Sports Handicapper Matt Fargo's Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES for our Monday Free Play. We lost with the Grizzlies on Saturday and we will back them again catching a bigger number in a solid spot. Memphis rallied from a 20-point deficit in the second quarter against the Lakers to eventually take a lead in the fourth quarter as both teams exchanged leads but the Grizzlies were unable to make the clutch shots. Memphis has struggled since the NBA All-Star break and has lost five of its past six games but is still sitting No. 5 in the Western Conference and trails Los Angeles by just one game. They are still 25-12 at home and now in its second game with interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Celtics is off a 10-point win at San Antonio on Saturday to make it eight straight win and the Celtics conclude their six-game roadtrip where they are now 31-7. Boston has locked up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with an outside shot at the No. 1 spot but at 2.9 percent, it is nearly impossible. The Celtics have dominated the lower ranked teams but are just 11-17 ATS against teams with a winning record. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after failing to cover in 12 or more of the last 15 games going up against an opponent after having covered 3 of their last 4. This situation is 53-22 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1997 with a scoring differential of -1.7 ppg. Play (510) Memphis Grizzlies

The NCAA Tournament takes a break and the College Basketball Crown runs all this week and we open with TWO Monday Winners starting this afternoon. MLB back in action Monday with an Underdog Triple Play as we go for the PERFECT 3-0 SWEEP. NBA Double Play looks for the SWEEP.

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES LAKERS as part of our NBA Monday Double Play. The Rockets came away with a 39-point win at Phoenix last night and this is the spot to go against. We played against Houston, more so of a play on Phoenix which at this point looks like it wants the season to just end, and with the win has now won 12 of its last 13 games to remain in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, two games ahead of Denver. As mentioned, the best win was at Orlando which was better than the Suns win no matter the scoring differential. The Lakers are back home following a 2-2 roadtrip culminating with a seven-point win at Memphis on Saturday and they are still fighting to remain in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. More important, they are just a game and a half out of No. 3 which would avoid Oklahoma City until the conference finals. The Lakers are 11-2 this season coming off a win as an underdog while going 9-0 ATS at home following losses in four or five of their last six games. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after beating the spread by more than 18 points in their previous game going up against an opponent after going over the total by 30 or more points total in their last five games. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) since 2021 with a scoring differential of +10.0 ppg. 10* (516) Los Angeles Lakers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON WIZARDS as part of our NBA Monday Double Play. Miami has played itself into the play-in tournament and by that meaning a 10-game losing streak from March 5-21 knocked them out of contention of avoiding it as they can no longer move out. The Heat have won four straight games since then which includes a solid win over Golden St. but the Warriors were without Steph Curry and now come in as big road favorites. They can finish as high as No. 7 or as low as No. 10 with nowhere outside to go and getting to No. 8, they will have to make up 2.5 games and pass Orlando. Washington has lost two straight and seven of its last eight games and while the word tanking is always thrown out, their players are not tanking for their own benefit. The Wizards have the worst home record in the NBA so the line is what it is for a reason but it is overreaction and overadjusted based on the time of year. Washington is 10-1 ATS this season following two straight home losses. Here, we play against road teams in the second half of the season against the money line shooting between 45.5 percent and 47.5 percent and after allowing 50 percent shooting or higher going up teams allowing between 45.5 percent and 47.5 percent shooting. This situation is 47-15 (75.8 percent) since 2021 with a scoring differential of +6.5 ppg. 10* (508) Washington Wizards

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our Crown Monday Afternoon Dominator. Butler is one of the few teams in the College Basketball Crown that will come into the tournament intact as the Bulldogs only lost player to the transfer portal. On top of that, they have learned that head coach Thad Matta will be back and that has brought a sense of unity to the roster, namely the top three scorers led by forward Jahmyl Telfort who is an NBA talent and can showcase some more. While they are just 4-6 in Quad 2 games, three of those losses were by one or two possessions and against teams with higher NET Rankings than Utah as well as three against NCAA Tournament teams. Butler closed on a 1-5 run to end the season so nothing better than having 18 days off to let that settle in to get it back. Utah put together a 5-3 run in January and February but lost seven of its final ten games following that and while the same can be said about time off to let that go, the Utes are coming in with a depleted roster. They are down seven players including four that averaged 18 or more minutes. 10* (650) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the GEORGETOWN HOYAS for our Crown Monday Signature Enforcer. Georgetown and Washington St. meet in the final game on Monday from Las Vegas and we have seen little line movement despite the Cougars coming in shorthanded. Washington St. lost two key pieces to the transfer portal as Nate Calmese (15.2 ppg) and Isaiah Watts (11.0 ppg) are gone, the former earning all-WCC honorable mention honors this season. With those two out, expect to see more of redshirt freshman Parker Gerrits and true freshman Tomas Thrastarson and those two combined for just 5.8 ppg. They are 3-5 in Quad 2 games while going 1-2 in neutral court games, the only win coming against UNI way back in December. Georgetown has more to build on in this the second year of head coach Ed Cooley so the Hoyas took advantage of this invite. They closed the season in disappointing fashion, losing a pair of games to DePaul to close the regular season and in the first round of the Big East Tournament and thy will be the more motivated team here. 10* (655) Georgetown Hoyas

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES ANGELS as part of our MLB Monday Underdog Triple Play. We will not be going into depth with early plays as we have no stats, just some historical numbers from last season and any offseason movements. We are looking at value underdogs and going against overvalued favorites with right now being all public perception and that is where the value comes into play. 10* (921) Los Angeles Angels

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PIRATES as part of our MLB Monday Underdog Triple Play. We will not be going into depth with early plays as we have no stats, just some historical numbers from last season and any offseason movements. We are looking at value underdogs and going against overvalued favorites with right now being all public perception and that is where the value comes into play. 10* (917) Pittsburgh Pirates

This is a play on the ATLANTA BRAVES as part of our MLB Monday Underdog Triple Play. We will not be going into depth with early plays as we have no stats, just some historical numbers from last season and any offseason movements. We are looking at value underdogs and going against overvalued favorites with right now being all public perception and that is where the value comes into play. 10* (905) Atlanta Braves