Handicapper Big Al McMordie Free Sports Picks

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Wizards over the Houston Rockets.  In their previous two games, the Rockets pulled upsets on the road, as they defeated Detroit, 103-102, as a 3-point dog, and Dallas, 133-108, as a 7-point dog.  Houston's now back home to take on the Wizards, who lost by 20 at San Antonio on Sunday.  We'll take Washington, as .400 (or worse) teams (like Houston) have covered just 29.6% since 1990 off back to back upset road wins, if they were matched up against an opponent off a double-digit loss.  Take the Wizards.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Missouri State Bears + the points over Drake.  This is an historic match-up -- at least in betting circles -- as the 11-0 ATS Bulldogs (13-0 straight-up) will take on the 7-1 ATS Bears (9-1 straight-up).  And never in the last 31 years has there been a match-up of two teams with ATS records this good.  If there will be a problem for Drake tonight, it very well could be the fact that they've not played in over three weeks due to the coronavirus.  Among sports handicappers, there is always the debate of "rest vs. rust," and I personally have always believed that extended rest leads to "rusty" play -- especially with teams that were overperforming prior to their break.  We'll fade Drake tonight, as it falls into negative 34-52, 126-182, and 63-158 ATS systems of mine that go against certain teams off SU/ATS wins.  Additionally, .890 (or better) home underdogs have gone 11-0 ATS their last 11 when they were on a 3-game SU/ATS win streak.  Take Missouri State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Eastern Illinois Panthers minus the points over SIU-Edwardsville.  Eastern Illinois is 5-10 on the season, and comes into tonight's game on a 5-game losing streak, including an upset loss, 65-54, at Tennessee State, on Saturday.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to try to fade the ice cold Panthers.  But consider that sub-.400 teams are 23-2-2 ATS in the regular season, including 11-0 ATS their last 11, off an upset loss, if they were also on a 5-game SU/ATS losing streak.  Lay the points with Eastern Illinois.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Duke Blue Devils minus the points over Georgia Tech.  This isn't your grandfather's Blue Devils team.  Duke enters tonight on a 3-game losing streak and, even worse, a five-game ATS losing streak.  And it's been almost 5 years since the last time Duke was on a 5-game ATS losing streak, and it's been more than 5 years since the Blue Devils had lost 3 games in a row.  The reason, of course, is that Mike Krzyzewski's team has been a model of consistency.  And nowhere is that evident more in how his team has responded off ATS losses.  Indeed, dating back to 1997, Duke is 159-103 ATS in the regular season as a favorite on an ATS losing streak.  And if the Devils were off 3 ATS losses, then our records zooms to 23-7 ATS.  Even better:  Georgia Tech has had little success vs. Duke over the years, as it's lost the last 13 games in a row, and 47 of the last 55.  And the Yellow Jackets are a wallet-busting 18-35-1 ATS over their last 54 meetings with Duke.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.