Matt Fargo’s NBA Handicapping Picks & ATS Predictions

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Toronto is clinging onto fourth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Washington, following a 2-0 loss at Arizona on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are 3-2 on this current roadtrip that concludes tonight as they look to improve upon their 19-8-2 road record. This includes a 9-1 record against the Western Conference with that loss against the Coyotes being the only blemish. Additionally, the Maple Leafs are 5-0 in their last five games against teams with a winning record. St. Louis is the hottest team in the league with 10 consecutive wins, including three straight shutouts, but it still sits in just sixth place in the Western Conference following a slow start to the season. To their credit, eight of these wins have come on the road yet the Blues are just 14-13-2 at home. St. Louis is 7-16 in its last 23 home games after a win by three goals or more. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season outscoring their opponents by 0.5 gpg, after getting shutout in their previous game. This situation is 36-11 (76.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (59) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the BUFFALO SABRES as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. The Sabres have dropped two straight games and they have been slipping ever since their 10-game win streak was snapped on Nov. 29. Starting with that loss, the Sabres are 11-17-5 since but they are still just six points out of the final Wild Card spot. This is a big game as five of the next six games for Buffalo are against teams currently holding down playoff spots. Buffalo is 10-5 in its last 15 games after a loss by two goals or more in their previous game. The Panthers are five points behind Buffalo following a pair of wins and their 14-10-5 record at home is nothing special. Florida starting goalie Roberto Luongo was placed on bereavement leave prior to the Sunday game and James Reimer will be starting with his below average 3.05 GAA allowed. Florida is 0-5 at home after scoring five goals or more in their previous game this season. Here, we play against home favorites of -150 or less in the second half of the season averaging 2.85 or more gpg, after scoring six goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 33-14 (70.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (55) Buffalo Sabres

This is a play on the NEW YORK RANGERS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. The playoff chances for the Rangers are very slim but they continue to play hard as they come in on a 7-5-1 run over their last 13 games with four of those five regulation losses coming by one goal. After a 0-4-1 start on the road, New York is 10-12-1 in its last 23 road games which is good for a heathy profit thanks to big numbers like this. The Rangers are 10-5 after a loss by one goal in their previous game this season. Carolina is creeping up in the playoff picture as it has won three straight and six of seven. The Hurricanes are one point out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference but this is a big number for Carolina to be laying and it is 0-4 in its last four games as a favorite of -201 or higher. Additionally, the Hurricanes are 7-17 in their last 24 games coming off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more. Here, we play against teams after allowing one goal or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after playing two straight games where eight or more total goals were scored. This situation is 57-33 (63.3 percent) since 1996. 9* (53) New York Rangers

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. Clemson lost a pair of tough games at Louisville and Miami last week, both coming by just one point. Things have been much different at home where the Tigers are 11-2 including four straight wins. They are a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament with main reason being lack of quality wins as Clemson is just 1-8 against ranked within the top 50. It needs to be noted however is that six of those losses came on the road and one of the home losses came against No. 3 Virginia. The Tigers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with a winning road record. Florida St. has won seven straight games to move to 8-4 in the ACC after a rough 1-3 start. The Seminoles additionally have covered their last five games but that adds to the contrarian value. Florida St. is 3-2 on the road in the ACC but two of those wins came against Miami and Georgia Tech and the losses came against Boston College and Pittsburgh, which are a combined 6-19 in the ACC. 10* (630) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. Indiana is in a funk but this is where we can buy low. The Hoosiers have lost 10 of their last 11 games to fall to 4-10 in the Big Ten. Surprisingly, they are still in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth as they are currently one of the last four teams in. It shows how deep the conference is and the schedule has been brutal as they have played the ninth toughest schedule in the nation. This is just the second time this season that Indiana has been a home underdog. A win here will be huge for tournament hopes and they will be out for revenge after a 15-point loss earlier this season. Purdue bounced back from a loss against Maryland to defeat Penn St. at home on Saturday. The Boilermakers have not been very good on the road as they opened 0-4 and while they are 3-1 over their last four road games, two of those wins took overtime to accomplish. Purdue is 10-1 against teams ranked outside the top 50 but just 8-6 against teams within the top 50. 9* (608) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the PENN ST. NITTANY LIONS as part of our CBB Tuesday Trifecta. We won with Nebraska on Saturday as it took care of Northwestern at home and now it hits the road where it has struggled mightily this season. The Huskers are 2-6 on the highway including three straight losses including a pair of bad ones at Illinois and Rutgers where they were actually favored. The cover over the Wildcats was their first since losing Isaac Copeland Jr., their second leading scorer, for the season. Nebraska is just 1-8 ATS in its last nine games against Big Ten teams. Penn St. pulled off a big upset at home against Michigan two games back and not surprisingly, it had a letdown next time out, losing at Purdue by a dozen. The Nittany Lions are 6-6 at home but that record is a bit skewed as they lost in overtime against Purdue and fell to Indiana by just a bucket. Also in there was an impressive win against Virginia Tech. the Nittany Lions are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games against teams with a winning straight up record. 9* (606) Penn St. Nittany Lions