Michael Alexander

Rating: 2 Units

The Braves need to get their offense together before I can trust them in spots like this. I’d also need more plus money to seriously consider the Braves in their current form. I’ve been high on the Padres in the past and they’ve let me down with inconsistent play in big moments. Could this be different? Time will tell. What I do know is Nick Pivetta is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball and has nasty strikeout stuff. He should be eager for a bounce-back season and want to prove himself to his new team. No better spot to keep a team undefeated on Sunday night national TV. I’ll roll with the Padres to remain undefeated in 2025.

Rating: 2 Units

The Suns are hard to trust because one night they play with effort, and the next night they don’t defend and go through the motions. You never know what team you’re getting. The Rockets have won nine of their last 10 games and are the same team pretty much both on the road and at home. With all of that said, the Suns have shown more signs of life lately and they’re in the thick of the play-in conversation. At home, the Suns need to take advantage of games like this if they’re going to sneak into the tournament. The underdog has covered six of the last eight games between the Rockets and Suns. I’ll take a shot with the Suns and the free bucket at home.

Rating: 2 Units

While both teams are still fighting for playoff positioning, this one has more significance for the Wolves. The Wolves are within a half-game of the sixth spot in the conference but currently sit in 8th place. If the team fails to jump up, they'll be subject to the play-in round in the Western Conference. The Pistons currently sit in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, a game up on the sixth-place Bucks. The Wolves have the edge defensively and could have an added advantage if Cunningham is unable to suit up due to his calf injury. The Wolves have won seven of the last ten matchups with the Pistons. Expect the Wolves to be fully motivated and take care of business at home against the Pistons.

Rating: 2 Units

In five of the past six head-to-head meetings, San Antonio was the team that beat the spread. The Spurs have also gone 4-1-0 ATS in their previous five, and 3-0-0 ATS in their last three home games. Golden State has gone four straight games without beating the spread. They're 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10. The Spurs' strong ball security will help them compete against the Warriors' defense again. San Antonio's defense held Golden State under 100 once and has proven they can keep the Warriors in check. Golden State hasn't shown up on the road lately. Even if they win this game, expect the Spurs to beat the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

The Clippers are still shorthanded with Jordan Miller and Kawhi Leonard both ruled out, while the Cavaliers have ruled out Ty Jerome for this one. The Cavaliers expectedly open as favorites at home where they are 31-5 on the season, but the last time these two teams met, it was the Clippers who romped to a 132-119 win back on Mar. 18. The loss of Leonard might be tough to overcome for the Clippers, but I could easily see the Cavaliers resting some players this late in the regular season. I see why the Cavaliers are favorites, but I actually think the Clippers can surprise them again and at least get the cover in this spot.

Rating: 2 Units

UH held on to beat Purdue on Friday night, as junior guard Milos Uzan scored the game-winning layup with 0.9 seconds left. The Cougars made only two baskets over the final eight minutes, squandering a ten-point lead. They shot 37.7 percent from the field, including 9-for-23 (39.1%) from three-point range, and won the rebounding battle 38-29, collecting 16 offensive rebounds.  The Volunteers are 8-2 straight-up in their last ten games. UT won and covered against UK, getting its revenge after losing twice to the Wildcats during the regular season. The Vols led by 15 at halftime and by as many as 19, never trailing by more than one point. They shot 50.9 percent overall, won the rebounding battle 34-24, and scored 38 points in the paint.

Rating: 3 Units

I was going to lean toward Auburn, but the line seems thick enough for the Spartans to get in there. You could make a good case either way here, though; it’ll be a great matchup if both teams play well. The Tigers dispatched a very good Michigan team on Friday (despite a relatively slow start), hitting a 48-33 rebounding advantage along the way. The shooting wasn’t spectacular for either team (both below 40 percent) and each squad had 15 turnovers in a pretty sloppy outing ball-control-wise. In short, it wasn’t a pretty win but Auburn gutted it out. The Tigers have now scored 78 or more points in all three national tournament outings. As for Michigan State, they shot much better (50 percent) and went a nice 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the line in their win over Ole Miss on Friday. The Spartans did get out-rebounded 33-29 though, and had 10 turnovers for 13 Ole Miss points. Michigan State has 71 or more points in eight straight games (a 7-1 run), so we should see a pretty healthy total here. Michigan State needs to get it going on the boards but I like them slightly better. It’ll be a great game to watch regardless.