This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our CBB Sunday Signature Enforcer. Purdue got rolled at Penn St. on Thursday to open Big 10 Conference action and the Boilermakers are back home where they are 5-0 and in a great bounce back spot. They came out slow against the Nittany Lions with just 24 first half points and were unable to overcome it despite shooting 51 percent from the floor overall. The difference was from the free throw line where they were doubled 28-14 with Penn St. going 28-32 from the stripe and that is hard to keep up with. Maryland is coming off as blowout win over Ohio St. to open conference action and has now won five straight games. The Terrapins lave left College Park only once this season, a neutral site one-point win over Villanova and this makes it their first true road game of the season. The easy schedule has played a part in their 8-1 record as the Terrapins schedule is ranked No. 356 in the country with that Villanova win being the best of the bunch and the lone loss was against Marquette at home. They come in as underdogs for the first time this season and for good reason. 10* (754) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the KANSAS CITY ROOS for our CBB Saturday Ultimate Underdog. Nighttime Winner. Analysis to follow. 10* (717) Kansas City Roos

This is a play on the NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Nighttime Winner. Analysis to follow. 10* (710) North Dakota Fighting Hawks

This is a play on the OLD DOMINION MONARCHS as part of our CBB Late Afternoon Three-Pack. Afternoon Sweep. Analysis to follow. 10* (664) Old Dominion Monarchs

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS as part of our CBB Late Afternoon Three-Pack. Afternoon Sweep. Analysis to follow. 10* (665) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the SEATTLE REDHAWKS as part of our CBB Late Afternoon Three-Pack. Afternoon Sweep. Analysis to follow. 10* (677) Seattle Redhawks

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERFS as part of our CBB ACC Afternoon Three-Pack. Afternoon Sweep. Analysis to follow. 10* (651) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES as part of our CBB ACC Afternoon Three-Pack. Afternoon Sweep. Analysis to follow. 10* (650) Virginia Tech Hokies

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES as part of our CBB ACC Afternoon Three-Pack. Analysis to follow. 10* (604) Miami Florida Hurricanes

This is a play on the DUQUESNE DUKES for our CBB Friday Supreme Annihilator. We lost with Duquesne on Tuesday in what was a good situation but this one is better and we are back on the Dukes. They are now 1-7, both straight up and against the number having lost all four games as favorites and we are again getting value. St. Peter's mucked it up the other night and tonight provides more running and this is the spot to get things turned around. The Dukes have a new head coach in Dru Joyce but he kept a decent core and got a solid group of transfers that have been unable to hit the rim but that changes tonight. Adding to the value is the fact that Delaware has covered six straight games while winning the last three outright. The Blue Hens are 2-0 on the road with wins over Iona and Rider both by six points but this is a step up despite what the record says. Off a 19-win season backed by defense, they do not have that going on so far as the offense has been the trigger, hitting 40.1 percent from long range which is No. 15 in the nation but this has come against a schedule ranked No. 273 in the country. We go against complete opposite runs here which gives us a good number. 10* (872) Duquesne Dukes

This is a play on the UC IRVINE ANTEATERS for our CBB Conference Game of the Month. Typically, we do not see value in a big favorite but we have it here with the Anteaters. UC Irvine has ruled the Big West Conference the last two seasons and is expected to once again with the deepest and most experienced team with four returning starters while having to add only three new players to the roster. They are off to an 8-0 start which includes only two home games and they are back at SRC Arena for the first time since November 16 and a conference opener makes it even more of an edge. They have played an average schedule ranked No. 147 yet are No. 7 in the country in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency partly due to a 61.1 percent Assist Rate and on top of that, they are hitting 85.2 percent of their free throws, tied for first in the country. CS Bakersfield comes in 4-4 with an also very veteran team but until the Roadrunners can win on the road, they are a fade. They are average on both ends of the floor and following a three-game winning streak at home, they have dropped three of their last four games, all away from home with the only win being an eight-point victory over Northeastern on a neutral floor in Fort Myers on a Sunday afternoon in front of an official attendance of 123 fans. Welcome to Irvine. 10* (774) UC Irvine Anteaters

This is a play on the XAVIER MUSKETEERS for our CBB Thursday Star Attraction. This is another situation we usually steer clear from and that is playing a team in its first true road game a month or more into the season but we make the exception with Xavier which is in a fantastic spot. The Musketeers opened the season 6-0 including solid wins against Wake Forest and South Carolina before getting run out of the gym against Michigan in Fort Myers. They were then challenged by South Carolina St. before sneaking out a three-point win and now hit the road for the first time in a not so daunting environment. Xavier is going to contend in the Big East Conference after finishing with just 16 wins last season, their fewest in four years. TCU made it to its third straight NCAA Tournament last season but is projected as a bottom half team in the Big 12 Conference this season and off to a 4-3 start. This is another spot we typically play on with the Horned Frogs having dropped six straight against the number but they cannot be trusted in this spot in this matchup. They are 4-0 at home but have been favored by at least 15 points in all of those with the best visitor being Texas St., resulting in just a five-point win. Xavier has huge edges in two big intangibles, free throw shooting and Assist Rate. 10* (763) Xavier Musketeers

This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our CBB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. We are not usually a proponent of taking a road team in a conference opener but we did it with Bradley the other night and are doing it here with a team out to prove something. It was obviously a special season for the Boilermakers last year as they made it to the NCAA Championship game before falling to Connecticut by 15 points. They are off to a 7-1 start and their only loss came at Marquette which is a very solid team that suffered just their first loss last night. They are a rare team based on the normal standard of the rest of the country as the Boilermakers did not bring in a single player in the transfer portal instead keeping it a home grown roster which takes time. Penn St. is also 7-1 but has played a schedule ranked No. 338 compared to the Purdue schedule which is ranked No. 37. The Nittany Lions only loss came in Daytona Beach against Clemson which is certainly a quality team but the best win was against Virginia Tech in Baltimore. They are doing it right in the up tempo system of head coach Mike Rhoades as they are top five in scoring and shooting but again, that is against no one, and they were shut down against Clemson and now face a similar defense ranked No. 52 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. 10* (759) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CBB Wednesday Conference Game of the Month. Oregon and USC are back at it in conference action after the Ducks swept the season series last year but only now it is the Big 10 Conference opener for both teams which is anticlimactic, similar to UCLA and Washington tipping off Tuesday. The Ducks are off to an 8-0 start but they are another team that is overvalued based on the AP Poll and their No. 12 ranking. Oregon did win the Players Era Festival with underdog wins over Texas A&M and Alabama and this will now be their fifth straight game away from home, starting with their first true road game which was just a three-point win at Oregon St. USC was picked to finish No. 8 in the Big 10 Conference by Blue Ribbon, one spot behind Oregon but the non-conference season has been up and down. The Trojans are coming off a pair of losses at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert against St. Mary's and New Mexico and have had the luxury of playing either at home or just two hours away with their first road game not until this Saturday at Washington. What we really like is the USC covered their first game against Chattanooga and have gone 0-7 ATS in their last seven. 10* (748) USC Trojans

This is a play on the VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES for our CBB Wednesday Ultimate Underdog. We will be going against another road favorite playing their first road game of the season and we cannot justify this one either. Vanderbilt is off to a 7-1 start having played the No. 320 ranked schedule as it opened the season 4-0 with four blowout home wins before heading to Charleston for the Charleston Classic, winning the first two games before losing to Drake in the championship game. The Commodores rebounded with another home blowout win over Tennessee Tech and now enter the SEC/ACC Challenge with a difficult trip and overvalued based on their start aided by that favorable schedule. Part of the reason for the number is the fact that Virginia Tech is not cashing tickets. The Hokies opened the season with a win and cover against Delaware St. but they have gone 2-4 since then including four straight losses. Three of those were on a neutral floor against Penn St., Michigan and South Carolina and while the lone home loss against Jacksonville was inexcusable, that was their last home game and will be out to make up for that embarrassment in front of their home fans. Virginia Tech is 0-6 ATS in its last six games which is an automatic take and this situation makes it better. 10* (738) Virginia Tech Hokies

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our CBB Wednesday SEC/ACC Challenge Top Tip. Auburn can certainly make an argument for not being the No. 1 team in the country as it has some big quality wins over Houston, North Carolina, Iowa St. and Memphis, all on a neutral floor while their three home wins have been by 51, 23 and 33 points. The Tigers definitely can point to the KenPom rankings where they are No. 1 with the top ranked offense against an impressive schedule but now they face yet another top ten opponent and this one on a true road floor. They passed the test against Houston in their only other game as underdogs but Cameron Indoor is a totally different atmosphere. Duke has a pair of close losses against Kentucky and Kansas on a neutral floor but those can be somewhat negated with a 14-point win at Arizona. This is a young team that that has come together quickly by playing team basketball with their 60.7 percent Assist Rate and over come in No. 4 in the Kenpom Rankings. They have dominated at home with four home bye wins so this is by far the biggest test here this season and possession the No. 1 ranking in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency only adds to the team aspect making this venue even tougher. 10* (742) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the MONTANA GRIZZLIES for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Montana opened the season 2-3 with both wins against non-Division I teams but the three losses were against Oregon, Utah St. and Tennessee, all contenders in their respective tough conferences. We can basically wipe out those first five games and since then, they have won three straight games and while they failed to cover two of those, they were double-digit favorites in both and now they are catching points at home. They are picked to win the Big Sky Conference and Montana is the most experienced team in the conference with five fifth year seniors, a mix of returnees and transfers and getting tested early only helped. South Dakota St. is getting a lot of love here with its 7-2 record while covering its last four lined games. The Jackrabbits are expected to be a player in the Summit League after winning the regular season title and the conference tournament last season but all five regular starters are gone and the roster consists of 10 freshmen and sophomores so this is a very young team. Two of their wins have been over non-Division I teams, two others on their home floor and three on a neutral floor so this marks their first true road game of the season. 10* (730) Montana Grizzlies

This is a play on the CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS for our CBB Wednesday Star Attraction. Kansas remains the No. 1 team in the country as it has been since day one following a pair of wins last week to move to 7-0. The Jayhawks have three solid wins over Duke, Michigan St. and North Carolina but we all know the AP Poll means nothing as Kansas is just No. 6 at KenPom and now they hit the highway for their first true road game of the season and while it is not a far trip, it will not be a layup. In fact, this is the first of two consecutive road games, the next at rival Missouri and this is only the third time in 22 years Kansas has played consecutive non-conference road games. Creighton opened the season 4-0 in basically what were four bye wins then came a three-game losing streak, losing to rival Nebraska and then San Diego St. and Texas A&M at the Players Era Festival before winning the third game against Notre Dame without big man Ryan Kalkbrenner who was out with a lower-body injury. The Bluejays are just 1-6-1 against the number and that is a streak we go the other way based on value and there will not be many thinking there is value based on the short price, just the way we like it. 10* (720) Creighton Bluejays

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our CBB Tuesday Star Attraction. Mississippi went to San Diego and came away with a 1-1 split and that was fortunate as one of those wins took overtime against BYU although it did play Purdue tough in a two-point loss but the Boilermakers are not what they were. Now at 6-1, we still feel the Rebels are overvalued as they came into the season ranked No. 24 in the country in the AP Poll which shows this poll means nothing as they are No. 42 at KenPom after coming into the season as the No. 9 ranked team in the SEC. Now comes their first true road game of the season. Louisville finished 8-24 last season including 3-17 in the ACC and it was time for a complete rebuild which is what is going on. Head coach Pat Kelsey has had great success at his stops namely Winthrop and College of Charleston and he is the guy to turn this program around. The Cardinals already have five wins including impressive wins over Indiana and West Virginia at the Battle 4 Atlantis which also included a five-point loss against undefeated Oklahoma. Another test here but a very passable one. 10* (652) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the PROVIDENCE FRIARS for our CBB Tuesday Signature Enforcer. It was not a good trip to the Bahamas for Providence as it lost three games in three days at the Battle 4 Atlantis, all defeats getting progressively worse. A tough two-point loss set the tone and the Friars could not recover but now they are back home where they are 5-0 and in a great bounce back spot with a great line based on recent results. They failed to cover the last two games of the tournament while the other three non-covers were games where they were favored by at least 15 points. BYU opened the season 5-0 before traveling to San Diego for the Rady Children's Invitational where it lost to Mississippi before defeating NC State. The Cougars first five games were at home against inferior competition where they were favored by at least 21 points each time out which led to the easiest schedule in the country at that point. Now they hit the road for their first true road game in a difficult spot heading all the way out east and being asked to win by a significant margin. This is a big overlay in what is a really bad situation for the Cougars. 10* (642) Providence Friars

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our CBB Tuesday Conference Game of the Month. We are not usually proactive to grab a road team in a conference opener but in this case, it makes sense as we are backing a short road favorite that is too short. Bradley heads into Tuesday with a 7-1 record and while that lone loss is its only road game, it was at Washington St. where the Braves were underdogs. They have rolled in all but one of their seven wins, the only exception being a three-point win over a very good Wright St. team. Bradely is the favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference and this is one they want to get it started. Southern Illinois is 3-5 having played a fairly difficult schedule but it has had winnable games it has not won and of the three wins, only one has come against a Division 1 team. The Salukis finished middle of the pack last season and that is where they are picked again with no starters back, just over 20 ppg returning and a new head coach in their first ever MVC game. They are hitting only 66.8 percent of their free throws which is No. 288 in the country and that is a stat no matter how hard the schedule may have been. 10* (637) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS for our CBB Tuesday SEC/ACC Challenge Top Tip. Missouri opened the season with a loss at Memphis and has run off six straight wins since then but it has been against no one as the Tigers were favored between 18 and 35 points in those games and yet they only covered three of those. Last season was a disaster as Missouri started off well similar to this season but failed to win a single game in the SEC as it went 0-19 and while it will not be that bad this year, there is not expected to be too much progression. The Tigers should not be laying close to double digits to another Power 4 team, especially having played the No. 364 ranked team in the country. California improved from three wins to 13 wins last season and while it is picked to finish last in the ACC, there is a different culture here under head coach Mark Madsen. We played against the Golden Bears at Vanderbilt on November 13 and that was their last loss as they have won four straight games including a solid win at USC. They are now catching their biggest number of the season in what could be one of the better SEC/ACC Challenge games. 10* (611) California Golden Bears

This is a play on the DUQUESNE DUKES for our CBB Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. St. Peter's opened the season 0-3 but has won three straight games to even its record with two of those coming on the road but they were against UMBC and FDU and were favored in both. The Peacocks three losses were also all on the road and while they covered all three of those, they were getting huge numbers and that is not the case here. They might still be getting a little too much credit from their improbable run to the NCAA Tournament after winning the MAAC Tournament and having lost one of the best players in the conference. Duquesne also made the NCAA Tournament last season and won a first round game over BYU and like St. Peter's, a return trip will be tough. The Dukes have a new head coach in Dru Joyce but he kept a decent core and got a solid group of transfers and while they are off to a 1-6 start, that one win came last time out to provide some momentum. This is just their third home game with the first two resulting in close losses and they catch St. Peter's looking ahead to conference action that starts Friday at home. 10* (624) Duquesne Dukes

This is a play on the EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS for our CBB Tuesday Ultimate Underdog. Eastern Illinois is off to a 2-5 start to the season, playing the No. 18 ranked schedule in the country as it has lost to the likes of Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern of the Big 10 Conference. Four of those losses came when getting a similar or bigger number and the Panthers went 2-2 ATS while the fifth loss was against Valparaiso but that was their fourth consecutive road game so they just ran out of gas. This is an experienced team that is expected to make a run near the top of the OVC. Butler opened 1-1 against Missouri St. and Austin Peay but has won five straight games while covering all five of those as well which is adding value the other way. The most recent win was a solid one against Mississippi St. in Tempe and that can provide some letdown aspects and now the Bulldogs are laying their biggest number on the season with Houston on deck. Butler won against Northwestern on a neutral floor by two points while Eastern Illinois lost at Northwestern by nine points so that is not a huge differential based on margin and venue. 10* (603) Eastern Illinois Panthers

This is a play on the YALE BULLDOGS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Rhode Island is off to a 7-0 start to the season including a 5-0 record at home where it has not been tested with all wins being blowouts. They do own a good win over College of Charleston where they won by 38 points as a short favorite so that is the one anomaly but we do not think they can repeat it. The Rams were one of the worst defensive teams in the country last season as they were No. 261 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and now they are No. 118 so maybe the Archie Miller system is starting to work. Or the fact they have played a schedule ranked No. 349 in the country out of 364 teams so a lot of teams can show improvement with that. Yale is just 4-4 following a loss against Delaware on a neutral floor in Connecticut but it played the wrong team at the wrong time as the Blue Hens could not miss from long range, going 16-34 and that is hard to overcome when the Bulldogs only made eight. The other bad loss came at Illinois-Chicago where the Flames could not miss in the second half. The other two defeats were far from bad at Purdue and at Minnesota by eight and three points respectively. Yale is again a contender in the Ivy League with a pair of All League players and despite the tough schedule, the Bulldogs are No. 41 in the country in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. 10* (861) Yale Bulldogs

This is a play on the BUFFALO BULLS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Penn St. opened the season 6-0 but suffered its first loss against Clemson in the final of the Sunshine slam in Daytona Beach and the Nittany Lions are back home where they are 4-0 and laying another big number. They are 3-2 ATS when laying double digits and while they are in a good rebound spot, they are also in a look ahead situation as they open Big 10 Conference action on Thursday against Purdue so this is a going through the motions game which they should have no problem winning easily but not against this big number. Buffalo is 4-3 which is saying a lot considering the Bulls won four games all of last season and did not defeat a Division I team until January. The roster lost a lot from that team which is not a bad thing as head coach George Halcovage inherited a mess and now in his second year, the players are mostly his. Buffalo is 4-2 against the number and has covered all three games when getting double digits, winning one outright and losing to Notre Dame and Vermont by nine and 11 points respectively. 10* (681) Buffalo Bulls

This is a play on the UC DAVIS AGGIES as part of our CBB Saturday Triple Play. Oregon St. is in a year of transition as it is playing in the West Coast Conference as an affiliate member for two years along with Washington St. The Beavers lost their top two players partly because of the dismantling of the Pac 12 and the new roster has held its own, opening up 4-0 before losing their last two games against Oregon and North Texas by five and three points respectively. They are a perfect 5-0 against the number which gives us value the other way. Laying double-digits is aggressive in this spot. We played on UC Davis earlier in the season when it faced Washington getting 15.5 points and the Aggies had a chance to pull off the upset, ultimately losing by six points. They are in a similar spot here, although not getting the same amount but still getting double digits. UC Davis is the smaller school and those tend to have more stability and are at the top of the Big West Conference coming in. The Aggies have the best Player on the floor with Ty Johnson who comes in as the preseason favorite to win player of the year and he is averaging 24.2 ppg and we will grab which is arguably the better team getting double digits. 10* (659) UC Davis Aggies

This is a play on the EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES as part of our CBB Saturday Triple Play. Utah is off to a 5-1 start which may come as a surprise considering it lost five of its top six scorers from its NIT team from last season but when diving in, it is actually not a surprise. The Utes have played the No. 363 ranked schedule out of 363 Division I teams, ahead of only Missouri, their only loss coming against a team with a pulse. Utah has covered all six of their games so they have been blowing out the teams they should and their +29.8 ppg scoring margin is the biggest in the country. Eastern Washington is on the opposite side of things as it is 1-6, the lone win over Seattle, and the Eagles have failed to cover their last four games. The difference is that they have not gotten a line like this while getting outscored by just 9.4 ppg to this is a complete overreaction line. Eastern Washington rolled through the Big Sky Conference last season but lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals and did not go to the postseason. They lost their coach David Riley to Washington St. and most of the roster followed him leaving new head coach Dan Monson with little to work with but he is a solid coach that has his team ready every night and will so again. 10* (631) Eastern Washington Eagles

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES as part of our CBB Saturday Triple Play. Rutgers opened the Players Era Tournament with a one point win over Notre Dame and held their own against Alabama in a five-point loss which they matched up well with but that is not the case today. Rutgers brought in one of the top freshman classes in the country and arguably the top backcourt in Ace Bailey who has scored 17 or more points in four of his five games and Dylan Harper who has scored 20 or more points in six of his seven games including 36 and 37 points the last two games. That is hard to go against but the Scarlet Knights do not have much after that which puts them at a disadvantage here especially down low. The Aggies lost to Oregon in the opener and bounced back to beat Creighton, a team they could neutralize down low where some cannot. Texas A&M boasts its own pair of solid guards with Zhuric Phelps and Wade Taylor, the two top scorers but the Aggies are physical and deep down low and they have one of the best rebounding teams in the country as they are ranked No. 7 in Rebounding Rate and their Offensive Rebounding Percentage of 45.5 percent is No. 1 in the country. 10* (663) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the SAM HOUSTON ST. BEARKATS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Sam Houston St. is battle tested as it has played the No. 48 ranked schedule in the country, having faced Nevada and Baylor while playing five of their six games away from home. The Bearkats are coming off a loss against Appalachian St. on Wednesday as 6.5-point favorites in what was an awful break at the end of the game and remain on the road but laying less than a bucket and this number is way off. We have this one capped at 6.5 in a great bounce back spot with a team that won the C-USA regular season title last season and brings back a ton of experience. This is the second of three games in four days as they face Colgate tomorrow. UNC Wilmington lost to that Colgate team in the first game of the inaugural Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic. The Seahawks are 3-2 with one of the wins coming against a non-Division I team while they struggled in the other two wins against Georgia Southern and USC Upstate. They have not really found their stride yet after losing four double-digit scorers from their 21-win team from last season. 10* (839) Sam Houston St. Bearkats

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. BYU suffered its first loss of the season as it got outscored in overtime 19-8 so it was a bad beat where its shooting went ice cold. From our analysis yesterday, when a new coach takes over a program in this age of college basketball, especially one that was not in the system, it is rare for players to stick around but for BYU and new head coach Kevin Young, he was able to keep six key players from the NCAA Tournament team from last season. The Cougars won their first five games with a six-point win over UC Riverside being the only close game with the four other wins coming by 38, 44, 24 and 44 points. NC State lost its first game of the season as well as it fell to Purdue by 10 points and we think they are still overvalued based on their run to the Final Four from last season. NC State managed just 61 points, shooting 43.4 percent from the floor with an effective field goal percentage of 47.2 percent which including going just 4-17 from long range (23.5 percent). Overall, the Wolfpack are shooting just 27.4 percent from behind the arc which is No. 338 in the country. 10* (878) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the OHIO ST. BUCKEYES as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Ohio St. has won three straight games since suffering its first loss of the season at Texas A&M and now welcome their biggest opponent of the season into Value City Arena. The Buckeyes have the significant edge of playing at home while having better numbers on both sides of the floor. The Buckeyes rank seventh nationally in effective field goal percentage while holding opponents to the third-worst effective field goal percentage. Ohio St. is ranked No. 34 or better in scoring, shooting and three-point shooting on both offense and defense. Pittsburgh opened the season 6-0 before suffering its first loss of the season against Wisconsin last time out on a neutral floor and now the Panthers play their first true road game of the season. Pittsburgh took a big blow as Damian Dunn, who is averaging 11.1 ppg was injured Sunday in the loss to Wisconsin in the Greenbrier Tipoff and he is expected to miss the next six weeks. This is going to hurt the offense going forward that has already struggled from long range, hitting just 33.9 percent. 10* (830) Ohio St. Buckeyes

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS as part of our CBB Thanksgiving Day Five-Pack. When a new coach takes over a program in this age of college basketball, especially one that was not in the system, it is rare for players to stick around but for BYU and new head coach Kevin Young, he was able to keep six key players from the NCAA Tournament team from last season. The Cougars are off to a 5-0 start with a six-point win over UC Riverside being the only close game with the four other wins coming by 38, 44, 24 and 44 points. This is a big step up here but one they can handle. Mississippi is overvalued plain and simple. The Rebels came into the season ranked No. 24 in the country in the AP Poll which shows this poll means nothing. Despite being 5-0, the Rebels are still No. 48 at KenPom after coming into the season as the No. 9 ranked team in the SEC. They have two solid guards in Sean Pedulla and Jaylen Murray who shoot well from long range but that is it and that is not ideal against this BYU team. 10* (796) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the UTAH ST. AGGIES as part of our CBB Thanksgiving Day Five-Pack. Utah St. is 5-0 and leads the country in scoring and shooting percentage which is not a total surprise as new head coach Jerrod Calhoun turned around a Youngstown St. program that finished in the top 24 in scoring his last two seasons there. It is not about tempo, as the Aggies are No. 59 in Adjusted Tempo, but about efficiency and taking quality shots. The Aggies won the Mountain West Conference last season and will contend once again with their experience, three returning starters, and a recruiting class that fits the system. St. Bonaventure is also undefeated as it is 6-0 but against a very weak schedule with its best opponent being Florida Gulf Coast. The Bonnies have covered all five of their games which presents value the other way. St. Bonaventure likes to slow it down as it is ranked No. 291 in Adjusted Tempo and that is a big reason it is No. 33 in points allowed but its offense is not on the same level. 10* (801) Utah St. Aggies

This is a play on the ARIZONA WILDCATS as part of our CBB Thanksgiving Day Five-Pack. Oklahoma is coming off a two-point win over Providence in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis to improve to 5-0 but its other four wins have come against inferior competition where the Sooners were favored by at least 24.5 points in all of those. Oklahoma has played a schedule that is ranked No. 359 out of 364 Division I schools so it is a skewed record even though the Providence win was nice. They lost four of their top six scorers, were picked No. 15 in the 16-team SEC and do not have the offense to keep up here. Arizona lost back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Duke and both were bad double-digit losses so the Wildcats needed a get right spot and they got it on Wednesday in a 104-71 win over Davidson. The Sooners are on a different level than Davison but not to the extent being able to matchup with Arizona which likes to run you out of the gym with their No. 5 Adjusted Tempo ranking. 10* (790) Arizona Wildcats

This is a play on the GONZAGA BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Thanksgiving Day Five-Pack. Gonzaga is coming off its first loss of the season as it fell to West Virginia in overtime and while playing the very next day after a game like that can be tough to do in some cases, the Bulldogs are a deep team that can withstand it. Gonzaga shot just 40 percent from the floor but we can call this an aberration as Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike went a combined 2-16 while the latter played just 14 minutes and we will see positive progression. The rest of the team shot 49 percent so we are not concerned. Indiana did not show up against Louisville in a 28-point loss and we do not see them showing up here either. The Hoosiers rolled over South Carolina at home 12 days ago but narrowly go by UNC Greensboro prior to Wednesday and this is a vulnerable team right now that could take a big dive as we are not sold on their coach and some of the key pieces that came in have been underachieved. 10* (788) Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS as part of our CBB Thanksgiving Day Five-Pack. Wake Forest is off to a 6-1 start but has gone just 1-6 against the number and that is certainly playing into this line today. The lone cover came against Michigan in a two-point win as underdogs and the issue with the Demon Deacons not covering numbers is the fact they have been favored by 23 and 34.5 points in five of their games. Their only loss came against Xavier in their only true road game of the season. The issue has been the offense with is No. 137 in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency which would be their worst since 2021. Florida is off to a perfect 6-0 and does own two quality wins away from home against Florida St. and South Florida but is now laying a big number on a neutral floor against a quality opponent that is undervalued which has yet to hit its stride. The Gators do check the boxes and while they have been dominant down low, Wake Forest has the size to match up well. 10* (784) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the CONNECTICUT HUSKIES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Not many expected Connecticut to be playing in the seventh place game in the Maui Invitational but here it is following a pair of last second losses against Memphis and Colorado. The Huskies have failed to cover their last three games after opening 3-0 ATS with covers at numbers of -36.5 or higher. While it has been a disappointing tournament, Connecticut will be out for blood and get right before heading back home in what is a good spot and number. It has been equally disappointing for Dayton as well but the Flyers were expected to compete for the championship. They were 9.5-point underdogs against North Carolina and Iowa St. and were able to cover both to make it three straight covers overall and are now catching a lower number against the better team of the three opponents it will have faced. Dayton has exasperated a lot in the first two games and are not on the same level. 10* (743) Connecticut Huskies

This is a play on the LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Loyola Marymount is coming off a win over Belmont in the first round of the Cancun Challenge, snapping a three-game losing streak. The previous two losses were against St. Louis and North Dakota by six and four points respectively and this would be a huge tournament win for the Lions following only 12 wins last season. They have played the much more difficult schedule with UC Irvine also in the mix. They have been playing great defense and face a weak offense Wednesday. Wyoming took out Tulane by one point to improve to 5-1 but the schedule has played a role. The Cowboys have faced the No. 298 ranked schedule with the lone loss coming against Texas Tech by 47 points. Wyoming has been picked to finish No. 10 in the 11-team Mountain West Conference with a brand new roster and coach and not getting nearly enough here. 10* (760) Loyola Marymount Lions

This is a play on the NORTHERN KENTUCKY NORSE for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Northern Kentucky has played a brutal schedule off to its 1-4 start as it has faced Florida St., Purdue and Cincinnati. The Norse are coming off their first victory, an 85-59 win over Kentucky St. in a non-lined game and they enter this one on a 0-4 ATS start and this is magic streak number to go against that. They are expected to contend in the Horizon League so this is a good team now taking a step down in competition. College of Charleston is off to a 4-2 start while coming off a loss at Rhode Island in their last game with the other defeat coming at home against Liberty. The Cougars are contenders as well after winning the CAA last season but they are overvalued here based on their own name and the fact they are facing an opponent that has yet to cover a game. We have this line at 2.5 so we are looking at a one possession game. 10* (723) Northern Kentucky Norse

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Auburn is coming off an opening win over Iowa St. in the first round of the Maui Invitational by two points and now it is laying a bigger number on Tuesday night. The Tigers are 5-0 on the season including an upset win over Houston and Monday was the first non-cover of the season, missing by a bucket. Their other three wins were all blowout victories where they were favored big and now comes another big test. This is a veteran team that is big down low but will be at a disadvantage in the backcourt and that is big in these neutral court tournaments. North Carolina is also coming off a two-point win in its opener against Dayton which was a non-cover after three straight wins against the number. The Tar Heels are 4-1 this season with the lone loss coming against Kansas by three points yet this offense continues to hum. They are averaging 93 ppg which is No. 8 in the country led by the backcourt of RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau and that unit came into the season as the best perimeter trio in the ACC. That should be the difference Tuesday night. 10* (668) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Creighton got off to a 4-0 start before losing to rival Nebraska by 11 points as a 10-point favorite on Friday. The Bluejays have failed to cover four of their five games but they have been favored by double digits in every game and are now laying a legitimate number with a lot of it based on the opponents name and history. Creighton attempted a school-record 42 three-point shots against the Huskers on 52 total shots with that percentage being the second most in college basketball over the last 15 years and that will not work here. They will be without Steven Ashworth who is averaging 16 ppg as he is out with an ankle injury. San Diego St. opened up 2-0 before losing to Gonzaga last time out and that 13-point loss was not a horrible one. The Aztecs lost four starters from last season which was another solid one, winning 26 games and making it to the Sweet 16. Known for defense, the Aztecs are doing it again, allowing opponents to shoot just 34.7 percent from the floor which is No. 6 in the country. it is a small sample size but catching a depleted team with a line that is considered short as it has actually come down despite 62 percent of the money coming in on Creighton. 10* (653) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Columbia is coming off a win over Long Island University to keep its perfect start going and now we are seeing overreaction value. The Lions are 6-0 for the first time since 1969 when they opened 10-0 and this is from a team that is predicted to finish No. 7 in the eight-team Ivy League. They are averaging 81.2 ppg which is their highest average since 2015-16 and they are almost halfway to their win total from last season. Now it is time to pump the breaks. Columbia did beat Villanova but the Wildcats are not the same Wildcats and even with that big name, they have played a schedule ranked No. 344. Stony Brook is coming off a 20-win season, its first since 2019-20, and there will be regression. The Seawolves have some big losses against Marquette, George Mason and Yale but those are all contenders in their respective conferences. They have failed to cover their last two games and on the one cover this season, it was an outright win at Central Michigan. With Brown on deck, the second of three straight Ivy League games to get the cover. 10* (633) Stony Brook Seawolves

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS as part of our CBB Friday Five-Pack. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. We played against Texas last night with one of the reasons thinking freshman phenom Tre Johnson was due to cool off after shooting 58 percent overall and from long range in his first four games and he went 4-18 including 1-7 from behind the arc. Now we go the opposite and look for a rebound. St. Joseph's is coming off a big upset over Texas Tech last night as it built a big lead but needed a last second free throw to pull it out. Prior to this, the Hawks defeated a bad Penn team and while a win over Villanova may look good, the Wildcats are not a very good team either. Conversely to Johnson, we expect the opposite and Texas will shut down Erik Reynolds after his 26 points last night. 10* (889) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the BAYLOR BEARS as part of our CBB Friday Five-Pack. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. Tennessee toyed with Virginia for the first half and was able to pull away in the second half behind its relentless defense that held the Cavaliers to 29 percent shooting while forcing 16 turnovers. The Volunteers own offense was not very good as Chaz Lanier accounted for over 40 percent of their points and take his numbers away and the rest of the team shot just 34.8 percent. They will be in for a much bigger fight tonight. Baylor is coming off an epic game as it was able to knock out the Red Storm in double overtime and we are not concerned about the quick turnaround. This is the best offense Tennessee has seen as Baylor remains No. 5 in Offensive Efficiency. 10* (885) Baylor Bears

This is a play on the MILWAUKEE PANTHERS as part of our CBB Friday Five-Pack. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. Milwaukee is back home following a three-game roadtrip where it went 1-2, culminating with a win over Duquesne. The Panthers will be hosting the Cream City Challenge as they will also face Wofford and St. Thomas on Saturday and Sunday which makes it a good opportunity to clean up some things. The Panthers are projected to win the Horizon League and will be hoping Erik Pratt rejoins the team after not making the trip but this team is loaded in the backcourt still with their top three scorers averaging a combined 42.6 ppg. Portland St. is 2-1 and has covered both lined games but this is a bottom half Big Sky team whose numbers are already skewed after putting up 131 points against Evergreen St. 10* (820) Milwaukee Panthers

This is a play on the EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES as part of our CBB Friday Five-Pack. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. Green Bay was a big surprise last season as it was coming off 16 wins combined over its previous three years but went on to win 18 games including going 13-7 in the Horizon League but there will not be improvements this season after losing four starters. The Phoenix are coming off a blowout win over SIU-Edwardsville and they have covered three straight games which adds value the other way and they have a game at Ohio St. on deck. Evansville made huge strides last season as well, winning 17 games after winning 11 the previous two seasons. The Purple Aces are just 1-4 and have failed to cover a game, which adds more value and they are coming off a 50-point loss at Ohio St. Rebound. 10* (826) Evansville Purple Aces

This is a play on the VMI KEYDETS as part of our CBB Friday Five-Pack. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. VMI is coming off a 45-point loss at Pittsburgh which was not too much of a surprise considering the Keydets were getting 35.5 points and now they take a step back down and getting an inflated line because of that loss. Coming off a four-win season, this is the best VMI roster in years as this was the first time in three years they have taken transfers and they were solid in their first three games. Davidson is of to a 3-0 start with its two Division I games decided by six points against Bowling Green and East Tennessee St. The Wildcats are picked to finish No. 11 in the 15-team Atlantic Ten Conference and they should care less here as they have Arizona on deck in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. 10* (805) VMI Keydets

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS for our CBB Afternoon Dominator. Due to the volume and the quick turnaround, analysis is limited today. Longwood is off to a 5-0 start thanks to playing a schedule ranked No. 344 in the country. The Lancers are coming off wins over Tennessee-Martin and Binghamton and by two and six points respectively and now take a big step up, similar to last season when they won the Big South Conference Tournament and got hammered by Houston in the NCAA Tournament. UAB is no Houston but the Blazers will present a big challenge and are undervalued because of their 3-2 record. One of those losses came against High Point, the favorite to win the Big South, by three points on the road so they are not going to be taking another team from the same conference lightly. 10* (872) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the WRIGHT ST. RAIDERS as part of our CBB Nighttime Three-Pack. Princeton is off to a 4-1 start but we are not overly impressed by it as wins over Iona and Northeastern were by four points combined and victories over Duquesne and Merrimack were nothing special. The loss came against Loyola-Chicago at home and now the Tigers are laying a big number on a neutral floor in Myrtle Beach. They have been picked to win the Ivy League once again but we feel they are overhyped of the success they have had in the past. The roster is solid as they are once again a solid three-point shooting team but the defense has been below average and they have been surprisingly bad from the free throw line, shooting just 65.3 percent which is No. 292 in the country. Wright St. is 3-2 to start the season and have won three of four since getting blown out at Kentucky in their season opener. The lone defeat was against Toledo in a game that was pretty tight up until the end and the Raiders are once again possessing a strong offensive efficiency despite a new coach but Clint Sargent was within the system. Forward Brandon Noel is averaging 21.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg and came into the season a Horizon Player of the Year candidate. He forms a great inside/outside duo with Alex Huibregtse who is averaging 18.8 ppg and part of an offense that is ranked No. 58 in shooting percentage. 10* (756) Wright St. Raiders

This is a play on the BAYLOR BEARS as part of our CBB Nighttime Three-Pack. St. John's head coach Rick Pitino did his own personal investigation into the NCAA Tournament selection committee after it was snubbed despite some solid ratings after a 20-win season. He feels the Big East should be getting more teams in and while he might be right, how about scheduling out of conference games like a lot of other teams instead of stacking it with cupcakes at home with Fordham, Quinnipiac and Wagner opening the slate. The Red Storm are coming off an impressive win against New Mexico but that was at home once again and now they hit the road for the first time against one of the best teams in the country and could get run off the floor in the Bahamas. Playing a No. 248 ranked schedule has padded the stats but we are still unsure how good they really are. Baylor opened with a blowout loss against Gonzaga but bounced back with a solid win over Arkansas, the start of a current three-game winning streak. The loss to the Bulldogs knocked Baylor from their No. 8 spot but the Bears are still No. 12 thanks to being ranked No. 5 in Offensive Efficiency behind the No. 49 ranked schedule in the country. This team is loaded with experience thanks to senior transfers Jeremy Roach from Duke and Norchad Omier from Miami and are two of six players averaging double digits in scoring. 10* (757) Baylor Bears

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE as part of our CBB Nighttime Three-Pack. This line has been on the rise and we will back the big dog. Syracuse has one of the most unimpressive undefeated records in the country as the Orange are 3-0 but it has been far from impressive. They opened with a four-point win over crosstown LeMoyne, defeated Colgate by two points and then needed double overtime to defeat Youngstown St. They were double-digit favorites in all of those and did not come close to covering any of those and now they flip to a double-digit underdog. They have been scoring at a high clip but have had trouble defending and that will have to get shored up at least a little bit in this matchup. Syracuse has the travel edge and will have the crowd support in this neutral site game at the Barclays Center. Texas is 3-1 as it opened with a loss against Ohio St. and has rolled in its last three games, all against inferior competition where it was favored by at least 30 points in all three games. The Longhorns have the best player on the floor in freshman Tre Johnson who will be a one and done and he is averaging 23.5 ppg and is regarded as one of the best shooters in the country and is living up to is, hitting 58.6 percent from long range. This is where the perimeter defense will be key. We think this is too many points for a Texas team to be laying with a whole new rotation and now playing a quality opponent for the first time in a long while. 10* (761) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. The Cowboys are looking for a rejuvenation after a 12-win season and this tournament sets up very well to see where they are. Oklahoma St. hired Steve Lutz after Mike Boynton was fired and had to rebuild the majority of the roster with eight players departing. He brought in plenty of experience with eight players having made 166 combined starts to go along with three key returnees and this will be a motivated team. They are off to a 3-0 start but have failed to cover any of their games although they were laying at least 12 points in all of those and now are laying a number where all they have to do is win and anyone looking at history is going to fade the Cowboys as they have failed to cover nine straight games going back to lat season and this is where we get the value. We faded Florida Atlantic last time out and it was able to upset Liberty in overtime a day after a double-overtime loss against College of Charleston as the Flames were unable to hit anything from long range. This is also a team in rebuild mode as head coach Dusty May is gone as he has departed for Michigan and replacing him is John Jakus, a former Baylor and Gonzaga assistant. The Owls lost 10 players from last year, three to graduation and seven to the portal yet the name of what happened in the recent past is still there. 10* (743) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. It took four years for UC San Diego to finally become a full Division I member and now the program is finally here. After an awesome 15-5 run through the Big West Conference last season, the Tritons were ineligible to play in the conference tournament which is absolutely ludicrous but they have a good core back to make another run. This is not the most high profile holiday tournament but they can stake a claim they belong as they come in 2-2 with one of the losses being a solid effort against San Diego St. in a five-point loss and coming off a blowout loss against Seattle, it is rebound time. They have a top backcourt with Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones and Tyler McGhie that are averaging 37.8 ppg combined and that is a big plus in these tournaments. LaSalle is coming off a season where it won its most games since 2014-15 but it was just 16 victories and while they are already 25 percent to that this season, this is the time to fade. The Explorers rolled over three bad teams at home and took out Drexel on the road in a Philly 5 game but the Dragons are not very good this season and LaSalle is not going far this year despite the 4-0 start. This is where the value comes in as the wrong team is favored as we feel the Tritons are the better team catching points with a lot to prove. 10* (736) UC San Diego Tritons

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS as part of our CBB Afternoon Three-Pack. Ohio is off to a 1-3 start with the three defeats being double digit losses at James Madison, Illinois St. and Memphis while the one victory was a narrow six-point home win over UNC-Asheville. It is a surprising bad start for the Bobcats as they are the favorites to win the MAC and now is the time to step up. They were without Shereef Mitchell against the Redbirds and Tigers, although we did think he was coming back against Memphis, but he should return and along with A.J. Clayton, those two form a great inside-outside duo. The Bobcats have been tested and while they have not passed against the tough teams, they have a good draw here. Middle Tennessee St. is off to a 3-1 start following a loss against Murray St. after their 3-0 opening. Despite having one of the better backcourts in their conference with Camryn Weston and Jestin Porter, the Blue Raiders cannot shoot from long range as they are hitting just 26.6 percent of their three pointers which is No. 340 in the country and this is where the Ohio perimeter defense cane finally catch a break as they are allowing 53.7 percent from behind the arc, dead last in the country. Ohio does not look like the team it should and after getting housed by Memphis, the true Bobcats come out in this tournament opener. 10* (749) Ohio Bobcats

This is a play on the UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. UC Santa Barbara is off to a 4-0 start, going 2-0 both at home and on the road. The Gauchos are coming off a road victory at San Jose St. on Sunday, their second straight five-point win, failing to cover the spread in either of those games so we are getting some early season value as we have this umber at 11.5. It was a disappointing 2023-24 for UC Santa Barbara as it finished 9-11 in the Big West Conference which was tied for seventh but it is a contender once again, picked to finish No. 2 and is one of the teams that hopes to challenge regaining champion UC Irvine. The Gauchos are balanced with five double-digit scorers and on the season thus far, as a team they are ranked in the top 40 in the country in both offensive and defensive shooting. UTEP is 2-1 but it has been far from impressive as the two wins came against non-Division I teams Sul Ross State and Texas Permian Basin while the loss came at Utah Valley by 29 points, its lone road game this season. Despite the two games against outmatched opposition, the Miners are mid-100s in shooting on both ends. They are back on the road and will be facing a Gauchos team that will be out for some revenge following a 13-point loss in El Paso last season. 10* (696) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

This is a play on the WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. West Virginia is back home after getting annihilated at Pittsburgh by 24 points in the Backyard Brawl following a 2-0 start. The Mountaineers finished dead last with Oklahoma St. in the Big 12 Conference last season and their nine overall wins were the fewest since 2001-02. That led to the hiring of head coach Darian DeVries who comes over from Drake where he built a dominating program and this is the bounce back spot and it is a smash one. In spots like this, we need to take a look at a possible lookahead and while West Virginia has Gonzaga on deck, it is not for another week so it is a non-issue. Iona opened the season 0-3 before winning its first game last time out against Vermont at home and it is back on the road where it is 0-2, losses at Princeton and Hofstra. This is the first road game in nearly two weeks for the Gaels and they bring in one of the worst shooting disparities in the country as they are hitting only 39.2 percent from the floor while allowing 48.2 percent shooting and those both rank No. 334 in the nation. Even the freebies have been an issue as their 62.9 percent clip from the free throw line is No. 320. While they are expected to contend in the MAAC, they are outclassed here and catch West Virginia at the wrong time. 10* (672) West Virginia Mountaineers

This is a play on the MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Purdue is off to a 4-0 start following a home upset win over Alabama on Friday, knocking off the then No. 2 ranked Crimson Tide. It was obviously a special season for the Boilermakers last year as they made it to the NCAA Championship game before falling to Connecticut by 15 points and regression is expected. They opened with four straight home games and now hit the road for the first time against a second straight quality opponent. They are a rare team based on the normal standard of the rest of the country as the program as the Boilermakers did not bring in a single player in the transfer portal instead keeping it a home grown roster that features seven freshmen but Kanon Catchings, the highest recruit of the class, decided to go elsewhere. Marquette is coming off another great season as it has compiled 56 wins over the last two seasons and while it lost a couple key players from the roster of last season, there is plenty of experience. Point guard Kam Jones is a potential Big East Player of the Year and leads the team with a 24.0 ppg scoring average in getting the Golden Eagles off to an identical 4-0 start. This includes a big win in their last game as well, a four-point victory over Maryland on the road and now back home in a revenge spot after losing to Purdue last season at the Maui Invitational. 10* (646) Marquette Golden Eagles

This is a play on the IU INDIANAPOLIS JAGUARS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. We played against IU Indianapolis against Eastern Michigan in a line that flipped and now they hit the road in a comparable spot from 10 days ago when they went to Xavier and lost by 14 points with a similar number. They were getting 30.5 points against the Musketeers and this line is too over aggressive. Iowa St. is a legit contender in the Big 12 Conference but have no business laying this number, coming off a 26-point win over Kansas City as a 28-point favorite and are in a spot where they are laying a touchdown more. The Cyclones can run them out of the gym but not in this situation with a game against Auburn on deck that you cannot lay this number. 10* (879) IU Indianapolis Jaguars

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Clemson is off to a 3-0 start with all three wins coming at home against inferior competition as the Tigers were favored by 22 points or more in all three games. They are coming off a season where they went to the Elite Eight and many are again high on the Tigers and as they should be but this is a brutal spot. Clemson has played the No. 339 ranked schedule so far and while it is a small sample size, it matters when hitting the road for the first time. Boise St. is 2-1 with two home blowout wins with the loss coming at a very good San Francisco team. The Broncos were right in the mix in the Mountain West Conference last season before finishing in a tie for second place and failed to get out of the NCAA Tournament First Four and now they are the favorites to win the MVC. They felt they were under-seeded last year so a win like this will go a long way and they know it and with only two games on deck through December 3, against Hampton and Utah Tech, this is a smash spot. This is the second game of a two year home and home with Clemson winning last season by 17 points so revenge is in play. 10* (694) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BILLIKENS as part of our CBB Saturday Five Banger. St. Louis opened the season out west with a game at Santa Clara and came home with a loss as it fell 85-78 but it played the better game over but it was outscored at the free throw line by nine points as the Broncos were given double the attempts. The Billikens returned home and got right with a 95-44 win over Avila and look to ride that into Saturday night, a good time spot for a good crowd. St. Louis is the favorite to win the Atlantic Ten Conference thanks to getting a huge transfer from Indiana St. in Robbie Aliva. He will likely be out for this game but we are not concerned as this team is loaded around him. Loyola Marymount is also 1-1 as it opened with a win over Life Pacific before getting blown out at home against UC-Irvine by 15 points. The Lions had another tough season as they won just 12 games, the fourth time in five games they have won 13 or fewer games and we can expect more of the same this season. Three of their top five scorers are gone and they hit the road for the first time after winning just two road games last season and not getting nearly enough to keep this one close. 10* (660) St. Louis Billikens

This is a play on the TOWSON TIGERS as part of our CBB Saturday Five Banger. Towson has not gotten off to a good start but the schedule has played a role as the Tigers are 1-2 with both of those losses on the road at St. Mary's and South Carolina but those were games they were expected to lose, getting 11 and 7 points respectively. The game against the Gamecocks was bad as they lost by 26 points four nights ago so they have been ready to make up for that here. Towson is the favorite to win the CAA following its third consecutive 20-win season and led by two All CAA First Team players guard Dylan Williamson and forward Tyler Tejada. James Madison won a school record 32 games last season and took out Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and many teams this season, the Dukes lost their coach and nearly every significant contributor from that team. New head coach Preston Spradlin brought in a decent transfer class to go alongside Mark Freeman who is back after missing all of last season. The Dukes are 2-1 with both wins coming at home and the lone loss coming on the road at Norfolk St. of the MEAC by 14 points. 10* (664) Towson Tigers

This is a play on the LIBERTY FLAMES as part of our CBB Saturday Five Banger. This is the second game in the Field of 68 Tip-Off and the first for Liberty which has opened the season 3-0 and this will already be their third game away from home. The Flames were the biggest disappointment in C-USA last season as they were picked to contend but finished 7-9, part of 18 wins overall and it snapped an eight-season run of at least 20 wins. They look to start a new streak this season led by a pair of All C-USA players and most importantly, they have already learned how to win on the road where it won just twice all of last season. This is also a fade of Florida Atlantic as it is coming off a game less than 24 hours before this tip as it lost in double overtime to College of Charleston so this is a tough bounce back game especially being favored. This is also a team in rebuild mode as head coach Dusty May is gone as he has departed for Michigan and replacing him is John Jakus, a former Baylor and Gonzaga assistant. The Owls lost 10 players from last year, three to graduation and seven to the portal so give them credit for the strong performance last night but tonight will be different. 10* (651) Liberty Flames

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS as part of our CBB Saturday Five Banger. Last year was a major disappointment for Indiana as it won just 19 games while going 10-10 in the Big Ten Conference and the Hoosiers finished with their lowest KenPom Rating since 2009-10. While expectations are not through the roof this season, they are certainly pretty high as they are the preseason conference favorite and currently ranked No. 16 following a pair of blowout wins to open the season. They have the rare luxury of returning four starters while bringing in Newcomer of the Year Oumar Ballo, a transfer from Arizona. South Carolina is coming off one of its best seasons ever as it matched a school record 32 wins while finishing in a tie for second place in the SEC but could not match its 2017 Final Four run as it was ousted in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are picked to finish last in the SEC this season just like last year but they do not have the same type of roster to replicate last season as they lost their top two scorers and have already suffered a bad loss to North Florida and hitting the road for the first time this season. 10* (620) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the BALL ST. CARDINALS as part of our CBB Saturday Five Banger. Indiana St. had a once or twice in a mid-major program season last year as it won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship at 17-3 while its 32 overall wins were second most ever but the Sycamores lost in the MVC Tournament and got snubbed by the NCAA Tournament and weas relegated to the NIT where it lost in the championship game. Now it is time to start over as they have a new head coach and have to replace all five starters with only three players coming back and it is already evident as they are 1-2, both losses at home, and they hit the road for the first time. Ball St. is also 1-2 but both of its losses were on the road, a five-point loss at Georgia St. and an eight-point loss at an excellent Dayton team. The Cardinals should be a player in the MAC as they have a good core of returning players and brought in the top transfer in the conference in Payton Sparks who comes over from Indiana to make it his second stint with Ball St. after averaging 13.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg in two seasons. This is a mini rivalry and Ball St. is playing with double revenge. 10* (608) Ball St. Cardinals

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Ohio is off to a 1-2 start with the two defeats being 10-point losses at James Madison and Illinois St. while the one victory was a narrow six-point home win over UNC-Asheville. It is a surprising bad start for the Bobcats as they are the favorites to win the MAC and they face another test here but they are getting an overpriced line. They were without Shereef Mitchell against the Redbirds but he should return and along with A.J. Clayton, those two form a great inside-outside duo. Memphis is laying a big number with a lot of that based on name and the fact it owns two quality wins over Missouri and UNLV. Well the fact is that those really were not the greatest of wins against two middle to bottom teams in their respective conferences and they were far from dominating. The Tigers brought in Tulsa transfer P.J. Haggerty who has been lights out, scoring 25 and 29 points but this will not last and 19 of those total points came from the free throw line. Memphis heads back west to play San Francisco and then UConn in Hawaii so they are on upset alert. 10* (861) Ohio Bobcats

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Air Force is coming off a nine-win season, the second time in the last four years it has won fewer than 10 games. The Falcons are expected to make a move up in the Mountain West Conference as they have some great experience with five seniors. They have been unable to get going however as they are off to a 1-2 start with losses against North Alabama and Long Island and while those are not two big names, they are quality mid-major teams that are contenders in their conferences. Playing against Belmont is a big factor here as the Bruins are in a horrible spot and laying points on the road. They opened the season with a home blowout win over Maryville then lost a tough one to Furman by two points and then travelled to Lipscomb and won a second straight last second game and now is in another tough travel situation. Belmont is projected a middle of the pack team in the Missouri Valley Conference led by a solid backcourt but their defense has been horrible and that will play right into the hands of the Falcons which have struggled on offense. 10* (852) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the MANHATTAN JASPERS as part of our CBB Friday Triple Play. Fordham won 25 games two years ago but that was nearly cut in half last season as it finished 13-20 and expect another regression this season as they are picked to finish last in the 15-team Atlantic Ten Conference. The Rams lost three key players and while they already own a quality win over Seton Hall, the Pirates are not a good team as we saw on Wednesday when they lost to Hofstra at home and we will look more to their 32-point loss to St. Johns. Fordham comes in a massive road favorite in what can be considered a low key NYC rivalry. Manhattan is coming off a 7-23 season as it finished 4-16 in the MAAC but better things are expected this season. The Jaspers were boat raced at Maryland in their opener by 30 points but that was expected as they were getting 26 points but they got on the board with a win over Mercy to gain some momentum. There is a lot of experience returning and the returnees are key in this spot as this is a massive revenge game as the went to the Bronx last season and lost by 32 points. They have not forgotten that. 10* (856) Manhattan Jaspers

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Two teams with new head coaches square off in Stillwater and this is an early big game for the Cowboys, which have started 2-0 and conclude an opening three-game homestand before hitting the road. Oklahoma St. hired Steve Lutz after Mike Boynton was fired and had to rebuild the majority of the roster with eight players departing. He brought in plenty of experience with eight players having made 166 combined starts to go along with three key returnees and this will be a motivated team. Oklahoma St. is playing with some extra incentive as it is aiming to salvage a game in its three-year series with the Salukis as it lost at home two years ago and last season was the first Power 5 team to get defeated in 15 years to visit Carbondale. Southern Illinois fired Bryan Mullins and brought in Scott Nagy from Wright St. and his rebuilding project is a lot more daunting. No starters are back and only three players return and overall, the Salukis brought back only 10.4 ppg. They opened the season with a 10 point home loss against College of Charleston before beating D-II Missouri S&T and they now hit the road for the first time. 10* (734) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES for our CBB Signature Enforcer. Eastern Michigan is off to a 1-1 start, the loss coming at Texas St., projected to be one of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference and followed the win up with a solid five-point loss at TCU, so it was an early quality loss. They entered the season with two returning starters but acquired two transfers from DePaul, the big one being Jalen Terry who is expected to make up for the loss of Tyson Acuff and his 21.7 ppg. Five players in the rotation are in their fourth, fifth or sixth year so it is a veteran team that is one of the most experienced in the MAC. IU Indianapolis, formerly IUPUI, is coming into the season with a not only a new name, but a new head coach and a roster that features not a single player from last season. That may not be a bad thing considering the Jaguars won only six games last season and they have not won more than eight games in any of their last five seasons. The new roster consists mostly of D-II transfers and while they have two blowout wins, they were against IU Columbus and Goshen College. To their credit, they played Xavier tough in a 14-point loss but should not be favored here. 10* (727) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Seton Hall won the NIT last season after a surprising finish where it was picked to finish deep down in the Big East Conference nut ended up finishing fourth and yet still got the NCAA Tournament snub. The Pirates turned that into motivation to win the NIT and they are in a similar boat this season, picked to finish eighth in the 11-team Big East. They are off to a 1-1 start with a narrow win over St. Peters and a loss to Fordham by a point. They were double-digit favorites in both, failing to cover either and now are catching a smaller number. Hofstra finished three game back in the Coastal last season but lost in the CAA semifinals which ended what was considered a disappointing season. The Pride had the CAA Player of the Year for a third straight season which put them at 20 wins or more in each but times will be tougher this season. Tyler Thomas graduated and two of their expected top returning players and their 28.2 combined ppg transferred out which leaves Hofstra in a tough spot. They have only one starter back and he averaged just 6.0 ppg last season and while they are 1-0 with a win over Iona, they hit the road for the first time and while this is a neutral court game, with give the big edge to the more athletic Pirates. 10* (700) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the UNC-WILMINGTON SEAHAWKS for our CBB Supreme Annihilator. Georgia Southern is already off to a better start than last season when it opened 0-12 as it is off an opening night win over Northern Illinois by 15 points as a nine-point chalk. Not that last year matters at the is point with their ending as the Eagles have covered eight straight games but it is something that is taken into account for some. They hit the road in a tough spot as Georgia Southern finished last season No. 329 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and coming off its opener against one of the worst projected offenses and now facing one of the projected best offenses. UNC-Wilmington had an unexpected early exit in the CAA Tournament as their defense regressed as the season went along. Head coach Takayo Siddle has vowed the turn the defense around and brought in a relatively new roster focusing on defending. Georgia Southern did shoot 48 percent from the floor in their opener against the Huskies but it was basically a brand new roster for Northern Illinois, as it lost all five starters, four it which transferred out to power conferences. The Seahawks have a very underrated home floor edge, going 10-2 last season and have a week off before facing USC-Upstate in its next game so we will see full focus tonight in what should turn into a blowout. 10* (832) UNC-Wilmington Seahawks

This is a play on the WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. It is only day three of college basketball and Western Illinois is playing its second game which is a big edge of where it is. The Leathernecks are coming off a win at San Jose St. and while it is a quick turnaround, it is a turnaround where the travel is not a consideration which would normally be the case. They are coming off a 21-win season which was their first 20-win season in a decade but failed to get to the top of the Ohio Valley Conference and with just three players back, they are a legit contender. After winning 12 combined games in 2019-2020, Western Illinois has won 16 games each of the last three years and is catching points against one of the worst teams on the west coast. Times change and players change but this is one of the worst programs in the country and should not be favored over anyone. The Waves have had a losing record in 17 of the last 23 years and have never been more than four games over .500 over that stretch. Now they are back off a 13-win season with no starters back and while they could be a surprise, we are bot banking on it and especially against a team that has already had the opportunity to play together. 10* (627) Western Illinois Leathernecks

This is a play on the UC DAVIS AGGIES for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. Washington enters its first season in the Big 10 Conference and it is a completely different team coming in from its 17-15 season and first round exit in the Pac 12 Conference. The Huskies let head coach Mike Hopkins go after not being able to turn the program around and hired Danny Sprinkle from Utah St. to start a complete rebuild. They bring back no starters which is considered somewhat commonplace in the new world of college basketball with the transfer portal and the NIL but it will take time and yet Washington comes in as a huge favorite in Game One. Sprinkle brought in Great Osobor from his team from last season where he averaged 17.7ppg and he is one of four transfers that will be starting for Washington. This team can be really good but not early on. UC Davis is the smaller school and those tend to have more stability and are at the top of the Big West Conference coming in. The Aggies have the best Player on the floor with Ty Johnson who comes in as the preseason favorite to win player of the year and we will grab which is arguably the better team getting double digits. 10* (607) UC Davis Aggies

This is a play on the TOWSON TIGERS for our CBB Ultimate Underdog. We come out playing light early in the college basketball season because of so many unknowns and with the transfer portal, this could be one of the most unpredictable early part of the seasons in recent memory. Of the 62 games on opening day, only four teams are returning more than three starters which shows how the game has changed. One of those is Towson which is the preseason favorite in the Coastal Athletic Association, ahead of perennial favorites Charleston and UNC-Wilmingtom, because of commitment. The Tigers have four starters back from a team that finished with 20 wins for a third consecutive season. They are coming off a second straight tough loss in the CAA Tournament but bring back the most experience in the Coastal, as they have seven of their top eight returning scorers back and will not be daunted on this roadtrip. We have an overpriced number here because it is St. Mary's. The Gaels had one of their best regular seasons in school history as they rolled through the West Coast Conference with a 15-1 record to take out Gonzaga to finish in first place. They will obviously contend once again because of the weakness of the conference as a whole but they will not duplicate what they did last year. The Gaels lose a lot from last season, notably guard Aidan Mahaney who decided to transfer to Connecticut and that is a big piece that needs to be replaced. We look at this overpriced line and it is an easy take. 10* (869) Towson Tigers

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our CBB Opening Night Enforcer. The MAC/Sun Belt Challenge is not high profile like the ACC/Big Ten Challenge but it does provide a few good matchups including this opener. Louisiana finished 10-8 in the conference last season, 19-14 overall, after coming in as one of the favorites and the Cajuns were coming into the season as a contender with SBC Player of the Year contender Hosana Kitenge coming off a season where he finished SBC Third Team, finishing third on the teams in scoring and second in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots. Unfortunately, he is not going to play this season after suffering a non-contact injury which leaves Louisiana with just one returning starter so their stock has dropped. Kent St. is coming off a disappointing season where they were a contender as well in the MAC but were the biggest disappointment as it went just 8-10 in the conference, 17-17 overall yet were a few seconds away from making it to the NCAA Tournament but lost the MAC Championship by a pint against Akron. The Golden Flashes are again ready to contend behind a solid frontcourt of VonCameron Davis and Cli'Ron Hornbeak but the big news is that Jalen Sullinger, who led the team in scoring left the program to go to Furman, decommitted and came back. Another big piece is wingman Morgan Safford, a transfer from Miami where he averaged 15.4 ppg in his final season with the RedHawks, who had to sit out last season because of the transfer rules. 10* (835) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is a play on the PURDUE BOILERMAKERS for our National Championship Crusher. The chalk again came through in the Final Four as the favorites have had the biggest NCAA Tournament of all time and after Saturday, the public has cleaned up as in the NCAA Tournament this season, favorites of eight points or more are 20-5 (80 percent) against the number. This number has not reached that yet but it is close and this is the contrarian move to close the season with nearly 80 percent of the money on the Huskies which are now 11-0 ATS over the last two NCAA Tournaments. Connecticut is an absurd +125 in scoring differential in this tournament but Purdue is not far behind as it is +98 and this is the first time since 1960 that the National Title game has featured two teams that have outscored their opponents by 19 ppg or more. These teams are on more of a level field than what this line is saying with the Boilermakers coming in 31-4 in non-Quad 4 games and the Huskies 27-3. This is a rare spot for Purdue which has not been an underdog of more than six points since 2021. With the run the Huskies are on, the number is certainly inflated and this is the highest spread of No. 1 seeds facing each other since 1999 so taking everything into account, this is a number play backing a Purdue team that is narrowly behind Connecticut in the NET rankings and has a better Q score. 10* (675) Purdue Boilermakers

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our ALA/UCONN Final Four Crusher. We are going contrarian with Alabama as it continues to shoot at a high level and will obviously need to continue that, bringing in the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the country. Alabama had no issues with its two mid-major opponents as it beat Charleston and Grand Canyon by double digits and then got quality wins over North Carolina and Clemson to get confidence and momentum back for a team that limped into the NCAA Tournament with losses in four of its previous six games. The Huskies ATS run has reached historic levels as they are the 1st team in seeding era to win and cover 10 straight games and going back, the Huskies are on a 26-6 ATS run in the NCAA Tournament, covering 14 of those games by double digits. No one wants to step in front of this train and the number has been on the move with over two-thirds of the tickets and the money on Connecticut which has pushed the number from -10.5 opening to -12 in most places as of Wednesday afternoon. Looking overall, the public has cleaned up as in the NCAA Tournament this season, favorites of eight points or more are 18-5 (78.3 percent) against the number. Free throw shooting is a big factor in these games and Alabama has a big edge. The Tide shoot 78.6 percent from the stripe while Connecticut shoots 73.9 percent which is still good but teams that shoot 75 percent or higher going up teams that shoot less than 75 percent are 85-54-2 ATS (61.2 percent) since 2018. 10* (671) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our NCST/PUR Final Four Dominator. This is the contrarian call and we say contrarian based on the line and the seeding for NC State but not based on the early betting moves which does tell the story early on. The Wolfpack have garnered 75 percent of the money and 65 percent of the tickets but the number has not moved. It has been an historic run for NC State as it has won nine straight games to make it to its first Final Four in over 40 years and this from a team that was not even on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament. Its 14 losses are the most ever for any team to make the Final Four. Eight of those losses were Quad 1 defeats but only two of those were by more points than what the Wolfpack are getting here and those were against Duke and North Carolina. Purdue is the big chalk for a reason and it has it all to win the National Championship as the Boilermakers are elite on both sides of the ball, ranked No. 2 on offense and No. 16 on defense in the country and of course are led by center Zach Edey, who has won the Naismith Player of the Year two seasons in a row. Purdue has played 21 games away from home and has gone 17-4 but only seven of those wins have come by more than eight points, two of those coming against non-major teams, three against Big Ten teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament and the other two against Gonzaga by 10 and 12 points and those latter two are the only true quality victories. 10* (673) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Game of the Year. The analysis remains the same for the Sycamores from their game on Monday. Although Indiana St. could not get out of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, it should have gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament as the Sycamores finished No. 28 in NET rankings and were by far the highest rated team to not make the tournament. This team looks to be on a mission with a huge chip on their shoulder and this venue favors them as they will have the crowd on their side. The Sycamores feature three players that shoot at least 40 percent from long range and they shoot 38.3 percent as team from behind the arc which is No. 11 in the country. They did not shoot great from long range against Utah but still won by 10 points as they shot 80.7 percent from two. Seton Hall jumped out to an 18-3 lead over Georgia and never looked back. The Pirates led by as many as 24 points in the second half but the Bulldogs did mount a comeback as they got it to within 12 points with just under six minutes left so the Seton Hall starters did not get a break in a game in which they should have. The Pirates have rolled in their last three games after barely getting by St. Joes in the NIT opener so while playing great, they are just No. 67 in NET ranking and while they can out-physical teams, Indiana St. proved it can handle that as it did against Utah. 10* (681) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Annihilator. Although Indiana St. could not get out of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, it should have gained a berth in the NCAA Tournament as the Sycamores finished No. 28 in NET rankings and were by far the highest rated team to not make the tournament. This team looks to be on a mission with a huge chip on their shoulder and this venue favors them as they will have the crowd on their side. The Sycamores feature three players that shoot at least 40 percent from long range and they shoot 38.3 percent as team from behind the arc which is No. 11 in the country. Utah used its huge home court advantage to roll through the first three games of the NIT and winning away from home kept the Utes out of the NCAA Tournament. They went 17-2 at home but won only five games outside of Salt Lake City with just two of those victories coming after November. Utah has a big size advantage but it does not help them defensively, especially on the perimeter where the Utes are No. 223 in three-point shooting defense. Additionally, they are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country, hitting only 65 percent from the stripe which is No. 348 in the nation. Here, we play against underdogs after successfully covering the spread in three or more consecutive games, playing with five or six days of rest. This situation is 149-112 ATS (57.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (662) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our Elite 8 Game of the Year. It has been an improbable run for No. 11 seed NC State as it has now won eight straight games to get to the Elite 8. After winning five games in five days in the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack have carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament with three wins but it is safe to say, they have been fortunate. This is not a very good defense despite what the numbers have shown as on the season, NC State finished No. 280 in opponent three-point percentage and it leaves opponents wide open as Texas Tech, Oakland and Marquette simply could not make their shots as they went a combined 23-97 (23.7 percent) so if any one of those teams shot their average, NC State would not even be here. Duke rolled over a couple mid-majors in the first two rounds and then took out No. 1 seed Houston on Friday. The Blue Devils no doubt caught a break as Houston played the final 26-plus minutes without All-American Jamal Shead and he means more to this team than arguably any other team in the country. That being said, Duke took advantage of it and now catches an overachieving team at the right time. The Blue Devils are No. 21 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and No. 31 in Turnover Rate and they are elite from long range, finishing No. 13 in the country in three-point shooting. They went just 5-20 against the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament loss so hit their shots here and they roll. 10* (658) Duke Blue Devils

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our Sat. Elite 8 Annihilator. Clemson is coming off the big upset of Arizona which was the third straight game in the NCAA Tournament where the defense was the difference as it has forced 32 turnovers and that has been something it has been unable to do on a consistent basis this season as they are No. 344 in Turnover Percentage. Alabama is also off an upset as it defeated North Carolina as it outshot the Tar Heels by close to 10 percent. The offensive metrics are not great for the Tide but they are the highest scoring offense in the country and three-point shooting will play a big role and the law of averages favor Alabama. The Tide average 11 made three-pointers per game while being held to fewer than nine only 10 times and Clemson is 5-5 on the season when it allows 10 or more long balls and 8-8 when allowing nine or more. One of the exceptions to this was in the first meeting when Alabama made 11 three-pointers in the loss but the Tigers but the difference was on the other side where Clemson was 11-21 (52 percent) from long range. Alabama is 0-4 when teams shoot 44 percent or better from behind the arc and while that was one of those losses, Clemson has shot 44 percent or more only six times so that first meeting was an aberration. Alabama is 17-8 ATS as a favorite this season while going 6-0 ATS after allowing 45 or more points in the first half. 10* (654) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS for our Fri. Sweet 16 Enforcer. We had the unfortunate curse of having the underdog in a game that went to overtime, in this case double overtime, as Oregon had its chances but lost to Creighton by 13 points as its depth became an issue late. Creighton has been a very popular No. 3 seed to make the deep run but they do not do two important things well as they do not force turnovers and do not get to the free throw line as they are ranked No. 362 in Defensive Turnover Percentage and No. 353 in Free Throw Rate. The Bluejays rely on the pick-and-roll to set up its three-point shots where it is above average at No. 54 in the country but the Volunteers match up well as they are No. 18 in pick-and-roll defense while allowing under 15 percent of total three-pointers taken to be left unguarded. That is only part of the defense that is raked No. 3 in Adjusted Efficiency Defense and that is why Tennessee is here as it was able to overcome an awful shooting night against Texas where it hit only 33.8 percent of its shots. Dalton Knecht led the Volunteers with 18 points but was just 5-18 from the floor and we expect a much better effort here after averaging 25.5 ppg in SEC action. The narrative here is that Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is 4-16 against the number in NCAA Tournament games but we will be going against that here. 10* (642) Tennessee Volunteers

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our Fri. Sweet 16 Annihilator. Houston got a scare from Texas A&M and it is in a great spot here laying its shortest price since February 24 when it laid 2.5 points at Baylor and while it has not been great when laying fewer than two possessions, all of those were in true road games and while this is not a home game, location matters here. Houston will be the fifth No. 1 seed to play the Sweet 16 in its home state with only St. John’s to lose its Sweet 16 game while the other three all advanced to the Final Four. Houston is not a great offensive team as it is ranked No. 229 in Effective field goal Percentage but does not face a great defense with Duke No. 90 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and the Cougars make up for it as they do not turn it over and rebound excellent, ranked No. 10 and No. 13 respectively in those categories. The Blue Devils had no issues with Vermont and James Madison, winning those games by 37 and 38 points and because of that, the line has been adjusted as the public will think that the Blue Devils are back but now they catch a real test. Duke has a very efficient offense but will be facing a defense ranked No. 2 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and No. 3 in Turnover Rate. The Blue Devils are 5-4 in Quad 1 games with Houston being 16-4 and that disparity is enormous. 10* (646) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE for our Thu. Sweet 16 Enforcer. North Carolina came into the NCAA Tournament as the lowest No. 1 seed and it is currently rated lower than three No. 2 seeds as it comes in No. 8 overall of remaining NCAA Tournament teams. The Tar Heels easily overmatched Wagner in the opening round and surprisingly rolled over Michigan St. by 16 points to advance to the Sweet 16. They are and always will be a publicly bet team and are laying a short number which will bring more attraction with already 73 percent of tickets and 68 percent of money on them but with very little line movement. This is another contrarian angle play and this is based upon head coach Hubert Davis. The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament last season after their huge 2021-22 run and going back to that, Davis is 8-0 ATS in the NCAA Tournament, being only the third coach to start his coaching career 8-0 ATS or better in the big dance. Alabama has had no issues with its two mid-major opponents as it beat Charleston and Grand Canyon by double digits which is huge for confidence and momentum for a team that limped into the NCAA Tournament with losses in four of its previous six games. Kansas and Auburn are already out as No. 4 seeds so the Tide got a good draw and starting to re-peak after what was an overall great season. 10* (635) Alabama Crimson Tide

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our Sweet 16 Game of the Year. Connecticut is still arguably the best team in the country as it once again looks unstoppable following its National Championship run last season. The Huskies are a very public team right now and for good reason as they have covered eight straight NCAA Tournament games going back to last season so this is the contrarian move. Obviously, they have not let the big numbers deter their ATS run as they have been able to cover the inflated numbers and linesmakers are now forced to make huge adjustments based on this. The bad news is that this is a horrible spot to be in with 85 percent of tickets and 91 percent of money coming in on them and going back, NCAA Tournament teams with 80 percent or more of the action on their side are 2-11 ATS over the last 19 years. San Diego St. is not getting the respect here as this is a tournament tested team that is looking to make another run to the championship game and the Aztecs are of course doing it with their defense as they are No. 8 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. They got a scare from UAB but rolled over Yale and while the defense will be tested against the No. 2 ranked offense in efficiency, mucking up this game and making it low scoring heavily favors the underdog, especially a quality one getting double digits. 10* (633) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES for our NIT Signature Enforcer. The NIT can be tough to figure out early on with motivation being a key factor and both of these teams have been locked in. Seton Hall has the benefit of remaining at home where it played its first two games including a 14-point win last time out over North Texas. Additionally, the Pirates come into this game with an extra day of rest to go along with the no travel so there is added prep time. The Pirates are 16-3 at home with half of those wins coming against postseason teams. It has been a tough travel schedule for UNLV over the last week as it opened the NIT on the east coast against Princeton then travelled back home to host Boston College on Sunday and now it is back in New Jersey to face Seton Hall. The Rebels have performed well on the road this season as they are 8-3 but only three of those victories have come against teams that made the postseason in some form while all three losses were against such teams, two by double digits. UNLV has just six Quad 1 and 2 wins while Seton Hall has 10. 10* (622) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the INDIANA ST. SYCAMORES for our NIT Signature Enforcer. There might have been a question with Indiana St. and its motivation following a loss in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship against Drake and then getting snubbed for an at large berth in the NCAA Tournament but the Sycamores clearly have the motivation to keep their season going. They have rolled over SMU and Minnesota in the first two rounds of the NIT and this is the final home game of the season and it will be fire. Indiana St. is 15-1 at home and with a chip on its shoulder, this will be a tough environment for the visitor. Cincinnati held its own in its first season in the Big 12 Conference but it was still just a 7-11 finish yet the Bearcats got a top seed in the NIT thanks to a decent run in their conference tournament. They won their first two games at home and are now on the road where they have won only four games this season. Additionally, they went 4-11 in Quad 1 games this season with the win at Texas Tech being the only one on the highway. 10* (612) Indiana St. Sycamores

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our 2nd Round Game of the Year. Yale pulled off the big upset over Auburn and while this might look like a Princeton scenario from last season, it is a different story as it celebrated like it just won the National Championship. The Bulldogs went up against a very good defense against the Tigers and while they put up 78 points, they were outshot from the floor but benefitted from a 21-15 edge from the free throw line which was an anomaly as Yale is No. 332 in Free Throw Rate. The tempo for the Bulldogs is very similar to that of San Diego St. which favors a low scoring game but the physicality of the Aztecs will be the difference. This is the lowest total on the board of all of the Sunday games and for a reason with the style of both teams and experience will play a big part here as well. The Aztecs made it to the championship game last season with a lot of this team still intact and while they would be at a disadvantage playing a team with more tempo that could take over control, mucking up a game against a team that also wants to that heavily favors them. Yale does not turn the ball over but it also does not force turnovers as it is No. 255 in Turnover Rate. 10* (838) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES for our Sun. CBB Ultimate Underdog. Grand Canyon came through on Friday as the offense did what is does as it was more physical against a physical defense and now plays a team that does not play defense with that style. The Antelopes are very experienced and have the key numbers on both sides where they will want to turn this game to a physical slugfest again. They are ranked in the top five in FTA/FGA rate and are ranked in the top 30 in offensive rebounding as they attack the rim and have the size to excel here and their 36 free throws against the Gaels shows that. Alabama beat a good Charleston team in an up and down game which is in their favor as the Tide are No. 9 in Tempo but the difference here is that the Cougars also prefer that style and this is a completely different matchup. The offense is ranked No. 11 in Effective Field Goal Percentage but go up against the No. 10 defense in that category and the Tide are not going to be able to run as much as they prefer. As mentioned, Grand Canyon gets to the line, ranked No. 5 in Free Throw Rate and Alabama will send them to the stripe as they are No. 319 in Free Throw Rate defensively. 10* (839) Grand Canyon Antelopes

This is a play on the JAMES MADISON DUKES for our Sun. CBB Signature Enforcer. Duke won and covered against Vermont but it was close early as it got the calls throughout as the Blue Devils were 20-of-29 from the free throw line, while Vermont made two of their six free throws. This has not normally been the case as the Blue Devils are No. 148 in Free Throw Rate and as a team this season, they are middle of the road at 72.5 percent. Duke is solid offensively at No. 21 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and the offense revolves around Kyle Filipowski in the screen-and-roll game but James Madison has the interior length to at least slow that down. The Dukes have won 14 consecutive games following a win over Wisconsin and already beat Michigan St. earlier this season in East Lansing so there is zero intimidation. This team is fantastic on both ends of the floor as the offense is ranked No. 55in Offensive Efficiency while possessing an Effective Field Goal Percentage of 54.4 percent. Defensively, the Dukes are top 30 in the latter category and the perimeter defense is the strength as they allow opponents to shoot just 28.8 percent from long range which is No. 5 in the country. 10* (827) James Madison Dukes

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our Sat. CBB Late Powerhouse. Oregon had no issues with South Carolina in the opening round after winning three games in three days to capture the Pac 12 Tournament Championship. Overall, the Ducks have won five straight games and are ranked No. 21 in T-Rank Power Rating since the final game of the regular season with Creighton just one spot ahead at No. 20. This team is still under the radar and no one is buying into the Ducks but they were crushed by injuries all season and are now accustomed to their eight-man rotation led by the inside/outside duo of N'Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard. Creighton had no issues with Akron which was expected as it was an 11.5-point favorite and it is the pick of many to make it to the Final Four out of the Midwest Region. The Bluejays have a great defense that is No. 16 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and they do not foul but they are catching an Oregon offense that has regained its form. Offensively, Creighton usually has the big edge down low with Ryan Kalkbrenner but the ducks can counter him with Dante, something many teams cannot. 10* (793) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES for our Sat. CBB Ultimate Underdog. Oakland upset Kentucky in the first round behind 32 points from Jack Gohlke on 10-20 shooting from behind the arc. Many will say he cannot back that up and he likely will not have to as he came through in a game where Horizon League Players of the Year Trey Townsend had an off night and he can be the one to take this one over. The Golden Grizzlies have now won five straight games and 12 of their last 14 with one of those losses coming in overtime to the win was not that much of a fluke. NC State kept its momentum going with an easy win over Texas Tech as the Red Raiders had an awful shooting night and we cannot say it was because of the Wolfpack defense. They are ranked No. 186 in Effective Field Goal Percentage which is double that of Oakland and they will be unlikely to catch another team on a bad shooting night. NC State ran through the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to win the championship that included wins over Duke and North Carolina and it is one of the big public teams that is catching the majority of the money again with the line going up. 10* (795) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our Sat. CBB Supreme Annihilator. Iowa St. rolled through the Big 12 Tournament including a 28-point win over Houston to capture the championship and had no issue with South Dakota St. in the opening round. The offense has picked it up of late but the stop unit has now gone nine straight games without allowing 70 points. The Iowa St. defense is suffocating as it is ranked No. 28 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and is No. 2 in the country in forcing turnovers which is not good news for a Cougars team that is ranked No. 109 in Turnover Percentage. We played against Washington St. on Thursday and Drake replicated what it did last season against Miami in the opening round as it led 54-46 with under eight minutes remaining but was outscored 20-7 the rest of the way to allow the Cougars to move on. Washington St. had a solid season but was fortunate against the Bulldogs as it won the scoring at the free throw line 17-6 and shot just 38 percent from the floor. Overall, they do defend well as they are just seven spots behind the Cyclones in Effective Field Goal Percentage but do not force turnovers as they are No. 263 in turnover Rate. 10* (800) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the GONZAGA BULLDOGS for our Sat. CBB Signature Enforcer. Kansas possibly got away with one on Thursday as a controversial foul on a block in the final minute preserved its lead and the eventual win over Samford which overcame a 22-point second half lead. The Jayhawks shot 60.3 percent from the floor as they were able to score a lot of transition baskets in the first half. The comeback from the Bulldogs was partly aided by the fact Kansas is shorthanded with very little depth and it wore down late in the game in the altitude of Salt Lake City. The No. 4 seed is tied for the lowest for the Jayhawks since 2000 and we think it shows. Gonzaga rolled over McNeese St. as it shot 51.7 percent from the floor and while it has a tougher matchup here, the offense continues to hum along and will be tough to be stopped. The Bulldogs are No. 8 in the country in Effective Field Goal Percentage and the do not give the ball up as they are No. 16 in Turnover Rate. Since March 1, Gonzaga is No. 5 in T-Rate among all NCAA Tournament teams while the regression of Kansas over the last few weeks has shown as it is No. 49 T-Rank which is a huge disparity between a No. 4 and No. 5. 10* (803) Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a play on the GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES for our Fri. CBB Signature Enforcer. Grand Canyon rolled through the Western Athletic Conference which may not say much but it owns quality nonconference wins against San Diego St. and San Francisco and it has a chance to be one of the double-digit seed to make a long run as long as they play their style. The Antelopes are very experienced and have the key numbers on both sides where they will want to turn this game to a physical slugfest. They are ranked in the top five in FTA/FGA rate and are ranked in the top 30 in offensive rebounding as they attack the rim and have the size to excel here. The biggest edge however is that the Antelopes shoot over eight percent higher from the free throw line. St. Mary's had a great season which included the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships. While the Gaels were a perfect 9-0 in true road games, they were 3-3 on a neutral floor and really got a bad draw while also playing on another team not in a travel disadvantage. 10* (787) Grand Canyon Antelopes

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our 1st Round Game of the Year. Texas A&M was able to play its way into the NCAA Tournament thanks to five straight win before losing to Florida in the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a win over Kentucky sealing the deal. The Aggies are an athletic and veteran team that should have had a better season but had some really bad losses that put them on that bubble even though they were tied in the SEC for most Qua1 wins and most quad 1+Quad 2 wins. Texas A&M led the nation with an Offensive Rebounding Rate of 42 percent which is the highest percentage of an team in eight years and it has a huge matchup edge here against a Nebraska defense that ranks No. 223 in Defensive Rebounding Rate. More recently, Illinois had 14 offensive rebounds while eliminating Nebraska from the Big Ten tournament and in its 10 losses, the Huskers did not outrebound one opponent. This is the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for Nebraska in 10 years so it was a great season but the issue is the Huskers cannot win away from Lincoln. 10* (779) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS for our Fri. CBB Supreme Annihilator. New Mexico needed to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament and it did just that with four wins in four days all by at least seven points including a victory over San Diego St. in the championship. This is another mis-seeding as the Lobos are the No. 11 seed in the West Region yet come in as the favorite which puts them in a terrific spot. Favorites that are seeded five or more spots higher are 13-2-1 ATS since 2005 and the metrics along that are on their side. Clemson was a major disappointment in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament as it was blown out in its opening game against Boston College by 21 points. The Tigers closed with three losses in their last four games and did not beat an NCAA Tournament team since its upset over North Carolina in early February. Clemson actually finished 12 spots below New Mexico in the NET ranking and are No. 11 in the West in T-Rank since January 1. 10* (777) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS for our Fri. CBB Ultimate Underdog. Of all the No. 2 seeds, Marquette is probably the most vulnerable for an early exit but in any case, the Golden Eagles are laying too much here. They struggled down the stretch with a 3-3 record in their last six games with the absence of Tyler Kolek in those six games attributing to that. He will be coming back for this game but to what capacity, we do not know as he will not be close to 100 percent while his minutes will be monitored. Western Kentucky won the Conference USA Tournament as it took advantage of upsets along the way but this was still a really good team coming in as it was no. 2 in NET ranking in the conference. While the Hilltoppers did not play a tough Big East Conference schedule but the numbers show that they are excellent on both sides of the ball. They rank No. 103 in KenPom for adjusted defensive efficiency while offensively, they are the fastest team in the country. 10* (767) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers