15* Pac-12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Washington +13

It's a good time to 'buy low' on the Washington Huskies.  They are 1-11 SU this season, but they have been showing some improvement here of late.  They only lost 76-81 at UCLA as 15.5-point underdogs last time out.

Now the Huskies are 13-point home dogs to Colorado.  They were only 9-point road dogs at Colorado in their first meeting this season, a 69-92 loss.  They will be out for revenge, and they are catching 4 more points than last time despite playing at home this time around.

Colorado is one of the best home teams in the country.  But they are awful on the road and have been for years.  Washington is 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS in its last seven home meetings with the Buffaloes.

The Buffaloes are 15-41 ATS in their last 56 road games.  Colorado is 7-16 ATS in its last 23 games as a road favorite.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Buffaloes are 0-6 ATS in their last six road games off three or more consecutive wins.  Colorado is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 road games off two or more consecutive home wins.  Roll with Washington Wednesday.

20* Big East GAME OF THE MONTH on Providence +10.5

It's a good time to 'buy low' on the Providence Friars off three straight losses by 10 points or less.  In fact, the Friars haven't lost any of their last nine games by more than 10 points.  So getting 10.5 points here is a great value.

Providence only lost 65-67 at home to Creighton on January 2nd in their first meeting as 4-point underdogs.  So they will be out for revenge here.  Plus, this is a 6.5-point adjustment for home-court advantage with the Bluejays now 10.5-point favorites in the rematch.  That's too big of an adjustment.

Creighton is dealing with an injury to its best player in Marcus Zegarowski (14.1 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.2 RPG).  He sat out their last game against Butler and they were upset as 7-point favorites.  Zegarowski is questionable to return with a hamstring injury here.  He had 20 points and 7 rebounds in the first meeting with Providence.   Even if he plays I love the Friars here.  If he doesn't it will be an added bonus.

The Friars are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games when revenging a loss.  That includes a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last six games when revenging a same-season loss.  Providence has only lost one of the last seven meetings with Creighton by double-digits, and that was an 11-point loss.  Bet Providence Wednesday.

20* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on Syracuse -4

The Syracuse Orange will be highly motivated for a victory.  They have lost their last two games overall and are 0-4 ATS in their last four games.  So we are getting them cheap as only 4-point home favorites based on recent results.

The blew another halftime lead and gave up 64 points to Pitt in the 2nd half last time out.  There's no doubt they come back with an inspired effort tonight at home against the Miami Hurricanes.  It's a good time to 'buy low' on the Orange here.

It's also a great time to 'sell high' on the Hurricanes, who have gone 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  After losing 62-84 at Boston College, they came back and upset Louisville 78-72 at home last time out.  They did it despite having just seven scholarship players available.  That win has them overvalued, and they could still be short-handed tonight.

This is a great matchup for Syracuse.  Teams need to be able to make 3-pointers to beat them because they play their patented 2-3 zone.  Well, Miami is last in the ACC in 3-point shooting at 28.1% this season.

Miami is 0-11 ATS in its last 11 games vs. excellent free throw shooting teams that make 77% or better.  The Hurricanes are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games.  The Orange are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS loss.  Take Syracuse Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on Maryland +10.5

The Maryland Terrapins want revenge from a 73-84 home loss to the Michigan Wolverines on December 31st in their first meeting this season.  The Wolverines shot 58.8% as a team, and that's highly unlikely to happen again here.

Maryland just went on the road and beat Illinois 66-63 outright as a 10.5-point underdog in its last Big Ten game.  The Terrapins also upset Wisconsin 70-64 as 10-point road dogs and only lost to Purdue by 3 as 6-point road dogs.  They have actually played their best basketball on the highway this season.

Michigan is overvalued right now after opening the season 11-1 SU & 9-3 ATS.  But their perfect season just ended in a 57-75 road loss at Minnesota as 5.5-point favorites on Saturday.  And a lot of times teams struggle in that next game after having their long winning streak snapped.  I expect that to be the case here with the Terrapins being the more motivated, revenge-minded team.  Roll with Maryland Tuesday.

20* Kansas/Baylor ESPN No-Brainer on Kansas +9

You're definitely paying a premium to back the No. 2 ranked Baylor Bears at this point.  They have opened 12-0 SU & 10-2 ATS to make the betting public a ton of money.  They are going to continue to back them until they fail them.

In no world should the Kansas Jayhawks be catching 9 points to Baylor.  The Jayhawks have dominated the Big 12 for decades.  And while they aren't as good as they have been in years' past, they are still one of the best teams in the country.  And they'll be highly motivated to hand the Bears their first loss of the season tonight.

It's also a good time to 'buy low' on the Jayhawks off an upset loss to Oklahoma State on Tuesday.  Now the Jayhawks have had five days to get ready for Baylor.  Meanwhile, the Bears will be playing their 2nd game in 3 days after a hard-fought 68-60 road win at Texas Tech on Saturday.  They only have one day to get ready for Kansas, which is a huge disadvantage for them.

Kansas is 19-2 ATS in its last 21 games after allowing 45 points or more in the first half last game.  The Jayhawks are 13-2 ATS in their last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  Kansas is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  The road team is 23-8-1 ATS in the last 32 meetings.  The underdog is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.  Bet Kansas Monday.

15* St. John's/UConn FOX Early ANNIHILATOR on St. John's +8

It's a great time to 'sell high' on the UConn Huskies.  They are 7-1 SU & 7-1 ATS this season and making backers a ton of money.  But now they find themselves in a big favorite role here laying 8 points to St. John's.  Consider they were laying 8.5 points to DePaul a few games back, and St. John's is a much better team than DePaul.

There's no way the Huskies should be this heavily favored tonight considering they will be without their best player in James Bouknight (20.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG).  And it's a great time to 'buy low' on the Red Storm after going just 2-6 SU & 3-5 ATS in their last eight games overall.  They will be in their 2nd-largest underdog role of the entire season today.

UConn is 18-34 ATS in its last 52 games as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points.  The Huskies are 12-29 ATS in their last 41 home games after scoring 60 points or less.  Take St. John's Monday.

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Evansville +9

The Evansville Purple Aces will be out for revenge following a 60-69 loss as 8.5-point dogs at Bradley yesterday.  Now the Purple Aces come back as 9-point dogs here in the rematch, so we are getting an even better line than what was available at the close yesterday.

Evansville has been grossly undervalued for weeks.  The Purple Aces are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall.  They haven't lost any of their last 12 games by more than 9 points, making for a 12-0 system backing the Purple Aces pertaining to this 9-point spread.

Bradley hasn't won any of its last five games by more than 9 points.  That includes a 1-point win over Miami Ohio as a 12-point favorite.  Their only wins by more than this spread came against overmatched teams in Jackson State, Lewis, Judson College and Oakland.

The Purple Aces are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games as underdogs.  The Braves are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win.  The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Take Evansville Sunday.

20* Iowa/Northwestern Big Ten No-Brainer on Northwestern +10

This is the ultimate 'buy low' spot on the Northwestern Wildcats.  They opened the season 6-1 SU & 5-1 ATS with upset wins over Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State.  But they have since gone 0-4 SU & 0-4 ATS their last four games overall with four straight losses by double-digits and three of those coming on the road.  In their lone home loss they blew a 15-point halftime lead against Illinois.

That includes their 72-87 loss at Iowa as 11.5-point dogs on December 29th.  Now they will be out for revenge three weeks later here and are catching 10 points at home for this Sunday morning tilt.  Look for them to stay within the number and possibly pull off the upset.

The Hawkeyes are 17-39-2 ATS in their last 58 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.  The Wildcats are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games.  Iowa is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games off four or more consecutive wins.  Bet Northwestern Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Arkansas-Little Rock -3.5

Arkansas-Little Rock was upset 59-63 as a 5-point home favorite to Texas State yesterday.  Now the Trojans will be the more motivated team in the rematch, and we are getting a better line on them today as only 3.5-point home favorites.

We just saw Little Rock bounce back from a 64-66 loss to Lafayette with a win in the rematch.  They also beat Arlington by 9 and came back and beat them by 13 in the rematch.  This is a veteran team with five returning starters so they have been great at making adjustments in the second game of these rematches.

Little Rock is 8-1 ATS in its last nine home games after playing a home game.  Little Rock is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing its 2nd game in 3 days.  Little Rock is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 home games.  The Bobcats are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall.  Texas State is 1-5 ATS in its last six games following a win.  The favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Roll with Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Appalachian State +3

Appalachian State lost 64-73 at South Alabama as a 3-point underdog yesterday.  They blew a 37-30 halftime lead and got outscored by 16 points after intermission.  Now the Mountaineers will be out for revenge in the rematch today and are identical 3-point dogs.  I fully expect them to win this game outright.

Appalachian State had gone 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in its three previous games with the three wins coming by a combined 40 points.  South Alabama was 0-3 SU & 0-3 ATS in its previous three games with its three losses coming by a combined 40 points.  So that win came out of nowhere and was an aberration.

The Jaguars are 7-18-2 ATS in their last 27 games as favorites.  South Alabama is 1-4 ATS in its last five games following a win.  The Mountaineers are 7-3-2 ATS in their last 12 games as underdogs.  The underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Roll with Appalachian State Saturday.

25* MAAC GAME OF THE YEAR on Niagara -1

Niagara is out for revenge from a 49-58 loss as a 3-point favorite at Manhattan yesterday.  Now the Purple Eagles are only 1-point favorites in the rematch.  Head coach Greg Paulus is clearly great at making adjustments in these situations.  And it helps that he has a veteran team that returned all five starters.

We've seen Niagara thrive in this situation all season.  After losing to St. Peter's by 16, they only lost by 4 in the rematch and covered as 8-point dogs.  After losing to Marist by 2, they came back and beat Marist by 14 in the rematch.  After losing to Rider by 6, they came back and beat them by 11 in the rematch.

Niagara is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games after scoring 30 points or less in the first half of two straight games.  The Purple Eagles are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss.  The Jaspers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a win.  Bet Niagara Saturday.

15* C-USA PLAY OF THE DAY on Florida International PK

FIU was just upset 79-81 by rival FAU as a 4.5-point home favorite on Thursday.  Now the Golden Panthers come back highly motivated for revenge and we get a 4.5-point adjustment in the line as they just have to win the game to cover in the rematch.

FIU is a perfect 9-0 ATS in its last nine games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games.  FAU is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after a combined score of 155 points or more.  Take Florida International Saturday.

15* ACC PLAY OF THE DAY on Notre Dame -4

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finally get a break in the schedule.  Eight of their last nine opponents have been Virginia (Twice), UNC, VA Tech, Duke, Purdue, Kentucky and Ohio State.  That explains why they are just 2-7 SU in their last nine games overall.

But now the Fighting Irish get a team they can handle in Boston College.  And it's an Eagles team that will breathe a sigh of relief after ending a four-game skid with a win over Miami last time out.  The Fighting Irish will be the more motivated team to put an end to their own four-game skid.

Notre Dame is 19-2 SU in its last 21 meetings with Boston College, including 11-1 SU in its last 12 home meetings.  The Eagles are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following an ATS win.  Bet Notre Dame Saturday.

20* AAC GAME OF THE MONTH on Tulane +1

This is a terrible spot for the Temple Owls.  They will be playing their 2nd game in 3 days and their 3rd game in 6 days.  They had to travel to SMU on Monday, come home and play UCF on Thursday, and now have to travel to face Tulane on Saturday.

This is a rested Green Wave team that has six days to get ready for Temple after last playing Houston on Saturday.  It's also a good 6-3 Tulane team which only has losses to Memphis, ECU and Houston this season.  The Green Wave are 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS at home this season.  The Owls are 0-2 SU in true road games with their two losses coming by a combined 37 points.

Temple is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games off a home win.  The Green Wave are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.  Take Tulane Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Holy Cross +19

Holy Cross has been grossly undervalued in the early going.  They are 2-2 SU & 3-1 ATS this season despite being underdogs in all four games.  They pulled the upset over Boston as 14.5-point dogs and also upset Army 70-61 as 11.5-point dogs.

Now Holy Cross is catching 19 points against a Colgate team that only beat Boston by 7 and also lost outright to Army as a 7.5-point favorite.  So that gives these teams two common opponents, and based on the results there's no way Colgate should be laying 19 points here.

The Crusaders are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.  The Raiders are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a win by more than 20 points.  Roll with Holy Cross Saturday.

15* Wisconsin/Rutgers Big Ten ANNIHILATOR on Rutgers +3

This is a great time to 'buy low' on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  They are coming off three straight losses to Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State.  And now they come back highly motivated for a victory and fresh with five days off in between games.

They take on a Wisconsin team that is far from fresh and still reeling from a 54-77 road loss at Michigan on Tuesday.  Now the Badgers only have two days to get ready for Rutgers.  The Scarlet Knights are 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last three home meetings with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games after failing to cover three of its last four ATS coming in.  The Scarlet Knights are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six games as home underdogs.  The home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Take Rutgers Friday.

25* Big South GAME OF THE YEAR on Longwood +17

It really appears that Winthrop is just getting bored at this point and going through the motions.  The Eagles are 12-0 SU this season, but they have gone 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall.  Each of their last eight wins have come by 18 points or fewer as well.

They only beat Gardner Webb by 10 as 12-pint favorites and came back and beat the same team by 8 points as 11-point favorites in the rematch.  They beat Charleston Southern by 16 in their first meeting and came back and won by 2 in their 2nd meeting as 16-point favorites.

After beating Longwood 72-61 yesterday as 17-point favorites, they come back as 17-point favorites here tonight.  This just looks like a dream spot to fade Winthrop as we've seen it happen on multiple occasions where the Eagles don't live up to expectations in the 2nd meeting of these 2nd of a back-to-back matchups.  They are simply getting bored and are OK with winning without getting margin.

Longwood has been a lot more competitive of late than its 3-12 record on the season would indicate.  Indeed, 11 of their 12 losses have come by 13 points or fewer.  So they have only lost one of their 15 games by more than this 17-point spread, making for a 14-1 system backing the Lancers pertaining to this spread.  Longwood has only lost one of its last six meetings with Winthrop by more than 17 points.  Bet Longwood Friday.

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Washington State +10

It's a great time to 'sell high' on the UCLA Bruins tonight.  They have won four straight and covered three in a row coming in.  They are coming off a sweep of the Arizona schools on the road.  That makes this is a huge letdown spot for them coming back home to face Washington State.

And while UCLA is winning a lot of games, they aren't getting margin.  In fact, they haven't won any of their last six games by more than 9 points.  And we are getting 10 points with an underrated Washington State team here.

The Cougars might be the most underrated team in the Pac-12.  They have gone 9-2 this season with their only losses coming to Arizona by 4 and Stanford by 15.  They are coming off that loss to Stanford, so it's a great time to 'buy low' on the Cougars.

Last year, Washington State upset UCLA 79-71 as 2-point home dogs, and only lost 83-86 as 8-point road dogs in the rematch.  The Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following a loss.  Washington State is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The underdog is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Bet Washington State Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on Wyoming +9.5

Wyoming will be out for revenge from a 60-83 home loss to Boise State on Monday.  Now the Cowboys get to face the Broncos just two days later here at home again.  No question the Cowboys will bring more energy to the court than the Broncos, who probably feel like they just have to show up to win.

We've seen Boise State falter in this spot each of their last two tries.  After beating San Jose State by 52 as a 22-point favorite, they came back and only won 87-86 over the Spartans as a 26-point favorite.  After beating Air Force 78-59 as a 19-point favorite, they failed to cover in the rematch in an 80-69 win as an 18.5-point favorite.  Now they go from being a 7-point favorite over Wyoming to a 9.5-point favorite in the rematch.  

Don't be surprised to see the Cowboys win this game outright, either.  This was a 63-58 game with seven minutes to play in the first meeting.  But Boise State incredibly closed on a 20-2 run to make the final score look like a lot bigger blowout than the game really was.

Wyoming is 11-1 ATS when revenging a same-season loss over the last two seasons.  The Cowboys are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games as underdogs.  Wyoming is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Wyoming Wednesday.

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Notre Dame +10.5

The love the spot for Notre Dame tonight.  It's a good time to 'buy low' on the Fighting Irish after they have gone just 1-5 SU & 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.  But keep in mind four of those five losses came by 10 points or fewer.

That includes their 9-point loss to Virginia on December 30th at home.  They were 7-point underdogs in that game.  Now they are 10.5-point underdogs in the rematch at Virginia, a 3.5-point adjustment.  It's simply adjusted too much for home-court advantage, which isn't worth much in college basketball this year.  Notre Dame will be the more motivated team out for revenge and getting to play the Cavaliers just two weeks later here.

It's also a good time to 'sell high' on Virginia after they have won six of their last seven games overall.  Each of their last three wins have come by 12 points or fewer against a very weak schedule.  The Cavaliers won by 9 over Notre Dame, by 9 over Wake Forest and by 12 over Boston College.  This team has been grossly overrated since the beginning of the season when they came out ranked in the Top 5 and promptly lost outright to San Francisco as a 15-point favorite.

Virginia has only beaten Notre Dame by more than 9 points once in the last six meetings in this series.  The Cavaliers have beaten the Fighting Irish by 1, 6 and 5 points in their last three meetings in Charlottesville.  And that was when there were fans and a much bigger advantage for much better Cavaliers teams than this 2020-21 version.

The Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.  Virginia is 0-5 ATS in its last five games following an ATS win.  The road team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.  Virginia is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games off a win by 10 points or more.  These four trends combine for a 25-1 system backing the Fighting Irish tonight.  Bet Notre Dame Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Early ANNIHILATOR on George Washington +11.5

George Washington is grossly undervalued right now due to its 3-7 SU record.  But the Colonials have suffered all seven losses by 11 points or fewer, including four by 4 points or less.  So they haven't lost by more than 11 points all season, and they're not about to start here against VCU.

VCU is overvalued after going 7-1 SU in its last eight games overall against an extremely soft schedule.  They were favored in all eight games.  And against the toughest opponent they faced, they lost outright 68-83 as 6-point favorites against Rhode Island.

George Washington is 13-2 ATS in its last 15 home games vs. teams that force 18 or more turnovers per game.  The Rams are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games coming in.  The Colonials are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games after five straight games where they committed 14 or fewer turnovers.  

George Washington's great ability to take care of the ball against VCU's pressure defense is a big key here to the Colonials covering.  The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Take George Washington Wednesday.

20* Alabama/Kentucky ESPN No-Brainer on Kentucky -2.5

John Calipari teams at Kentucky always seem to get better as the season goes on because they are always so young with mostly freshmen.  And that has been the case again this season with the Wildcats being extremely undervalued right now due to their slow start.

Indeed, the Wildcats opened 1-6 this season.  They have since gone 3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS.  They went on the road and beat Mississippi State 78-73, topped Vanderbilt at home 77-74 and crushed Florida 76-58 on the road.  Now they will take down Alabama here Tuesday.

The Crimson Tide come in overvalued off five straight victories.  Now they will meet their match here against the Wildcats after barely surviving Auburn 94-90 on the road last time out.  Alabama is 13-29 ATS in its last 42 games following five or more consecutive wins.

Kentucky simply owns Alabama, going 12-1 SU in the last 13 meetings.  The Crimson Tide are 0-5 ATS in their last five road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  The Wildcats are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Alabama is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games following a win by 6 points or less.  Kentucky is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games off an upset win by 10 points or more as an underdog.  Take Kentucky Tuesday.

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on TCU +6.5

I love the spot for the TCU Horned Frogs tonight.  They had won five straight games prior to losing their last two games to the two best teams in the Big 12 in Kansas and Baylor.  Now they take a big step down in class here against Oklahoma.

The Horned Frogs will also be out for revenge from a 78-82 home loss to Oklahoma in their first meeting this season back on December 6th.  And they go from being 4-point dogs in that game to now 6.5-point dogs in the rematch, so there's some serious line value here.

Oklahoma is going to be without both Bradey Manek (13.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and Jaylen Hill (3.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG) due to COVID-19.  Manek is a huge loss as he is the team's second-leading scorer and had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the first meeting with TCU.  The Horned Frogs are fully healthy for this game.

Plays on underdogs (TCU) - after being beaten by the spread by 42 or more points in their last five games against an opponent that went under the total by 24 or more points in their last three games are 80-41 (66.1%) ATS over the last five seasons.  

The Horned Frogs are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.  The Sooners are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games as favorites.  The underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.  Roll with TCU Tuesday.

20* MVC GAME OF THE MONTH on Bradley +1.5

The Bradley Braves will be highly motivated for revenge today after losing 72-78 to Northern Iowa yesterday.  Now they don't have to wait long for revenge as they get the Panthers against today.  They are underdogs in the rematch when they should be favorites.

This is a Northern Iowa team that has been consistently overvalued all season.  They are just 3-7 SU & 2-7 ATS on the year.  And now they are without their best player in AJ Green, who has been out since the first three games of the season.  Green was averaging 22.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG this season after averaging 19.7 PPG last season.

Bradley is 6-4 this season with all four losses coming by 6 points or fewer, including 1-point road losses to both Missouri (53-54) and Xavier (50-51).  That's how close the Braves are to being 10-0 this season.  The Panthers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  Bet Bradley Monday.

20* Patriot League GAME OF THE WEEK on Boston +3.5

Boston will be highly motivated for revenge following a 79-86 loss to Colgate as 4-point underdogs yesterday.  I fully expect them to win outright as 3.5-point underdogs in the rematch today.

The Raiders are 6-14-1 ATS in their last 21 games as road favorites.  We saw Colgate beat Army by 44 and come back and lose to them by 2 the next day in their last situation like this one.  Bet Boston Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday Line Mistake on Holy Cross +11.5

Holy Cross will be motivated for revenge following a 68-83 loss as 5.5-point dogs to Army.  Now they come back as 11.5-point dogs in the rematch today and will improve enough to cover this inflated number.

We just saw Holy Cross in this exact same situation against Boston.  After losing 76-83 in their first meeting as 10-point dogs, they came back and won outright 68-66 as 14.5-point dogs in the rematch.  They can beat Army here.  The Crusaders are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as road underdogs.  Bet Holy Cross Sunday.

15* American East PLAY OF THE DAY on Maine +10.5

Maine will be motivated for revenge following a 54-63 loss to New Jersey Tech as 8.5-point dogs yesterday.  Now the Black Bears come back as 10.5-point dogs today in the rematch, which is too many points.

Maine is 6-2-1 ATS in its last nine games as an underdog.  The Highlanders are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following an ATS win.  New Jersey Tech is 1-4 ATS in its last five home games.  Maine is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 road games after scoring 60 points or less in two straight games.  Take Maine Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Binghamton +12.5

Binghamton wants revenge from a 60-76 loss as 12.5-point underdogs to Vermont yesterday.  I expect them to play much better here Sunday and to be the more motivated team, thus covering this identical 12.5-point spread this time around.  

This is the 5th time Binghamton has been in this situation.  They have improved in the 2nd game in three of four times they've lost the first matchup with the only non-improvement resulting in a cover.  They lost by 3 to Marist as 4-point dogs and came back and covered as 6-point dogs in a 4-point loss in the rematch.  The last time Vermont won the first game in this situation they beat New Jersey Tech by 14 and came back and lost by 1 in the rematch.

The Catamounts are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a losing record.  Vermont is 3-13-2 ATS in its last 18 Sunday games.  The Bearcats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a double-digit home loss.  Vermont is 11-25 ATS in its last 36 games when playing with one or less days' rest.  Roll with Binghamton Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday Late-Night BAILOUT on Cal Poly +13

Cal Poly wants revenge from a 49-62 loss at Bakersfield yesterday as 13-point underdogs.  Now the Mustangs come back as identical 13-point dogs today and this number is simply too high.

The Mustangs are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after scoring 50 points or less in their previous game.  The Roadrunners are 16-34-2 ATS in their last 52 games overall.  Bakersfield is 4-16-1 ATS in its last 21 home games.  The Roadrunners are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  Bakersfield is 0-6 ATS in its last six games off a conference win.  Take Cal Poly Saturday.

15* MWC PLAY OF THE DAY on Nevada +11.5

Nevada wants revenge from a 60-65 loss at San Diego State as a 13-point underdog on Thursday.  Now the Wolf Pack get to face the Aztecs just two days later here Saturday and come back as 11.5-point dogs.

The Wolf Pack are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a winning home record.  Nevada is 4-0 ATS in its last four road games.  The Wolf Pack are 45-20-2 ATS in their last 67 games following an ATS win.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.  The Aztecs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU win.  The Wolf Pack are 6-0 ATS in their last six games after playing their last game on the road.  Roll with Nevada Saturday.

15* Summit League PLAY OF THE DAY on Nebraska-Omaha +7.5

Nebraska-Omaha wants revenge from a 69-71 loss at North Dakota State as 7.5-point dogs yesterday.  Now the Mavericks come back as 7.5-point dogs today in the rematch, and this line is simply too high again.

The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Omaha is 21-10 ATS in its last 31 games vs. a team with a losing record.  Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points (Omaha) off a close conference loss by 3 points or less against an opponent that won as a favorite but failed to cover in their last game are 59-30 (66.3%) ATS over the last five seasons.  Take Nebraska-Omaha Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Line Mistake on Florida Atlantic +7.5

Florida Atlantic wants revenge from a 67-71 loss to Old Dominion as a 7.5-point underdog yesterday.  Now the Owls come back as 7.5-point dogs in the rematch today, and this number is too high once again.

Old Dominion has consistently been overvalued, going 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.  They are also 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  The Monarchs are 0-4 ATS in their last four games as home favorites.  The Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as underdogs.  The road team is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings.  The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Bet Florida Atlantic Saturday.

20* C-USA GAME OF THE MONTH on Louisiana Tech +7

Louisiana Tech wants revenge from a 64-66 loss to Western Kentucky yesterday as a 7.5-point underdog.  Now the Bulldogs come back as 7-point underdogs in the rematch as this line is way too high in a game I expect them to win outright.

Betting against Western Kentucky has been a great move.  The Hilltoppers are 3-9 ATS this season.  The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS int heir last six games overall.  The Bulldogs are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games as road underdogs.  The Hilltoppers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as favorites.  Western Kentucky is 0-7 ATS vs. teams who force 14 or fewer turnovers per game this season.  Take Louisiana Tech Saturday.

20* Sun Belt GAME OF THE MONTH on Arkansas-Little Rock -1.5

Little Rock is coming off a 64-66 loss to Lafayette yesterday as a 1-point favorite.  I expect the Trojans to bounce back here as 1.5-point favorites in the rematch.  Lafayette is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games off a win by 6 points or less.  Bet Little Rock Saturday.

15* Horizon League PLAY OF THE DAY on Oakland -1

Oakland wants revenge from an 81-84 (OT) loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay yesterday as a 1.5-point favorite.  Now the Golden Grizzlies come back as only 1-point favorites in the rematch today and I expect them to have their revenge.

The Golden Grizzlies are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a SU loss.  Oakland is 4-0 ATS in its last four games following an ATS loss.  The Phoenix are 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 home games.  The Golden Grizzlies are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 games as a road favorite of 3 points or less.  Take Oakland Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Southern Miss +14

Southern Miss wants revenge from a 60-72 loss at UAB as 13-point underdogs yesterday.  At the very least, I expect the Golden Eagles to cover this 14-point spread in the rematch today.

The Golden Eagles have been consistently undervalued, going 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  UAB is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 home games vs. a team that is called for 17 or fewer fouls per game.  The underdog is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Roll with Southern Miss Saturday.

15* MAAC PLAY OF THE DAY on Manhattan +2.5

Manhattan wants revenge from a 79-84 (double OT) loss to Quinnipiac yesterday as a 3-point dog.  Now the Jaspers come back as 2.5-point dogs in the rematch Saturday in a game I fully expect them to win outright.

Quinnipiac is 22-40 ATS in its last 62 games after scoring 80 points or more.  The Jaspers are 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings and should be 4-0 if not for blowing a big lead late in regulation.  Masiello is 13-2 ATS after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games as the coach of the Jaspers.  Bet Manhattan Saturday.

15* Big Sky PLAY OF THE DAY on Idaho +14

Idaho only lost 80-85 as a 14-point underdog at Southern Utah yesterday.  Now the Vandals come back as 14-point dogs today as this line is simply too high.  Idaho's 0-8 record has them undervalued right now as they have only lost one of their last six games by more than 13 points, and that was at Pac-12 opponent Utah.

The Thunderbirds are 11-30 ATS in their last 41 games as a home favorite.  The road team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Idaho is 7-0 ATS in its last eight road games after allowing 80 points or more in two straight games.  The Vandals are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games off a loss by 6 points or less.  Roll with Idaho Saturday.

15* CBB PLAY OF THE DAY on Air Force +18.5

I like the spot for Air Force tonight.  They will be playing Boise State for the 2nd time in 3 days.  They lost the first meeting 59-78 as 19-point dogs at Air Force.  And now they are catching 18.5 points in the rematch here.

Air Force will clearly be the more motivated team in the rematch.  And Boise State is overvalued with an 8-1 record and on an 8-game winning streak coming in.  Look for the Broncos to let up enough here to allow the Falcons to cover this 18.5-point spread.

We just saw Boise State in this  exact same situation falter in the two games prior to Air Force.  After beating San Jose State 106-54 as a 22-point favorite, the Broncos came back and only beat the Spartans 87-86 as a 26-point favorite.  That was a 51-point improvement for San Jose State in the rematch.

Air Force is 53-31 ATS in its last 84 games as a road underdog of 12.5 points or more.  Boise State is 1-12 ATS in its last 13 home games after scoring 75 points or more in four straight coming in.  Roll with Air Force Friday.

20* Pac-12 GAME OF THE WEEK on UCLA -1

The UCLA Bruins brought back all five starters this season and are a team I've been looking to back with every chance I get.  And they've delivered by going 7-1 SU & 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall with their only loss coming to Ohio State.  They also beat the likes of Marquette, Utah and Colorado during this stretch.

The Arizona State Sun Devils have been one of the most overrated teams in college basketball, and they continue to be tonight.  The Sun Devils are 4-3 SU but 1-6 ATS this season.  They are coming off a 63-76 home loss to UTEP as a 13-point favorite.  And that game was on December 16th, so they have been off for three weeks, and thus there will be some rust with this team tonight.

UCLA is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games off a conference home win.  The Bruins are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  UCLA is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Sun Devils are 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games.  Arizona State is 3-12-1 ATS in its last 16 games overall.  Roll with UCLA Thursday.

20* Big 12 GAME OF THE WEEK on Oklahoma +12

The No. 2 ranked Baylor Bears are 9-0 this season.  The longer a team stays unbeaten the harder it is to cover spreads because expectations are so high that they are hard to live up to.  And players start to become complacent as well.

We've seen that in Baylor's last two games as they failed to cover as 44-point favorites in a 29-point win over Alcorn State.  They also failed to cover as 15.5-point favorites in an 11-point win over Iowa State, which may be the worst team in the Big 12.

Now Oklahoma takes its shot at Baylor.  The Sooners are 4-1 in their last five games overall with their only loss coming by 2 points to Texas Tech, 67-69.  They also beat West Virginia 75-71 at home.  This is a veteran squad that can hang with a team like Baylor.  They only lost 57-61 at Baylor as 11-point underdogs last season.

The Sooners are 18-7-2 ATS in their last 27 road games following three or more consecutive home games.  Oklahoma is 4-0 ATS in its last four games as an underdog.  The road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.  Bet Oklahoma Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Richmond -4

Richmond has played a brutal schedule and has gotten through it at 7-3.  They have wins over Kentucky, Wofford, Vanderbilt, Loyola-Chicago and Davidson and losses to St. Bonaventure, West Virginia and Hofstra.  And they haven't lost two games in a row yet, so this veteran team that returned four starters has shown some resilience.

Now I expect the Spiders to bounce back from a 3-point loss to St. Bonaventure with a win and cover here against Rhode Island.  This is a 5-5 Rams team that is getting too much respect from oddsmakers here.  They have a common opponent in Davidson, which Richmond beat 80-74 on the road, while Rhode Island lost to 58-67 at home.

The Spiders are a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.  Richmond is 6-1 ATS in its last seven home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  The Spiders are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games as home favorites.  Take Richmond Wednesday.

15* Big 12 PLAY OF THE DAY on Kansas -5.5

I love the spot for the Kansas Jayhawks today.  They are coming off their worst home loss in program history 59-84 to Texas on Saturday.  It's safe to say they are going to come back highly motivated for a victory here Monday.

The Jayhawks had won eight straight coming into that game with their only previous loss coming to top-ranked Gonzaga.  It's safe to say that loss was an aberration.  Now the Jayhawks face a TCU team that is overvalued off five straight victories coming in.

Kansas simply owns TCU.  The Jayhawks are 16-1 SU in the last 17 meetings.  Kansas is 9-0 ATS in its last nine games following a loss by 20 points or more.  The Jayhawks are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 Big 12 road games.  Kansas is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Jayhawks are 43-19-3 ATS in their last 65 games following a SU loss.  Take Kansas Tuesday.

20* CBB Monday Undervalued Underdog on Southern Illinois +11

I was on Southern Illinois yesterday.  They played well early and led big but got crushed over the final 25 minutes and lost 55-73 at Drake as 10-point dogs.  Now they come back as 11-point dogs here in the rematch in this back-to-back situation and will be the more motivated team.

Drake is overvalued now after starting 12-0 SU & 9-0 ATS this season.  And with every win and cover, the Bulldogs will continue getting more and more respect from oddsmakers.  They will also start to feel the pressure of trying to keep this unbeaten streak alive.

It's a good time to 'buy low' on Southern Illinois.  The Salukis opened 7-0 SU & 5-1 ATS this season before two straight losses to Evansville and Drake coming in.  Keep in mind they upset Drake in both meetings last season with a 66-49 home win and a 79-72 road win.  And they want revenge from that loss yesterday now.

The underdog is 18-7-2 ATS in the last 27 meetings.  Take Southern Illinois Monday.

15* CBB Monday UPSET SHOCKER on Monmouth +3

Monmouth is in a great spot today.  They want revenge from a 77-78 loss at Siena as 2.5-point dogs yesterday.  Now they come back as 3-point dogs in the rematch.  The Hawks will be motivated for revenge while the Saints will relax.  I expect the Hawks to win this game outright.

Monmouth is 3-3 SU & 4-1-1 ATS this season.  The Hawks have two losses by a combined 3 points this season, which is how close they are being to 5-1.  Siena will be playing just its second game of the season after missing all of 2020 with COVID problems.

The road team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.  Monmouth is 6-1 ATS in its last seven trips to Siena.  The Hawks are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss.  Roll with Monmouth Monday.

20* MVC GAME OF THE WEEK on Southern Illinois +11

The secret is out on the Drake Bulldogs.  They've been the best covering team in all of college basketball over the past couple seasons.  And now that they are 11-0 SU & 8-0 ATS to start this season, the word is out on the street on them.  It's definitely time to 'sell high' on the Bulldogs now as 11-point favorites against Southern Illinois.

This is a very good Southern Illinois team that probably shouldn't be double-digit dogs to anyone in the Missouri Valley.  The Salukis are 7-1 SU & 5-2 ATS this season with an upset win at Butler.  But they are coming off their first loss of the season to Evansville.  It was predictable as they had beaten Evansville the day before and had this game with Drake on deck.  It was a letdown spot, but off that upset loss it's a good time to 'buy low' on the Salukis now.

Southern Illinois went 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS against Drake last season with two upset wins as underdogs.  They won 66-49 at home as 1.5-point dogs and 79-72 on the road as 5.5-point dogs.  And now they are being undervalued once again in their first meeting of 2020-21.

The Salukis are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The underdog is 18-6-2 ATS in the last 26 meetings.  The Salukis are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games after giving up 5 or fewer offensive rebounds in their previous game.  Bet Southern Illinois Sunday.

15* Atlantic 10 PLAY OF THE DAY on George Washington +8

I like the situation for George Washington today.  They were beating 63-75 by Duquesne as 7.5-point dogs yesterday.  Now they come back as 8-point dogs today in the rematch.  They will be the more motivated team with revenge in mind, while the Dukes will likely relax and not want this game as badly.

George Washington is much better than its 2-7 record would indicate.  In fact, that 12-point loss yesterday was its largest defeat of the season.  The Colonials have four losses by 4 points or fewer this season.  There is going to be value with this team moving forward due to their poor SU record.

Duquesne is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games off a conference road win.  The Dukes are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games vs. teams who average 12 or fewer assists per game.  Duquesne is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games as a favorite.  George Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as a home underdog.  The Colonials are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit home loss.  Take George Washington Sunday.

15* Pac-12 PLAY OF THE DAY on California +3

The Cal Golden Bears get their shot at revenge on Oregon State after losing 63-71 to the Beavers in their first game of the season.  They have improved rapidly since that first meeting and come in playing their best basketball of the season.

Indeed, the Golden Bears are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  Their only loss was a 13-point loss at Oregon in which they covered as 13.5-point dogs.  They upset San Francisco as 3.5-point dogs, crush Northridge by 31 and also beat Seattle.

Oregon State is 2-3 SU & 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.  That includes upset losses to Wyoming as 9-point favorites and Portland as 16.5-point favorites.  And they barely beat Portland State by 5 as 13-point favorites during this stretch.  They should not be favorites in this rematch with the way they are playing of late.

Oregon State is 0-6 ATS in its last six games after allowing 65 points or less in two straight games.  The Beavers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games as favorites.  Roll with California Saturday.

15* C-USA PLAY OF THE DAY on Charlotte +6

Charlotte wants revenge from a 63-67 loss to Western Kentucky yesterday as a 7-point underdog.  They don't have to wait long to get it as they will be playing each other again today.  The 49ers will be the more motivated team in the rematch, and I expect them to cover this 6-point spread and possibly win outright.

This is a Charlotte team that has shown they can play with some good teams.  They upset Davidson 63-52 as 10.5-point dogs as part of their three-game winning streak prior to losing to WKU.  I expect the Hilltoppers to relax today after winning six straight coming in.

Western Kentucky has been winning but not covering, which means they continue to be overvalued.  The Hilltoppers are now 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall.  Four of their last five wins have come by 4 points or less.

Charlotte is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games as a home underdog.  Western Kentucky is 1-11 ATS in its last 12 games vs. teams who force 14 or fewer turnovers per game.  Take Charlotte Saturday.

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Evansville +6.5

The Northern Iowa Panthers have been one of my favorite teams to fade in the early going.  A big reason for that is they are missing their best player in AJ Green.  Green's loss is huge as he averaged 19.7 PPG last season and is averaging 22.3 PPG this season.  He is out for the year.

The Panthers have gone 2-5 SU & 1-5 ATS this season.  And now they are getting too much respect from oddsmakers once again today as 6.5-point road favorites over Evansville.  It's a Purple Aces team that is on the improve.

Indeed, Evansville has gone 3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.  The two losses were both covers in a 9-point loss to Belmont and a 6-point loss to Southern Illinois.  Then they avenged that loss to Southern Illinois and handed the Salukis their first loss in an 84-72 victory as 8-point dogs.  Roll with Evansville Saturday.

15* CBB Friday PLAY OF THE DAY on Niagara -1

Head coach Greg Paulus, the former Duke standout, is in his second year at Niagara.  I expect big things from him and this team this year.  They returned all five starters from last year and four of their top five scorers.

After a slow start to the season due to COVID, this experienced team has found their stride.  The Purple Eagles are 3-1 SU & 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall.  They crushed Fairfield twice by 17 and 20 points.  And then they upset Albany as a 3.5-point dog.  And now they will take down Marist tonight.

Marist is getting too much respect from oddsmakers due to its 5-1 start against an extremely soft schedule.  Their six wins have come against Manhattan (twice), Canisius and Binghamton (twice).  And it's worth noting two of those wins came in overtime.  Now Marist will meet its match here against this experienced, talented Purple Eagles squad.  Take Niagara Friday.

20* Michigan/Maryland ESPN No-Brainer on Maryland +2

It's time to 'sell high' on the Michigan Wolverines after their 7-0 start against a soft schedule.  They got to play their first six games of the season all at home with their only decent opponent being a 62-58 win over Penn State.  And their only road game this season came at Nebraska, which is the worst team in the Big Ten.

This is a big step up in class for the Wolverines against a Maryland team that has already been tested.  The Terrapins are 6-3 this season  with their only losses coming to Clemson and Purdue on the road, as well as Rutgers at home.  They proved what they were capable of last time out with a 70-64 win at Wisconsin as a 7.5-point dog.

I like that Maryland has been active lately and will be the sharper team because of it.  It will be their 4th game since December 22nd.  Meanwhile, the Wolverines will be playing just their 2nd game since December 13th.  I imagine they will be pretty rusty here.

The Terrapins are 5-1 at home this season and winning by 16.3 points per game.  Maryland beat Michigan 83-70 at home last season.  The Wolverines are 1-4 ATS in their last five games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Bet Maryland Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday No-Doubt Rout on Eastern Kentucky -3.5

Eastern Kentucky returned four starters this season and is off to a 7-2 SU & 5-2 ATS start this season.  They took Xavier to overtime in one of their losses as 16-point underdogs.  That's a Xavier team that is 8-1 this season.

Eastern Illinois is just 3-4 SU & 2-5 ATS this season.  They lost by 10 to Wisconsin and by 25 to Marquette as well as a loss to a down Dayton team.  They also lost to a bad Evansville team as 3-point favorites.  They only beat Western Illinois 92-88 as 11.5-point favorites and needed overtime to beat a bad Wisconsin-Green Bay team as 5.5-point favorites.  Their only blowout win came 78-56 against Chicago State, which is one of the worst teams in the country, and they failed to cover as 26-point favorites.

Given these results, it's clear that Eastern Kentucky should be more than a 3.5-point favorite in this game tonight.  Not to mention Eastern Kentucky won both meetings with Eastern Illinois last year despite being underdogs in both games.  And they returned more talent and experience than Eastern Illinois did this season.

Eastern Illinois is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games coming in.  The Panthers are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 road games.  The Colonels are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games as home favorites.  The Colonels are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games overall.  Roll with Eastern Kentucky Wednesday.

20* Atlantic 10 GAME OF THE MONTH on Richmond +1

Richmond is a team I'm looking to back a lot this season since they returned four starters from last year.  And it has paid off for the most part in the early going as they are 6-2 SU against a brutal schedule.

We're going to get a motivated Richmond team off an upset loss to Hofstra last time out.  They have wins over Kentucky, Wofford, Northern Iowa, Vanderbilt and Loyola-Chicago this season.  Their only other loss came to West Virginia, one of the best teams in the country.

Now the Spiders open Atlantic 10 play against Davidson, who has losses to Texas, Providence and Charlotte this season.  The Wildcats are now getting too much respect off two straight wins over Rhode Island and Vanderbilt.  

Richmond won both meetings with Davidson last season 80-63 at home and 70-64 on the road.  It will be more of the same in their first meeting of 2020-21.  The Spiders are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss.  The underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.  Bet Richmond Wednesday.

15* CBB Wednesday Undervalued Underdog on La Salle +12.5

The Dayton Flyers are way overvalued in the early going this season.  They lost a lot from last year's team that was one of the best in the country, including Wooden Award winner Obi Toppin.  I'll gladly fade them here as 12.5-point favorites against La Salle in this Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.

Dayton is 4-1 SU but just 2-3 ATS.  Each of their five games this season have been decided by 6 points or less.  That includes a 66-63 win over Eastern Illinois as 14-point favorites and a 66-60 win over Northern Kentucky as 11.5-point favorites.

La Salle is just 3-5 SU this season but has been competitive in almost all their losses.  The Explorers are 3-1 ATS in their last four games overall.  They upset Drexel 58-48 as 3-point road dogs, covered as 3-point favorites in a 71-61 win over Delaware, and only lost 71-84 at Maryland as 16.5-point dogs last time out.

The Flyers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.  La Salle is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games off two consecutive non-conference games.  The Explorers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games after scoring 30 points or less in the first half of two straight games.  The Explorers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games vs. teams who average 6 or fewer steals per game.  These four trends combine for a 26-1 system backing the Explorers tonight.  Take La Salle Wednesday.

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Clemson -1.5

The Clemson Tigers are one of the most underrated teams in college basketball this season.  They are 6-1 SU & 5-2 ATS this season with their only loss coming on the road to Virginia Tech.  They have wins over Mississippi State (by 11), Purdue (by 11), Maryland (by 16) and Alabama (by 8) so they have played a very tough schedule as well.

The Florida State Seminoles lost their three best players to the NBA or graduation from last year's team.  They have still opened 5-1 and are talented, but their 12-point loss to UCF is a concern two games back.  And they didn't come close to covering as a 20-point favorite in a 13-point win over Gardner Webb last time out.  This team is simply getting too much respect from oddsmakers.

Clemson is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games after allowing 25 points or fewer in the first half of last game.  The Tigers are the best defensive team in the ACC, giving up just 53.4 points per game and 37% shooting this season.  The Tigers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.  Bet Clemson Tuesday.

15* CBB Monday UPSET SHOCKER on Missouri State +3.5

I cashed in Missouri State as a 6.5-point underdog against Northern Iowa in their 79-59 win.  I said they should not be underdogs in this game and believe they should not be underdogs in the rematch either.  So I'm back on them as 3.5-point dogs again today.

The Panthers are 1-5 SU & 0-5 ATS this season.  They just lost their best player in A.J. Green, who averaged 22.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his three games this season.  Green averaged 19.7 PPG last year and is now out for the season.  Plus, the Panthers hadn't played since December 9th, so they are rusty right now.

Missouri State is off to a 4-0 SU & 3-0 ATS start this season.  They crushed Northwestern State 94-67 as a 10.5-point favorite.  Then they upset a very good Arkansas-Little Rock team that returned all five starters from last year 85-77 as 1.5-point dogs.  And add in that 79-59 win as 6.5-point dogs to Northern Iowa yesterday.

The Bears are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  Missouri State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 road games.  The Panthers are 0-6 ATS in their last six games overall.  Northern Iowa 17-36-1 ATS in its last 54 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Missouri State is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games vs. teams who average 33 or fewer rebounds per game.  The Bears are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing 60 points or fewer in their previous game.  Roll with Missouri State Monday.

15* CBB Monday Undervalued Underdog on Evansville +9

The Evansville Purple Aces get another shot at Southern Illinois tonight.  They lost 57-63 as 8.5-point dogs yesterday.  Now they are 9-point dogs to the Salukis in the rematch.  This makes no sense as the Purple Aces will be the more motivated team, while the Salukis will relax after just beating them.

Plus Southern Illinois is overvalued as it is due to an unbeaten 7-0 record against an extremely soft schedule.  Their seven wins have come against SE Missouri State, Quincy, Murray State, North Dakota (twice), Butler and Evansville.

Four of the last five meetings in this series have now been decided by 7 points or less.  The road team is 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.  The Purple Aces are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Take Evansville Monday.

15* MVC PLAY OF THE DAY on Missouri State +6.5

The Northern Iowa Panthers are getting way too much respect from oddsmakers today.  They should not be 6.5-point favorites over the Missouri State Bears in this Missouri Valley Conference matchup.

The Panthers are 1-4 SU & 0-4 ATS this season.  They just lost their best player in A.J. Green, who averages 22.2 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his three games this season.  Green averaged 19.7 PPG last year and is now out for the season.  Plus, the Panthers haven't played since December 9th, so they will be rusty.

Missouri State is off to a 3-0 SU & 2-0 ATS start this season.  They crushed Northwestern State 94-67 as a 10.5-point favorite.  Last time out they upset a very good Arkansas-Little Rock team that returned all five starters from last year 85-77 as 1.5-point dogs.

The Bears are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall.  Missouri State is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 road games.  The Panthers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.  Northern Iowa 17-35-1 ATS in its last 53 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Bears are 11-2 ATS off a home win over the last two seasons.  Missouri State is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games vs. teams who average 33 or fewer rebounds per game.  Bet Missouri State Sunday.

15* Virginia/Gonzaga CBS ANNIHILATOR on Virginia +8.5

The Virginia Cavaliers are exactly the type of team that can slow down the Gonzaga Bulldogs.  They have been among the best defensive teams in the country under Tony Bennett for years.  And that's the case again this season as they give up just 54.0 points per game and 36.3% shooting.

I like the fact that Virginia returned from its 17-day absence from COVID problems and looked very sharp in a 76-40 win as 23.5-point favorites over William & Mary on December 22nd.  And now they are highly motivated to try and knock off the No. 1 team in the country in Gonzaga.  Getting 8.5 points with a team the caliber of Virginia is an absolute Christmas gift.

The Cavaliers are 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games as underdogs.  Virginia is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games overall.  It's time to 'buy low' on the Cavaliers and 'sell high' on the Bulldogs today.  Take Virginia Saturday.

20* Rutgers/Ohio State Big Ten No-Brainer on Ohio State -2.5

The Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) responded from a loss to Purdue in their Big Ten opener with a 77-70 win over a very good UCLA team on Saturday.  They got leading rebounder E.J. Liddell back from a two-game absence due to mononucleosis and should be closer to full strength for this game now as the Buckeyes are highly motivated for their first conference victory.

It's a great time to 'sell high' on unbeaten Rutgers (6-0) tonight.  The Scarlet Knights have opened 2-0 in Big Ten play with wins over Maryland and Illinois after a soft early schedule.  But they just lost starting center Clifford Omoruyi to an injury in the win over Illinois and his loss will be feld here against Liddell and Ohio State.

Ohio State is 8-2 SU against Rutgers as Big Ten members, including 5-0 SU at home.  The Buckeyes are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games off an ATS win.  Ohio State is 20-8 ATS in its last 28 home games.  The Buckeyes are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as home favorites.  Bet Ohio State Wednesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on North Dakota State +12

North Dakota State's 2-5 record has the Bison undervalued.  But they are in the midst of their toughest nonconference slate in school history having already traveled to No. 11 Creighton, No. 7 Kansas and Nebraska.  They are battle-tested and ready to go.

Keep in mind the Bison covered in road losses to Creighton (58-69) as 23.5-point dogs and Kansas (61-65) as 24-point dogs.  They also only lost to a very good South Dakota State team 75-77 as 7.5-point dogs.  They have proven they can hang with those teams, so they definitely can hang with TCU here.

This is a good 'sell high' spot on TCU.  The Horned Frogs are coming off two straight wins and covered over Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.  Now they step back outside of Big 12 play here and won't be nearly as motivated for face NDSU as they were Oklahoma State last time out.  This is a TCU team that only beat Tulsa by 5, Liberty by 4 and Northwestern State by 6 earlier this season.  They aren't good enough to get margin on this underrated NDSU team tonight.

North Dakota State is 7-0 ATS in its last seven road games following an ATS loss.  TCU is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 games following an ATS win.  The Horned Frogs are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games as home favorites.  Take North Dakota State Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday No-Doubt Rout on East Carolina -5

The East Carolina Pirates returned all five starters from last year and are a sleeper in the American Athletic Conference.  They are off to a 6-1 start this season with their only loss coming to SMU, which is 5-0 this season.

Last year ECU crushed Tulane in both meetings with an 81-62 win at home and an 81-67 win on the road.  With the Pirates having all five starters back, it should be more of the same here against a Tulane team that returned just one starter.

Tulane is getting too much respect here for its 5-1 start this season.  The loss came to Memphis, and the five wins were against awful competition in Lamar, Lipscomb, Southern Miss, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Grambling.  They will meet their match here in the Pirates with this big step up in class.

The Green Wave are 7-24 ATS in their last 31 road games following three or more consecutive home games.  This will be their first road game all season as well as their first six games have all been at home.  East Carolina has played two tough road games at Charlotte and SMU.  They are 5-0 at home this season and winning by 13.4 points per game.  Roll with East Carolina Tuesday.

15* CBB Monday No-Doubt Rout on Memphis -9

The Memphis Tigers are one of the most talented teams in the country.  They returned four starters from last year and added some real talent for Penny Hardaway.  But they are off to a disappointing 5-3 SU & 2-6 ATS start this season, and I think this is a good opportunity to 'buy low' on them as a single-digit favorite here against Tulsa.

The three losses came to WKU, VCU and Auburn.  They have also beaten Tulane and St. Mary's.  So Memphis has played a pretty tough schedule and is battle-tested now.  This team is only going to get better as the season goes on as they develop chemistry with all this talent.

Tulsa is just 2-3 SU & 2-3 ATS with its only two wins coming against UT-Arlington and Northwestern State.  They lost to TCU, Wichita State and South Carolina.  Memphis will be the best team that they have played yet and it's not really even close.

Memphis is 12-2 SU in its last 14 home meetings with Tulsa with 11 of those wins coming by 9 points or more.  The Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games off a win by 6 points or less.  The Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games off a road win.  Take Memphis Monday.

15* Saint Louis/Minnesota CBB Sunday Night BAILOUT on Saint Louis -2

The Saint Louis Billikens have now won 11 straight games dating back to last season.  They are loaded this year with five returning starters for head coach Travis Ford.  They are one of the most underrated teams in the country.

The Billikens have opened 6-0 SU & 6-0 ATS this season with four wins by 19 points or more, an 11-point win over NC State and a 4-point win over LSU.  So it's not like they have feasted on a soft schedule.  They are shooting 52.7% as a team and giving up just 40.3% shooting, winning their six games by an average of 24.4 PPG.

Minnesota opened 6-0 against an extremely soft schedule with wins over Green Bay, Loyola-Marymount (twice), North Dakota, Kansas City and Boston College.  They needed overtime to beat BC.  Then they finally stepped up in class and got blasted 65-92 at Illinois last time out.  And now they have a game on deck against a Top 5 Iowa team.  This is a sandwich spot for them as they jump out of conference play sandwiched between two huge Big Ten games against ranked opponents.  I don't expect them to handle it well.

The Billikens are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  Saint Louis is 22-5 ATS in its last 27 games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Gophers are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 games as home underdogs.  Minnesota is 1-7-2 ATS in its last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  Take Saint Louis Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Oklahoma State +7

This is a great time to 'buy low' on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-1) off their first loss of the season.  They blew an 8-point lead in the final two minutes and lost 76-77 to TCU as a 5-point favorite.  This is a team that went on the road and beat Marquette earlier this season and they are still one of the better teams in the Big 12.  Look for them to bounce back with a big effort here against Texas.

It's also a great time to 'sell high' on Texas, which has won its last two games in blowout fashion over Texas State and Sam Houston State.  The Longhorns have two wins by a combined 4 points this season plus a loss to Villanova.  They are being asked to get margin here against an Oklahoma State team they are very comparable to talent-wise.

Oklahoma State went on the road last year and crushed Texas 81-59 as a 4-point underdog.  Texas is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games after having won five or six of its last seven games coming in.  The Longhorns are 0-8 ATS in their last eight vs. good offensive teams that average 77 or more points per game.  Bet Oklahoma State Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on CS-Northridge +12

Northridge has really impressed me this season.  They are 3-2 SU & 3-1 ATS with their only losses coming by 5 to Air Force and by 11 to Stanford as a 16-point dog.  They upset Pepperdine as a 15.5-point dog and also upset Seattle as a 2-point dog.  They can hang with this rebuilding California team today.

California played that same Pepperdine team and lost 62-74 to them to give these teams a common opponent.  The Golden Bears are now just 3-4 SU & 2-4 ATS this season with their only wins coming against Northwest College, Nicholls State and San Francisco.

Northridge is 11-1 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 12 points over the last three seasons.  California is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games off two consecutive non-conference games.  The Matadors are 42-23 ATS in their last 65 games overall, including 7-1 ATS in their last eight.  Take CS-Northridge Saturday.

15* CBB Saturday UPSET SHOCKER on Western Kentucky +5

Western Kentucky is loaded this season with five returning starters.  They are one of the best non-Power 5 teams in the country.  They are 5-2 this season with their only losses coming to West Virginia and Louisville.  They also upset Memphis while beating both Rhode Island and Northern Iowa.  They have been battle-tested and Alabama will only be the third-best team they have played this season.

Alabama was very fortunate to beat Furman as a 6-point favorite.  They didn't lead in that game until there was under a minute remaining.  They won 83-80 as a 6-point favorite.  The Crimson Tide are now 4-2 this season with an 18-point loss to Stanford and an 8-point loss to Clemson.  They are once again being overvalued here as 5-point favorites over a Hilltoppers team that will likely win this game outright.

Alabama is 3-14 ATS in its last 17 games after failing to cover the spread in three of its last four games.  The Hilltoppers are 23-8 ATS in their last 31 games as underdogs, including 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as road dogs.  The Crimson Tide are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 home games.  Roll with Western Kentucky Saturday.

20* Gonzaga/Iowa CBS No-Brainer on Iowa +4.5

The Iowa Hawkeyes are legitimately one of the best teams in the country.  They prove it once again Saturday with an upset win over the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.  This is an Iowa team that returned all five starters, and that experience is showing early in the season.

Indeed, the Hawkeyes are 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS with their only non-cover coming on a banked 3-pointer from half court at the buzzer against Southern.  They beat North Carolina by 13 and Iowa State by 28.  They have the best big man in the country in Luka Garza, and he is surrounded by four shooters at all times as the Hawkeyes are averaging 12 made 3-pointers per game and shooting them at a 39.8% clip as a team.

Gonzaga hasn't played since an 87-82 win over West Virginia as an 8.5-point favorite on December 2nd.  That's the same WVU team that nearly lost outright to Iowa State last night, which is the same Iowa State team that Iowa beat by 28.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few says his team practiced on Thursday for the first time since its COVID-19 pause on December 4th.  He is very concerned about their conditioning and their ability to execute against Iowa.

"I can tell you in the 22 years I've been coaching this is probably the biggest challenge I've faced as a head coach," Few said.  To even use the term 'monumental challenge' would be doing it a disservice.  Then there is the factor of a game plan for one of the top offenses in college basketball and the best scorer in college basketball."

Iowa is 9-0 ATS in its last nine games after committing 11 or fewer turnings in two straight games.  The Hawkeyes are 19-6-3 ATS in their last 28 games overall.  Iowa is 13-2-1 ATS in its last 16 neutral site games.  Bet Iowa Saturday.

20* CBB Friday Undervalued Underdog on Montana State +6.5

Montana State is 2-1 this season.  The Bobcats pulled the 91-78 win at UNLV as 12.5-point dogs in their opener.  Then they played a very good Pacific team and only lost 70-74 (OT) as 4.5-point dogs.  And they crushed overmatched Yellowstone 114-74 in their most recent outing.

The Bobcats are one of the better offensive teams in the country.  They are scoring 91.7 points per game on 51.1% shooting overall and 44.1% shooting from 3-point range.  Defensively, they have held opponents to just 38.4% shooting overall as well.

Washington State is a fraudulent 5-0 against a very soft schedule.  All of their wins have come down to the wire as they are 5-0 with an average margin of victory of only 4.6 points per game.  They only beat Texas Southern 56-52 as a 12-point favorite, Eastern Washington 71-68 as a 5.5-point favorite, Idaho 61-58 as an 18.5-point favorite and Portland State 69-60 as a 9-point favorite.  Four of their five wins have come by 4 points or less.

Montana State is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 road games after playing a road game.  Washington State is 0-8 ATS in its last eight home games off five or more consecutive wins.  The Cougars are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games as favorites.  Take Montana State Friday.

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Richmond -1.5

Richmond returned all five starters this season from a team that went 24-7 last year.  They are a team I have been backing with regularity, and they are certainly worth a bet today as only 1.5-point favorites over Loyola-Chicago.

There is a big strength of schedule disparity here.  Richmond has played the 67th-toughest schedule in the country.  They are 5-1 with their only loss coming to a Top 10 West Virginia team whose only loss came to Gonzaga.  They have wins and covers over Kentucky, Northern Iowa and Vanderbilt as well.

Loyola-Chicago is also an experienced team that returns all five starters.  But they are just 3-1 with their three wins coming against Lewis, Chicago State and Illinois-Chicago.  Their loss came 63-77 to Wisconsin as they were way overmatched by the Badgers.  The Ramblers have played the 215th-toughest schedule in the country, almost 150 spots lower than Richmond.

Loyola-Chicago is 0-7 ATS in its last seven road games after playing a road game.  The Ramblers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games as underdogs.  Loyola-Chicago is 9-25-1 ATS in its last 35 Friday games.  Roll with Richmond Friday.

15* CBB Thursday PLAY OF THE DAY on Oregon -7

The Oregon Ducks are loaded with talent yet again this season for head coach Dana Altman.  But they didn't get to play a game until December 2nd due to COVID.  And they lost 75-83 to Missouri in their opener because of it.  That's a Missouri team that is one of the most underrated in the country as they just beat Illinois too.  And that loss has the Ducks undervalued.

Oregon has gone 4-0 since with a 13-point win over a very good Seton Hall team.  And now they have had four days off to get ready for San Francisco here.  Altman is not happy about how poorly his team has shot the ball, and a lot of that has been due to the rust and the focus on Final exams.

"We've got good 3-point shooters.  I'm not saying great, but we've got good ones and they're going to have to put some time in," he said. "There's no excuse not to be in the gym.  I can't force them, but they've got to get in there on their own and get some shots up and get ready to shoot the ball."

San Francisco has been overrated since defeating then-No. 4 Virginia 61-60 on NOvember 27th.  They went 13-for-28 from 3-point range in that game to pull off the upset.  Keep in mind this is the same San Francisco team that lost outright to UMass-Lowell as a 14-point favorite, were beating by 13 by Rhode Island and were upset by California.  This will be their toughest test yet against Oregon.

The Ducks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days.  Oregon is a perfect 6-0 ATS in its last six home games after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive gams.  Oregon is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 games vs. teams who make 8 or more 3-point shots per game.  The Dons are 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games following a loss.  The Ducks are 32-15 ATS in their last 47 games overall.  The Ducks are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games.  Take Oregon Thursday.

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on UTEP +13.5

The UTEP Miners started 2-0 this season before facing a gauntlet with games against St. Mary's and Arizona.  But they held their own in those two games, covering in a 61-73 loss at St. Mary's as 12.5-point dogs and covering in a 61-69 loss at Arizona as 15.5-point dogs.  Now I expect them to stay within 13.5 points of overrated Arizona State here.

"We kept battling and we weren't going anywhere," UTEP coach Rodney Terry said of the effort against Arizona. "I love my team; this team's going to be really good.  We're learning some tough lessons right now through playing some really good competition."

UTEP's Souley BOum scored 16 against Arizona after reaching 20-plus points in each of his first three games.  Boum is averaging 23.5 points this season, knows how to get to the basket, has a penchant for drawing fouls and has hit on 13-of-24 (54.2%) 3-pointers this season.

This is as much of a fade of Arizona State as it is a play on UTEP, though.  The Sun Devils came into the season ranked 18th in the country.  They lost to Villanova by 9 and San Diego State by 12.  They are 4-2 this season with just one win by more than 8 points, and that was a 23-point win as a 37-point favorite against Houston Baptist.  

The Sun Devils needed a last-second 3-pointer just to beat Grand Canyon 71-70 on Sunday as an 8-point favorite.  They only beat Cal by 8 and failed to cover in a 6-point win over Rhode Island.  They aren now just 1-5 ATS this season and have been one of the most overrated teams in the country.  They get outrebounded by 6.2 boards per game and play shaky defense, allowing 76.7 points per game and 45.1% shooting.

The Miners are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  The Sun Devils are 1-9-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.  Arizona State is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games as a favorite, including 0-6 ATS in its last six games as a home favorite.  Bet UTEP Wednesday.

20* ACC GAME OF THE WEEK on Georgia Tech +8

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have their most talented team of the Josh Pastner era.  He has almost everyone back from a team that caught fire in February.  Senior PG Jose Alvarado, junior wing Michael Devoe and Moses Wright are among four returning starters for the Yellow Jackets this year.

The Yellow Jackets are undervalued now after upset losses to Georgia State and Mercer in their first two games.  They have since bounced back with an upset win over Kentucky 79-62 as a 6.5-point dogs and a blowout win at Nebraska 75-64 as a 1.5-point favorite.  They forced a combined 37 turnovers in those two games while only committing 15 miscues themselves.

"This is us," Alvarado said.  "This is Georgia Tech from now on.  I'll be shocked if we stop playing like this.  We've got to keep improving because we are a really good team."

Wright (21.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG) and Alvarado (17.8 PPG, 4.0 APG) lead five players all scoring 11 points per game or more.  They also have Parham (13.0 PPG), Devoe (12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and Usher (11.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG) making significant contributions.

This is a young, rebuilding FSU team that lost PG Trent Forrest, plus guards Patrick Williams and Devin Vassell, who were picked four and 11th in the 2020 NBA Draft, respectively.  That’s a lot to replace for head coach Leonard Hamilton.

But the Seminoles are overvalued now after a 3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS start.  They beat North Florida, which is 1-7 this season.   They survived Indiana 69-67 as a 3-point home favorite.  Then on Saturday they beat rival Florida 83-71 at home.  Now this is a letdown spot for them, and they only have two days to get ready for Georgia Tech.  The Yellow Jackets have five days to get ready after last playing on Wednesday.

Georgia Tech is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 road games vs. good offensive teams that score 77 or more points per game.  The Yellow Jackets are 12-4 ATS in their last 16 road games.  The underdog is 21-9 ATS in the last 30 meetings.  The road team is 12-5 ATS in the last 17 meetings.  Bet Georgia Tech Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on Loyola-Chicago +9.5

Loyola-Chicago is the best team in the Missouri Valley this season and it's really not even close.  They returned five starters and 91.7% of their minutes from a team that went 21-11 last year.  Senior Cameron Krutwig is back after doing it all for the Ramblers last year, averaging 15.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG.  

He is joined by fellow seniors Lucas Williamson, Tate Hall and Keith Clemons.  Clemons and Hall combined to make 44% of their 3-pointers last year.  Marquise Kennedy is also a 3-point sniper and returns.  The additions of Cooper Kaifes and Braden Norris gives them great depth.  Kaifes shot 36.5% from 3-point range in 2018-19 before sitting out last year.  Norris made 48.6% of his 3-point shots in 2018-19 before transferring from Oakland.

The Ramblers are off to a 3-0 start this season and winning by 25.3 points per game.  They are shooting 54.9% as a team, including 41.3% from 3-point range, and averaging 80.3 points per game.  They are holding opponents to 55.0 points per game, 37.9% shooting and 26.9% from 3-point range.

Wisconsin got a lot of hype coming into the season with four starters back.  But they have failed to meet expectations.  They are 4-1 SU but 1-3-1 ATS.  They lost outright to Marquette as a 3.5-point favorite, and their four wins have come against Eastern Illinois, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Rhode Island.  They only beat Eastern Illinois by 10 as a 22-point favorite and Rhode Island by 11 as an 11-point favorite.  Loyola-Chicago might be the best team they have faced yet.

Wisconsin is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games vs. good passing teams who average 16 or more assists per game.  The Ramblers are 21-9-1 ATS in their last 31 games as road underdogs.  Take Loyola-Chicago Tuesday.

15* Clemson/VA Tech ACC ANNIHILATOR on Clemson +2

Clemson went just 16-15 last season and 9-11 in the ACC, but they did knock off three teams that were in the Top 5 of the rankings when they played them.  And now the Tigers returned four starters from that squad and should be one of the most improved teams in the ACC.

The Tigers have started eight different players and have 11 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.  Their depth will be some of the best in all of college basketball this season.  And they are off to a 5-0 start this season with wins by 11 over Purdue, by 11 over Mississippi State, by 16 over Maryland and by 8 over Alabama.

As you can see, the Tigers have faced a brutal schedule and have gotten through it unblemished.  They have done so behind one of the best defenses in the nation.  The Tigers are allowing just 51.4 points per game, holding opponents to 34.9% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers per game.  Purdue is the only team to top 56 points against them this season.

Virginia Tech has been overvalued since a shocking upset of Villanova as a 9-point dog in their second game of the season.  They trailed VMI late and needed a big surge to win 64-57 as a 20-point favorite.  Then they lost 55-75 as a 5.5-point home favorite to Penn State.  There's no way the Hokies should be favored against the Tigers today.

Clemson wants revenge from two losses to Virginia Tech last season.  The Tigers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games off two or more consecutive wins.  The Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.  Clemson is 6-0 ATS in its last six vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Hokies are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a double-digit home loss.  Virginia Tech is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  These four trends combine for a 26-1 system backing the Tigers.  Roll with Clemson Tuesday.

15* Big Ten PLAY OF THE DAY on Penn State +7.5

Penn State is a 19-point blown lead against a good Seton Hall team away from being 4-0 this season.  They led that game by 8 with two minutes to go as well, but eventually fell 92-98 in overtime.

The Nittany Lions have played a tough schedule thus far.  They also have a win over VCU and a dominant 75-55 win at previously unbeaten Virginia Tech as 5.5-point dogs.  That's the same VA Tech team that upset Villanova earlier this season.  The Nittany Lions are a real contender in the Big Ten this season.

While Penn State has faced a gauntlet of a schedule, Michigan has been feasting on terrible teams during its 5-0 start.  The Wolverines have wins over Bowling Green, Oakland, Ball State, UCF and Toledo.  This is a huge step up in class for them today, and I don't expect them to handle it very well.  They are way overvalued due to this 5-0 SU & 3-1-1 ATS start.

Penn State has won their last two meetings with Michigan outright as underdogs.  They won 72-63 as 4.5-point dogs at Michigan, and 75-69 as 7-point home dogs.   The Nittany Lions are 6-0 ATS off an upset win as a road underdog over the last three seasons.   Penn State is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games as a road underdog.  The underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  Take Penn State Sunday.

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Richmond +7.5

Richmond is loaded with four returning starters this season from a team that went 24-7 last year.  They are off to a 4-0 start this season with an upset win over Kentucky.  They have five players averaging over 12 PPG this season with Golden (15.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG), Cayo (14.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG), Francis (13.8 PPG), Burton (12.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG) and Gilyard (12.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, 4.3 SPG).

The Spiders are coming off a 10-point home win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday.  Now they've had three days to get ready for West Virginia.  Meanwhile, the Mountaineers only have one day to get ready for Richmond.  They are coming off a 62-50 win over North Texas as a 13.5-point favorite on Friday.  

And they had to use a lot of energy to bounce back from a 29-21 halftime deficit against a mediocre Mean Green squad.  The game prior, they trailed a bad Georgetown team 34-32 at halftime and came back to win 80-71, but failing to cover an as 11.5-point favorite.  And they are definitely overvalued here again as a 7.5-point favorite against a Richmond team that has Sweet 16 potential.

Richmond is 6-0 ATS after two or more consecutive overs over the last two seasons.  The Mountaineers are 1-5 ATS in their last six Sunday games.  The spot favors the Spiders, and they have a great chance to win this game outright, let alone cover this 7.5-point spread.  Bet Richmond Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday Undervalued Underdog on Niagara +10

Head coach Greg Paulus, the former Duke standout, is in his second year at Niagara.  I expect big things from him and this team this year.  They return all five starters from last year and four of their top five scorers.

The Purple Eagles finally got to play their first game on December 3rd.  They lost that game 45-75 to Syracuse.  They were clearly rusty as they shot just 27.7% from the field.  That rust carried over in their 54-70 loss to St. Peter’s last night as they shout just 35.1% as a team.

Now this is a rare situation where the Purple Eagles get to play St. Peter’s for a second consecutive day.  And I love this situation as they will be the more motivated, revenge-minded team here.  And we are getting an even better number on them than we did yesterday here as 10-point dogs.

After losing by 5 to St. Peter’s in their first meeting last year, Niagara came back with a 63-54 upset victory as 5-point dogs.  And I think they can pull the upset here in their rematch in 2020, let alone cover this 10-point spread.

Niagara is 9-0 ATS after scoring 65 points or less in two straight games over the last two seasons.  The Purple Eagles are 7-0 ATS off two straight losses by 10 points or more over the last three seasons.  Niagara is 9-1 ATS after failing to cover the spread in two or more consecutive games over the last three years.  Bet Niagara Saturday.

15* Alabama/Clemson Non-Conference KNOCKOUT on Clemson +2

Clemson went just 16-15 last season and 9-11 in the ACC, but they did knock off three teams that were in the Top 5 of the rankings when they played them.  And now the Tigers returned four starters from that squad and should be one of the most improved teams in the ACC.

The Tigers have started eight different players and have 11 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.  Their depth will be some of the best in all of college basketball this season.  And they are off to a 4-0 start this season with wins by 11 over Purdue, by 11 over Mississippi State and by 16 over Maryland.  They should not be underdogs to Alabama today.

Alabama is 3-1 this season with an 18-point loss to Stanford.  Their three wins have come against suspect competition in Jacksonville State, UNLV and Providence.  This will be the Crimson Tide’s toughest test yet.

Clemson is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games off two or more consecutive wins.  The Tigers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  The Crimson Tide are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a win.  Roll with Clemson Saturday.

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Iowa -12.5

The Iowa Hawkeyes are loaded this season with five returning starters, including Wooden Award favorite Luka Garza.  They have gone 4-0 SU & 3-1 ATS this season while outscoring their opponents by 27.8 points per game.  And they would be 4-0 ATS if not for a banked 3-pointer from halfcourt at the buzzer.

After making each work of three teams all by 27 points or more, the Hawkeyes were tested last time out against North Carolina.  The passed with flying colors in a 93-80 win as 4-point favorites in a game they controlled from start to finish.  Garza finished with fewer than 20 points for the first time in 20 games, but he still contributed 14 rebounds and four blocks.

That performance against UNC showed Iowa can still win as a team even when Garza doesn’t have a monster game.  Jordan Bohannon drilled seven 3-pointers, while CJ Frederick (21 points) and Joe Wieskamp (19) each had five 3-pointers.  And now the Hawkeyes take a step down in class here against the rival Iowa State Cyclones.  They’ll have no problem running up the score here.

Iowa State is in the midst of a 9-day layoff.  The Cyclones trailed by 15 points against South Dakota State before making it a 68-71 loss by the end of regulation.  And they trailed lowly Arkansas-Pine Bluff at halftime before winning 80-63 as a 33-point favorite.  They lost their best player Tyrese Haliburton to the NBA lottery, and there just isn’t much talent on this Cyclones team.  Steve Prohm is doing a terrible job, killing the tradition of great basketball in Ames.

Iowa has been an underdog to Iowa State in each of the last two meetings, and they blasted them 98-84 at home in 2018 and 84-68 on the road in 2019.  And oddsmakers still aren’t giving them the respect they deserve here in this 2020 meeting as they should be closer to a 20-point favorite.

Iowa State is 3-14 ATS as an underdog over the last two seasons.  The Cyclones are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games.  The Hawkeyes are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games as a home favorite of 10 points or more.  Iowa State is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  The Hawkeyes are 17-4-2 ATS in their last 23 home games.  Roll with Iowa Friday.

15* CBB Friday Undervalued Underdog on Niagara +9

Head coach Greg Paulus, the former Duke standout, is in his second year at Niagara.  I expect big things from him and this team this year.  They return all five starters from last year and four of their top five scorers.

The Purple Eagles finally got to play their first game on December 3rd.  They lost that game 45-75 to Syracuse.  They were clearly rusty as they shot just 27.7% from the field.  They should be much sharper this time around, and it will help them taking a big step down in class here against St. Peter’s.

The Peacocks are 2-2 this season and coming off a 57-90 loss to Maryland as 12.5-point dogs.  That’s the same Maryland team that was just blown out by Clemson.  St. Peter’s only has wins over LaSalle and Stony Brook this season.

Last year, Niagara lost by 5 to St. Peter’s and won by 9 in the rematch.  So with all five starters and four of their top five scorers back, they should have no problem covering this 9-point spread in their first meeting of the 2020-21 season.

Niagara is 7-0 ATS off a road loss by 20 points or more over the last three seasons.  The Purple Eagles are 14-3 ATS after scoring 60 points or less over the last three years.  The Purple Eagles are also 8-0 ATS in their last eight games off a SU loss by more than 20 points. Take Niagara Friday.

15* Indiana/FSU ESPN No-Brainer on Indiana +3.5

The Indiana Hoosiers returned four starters this season and this is Archie Miller’s best team yet.  They are off to a 3-1 start this season, and I think their 44-66 loss to No. 17 Texas was an aberration that has them undervalued.  They shot just 23.9% in that defeat.

Indiana has been simply dominant in its other three games, going 3-0 SU & 3-0 ATS.  They won by 30 over Tennessee Tech as a 25.5-point favorite, by 21 over Providence as a 2-point favorite and by 16 over Stanford as a 1.5-point dog.  Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging 21.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG and is one of the best players in the country.

While Indiana gained some great experience playing against quality competition in the Maui Invitational, Florida State only has one game under its belt.  That came in an 86-58 win over North Florida as a 25.5-point favorite.  A quick look at North Florida shows that they are 0-6 this season with five losses by double-digits.  They aren’t very good.

This is a rebuilding FSU team that lost PG Trent Forrest, plus guards Patrick Williams and Devin Vassell, who were picked four and 11th in the 2020 NBA Draft, respectively.  That’s a lot to replace for head coach Leonard Hamilton.  I’ll side with the veteran Hoosiers who have proven themselves already against the much tougher competition.  Roll with Indiana Wednesday.

20* CBB DOG OF THE WEEK on Toledo +14.5

The Toledo Rockets have been too good to be catching 14.5 points from Michigan.  They are 3-2 this season with both their losses coming by a combined 5 points on the road to Bradley and Xavier.

They only lost 59-61 at Bradley as 2.5-point underdogs and 73-76 at Xavier as 8.5-point dogs.  That’s a very good Bradley team and a Xavier team that is 6-0 this season.  They beat Oakland by 27 as an 11-point favorite, Cleveland State by 9 as an 8.5-point favorite and Eastern Michigan by 17 as a 2.5-point favorite.  So the Rockets are a perfect 5-0 ATS this season.

Michigan covered its last two as well against UCF and Ball State at home, as well as a cover in a 14-point win over Bowling Green as a 13.5-point favorite.  But the 81-71 (OT) win over Oakland as a 31.5-point favorite really stands out like a sore thumb.  And now Toledo will be the best team that the Wolverines have faced yet this season.

The Rockets are 24-5 ATS in their last 29 road games off a conference road win.  Toledo is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 road Ames off an ATS win.  The Rockets are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games as underdogs.  Bet Toledo Wednesday.

15* Maryland/Clemson ESPN 2 ANNIHILATOR on Clemson -2

Clemson went just 16-15 last season and 9-11 in the ACC, but they did knock off three teams that were in the Top 5 of the rankings when they played them.  And now the Tigers returned four starters from that squad and should be one of the most improved teams in the ACC.

The Tigers have started eight different players and have 11 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.  Their depth will be some of the best in all of college basketball this season.  And they are off to a 3-0 start this season with wins by 11 over Purdue and by 11 over Mississippi State.

Those two wins trump anything that Maryland has on its resume.  The Terrapins are 4-0 this season, but their four wins have all come at home over Old Dominion, Navy, Mount St. Mary’s and St. Peters.  They will now be playing their first road game of the season, and the Tigers are allowing 1,860 masked and socially distanced fans inso Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Terrapins lost Jalen Smith to the NBA lottery, had a bad recruiting class and had five reserves transfer in the offseason.  That’s why they are picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten this year.  So their 4-0 start is a mirage because it has come against such a soft schedule.

Clemson is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games following two or more consecutive wins.  Maryland is 11-24 ATS in its last 35 road games off three straight wins by 10 points or more.  The Terrapins are 12-31-1 ATS in their last 44 games following a win by more than 20 points.  Take Clemson Wednesday.

20* UNC/Iowa ESPN No-Brainer on Iowa -2.5

The Iowa Hawkeyes are loaded this season with five returning starters, including Wooden Award favorite Luka Garza.  They have gone 3-0 SU & 2-1 ATS this season with all three wins by 27 points or more.  And they would be 3-0 ATS if not for a banked 3-pointer from halfcourt at the buzzer.

Garza does it all for the Hawkeyes.  He is shooting 76% from the field and average 34 points over his first three games.  He has also connected on 5-of-8 from 3-point range.  Joe Wieskamp is 6-of-12 from beyond the arc and C.J. Fredrick is 5-of-10.  This team is loaded with shooters surrounding Garza, making them a serious national title contender.

North Carolina has been up and down this season thus far.  They opened the season with blowout wins over bad Charleston and UNLV teams.  They were fortunate to beat Stanford 67-63 as they were sloppy with the ball and committed 24 turnovers.  And then they lost at the buzzer to Texas, 67-69.  This will be their toughest test of the season here tonight.

Iowa is 16-4-2 ATS in its last 22 home games.  The Hawkeyes are 15-5-2 ATS in their last 22 games as a favorite.  North Carolina is 0-6 ATS in its last six road games after two straight games where it had 10 or more rebounds than its opponent.  The Tar Heels are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games after playing two consecutive games as a favorite.  Take Iowa Tuesday.

15* CBB Tuesday Undervalued Underdog on Boston College +7

This is a great ‘buy low’ spot on Boston College.  They are 1-3 SU this season, but that is due to a brutal schedule where they have been underdogs in three of their four games.  They upset Rhode Island as a 2-point dog, only lost to Villanova by 9 as a 15-point dog, and lost by 4 to Seton Hall as a 2-point favorite.  Then they were blown out by 20 last time out as a 5.5-point dog, and that result has them undervalued.

The Eagles certainly are battle tested, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers are not.  Their schedule couldn’t have been any easier during a 4-0 start, and now it’s time to ’sell high’ on the Gophers.  They have wins over Wisconsin-Green Bay, Loyola-Marymount (twice) and North Dakota.  They only beat Loyola by 3 as a 13.5-point favorite and North Dakota by 9 as a 22-point favorite in their last two games.

The Eagles have been a great offensive team this season, averaging 74.8 points per game with five players averaging in double figures.  They are Winston Tabbs (15.5 PPG), CJ Felder (11.3), Jay Heath (11.3), Rich Kelly (11.0) and Makai Ashton-Langford (10.0).  This is a game the Eagles will have a chance to win outright tonight.  Roll with Boston College Tuesday.

15* CBB Sunday Undervalued Underdog on Pepperdine +9

The Pepperdine Waves are loaded this season with four starters and 82.5% of their minutes returning from last year.  Each of their top three returning scorers all made 34.9% or better from 3-point range.  This looks like Lorenzo Romar’s best team yet in his second stint in Malibu.  Senior Colbey Ross (20.5 PPG last year) is back along with junior wing Kessler Edwards (14.0 PPG).

The Waves are off to a 2-1 start this season.  They beat UC-Irvine 86-72 before losing to UCLA 98-107 in three overtimes.  They came back with a 94-45 win over St. Katherine.  That means they have played the exact same three opponents as San Diego State, which beat UCLA 73-58, UC-Irvine 77-58 and St. Katherine 83-41.  Those are two nearly identical results plus the win over UCLA.  But Pepperdine played UCLA tough, too.

San Diego State was a nice story last year in going 30-2 and nearly getting through the regular season unbeaten.  But they lose three starters from that team, including Mountain West Player of the Year Malachi Flynn.  Tanni Wetzell transferred to Vanderbilt and K.J. Feagin is pursuing a professional career in Germany.

Pepperdine is 8-1 ATS in road games vs. good teams that outscore their opponents by 4-plus points per game over the last two seasons.  The Waves are 17-4 ATS in their last 21 road games vs. good pressure teams that force 18 or more turnovers per game.  Pepperdine is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games vs. good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game.  The Waves are 27-10-1 ATS in their last 38 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.  This 9-point spread is simply too much today.  Take Pepperdine Sunday.

20* CBB Sunday No-Doubt Rout on Oklahoma -3.5

The Oklahoma Sooners are loaded this season.  They went 19-12 last year and returned 70% of their scoring.  Back to lead the way are seniors Brady Manek (14.4 PPG last year) and Austin Reaves (14.7 PPG).

You could say the Sooners got off to a great start this season with a 105-66 win as 15-point favorites over UTSA on Thursday.  And now they are ready to take down a rebuilding TCU team that is very fortunate to be 4-0 this season.

Indeed, the Horned Frogs are 4-0 SU but just 1-3 ATS.  They only beat Tulsa by 5, Liberty by 4 and Northwestern State by 6 as 18.5-point favorites.  Now they take a big step up in class here and all that they lost in the offseason will take its toll.

TCU lost 11 of its final 14 games last season.  They lost the program’s third all-time leading scorer in Desmond Bane.  They lost PG Kendric Davis in the transfer portal to SMU.  That is proving to be a huge loss as Davis is averaging 21.3 PPG and 8.0 APG through four games with the Mustangs.

The Sooners are 6-0 SU in their last six meetings with TCU.  The road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.  The Horned Frogs are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as underdogs.  Bet Oklahoma Sunday.

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on Virginia -19.5

The Virginia Cavaliers were a Top 5 team coming into the season.  But they were upset 60-61 as 15-point favorites over San Francisco.  They are undervalued as a result of that loss. Their other two games have been dominant with an 89-54 win over Towson State and a 76-51 win over St. Francis.

Now the Cavaliers should make easy work of a rebuilding Kent State team tonight.  The Golden Flashes lost five of their top six scorers from last season.  They return just one player who averaged at least 4.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG last season.  And they will be playing just their second game of the season after a cake walk game against Point Park.

The Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.  Virginia is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games overall.  That early wake up call in a loss to San Francisco will keep the Cavaliers focuses in the immediate future to put teams like Kent State away for 40 minutes.  Take Virginia Friday.

15* CBB Thursday Undervalued Underdog on Niagara +20

Head coach Greg Paulus, the former Duke standout, is in his second year at Niagara.  I expect big things from him and this team this year.  They return all five starters from last year and four of their top five scorers.

Syracuse has been dealing with Covid-19 issues and it showed in their opener against Bryant.  They had just one day of practice before nearly getting upset by Bryant in an 85-84 win as 22.5-point favorites.  Niagara is much better than Bryant and should not be catching 20 points here.

Last year, Syracuse only beat a bad Niagara team 71-57 as 22.5-point favorites.  And I have no doubt this Niagara team is way better than that team, while Syracuse is down this year.  Especially now that 6-10 senior Bourama Sidibe went down with a torn meniscus against Bryant.

Syracuse is 1-8 ATS in home games with a total of 140 to 149.5 over the last three seasons.  The Orange are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 home games.  Syracuse is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games as a favorite.  Roll with Niagara Thursday.

20* WVU/Gonzaga ESPN No-Brainer on West Virginia +9

The West Virginia Mountaineers returned four starters this season and are loaded.  They are off to a 3-0 start this season with wins over South Dakota State, VCU and Western Kentucky with are three of the better mid-major teams in the country this year.

Gonzaga is overvalued in this matchup due to its No. 1 national ranking.  They did beat two big names in Kansas and Auburn, but those are two rebuilding teams.  And they allowed 90 points and 53.2% shooting to Kansas, a Kansas team that just shot 30% against Kentucky last night.  And Auburn needed overtime to beat St. Joe’s and lost outright to UCF, 55-63 in its two games outside Gonzaga.

It’s also worth noting the Bulldogs are dealing with Covid-19 issues which has affected their practices.  Bob Huggins called up contacts at ESPN just to get into this tournament specifically to face Gonzaga, so you know he’s confident his team can compete here.  I think they’ll be in this game for 40 minutes with a chance to win outright in the end.

The Mountaineers are 4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games.  The Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.  Bet West Virginia Wednesday.

20* CBB Tuesday UPSET SHOCKER on Western Kentucky +4

Western Kentucky went 21-10 last season despite their best player in Charles Bassey being limited to just 10 games.  He averaged 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 2018-19 while shooting 62.7% from the field, 45% from 3-point range and 76.9% from the charity stripe.  He’s back as the Hilltoppers return all five starters from last season.

Davidson transfer Luke Frampton should be much healthier this season after scoring 10.3 points and shooting 37.6% from 3-point range.  Carson Williams shot 39% from 3-point range last year while averaging 14 points, 6.6 boards and 1.1 steals.  He scored at least 10 points in 18 of their final 20 games last year and is a star alongside Bassey.

Tavern Hollingsworth is one of the best guards in Conference USA after averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 boards, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game last year.  Lipscomb transfer Kenny Cooper is more of a true point guard and should flourish with all the talent around him after averaging 9.8 points and 4.5 assists last year.  Jordan Rawls (7.9 PPG) is back as is Josh Anderson (10.1 PPG).  This team is simply loaded.

Western Kentucky has played a brutal schedule thus far and has gotten through with flying colors.  They are 2-1 SU & 2-1 ATS (3-0 if bet early number) against Northern Iowa, Memphis and West Virginia.  They won and covered against the first two, then gave WVU all it could handle in a 64-70 loss as closing 5.5-point dogs.  Hollingsworth (19.0 PPG) and Bassey (15.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 BPG) have been a handful thus far.

Louisville is 3-0 SU & 1-2 ATS against a much softer schedule.  They have blowout wins over Evansville and Prairie View A&M but barely beat Seton Hall 71-70 as 5.5-point favorites.  The Cardinals are missing several players due to injury, including center Malik Williams, who is recovering from foot surgery.  Samuell Williamson, another center, is day-to-day with a dislocated toe.  They aren’t going to have an answer for Bussey inside here.

Louisville is 0-6 ATS in home games after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite over the last three seasons.  Western Kentucky is 23-7 ATS in its last 30 games as an underdog.  The Hilltoppers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.  Bet Western Kentucky Tuesday.

20* CBB Monday Undervalued Underdog on Eastern Kentucky +17

Eastern Kentucky is 2-0 SU & 2-0 ATS this season.  They beat North Florida 80-67 as 1-point favorites and Charleston Southern 60-50 as 6-point favorites.  They play at the seventh-fasted pace in the country and have already forced 46 turnovers in two games.

I think that pace will give Xavier a problem here.  Xavier will be playing its 4th game in 6 days and will have a hard time keeping pace.  The Musketeers are tired, and they are very fortunate to be 3-0, which has them overvalued.  They hit a game-winner with 5.4 seconds left to beat Bradley 51-50 as 10-point favorites, and they needed an 8-2 run to close to top Toledo 76-73 as a 9.5-point favorite.

Eastern Kentucky is a lot better shooting team than they have shown.  It’s impressive that they have two double-digit victories when you consider they have shot just 9-for-56 (16.1%) from 3-point range.  That just shows you how good their defense has been.  They will shoot it better against Xavier here.

Eastern Kentucky is 58-36 ATS in its last 94 games as an underdog of 10 or more points.  Xavier is 0-7 ATS in home games off a home win over the last two seasons.  The Musketeers are 1-8 ATS in non-conference home games over the past two years.  The Colonels are 27-12 ATS in their last 39 games as a road dog of 12.5 to 18 points.  The Colonels are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as road underdogs.  Eastern Kentucky is 17-5-1 ATS in its last 23 games overall.  Bet Eastern Kentucky Monday.

15* CBB Sunday PLAY OF THE DAY on Richmond +8.5

The Richmond Spiders went 24-7 last season and return all five starters.  I like their experience here early in the season against a Kentucky Wildcats team that is playing 10 newcomers.

PG Jacob Gilyard was 10th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio last year and led the nation with 3.19 steals per game.  Senior Nathan Cayo had 23 points and made all 10 of his field goal attempts in an 82-64 win over Morehead State Friday.

Kentucky started four freshmen and senior transfer Olivier Starr from Wake Forest against Morehead State.  They have seven freshmen and three transfers among their newcomers.  And this test against veteran Richmond will be much more difficult than the Morehead State game was for them.

Richmond is 8-1 ATS after scoring 80 points or more over the last two seasons.  Kentucky is 0-6 ATS in home games after scoring 45 points or more in the first half last game over the last three years.  Bet Richmond Sunday.

15* CBB Saturday PLAY OF THE DAY on Villanova -8.5

The Villanova Wildcats are one of the most talented teams in the country.  Both Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are two of the best players in the Big East.  Justin Moore is another great player on this roster.  And Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels will play a big role after averaging 16.9 points per game in 2018-19.

I think we are getting Villanova cheap today after failing to cover as 15.5-point favorites in a 76-67 win over an improved Boston College team in their opener.  Gillespie had 15 points, Daniels 14, Moore 14 and Robinson-Earl 18 to lead the way for the Wildcats.  They Wildcats are a legit national title contender in 2020.

They came back and topped a nationally ranked Arizona State team 83-74 as 6-point favorites.  Robinson-Earl showed out with 28 points, while Moore (16), Daniels (14) and Gillespie (11) helped lead the way once again.  These four players are a real handful for any team.

Virginia Tech is picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC by most publications, and for good reason.  They lost their best player in Landers Nolley to Memphis via transfer.  And the transition from Buzz Williams to Mike Young as head coach wasn’t a great one.  They went just 2-13 ATS over their final 15 games and finished 6-15 ATS in ACC play.

The Hokies are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games as underdogs.  The Wildcats are 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 neutral site games.  Roll with Villanova Saturday.

15* CBB Friday No-Doubt Rout on UCLA -7

The UCLA Bruins finished 11-3 over their final 14 games last season while allowing 72 or fewer points in 12 of those games.  Head coach Mick Cronin implemented a new style in his first season that had UCLA limiting possessions.  Now Cronin welcomes back all five starters and each of the fop five scorers from a year ago.

PG Tyger Campbell averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 assists last season.  Fellow freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. did it all with 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.  Leading scorers Chris Smith is back after averaging 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.  Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang was a Top-40 prospect coming out of high school and saw limited minutes as a freshman, but he shot 50% from 3-point range over his final 11 games.  Jalen Hill returns as the team’s leading rebounder with 6.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per game.

The UCLA Bruins will be looking to bounce back from a bad loss to San Diego State in which they were 3-point favorites and lost 58-73 after shooting just 39.5% from the floor and committing 15 turnovers.  They will be much sharper here against Pepperdine, a team that is now getting too much respect after beating UC-Irvine 86-72 as 4-point favorites in their opener.  So it’s a good ‘buy low’ on UCLA and ’sell high’ on Pepperdine situation here.

The Bruins are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.  UCLA is 4-0 ATS in its last four games following an ATS loss.  Pepperdine is 0-4 ATS in its last four games vs. a team with a losing record.  Take UCLA Friday.

15* CBB Friday Undervalued Underdog on Western Kentucky +8

Western Kentucky went 21-10 last season despite their best player in Charles Bassey being limited to just 10 games.  He averaged 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 2018-19 while shooting 62.7% from the field, 45% from 3-point range and 76.9% from the charity stripe.  He’s back as the Hilltoppers return all five starters from last season.

Davidson transfer Luke Frampton should be much healthier this season after scoring 10.3 points and shooting 37.6% from 3-point range.  Carson Williams shot 39% from 3-point range last year while averaging 14 points, 6.6 boards and 1.1 steals.  He scored at least 10 points in 18 of their final 20 games last year and is a star alongside Bassey.

Tavern Hollingsworth is one of the best guards in Conference USA after averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 boards, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game last year.  Lipscomb transfer Kenny Cooper is more of a true point guard and should flourish with all the talent around him after averaging 9.8 points and 4.5 assists last year.  Jordan Rawls (7.9 PPG) is back as is Josh Anderson (10.1 PPG).  This team is simply loaded.

And they’ve shown it in their first two games.  They beat Northern Iowa 93-87 as a 3.5-point favorite in their opener.  And yesterday they backed it up with a 75-69 upset win as 4-point dogs over Memphis.  That’s a Memphis team that might be the most talented in the country.  And now they are getting zero respect as 8-point dogs to West Virginia today in a game they could win outright.

The Hilltoppers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games overall.  Western Kentucky is 23-6 ATS in its last 29 games as an underdog.  The Mountaineers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight neutral site games as a favorite.  Bet Western Kentucky Friday.

15* Villanova/ASU ESPN Late-Night DESSERT on Villanova -4.5

The Villanova Wildcats are one of the most talented teams in the country.  Both Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl are two of the best players in the Big East.  Justin Moore is another great player on this roster.  And Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels will play a big role after averaging 16.9 points per game in 2018-19.

I think we are getting Villanova cheap today after failing to cover as 15.5-point favorites in a 76-67 win over an improved Boston College team yesterday.  Gillespie had 15 points, Daniels 14, Moore 14 and Robinson-Earl 18 to lead the way for the Wildcats.  More concerning is that Arizona State struggled to put away a rebuilding Rhode Island team 94-88 yesterday. 

The Wildcats are 30-14-1 ATS in their last 45 games following an ATS loss.  The Sun Devils are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.  Villanova is a legit national title contender and should be a bigger favorite here.  Bet Villanova Thursday.

15* CBB Wednesday Late-Night BAILOUT on UCLA -3

The UCLA Bruins finished 11-3 over their final 14 games last season while allowing 72 or fewer points in 12 of those games.  Head coach Mick Cronin implemented a new style in his first season that had UCLA limiting possessions.  Now Cronin welcomes back all five starters and each of the fop five scorers from a year ago.

PG Tyger Campbell averaged 8.3 points and 5.0 assists last season.  Fellow freshman Jaime Jaquez Jr. did it all with 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.  Leading scorers Chris Smith is back after averaging 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.  Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang was a Top-40 prospect coming out of high school and saw limited minutes as a freshman, but he shot 50% from 3-point range over his final 11 games.  Jalen Hill returns as the team’s leading rebounder with 6.9 boards and 1.1 blocks per game.

San Diego State was a nice story last year in going 30-2 and nearly getting through the regular season unbeaten.  But they lose three starters from that team, including Mountain West Player of the Year Malachi Flynn.  Tanni Wetzell transferred to Vanderbilt and K.J. Feagin is pursuing a professional career in Germany.  Roll with UCLA Wednesday.