Stephen Nover Handicapper Reviews & Picks

Utah has lost four in a row. Denver is off a 133-96 beatdown of the Lakers last night.

So are you surprised the Jazz are such a strong road favorite? 

Don't be. The oddsmaker knows what he's doing. This is a stop-the-pain game for the Jazz and they have star center Rudy Gobert to help them achieve this. Utah hasn't played in four days. Gobert is as valuable to his team as any player. The Jazz didn't have Gobert, who was in COVID-19 protocol, during their current four-game losing streak.  

Gobert is back. The Jazz are rested, prepared and anxiously pointing to this game. They catch the Nuggets fat and happy after Denver buried the Lakers, 133-96, last night. 

These just met two days ago in Sacramento and the Kings won, 126-114, shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Neither team is good defensively. That's fully acknowledged. But familiarity should help the defensive effort today. The Rockets know they have to improve their pick-and-roll defense against the Kings. It's something they are well aware of.

The Kings had held their previous three opponents to 109.3 points before giving up 114 to the Rockets on Friday.

Another plus for the Under is the Rockets will have rookie center Alperen Sengun back. He's a high-energy, defensive-minded big man.

It's a limited Sunday slate of college basketball games. But there is one play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference that merits an investment.

Manhattan is better on both sides of the ball against Canisius. The Golden Griffins could be the worst team in the MAAC. They are 5-10 overall and have lost seven straight road games. The Golden Griffins are 0-7 away from home this season with an average loss of 12.2 points. The closest they've come on the road is seven points. 

The Jaspers are 8-4. They have the better offensive and defensive statistics. I look for them to cover a number that I believe opened too short. 

The Chiefs' explosive offense is back on track averaging 35.4 points during their last five games. This includes producing 36 points against the Steelers in Week 16. The Chiefs scored on each of their first four possessions, piling up 381 total yards of offense. Patrick Mahomes threw for 258 yards and 3 TD's despite not having Travis Kelce. 

Pittsburgh has surrendered at least 36 points in four of its last five road games. 

Safe to say, the Chiefs are going to get their share of points here. 

But what about the Steelers? Can Pittsburgh contribute its share of points? 

I believe the Steelers can. The Chiefs' run defense has become leaky giving up an average of 143.2 yards rushing in their last four games. If Najee Harris is effective on the ground, the Steelers' passing attack can be effective off play-action. 

If the Chiefs load up to stop the run by committing their safeties, Ben Roethlisberger will attack their man coverage. Roethlisberger won't be shy about passing in what likely is his final game. 

I rate the Buccaneers two levels higher than the Eagles. Given home field advantage and having more playoff experience, the Buccaneers should win this game handily.

Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl last season. The Buccaneers could be even better this season. They set a franchise record with 13 victories. Tom Brady had one of his greatest seasons, which really says a lot given how many outstanding years he's had. Brady passed for 5,316 yards - third most in NFL history - and set a Tampa Bay record with 43 TD passes.

The Eagles are not battle tested. They've met only three teams at .500 or above since November and went 1-2 SU and ATS against them. The Eagles went 1-6 ATS on the season when they faced above .500 opponents. Nick Sirianni is in his first season as Eagles head coach. Second-year QB Jalen Hurts has never been in a playoff game. He also is dealing with an ankle injury.

Philadelphia led the NFL in rushing. But Tampa Bay has been one of the best run defenses for the past three seasons. Hurts is a better runner than thrower.

The Buccaneers built a 28-7 lead against the Eagles in their earlier matchup this season. The Eagles scored a couple of late TD's to make the final a respectable, but misleading 28-22. The game closed with Brady taking a knee inside the Eagles' 10-yard line.

The Eagles have been huge money-burners when getting points going 3-14 ATS the last 17 times as an underdog.