-point spread.  Lay the wood on the Tigers here Friday. 

For starters, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis has been one of the best home-field advantages in the country.  The Tigers have gone 27-6 SU at home over the past five seasons.  They are 5-1 at home this season and outscoring their foes by 28.7 points per game.  Their only loss this season came 30-31 to unbeaten UCF after they blew a big lead in the 2nd half.  Houston’s not nearly as good as UCF. 

That’s especially the case now that Houston lost its all-everything QB D’Eriq King to a season-ending injury in the win over Tulane last week.  It’s the one player they could not afford to live without.  King threw for 2,982 yards with a 36-to-6 TD/INT ratio this season, while also rushing for 674 yards and 14 scores.  He was their entire offense.  Now they have to get freshman QB Clayton Tune ready to make his first-ever road start in a hostile environment.  Tune is only completing 47.6% of his 42 attempts this season, and he’s not a dual-threat. 

The Cougars will now have a very hard time keeping up with this high-powered Memphis offense Friday.  The Tigers are scoring 43.1 points per game and averaging 523.0 yards per game on the season, including 51.5 points per game and 602.8 yards per game at home.  That’s why I have no problem laying the seven points with the Tigers here. 

Houston is 3-11 ATS off a home win over the last three seasons.  The Tigers are 6-0 ATS in November games over the last two years.  The Cougars are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games on field turf.  The Tigers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight Friday games.  With what’s at stake here, we’ll get an ‘A-Plus’ effort from Memphis, and Houston won’t be able to match it due to the injury to King.  Roll with Memphis Friday. 

15* Nebraska/Iowa Big Ten No-Brainer on Nebraska +9 

I certainly don’t mind buying stock in Nebraska right now.  The Huskers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  Their only non-cover was a 45-9 win over Bethune-Cookman as 46.5-point favorites in which they pulled their starters after a 38-3 halftime lead.  They have been way undervalued since their 0-6 start to the season. 

The Huskers haven’t been blown out at all here down the stretch.  They covered as 18.5-point dogs at Wisconsin, as 3.5-point dogs at Northwestern in a 31-34 (OT) loss after they blew a 14-point lead late, they beat Minnesota 53-28 as 4-point home favorites, only lost 31-36 at Ohio State as 17-point dogs, crushed Illinois 54-35 as 17-point home favorites, and knocked off Michigan State 9-6 as 1-point home favorites last week. 

How they’ve played against all of those teams shows me that they can certainly hang with Iowa, which has lost three of its last four coming in with its only win coming against lowly Illinois.  The Hawkeyes seem to just be going through the motions since their dreams of winning the Big Ten West were crushed. 

Nebraska certainly has the offense to keep up with the Hawkeyes.  They are scoring 30.0 points and averaging 459.6 yards per game in conference play this season.  And their defense has only gotten better as the season has gone on.  That was on display last week when they held Michigan State to just 6 points and 289 yards of offense.  And Iowa has a very similar offense to Michigan State. 

No question Nebraska wants revenge from back-to-back blowout losses to the Hawkeyes by 30 and 42 points.  But those games were with the anemic Mike Riley at the helm.  Scott Frost has changed the culture here already, and he certainly wants his team to know that it’s extremely important to win these rivalry games.  No question we’ll get an ‘A-Plus’ effort here from the Cornhuskers knowing this is their final game of the season. 

Nebraska is 9-1 ATS off a home win over the last three seasons.  Plays on road teams (Nebraska) - with an excellent offense that averages 6.1 or more yards per play, after gaining 3.75 or less hard per play in their previous game are 23-4 (85.2%) ATS since 1992.  Take Nebraska Friday. 

20* Falcons/Saints NFC South No-Brainer on Atlanta +13.5 

What the Saints are doing is absolutely remarkable.  They have now covered the spread in eight consecutive games.  How rare is that? Well, it happens less than once per season on average.  And with that point spread success now comes expectations from oddsmakers that are going to be tough to live up to moving forward. 

It’s time to ‘sell high’ on the Saints.  They haven’t been double-digit favorites once this season, and now they are 13.5-point favorites against the Atlanta Falcons this week.  And the Falcons are better than many of the teams they have played, plus they are a division rival that knows the Saints very well.  They simply cannot be laying this kind of number against the Falcons this week. 

The Falcons will show up because it’s a division rival and because it’s the Saints, who are one of the best teams in the NFL.  I actually think the Falcons will want this game more to try and save their season and earn a signature win.  And it’s not like the Falcons are losing by these kinds of margins.  The only time they would have failed to cover this spread was against the Steelers in a 17-41 loss.  The Falcons were banged up badly defensively coming into that game. 

The series history shows there’s value with the Falcons, too.  The Saints haven’t even been a double-digit favorite against the Falcons since 2009, and they haven’t beaten the Falcons by 14 points or more since 2011.  In fact, the Saints haven’t won any of the last 13 meetings by more than 10 points, making for a perfect 13-0 system backing the Falcons pertaining to this 13.5-point spread.  And the Falcons will surely be out for revenge from their 37-43 (OT) home loss to the Saints earlier this season. 

Plays against favorites (New Orleans) - dominant team that outscores opponents by 10 or more points per game, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games are 35-11 (76.1%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  The Falcons are 7-2 ATS in their last nine Thursday games.  The underdog is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  Bet the Falcons Thursday. 

15* NFL Thursday Total DOMINATOR on Falcons/Saints OVER 59.5 

Expect a shootout between the Falcons and Saints Thursday night.  They combined for 80 points in their first meeting this season with the Saints winning 43-37 (OT) in Atlanta.  They also combined for 941 total yards in that contest.  I see no reason this game won’t play out the same way in the rematch. 

You already know the Saints are an offensive juggernaut, scoring 37.8 points per game.  They should be able to handle their share.  But they do give up 25.4 points per game at home, and the Falcons should be able to score their share of points as well.  They are scoring 26.3 points per game on the season.  The Falcons have scored at least 31 points in five of their last nine games overall. 

The Falcons are 20-7 OVER in their last 27 games as an underdog of 10 or more points.  The Saints are 11-2 OVER in their last 13 games off five or more consecutive ATS wins.  The OVER is 4-0 in Saints last four vs. NFC South opponents.  The OVER is 19-8-1 in Saints last 28 home games.  The OVER is 16-5 in Falcons last 21 games in a dome.  Take the OVER in this game Thursday. 

15* Mississippi State/Ole Miss SEC ANNIHILATOR on Ole Miss +11.5 

The Ole Miss Rebels sit at 5-6, needing a win to make a bowl game.  They have lost four straight coming in, but it’s not for a lack of trying.  Their four losses have all come by 15 points or less, and their offense has been good enough to win every game.  I think they’re undervalued due to going 0-5 ATS in their last five games, and now we will ‘buy low’ on them here as double-digit home dogs to Mississippi State. 

They were only 5.5-point home dogs to Auburn and 2-point home favorites against South Carolina during this stretch.  And Mississippi State isn’t necessarily better than either of those teams, yet they are laying 11.5-points to the Rebels.  They were also only 11-point road underdogs to LSU and 21-point home underdogs to Alabama.  That fact alone shows you there’s value with the home dog here. 

Ole Miss had 447 total yards against Auburn, 616 total yards against South Carolina, 440 total yards against Texas A&M and 578 total yards against Vanderbilt in their last four games.  With this offense, they are never out of any game.  And I just don’t think Mississippi State has the firepower on offense to put them away. 

This is a Mississippi State offense that is only averaging 17.0 points and 301.3 total yards per game in SEC play this season, and that even includes the 52 points they scored against Arkansas.  So they have been horrible.  The Bulldogs are 1-3 SU & 1-3 ATS on the road this season, averaging just 10.2 points and 292 yards per game.  Ole Miss is 3-3 at home, scoring 41.8 points per game and averaging 572 yards per game. 

Mississippi State is 0-6 ATS after having won three of its last four games over the past two seasons.  Plays on any team (Ole Miss) - off five or more consecutive ATS losses against an opponent that’s off one or more consecutive ATS wins are 39-11 (78%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with Ole Miss Thursday. 

15* NBA Western Conference ANNIHILATOR on San Antonio Spurs -2.5 

The San Antonio Spurs will be highly motivated for a victory tonight after going just 2-6 in their last eight games overall.  They are 2-5 in their last seven games, and all five losses came on the road.  They actually beat Houston 96-89 as 3.5-point dogs and Golden State 104-92 as 3-point favorites in their two home games during this stretch.  They are clearly undervalued right now. 

Memphis is overvalued after going 6-1 SU & 6-1 ATS in its last seven games overall.  Now they’re only catching 2.5 points on the road to the Spurs here.  That’s not enough when you consider the Spurs are 47-8 SU in their last 55 home meetings with the Grizzlies, including 7-0 in the last seven in the Alamo City. 

Plays on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 (San Antonio) - vs. division opponents, off a road loss by 10 points or more are 36-11 (76.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Spurs are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 home games.  Take the Spurs Wednesday. 

20* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Clemson -4 

The 16th-ranked Clemson Tigers are one of the best teams in the country.  They returned three starters from a team that went 25-10 last season and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1997.  And they’ve opened 5-0 this season. 

Guard Marcquise Reed was the leading scorer last year and he’s back for his senior year after considering the NBA.  Shelton Mitchell also tested the NBA before coming back, giving Clemson one of the ACC’s most experienced backcourts.  Forward Elijah Thomas led the team in rebounding last year and is also back for his senior season.  David Skara, the team’s best defender, is also back after nearly leaving to play professionally in Croatia.  All four are seniors. 

Creighton loses four key players from last year, including its top two scorers in Marcus Foster (19.8 PPG) and Cheri Thomas (15.1 PPG).  Also gone are Roby Hegner (8.4 PPG) and Ronnie Harrell (7.0 PPG).  The Bluejays only return one player who scored in double figures last season in Martin Krampelj (11.9 PPG). 

Creighton is 4-1, but all four wins came against bad teams in Western Illinois, East Tennessee State, Boise State and Georgia State.  They lost their only game against a quality foe in Ohio State 60-69 at home as 2.5-point dogs.  And now Clemson will be the best team they’ve played yet, and they are only catching 4 points here on a neutral court.  It’s not enough. 

Clemson is 6-0 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last three seasons.  The Tigers are 10-1 ATS after giving up 5 or less offensive rebounds last game over the past three years.  Creighton is 2-9 ATS as an underdog over the lsat two seasons.  The Bluejays are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Tigers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight neutral site games.  Roll with Clemson Wednesday. 

20* NBA Eastern Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Charlotte Hornets -3 

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the more underrated teams in the NBA this season.  They are 8-8 SU & 10-6 ATS.  Their improvement has come on offense, where they are scoring 115.0 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 4.6 points per game on the season.  Kemba Walker is playing at an MVP level, scoring a combined 103 points in the last two games. 

The Pacers come in overvalued off their 121-94 win over Utah, their third straight win.  But all three wins came at home, and the Pacers haven’t played nearly as well on the road.  Plus, they could be without their two most talented players in Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, who are both listed as questionable tonight. 

Plays on favorites (Charlotte) - after a home games here both teams scored 100 or more points against opponent off a home blowout win by 20 points or more are 28-8 (77.8%) ATS over the last five seasons.   

The Pacers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win.  The Hornets are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home meetings with the Pacers.  The home team is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Bet the Hornets Wednesday. 

15* Minnesota/Washington BTN No-Brainer on Washington -1 

The Washington Huskies are loaded this season with all five starters back from a team that went 21-13 last season.  They have opened 4-1 this season with their only loss coming on the road to Auburn, a Top 10 team in the country. 

Minnesota is coming off a 15-17 season and has been a big disappointment since Richard Pitino took over.  The Golden Gophers lose two of their best players from last year in Nat Mason (16.7 PPG) and Reggie Lynch (10.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG). 

I think Minnesota is overvalued right now due to opening 4-0 this season.  The schedule has been easy as both Utah and Texas A&M are rebuilding teams, and wins over Nebraska-Omaha and Santa Clara are far from impressive.  I think we’re getting the better team here in the Huskies at basically a pick ‘em price. 

Minnesota is 1-13 ATS after failing to cover two of its last three against the spread over the past two seasons.  The Golden Gophers are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games overall.  Bet Washington Wednesday. 

20* Washington/Texas A&M ESPN 2 Late-Night BAILOUT on Washington -3 

The Washington Huskies are loaded this season with all five starters back from a team that went 21-13 last season.  They have opened 3-1 this season with their only loss coming on the road to Auburn, a Top 10 team in the country. 

Texas A&M lost three players to the NBA from last season in F Robert Williams, C Tyler Davis and F DJ Hogg.  This was clearly going to be a rebuilding year for them.  And now they’ve lost their best returning player in Admon Gilder to a hamstring injury.  Gilder decided to return for his senior season after considering the NBA, so this injury is a big blow for them. 

The Aggies are just 1-3 this season with their only win coming 98-83 over Savannah State as 29-point favorites.  They lost to UC-Irvine at home, lost by 23 to Gonzaga and lost by 5 to Minnesota yesterday.  Simply put, they aren’t very good, and they should be more than only 3-point underdogs to Washington today. 

Plays on all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Washington) - after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games, a good team (60% to 80%) playing a team with a losing record are 30-9 (76.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Bet Washington Tuesday. 

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Nebraska -2 

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are loaded this season with four returning starters from a team that went 22-11 last season, including 13-5 in Big Ten play.  Leading the way is first-team All-Big Ten guard James Palmer, who scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games and averaged 18.8 PPG.  Also back is G Glynn Watson Jr (10.5 PPG), F Isaac Copeland (12.9 PPG) and F Isaiah Roby (8.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG). 

These four have led the Huskers to an impressive 4-0 SU & 4-0 ATS start this season with four straight blowout victories.  They beat Mississippi Valley State 106-37, SE Louisiana 87-35, Seton Hall 80-57 and Missouri State 85-62.  They have covered the spread by a combined 88 points in those four games, or by an average of 22 points per game.  Oddsmakers are just way off on this team. 

Texas Tech is coming off an impressive 27-10 season last year.  However, the Red Raiders lost a ton of talent from that team.  They lost leading scorer Keenan Evans (17.2 PPG) and five of their top six scorers overall.  It’s a rebuilding year for the Red Raiders this season. 

The Huskers are 22-4 ATS in their last 26 games overall.  The Red Raiders are 9-21 ATS in their last 30 neutral site games.  Texas Tech is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games overall.  Take Nebraska Tuesday. 

15* NBA Tuesday PLAY OF THE DAY on New York Knicks +8 

This is certainly a ‘buy low’ situation on the New York Knicks.  They have gone 0-5 SU & 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.  So now they are catching a whopping 8 points at home to the Portland Trail Blazers, and I simply believe it’s too much tonight. 

Four of those five losses came on the road, and the other was the 2nd of a back-to-back situation at home to Orlando.  So the schedule is the biggest reason for their recent struggles.  I look for the Knicks to be highly motivated for a win at home tonight in a much better situation here with yesterday off. 

The Blazers are in a much more difficult situation here.  They will be playing their fourth straight road game.  They lost the first two games on this trip by 9 to the Lakers and by 16 to the Timberwolves before beating the hapless Wizards last time out. 

Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (New York) - in non-conference games, off three or more consecutive road losses are 30-8 (78.9%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Roll with the Knicks Tuesday. 

15* NIU/WMU MAC Tuesday No-Brainer on Western Michigan +7

We’re definitely getting a ‘buy low’ opportunity here on the Western Michigan Broncos Tuesday night.  They have lost three straight coming in, including upset losses to Toledo and Ball State.  And now we’re catching more points than we should be with them at home tonight. 

I think their misleading 41-42 loss to Ball State has a lot to do with it.  Western Michigan racked up 548 total yards in that game and held Ball State to 349, outgaining them by nearly 200 yards.  They obviously should have won that game.  And they committed six turnovers the game before against Ohio to give that game away as well. 

Look for the Broncos to be the more motivated team here at home on Senior Night Tuesday.  They want to end their season with a victory over one of their biggest rivals here in Northern Illinois.  And they want to get to 7-5 on the season to make sure they get to a bowl game, as just because they are bowl eligible doesn’t mean they’ll be going to a bowl game for sure. 

What I do know for sure is that Northern Illinois is in a tough spot mentally here.  The Huskies have already clinched the MAC West title, so they’ll be going to the MAC Championship Game no matter what happens here.  Their lack of motivation showed last week in a 7-13 upset home los to Miami Ohio.  And I don’t see them showing up for this game tonight, either. 

Western Michigan is 21-7 ATS in its last 28 games vs. good rush defenses that allow 120 or fewer rushing yards per game.  Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (WMU) - good rushing team (190-230 RYPG) against a team with a good rushing defense (100-140 RYPG), after outrushing their last opponent by 150 yards or more are 31-10 (75.6%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Bet Western Michigan Tuesday. 

15* Arizona/Iowa State ESPNU ANNIHILATOR on Arizona PK 

Arizona reloaded this season by going the transfer route.  They nabbed Chase Jeter (Duke), Justin Coleman (Samford) and Ryan Luther (Pitt), who are all playing significant roles for them this season.  They are among the top six scorers on the team.  And Brandon Randolph (18.7 PPG) and Brandon Williams (14.3 PPG) are leading the team in scoring. 

I’ve been impressed with the Wildcats thus far.  They are off to a 3-0 start and handling their business with all three wins coming by 21 points or more.  And they should be able to handle this Iowa State team that is missing several key players due to injury or suspension coming in. 

Iowa State should be good this season, but only if healthy.  They are without Lindell Wigginton, last year’s leading scorer.  They are without Cameron Lard, last year’s third-leading scorer.  And they are without Solomon Young and Zoran Talley Jr., who players who started for them last season.  They can’t handle Arizona in their current state. 

Arizona is 10-1 ATS in road games after covering two if its last three against the spread over the last three seasons.  The Wildcats are 18-6 ATS in their last 24 vs. Big 12 opponents.  The Cyclones are 5-11-2 ATS in their last 18 non-conference games.  Take Arizona Monday. 

20* Chiefs/Rams ESPN Monday No-Brainer on Kansas City +3.5 

I’ve successfully faded the Rams four of the last five weeks.  And I’m going to fade them again this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.  They have consistently been overvalued, and they remain overvalue here as 3.5-point home favorites against the Chiefs in Los Angeles. 

The Rams are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.  They did win six of those games outright, but only one came by more than 7 points.  They have simply been fortunate in close games, but I think their luck runs out this week against a team the caliber of the Chiefs.  And that hook on the +3.5 could certainly come into play here if the Rams do miraculously win another close one. 

The problem with the Rams has been defensively.  They just haven’t been the same since losing Aqib Talib.  The Rams are giving up 27.9 points per game in their last seven games.  And they are running on fumes right now because they haven’t had a bye week yet, which I think is affecting their defense a lot more than their offense. 

Conversely, the Chiefs have really turned it around on the defensive end after a poor start to the season.  The Chiefs have allowed 23 or fewer points in five of their last six games overall.  They are giving up just 17.0 points per game in their last four games. 

Patrick Mahomes and company are 2nd in the NFL in scoring offense this season at 35.3 points per game.  Mahomes is having an MVP-caliber season, completing 67% of his passes for 3,150 yards with 31 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.  He is averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.  It also helps that he has the best set of weapons in the NFL with Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins at his disposal. 

The Rams are 3rd in scoring offense at 33.5 points per game.  But they suffered a big blow last week with Cooper Kupp suffering a torn ACL.  Kupp was leading the team with six touchdown receptions to go along with 40 receptions for 566 yards despite missing two games previously with a knee injury.  He may be the most important receiver on the team as he’s been Jared Goff’s security blanket on 3rd down over the past two seasons.  His loss is getting scraped under the rug here, but it’s a big one, and Sean McVay even said so after the Seahawks game last week. 

So I’m basically getting the better offense and the better defense in this game catching 3.5 points.  And the Chiefs are 9-1 this season with their only loss coming to the Patriots on the road on a last-second field goal by a final of 43-40.  The Rams don’t have the same kind of home-field advantage as the Patriots.  You can actually hear opposing fans out-cheer them in their home games, similar to what we saw with the Seahawks last week and the Packers a few weeks back in Los Angeles.  Chiefs fans travel well, too. 

The Rams are 2-15 ATS in their last 17 games after allowing 400 or more total yards in two consecutive games coming in.  The Chiefs are 6-0 ATS in road games off two or more consecutive wins over the last two years.  Kansas City is 8-0 ATS vs. excellent passing teams who average 260 or more passing yards per game over the last three seasons.  The Chiefs are winning by 13.9 points per game in this spot.  Kansas City is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Bet the Chiefs Monday.

Note: I originally took the UNDER 63.5 in this game when it was going to be played in Mexico City.  I liked the under because the field conditions were expected to be so sloppy that it was going to be difficult for the offenses to put up points.  But I no longer like the UNDER now that it has been moved to Los Angeles.  I like the Chiefs at +3.5 instead.

15* NBA Monday No-Doubt Rout on Utah Jazz -3.5 

The Utah Jazz are fully healthy now and playing some great basketball.  They have won four of their last six coming in, including an impressive 98-86 win at Boston as 4-point dogs last time out.  They only patch of this season they struggled was when they were playing without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell. 

Speaking of leading scorers, the Indiana Pacers will be without their tonight in Victor Oladipo.  He is the one player they cannot afford to lose as he averages 21.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 4.7 APG.  He is the heart and soul of this team.  Without him they are a below-average squad that the Jazz should handle. 

The Jazz are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games when playing against a good team that wins 60% to 70% of their games.  The Pacers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win.  Roll with the Jazz Monday. 

20* Vikings/Bears NBC Sunday Night BAILOUT on Minnesota +3 

The bye week came at a great time for the Minnesota Vikings.  They had some of their star players miss last game or the last few games, and they have a good chance at getting back some this week.  WR Stephon Diggs will return from a rib injury, and there’s a good chance both S Andrew Dendejo (groin) and LB Anthony Barr (hamstring) make their returns this week as well.  Not to mention, CB Xavier Rhodes (foot) is expected to play as well. 

The Vikings will be as close to full strength now as they’ve been since Week 1.  And they’ll be highly motivated for a win here Sunday night with first place on the line in the NFC North.  They sit at 5-3-1 right now, just 0.5 games behind the Chicago Bears for first place.  I expect them to handle their business here as I believe they are the better team in both sides of the ball, and they are in a prime spot here off their bye. 

The Bears are starting to get too much respect from the books due to going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.  But those three wins came against the Jets, Bills and Lions, which are three of the worst teams in the NFL.  Their other three wins came against the Cardinals, Bucs and Seahawks.  They haven’t beaten a team that currently has a winning record yet.  In fact, they have only PLAYED one team that currently has a winning record, and that was a home loss to the Patriots.  They have simply feasted on an easy schedule. 

The Vikings have owned the Bears, going 6-1 SU In the last seven meetings.  Mike Zimmer is 9-1 ATS off a division win as the coach of Minnesota.  Chicago is 6-24 ATS in its last 30 games after scoring 25 or more points in two consecutive games.  The Bears are 0-8 ATS after gaining 6.5 or more yards per play in their previous game over the last three seasons.  They are coming back to lose by 15.4 points per game on average the next week.  Take the Vikings Sunday. 

15* NBA Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Miami Heat -1 

The Miami Heat had yesterday off and now host the Lakers.  They should be more than 1-point favorites over the Lakers in this matchup considering the Lakers are on the 2nd of a back-to-back. 

The Lakers are 0-7 ATS in their last seven vs. Eastern Conference opponents.  The Heat are 15-6 SU in their last 21 home meetings with the Lakers.  Bet the Heat Sunday. 

25* NFL Non-Conference GAME OF THE YEAR on Houston Texans -2.5 

The Houston Texans are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now.  They have reeled off six straight victories following an 0-3 start.  Yet they aren’t getting any respect from the books.  They are only 2.5-point favorites here in a great spot against the Washington Redskins, who are one of the most fraudulent 6-3 teams you will ever see. 

The Texans are coming off their bye week.  It was good timing because their defense has injuries in the secondary, at linebacker and at receiver where they could get some guys back that they were missing previously.  And they now come out of the bye playing with a ton of confidence due to the six straight wins.  I think they make it seven in a row Sunday. 

The Redskins have gotten to 6-3 with smoke and mirrors.  And last week’s 16-3 win over Tampa Bay was one of the most misleading box scores of the season.  The Bucs racked up 501 total yards and 29 first downs in that game and punted once, but managed only 3 points.  They held the Redskins to just 286 total yards and outgained them by 225 for the game. 

This is a similar situation to two weeks ago when the Falcons were coming off the bye and facing the Redskins.  They rolled to a 38-14 victory while amassing 491 yards.  So, the Redskins have allowed 496 yards per game on average in their last two games against the Falcons and Bucs.  Their defense is leaky, and their offense is now one of the worst in the league. 

Indeed, the Redskins are scoring just 19.6 points per game on the season while ranking 26th in total offense at 337.4 yards per game.  You just can’t win in this league consistently with those kind of offensive numbers, which is why there’s no way they should be 6-3.  And the offense is only going to continue to be poor due to all the injuries.  The Redskins are missing three starters on the offensive line, and they have a few others questionable.  They have also been playing without their top two playmakers in Jamison Crowder and Chris Thompson, as well as receiver Paul Richardson. 

The bye also gave new receiver Demaryius Thomas time to get acclimated to the offense.  The Texans, who rank 14th in total offense at 369.1 yards per game while scoring 24.0 points per game, should only continue to get better on offense now with Thomas around.  And they could finally get fellow receiver Keke Coutee back from a hamstring injury this week. 

Defensively, the Texans have one of the best units in the league.  They are giving up just 20.4 points per game while ranking 9th in total defense at 336.3 yards per game.  JJ Watt is in line to earn Comeback Player of the Year as he’s back to being his former self.  And Jadeveon Clowney is also wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.  Watt and Clowney will be licking their chops at the opportunity to get after Alex Smith while working against a Redskins offensive line full of backups. 

Jay Gruden is 2-9 ATS after allowing 14 points or less as the coach of Washington.  The Redskins are 0-6 ATS after allowing 14 points or less over the last two seasons.  The Texans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a bye week.  The Redskins are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games vs. a tam with a winning road record.  Washington is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games following a win. 

Plays against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 (Washington) - after going under the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games, with a winning record on the season are 33-9 (78.6%) ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Bet the Texans Sunday. 

15* NFL Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Indianapolis Colts -2 

The Colts are such a better team with Andrew Luck at quarterback that it’s like night and day.  They have been competitive this season and come in playing their best football of the season.  They have gone 3-0 SU & 2-0-1 ATS in their last three games, outscoring their last three opponents by a combined 49 points.  Yet they continue to get no respect as only 2-point home favorites against the Tennessee Titans this week. 

The Titans looked awful through their first seven games this year.  They opened 3-4 with all three of their wins coming by exactly 3 points.  But then they had their bye week and have delivered back-to-back eye-opening performances, winning 28-14 at Dallas and 34-10 at home against New England.  No question those two results were impressive, but it also has the Titans now overvalued. 

And I think this is a massive letdown spot for the Titans.  We’ve seen several teams over the years have a letdown after beating the Patriots, and I expect that to be the case again this week.  Mike Vraebel and company put a lot of effort into beating their former team last week, including Dion Lewis, who was not shy with his comments after the game about how much the team wanted to beat the Patriots.  It’s only human nature for them to have a letdown the next week. 

Even after those two performances, the Titans are still scoring just 18.7 points per game on the season while ranking 30th in total offense at 299.0 yards per game.  This offense still isn’t any good, and it doesn’t stand much of a chance of keeping up with the Colts score for score.  The Colts are scoring 28.9 points per game while ranking 9th in total offense at 379.8 yards per game behind Luck.  And they’ve gotten some key playmakers back in recent weeks in T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle and Marlon Mack that will only make them even more explosive moving forward. 

The Titans are 1-9 ATS in last 10 road games after gaining 6 or more yards per play in their previous game.  The Colts are 48-27 ATS in their last 75 games after scoring 25 points or more in two consecutive games.  Tennessee is 16-34-2 ATS in its last 52 games following a win.  The Titans are 10-27-3 ATS in their last 40 games vs. a team with a losing record.  The Colts are 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Indianapolis is 10-2-1 ATS in its last 13 November games.  The Colts are 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings, including 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in Indianapolis. 

Plays against road underdogs or PK (Tennessee) - off an upset win by 14 points or more as an underdog, with a winning percentage between 45-55% on the season are 32-10 (76.2%) ATS since 1983.  Roll with the Colts Sunday. 

20* SDSU/Fresno State MWC Late-Night BAILOUT on San Diego State +15 

This is the perfect opportunity to ‘buy low’ on San Diego State and ‘sell high’ on Fresno State.  We’ll ‘sell high’ on the Bulldogs, who have been the best point spread team in the country over the last two seasons, going 21-4-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall.  Now they are being asked to lay a whopping 15 points to a San Diego State team capable of winning outright. 

We’ll ‘buy low’ on the Aztecs, who are coming off the biggest upset loss of the week last week.  They lost 24-27 at home to UNLV as 24-point favorites.  Now the betting public wants nothing to do with the Aztecs this week after seeing that result.  But there’s a perfectly good explanation for it when you read between the lines. 

San Diego State woke up Saturday morning knowing they could lose to UNLV and STILL win the Mountain West’s West Division title.  That’s because they saw Fresno State lose to Boise State Friday night.  That meant Fresno State was 5-1 within the conference, and San Diego State was sitting at 4-1.  So a win or loss didn’t matter.  The Aztecs knew that they could win the tiebreaker over Fresno State simply by winning this week.  And that’s the scenario. 

No question we are getting extra value here on San Diego State because they lost to UNLV last week.  And it’s value we’ll take advantage of.  This line probably would have been closer to 7 had they not lost to UNLV.  And I have no doubt we get a big effort here from the Aztecs in bounce-back mode with the division title on the line. 

San Diego State has actually gotten two huge pieces back recently from injury that will make them a tough out here against Fresno State.  QB Christian Chapman has returned to the lineup and has played in just four games this season.  He completes 67.3% of his passes, which is a huge upgrade over Ryan Agnew, who completed just 51.9% in his absence. 

The other huge player the Aztecs got back was RB Juwan Washington.  He has rushed for 674 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.1 per carry in only six games this season, which means he has missed four games.  He is the most talented player on the entire roster and gives the Aztecs a fighting chance to pull this upset Saturday night. 

The Bulldogs still have the edge on offense, but I give the edge to the Aztecs on defense, and that gives them a fighting chance.  San Diego State is only allowing 20.7 points, 302 yards per game and 4.6 yards per play this season.  They are holding opponents to 7.5 points, 83 yards and 1.1 yards per play less than their season averages this season.  They have played a much tougher schedule than Fresno State has, too.  And keep in mind San Diego State won 19-13 at Boise State as 13-point dogs, while Fresno State lost at Boise State 17-24 as 2-point favorites. 

San Diego State is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 road games off a loss by 3 points or less.  The Aztecs are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 road games vs. good offensive teams that score 34 or more points per game.  San Diego State is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games on field turf.  This line has gotten out of hand.  The Aztecs will come to play with the division title at stake, while the Bulldogs could suffer a hangover from that loss to Boise State last week.  Bet San Diego State Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Sacramento Kings +12.5 

The Houston Rockets come into this game overvalued after going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall.  They are also in a massive letdown spot here off their win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Thursday, a game they clearly had circled. 

The Rockets won’t be nearly as motivated to face the Kings tonight.  The Kings played yesterday in a 104-112 loss to the Grizzlies, but this back-to-back situation isn’t so bad for them.   

That’s because they had three days off prior to that Memphis game.  This is a very young, deep team that will have plenty of energy left in the tank to give the Rockets a run for their money tonight. 

The Kings are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games playing on zero rest.  The Kings are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings with the Rockets.  Houston is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 home games off three or more consecutive ATS wins.  Roll with the Kings Saturday. 

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Saint Louis +6.5 

Saint Louis is a team on the rise under Travis Ford.  They are expected to challenge for an Atlantic 10 title this season, and for good reason.  They return three starters who combined to average 34 points per game last season. 

The Billikens are off to a 3-0 start, but they are 0-3 ATS, which I believe has them undervalued going into this game with Seton Hall Saturday.  This is a game they can win outright. 

Seton Hall is a team I had circled as one that I should fade all season when given the opportunity.  That’s because they return just one starter this season and lose their three stars from last year in Khadeem Carrington, Angel Delgado and Desi Rodriquez, who combined for nearly 47 points per game last year.   

That trio is irreplaceable.  It’s clearly a rebuilding year for head coach Kevin Willard.  That was evident last time out when the Pirates lost 57-80 at Nebraska.  They should not even be favored in this game, let alone 6.5-point favorites at that. 

Seton Hall is 3-12 ATS after allowing 80 points or more over the last three seasons.  Bet Saint Louis Saturday. 

15* CFB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Rice +44 

I always like fading SEC teams in this spot.  They step out of conference late in the season to face a non-conference opponent.  They are never motivated for these games, and they aren’t looking to run up the score, either.  They are looking to play their starters for a half before giving way to the backups.  It’s as easy as it gets taking the big underdog in these spots. 

My favorite SEC candidate to fade in this spot this week is LSU, though there’s plenty to choose from.  But LSU makes the best candidate because they don’t put up big numbers offensively.  Heck, I’d be surprised if they even score 44 points, which is what it’s going to take and then some to cover this 44-point spread. 

LSU is winning with defense, not offense this season.  The Tigers are only averaging 26.7 points and 362.3 yards per game on the year.  We saw LSU step out of conference earlier this season and only beat LA Tech 38-21 as 18.5-point favorites.  And that game is significant because Rice just played LA Tech. 

In fact, Rice actually led LA Tech in the second half on the road last week.  But they ultimately lost 13-28 as 23-point underdogs, easily covering the spread.  And they have gone 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall as they have consistently been catching too many points.  They only lost by 19 as 23-point dogs at FIU and by 24 as 29.5-point dogs at North Texas.  They are once again catching too many points this week. 

The clock is constantly going to be moving, which will shorten the game and help Rice cover here.  That’s because both of these teams rely heavily on the run to move the football.  LSU averages 42 rushing attempts per game compared to only 28 passing.  Rice averages 37 rushing attempts per game compared to 31 passing.  It’s no surprise that both teams have won the time of possession battle this season. 

I also like the quotes I’ve read from Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren heading into this one.  “We can’t come out of the tunnel and let Death Valley or Mike the Tigers score points for them.  We’ve got to make them line up across from us, go toe-to-toe and earn everything they get.  And we’ve got to give it back to them.  That’s what I expect from our guys.  Nobody outside these walls believes we can do it.  We know we can.  So let’s go.  Let’s just go play football and enjoy every minute.” 

I guarantee you LSU doesn’t have that same mindset.  They think they can just show up and win, which they probably can, but not by 44 points.  And they’ll certainly be more worried about their road game at Texas A&M next week that will likely decide whether or not they will make it to a New Year’s Six Bowl.  Their concern is staying healthy and just getting out with a win, not with a cover. 

Plays against home favorites of 31.5 or more points (LSU) - after allowing 10 or less rushing yards last game are 35-17 (72.6%) ATS over the last five seasons.  The Tigers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven non-conference games.  The Owls are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Roll with Rice Saturday. 

15* NBA Saturday Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Los Angeles Lakers -4 

The Lakers are finally starting to play up to their potential.  They have gone 4-0 in their last four games overall.  They are only laying 4 points here to the Orlando Magic, and I think we’re getting a discount today. 

The Lakers are well-rested as this will be just their 2nd game in 6 days.  The Lakers are coming off a 126-117 win over Portland on Wednesday.  Los Angeles is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after scoring more than 125 points in its previous game. 

The Magic are coming off an upset win over the 76ers.  The Magic are just 19-44 ATS in their last 63 games following a win.  Orlando is also just 5-18 ATS in its last 23 games when paying on two days’ rest.  Take the Lakers Saturday.