Matt Fargo’s NBA Handicapping Picks & ATS Predictions

This is a play on the ORLANDO MAGIC for our NBA Signature Enforcer. We won with Brooklyn last night as it snapped a five-game losing streak and it overtook Miami for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference and the Nets trail the Knicks by a game and a half for the No. 5 spot. The Nets improved to 21-18 on the road yet come in as underdogs here in the second of a back-to-back set where they have gone 6-6 this season. The remaining schedule sets up well with six of the final seven games taking place at home with the lone remaining road game at Detroit. Orlando has won two straight games including a win over New York on Thursday and while the Magic are in the No. 13 spot in the Eastern Conference, they are still mathematically alive for moving up to the No. 10 spot so it is in still win mode. They are a game under .500 at home but have covered 24 of 41 games including going 13-8 ATS against teams with a winning record and going back, the Magic are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 revenging a same season loss going up against an opponent off an upset win of 10 points or more as a road underdog. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Orlando Magic

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our Elite 8 Game of the Year. The Hurricanes rolled over Houston as Miami was very efficient on offense which has been its strength all season as it shot 51.7 percent from the floor while committing just five turnovers. Texas is not as good defensively as Houston which looks like it might be a problem but the Longhorns bring in a different style of defense as they are long and athletic. The Hurricanes nearly let the Cougars back into the game as Houston cut the deficit two points midway into the second half but Miami went on a 19-4 run to pull away. Texas rolled in its Sweet 16 game as well as it took out a very good Xavier team by 12 points but led by double that midway through the second half so the game was not as close as that final score shows. Surprisingly, this is the first trip to the Elite 8 for the Longhorns since 2008 and they are doing it with an interim coach in Rodney Terry who has done a sensational job. Texas has now won seven straight games that also includes a pair of double-digit wins over Kansas so they are playing even better than that record shows. Forward Dylan Disu will be a question mark but Texas got it done without him Friday as he played only two minutes. 10* (656) Texas Longhorns