PAGE_HEADER

The San Antonio Spurs will make the postseason as a playin team. They can improve their position though. They currently sit in the last spot at Number 10. They trail 9th place Memphis by just one game and 8th place Golden State by 1 1/2 games. They will have to do it at the Sixth seed Portland tonight. Portland occupies the last regular playoff spot at this moment, though they could fall into that playin 7 thru 10 spots since they lead 7th place Lakers by just one game. They also trail 5th place Dallas by just one game. So someone on the line for both teams here tonight. The Spurs are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine overall games. They are also 16-6-1 their last 23 as a road dog. Portland is just 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and 0-5 their last five as a home favorite the last five. The Blazers are coming off that game last night where it was a bit tougher against the Lakers then they thought. They did win the game, 106-101, but failed to cover the 7.5 point line. The Spurs also played last night, beating Sacramento, 113-104 as a 4.5 point favorite. Should be a good game, I'll take the points with the Spurs.

 It's the Penthouse against the Outhouse today as the NL Central leading Cardinals take on the NL West last place Colorado Rockies. The Rockies dropped to 12-20 after losing to the Cardinals on Friday. They have allowed a whopping 5.4 runs per game this year while scoring just 4.7 runs. They will send Chi Chi Gonzalez to the hill today. Gonzalez is 0-0 after four starts with a 4.12 ERA and 1.423 WHIP. The Cardinals improved to 19-14 on the season with their win on Friday. They will start Carlos Martinez today. Martinez is 2-4 after six starts with a 3.72 ERA. He's been even better at home with a 2.92 era AND 0.973 whip. I'm going to lay the run and a half here today with the host. Play St Louis -1.5 Runs.

FCS Semifinal action here on Saturday has Delaware taking on South Dakota State. Both these teams were regular season champions from the CAA and MVFC conference. The winner here earns a spot in the FCS Championship game. Delaware opened the season with four straight wins where they scored at least 31 points. However, since then the scoring hs gone down but the defense has held teams to just 15.5 points per game. South Dakota is led by the QB, Mark Gronowski who won the Newcomer of the Year in the conference and Offensive Player of the Year with 20 TD's. Delaware has the best defense in the FCS this year so they will be tested here today against Gronowski. South Dakota State had to come from behind last week against Southern Illinois after trailing at half. Don't look for that again here today. I'm taking SD State with their talented QB. Play South Dakota State.

The Miami Heat in a dog fight for that 6th playoff spot with the Boston Celtics. Both teams are 10 games back in the Eastern Conference and one will fall into the play-in slots of 7 thru 10. The Heat have a key opportunity here tonight to put the pressure on the Celtics who are playing at Chicago. The Heat take on the Timberwolves who have been eliminated from the postseason. The Heat hope that Jimmy Butler will be in the lineup tonight as he's been battling the flu. I look for the Heat to win this one as they can't let a bad Minnesota team win this road game. Play Miami.

The Washington Wizards holding onto that 10th and last play-in spot in the postseason. The Wizards are just a half game back of Indiana and two back of Charlotte. The Wizards have been hot, winning eight of their last 10 games. The Wizards have also been great to bettors of late, covering four straight and going 14-2-1 over their last 17 games. Expect a bit of a letdown here tonight as the Milwaukee Bucks not only played last night, but had to play the Brooklyn Nets who they beat 124-118 in a back-and-forth contest. The Nets are ahead of the Bucks now in the Eastern Conference by just 1 1/2 games. Still, have to think Bucks won't be up for this game here tonight. I'll take the points with the red-hot Wizards. Play Washington.

The Atlanta Hawks are 5th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-30 record. They have won two straight games and six of their last 10. The Hawks can't relax though as they lead 6th place Miami by just one game and 7th place Boston by just 1 1/2 games. That being the important spot as Boston is in that first play-in position. The Phoenix Suns are tied for the best record in the West with Utah at 47-18. They have won five straight and seven of the last 10 games. Problem tonight for the Suns is that they are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here. The Suns played at Cleveland last night, and won 134-118. However, don't let that score fool you, they had to cover the 13-point spread in Overtime, something almost unheard of these days. Back to back for the Suns, off an OT game and now they hit the road again to play at Atlanta. I'll take the host here tonight against what should be a letdown spot for the Suns. Play Atlanta.

The Sacramento Kings are not eliminated from the postseason, but time is running out as they site 4-games back of 10th place San Antonio. As for the OKC Thunder, they are eliminated from the postseason. They have also lost three straight games and nine of their last 10. The Kings have won two straight and are 5-3 their last eight games. They are also 7-2 ATS their last nine games. They are coming off a pair of huge road wins, one at the Lakers, 110-106 and then last game at Dallas, 111-99. The Kings need this game tonight to have any chance and they play a Thunder team that has won just once in their last 18 games. This is a great situation for the Kings to take advantage of a down team and grab an extra game in the standings. Take Sacramento.

FCS Football playoffs continue here on Sunday as South Dakota State hosts Southern Illinois. SD State is 6-1 on this shortened season while Southern Illinois comes into this one at 6-3. Both these teams are from the Missouri Valley conference. In fact, four of the remaining eight teams are from the Missouri Valley.  SD State Jackrabbits coming off a nice performance where they held Holy Cross to just three points in a 31-3 win. Southern Illinois had a bit more trouble, beating Weber State 34-31.  SD State already has beaten this team once, back in March when the Jackrabbits went into Southern Illinois and won going away, 44-3.  I like this SD State team as they have a great defense and that makes laying the 15 or 15 1/2 points a bit easier to take. Play South Dakota State.

The Brooklyn Nets are the top team in the Eastern conference and have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers and 4 1/2 over 3rd place Milwaukee. That makes today's possible moves interesting by the Nets. They look to be without their three top stars tonight. First, James Harden is out with a hamstring injury. Then, Kyrie Irving is questionable with a groin injury that kept him out of the last game. Finally, they look to be resting Kevin Durant tonight. The Portland Trailblazers are in 7th place in the West, that's the first play-in position. They trail the final regular playoff spot, currently held by Dallas, by just one point. That makes this a big game for the Blazers. I'm going to take them here tonight, even though they are laying a few points on the road. Play Portland.

As we enter the final games of the NBA regular season the Washington Wizards hold onto that last play-in position at 10th place. They lead 11th place Chicago by 2-games and trail 9th place Indiana by one game. The Wizards have been hot, going 9-1 over their last 10 games. The Wizards are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games and 8-2 ATs in their last 10 overall games. The Cleveland Cavaliers won't be going anywhere this postseason. The Cavs are in 13th place in the East and seven games back of Washington. The Cavs are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as a underdog and 0-4 ATS their last four overall. Washington has more to play for and right now are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Play Washington.

The Miami Heat sit on one of the bubbles for the playoffs. The Heat are in 7th place, actually tied with Boston for that 6th playoff spot. Spots 7-10 are play-in spots and the Heat would much rather move into 6th instead of being in the 7-10 group. The Heat are coming off a loss and are 5-5 over their last 10 games. The San Antonio Spurs are in 9th place, again one of those 7-10 play-in positions. The Spurs trail 6th place Dallas by 2 1/2 games. They have also won three straight games and seven of their last 10. The Spurs have covered five of their last six games and are 4-0 their last four as a road dog. The Spurs have covered six of the last eight meetings with the Heat in Miami. I'll take the visitor in this game. Play San Antonio.

The Dodgers lost a tough one to the Reds on Monday after tying the game at 3-3 they lost in extra Innings, 3-5. The Cincinnati Reds lead baseball in home runs and used the long ball last night for the big win. The Reds improved to 10-12 while the Dodgers dropped to 15-8. The Reds will start Jeff Hoffman tonight who is 2-1 after four starts with a 2.66 ERA and 1.328 WHIP. The Dodgers will start Walker Buehler, who is 1-0 after four starts with a 2.16 ERA and 0.880 WHIP. I'm going to lay the run line here tonight on the Dodgers as they get back to winning. Play LA Dodgers -1.5 Runs

The Dallas Mavericks had to play last night in Sacramento and while the trip to Golden State isn't long, it's that dreaded 2nd game of a back-to-back spot here tonight for the Mavs. Dallas lost at the Kings last night, 106-113 and really only led once or twice early in the 3rd quarter and that was it. Dallas Forward Kristaps Porzingis has been out for a while with an ankle injury. He's listed as doubtful here tonight. The Golden State Warriors climbed over the .500 mark thanks to a two-game win streak. They are also 7-2 S/U and 6-4 ATS over their last 10 games. I'm taking the host here tonight as Dallas will be tired out from their game last night. Play Golden State.    

Milwaukee Bucks are 3rd in the Easter Conference, 2 1/2 games back of the 76ers and 3 1/2 games back of first place Brooklyn. They lead 4th place New York by four games. The Bucks are not playing great, winning just five of their last 10 games. The Bucks coming off a loss at Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, 104-111. The Charlotte Hornets currently occupy 8th place and that's good for one of the play-in spots. However, they are just 1.5 games back of 6th place Boston and that is a playoff spot. The Hornets play well as a home dog, going 16-5-1 ATS their last 22 in that role. They are also 7-3 ATS overall their last 10 games at home. Getting lots of points tonight at home with Charlotte. I look for the Hornets to be in this game all the way. Play Charlotte.

The Phoenix Suns having an excellent season as they sit 2nd in the Western Conference, just two games back of the Utah Jazz and tied with the Clippers. The Suns have lost two games in a row on this East Coast road trip. The Suns won at Milwaukee and then at Philadelphia to open this road trip. However, then they lost at Boston 86-99 and then lost last game at Brooklyn 119-128. The NY Knicks are 4th in the Eastern Conference and look hold onto that position. They are tied with the Atlanta Hawks and both teams just two games ahead of 6th place Boston. The Knicks have been red hot, winning nine straight games both S/U and ATS. They have also covered 12 straight games. The Suns have struggled on the road of late, going 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven away games. The Knicks are a small dog here tonight and as hot as they have been I'll take those points and look for a straight-up win. Play NY Knicks.

The Sacramento Kings see their playoffs hopes fading each day. The Kings are 12th right now, two spots back of the play-in slots. They trail these Warriors for that 10th spot by 5 1/2 games. It doesn't help that the Kings are on a 2-8 S/U run as they enter play tonight. The Kings are also 4-8 ATS over their last 12 games. The Warriors have that 10th spot and a comfortable lead over 11th place New Orleans by four games. The Warriors have covered five of their last six home games. The Warriors are coming off a home win over Denver, 118-97 and have won six of their last eight games both S/U and ATS. I'll lay the points here tonight with the host. Play Golden State.

Early action here on the Saturday NBA hard court as the Knicks host the Raptors. The Toronto Raptors bring a four-game win streak into today's contest both S/U and ATS. However, all four of those wins were at home in Florida as they now hit the road. The Raptors have not done well on the road, going 1-8 ATS over their last nine away games. The 33-27 Knicks have been hot, going 8-0 S/U their last eight and 11-0 ATS over their last 11 games. The Knicks are also 21-6-1 ATS over their last 28 games. The Knicks are 9-4 ATS their last 13 meetings with the Raptors and 7-3 ATS their last 10 in New York. Play the Knicks.

The Monmouth Hawks head to Texas to take on the No 2 seeded Sam Houston State in the FCS playoffs. Both teams are undefeated, however Monmouth hasn't played in two weeks after having its last game cancelled. Sam Houston didn't encounter any Covid issues and got to a perfect 6-0 record. The Hawks are 5th in the nation ins scoring (41.7 ppg) and 10th in total defense.  Sam Houston coming off a blowout in their last game over Incarnate Word, 42-14. This Sam Houston team has one of the best offenses inthe country as they rank third in scoring (44.8 ppg) and fourth in total defense.  Sam Houston comes into this game with more games under its belt than thei opponent. Monmouth has a promising future, but in this game I'm going with Sam Houston.

The Washington Wizards sit 10th in the Eastern Conference and are holding onto that final play-in spot for the playoffs. They sit just 1/2 game ahead of 11th place Chicago Bulls, so every game is vitally important to the Wizards. Washington has won six straight games and eight of their last 10 games. Oklahoma City is close to being out of the playoffs as they sit nine games back of that final play-in spot. The Thunder have lost 12 straight games. The Thunder are also 2-12-1 ATS their last 15 games. Washington needs this game and they are red got. Play Washington.

The Detroit Pistons are dead last in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. The Pistons are 7 1/2 games back of that final play-in spot so likely they are done for the year. Not so for the San Antonio Spurs who hold the 10th and final play-in spot in the Western conference. The Spurs hold a 3 1/2 game lead over 11th place New Orleans and are tied with the Warriors for 9th place. The Spurs have covered four of the last five in this series and tonight they need to beat a last place team like Detroit if they hope to improve their standing. Play San Antonio.

The Phoenix Suns are 2nd in the Western Conference, just 1 1/2 games back of the Utah Jazz. They play the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here on Thursday against the Boston Celtics. This is the third game of this Eastern road trip for the Suns. The Suns have won the first two games at Milwaukee and at Philly last night, 116-113. The Boston Celtics are holding onto that 6th playoff spot, just a half game ahead of 7th place Miami. Places 7 thru 10 are playin spots for the Playoffs and the Celtics would like to avoid dropping into that zone. Boston saw its six game win streak snapped last game at home vs Chicago, 9-102. Still, they have won eight of their last 10 games and are 6-3-1 ATS. I like the Celtics tonight. The Suns are playing back to back and after the Bucks and Sixers they could be wore out here tonight. Play Boston.

Atlanta Hawks coming off a home game last night have to travel for their 2nd of a back-to-back spot here tonight at the Knicks. The Hawks have the fourth spot in the East playoff picture while the Knicks hold the 5th spot. New York is just a 1/2 game back of the Hawks. The Hawks have won two straight and five of their last six while the Knicks are 7-0 their last seven and 10-0 ATS their last 10. I like the rested Knicks here against a tired Atlanta team with third place on the line. Play New York.

 Golden State looks to stay above the .500 mark tonight as they play at Washington. The Warriors are 5-1 S/U and ATS in their last six games. However, always tougher on the West teams playing these road trips to the East and this is game number five on the road for the Warriors. The Washington Wizards are just 24-33 on the season. However, they have been playing very well of late winning five in a row and seven of their last eight. They are also 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games. Washington is close to those 7-10 slots that are NBA play-in games for the playoffs. Right now they are in contention with the Bulls as both teams have identical 24-33 records. Golden State has the 9th spot and that's one of those play-in positions. They they should hold a top 10 slot since their closest team to knock them out are the Pelicans who are four games back. I like the Wizards as this long Eastern road trip starts taking its toll on the Warriors. Play Washington.

The Brooklyn Nets are 39-19 after winning last night at New Orleans, 134-129. The Nets have not won back-to-back games since April 7/8. Since then they have alternated win/loss. Now they have to play the 2nd of a back to back spot vs the Raptors. Toronto is just 24-34 on the season. The have won and covered their last three games, all at home in Florida. Toronto is 1/2 game back of 10th place and a play-in spot to the playoffs. The Nets are in 2nd place in the East and just 1/2 game back of the Sixers. I'll go against the Nets in their 2nd of a back to back spot here tonight and go with the desperate Raptors looking for just a chance. Play Toronto.

East Action here in the NBA tonight as we get closer to the end of the season. Great situation here on the hard court tonight with one of these teams needing this game while the other is just playing out the season. The Atlanta Hawks holding onto one of those postseason spots as they are 4th in the East. However, this game is very important to them as they sit just 1/2 game away from being in that play-in spot. The Hawks don't want that so look for a full effort here tonight against the Magic. The Magic won't be going to the postseason as they sit next to last in the East. They have also lost two straight and eight of their last 10 games. Hawks can ill afford to let these kind of games get away from them. Play Atlanta.

NHL getting close to the end of the regular season. The New Jersey Devils are next to last in the East and very close to elimination from the postseason. They are just 1-8-1 in their last 10 games and have lost six straight games. Won't get any easier tonight at Pittsburgh. The Penguins are 3rd in the East with 59 points and just one point back of 2nd place Islanders and three points back of the 1st place Washington Capitals. These games big for the Penguins as they look to move up in the East. Play the Penguins on the goal line.

As we get toward the end of the regular season some teams still need wins and others are just playing it out. The Memphis Grizzlies are holding onto that 8th and final playoff spot, two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs. The Denver Nuggets are in 4th place, just 1 1/2 back of the Suns and three back of the Jazz. The Grizzlies have won two straight games and covered four straight after Saturday's win at Milwaukee, 128-115. Denver has also won and covered two straight. The Nuggets are also 10-2 S/U and 8-4 ATS over their last 12 games. Both teams can use wins here tonight, but in the high altitude I'll take the host here. Play Denver.

The Milwaukee Bucks not having their success from last year, but they are still 3rd in the Eastern Conference, just 2 1/2 games back of the Nets and four games back of the 76ers. They will host the Phoenix Suns here tonight. The Suns are 2nd in the NBA Western Conference and just 1 1/2 games back of leader Utah. The Suns have won eight of their last 10 games. The Suns are 12-5 ATS on 1 day rest. They are also 43-21 ATS over their last 64 overall games. The Bucks are just 7-15 ATS over their last 22 games on 1 day rest. They are also 3-12 ATS in their last 15 games against a team with a win percentage of 60% or more. And, they have failed to cover any of their last five home games. Suns are 5-2 ATS in their last seven trips to Milwaukee. I'll take the visitor here tonight. Play the Suns.

The Golden State Warriors have climbed back to the .500 mark after winning four straight games and five of their last six. They have also covered five of their last six. They have to make the long Eastern trip to Boston to play the Celtics today. The Celtics are 30-26 after a West road trip that saw the team go 3-0 both S/U and ATS. They are coming off a win at the Lakers, 121-113. Boston has been hot, winning five straight and seven of their last eight games. Golden State is just 2-7 in their last nine games as a dog and 2-5 ATS in their last seven road games. Boston is 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 games vs the Warriors. Play Boston.

The Washington Wizards continue their Western road trip here today at Sacramento. It's been a very successful trip as they started out with a loss to Toronto, 101-103 but then won three of their next four on the road including last game at Utah, 125-121 as a 10.5-point dog. They have covered four of their last five games. Meanwhile, Sacramento looks to snap a seven game losing streak here tonight. They are also 1-6 ATS over that seven game losing streak. The Wizards are happy to have NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal back in the lineup after some back issues. With the Kings continue slide and Beal and Weestbrook leading a Wizards resurgence, I'll take the visitors here tonight. Play Washington.

The San Diego Padres living up to their preseason hype, winning eight games already this season against just three losses. The Padres have also won four straight games. Their pitching has been outstanding, allowing just 2.3 runs per game this season. The Pirates are not off to a good start, going just 3-7 on the season and coming off a loss. In addition, the pitching staff is allowing 5.5 runs per game while the offense is scoring just 3.6 runs per game. Blake Snell will make his third start for the Padres as he looks for his first win. Snell is pitching great, allowing just two runs over his 9 2/3 innings of work with 16 KO's and just 6 walks this season. Chad Kuhl also makes his third start for the Pirates with a 0-1 record. Kuhl has seven innings of work over two starts with just three hits and five earned runs for a 6.43 ERA. Padres just playing too good to not play them here. Price too high though, so I'll lay the 1.5 runs. Play San Diego -1.5 runs.

I had the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday when they played the Jazz and won in OT. I laid off them the next night when they played the Clippers as I expected a letdown and that's just what happened as they lost in LA. Now that they have had a night off to recoup, they come back here tonight against the Washington Wizards. The Wizards still playing day to day without their star quard, Bradley Beal who remains questionable with a back issue. Beal averages 30.0 ppg and that's a lot of offense to replace. The Wizards have won two straight games though and covered three in row. However, those games came at Golden State and Orlando. The Suns are 26-9 ATS their last 35 games playing on one day rest and 24-9 their last 33 games at home. I'm taking the Suns to bounce back here tonight. Play Phoenix.

The Phoenix Suns had a huge win last night over the NBA's best record team in Utah Jazz, taking the game to OT before winning, 117-113. I gave out the Suns in that game but tonight I'm going against them. Not only will they have a bit of a letdown tonight, but with the OT, travel and back-to-back spot, this is a game where the situations are against the Suns. The Clippers have won their last two on this homestand with a 133-116 win over the Blazers and 104-86 over the Lakers. I'm basically looking for a bit of a letdown here tonight by the Suns. Play LA Clippers.

The Chicago Bulls look to extend their win streak to three games here tonight against the Raptors. The Bulls are coming off a win over the Pacers, 113-97. They have also covered four straight games and are 18-6 ATS their last 24 road games. The Toronto Raptors are the only team in the NBA that can't play at home. Their home games are played in Florida. The Raptors have lost five of their last seven and 14 of their last 17 games. The Bulls have covered 17 of the last 24 meetings in this series and I look for them to do jus that here tonight. Play Chicago.

Utah Jazz saw their nine-game winning streak snapped last time out at Dallas, 103-111. Still, the Jazz have the best record in the NBA at 38-12. Meanwhile, Phoenix extended its win streak to six games with a win over Houston on Monday, 133-130, though they failed to cover the 14-point spread. This is the big showdown right now in the Western Conference and will be on ESPN tonight. Phoenix has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning 24 of their last 29 games. This will be a huge game here tonight at Phoenix and I'll take the Suns in this one.

LA Dodgers off to a very good start at 5-1 on the season. Can't say the same for the Oakland A's who are still looking for their first win of the season against six losses. Won't be any easier today for the A's as they face Dodger newcomer Trevor Bauer. Bauer came over from the Reds in the offseason and had an excellent first start for the Dodgers, going 6 1/3 innings with just three hits and four runs to get the win over Colorado. He struck out 10 and walked just two. Jesus Luzardo will try to get the A's in the win column today. Luzardo is 0-1 after one start. He went 5 innings vs the Astros, giving up eight hits and five runs in the loss. I'm going to take the Dodgers here today and lay the run and a half. Play LA -1 1/2 runs.

Philadelphia 76ers look to bounce back from their loss at home to Memphis on Sunday, 100-116. The loss snapped a two game losing streak for the Sixers. Still, they are 6-3 S/U their last nine games. The Boston Celtics look to win their third straight game here tonight. The Celtics are coming off a Sunday win over Charlotte, 116-86. Philly is 7-3-1 ATS their last 11 games as a favorite and 5-0-1 ATS their last six as a road favorite. I'll lay the points here on the road with Philly as I look for them to bounce back tonight. Play Philadelphia.

Manchester City best team this league by far in the Premier league as they have that all but wrapped-up. Now they have their eyes set on their first-ever Champions League title. They have not lost in 16 games and are coming off a easy win over Borussia Monchengladbach, 4-0. Conversely, Dortmund has struggled, with just one win in their last four and that was against a poor Hertha Berlin squad. For me this is an easy one, lay the 1 1/2 goals with a much better Manchester team and enjoy your win.

Both these teams advanced to the NCAA Championship game on different paths. The Baylor Bears had little trouble with their intra-state rivals, Houston, winning in a never close game, 78-59. Gonzaga took a much more exciting route, beating UCLA in OT 93-90. This game was close the entire way and it looked like we were headed to Double OT as UCLA made a basket with just over three seconds left. However, a nearly half court 3-points banked in and the Zags advanced to the title game here today. Baylor has more offensive weapons then UCLA and likes an up-tempo pace, as does Gonzaga. I've been high on the Zags all season and I don't see any reason to let the UCLA dissuade me. Take the Zags here on Monday.

Oklahoma City comes into this game tonight at Portland losing three of four of their last five games. They are coming off a blow-out loss at Phoenix yesterday, 103-140. Now they have to hit the road again and head North to take on the Blazers. Portland saw its four-game win streak snapped last time out at home by Milwaukee, 109-127. I expect the Blazers to bounce back here at home tonight against a reeling OKC team. Play Portland.

Lets face it, this NCAA Tournament is Gonzaga's to lose. They are by far the best team in this tournament, winning every game by double digits and making them look easy. Now come UCLA, who has been lucky to win some OT and close games going back to the PAC-12 and NCAA tourneys. My feeling here is that Gonzaga will destroy this UCLA club as they have everyone else. No reason to look at numbers or anything else, just taking Gonzaga.

Cavs have hit a bit of a snap of late, losing four straight games and going 1-3 ATS during that time. They are coming off a loss at home to Philly, 94-114. In fact, they have scored fewer then 98 points in their last four games including a 75-point performance against Utah two games ago. Meanwhile, has won three straight both S/U and ATS. I don't expect a high scoring game here today the way Cleveland is playing and I'll lay the points with the Heat. Play Miami.

Denver bring a 3-game win streak into tonight's contest at the LA Clippers. The Nuggets have won seven of their last nine and covered six of their last nine. The Clippers look to bounce back after a home loss to the Orlando Magic, 96-103 as a 11.5 point favorite. The Clippers look to be without star forward Paul George who will be out with a foot injury tonight. The Clipper had been on a nice six-game S/U and ATS win streak before George went down and they lost to the Magic. I'm going to lay the small price on the road with the Nuggets here tonight. Play Denver.

The Chicago Bulls look to snap a four game s/u and ats losing streak here tonight a Phoenix. The Bulls on a West coast trip that saw them lose to San Antonio and Golden State. Meanwhile the Phoenix Suns have won three straight games including last night over Atlanta, 117-110 as a 6-point favorite. The Suns have also won six of their last seven games while covering five of those games. The Suns are now 20-7 ATS their last 27 games as a favorite and 22-8 ATS in their last 30 home games. Phoenix is also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games with no days rest. Despite having played last night, I still like Suns here tonight.

The NY Knicks look to avoid dropping to the .500 mark here tonight as they play at Minnesota. The Knicks are coming off a loss at home to the Miami Heat, 88-98. That loss snapped a 3-game losing streak. The Knicks have done well off a ATS loss, evidenced by their 9-1-1 ATS mark their last 12 times. The Knicks are also 19-7 ATS their last 26 games when the favorite. Minnesota has lost five of their last six games, dropping them to 11-36 on the season. The Wolves are also 2-4 ATS their last six games. In addition, they are just 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games overall and 2-6 last eight as a home dog. I'll take the visitor here today. Play NY Knicks.

 Philly is on their West Coast swing, having started with a win at Golden State, 108-98, then beating the Lakers 109-101, before losing to the Clippers last time out, 112-122. The Sixers lead in the East conference has gotten smaller with time to where they now lead Brooklyn by just a 1/2 game. Have to think Philly is getting road weary, with their fifth straight on the road tonight. They are also just 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games as a road dog. Denver has won two straight games and six of their last eight games. Denver always a tough place for visitors with their high altitude. I'll take the Nuggets tonight.

Midwest Regional Final has Oregon State taking on Houston. Oregon State the surprise team left in the tournament as they got red-hot right at Conference tourney time. Oregon State has won six straight games and covered all six. They held Loyola Chicago to just 58 and Tennessee to 56 in their three NCAA tourney games. Houston has also slowed the pace of late, going under in their last two NCAA tourney games, holding Syracuse to just 46 points on Saturday and Rutgers to 60 in their game before. One thing has been evident in this NCAA tournament, 3-point shot making percentage has dropped significantly. Normally around the 30% mark or more, we've been seeing 20% of shots dropping from 3-point. Oregon State hit 21.7% against Loyola Chicago and then 27.7% against Oklahoma State and 19.2% vs Tennessee. Houston, which has seen numbers in the 40% ranges, hit just 21.7% against Syracuse, resulting int their 62-46 win. Seems like teams are getting better at defending the 3-point shot and that has resulted in lower scoring games. With a lower score expected here, the points become critical. I'll take the dog points with the PAC 12 teams doing so well. Play Oregon St.

UCLA and Alabama face off today in the NCAA Tourney East Regional Semifinals. UCLA was an early exit in the PAC-12 tourney, losing to Oregon State in their first game, 79-83 in OT. It's been a different story here in the NCAA tourney, beating Michigan State in OT, 86-80, then BYU, 73-62 and Abilene Christian 67-47 last game. Now they face a very good Alabama team. The Crimson Tide won the SEC tournament and have now won eight straight games and 11 of their last 12. They are coming off a big win over Maryland, 96-77. This might be the best team UCLA has had to face in some time. I like the Tide here to cover and move on. Play Alabama.

Creighton bounced back from their Big East conference blowout loss to Georgetown with a pair of wins here in the NCAA. They just go bye Cal Santa Barbara, 63-62 and then easily beat Ohio U, 72-58. Now they have the arduous task of facing No 1 see Gonzaga. Gonzaga is 29-0 on the season and has rolled through the first two rounds of the NCAA with wins over Norfolk, 98-55 and then Oklahoma, 87-71, covering both. Gonzaga laying around 13 looks like a gift to me. I'll take them here today. Play Gonzaga.

NIT Championship game has Mississippi State taking on Memphis for the Title. Miss State Bulldogs got here with wins over St Louis, Richmond and Louisiana Tech. They covered two of those three games, missing the cover over Richmond. Memphis has NIT wins over Dayton, Boise State and Colorado State. The latter was a blowout winner, 90-67. Memphis has covered eight of their last nine games. I look for the Tigers to take the title today and get the cover. Play Memphis.

Syracuse has won both of its NCAA games as dogs with wins over San Diego State, 78-62 and then West Virginia, 75-72. The Orange have now covered six straight games. Today they face Houston as a 6.5 point dog. Houston has now won nine straight games. During that span they are 6-3 ATS. The Cougars had a rough outing last time, just getting by Rutgers 63-60 as a 7.5 point favorite. Syracuse won't want to get into a scoring contest here today. Rather I look for them to slow things down as Rutgers did. I'm going to take the dog here with Syracuse.

Oral Roberts looking to continue its Cinderella run in the NCAA with their game against Arkansas today. Oral Roberts boasts the nation's leading scorer in Max Abmas. The lightly recruited star is the sparkplug behind OR run here in the postseason. The team has now won seven straight games and covered six of those. Arkansas had its hands full with Texas Tech in the last round, winning 68-66 as a 2-point dog. That came after an easy win over Colgate, 85-68 in round one. I believe in fairy tale stories and I'm going to ride this one another round. Play Oral Roberts.

Not very often you find the Lakers as a home dog. But these days that's because they are missing their top stars. Lebron James is out with an ankle injury while Anthony Davis continues to miss time with an Achilles issue. The Sixers are not without their own issues, namely forward Joel Embiid, who will also miss tonight's contest with a knee injury. You kind of have to throw out numbers here with all these stars missing. For me, the Lakers go with James and Davis and missing them is just too much. Take the 76ers.

NIT Quarterfinal action has Boise State taking on Memphis tonight. Boise lost in the Mountain West tourney to Nevada, 82-89. They bounced back in the opening round of the NIT with a win over SMU, 85-84, covering the 1-point dog line. Still, the Broncos are just 5-6 ATS in their last 11 games. They have also won just one of their last five games. Memphis lost in the American Athletic Tourney to a very good Houston team, 74-76, covering the 7-point dog line. It was the team's seventh cover in a row. They are also 8-2 S/U over their last 10 games. Memphis playing the better here between these two teams. Play Memphis.

Washington Wizards are 15-27 S/U and 21-21 ATS on the season. The Wizards are 7-13 S/U and 11-9 ATS on the road. Washington coming off a loss to the Knicks, 113-131 on Tuesday. It was the team's second straight loss and eighth in their last nine games. They are also 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games. The Knicks are 4-5 S/U and 5-3-1 ATS in their last nine games. Knicks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as a home favorite. They are also 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall as a favorite. Knicks not laying many points here tonight. They play well in the favorite role. Take New York.

 NC State Wolfpack had a nice run to finis the season, going 6-1 over their last seven. Unfortunately, the one loss came in their conference tourney to Syracuse, 68-89. The Pack opened NIT action with a easy win over Davidson, 75-61 as a 2-point dog. Colorado State lost in the Mountain West tourney to Utah State, 50-62 as a 4.5-point dog. The Rams are 2-2 S/U and 1-2-1 ATS over their last four games. Close line here with the Pack now a small favorite. I like NC State coming from the tougher Atlantic Coast conference. Play NC State.

 East Division action here today in the NHL has the 3rd place Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the last place Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have been in bad form, going 0-9-1 over their last 10 games with a 14-game losing streak. Won't get any better tonight against a good Pitt team that is 19-11-2 and 7-2-1 over their last 10 games. Can't play the money line in this game, but I can lay 1 1/2 goals with the favorite. Play Pittsburgh -1.5 goals.

Coastal Carolina had to go to OT last night to get the exciting win over Stetson, though they failed to cover the spread. The Chanticleers came an OT away from the NCAA tournament after losing to App State. Pepperdine advanced with a win over Bellarmine on Tuesday, 82-71. Hard to dismiss the fact that Carolina came so close to the NCAA tournament - and that wasn't by accident. This is a very good team. Pepperdine is average, but one can argue they played the likes of St Marys and Gonzaga all season. Still, I'm going to take the points with the dog in this one. Play Coastal Carolina.

Denver Nuggets look to win their second game in a row and fifth in their last six games tonight against the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are the only team in the NBA not allowed to play on their home court, as they must play all their home games in Florida. The Raptors have been in a free fall of late. They have lost nine straight games and 11 of their last 12. In addition, they are 1-5 ATS their last six games. The Nuggets are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games against the Raptors. I'll be on Denver here tonight. Play Denver.

CBI Semifinals has Pepperdine Waves of the WCC taking on Bellarmine Knights of the ASUN conference. Pepperdine is 13-12 after beating Longwood in their last CBI game, 80-66. Beallarmine is 14-7 after beating Army, 77-67. The Knights trailed by 9-points at one time, 40-31, but used a big 2nd half to rally for the win. Bellarmine isn't very good defensively, but they have a very good offense. Pepperdine really hasn't been a very good team all season, as they have hovered right around the .500 mark all year. Edges here go to Bellarmine in shooting and experience. Add to the fact that Bellarmine is playing its first year at the division 1 level and they will be out to prove something here tonight. Take Bellarmine.

Washington Wizards travel to NY tonight to take on the Knicks. The Wizards are just 15-26 S/U and 21-20-0 ATS on the season. The Wizards are coming off a loss at Brooklyn, 106-113. They are just 1-6 in their last seven games and 3-4 ATS. The NY Knicks are 21-22 on the season and can climb back to the .500 mark with a win tonight. The Knicks are coming off a loss to Philly, 100-101. They are 3-4 S/U and 4-2-1 ATS in their last seven games. The Knicks are also 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite. Knicks laying just 2 1/2 points here tonight. Play NY Knicks.

Boston Celtics look to stay above .500 tonight as they are 21-21 S/U on the season. The Celtics are also 19-23 ATS. They are not as good on the road, with a 8-14 S/U mark and 7-15 ATS record. In addition, they are 1-8 ATS in their last nine road games and 0-5 ATS playing on no days rest. The Memphis Grizzlies can get to .500 tonight with a win. They are 19-20 S/U and 21-17-1 ATS. At home, the Grizzlies are 10-13 S/U and 12-10-1 ATS. The Grizzlies have covered five of their last six home games and are 6-1 ATS in their last seven as a home favorite. Take Memphis.

The NHL West one of the better divisions in the league this year with four teams all within six points of first place. The 3rd place Minnesota Wild have 37 points and trail first place Vegas by six points. The Wild look to snap a two-game losing streak tonight. They lost both games at Colorado by a combined 11-1 score. That snapped a five-game win streak. This Anaheim team looks to be just the medicine they need to get back to winning. The Ducks are in last place in the West and likely won't make the playoffs. With just over half the season gone, the Ducks trail fourth place St Louis by 13 points. They are also 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and have the worst goal differential in the West at -39 goals. Take Minnesota here tonight.

The LSU Tigers opened NCAA tournament Round one play with a big win over St Bonaventure, 79-61, as 2-point favorite. The win took the bitterness out of their one-point SEC Championship game loss to Alabama. The Tigers have now covered six straight game and eight of the last 10. Michigan looks to continue in on the tournament today. The Wolverines have 21 wins, after beating Texas Southern in round one, 82-66. Though they failed to cover the 25-point favorite line. It was their second spread loss in a row and third in their last four game. Michigan around a 5.5-point favorite here today. I'll take the points against a team that has struggled to cover spreads. Play LSU.

Ohio pulled a big upset win on Saturday, beating Virginia 62-58 as a 6-point dog. Creighton had all it could handle in round one just getting past Cal Santa Barbara, 63-62 as a 7-point favorite. Creighton trailed Santa Barbara by as many as eight points in the first half and were down by six with just 5:30 left to play in the game. The Blue Jays have failed to cover their last two games and four of their last seven. The Ohio defense made a big stand on Saturday, holding Virginia without a field goal for 10:09 seconds of the 2nd half. Creighton has been inconsistent this year and underachieving most of the season. The Ohio Bobcats look like they are primed for another straight up win as a dog. Play Ohio.

Abilene Christian pulled what could be the 2nd biggest shocker in round one with their win over Texas, 53-52. It was the team's fifth win in a row and 13th in their last 14. They have also covered five in a row and eight of the last nine. Still. this is a Southland Conference team that lost early in the season to Texas Tech, 44-51 and to Arkansas, 72-85. UCLA looks to burst their bubble here today. The Bruins beat Michigan State in the first four, 86-80 in OT and then beat BYU in round one, 73-62. The PAC 12 is doing very well with USC and Oregon State both looking strong. I like the PAC-12 team here over a Southland club. Play UCLA.

Oregon State shocked the PAC-12 by winning all three conference tourney games to get the automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. Many thought they didn't deserve it, but they opened round win with a resounding win over a 9-point favored Tennessee team, 70-56. It was the Beavers' fourth cover in a row and 11th in their last 12 games. Oklahoma State lost in the Big 12 Conference championship game to Texas, 86-91. They still got the at-large bid to the NCAA and they opened with a closer than expected win over Liberty, 69-70. Liberty led at the half, 30-27, but Ok State rallied late to not only get the win but the cover. There's something to be said for a team that gets hot at the right time. That is what we are seeing with Oregon State. I'll take the points here today with the Beavers. Play Oregon State.

Oral Roberts is making believers out of everyone after they pulled off the shocker of the first round by beating Ohio State, 75-72 in OT as a 15-point dog. This Oral Roberts team looks real though after winning six straight games and covering five of those. They boast the nation's leading scorer in Max Abmas, who averaged 24.2 ppg. Oh, and Abmas only played all 45 minutes of that win over Ohio State. Abmas was the Summit League Player of the Year. He's also the only player in the NCAA to have multiple 40-point games this season. Florida also had to go to OT in their first NCAA game, beating Virginia Tech 75-70 as a 1.5 point dog. Florida has not been a very good covering team, with a 1-4 ATS mark their last five and 3-7 their last 10. I'm going to stick with this red-hot Oral Roberts team and the leading scorer in the country. Play Oral Roberts.

The Chicago Bulls are 18-22 S/U and 22-17-1 ATS on the season. They have been one of the best road teams this year with a 13-4 ATS road record. The Bulls look to snap a two-game losing streak here tonight in Detroit. They have won two of their last four and covered three of the last four. The Pistons are 12-29 S/U and 22-17-2 ATS. Detroit has won two straight games and covered four of their last five. The Bulls have done well vs teams with losing records, going 20-7 ATS in their last 27 vs a losing team. The Bulls have covered the last five meetings with the Pistons and I look for that tonight. Play Chicago.

Syracuse won their opening game in the NCAA tournament with a win over Mountain West Champ, San Diego State 78-62 as a 3-point dog. The Orange have now won four of their last five and covered all five. West Virginia lost their conference tourney opener to Oklahoma State, 69-72, but still got an at large bid thanks to their 18 wins. They opened NCAA with a win over a very good Morehead State team, 85-67 with Morehead never in the contest. Still, the Mountaineers have covered just one of their last five games. These teams have actually met five times with the dog taking four of those games vs the number. My own number has WVU about a one-point favorite while the oddsmaker has them around four points. I'll take the dog here today. Play Syracuse.
 

There is something to be said for getting hot at the right time. That's the case for this Ohio Bobcats team. The Cats were 4th in the MAC East but got to the NCAA tournament by winning nine of their last 10 games including all of their MAC tourney games. They were one of the better scoring teams in the nation, with around 80 ppg average. This Ohio team loves to run up and down the court and is an excellent passing team. Now they face one of the best defensive teams in the nation in Virginia. The problem for Virginia is that it had an undisclosed player test positive for Covid. That's a tourney ender for most teams. However, they have quarantined and if they had at least five players test negative for seven consecutive days they would be allowed to play. The Cavs look like they have passed that hurdle. Problem is they can't practice until they pass that protocol. Sure, they will be rested, but will they be game ready here today? I'm taking this hot Ohio team that has been shooting lights out against this Virginia team that frankly might not be ready to play. Take Ohio.

 Iona got the NCAA bid by sweeping its Metro Atlantic Conference Tournament, beating Quinnipiac, Siena, Niagara and then Fairfield in the Championship game, 70-64. It was Iona's sixth win in eight games and 10th in their last 12 games. They have also gone 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games. Alabama has had a fine season with a 24-6 S/U and 17-12 ATS record. The Tide won the SEC tournament with a one point win over LSU in the final, 80-79, failing to cover the 6-point spread. The Tide have been fair at covering, going 4-4 ATS in their last eight games. Tide laying 17 points here today is just too much in my opinion. I already had one big upset winner with Friday's Oral Roberts outright win. Let's see if Iona can make it another shocker. Play Iona.

Cal Santa Barbara comes into this NCAA tourney with a 20-4 S/U record and 14-10 spread mark. The Gouchos swept their Big West tourney with three wins, including the championship game over UC Irvine, 79-63. Their only loss dating back to December came on Feb 27 against UC Riverside, 52-68. They will face a Creighton team that was absolutely demolished in the Big East Championship by Georgetown, 48-73. The Blue Jays fell behind early and never came close the rest of the way. They have now lost three of their last six games both S/U and ATS. This Creighton team has been very inconsistent this season. Not so for Santa Barbara who has had little problems. I'll take the points here and not be surprised if Creighton struggles again. Play Santa Barbara.

If there is one team that has Cinderella written all over it, it is Georgetown. This Patrick Ewing led team shocked the Big East by taking the tournament despite going into the tourney with a 8-13 record. Four wins later, including that wipeout of Creighton in the finals, 73-48, and here they are at the big dance. Not much you can say about this team other than they are redhot and have nothing to lose. Sometimes a team with nothing to lose are the most dangerous teams. You know that 22-9 Colorado will be constantly reminded of this by their coaching staff. The Buffaloes are a 6 or 6 1/2 point favorite and have all the pressure on their shoulders. I'm going to stick with the Cinderella team and take the points here. My Shocker play here on Friday.