The set-up: The 5-1 Cincinnati Bearcats will visit No. 19 Iowa State (also 5-1) on Thursday night in Ames. Both schools have lost to a ranked opponent, with Cincinnati's coming 76-71 at hands of Rhode Island (at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut), while Iowa State's fell just this past Sunday against No. 8 Gonzaga 73-71 in the AdvoCare Invitational championship game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Cincinnati: Mick Cronin’s teams always play outstanding defense and this year’s Cincinnati team is allowing only 59.2 PPG (17th) on 38.2 percent shooting (39th). 6-6 sophomore swingman Jacob Evans leads Cincinnati in scoring at 17.8 PPG (4.7 RPG) and 6-9 junior forward Kyle Washington is averaging 16.8 & 9.3. PG Caupain (9.5-4.7-4.8) needs just three points to become the school's 50th 1,000-point scorer. The Bearcats are disappointed so far in the 6-8 Clark, who was a Preseason All-American Athletic Conference selection. He averaged 10.4 & 8.8 last year but is down to 7.3 & 5.7 this year plus an ankle injury limited him to just six minutes in the team's last game (listed as questionable for this one). Iowa State: The Cyclones return to the Hilton Coliseum looking to get back on the winning track, after rallying from an 18-point deficit in the second half to nearly pull off an upset over Gonzaga. Iowa State is one of the most prolific scoring teams in the country with an average of 88.8 PPG (12th) but it’s no slouch at the defensive end, allowing a modest 64.8 PPG (62nd). Head coach Steve Prohm's team features five senior starters, four of whom have a double-digit scoring averages. PG Morris (16.0-5.2-6.8) leads the way, followed by three more players, all 6-5 or shorter. Long is averaging 15.2 & 6.8, Burton 14.0 & 8.5 and Thomas 11.5 & 4.3. The fifth starter is 6-8 senior Holden, averaging 6.5 & 3.8. The pick: Both Cronin and Prohm coached at Murray State, using that perennial OVC power as a stepping stone to bigger things. These schools met last December with then-No. 22 Cincinnati losing 81-79 to then-No. 11 Iowa State at the Bearcats' Fifth Third Arena. However, this game is in Ames and will be played in an arena described as possessing  “Hilton Magic” by the Des Moines Register back in 1989. The 14,384-seat arena includes seats just a few feet from the court and players from opposing teams, and also the home team, have said that the floor has shaken because of the noisy crowd. “Hilton Magic, as they call it,” junior forward Kyle Washington said, smiling. “I’m excited. We’re all gonna have fun with it. Right now we just need to get a win versus a real team, so we can keep on moving forward and building momentum.” Iowa State has won 37 consecutive non-league home games, an active streak ranking only behind that of Duke (129) and Wichita State (41). Iowa State is an 8* play.

The set-up: 4-2 Monmouth will visit 1-4 Quinnipiac as the two MAAC schools open conference play. Monmouth: Four starters return from last year's 28-8 team, including reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the 5-8 Justin Robinson (19.3-3.8-3.7 LY). He has scored in double figures in 58 of his last 64 games, opening this season averaging 13.7-3.0-5.2 in the team’s 4-2 start. As for the other three returning starters, two are also averaging in double digits, led by 6-10 senior center Brady (12.0 & 6.7) and guard Seaborn (13.0). Fellow guard and returning starter Hornbeak checks in at 8.3 & 4.8. It should come as no surprise that Monmouth was selected to finish first in the league this season in a poll of the league's coaches. Quinnipiac: The Bobcats opened 0-4 on the season before winning its last game but overall, had an impressive performance at the AdvoCare Invitational last week.  Quinnipiac began with an 82-62 loss to then-No. 11 Gonzaga, but battled the Bulldogs evenly for much of the contest, trailing by just five at one point in the second half. Quinnipiac then jumped out to a 20-10 lead on Seton Hall on Day 2 and was within two points at 62-60 with just under 10 minutes left before falling 90-79. The final day, Quinnipiac came away with the win, defeating Indiana State 80-77 in a game that came right down to the final shot. The Bobcats led by eight with 3:30 to go but the Sycamores rallied and took a one-point lead with 44 seconds left. Chaise Daniels answered with a big basket 20 seconds later, and Quinnipiac earned a key stop, with Daniel Harris making two foul shots. Quinnipiac is coming off a 9-21 season but returns four starters. Freshman guard Kiss currently leads the team in scoring at 12.4 PPG but three returnees are right behind him. Guards Oliver (11.2-4.6-3.2) and Harris (10.8 & 3.8) plus the 6-9 Daniels (12.0 & 6.6). Also, freshman Dixon averages 10.0 PPG and the 6-6 sophomore Bundu 8.3 & 5.8  The pick: I had Quinnipiac in its win over Indiana St, as it won outright as a 10-point underdog and I’ll take them here as a home dog. Quinnipiac ia a 10* play. 

The set-up: The 9-9 Indiana Pacers capped a four-game homestand by scoring 118 points in a rout of the Nets and then shocked the Clippers 91-70 in a defensive gem (Clippers were held to 31.4% shooting, including 4 of 24 on threes). They now open a five-game road trip in Portland, which won’t end until Dec. 9 in Dallas. The 9-10 Portland Trail Blazers will be taking the court off a 130-114 drubbing by the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Indiana:  The Pacers’ back-to-back recent home wins were achieved without the services of star forward Paul George (20.8-6.9-3.5), who has missed six of the past seven games and will also sit out Wednesday's contest with ankle and back injuries. The two wins were encouraging to veterans like PG Jeff Teague (14.7  & 7.6 APG) and backup center Al Jefferson (7.0 & 4.4). "For us to be shorthanded and they had their full team, we go out there and do what we did (Sunday), that shows a lot," Jefferson told reporters. "Like I told my teammates, we showed we can do it now, so we can't take a step back. We've got to keep going." Portland: The Rockets scorched the Blazers with 56.1 percent shooting, including 47.2 percent (17 for 36) from three-point range. Portland owns the worst defensive efficiency rating in the NBA (109.80) and is giving up more points (113.7) than any team in the league other than Brooklyn (114.0). The Blazers are tired of talking about getting better at the defensive end. "We keep preaching it, but it's getting old," guard Allen Crabbe said. "At some point, it has to click. We keep telling ourselves we have to get better, but at some point, we have to get it going." Lillard (28.2) and McCollum (22.3) are the second-highest scoring duo in the NBA (next to Durant and Curry) but the team must improve defensively. The pick: The Blazers are one of the better offensive teams in the NBA (rank 3rd at 109.7 PPG) but they have trouble stopping anybody. Cleveland blitzed them for 137 points, Golden State for 127, Houston for 126 and 130, even Phoenix for 121. "We talked about not taking steps back," head coach Nate McMillan said. "We've played some good games, and then you can't recognize the team the next game. We need to build some momentum at this point in the season." I’m not buying into that and I’m taking the points and making the Pacers an 8* play.

complete analysis

The set-up: The IUPUI basketball team will look to break a two-game skid on Wednesday night, when the when the 2-4 Jaguars face 2-2 Illinois State in Normal, Illinois. IUPUI: Head coach Jason Gardner has 10 new faces on this year’s roster but the Jaguars returned their top-two scorers from last year in guard Combs and the 6-7 O’Leary. PG Combs leads the team in  scoring at 16.8 PPG (adds 3.5 APG) and O'Leary checks in averaging 12.5 & 7.5. Joining them in double figures is one of those new faces, guard Patterson (10.5), a Syracuse transfer. IUPUI, of the Summit League, leads the conference by limiting foes to just 29.9 percent from three-point range and also leads the league in assists at 15.7 per game (three players, Combs, O'Leary and Kellon Thomas, all average better than three per game). Illinois St: All five of Illinois State's starting lineup average in double-digits, led by 6-8 senior Deontae Hawkins (16.8  & 8.0) and 6-7 junior MiKyle McIntosh (14.3 & 7.3). PG Paris Lee adds 12.8 PPG and a team-best 5.5 APG. The Redbirds shoot 39 percent from three-point range and are outrebounding foes by nearly two caroms per game. The pick: IUPUI capped the four-game 2K Classic with a 2-2 record, losing road games at Michigan and Marquette but winning the Indianapolis sub-regional of the event, capturing home victories over Howard (77-55) and Eastern Michigan (83-71). IUPUI has yet to win on the road (0-4) but this year’s team has way more depth than last year’s unit and while Illinois St is the more complete team, laying double digits is asking too much. IUPUI is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Charlotte Hornets followed up a season-worst four-skid (Nov. 19-25) with consecutive victories, 107-102 at home against the Knicks and 104-85 at Memphis to get them to 10-7 on the season. The Pistons come to Charlotte on Tuesday 8-10 overall but struggling badly on the road in the early going at 1-8 SU & ATS. Detroit: The Pistons have relied on a balanced approach this season, with six players averaging in double figures. Harris tops the list at 16.4 PPG, while center Andre Drummond is averaging 14.6 points and 13.4 rebounds. That “group of six” doesn’t include PG Reggie Jackson, although he is getting closer to a return from a knee issue. He participated in Monday's practice and it was Jackson's first 5-on-5 practice since receiving injections of platelet-rich plasma more than a month ago to help promote healing. "I've seen him for a couple weeks — he looks fine playing," head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Stamina is going to be an issue. I don't think he can play 33 minutes a game right now. Whenever they tell me he's ready to go, and he tells me he's ready to go in his mind, then he'll go." Charlotte: The Hornets’ 19-point victory in Memphis represented the team’s second-largest winning margin of the campaign and the 85 points allowed was their fewest of the season. Elevens are currently wild for Charlotte, which ranks 11th in both points scored (107.2) and points allowed (102.3). Standout guard Kemba Walker (24.3-4.2-4.9) has 14, 20-point outings this season and is joined by five more double digit scorers, plus forwards Williams (9.9) and Kidd-Gilchrist (9.3) just miss that plateau. The pick: As noted above, road games have been a big issue for the Pistons this season and with three road games in the next four days, they must figure out quickly how to collect wins away from The Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit ranks second overall in the NBA in points allowed (97.1 PPG) but on the road Detroit has allowed 105.0 PPG, one of the mains reasons it’s 1-8 SU & ATS. Meanwhile, Charlotte is 4-2  as a home favorite this year and should have little trouble covering this modest number. The Hornets are a 10* play. 

The set-up: George Washington started the season 3-0 but has lost three straight despite holding a lead in each game. The Colonials look to get back to their winning ways as they hit the road for the team's first true road game of the season, taking on Harvard Tuesday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Crimson are just 1-3 with their only win coming over Fisher College, while losing to Stanford, Holy Cross and UMass. George Washington: GW won the NIT last season but gone are guards Garino (14.1 & 4.2) and McDonald (8.8-5.4-3.1) plus the 6-10 Larsen (12.3  & 8.3). The 6-9 Cavanaugh was the team's best player last year and he’s back, averaging a team-leading 18.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG. He’s joined up front by the 6-9 Watanabe (13.4 & 5.2) but this duo is GW’s only double digit scorers. A bigger issue is that Watanabe missed Saturday’s loss to Penn St with a leg injury and is questionable for this one. Harvard: Head coach Tommy Amaker is in his 10th season with Harvard and after six straight 20-plus win seasons and four straight NCAA appearances, Harvard was just 14-16 last year, including 4th in the Ivy League at 6-8. He has a roster that includes seven freshmen and six sophomores this season but one of those newcomers, 6-7 freshman forward Seth Towns, leads the team in scoring (11.8 PPG), while fellow Henry Welsh (at 6-10), is averaging a team-best 7.0 RPG (adds 8.3 PPG). A third freshman, guard Aiken, is averaging 9.7 PPG while the top-two returning players are senior guard Chambers (8.7 & 5.0) and sophomore guard Johnson (8.8). The pick: A year ago, GW captured the NIT championship in March for its first-ever national postseason championship in basketball but this year’s team is not in that class, especially if Watanabe  misses. Harvard has gone 92-56 in non-conference play under head coach Tommy Amaker. The Crimson defeated Boston College in six straight seasons from 2009-2014 and has also topped Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan, TCU and Utah in Amaker’s tenure. Make Harvard an 8* play in this one.

The set-up: Davidson and Mercer both have spent time as NCAA Tournament darlings in recent seasons, although that spotlight has focused longer and brighter on Davidson. The two teams meet for the second straight year aon Tuesday at Hawkins Arena on Mercer’s campus.The Wildcats beat the Bears 77-71 last year at Belk Arena, Davidson’s home court. Davidson: The Wildcats are 4-1 and come off three straight wins, downing Missouri, Arizona State and Charlotte as they prepare for their first true road game with the Bears. The Wildcats have been good for some time under head coach Bob McKillop, who has won 520 games with the program since taking over for the 1989-90 season, during which the Wildcats have made eight NCAA trips. This year’s team is led by the trio of senior guard Jack Gibbs (21.0 PPG), 6-7 junior forward Peyton Aldridge (19.8 & 7.6) and junior guard Jordan Watkins, (10.0 PPG). The Wildcats are averaging 76.2 PPG while allowing 68.2 and their lone loss came to Clemson. Mercer: The Bears are 4-2 after losing by a basket to Akron in the championship game of the inaugural Savannah Invitational on Saturday. “It’s a great test. Our schedule this year is amazing in itself and who we’ve already played, we’ve had great opponents, and Davidson is another one of those top-tier programs, top 50 in the country right now in RPI,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “So we understand coming in what they bring, what they’re able to do, and if we can match that and do the things that we know we can do, we will have a great chance against them. They’re really good.” Mercer guard Holland (20.2 PPG) can match Davidson’s Gibbs but the 6-6 Jelks (8.2 & 5.5) is no match for Davidson’s 6-7 Peyton Aldridge. The pick: the cream rise to the top in this one, even on the road. Davidson is a 10* play.

The set-up: Danny Manning’s first two seasons at Wake were a bust, as the Demon Deacons went 13-19 and 11-19. Two key players are gone from last year’s squad in the 6-9 Devin Thomas (15.6 & 10.2) and guard Miller-McIntyre (9.5-4.5-4.0) but Manning saw potential in this year’s group. So far he’s been right, as Wake is 5-1, losing to only Villanova, the defending champs who are loaded again this year. Former Duke player and assistant coach Chris Collins led Northwestern to a school record 20 wins last season (but still no “Big Dance” appearance) and the Wildcats have opened 3-2 this year. Wake Forest: Sophomore Keyshawn Woods is a welcome addition (Charlotte transfer), scoring 13.7 PPG and adding 4.2 RPG. He joins PG Crawford, who is averaging 13.8 PPG and a team-leading 6.3 APG.Two returning big men have shown excellent promise already, as 6-10 sophomore Collins has averaged 18.8 & 8.5 plus 6-10 junior Mitoglou has added 10.0 & 6.7. Northwestern: Manning knows that the Wildcats won't be pushovers in this first-ever meeting with the Demon Deacons. Tre Demps (15.7) is gone from last year’s Northwestern team, as is the 7-0 Olah (11.4 & 5.6) but the 6-7 Law (17.8 & 5.0) and guard Lindsey (15.3 & 5.0) have combined to increase their scoring by 19.8 points per game over last season .PG McIntosh returns and he’s added 12.7 PPG and 5.0 APG. Helping to make up for the loss of Olah is the 6-8 Pardon, averaging 7.7 & 7.3. The pick: Northwestern is just 3-2 but the Wildcats own a win over No. 21 Texas and narrow losses to Butler and Notre Dame, by a total of six points! Northwestern is 3-0 SU at home, outscoring opponents 88.7 to 67.0 PPG. The Wildcats are an 8* play.

The set-up: The 10-8 OKC Thunder come to Madison Square Garden Monday night to take on the 8-8 NY Knicks.Oklahoma City comes in after a 106-88 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday when Westbrook posted 17 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his second consecutive triple-double and seventh this season. It was also his 44th career triple-double, which ties him with Cleveland's LeBron James. The Knicks had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in Charlotte, falling 107-102 to the Hornets but New York enters this game on a six-game winning streak in MSG. Oklahoma City:  Westbrook is humming along in his ninth season with the Thunder, averaging 31.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 11.1 assist and has at least a few remembering the Big O averaging a triple-double for the entire season back in 1961-62 (30.8-12.5-11.4). However, OKC is far from a complete team with Oladipo (17.3) being its second-best scorer wit that guard duo joining OKC’s two-headed center combo of Kanter (11.9 & 5.8) and Adams (10.7 & 7.8) as the team's core. OKC allows 105.4 PPG (20th) and checks in 8-10 ATS, a reverse of its SU record. NY Knicks: The Knocks are 7-2 SU & ATS at home and come in on a six-game home winning streak. Its top-two scorers are Anthony and Porzingis, who both have played noticeably better at home than on the road. Anthony is averaging 24.4 PPG at home while slumping to 21.1 on the road. Porzingis is suffering through the same inconsistency while averaging 22 points on 51.4 percent shooting at home and 19.6 PPG on 45.9 percent shooting on the road. The team’s new PG, Derrick Rose, is the Knicks’ third double digit scorer at 15.9 PPG (also 4.2 RPG and 5.0 APG). The pick: New York has played well at home but its overall defense is worst than OKC’s, allowing 106.3 PPG (20th) and the Knicks can’t ‘bang’ on the boards up against Kanter and Adams. New York's other big offseason acquisition, center Joakim Noah, who played with Rose in Chicago, has struggled. He missed two games with flu-like symptoms but since his return against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Noah hasn't provided much offense with six points to back-to-back games against the Hornets. Noah has scored in double-figures only once this season and checks in averaging 4.1 PPG for the season. At the PG spot, I love Westbrook over Rose. OKC is a 10* play. 

The set-up: The 14th-ranked UCLA Bruins are 6-0 and will get a chance to win a tournament named after the program's patriarch when they meet 4-1 Texas A&M in the championship game of the Wooden Legacy tournament Sunday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Ca. UCLA has reached the championship game with a 99-77 win over Portland and an 82-71 win over Nebraska. Texas A&M’s only loss this season was a two-pointer to USC but the aggies have rebounded to win won two in a row since, beating Cal State Northridge 95-73 and then stormed back from a 17-point second-half deficit to edge Virginia Tech 68-65. Texas A&M: The Aggies won 28 games last year, advancing to the Sweet 16 but lost their three best players from that team. Gone are the team's top-two scorers, House (15.6 & 4.8) and Jones (15.3 & 7.2), two 6-7 players who were tough to defend. Also lost was PG Caruso (8.1 & 5.0 APG), the team-leader. Three players who contributed last year are back and the 6-9 Hogg (15.6 & 6.2), the 6-10 Davis (12.2 & 7.2) and guard Gilder (11.2-4.6-5.2) are A&M’s top-three scorers so far. The Aggies have also have benefited from a strong start to the season by 6-9 freshman Robert Williams (10.2 & 6.4) and J.C. Hampton (4.8 PPG), a senior graduate transfer from Lipscomb, is staring in the backcourt alongside of Gilder. UCLA: Steve Alford needs a “breakout season” in Westwood, as his first three seasons at UCLA have gone in the wrong direction. He won 28 games his first season, 22 in his second and then came last year’s 15-17 ‘nightmare.’ Two outstanding freshman have led the turnaround, the 6-10 Leaf (17.8 & 8.8) and the “do-everything” 6-6 Ball (16.0-5.3-9.0). That duo has joined senior guards Alford (17.7) and Hamilton (16.7 & 4.2 APG) plus sophomore guard Holiday (13.0-4.-4.2) and the 7-0 junior Welsh (11.3 & 9.7) to give UCLA six, double digit scorers. No wonder UCLA is second in the nation in scoring at 100.7 PPG and its FG percentage leads all Division I schools (55.8 percent). The pick: UCLA coach Steve Alford was asked what it will mean to his team to play in the championship game of the Wooden tournament."It means a lot for different reasons," he said. "Coach Wooden's name is on it, and what he means to our institution and his legacy of creating excellence both in the classroom and on the basketball court, that is something our guys take seriously. Secondly, we have talked this as a team, and it's our first chance to win a championship. It doesn't mean that you'll have postseason success, but the Final Four teams last year all won an exempt tournament. If that is a goal of ours, as it is, we want to take those steps towards trying to get to that point. Knowing that this championship could have Coach Wooden's name on it is an extra bonus." The A&M football team upended the then-16th Bruins to open the 2016 season, a loss the football team never recovered from. Maybe the basketball team can serve up a little cross-sport revenge? That’s my bet, as I make UCLA a 10* play.

The set-up: Rick Adelman led the Kings to the postseason in all eight of his seasons coaching Sacramento but was fired after the 2005-06 season. The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since, entering this season on a 10-year playoff drought (just three times in that stretch has the team even won as many as 30 games!). Sacramento is currently 6-10, after the Rockets made 21 three-pointers in a 117-104 victory in Sacranto on Friday. The downward spiral of the Brooklyn Nets reached six straight losses on Friday in a 118-97 loss at Indiana. The Nets host the Kings on Sunday at 4-11 (7-7-1 ATS), including 3-4 SU at home (4-3 ATS). Sacramento: The Kings had posted impressive wins over Toronto and Oklahoma City before Friday's letdown and first-year head coach Dave Joerger sees improvement. "We're getting better," Joerger told reporters. "We've played some good teams. We've played better as of late. ... We're starting to find a nice mix of chemistry between guys that are playing together at different times." Center DeMarcus Cousins (27.8 & 9.8) remains the star and he turned in a remarkable stat line on Friday with a career-high five made three-pointers and five blocks to go with 32 points and nine rebounds. However, second-year center Willie Cauley-Stein (4.9 & 1.8 in about 12 1/2 MPG) is drifting out of the rotation and did not see the court in either of the last two games (Stein averaged 7.0 & 5.3 last year in about 21 minutes of PT). Brooklyn: the Nets are still learning to play with the pace and style new head coach Kenny Atkinson prefers on the offensive end and the defensive end remains a work in progress. The Nets are hoisting more three-pointers than ever before and from all positions. However, the Nets rank a modest 13th in scoring at 104.9 PPG and the team ranks 26th in three-point shooting at 32.5 percent. As for the team’s defense, well let’s just pardon the pun. Brooklyn allows the most points of any team in the league (113.5 PPG) and opponents are shooting 47.2 percent against them, the second-worst mark in the NBA. The pick: I am well aware that the Kings entered this season 51-146 (.259) SU on the road the last five seasons but the bottom line is, the Kings have to win some games away from home and the Nets should play the perfect foil. Sacramento is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 7-10-2 Arizona Coyotes are currently 14th and last in the Western Conference, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in four straight seasons. Frankly, the Coyotes prospects of ending that streak this season don't appear promising, at least so far. Arizona visits Edmonton, which has been a huge surprise in the 206-17 season, to-date. The Oilers won the Stanley Cup back in 2005-06 but haven’t made the postseason since, a run of 10 consecutive playoff-less seasons. Edmonton has averaged just 28 wins per year the last three seasons, averaging just barely over 66 points per season, as well. However, at 12-8-2, the Oilers currently sit atop the Pacific Division. Arizona: Many of Arizona’s early woes can be attributed to the fact that the team's No. 1 goalie, Mike Smith, was sidelined early on with an injury. His back-up, Louis Domingue, has played in 14 games, going 4-8-1 with a 3.21 GAA. Smith is back healthy now and is 3-1-1 with a 2.96 GAA and .911 save percentage. Domingue is now the one hurt with a lower body injury, which has landed him on injured reserve. Justin Peters will serve as the backup. Smith was in goal Friday night when Arizona beat Edmonton at home, 3-2 in a shootout. Edmonton: Oilers captain Connor McDavid recorded his first NHL hat trick earlier this month to start a scoring tear. With a goal against the Coyotes on Friday, McDavid has five goals and four assists in a four-game points streak and leads the league with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists). Also making noise lately are Leon Draisaitl (three goals, three assists) and Milan Lucic (one goal, five assists) each have six points, while Jordan Eberle (two goals, two assists), Oscar Klefbom (two goals, two assists) and rookie Jesse Puljujarvi (four assists) each have four points. The Oilers tweeted Saturday that Cam Talbot will start in goal. Talbot is 11-7-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage and three shutouts. The pick: Edmonton is easily the better team so far this season but Friday’s win by the Coyotes over the Oilers can’t be considered a fluke. That’s an understatement. Since dropping a 4-3 decision in regulation back on Jan. 25, 2011, the Coyotes are 20-0-4 against the Oilers. Arizona's point streak is the longest by one team against a single opponent since the Oilers' 24-game run against the Vancouver Canucks from 1985-88. Edmonton is 5-4-0 at home but 0-4-0 when scoring fewer than three goals per game and faces Mike Smith, who improved to 14-1-1 lifetime against Edmonton with Friday’s triumph. Meanwhile, Talbot’s given up nine goals while going 0-2-1 over his last three starts versus Arizona. I’ll take Arizona plus the 1 1/2 goals and make it an 8* play.

The set-up; Both the Warriors and Timberwolves played last night, Golden State winning 109-85 at Staples Center over the Lakers with Minnesota rallying from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Phoenix to overtake the Suns 98-85. "Our best fourth quarter of the year," gushed Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau afterward. "Things weren't going well in that game, but the fight was there and we just kept working the game and the game turned." As for the Warriors, it was just “another day at the office,” as Golden State won its 10th consecutive game. Minnesota: In Wiggins (24.0), Towns (21.3 & 9.4) and LaVine (18.6) the T-wolves own an impressive trio of their own but last night’s comeback may have extracted a toll on the Timberwolves. Wiggins wound up playing 41 of the 48 minutes and three other starters, including Towns, played at least 35. that figures to leave Minnesota in less-than-ideal shape Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back. The youthful Timberwolves have responded well to the adversity of the NBA schedule this season, winning on the back half of a consecutive-nights sequence both times they have encountered it. However, neither of those wins have come at the expense of a team like the Warriors. Golden State: Durant (27.1-7.9-4.8), Curry (26.3 & 6.1 APG), Thompson (20.6) and Green (10.5-9.0-6.() give the Warriors an incredible “Core Four,” a group which is averaging 84.5 PPG. That group contributed 83 points last night, although none played more than 36 minutes. That said, the Warriors may have an incentive when they take the court Saturday and that is to “play better!” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr insisted to reporters afterward that  "It was one of the worst basketball games I've seen in my life. We were awful, and they were awful. The people who bought tickets should get their money back, honestly." The pick: The Timberwolves won the most recent meeting with the Warriors, handing Golden State one of its nine losses last season, 124-117 in overtime on April 5 in Minnesota. However, the Warriors had won seven straight and 14 of 15 over Minnesota before that April matchup and they come into this one clicking on all cylinders while looking to win an 11th straight game. The Warriors have notched eight double-digit victories during their 10-game winning streak, won their last three games by an average of 34.7 PPG and have won their last five home games by an average of 20.6 PPG. Golden State is an 8* play.  

The set-up: Canisius doesn’t score much (67.6 Pla) and will paly at Youngstown State early on Saturday, a team which can score (82.0 PPG) but one which also allows as many points as it scores (81.3 PPG). This game precedes the FCS First-Round playoff football game between Youngstown State and Samford at Stambaugh Stadium at 5 p.m. Canisius: The Golden Griffins were picked to finish ninth in the MAAC preseason poll and could use a bounce back victory after a rough 1-4 start to the season. Canisius is averaging only 67.6 PPG on 42.6 percent shooting, while allowing 76.2 PPG on 49.0 percent shooting. Three players are averaging in double figures, the 6-6 Jermaine Crumpton (15.6 & 4.0), the 6-7 Phil Valenti (13.8-4.8-3.2) and Kassius Robertson (11.4). Youngstown State: Shooting guard Cameron Morse only had 10 points in the team's last game but he leads the team  with an average of 25.2 PPG. PG Francisco Santiago (10.5-3.8-4.0) is the only other double digit scorer but the Penguins have plenty of contributors. The 6-7 Donlan (9.3 & 5.7) and the 7-1 Kauffman (6.8 & 7.2) have been the team's best big men in the early going. The pick: These two schools are separated by les the 200 miles but have played just four times. Interestingly, the Golden Griffins have won all four meetings, including an 84-82 overtime decision in the second round of the CIT right here at Beeghly Center on March 23, 2013, Youngstown home court. Take the points and make Canisius an 8* play. 

The set-up: The Tire Pros Invitational was played in Lake Buena Vista, Fl last weekend. In that tourney’s championship game (last Sunday), Xavier was able to move to 5-0 with a 67-59 win over previously unbeaten Northern Iowa, which fell to 3-1 with the loss. Now, just six days later, Xavier (ranked 9th in the latest AP poll) will again square off with Northern Iowa, this time on the Musketeers’ home court, the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. Northern Iowa: The Panthers have been one of the country's top mid-major programs annually, owning a 4-2 record since the start of the 2014-15 season against top-25 teams, including going 3-0 last season against ranked opponents. Northern Iowa is off a 23-win season, which ended with a second round loss in the NCAAs. The team’s best player, guard Washpun (14.2-4.1-5.3) has moved on, as did guard Bohanon (11.5 & 4.1) and the 6-6 Jesperson (11.3 & 5.3). However, veteran guard Morgan (17.0 & 7.8)  returns, along with the 6-7 Carlson (12.5) and the 6-9 Koch (11.0). Guard Jordan Ashton (9.0 & 4.8) has made an immediate contribution, after transferring from Iowa State. Xavier entered the current season as one of just nine schools which had participated in 10 of the last 11 NCAA tourneys. Chris Mack’s team is almost a lock to make it 11 of 12 come this March, as this year’s unit has many key returnees. Guard Abell is gone but he was not a major contributor plus the 6-10 Reynolds (9.6 & 6.5) was a starter and he’s also gone. The 6-10 Farr (10.7 & 7.8) was a big contributor off the bench and he’ll be missed plus we ae not suree if returning PG Myles Davis (10.8-3.6-4.1)  will be re-instated after being suspended by coach Mack prior to the start of the season (no word yet on his status). However, 6-6 swingman Bluiett (18.6 & 6.0) is a wonderful player, plus guards Macura (17.6-4.0-3.6) and Sumner (16.6-5.2-3.6) are off to excellent starts. The 6-8 Gates made a huge splash in the summer and after some knee problems, is lasted as probable to make his season debut on Saturday. The pick: The Musketeers beat Missouri, Clemson and Northern Iowa on their way to the title in Orlando. They'll be facing a nonconference opponent in back-to-back games for the first time since it faced off twice in a row against Yale in 1960. "It doesn't concern me," Xavier head coach Chris Mack said of the back-to-back games against the same opponent. "We'll both have a lot of familiarity with each other. (Saturday) is a new ballgame and a chance to grow and continue to get better." The Musketeers scored 23 of the first 31 points in the second half after an intermission tie and went on to beat Northern Iowa 67-59 in the championship game last Sunday. Trevon Bluiett (21)and Edmond Sumner (17)were the leading scorers in last Sunday’s game. Here at home, a second consecutive win over Northern Iowa will come more easily. Xavier is an 8* play.

The set-up: Back on , the Lakers shocked the Warriors 117-97 at Staples Center back on Nov. 4th, with the Golden State responding to that embarrassment by going on a nine-game winning streak. The most recent of those nine wins came this past Wednesday at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors delivered some payback in a 149-106 rout of the short-handed Lakers. LA (8-8) played without starting point guard D'Angelo Russell (16.1-3.4-4.8), who is expected to be out two weeks with a sore left knee, and PF Julius Randle (13.3 & 8.1), who sat with a hip pointer. Golden State: The 149 points the Warriors hung on the Lakers are the most any team has scored so far this season. Stephen Curry (31), Kevin Durant (28) and Thompson (26) combined for 85 points and while Green has just five points, he added nine rebounds and 11 assists. The Warriors recorded a franchise-record 47 assists, for the game and scored 80 points in the first half. "It was a beautiful exhibition that (the Warriors) put on," Lakers head coach Luke Walton said. "As painful as this one was, that's the beauty of the NBA. You always have another chance to redeem yourself one or two days later.” The high-octane Warriors lead the league in scoring (119.2 PPG), shooting percentage (50.2%) and in assist (31.9 per). That’s a pretty sweet ‘trifecta.’

LA Lakers: Los Angeles' season is about the progression of its young players and Russell will need to take a step back after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his sore left knee. As for Randle, he’s listed as questionable, as is SG Nick Young (13.9 PPG) with a toe issue. Veteran Jose Calderon will start for Russell at PG,as Williams and Clarkson will continue to come off the bench. Williams leads the team in scoring (16.6 PPG) and Clarkson averages 14.9 PPG. The pick: Forget the 149-point blowout being a distraction. There is just no way the mega-talented Warriors will be taking the Lakers lightly after losing by 20 points in their last visit to Staples Center. Let’s also not forget that in that Nov. 4th loss, two-time MVP Stephen Curry went 0-of-10 from three-point range, snapping a string of 196 straight games (including the postseason) with at least one three-pointer, Curry was 7-of-12 from beyond the arc in Wednesday's rematch. That sounds more like it. Golden State is a 10* play. 

The set-up: TCU had nowhere to go but up after a 12-21 season last year but the good news is that Jamie Dixon is TCU’s new coach, he of Pittsburgh fame. He led the Panthers to a 328-123 (.727) record in 13 seasons which included 11 NCAA bids, a CBI championship in 2012 and two, 31-wins season but decided to return to his alma mater. TCU has opened 4-0 and will take on 3-1 UNLV on its home court (Thomas & Mack Center) in the semifinals of the Global Sports Classic. TCU: The Horned Frogs are the very definition of a balanced-scoring team, as an amazing even players are averaging between 10.0 and 11.8 PPG so far this season. Senior guard Brandon Parrish, junior guard Alex Robinson and freshman guard Desmond Bane all are averaging exactly 11.8 PPG with highly touted freshman guard Jaylen Fisher right behind at 11.5 PPG plus a team leading 6.0 APG. Junior wing Kenrich Williams, who missed last season with a knee injury, has played two games and is averaging 11.0 PPG and a team best 6.0 RPG. UNLV: The Rebels have a new head coach this year as well in Marvin Menzies, who led New Mexico State to seven, 20-plus win seasons in his nine years, including five NCAA appearances. The Rebels were shocked at home in their season-opener 76-68 by South Alabama but have since won three in a row. Sophomore guard Jalen Poyser, one of only three returning players for the Rebels, is off to a hot start averaging a team-leading 17.0 PPG to along with 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Senior forward Christian Jones, a 6-7 transfer from St. John's, is the only other player averaging in double figures (14.0 PPG) and leads the team in rebounding (7.0 RPG). The pick: Jones sat out UNLV’s 110-71 rout of  Northern Arizona on Tuesday with a sore foot and is questionable for this game, which is not good news for the ‘thin’ Rebels. TCU and first-year coach Jamie Dixon are off to the fastest start in school history for a coach in his debut season but all four of the Horned Frogs' wins have come at home. Dixon is anxious to see how his team will perform on the road, as TCU lost all nine of its road games against Big 12 opponents last year and its last road victory in an opponents home arena came against Bradley, 53-49, back on Dec. 23, 2015. However, Dixon owns a remarkable 74-6 record in November games plus The Thomas & Mack Center is no longer “the Shark Tank," as evidenced by the fact TCU is favored. TCU is an 8* play. 

The set-up: Elon joined the CAA two years ago and on this Thanksgiving weekend, will venture to DeKalb, Illinois for the NIU Showcase. Elon is off to a 3-1 start, averaging 90.2 PPG on 51.6 shooting and plays host Northern Illinois in the first of Friday’s doubleheader games. The Huskies are coming off a successful 2015-16 campaign in which they posted a 21-13 record and advanced to the postseason for just the fourth time in school history and first since 1996. Elon: The Phoenix return seven of their top eight scorers from last year, although the team's top scorer, Sampson (11.8 PPG), is gone. However, balance is a key for this team, with guard Swoope coming off the bench to average a team-high 14.0 PPG. Four others are averaging in double figures in Guards Santa Ana (13.8), Seibring (11.8 & 6.2) and Eddy (10.5 & 4.5 APG) plus the 6-8 Dawkins (13.8). Northern Illinois: Like Elon, returns most of its key talent from last year. The Huskies return 72 percent of their scoring and 81 percent of their rebounding from a season ago, including. Third Team All-MAC honoree, the 6-11 Marin Maric, MAC All-Defensive Team honoree Aaric Armstead and MAC All-Freshman Team selection Marshawn Wilson are among the key returnees. Maric was selected to the Preseason All-MAC West Division Team  and so far, leads the 3-2 Huskies in scoring at 14.4 PPG (adds 4.4 RPG). PG Porter (11.8-3.6-3.2) and the 6-8 Key (11.4 & 7.0) join Maric in double digits, although Wilson (11.0 PPG last year) and Armstead (10.9 & 5.7) are off to slower starts. Wilson, in particular, has averaged just 3.3 PPG. The pick: This is the first-ever meeting between Elon and Northern Illinois and Elon has had a busy holiday travel schedule. The Phoenix were in Tampa a week ago Thursday to play USF and then back home in North Carolina on Thanksgiving eve to host Illinois-Chicago. The home team gets the win and cover in this one, as 10* play. 

The set-up: The  San Antonio Spurs are off to a 12-3 start bur get lost in all the hoopla surround the Warriors’ “Super Team” (Golden State has won nine straight to reach 13-2) and the LA Clippers, who have the NBA’s best record at 14-2. However, the spurs do own the NBA’s only perfect road record (they’re 8-0) and will look to keep that alive with a Friday afternoon visit to the TD Garden in Boston to take on the 9-6 Celtics, who are a modest 4-2 at home. San Antonio: The Spurs 8-0 road start this season ties them with 2010-11 team for the best start away from home in franchise history. "It's a weird year," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "We've lost three in a row at home, and last year we lost one the whole year. Now we're undefeated on the road, so don't ask me. That's why they call it a game because you never know what's going to happen." San Antonio has won seven in a row overall buoyed by shooting 39.7 percent from three-point range and 84.0 percent from the FT line (both figures are No. 1 in the entire NBA). SF Leonard (25.1-6.3) is now unquestionably the team’s best player and Aldridge his No. 1 sidekick, averaging 18.6 & 6.9 playing PF. However, as always, the Spurs’ depth and overall balance is a key to the team's success. Boston: The Celtics return off a perfect 3-0 road trip and have won six of their last eight, the latest being a 111-92 victory at Brooklyn on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas (team’s leading scorer at 26.2 PPG) scored 23 points and Boston improved to 5-1 with Al Horford, who has missed nine games due to a concussion. Horford has hit the ground running after his absence, averaging 18.3 & 7.3 in his three games back in the lineup, all Boston wins. SF Jae Crowder had his best effort versus the Nets since returning from an ankle injury three games ago, recording 15 points and five rebounds in just 22 minutes (he was Boston’s top frontcourt scorer last year at 14.2 PPG). Thomas has scored at least 20 points in all but one game but also has fallen into a bit of a shooting slump by hitting only 38.5 percent over his last seven contests. Avery Bradley is his backcourt partner (17.9 & 8.0) and he recorded 22 points, seven rebounds and five steals against Brooklyn. The pick: With both Horford (concussion) and Crowder (ankle) rejoining the team for the recently complete 3-0 road trip, spirits are back up in Boston. However, defeating Detroit, Minnesota and Brooklyn on the road is hardly a reason to make plans for the NBA Finals, as those teams are a combined 15-29 (.341). Beating the Spurs would be something to cheer about but the bottom line is that the Spurs are 37-9 against the Celtics since Feb. 11, 1992 and more recently have defeated the Celtics on nine straight occasions, including four in a row at Boston. San Antonio is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Florida Gators’ home arena (the O’Connell Center) is being renovated but Florida has won games in Tampa, Jacksonville and Lakeland to open 4-0. The school’s tour of the Sunshine State continues as they take on 3-0 Seton Hall in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Thursday at Lake Buena Vista, Fl. Seton Hall: The Pirates lost PG Whitehead (18.2-3.6-5.1) from last year’s 25-win NCAA team but the other four starters have returned. Junior guard Khadeem Carrington has made 24-of-40 shots from the floor, including 10-of-15 behind the arc, and is averaging 21.7 PPG. Up front, the 6-6 Desi Rodriguez averages 16.3 & 8.0 while the 6-10 Angel Delgado averages 15.0 & 13.7 (both are juniors). The real find has been freshman guard Myles Powell, who scored 20 points in the first two games off the bench but then exploded for 26 at Iowa on 9-of-14 shooting (5-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc) and now gives Seton Hall four players scoring 15-plus PPG (Powel is averaging 15.3). Florida: The Gators also lost their top player from last year’s 21-win NIT team, forward Finney-Smith (14.7 & 8.3). Head coach Mike White is in his second year since Billy Donovan left for the NBA and OKC but he’s happy with the team's start. “The way I look at it, we’ve beaten four pretty good teams on neutral floors (and) that’s better than the alternative – but we’ve got a ways to go,” White told reporters. “. … We have to enjoy the process and clean up mistakes.” Graduate transfer Canyon Barry, the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, scored a season-high 17 points in the 78-61 win over Belmont on Monday and leads the balanced offense at 13.2 PPG, coming off the bench (at least for now). “He’s just a really versatile and experienced player,” White told reporters. “We have to find ways to get him more and more involved in the offense.” 6-8 junior forward Devin Robinson is averaging 12.8 & 6.5  while 6-11 center John Egbunu, who missed the end of last season due to injury, leads the team in rebounding (8.5) and blocks (1.3) plus adds 9.8 PPG. The top scoring starting guard is sophomore KeVaughn Allen (12.3 PPG). The pick: One can always count on Florida to play excellent defense and this year is no different, as the Gators allow 60.0 PPG (30th). However, this veteran Seton Hall team averages 88.0 PPG on 54.2% shooting (6th) and already owns an impressive road win at Iowa. Florida really doesn’t have a “go-to” scorer. I’ll take any points available, as Seton Hall is 5-1 in its last two in-season tournaments, winning the 2014-15 Paradise Jam. Seton Hall is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Raptors opened 7-2, looking every bit the part of a Eastern Conference title contender but Toronto will enter this game the night before Thanksgiving having lost four of five to fall to 8-6. The Rockets welcome Toronto to Toyota Center 9-5 overall, including owning a 4-1 home mark. Toronto: There was concern that the Raptors would struggle following the loss of center Bismack Biyombo during the offseason, as he helped anchor a team that finished 11th in defensive rating last season, before signing with the Orlando Magic. Well, his loss has been YUGE.  The Raptors are still one of the better offensive teams in the NBA (rank 6th in both scoring at 108.1 PPG and FG percentage at 45.9) but the Raptors are a sieve on the defensive end. Despite averaging 113 points over their last five games, the Raptors lost for the fourth time during that stretch on Monday night when they fell 123-115 to the Clippers in Los Angeles. Toronto is 4-4 over its last eight games, a span in which each opponent has scored at least 102 points. DeRozan was leading the NBA in scoring until going 3-of-15 from the floor and finishing with 12 points in a 102-99 loss at Sacramento on Sunday (he’s now at 30.9 PPG). Fellow guard Lowry (19.9-5.5-7.2) has shot better lately but still makes only 39.3% fomn the floor, including 33.7 on threes. Houston: James Harden is running Mike D'Antoni's system to perfection. The All-Star guard is enjoying his best all-around season (28.6-7.8-12.4) and posted his fourth consecutive double-double with 28 points and 11 assists in a 99-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. More good news has come Houston’s way with the return of guard Patrick Beverley. Beverley underwent left knee surgery during the preseason and his impact is so much greater than the 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game he provided last season. He is the team's best individual perimeter defender and his influence on that end of the court has been sorely missed. Beverley  has played alongside of Harden the last three games (all wins), averaging 25 minutes and is 11-of-21 from the floor since his return (8.3 PPG). The pick: This marks Toronto’s fourth road game in six days (not good) but I am not a fan of teams overly dominated by one player like the Rockets (with Harden) or OKC (with Westbrook). Gordon is Houston’s second-leading scorer at 15.4 PPG and Anderson, now a starter at SF, checks in third at 12.2 PPG. However, Gordon is making just 40.7% from the floor and Anderson 38.4%. The Rockets can be had and I’m making Toronto a 10* play.

The set-up: Missouri State takes its perfect 3-0 record into 2-1 DePaul Wednesday night, as the Bears play away from home for the first time this season. Paul Lusk opens his sixth season with the Bears and is hoping to get things turned around after consecutive 11- and 13-win season. DePaul Dave Leitao is in the second season of his second tenure with the Blue Demons, who last had a winning season in 2007 and last made the “Big Dance” back in 2004. Missouri State: The Bears return four of five starters, losing only the 6-6 Boone (12.2 & 6.5). Guard Austin Ruder missed all but the first five games last season because of a hip injury but opened this season by scoring all 30 of his points from three-point territory in the team’s first two wins, although he did not play in the team's third win, over Fontbonne. A big bonus has been that the Bears have gotten strong contributions from a pair of JUCO transfers, the 6-9 Alize Johnson and PG Ronnie Rousseau III. Johnson is in the top-10 nationally in FG percentage (76.2) while averaging 14.0 & 8.3. Rousseau is third on the team in scoring (12.7) and first in assists (4.7). DePaul: The Blue Demons lost three starters from last year’s team, including their best player, the 6-6 Henry (13.7 & 6.2). The 6-11 Hamilton left the program in June and that may not be a bad thing ,as he was a huge underachiever. This team will live or die with its pair of 6-6 guards, the high-scoring Cain (21.7) and PG Garrett Jr. (11.7 & 3.7 APG). The pick: DePaul has nowhere to go but up and gets a very beatable opponent here in Missouri State. The pressure is starting to build around the Bears’ head coach Paul Lusk (74-90 in his sixth season), as he has not led Missouri State to the type of success it enjoyed under his predecessors Cuonzo Martin, Barry Hinson and Steve Alford, who were a combined 308-206 from 1995 to 2011.  The Bears face their first true test of the season after beating up on the likes of Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State and Division III Fontbonne. DePaul is a 10* play.

The set-up; Baylor did not open the season in the top-25 but the team's dominating 66-49 home win over preseason No. 5 Oregon allowed the Bears to become one of the first teams this season to enter the top-25 by virtue of a credible victory. 3-0 VCU is unranked but this is a program used to winning. The Rams have been to the NCAA Tournament for six straight years and last season advanced a round farther than Baylor (Bears lost their first game to Arkansas-LR). VCU defeated seventh-seeded Oregon State in the opening round and then the Rams pushed Final Four-bound Oklahoma for 40 minutes before the Sooners escaped Oklahoma City with a four-point win. Baylor: The Bears lost three starters from last year’s 22-12 squad, Prince (15.9-6.1), Gathers (11.2-9.0) and Medford (8.9). Guard Freeman averaged 11.3 PPG last season and is averaging 14.0 & 4.7 through three games. PG Lecomte is a Miami transfer and he’s leading the team in scoring (16.7) and assists (7.0). The 6-10 Jonathan Motley (11.1 & 5.1 last year) was a preseason all-Big 12 selection and made his season debut against Oregon after he missed the opener due to suspension. Motley is averaging 14.5 & 6.5 in his two games, joined up front by 7-0 JCO transfer Lual-Acuil (10.7 & 10.0) plus returning forwards Wainwright (7.7-4.3-4.3) and Matson (7.3-4.3). VCU: The Rams are accustomed to playing top-notch nonconference competition and have the March Madness credibility in recent years to match just about anyone in college basketball. However, three starters are gone from last year’s team, including the team's best player, Melvin Johnson (17.4 PPG). VCU is expected to have the 6-7 Justin Tillman back for this game. He had 14 points and six rebounds in the season opener before missing the last two games with a foot injury. Senior guard JeQuan Lewis (10.7) is the team’s only other double-digit scorer but there is strength in numbers with VCU. Eight others are getting 15 MPG and average between 4.7 and 9.3 PPG. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts with VCU. The pick: VCU is a veteran team (coming off a 25-win season) but without a marquee talent. Baylor is now No. 20 in the latest AP poll and owns a dominating frontcourt led by the returning Motley and the 7-0 JUCO transfer Lual-Acuil plus in Miami transfer Lecomte, the Bears just may have a terrific PG on their hands. The Battle 4 Atlantis tourney features a quality field and the pick says Baylor advances to a Thanksgiving Day meeting with the winner of Michigan State and St. John's. Baylor is an 8* play. 

The set-up: Indiana opened the season 11th in the AP’s preseason poll but upset then-No.3 Kansas 103-99 (OT) at Pearl Harbor to open the 2016-17 season. The 3-0 Hoosiers are up to No. 3 in the latest AP poll and tonight take on the 2-2 Mastodons in Fort Wayne. Indiana agreeing to play Tuesday night's non-conference contest at Fort Wayne raised more than just a few eyebrows. Summit League teams like the Mastodons rarely get TV league programs to venture into the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum but Indiana head coach Tom Crean felt it was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up. It is the Hoosiers' third of their four games in the Indiana Classic and with the other three in Assembly Hall, this was one they could afford to play on the road. "It was an opportunity to involve Fort Wayne and an opportunity to go on the road at the second-largest city (in Indiana), I think, and a great IU fan base up there," Crean said. "Now we've got to go play the game. It's going to be easier said than done." Who said there aren’t any good guys left these days? Indiana: Indiana is 7-1 all-time in Fort Wayne, where it played one game annually from 1960-67, seven of which were against in-state foe Notre Dame. It’s also a homecoming for Indiana star James Blackmon Jr, a Fort Wayne native who has topped 20 points in each of the team’s first three games.  An injury ended Blackmon’s season last year after 13 games but he’s 100 percent now and averaging 23.0 & 7.3. With PG Yogi Ferrell (17.3 & 5.6 APG) and the sweet 6-7 Troy Williams (13.9 & 5.8) both gone, this is Blackmon's team. However, he’s hardly a one-man show. Guard Johnson (13.0) joins him in the starting backcourt plus up front, the 6-8 Anunuby (12.7 & 7.3) and the 6-10 Bryant (12.3 & 6.) are off to solid starts. Fort Wayne: The Mastodons were formerly known as IPFW (Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne) but the athletic department opted for a rebranding. The Mastodons have their own star guard in senior Mo Evans (23.3 & 4.8 APG), who set career highs for points (33), assists (13) and steals (five) in a 94-81 win over UMass-Lowell on Saturday. Three other players are averaging in double figures, led by 6-5 swingman Konchar (12.8 & 9.3), plus guards Scott (12.5 & 4.5) and Harrell (11.0). The pick: Yes, it’s technically a road game for Indiana but the sold-out crowd probably will be a bit torn in its allegiances when the hometown Mastodons host the No. 3 Hoosiers, who are making their first visit to the state’s second-largest city since 1967. Fort Wayne is 0-9 all-time against ranked opponents, with each loss coming by double digits. Staying with 20 points tonight, will be an achievement. Indiana is a 10* play.

The set-up: Yale’s 23 wins last season were the most in the program’s history (since 1907) and the Bulldogs opened the season off a 23-7 year which included winning the Ivy League (13-1) and beating 5th-seeded Baylor in the NCAAs, before losing by just seven points to 4th-seeded Duke in the second round of the school’s first NCAA tourney appearance since 1962. Jamie Dixon led the Panthers to a 328-123 (.727) record in 13 seasons which included 11 NCAA bids, a CBI championship in 2012 and two, 31-wins season but he’s now at TCU. Longtime Vandy head coach, Kevin Stallings (332-220 record in 17 seasons, including seven NCAA berths), has taken over at Pitt. The Panthers have opened 3-1 and host 2-1 Yale, tonight. Yale: Makai Mason (16.0-3.8 APG) suffered a broken foot during a scrimmage and had to undergo season-ending surgery. Mason was the team’s lone returning starter, as Yale had already seen senior forwards Sears (15.7 & 7.5) and Sherrod (12.7 & 7.0) graduate. Veteran head coach James Jones needed to adjust quickly. That’s exactly what happened, as the Bulldogs upset Washington 98-90 to open the 2016-17 season (as 14 1/2-point underdogs), led by freeshman guard Miye Oni’s 24 points plus 22 from senior forward Sam Downey. However, Yale then needed OT at home to get past Lehigh 89-81 and it all came crashing down for Yale at Virginia on Sunday, falling 62-38. Yale was held to just 33.3% shooting, including 4 of 15 on threes, as just one of its five starters (Reynolds with 10 points) reached double figures. Pittsburgh: The Panthers are 3-1 and not 2-2, thanks to 6-9 senior Michael Young. Pitt was staring at a second straight loss when Young put his teammates on his back, scoring a career-high 30 points as the Panthers beat Marquette 78-75 on Friday. Young (24.0 & 8.3) is joined up front by the 6-7 Artis (19.8-5.8-3.5) and the 6-8 Jeter (8.8 & 7.8). All three are seniors, as is guard Jones (7.8 & 4.2 APG).  Jones may be used more at the point, as the 6-7 Artis has struggled early on with his conversion to that position with 3.5 assists to two turnovers per game. The pick: I had Yale in its upset at Washington and will take a shot with them again here against Pitt. Yale has rebuilt quickly with four players in double digits, the 6-9 Downey (14.3 & 4.7), guard Copeland (14.0 & 3.7 APG off the bench), the 6-7 Reynolds (14.0 & 6.) and freshman guard Oni (13.3 & 7.7). PG Dallier just misses at 9.3 & 5.0 APG. Yale is an 8* play.

The set-up: North Carolina is No. 5 in the latest AP poll (another will come out prior to tip-off) and has mostly cruised in opening 4-0. North Carolina has won each game by double-digit margins, winning on average, 95.0-to-75.0 PPG. The Chaminade Silverswords were picked to finish sixth in the PacWest preseason poll and opened with a 92-81 win over Alaska-Anchorage, before cruising to an 80-66 win over Alaska on Nov. 12. North Carolina: This will be North Carolina's seventh appearance in the Maui Invitational, with the Tar Heels reaching the finals five times and winning the 1999, 2004 and 2008 events. The Tar Heels have a 15-3 record in the tournament. "We go to Maui every four years for a reason -- the head coach likes it," Roy Williams joked. Freshman post player, the 6-10 Tony Bradley, has scored in double figures in all four North Carolina games, coming off the bench. That's the most consecutive games in double figures at the beginning of a college career for a Tar Heel since Brandan Wright's 18-game stretch in 2006-07. He joins a talented starting-five led by Berry II (16.5-4.5-4.8), Jackson (15.5 & 4.0), Hicks (13.3 & 4.8), Meeks (12.8 & 10.7) and Britt (6.0 &3.3 APG). Chaminade: The Silverswords are coming off a 12-15 record in 2015-16 and haven't played since winning Nov. 11 and 12. Guards Rohndell Goodwin (24.0 PPG) and Kiran Shastri (20.5 PPG) are quality scorers plus PG Sam Daly was among the best in the Pacific West Conference last season in assists and steals. The pick: The Tar Heels are aiming for their first 5-0 start since 2011-12 and have 10 players averaging double-figures in minutes. It’s been 34 years since tiny Chaminade defeated mighty Ralph Sampson and No. 1 Virginia Cavs (1982, to be exact) but do not expect any déjà vu here. The Tar Heels downed the Silverswords 112-70 in the third-place game of the Maui Invitational back on Nov. 12, 2012. that margin sound about right, again. Make North Carolina an 8* play.  

The set-up:  Al Horford's return, coupled with Jae Crowder return to the lineup as well, sparked the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Horford scored 18 points (including the game-winning put-back with 1.3 seconds left) plus had 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals for in Saturday's 94-92 victory at Detroit (Crowder added 9 & 4 in 27 minutes). The 7-6 Celtics will visit the 4-8 Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night, who are coming off a 93-71 loss in Memphis victory on Saturday. Minnesota shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and was held below 92 points for the first time this season. Boston: With Horford, who has has been limited to four games because of a concussion and Crowder, who returned after missing seven games with an ankle injury, the Celtics are finally at full strength. Marcus Smart (10.6-4.3-3.3) and Kelly Olynyk (8.1 & 5.0) returned to the bench, which boosts the second unit. Starting guards Thomas (26.2-6.5 APG) and Bradley (17.9-8.5-3.3) will welcome the return of a healthy Horford (13.5-6.8-4.5 in four games TY) and Crowder (he was Boston’s top frontcourt scorer LY at 14.2 PPG). Minnesota: Saturday’s loss in Memphis on Saturday was ‘ugly,’ as Minnesota had 16 turnovers and was outrebounded 46-34. Andrew Wiggins (25.7 PPG), who had sparked the team offensively by averaging 33 points per game in his previous six games, was held to seven points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor. The NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Karl-Anthony Towns (21.8 & 8.5), was not happy with Minnesota losing and admonished his teammates for laughing and making noise in the showers after Saturday's loss, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I just didn’t like the way we played from a discipline standpoint," head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "The fouling crushed us. It’s hard to win like that." The pick: Minnesota not only has Wiggins and Towns but 3rd-year player Zach LaVine (19.1 PPG) comes close to giving this team three, 20-point scorers. However, in the case of the T-wolves, the whole is NOT equal to the sum of its parts. Boston is a 10* play. 

The set-up: Illinois State (1-1) will visit Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs, who have opened 3-0. The Redbirds were picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and TCU had nowhere to go but up after a 12-21 season last year. The good news is that Jamie Dixon is the TCU’s new coach, he of Pittsburgh fame, where he led the Panthers to a 328-123 (.727) record in 13 seasons which included 11 NCAA bids, a CBI championship in 2012 and two, 31-wins season. Illinois state: The Redbirds had five players finish in double figures in Wednesday’s win 75-57 over IPFW. It was an excellent response to the team’s narrow 73-70 road defeat at Murray State in its season opener. The 6-8 Deontae Hawkins (19.0 & 11.0) led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds for Illinois State. Fellow forward, the 6-7 McIntosh, averages 15.5 & 7.0, while PG Paris Lee is the team's third double digit scorer, averaging 13.0 PGG and 5.0 APG. TCU: Dixon is a quality coach and he had to happy about the way the Frogs overcame a slow start Friday night to rally past Jacksonville State, cruising to a 79-60 win. Guard Brandon Parrish racked up 20 points in his first start of the season (he started every game for the Horned Frogs last season, averaging 8.7 PPG). "His attitude, his energy -- if he was back next year, I'd have him run for student body president," Dixon joked with reporters after the game. "It would be good." Along with Parrish averaging 14.0 PPG, the Horned Frogs have had at least five double-digit scorers in back-to-back games. Freshman guard Desmond Bane averages a team-best 15.0 PPG and has scored in double figures while shooting 60 percent or better in all three games. Four others are scoring in double digits as well, after three games The pick: As noted, Dixon can “coach’em up” with the best of them and he’s 73-6 in November in his collegiate coaching career. TCU is a 10* play.

The set-up: The No. 3-ranked Villanova Wildcats are 4-0 to open defense of the school’s second-ever national championship and will attempt to win their fourth consecutive regular season tournament when they battle UCF in the championship game of the Gildan Charleston Classic Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. ET. Villanova defeated Western Michigan and Wake Forest to reach the final while 3-0 UCF  knocked off Mississippi State and the College of Charleston. Villanova: What will make the Wildcats very tough to deal with again this season is their depth. Preseason All-American Josh Hart (led ‘Nova in scoring LY at 15.3 PPG) is part of a senior class has that has registered an recorded 101-13 mark, along with the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis, 2014 Legends Classic and 2015 NIT Season Tipoff titles in consecutive years. He is leading the way again (20.3 PPG), joined by returning starters PG Brunson (13.0 & 3.8 APG) and 6-7 swingman Jenkins (12.8 & 4.3). The 6-7 Bridges was a sub last year but has averaged 12.5 & 5.5 after four games and the 6-7 Paschal, a Fordham transfer who averaged 15.9 & 5.5 two years ago for the Rams, has averaged 10.3 PPG. How deep is this team? Freshman guard Donte DiVincenzo made a case for increased playing time by scoring 12 points off the bench, hitting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc in ‘Nova’s rout of Wake forest. Central Florida: Johnny Hawkins was booted at Stanford, as two NIT titles were not what the Cardinal were looking for when he was hired. He’s landed in Orlando and after consecutive seasons of 13, 12 and 12 wins, Knights fans are quite happy with the team's 3-0 start. UCF is not just 3-0, as the Knights have posted three double-digit victories. UCF raised some eyebrows with an 86-61 victory against SEC member Mississippi State in the tournament opener Thursday, getting 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks from 7-6 center Fall in just 27 minutes of play. The Knights held the Bulldogs to 32.3 percent from the floor, then came back with a similar defensive effort in their semifinal victory Friday, holding tournament host Charleston to 26.8 shooting. The team's lineup is fairly small other than Fall (17.0 & 12.3), with the other double digits scorers being sophomore PG Taylor (17.3-5.3-5.3) and senior guards Efianayi (15.0 & 7.3) and Williams (13.3 & 4.3). The pick: The last time the Knights played a defending national champion came back on Nov. 25, 2011 when they defeated UConn 68-63 in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. Is it déjà vu. I think not! Jay Wright over Johnny Dawkins is a “no contest!” Villanova is an 8* play.

The set-up: Florida Gulf Coast gave Baylor a tough battle on Friday, losing on the road 81-72. The Eagles trailed by 10 at the half but were down only one with less than three minutes remaining. "Baylor did a good job in the first half of throwing the ball inside and putting us on our heels," head coach Joe Dooley said. "A lot of those buckets that they got -- and the reason they shot such a high percentage -- was because we turned over too many live-ball situations." The eagles take a 1-2 record into East Lansing to take on the 13th0ranked Spartans, who only win so far is 100-53 over Mississippi Valley State. MSU opened with a 65-63 loss to then-No. 10 Arizona over in Pearl Harbor and then lost to current No. 2 Kentucky at MSG, 69-48 (ouch!). Florida Gulf Coast: Joe Dooley took over the Eagles after Andy Enfield left for the greener pastures of USC, following the school’s Sweet 16 run. He’s won 22, 22 and 21 games these last three seasons and got the school back in the NCAAs last year, although the Eagles lost their first game. Four starters returned from last year’s team but the most important one, the 6-8 Norelia (17.1 & 9.3), broke his left hand prior to the start of the season. Other key returnees up front have so far disappointed, with the 6-9 Simmons averaging 7.3 PPG and the 6-9 Morant a modest 5.0 & 6.0. Johnson and Reid split the PG duties last year but it seems like it’s Johnson’s show this year, as he’avergaing 15.7 PPG in 30 minutes, while Reid is playing only about 11 MPG and averaging 2.7 points. Redshirt junior Goodwin's debut was highly-anticipated and he’s delivered, averaging 20.0 PPG. Michigan State: Denzel Valentine (19.2-7.5-7.8) is gone from Michigan State's starting lineup, as are Forbes (14.4) and the valuable 6-9 Costello (10.7 7 8.2). Also, the 6-10 Davis (7.5 & 5.5), is also gone. SG Harris (9.3) is off to an OK start but a healthy Nairn at PG, is off to a slow start, averaging 2.3 PPG and 4.0 APG. Two freshman, are making immediate impacts, as the 6-7 Bridges is averaging 17.0 & 10.0 and the 6-8 Ward 11.7 & 6.0. Also note that freshman PG Cassius Winston had 11 assists in the victory over Miss. Valley St. The pick: Bridges is headed for stardom but Tom Izzo knows that Sparty’s best chance of doing well in March will not be relying on just one or two players. The Spartans have a number of players that are more than capable offensively and Izzo wants them to step up.The Spartans need to get in a groove with three upcoming games from Wednesday through Friday at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. Michigan State's 47-point win over Mississippi Valley State on Friday night was the eighth greatest margin of victory at Breslin Center and while the margin here won’t be anywhere near that great, it will be m by more than enough to cover this pointspread. Michigan St. is a 10* play.

The set-up: The season began for the Warriors with a shocking 129-120 home loss to the Spurs. Four wins in a row followed but then the upstart Lakers trounced the Warriors at Staple Center, 117-97. The NBA’s new “Super Team” seemed to playing without its ‘cape.’ However, since that loss in LA, the Warriors have won six in a row (are now 10-2), scoring 120.2 PPG and winning on average by 11.5 PPG in that stretch. Meanwhile, Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee team has lost four of its last five contests to fall to 5-6 and comes into the game looking to bounce back after a pair of ugly defeats at Atlanta and Miami earlier this week. Golden State: The Warriors used a 31-9 third quarter last night in Boston to subdue the Celtics 104-88. SG Klay Thompson scored 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting against Boston to raise his scoring average to 19.3 as he recovers from a slow start. It marked the first time this season that he has led the Warriors in scoring for a game. Thompson’s a terrific player but with KD (27.5-8.2-4.3) and Curry (26.9-6.1 APG) playing alongside of him, leading this team in scoring very often will likely not happen all that much. Few doubt that Draymond Green is one of the NBA’s top-15 players (top-10?) but he seems more than happy with his numbers, which are 10.9-9.7-7.0. Milwaukee: Jason Kidd arrived in Milwaukee for the 2014-15 season and led the team to a 41-41 record and a postseason appearance, after the team had won just 15 games the previous year. However, last year's team went only 33-49 and prospects this year are not looking all the bright, either. Other than the play of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, the Bucks don’t have another double digit scorer. Antetokounmpo is averaging career highs in points (21.1), rebounds (8.7), assists (5.4), blocks (2.2) and steals (1.7) per game and is the only player in the NBA averaging over 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Parker is averaging 18.7 & 6.5 on the season, including 20.8 points in eight games this month and is shooting 45 percent from the floor this season. Center Greg Monroe was signed a way from Detroit and while he had a decent season last year (15.3 & 8.8), he’s fallen off this year to 9.7 & 7.4. The pick: The Warriors lead the NBA in scoring (116.2 PPG) and shooting percentage (50.2%) and in going 6-1 SU on the road, see no drop-off in point production, averaging 115.4 PPG. Milwaukee averages only 110.7 PPG (13th) on 44.3% shooting (19th) and I see little hope of them trading points with the Warriors. Golden State is a 10* play. 

The set-up: Texas Tech has opened 2-0 and will host Eastern Kentucky, a school which is just 1-2. Both schools will travel to Mexico on Tuesday, to continue the Cancun Challenge with Eastern Kentucky facing Idaho State and Texas Tech facing Auburn. Eastern Kentucky: Dan McHale shook things up in Richmond, Kentucky in his first season at the school last year. He brought in new assistants and systems, made a major roster overhaul and has the Colonels playing a more up-temp game. EKU was just 15-16 last year and loses three starters from that team, including seniors like the 6-7 Reischel (17.9 & 6.8) and guard Hawkins (17.0 & 4.8). This year’s team is led by 6-9 sophomore Mayo (21.3 & 6.3), freshman PG Gist (13.0-4.0-3.3) senior swingman Babb-Harrison (11.0) and junior Zach Charles, who leads the team with 7.3 RPG. Babb-Harrison led the OVC in three-point shooting at 45.3 percent last season. Texas Tech: Chris Beard led Arkansas-Little Rock to a 30-5 record last season, including a first-round win over Purdue in the NCAAs. That landed him the job here at Texas Tech, which finished 19-13 last season, after a first round loss in the Big Dance. The Red Raiders had incredible scoring balance last season, as seven players averaged between 8.5 and 10.9 PPG. Gone are Gotcher (10.9) and Williams (10.8), the team's top-two scorers but the Red Raiders have similar balance this year with returning players like guard Keenan Evans (16.0 ), the 6-8 Aaron Ross (13.0 & 5.5), the 6-8  Zach Smith (8.5 & 8.0) and the 6-6 Justin Gray (6.0& 7.5). Graduate transfer Anthony Livingston (12.5 & 6.0 rebounds) and Southern Miss transfer, guard Millinghaus ((9.0), are also notable contributors. Incredibly, all five starters are making 50% or better from the floor plus nine players are averaging at least 14.5 MPG. The pick: There are many things to like about this Texas Tech team and its new coach, Chris Beard, but this number is just way too high! Eastern Ky is an 8* play.

The set-up: Kevin Durant was deciding where to spend the next years of his career last summer and the Celtics put on a big push to get the superstar. They brought their players and even Tom Brady to a meeting with Durant on Long Island, N.Y but he then spurned the Celtics and his his former team, leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have had a a pair of notable ‘hiccups’ (opening night at home against the Spurs and a road game at the Lakers) but all in all, this new ”Super team” looks pretty good, entering on a five-game winning streak with a 9-2 overall record. The Celtics check in at 6-5 and desperately need to get their top FA signee Al Horford (concussion) and the valuable Jae Crowder (ankle) healthy and back on the court. Golden State: The warriors were shocked 117-97 on the road against the Lakers back on Nov. 4 but have won five in a row since, averaging 123.4 PPG.  They’ve recorded at least 30 assists and shot 50 percent or better in all five games of their streak, the first team since the 1990 Chicago Bulls to pull that off. Curry (27.9-6.0 APG) is averaging 33.6 points per game and Durant (27.9-8.0-4.1) 25.4 during the five-game streak, then of course there are Thompson (18.5) and Green (10.9-9.8-6.9) rounding out the best ”Core Four” in the NBA. Boston: The Celtics have a dynamic backcourt duo in Thomas (27.2-6.5 APG) and Bradley (18.5-8.7-3.5) but need to get key frontcourt players healthy. Al Horford has missed the last eight games and there is still no timetable for his return, while Crowder (14.2 & 5.1 LY) is out indefinitely with an ankle injury, after playing in just four games. Boston surrendered an average of 123 points during a three-game slide from Nov. 3 thru Nov. 9 but cut that number down to 93.8 in the last four contests (3-1 stretch), capped by a 90-83 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The pick: Not sure how the Celtics a will be able to stay with the Warriors, who again lead the league in both scoring (117.4 PPG) and FG percentage (50.4%). The Warriors don’t ease up on the road either, as they enter averaging 117.3 PPG in away games this year. The TD Garden was rocking last Dec. 11, when Boston led by five with 2:07 left in regulation but then the Warriors rallied for a 124-119 double-overtime win against the Celtics, which gave Golden State a 24-0 record at the time. The Warriors have added Durant since that game plus the Celtics are a “walking wounded” team. Make the Warriors an 8* play. 

The set-up: A pair of 2-0 teams square off tonight at at Reed Arena in College Station, as the USC Trojans take on the Texas A&M Aggies. A&M is off a 28-9 season in which the team made it to the Sweet 16, while the Trojans finished 21-13 last season, after losing a first-round game in the NCAAs. USC: Last year’s 21-win team was quite a step up from a program which had won just six, 14, 11 and 12 games in the previous four seasons. Last season marked head coach Andy Enfield's third year at USC and many will remember him as the man who led Florida Gulf Coast on a Sweet 16 run a few years back. Junior Elijah Stewart (20.5 points) and sophomore Shaqquan Aaron (16.5 points) lead the Trojans offensively and make up quite a starting backcourt. Freshman guard De'Anthony Melton adds 9.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists off the bench for USC, .while 6-11 sophomore Chimezie Metu averages 14.5 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds. Texas A&M: The Aggies lost four starters from last year, including leading scorers House (15.6) and Jones (15.3 & 7.2), as well as PG Caruso (8.1 & 5.0 APG). 6-10, 270-pound sophomore center Tyler Davis is averaging 16.5 points on 61.1 percent shooting and 7.0 RPG but is the team’s lone double digit scorer. Sophomore forward DJ Hogg (6-9, 220 pounds) adds 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while sophomore guard Admon Gilder chips in 8.5 points and 5.0 assists. The Aggies have gotten to 2-0 by allowing just 48.5 PPG (3rd-best in the nation). The pick: The record book tells us that Texas A&M has won 19 consecutive non-conference home games but the Trojans have shown some early grit, trailing Montana by 11 and Omaha by nine before winning their first two games. Take the points and make USC an 8* play.

The set-up: Two of the biggest story lines of Selection Sunday 2016 was a middle-of-the-pack ACC team like Syracuse earning an at-large bid to the “Big Dance” while Monmouth, from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, becoming the team which was arguably considered the most notable snub by the NCAA Tournament committee. By the way, Syracuse rode its surprise bid all the way to the Final Four, while disappointed Monmouth, the top-seed in the NIT, lost its second game of that tourney at home to GW (note: The Colonials would go on to win last year’s NIT!). It’s only fitting then that these two schools meet in a mid-November game  in the early going of the 2016-17 season. Monmouth:  Four starters return from last year's 28-8 team, including reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the 5-y Justin Robinson (19.3-3.8-3.7 LY). He has scored in double figures in 54 of his last 60 games, opening this season averaging 13.0-3.5-4.0 in the team’s 1-1 start. The other three returning starters are also averaging in double digits, led by 6-10 senior center Brady (15.5 7 9.0) plus guards Hornbeak (13.5 & 7.5) and Seaborn (14.0-3.0-3.5. It should come as no surprise that Monmouth was selected to finish first in the league this season in a poll of the league's coaches. Syracuse: Gone from last year’s Final 4 team are a pair of 5th-tear seniors in Gbinije (17.5-4.1-4.3) and Cooney (12.9) plus freshman Richardson (13.4) turned his excellent NCAA tourney into a first-round selection in the NBA draft. However, Syracuse was able to secure John Gillon, a graduate transfer from Colorado State, sign highly-toutered 6-10 freshman Taurean Thompson plus also got late word that 6-7 guard Andrew White, a graduate transfer from Nebraska, would be spending that year right here in Syracuse. The Orange are 2-0 and ranked 18th in the latest AP poll, with White averaging 18.0 PPG, Gillon 14.0 & 7.5 APG and freshman Thompson adding 6.5 & 5.5 off the bench. Starting forwards Roberson (15.0 & 5.)) and Lydon (9.5 & 6.0) are also off to solid starts. The pick: Monmouth was 13-4 SU on the road last year but I strongly believe The Orange will look to put the Hawks “in their place” in this one. Syracuse is an 8* play. 

The set-up: A pair of 2-0 teams take to the court tonight at New York’s Madison Square Garden in the 2K Classic. The Wolverines have opened the season with a 76-58 victory against Howard, then put away IUPUI 77-65 in the regional portion of the tournament. Steve Wojciechowski (of Duke fame) has begun his third season in Milwaukee 2-0, as he looks to build off last year’s 20-13 campaign, which was a huge improvement over the 13-19 record he had in his debut season. Michigan: The Wolverines’ best player last year was Caris LeVert but injuries limited him to 15 games and he’s now with the Indiana Pacers. However, PG Walton (16.5-3.5-3.0) and fellow guard Irvin (13.0 & 5.0) return, along with fellow backcourt mates Robinson and Abdur-Rahkman. The 6-9 Donnal (10.0- & 4.5) is a solid frontcourt player plus the 6-11 Wagner and 6-10 Wilson could make Michigan very competitive this season. Wagner averaged just 2.9 PPG last season but has averaged 10.5 & 4.5 so far in Michigan's two wins, while Wilson had seven points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in the win against IUPUI. Marquette: The 6-11 Henry Ellenson was expected to transform Marquette basketball but h was a one-and-done, after averaging team-highs of 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds a game last season. He was a focal point of the offense and while the team won 20 games, he was not the superstar everyone expected him to be. He did combine with 6-11 center Luke Fischer to give Marquette two rim-protectors but with Ellenson now with the Detroit Pistons, Fischer is back for his senior season, ready to anchor the middle. Fischer has averaged 12.0 & 5.5 in the two wins while 6-5 sophomore Cheatham (overshadowed by Ellenson's NBA potential last year), has scored 13.5 PPG and added 6.5 RPG. Guard Jajuan Johnson, who averaged 10.2 PPG last season, leads the team in scoring with 17.5 PPG plus graduate transfer Katin Reinhardt has chipped in 11.5 PPG. 6-7 freshman Sam Hauser was named the Big East Freshman of the Week after scoring 14 points against Vanderbilt and checks in averaging 12.0 PPG & 4.5 RPG. The pick: Marquette can’t expect Michigan to make 19 turnovers like vandy did  but Marquette is an impressive 32-9 in regular-season tournaments going back to the 2004-05 season. I rode Marquette against vandy and will do so again here, vs. Michigan. Marquette is a 10* play. 

The set-up: The 6-5 Houston Rockets lost 105-103 at home last night to the Thunder, led by Russell Westbrook’s 30 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. The Rockets return home to Toyota Center for a game tonight against the 7-5 Portland Trail Blazers, who feature one of the highest scoring guards in the NBA, as well. Blazers PG Damian Lillard ranks fifth in scoring at 29.8 PPG plus adds 5.0 RPG and 4.6 APG. Portland: McCollum (21.7) teams with Lillard to give Portland one of the NBA’s top-scoring backcourts but the Blazers have just one other double digit scorer and that’s SF Harkless at 11.2 PPG.  Portland’s key deficiencies are defense and rebounding. Portland ranks 29th in allowing 111.2 PPG and 27th in defensive rating. The Bulls rolled over Portland on Tuesday night at Moda Center, winning 113-88.  Chicago managed 19 offensive boards, par for the course with Portland ranking 29th in defensive rebounding rate at 72.3 percent. The Bulls finished plus-18 on the glass. Houston: James Harden is averaging 28.7 PPG and hadn't scored fewer than 24 this season but struggled through a 4-of-16 outing in Wednesday's 105-103 loss to Oklahoma City. "I still wasn't able to make a couple of passes," Harden told reporters afterward. "I missed shots. Normal game, just didn't make shots, especially down the stretch when we needed to. That was it." Houston has struggled with pace, scoring and shooting percentage in the fourth quarter this season and those issues were front and center in their loss last night. The Rockets had only 13 fourth-quarter points and were held scoreless between a dunk with 6:26 remaining and a three-pointer just prior to the buzzer. They missed nine consecutive shots during that stretch, adding to what has been a prevailing problem for an offense that oftentimes scores at will. "We have that problem a little bit," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said of holding the ball too long down the stretch of close games. "I thought we got good shots. It might not have been your classic move the ball, move the ball, move the ball but I thought we had some looks. The 3s they had looks at we had them and they made them and we missed them. Sometimes it just comes down to you've got to make shots and we just didn't do it." The pick: The bad news here for Portland is that Harden rarely has back-to-back poor performances and he should also be primed to out-duel Lillard. Houston also expects that Patrick Beverley will make his season debut tonight. Beverley underwent left knee surgery during the preseason but is set to return. Beverley’s impact is so much greater than the 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game he provided last season. He is the team's best individual perimeter defender and his influence on that end of the court has been sorely missed. The Rockets are a 10* play.  

The set-up: Danny Manning’s Wake Forest team has opened 2-0, winning its games by 21 and 20 points but finds itself on the challenging side of the bracket in the Charleston Classic. First up is UTEP (1-0), a team with three returning double digit scorers, a 7-1 center in Willms and an excellent head coach in Tim Floyd. Wake Forest will also need to avoid looking ahead to a potential second-round matchup against No. 3 Villanova, the defending national champion. Wake Forest: Manning’s first two season at Wake have been a bust, as the Demon Deacons have gone 13-19 and 11-19. Two key players are gone from last year’s squad in the 6-9 Devin Thomas (15.6 & 10.2) and guard Miller-McIntyre (9.5-4.5-4.0) but Manning sees potential in this year’s group. PG Crawford (11.0-8.0 APG) has opened with two solid games plus his backcourt partner Charlotte transfer Woods (18.0) is off to a rousing start. Two returning big men have shown excellent promise already, as 6-10 sophomore Collins has averaged 18.5 & 10.5 plus 6-10 junior Mitoglou has added 10.0 & 6.5 UTEP: Tim Floyd’s career has not lacked controversy but this is his fifth head coaching gig in college plus he coached the NBA’s Bulls. He’s led New Orleans, Iowa St. and USC to NCAA berths and while he hasn’t done that yet in El Paso, he’s 122-76 in his six seasons (this marks his seventh), with three teams winning 22-plus games. The Miners lost their top-two scorers from last year in Moore (15.4-5.4-3.5) and Morris (13.4) but junior guard Harris exploded for 24 points in the team's season-opening win, while Artis, a transfer two years ago from Oregon, scored eight points plus grabbed nine rebounds and handed out 13 assists. His line from last season (his 1st at UTEP) was 11.9-5.1-5.2 and he figures to be UTEP’s most important player this season. However, the 7-1 Willms is back healthy this year and UTEP is hoping he finally “comes around.” The pick: This contest marks a busy 10-day stretch for Wake Forest, which will play five games in that span. Stay away from a look-ahead to ‘Nova and everything should be just fine. Make Wake Forest an 8* play. 

The set-up: UC-Riverside comes to Las Vegas at 1-1, after losing 71-55 at Portland but winning 81-45 at hone over Bristol University. The Rebels lost their season opener, 76-68 at home to South Alabama, as the team’s starting guard trio shot a combined 7 of 30, not the way Marvin Menzies had hoped to begin his first season at UNLV. UC-Riverside. The Highlanders lost their top-two scorers from last year’s team, guard Bland (16.1) and the 6-7 Johns (15.5 & 7.5). Returning guards Thames (14.5-5.0-3.0) and Murray (10.5) and 6-5 forward Johnson (12.0 & 7.0) figure to be the mainstays this year for Dennis Cutts, who is in his third season (Thames and Johnson are seniors and Murray a junior). Thames and Murray combined to score 29 points against Portland in Friday’s 71-55 loss. “They’ve got a couple of guys that are very skilled and shooting the ball at a high clip right now, especially their point guard,” Menzies said. “No. 11 (Thames) is crafty, just really savvy with his experience. It looks like he grew up with a coach as his dad or something. He does all those little things, and his shot selection is very good.” UNLV: Menzies did an excellent job at New Mexico State, with the Aggies winning 20-plus games in each of his last five years at the school, making four NCAA appearances. He’s a welcome replacement to David Rice, who led UNLV to NCAA berths in his first two seasons but lost the team's first game each time. Two tourney-less years followed (not just no NCAA but no postseason tourneys at all), with Rice resigning last January, after UNLV opened 0-3 in MWC play.  UNLV starts three guards in Poyser, Cylburn and Ofoegbu but as noted at the top, they shot horribly in the lost to South Alabama. “We were pretty sluggish in our own offensive transition,” UNLV coach Marvin Menzies said. “We didn’t get out and run the way we wanted to run (and) get to the proper areas on the floor. There was a litany of things. Defensively, I thought we were pretty sad at our fundamentals and weren’t aggressive like we want to be and like we will be going forward. “We got some good lessons, that’s for sure. You hate to get lessons with a loss, but we were able to take that and move forward into practice.” The pick: Menzies is hoping to re-establish The Thomas and Mack Center as a tough venue for visitors and if Portland could beat UC-Riverside by 16 points, the Rebels should be able to do the same. UNLV is a 10* play. 

The set-up: The Raptors lost 121-117 last night in Cleveland to the Cavs and it’s “no rest for the weary,” as they return home Wednesday to take on the Golden State Warriors at Air Canada Center. Toronto fell to 7-3 with the loss, the second time this season Toronto has lost to the Cavs. The Warriors opened the season with that shocking 129-100 home loss to the Clippers but have rebounded nicely, entering this game at 8-2, after a four-game winning streak in which they outscored their opponents by a total of 68 points. Golden State: The Warriors suffered two 20-point defeats among their first six games but now are clicking better at both ends of the court. The quartet of Durant (27.7 & 7.9), Curry (27.2 & 5.9 APG), Thompson (18.8) and Green (10.9-10.1-7.1) gives Golden St. arguably four of the NBA’s top-15 players. However, at least so far, the Warriors bench has not been as prolific as it’s been the previous two seasons. The Warriors begin a four-game road trip with tonight’s game in Toronto, followed by visits to the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in a six-day span. The four Eastern Conference teams have a combined record of 22-18. "The challenge gets bigger now," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We're playing playoff teams on the road, East Coast and all of that. It's not going to be easy, but it's coming at a good time, and we're going to embrace it." Toronto: Another close loss to the Cavs doesn’t help the Raptors’ confidence (Cavs beat the Raptors 94-91 back on Oct. 28th in Toronto) but head coach Dwane Casey added, "It's good for us; it's not a measuring stick," Casey said. "I think we're still trying to get our rotations down as far as what we want to do in certain situations, who we want to guard, who can do what in certain situations. (We are) still trying to figure those things out a little bit. It's that part of the year. I'd rather go ahead and get these (games against) two of the best teams in the league in now and go from there." Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (33.2 PPG to lead the NBA) failed to score 30 points for only the second time this season when he was held to 26 last night but PG Lowry added 28 points and nine assist. However, while Lowry’s line of 18.4-5.3-7.0 looks good, he’s got to start shooting better (38.1% overall, including 30.1% on threes). The pick: As for facing the Warriors right after the Cavs Casey said, "The computer that spit out the schedule, I'm going to find it and break it!" He has a good point and to make matters worse, Toronto will be playing its fourth game in five days. The Warriors come in ranked first in the league in both scoring (116.4 PPG) and FG percentage (50.3%) plus the team's offensive output doesn’t drop off away from home, as they are averaging 115.4 PPG in five away games. Four of those have been wins and while the first two came by eight and six points, the last two have come by 23 and 24 points. Lay the small number and make Golden State a 10* play. 

The set-up: Texas San Antonio closes out its three-game road trip to start the 2016-17 season at Illinois-Chicago Wednesday night, still looking for its first win. The 0-2 Roadrunners followed up Friday's three-point setback at defending Mountain West Conference Champion Fresno State with a 72-64 defeat at Oregon State two days later. The Flames opened with an 82-80 setback at San Francisco and now makes its home season debut. The schools have met twice before with the Flames winning both  previous  meetings, including a 73-47 triumph in the last contest between the two back in 2003. Texas San Antonio: Junior forward Jeff Beverly leads the team with 13.0 PPG (6.0 RPG), while freshman guard Giovanni De Nicolao ranks second (10.0). 6-8 sophomore Nick Allen has paced the Roadrunners' effort on the glass at 9.5 rebounds per contest, along with scoring 9.5 PPG. UTSA pulled down 55 boards in the season opener for its highest total since 2008 and its 93 rebounds (46.5 rpg) ranks 12th in the nation. Illinois-Chicago: The Flames have been picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League, returning four starters from last season's team. However, that team went 5-25!  UIC is led by 6-7 forward Dikembe Dixson, who was the Horizon Freshman of the Year a season ago when he ranked second in the league in scoring at 19.8 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per outing. In addition, 6-9 forward Tai Odiase averaged 9.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 3.23 blocks per game in 2015-16. The Flames suffered a slim 82-80 loss at San Francisco to open their season, as Dixson had 15 points, Odiase added 12 & 5 plus freshman guard Boahen had an excellent debut with 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists. The pick: The Roadrunners will play eight of their first 11 games away from home and after to close losses, are due for a win. The Flames shouldn’t be laying this many points against any team. UTSA is a 10* play.  

The set-up: Cal-State Northridge opened the season with a 96-72 home win over Pomona (Division III school) but then saw the now-No. 16 UCLA Bruins score 62 second-half points in an eventual 102-87 win on Sunday night at Pauley Pavilion. Stanford opened its season with an 80-70 win over Harvard, led by 6-8 junior forward Travis Reid, who scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Reid missed the final 22 games of Stanford’s season last year with a stress reaction in his left leg but looks as if he’s 100 percent for the 2016-17 season. CS-Northridge: The Matadors were picked to finish third in the Big West Conference preseason poll and boast an experienced backcourt led by guards Kendall Smith (15.3-3.0 last year) and Aaron Parks (13.3-4.2 last year), who combined for 39 points against UCLA. That loss also featured a strong outing by 6-8 UConn transfer Rakim Lubin, who had a game-high 13 rebounds along with eight points in 20 minutes before fouling out. Tavrion Dawson, a 6-8 forward, added 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Stanford: The Cardinal finally gave up on Johnny Dawkins, after he led Stanford to a 15-15 year in his eighth season at the school. Yes, the Cardinal won two NIT championships in his tenure but just one NCAA appearance in the “Dawkins era” was not what the school had hoped for when he was hired. Taking over as the school’s new coach is Jerod Haase, who was hired from Alabama-Birmingham. The team’s season-opening win against Harvard was played in Shanghai, China. Following a 14-hour flight home, Haase is hoping for a strong turnout after Stanford drew an average of just 4,393 fans to Maples Pavilion last season. “I really believe we can get Maples full again,” Haase told reporters. “It’s going to take us winning some games and playing fun basketball, I understand that. But we’re going to push the envelope and see if we can get that student section filled as soon as we can. Once that happens, I think it will grow and ignite the rest of the fan base as well.” The pick: The Cardinal were picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 preseason poll but have a veteran roster capable of surprising under Haase. Reid could become a star if healthy plus the only key loss from last year was the 6-9 Roscoe Allen (15.6 & 6.5). Joining Reid up front are the 6-9 Humphrey (10.3-6.4 last year) and the 6-9 Verhoevan (just 3.3 & 2.2). However, Humphrey had 10 & 4 vs. Harvard and Verhoevan 10 & 6. Guards Pickens (10.3) and Marcus Allen (11.1) chipped in 10 & 4 plus 10-5-2, respectively. Stanford has a chance to get Maples ‘rocking’ again this season and I’ll make them a 10* play in this one. 

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s Eastern Conference finals, four games to two. The trouble was, the Cavs’ four wins came by an average margin of 28.5 PPG. The teams had an early season meeting already this year, when the Cavs won 94-91 in Toronto back on Oct. 28. The rematch is tonight in Cleveland, with the Cavs checking in at 8-1 overall (5-1 at home) and the Raptors at 7-2, including 3-0 on the road. Toronto: Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan re-signed with Toronto in the off-season and has fulfilled every hope for eth franchise. He was named the Eastern Conference's Player of the Week Monday after averaging 34.7 points and shooting 54 percent from the floor during Toronto's 3-0 week. DeRozan leads the league in scoring, averaging 34.0 PPG. He is the first player to score at least 30 points in eight of his first nine games to start a season since Jordan did it during the 1986-87 season. DeRozan is doing it with a flurry of drives and mid-range jumpers and very few three-pointers. "He's playing at an All-Star level," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Getting bumped, getting hit, still finishing the play. He's playing an old man's game with physicality. The game has slowed down for him and the key is he's converting those plays." However, PG Lowry may be averaging 17.3-5.3-6.8 but his shooting woes from last season (especially in the playoffs)  are still dogging him. Lowry is connecting on just 37.5% of all shots, including only 28.6 percent on threes. Cleveland: The Cavs enter this contest with three, 20-point scorers. PG Irving (23.9 PPG) leads the way, followed by LBJ (22.9-8.9-9.1) and PF Love (20.6-10.0). However, it’s more than just the “Big 3,” as Cleveland has made at least 10 three-pointers in every game this season, breaking a record set by the Houston Rockets two years ago. While it's early, the Cavaliers are on pace to make more three-pointers than any team in history (currently averaging 13.2 three-pointers per game), although head coach Tyronn Lue still isn't completely happy. "I think we can shoot better," Lue said. "It's been sporadic." The pick: The Raptors lost all three games at Quicken Loans Arena last season (including three during the playoffs) but they come into this contest 3-0 SU and ATS on the road, scoring 113, 112 and 113 points in winning at Washington, OKC and Charlotte. Meanwhile, the Cavs may be 5-1 SU at home but they are just 1-4 ATS and I’m taking the points. Toronto is an 8* play.

The set-up: Oregon hosted Baylor a year ago (11/16/15) and beat the Bears 74-67 in what was the first-ever meeting between the schools. Nine NBA scouts were in attendance last year and there is a similar buzz surrounding Tuesday’s rematch in Waco as the fourth-ranked Ducks face a Baylor team that appears well-equipped to return to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year. Oregon opened the season with an uninspiring 91-77 Friday win over Army, while Baylor beat Oral Roberts 76061 here at home. Baylor: The Bears lost three starters from last year’s 22-12 squad, Prince (15.9-6.1), Gathers (11.2-9.0) and Medford (8.9). Guard Freeman averaged 11.3 PPG last season and opened with 16 points, plus early showings by PG Lecomte (13 points / 10 assists) and the 7-0 Lual-Acuil (12 points / 9 rebounds) have helped lower the concern level. The 6-10 Johnathan Motley (11.1 & 5.1 last year) was a preseason all-Big 12 selection and is set to make his season debut Tuesday after he missed the opener due to suspension. Motley’s presence will be critical against Oregon’s impressive frontcourt but the Bears will also need stellar play around the basket from forwards Ish Wainright and Terry Maston, who had six points and nine boards off the bench in the opener. Oregon: The Ducks best player is forward Dillon Brooks, who led the Ducks in scoring (16.7) and assists (3.1) last season but he remains out while recovering from surgery on his left foot. Gone are forwards Cook (14.8 & 5.1) and Benjamin (7.8 & 3.0) but the 6-10 Boucher (12.1 & 7.40 and  PF Bell (7.0 & 5.4) atr back. Boucher had 14 & 8 vs. Army and Bell 14 & 9 plus six blocks! Guard Dorsey led the way with 21 points and freshman guard Pritchard chipped in 15. Expectations remain high for senior guard Dylan Ennis, who missed most of last season with a broken foot but struggled in the opener on 0-for-8 shooting with four turnovers. “He's not playing to his strengths and he’s got a lot of work to do,” coach Dana Altman told reporters. “He’s been really casual with the ball and he just has to get back to guarding and rebounding. He sat out all year, so he’s trying to make-up those 30 games he missed in one night.” The Ducks can’t wait for Brooks to return up front but along with Boucher and Bell, there is the 6-11 Kavell Bibgy-Williams, who made a strong Oregon debut with seven points and three rebounds in eight minutes off the bench. The pick: The roles are reversed for this year’s meeting between the Ducks and Bears, as last year Baylor was in the top-25 when it lost to Oregon, but now the Ducks are the ranked team in the matchup at No. 4, no less. Is revenge in the air? I say no way, as this Oregon team is for real, even minus Brooks. Oregon is an 8* play. 

The set-up: Loyola-Marymount opened with a 99-51 home win but it came over a NAIA school in Vanguard. The Lions will now visit Reno to take on Nevada, which is coming off a season-opening 81-63 road loss. However, the Wolf Pack’s loss came at No. 17-ranked St. Mary’s Loyola Marymount: The Lions lost last year’s leading scorer in Jacko (16.6) but return plenty of players who saw time last season. PG Brandon Brown had a 2.24 assist-to-turnover rate last year, while averaging 12.6 PPG. Another returning guard is Haney (11.7) but he scored a modest eight points with Brown adding six points and five assists. The surprises were guards Tuach (3.7) and McClendon (2.3), who 20 and 15 points. The 6-11 Stefan Jovanovic is a Hawaii transfer and he had 13 & 7. Shamar Johnson (255 pounds) is a returning JUCO transfer who averaged 5.5 & 4.2 last year. Nevada: Coleman (15.1) was the team's leading scorer last year but he’s gone, as is guard Criswell (13.4 & 6.2). However, Marcus Marshall, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules after joining the Wolf Pack from Missouri State, scored 25 points against St. Mary’s. Guard Fenner (13.7 & 4.6 last year) and 6-8 forward Oliver (13.4 & 9.1 last year) are both back and scored 12 and 13 points, respectively. Nevada is thin on scholarship players (nine) this season but head coach Eric Musselman has a group he can work with. Remember, Loyola had only one win over a top-150 RPI team last season, a double-overtime victory over Pepperdine (No. 130), and while Nevada is no power, Loyola will find the going much tougher than the NAIA opponent the Lions opened the season against. Nevada is a 10* play.

The set-up: The 7-3 SA Spurs know it will be a long year playing in the Western Conference against the likes of the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers. Getting Tony Parker (right knee injury) healthy and back into the fold over the weekend was important, as is seeing his backcourt running mate Danny Green (left quad injury) back in the starting lineup, as well. The Spurs expect to have their starting backcourt intact for just the second time this season on Monday, when they host the 2-6 Miami Heat at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Miami: The Heat are struggling this season, losing four straight games after Saturday's 102-91 defeat at home to Utah. Miami trailed by just five points entering the third quarter but missed its first 10 shots and scored a season-low 12 points in the period. "I definitely wasn't expecting it, and that's not who we are and who we've been for the last month," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said after the Utah game. "It is disappointing. This league doesn't feel sorry for you, so we gather ourselves, get on a plane and head to San Antonio. Miami continues to be without PG Goran Dragic (16.3 & 5.9 APG), who missed the game against the Jazz after spraining his ankle the previous contest versus Chicago. Miami center Hassan Whiteside (17.5 & 11.1), who had 15 points and 14 rebounds against the Jazz, has now grabbed double-figure rebounds in each of the first eight games to start this season, marking the longest double-figure rebound streak to begin a season in team history. He is also the only player in the NBA this year to start the season grabbing double-digit rebounds in every game! San Antonio: The Spurs have inexplicably struggled at home but snapped a three-game losing streak at home on Friday against Detroit and then avenged an earlier home loss to Houston by beating the Rockets on Saturday. Parker missed two of the Spurs' three losses with a right knee injury suffered in San Antonio's season-opening win at Golden State but played his second straight game on Saturday, when the Spurs went east down I-10 and beat Houston 106-100. Green’s quad injury has kept him out of all but two games this season but he played 27 minutes on Saturday. Leonard (25.6 & 5.1) and Aldridge (17.4 & 7.6) have been the two “big guns” but the spurs are at their best when the team's depth leads the way. The pick: San Antonio has won the last eight meetings between these two teams, going back to the last two games of the 2014 NBA Finals. Expect the Spurs to get back to dominating teams here at home soon. Why not right here? San Antonio is an 8* play.

The set-up: Monday night's Gavitt Tipoff Games battle between reigning NCAA champion and current No. 4 Villanova and No. 15 Purdue in Mackey Arena has the potential to be special. The Wildcats opened their season Friday night with an 88-48 victory against Lafayette, getting 17 points from Jalen Brunson, 16 from NCAA title game hero Kris Jenkins, 16 from sixth-man Mikal Bridges and 13 from preseason All-American Josh Hart (led ‘Nova in scoring LY at 15.3 PPG). PG Arcidianco is gone and so is the 6-11 Ochefu but Jay Wright’s team is loaded. Purdue also opened Friday night with a 109-65 rout of McNeese State, getting 23 points, 20 rebounds and six assists from power forward Caleb Swanigan, 22 points from 7-2 center Isaac Haas, 19 points and 11 rebounds from wing Vince Edwards and 18 points from explosive freshman guard Carsen Edwards. Hammons (15.0 & 8.2) plus pa pair of veteran guards (Davis and Stephens) but don’t feel sorry for Matt Painter’s Boilermakers. Villanova: The Wildcats finally put it all together last season, after a string of earlier than expected NCAA exits. Jenkins, whose three-pointer beat North Carolina in the 2016 title game, respects this big and strong Purdue team. "We have a team that is hungry and looking forward to our next game," Jenkins said. "Purdue is going to be a big challenge for us." Villanova’s depth is impressive and the trio of Hart, Jenkins and Brunson make this a strong candidate to be back in the Final Four. Purdue: Swanigan’s 23 & 20 & 6 opening-game performance allowed him to joined Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons as the only Division I college players in the past 10 years to amass at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a single game. Villanova head coach Jay Wright is well aware of Purdue's front line skill, which compiled 64 points and 37 rebounds in the opener. "We're going to find out Monday night," Wright said when asked about what to make of Swanigan, Haas and Vince Edwards. "We're not going to play anybody bigger. Literally, I think they are the biggest team in the country. (Rebounding with Purdue) is going to be our next test. We're going to find out." The pick: I just don’t trust this Purdue group against a quality team like Villanova. Purdue’s last two teams were “built to win” in March but the Boilermakers lost their first NCAA tourney game each of the last two years, to Cincinnati in 2015 and to Arkansas-Little Rock last year. Purdue is 0-5 all-time against top-5 non-Big Ten opponents in Mackey Arena, most recently dropping a 76-60 decision to No. 4 Duke on Dec. 2, 2008. Make that 0-6 after this one, as I’ll make Villanova an 8* play. 

The set-up: Portland Trail Blazers have won four of five to up their record to 6-4 and will host the 3-6 Denver Nuggets tonight at Moda Center. The Trail Blazers have earned their last five wins by a combined total of just 23 points and have played three overtime games this season, despite being among the league leaders in scoring at 108.4 per contest. “I think we play well in spots,” Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. “Our challenge is to play well for longer periods.” Denver’s leading scorer is Will Barton (18.0) but he’s likely to miss his seventh straight game (ankle), as the Nuggets play their only road contest in a seven-game stretch tonight. Denver: The Nuggets have five player besides Barton averaging in double digits, plus forwards Jokic (9.4 & 5.9) and Faried (7.4 & 8.9) and guard Nelson (8.2) also make their presence felt. Guard Emmanuel Mudiay (16.4 PPG) has raised his level of play over the last four games, averaging 20.5 points, while Danilo Gallinari (16.6 PPG) has scored in double figures in every game. The Nuggets continue to have trouble taking care of the ball. They rank last in the league, averaging 18 turnovers per game after totaling 15 in a 106-95 home loss to Detroit last night. "We cannot continue to turn the ball over 18, 19 times a game if we want to give ourselves a chance to win," Denver coach Mike Malone told reporters. Portland: The Trail Blazers are led by the dynamic guard duo of Lillard (30.6-4.7-4.5) and McCollum (22.2) but Harkless (11.2) is the only other regular averaging double digits (Layman has played in just three games, averaging 10.3 PPG). Portland has scored at least 100 points in nine of its 10 games and the Blazers need to continue to do just that, as they rank 28th in the league in allowing 111.7 PPG. The pick: The Trail Blazers have won four straight and 12 of their last 13 games against the Nuggets but Portland is 1-4 ATS at home to open the current season, mainly because it is allowing 117.2 PPG on its home court! Meanwhile, the Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in five road games this year, so I’m taking the points. Make Denver a 10* play.  

The set-up: Washington’s last NCAA Tourney appearance came back in 2011  but despite losing its top-three scorers from last year, the Huskies (19-15 last season) have designs on making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the, led by one (some say the No. 1) the nation’s top freshmen, guard Markelle Fultz. Yale is coming off a 23-7 season, including winning the Ivy League (13-1) and beating 5th-seeded Baylor in the NCAAs, before losing by just seven points to 4th-seeded Duke in the second round in the school’s first NCAA tourney appearance since 1962,   Yale: Yale’s 23 wins last season were the most in the program’s history (since 1907) and the Bulldogs were picked for a third-place Ivy League finish in the preseason media poll but that was before standout guard Makai Mason (16.0-3.8 APG) suffered a broken foot during a scrimmage and had to undergo season-ending surgery. Mason was the team’s lone returning starter, as Yale already had seen senior forwards Sears (15.7 & 7.5) and Sherrod (12.7 & 7.0) graduate. Veteran head coach James Jones will have to adjust quickly and even more will be expected of senior guard Anthony Dallier (5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds last season) and senior forward Sam Downey (5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds) after both players contributed as key reserves a year ago. The newcomer to watch is 6-9 freshman forward Jordan Brunner, who joins the program following a standout prep career in South Carolina. Washington: Gone from Washington’s 19-win team of a year ago are guards Andrews (20.9-5.7-4.9) and Murray (16.1-6.0-4.1) plus the 6-10 Chriss (13.8 & 5.4). However, all eyes are now on Fultz, a 6-foot-4 PG from Maryland. He earned MVP honors in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Chile while leading Team USA to a 5-0 record and the gold medal. The following month, he led Huskies in scoring (21.2 points per game) while averaging 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per outing in the team’s August tour of Australia and New Zealand. What could have been for Lorenzo Romar and the Huskies if even one of the team’s two talented freshmen from a season ago, Marquese Chriss or Dejounte Murray, had stuck around and not left to become first-round NBA draft picks. Leading scorer Andrew Andrews graduated, leaving a pair of returning starters in sophomore forwards Noah Dickerson (7.5) and Matisse Thybulle (6.2 points). Key reserves like the 6-9 Malik Dime (he set a single-season school record with 88 blocks) and sophomore guard David Crisp (7.2 points) are also back. The pick: Yale doesn’t have the talent (athletes) that Washington has but I’ll take Jones over Romar any day on the coaching sidelines. Take the double digits and make Yale an 8* play.  

The set-up: The 4-5 Indiana Pacers will host the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, coming off a 109-105 OT loss at Philadelphia last night, as the 76ers won their first game of the new season (had opened 0-7). Boston played last night as well but in contrast to Indiana, the Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak by trouncing the Knicks 115-87 to even their record at 4-4 on the season. "That's the way we should play," head coach Brad Stevens said after the win. "I thought our whole team played better, but we still have work to do." Boston: Brad Stevens moved Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart into the lineup with Tyler Zeller and Jaylen Brown coming off the bench. PG Isaiah Thomas led the way with 29 points and like last season, he leads Boston in scoring (26.1 PPG), with backcourt partner Avery Bradley (19.1 & 8.1) again being Boston’s second-best scoring option. SF Crowder was Boston’s top scoring threat in the frontcourt last season and he is the team's third-best scorer again this season (13.5 & 6.2) but he’s played just three games with a sprained ankle. Boston ranks 5th (108.6 PPG) in scoring but 27th in points allowed (109.5 PPG). A significant cause of Boston's defensive problems has been the absence of center Al Horford (12.0 & 5.3 in just three games), who missed his fifth straight game Friday due to a concussion but is champing at the bit to return to action, which could happen Saturday or Monday in New Orleans. Indiana: The Pacers fell to 0-5 SU & ATS on the road with last night’s loss but here at home, the Pacers are 4-0 SU at home, averaging 119.5 PPG. Like Boston, Indiana's offense has done well early on (109.4 PPG ranks 3rd) but the team's defense is a huge concern, allowing 112.8 PPG (29th), as the Pacers allow an NBA-worst 47.0% on opponents FGs. Paul George (21.9-6.7-3.2) is the star but five others score in double digits, averaging between 10.1 and 13.0 PPG. The Pacers also made a lineup change last night, inserting C.J. Miles (he’s the team's 2nd-best scorer at 15.0 PPG) into the lineup and moved Monta Ellis to the second unit. The pick: Boston has Horford listed as questionable but he may play, which would be a huge boost. Yes, the Pacers are 4-0 at home but they are just 2-2 ATS and one can’t ignore that Boston has thrived when playing the second of consecutive games, covering 70% of the past 51 in that role.  Boston is a 10* play.

The set-up: Towson and George Mason used to be CAA rivals but GMU left for the A-10 last year and struggled to an 11-21 season (5-13 in league play) under a new head coach in Dave Paulsen. Paulsen had led Bucknell to a pair of NCAA appearances in 2011 and 2013 but nothing went right for the Patriots last year. Towson was 20-13 overall last season, including 11-7 in CAA play. Towson: Senior Arnaud William Adala Moto (a 6-6 forward) and junior guard Mike Morsell earned preseason recognition from the CAA last month. Adala Moto was selected to the preseason All-CAA first-team, while Morsell was named to the second team. Adala Moto (13.9 & 8.3) and Morsell (13.0 PPG) are two of three Towson players, along with 6-5 senior SF John Davis (10.3 & 5.5), who enter the season with over 600 career points each. They were all double digit scorers last season for the Tigers, as was guard Hawkins (13.2 PPG), who also returns. George Mason: The Patriots are picked to finish 12th in the 14-team Atlantic-10 Conference. The 6-11 Shevon Thompson (9.9 & 10.6) and 6-8 forward Gujancic (9.2 & 6.5) are gone but a strong perimeter group returns, among 10 letter-winners. The Patriots are paced by A-10 All-Rookie guard Otis Livingston II (11.9 & 3.6 APG). Sophomore guar Grayer (9.50 and 6-6 sophomore Abram 96.6) are also back, along with senior guard Marquise Moore (11.4 & 6.1). Last year the team struggled to find consistency from game to game. This season with a new approach to better utilize their talent, they should look less sloppy and more efficient.

The set-up: Texas State (Sun Belt) is coming off a 15-16 season and Florida Atlantic (C-USA) is off an 8-25 year, so it has to be quite a bonus for these schools to be opening at the Rainbow Classic from Honolulu. Texas State: The Bobcats lost three of their top-four scorers from last year, including their best player, the 6-8 Emani Grant (13.7 & 7.7). Guard Montavlo (10.4) and the 6-7 Naylor (9.6-5.3) are also gone with the 6-7 Gilder-Tilbury (12.3-4.) claiming the moniker of “best returning player.” Florida Atlantic: Center Ronald Delph was an Auburn transfer and guard Adonis Filer transferred from Clemson. Last season was Delph and Filer's first seasons at FAU, with Delph averaging 10.5 & 6.8 and Filer averaging 10.3 & 4.8. They will be counted on to provide a steadying influence among a slew of fresh faces to the Owls roster, as FAU will introduce eight new players to the court this season and a ninth (guard Justin Massey, a Brown transfer who actually started his career at FAU) will be eligible after the fall semester. FAU will need the new faces to come together before conference play. The pick: Third-year head coach Michael Curry said he wants FAU to play at a faster pace this season and my sources say this team will be greatly improved this year. Make FAU an 8* play. 

analysis coming

The set-up: Vanderbilt (19-14) of the SEC will face Marquette (20-13) of the Big East in an early Friday evening game at Alumni Hall (Annapolis, Md.) in the Veterans Classic. The Commodores have a new head coach, as after Kevin Stallings departed for Pittsburgh, Vandy hired former Valparaiso coach and NCAA Tournament hero Bryce Drew. Steve Wojciechowski (of Duke fame) begins his third season in Milwaukee and is coming off a 20-13 season, a huge improvement over the 13-19 record he had in his debut season. Vanderbilt: Drew will not have Vandy’s top-two players from last year’s team as guard Baldwin (14.1-4.0-5.2) and the 7-0 Damian Jones (13.9-6.9) are gone, with Jones getting drafted  in the 1st round by the Warriors. However, despite having only 10 scholarship players, Drew should have a powerful frontcourt thanks to the duo of 7-1 senior Luke Kornet (8.9 & 7.3) and 6-10 redshirt freshman Djery Baptiste, who is set to play after choosing Vanderbilt over the likes of UConn. Also returning are swingman Fisher-Davis (9.7-3.6), the 6-6 Roberson (9.3-5.6) and guard Riley LaChance, although he regressed from 12.3 points per game as a freshman to 6.9 last season after playing 346 fewer minutes. Marquette: The 6-11 Henry Ellenson was expected to transform Marquette basketball but he’s one-and-done, after averaging team-highs of 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. He was a focal point of the offense and while the team won 20 games, he was not the superstar everyone expected him to be. He did combined with 6-11 center Luke Fischer to give Marquette two rim-protectors but with Ellenson now with the Detroit Pistons, Fischer is back for his senior season, ready to anchor the middle. Fischer (12.1 & 6.2) is getting ready to run more with all the guards on the roster. He'll need to play more than the 28.2 minutes a game that he averaged last season and stay out of foul trouble. Ellenson's NBA potential overshadowed the 6-5 Cheatham's solid freshman campaign last season, as he averaged 11.8-3.4-2.2, while starting all 33 games. A bonus addition is that of 6-6 guard Katin Reinhardt , a graduate transfer from USC (via UNLV), who scored in double figures as a freshman at UNLV and in two seasons at USC. The pick: The Commodores don’t much like to play away from home, where they went 14-2 last season. vanday went 3-9 on the road and 2-3 in neutral settings and often had trouble when facing solid defensive teams. Marquette used to be a “brand-name” defense but that’s not quite the case anymore. Still, I like the Eagles as a small underdog over the ‘Dores in this neutral setting. Make Marquette an 8* play.

The set-up: Pelicans center Anthony Davis became the 4th player in NBA history to score 50 points in an opening night game back on Oct. 26 and is off to a fantastic start to the current season, averaging 30.9 PPG (4th in the league), plus ranks among the league leaders in rebounds, steals, blocks and double-doubles. However, not much else has gone right this season for New Orleans, which remains in search of its first victory Thursday night when the Pelicans visit the 4-3 Milwaukee Bucks. New Orleans: The Pelicans could likely be well out of postseason consideration by the time their starting backcourt of Tyreke Evans (knee) and Jrue Holiday (personal reasons) gets back on the court. Anthony Davis is a star but gest little help, as the little-known guards Moore (12.3 PPG) and Frazier (12.0 PPG) are the only others averaging in double digits. New Orleans averages a modest 100.2 PPG (22nd) and is the worst three-point shooting team in the league at 27.7 percent. Defensively, the team allows 107.9 PPG, to rank 24th. The result is a frustrating 0-8 record, going 2-6 ATS. Milwaukee: The Bucks saw their three-game winning streak snapped Sunday night in Dallas, losing 86-75 in OT, a game wrought with poor shooting and lackluster defense. "We just really played bad," forward Jabari Parker said. "Even in overtime, we only scored one point. We can't let that happen. We had to get them out of their groove and close it out to seal the deal." The Bucks shot just 36.6 percent for the game (including 6 of 29 on threes) plus Milwaukee gave up 21 points on 27 turnovers. Taking care of the ball has been something of a problem this season for the Bucks, who are allowing 18.1 points per game on 16.1 turnovers. There is no denying that Giannis Antetokounmpo (21.1-8.4-6.0), as is Parker (17.6 & 6.1), but center Greg Monroe has been a disappointment since being signed away from Detroit (he’s averaging just 11.1 PPG to open this year). The pick: The Pelicans stumbled out of the gate last season as well, losing 11 of their first 12 games and it’s been déjà vu all over again, this season. The teams met earlier this month in New Orleans, with Milwaukee holding on late for a 117-113 victory, one which snapped a 14-year losing streak in New Orleans. With all their issues, the Pelicans can play with this Milwaukee team and as the saying goes, “you can’t lose (or win) them all!” New Orleans is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Mavericks picked up just their second win of the season last night, winning 109-97 at Staples Center over the Lakers. Beating the Lakers on their homecourt was something the Warriors failed to do last Friday night, when the Lakers routed the Warriors 117-97, a game in which Steph Curry saw his streak of 157 games with at least one made three-pointer end by going 0-for-10 from long distance. Curry bounced back by setting a single-game record by making 13 three-pointers on Monday night, as the Warriors beat the Pelicans 116-106.

Dallas: Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes return to Oakland, as the two frontcourt starters were salary-cap casualties in the wake of Golden State signing free agent Kevin Durant away from the Oklahoma Thunder for $54.3 million over two years. Bogut was dealt to the Mavericks in July in a swap of future second-round picks, with Dallas agreeing to absorb the remaining $11 million on the veteran center's contract. Barnes joined Dallas as a free agent on a four-year, $94 million deal. Early on, Bogut is averaging a modest 3.7 PPG but is hauling in 9.0 RPG, while Barnes leads the team in scoring with 22.3 PPG. He already has three 30-point performances in seven games, after reaching that mark just once in four seasons with the Warriors.

Golden State: Curry exploded for 46 points on Monday and checks in averaging 26.4 PPG. Durant is averaging 28.9 & 7.3, Thompson 17.0 PPG and Green 9.4-8.1-10.7. No team can match the Warriors’ “Core Four” but it remains to be seen just how well these stars mesh and also, just how much Golden State’s new role players contribute.

The pick: The Mavericks lost their first five games before getting into the win column Sunday night with an overtime win against Milwaukee and are now 2-5 with last night’s victory. However, Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles) didn’t even make this trip to California plus Deron Williams (calf) and Devin Harris (toe) all both nursing injuries. The Warriors are facing an opponent that's at far less than full strength for the second straight night and catch Dallas playing back-to-back nights, a team they’ve beaten in 12 of the last 12 meetings. Lay the points and make Golden State an 8* Play.

The set-up: The Atlanta Hawks have a new center (Dwight Howard) and a new PG (Dennis Schroder) this season and have opened 4-2. The defending champion Cleveland Cavs will host the the Hawks tonight and enter this contest as the NBA’s lone remaining unbeaten at 6-0 (but just 2-4 ATS). Atlanta: Howard scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and added 14 rebounds in Saturday's win, highlighting a game which saw all five Atlanta starters score in double figures (team connected on 56.5% from the floor). PG Dennis Schroder (6-of-14) was the only starter to connect on fewer than 50 percent of his shots but made up for it with 12 assists. Schroder is averaging 15 points and 6.5 APG in replacing Jeff Teague at point guard. Al Horford signed with the Celtics and Howard was brought in to replace him. Howard checks in at 17.0 PPG & 12.3 RPG. The other three starters are PF Millsap (17.8 & 8.3), SF Bazemore (9.5) and SG Korver (8.8). Cleveland: The team’s unbeaten start has been fueled by its “Big 3,” as Irving leads the team with 23.0 PPG, followed by LBJ’s 22.8 (8.8 RPG & 10.3 APG) and Love’s 21.7 & 8.5. James moved into 10th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list in Saturday’s 102-101 at Philadelphia, scoring 25 points to go along with eight rebounds and 14 assists. The pick: The Cavs swept the Hawks in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, as well as sweeping them back in the 2014 Eastern Conference finals. The Cavs won’t go 82-0, so this is a spot to take the points. Atlanta is an 8* play.

The set-up: The 2-3 Miami Heat will visit Oklahoma City to take on the 5-1 Thunder on Monday. The Heat lost LBJ who returned to Cleveland a few years back, then Wade signed a free agent deal with the Bulls over this past summer and Chris Bosh has been sidelined with health issues. As for OKC, Kevin Durant made the off-season’s biggest splash by leaving the Thunder for the Warriors, plus Serge Ibaka was traded to Orlando. Miami: The Heat re-signed Hassan Whiteside to a new deal prior to the season and he’s been delivering big time, averaging 20.0 & 14.2. PG Dragic’s numbers (19.4-5.2-6.6) are up with Wade gone and third-player Johnson (15.4 & 4.0) and second-year player Winslow (13.0-5.0-4.4) are also assuming bigger roles this season. Whiteside has set a franchise record with five straight double-doubles to open a season. Oklahoma City: With Durant in Oakland, the Thunder are Westbrook’s team and he’s averaging 33.2-9.7-9.0 six games into the current season. The Thunder won four in a row to open the season with Westbrook averaging 37.8 PPG but he flopped in his showdown with Durant and the Warriors, making just 4 of 15 shots in a 122-96 loss. However, he let his teammates take on some extra work as Oklahoma City found the win column again on Saturday, beating the Timberwolves 111-92. "We played our ball," guard Andre Roberson told reporters. "Everybody played together. We got stops on defense and got out in transition. That’s what we like to do and pride ourselves on.” Oladipo (15.5) is Westbrook’s new backcourt sidekick while the two-headed center duo of Adams (11.0 & 8.3) and Kanter (10.5 & 7.0) will continue to be an piece of any success the Thunder wind up having in the 2016-17 season. The pick: Miami is the better rested team but expect the Heat to have a hard time staying with the Thunder here in OKC. Miami averages just 98.6 PPG (23) on 42.8 percent shooting (24) and this OKC squad is a very different team at home. The Thunder are averaging only 94.7 PPG in three road games but here at home, have averaged 112.7 PPG. OKC is an 8* play. 

The set-up: The Rockets have opened 3-3 and head to Washington to open the new week while continuing a challenging five-game road trip which has seen them go 1-2 so far. The Wizards opened the new season 0-3 but after ending that slide with a 95-92 Friday win at home over the Hawks, lost the following night 88-86 at Orlando. Monday night is the first of two games this season between the two teams. Houston: James Harden (31.5-7.2-12.3) has at least 30 points and 10 assists in four of Houston's first six games and newcomer Eric Gordon (16.2) has been a nice complement in the backcourt. Ryan Anderson (12.2 & 6.3) and Trevor Ariza (11.2 & 4.2) round out the team’s four double digit scorers. Houston committed 25 turnovers, including six by Harden, in a 112-97 loss at Atlanta on Saturday, as the Hawks shot 52.9 percent from the floor. Houston’s defense needs to improve, or it will be a long season. The Rockets currently rank 23rd in scoring (108.2 PPG), allowing opponents to shoot 46.8% (28th). Washington: The Wizards’ poor start is partly (mostly?) due to Washington ranking last in the league with 14.5 PPG from its bench and reserves. "Guys just have to start stepping up and playing," Bradley Beal told reporters. "If they want to play, coach is going to play you and if you don't, he’s going to sit you down so it's just a matter of us just being disciplined in the second group and everybody being on the same page." All five starters average between 10.6-to-22.0 PPG, led by PG John Wall (also averages 10.0 APG). The pick: Houston has its weaknesses but I just don’t trust the Wizards at all. Washington’s scoring average dipped to 97.2 PPG (26th) after its 88-86 loss in Orlando. Washington blew a 10-point lead in the final 11 minutes of that contest and that’s becoming “par for the course.” The Rockets have won three straight in Washington and I’ll make them a 10* play in this one.

The set-up: The Phoenix Suns delivered a 112-111 last-second overtime win at New Orleans on Friday and the LA Lakers followed with a shocking 117-97 home win over the Golden State Warriors, later that same night.The Suns and Lakers meet tonight at Staples and they represent the two youngest teams in the Pacific Division. Phoenix:The Suns' leading score is small forward T.J. Warren (21.7 & 6.2) but the team's strength is its backcourt, featuring starters Booker (19.8) and Bledsoe (17.2-6.3-5.0), along with backup Knight (13.2). Bledsoe is the team's best overall player and the second-year Booker just turned 20 Oct. 30th and is the team's youngest player but maybe, its most promising. Booker scored 38 points and hit two-game-tying baskets late in regulation in Friday's 112-111 win, which was decided on P.J. Tucker's in-bounds pass to T.J. Warren for the game-winning backdoor dunk. LA Lakers:The Lakers are coming off seasons of 17 and 21 wins, respectively. Last year, Los Angeles needed 18 games to get its third win and in 2014-15, it took 12 games for the Lakers to reach three wins. LA's upset of Golden State gets them to three wins after just six games! Five players average between 12.3 and 16.7 PPG, led by second-year PG Russell 's 16.7. Much was expected of Luke Walton in his first head coaching gig Walton and his intent is to get his young team to take some pride in their home court. “The big picture is we make it really hard on teams (to) come into Staples Center and get wins,” Walton told reporters. “And so far, we’ve had two home games against two really good teams (Golden State and Houston), and won them both."

The pick: Both teams struggle defensively, with the Suns allowing 112.3 PPG (30th) and the Lakers 108.5 PPG (24th). With the Lakers coming off that YUGE upset of the Warriors, I don't want any part of this team here and remember, the Suns have won 11 of the last 13 meetings with the Lakers. Phoenix is a 10* play.

The set-up: The LA Clippers (4-1 SU & ATS) visit San Antonio to take on the Spurs (5-1 & 4-1-1 ATS) Saturday night. Both teams have superb offensive players in Paul & Griffin for the Clippers and Leonard & Aldridge for the Spurs, but the team which plays the better defense may just come out on top. LA ranks 1st by allowing 90.4 PPG on 41.0% shooting (ranks 2nd), while the Spurs rank third while allowing 94.0 PPG on 43.0% shooting.

LA Clippers: Los Angeles has held three of its last four opponents to 88 or less points, after its 99-88 win last night in Memphis. Paul is averaging 20.4 PPG & 8.4 APG with Griffin averaging 18.8 PPG & 10.6 RPG. Five others score between 9.2 and 11.2 PPG. “Our defense right now is something we hang our hat on,” Paul said after the win over Memphis. “Our offense, we got to find it.”

San Antonio: The Spurs no longer own that "Big 3,' as Duncan has retired plus Parker and Ginobili play about 20 MPG, when healthy. Leonard (28.5-5.3) is the team's MVP and Aldridge (18.8-7.0) is the clear "second banana." Patty Mills(12.8) is the only other player in double digits but the Spurs still have Pop on the sidelines, as well as a deep bench.

The pick: LA' scoring issues lie with starting SG Redick and sixth-man, SG Jamal Crawford (11.2). Redick has reached double digits just twice while shooting 39.2 percent from the floor, while Crawford has connected on just 33.3 percent of his attempts and gone 2-of-16 from three-point range. The Spurs won 100-86 at Utah last night, avenging a 110-95 loss to the Jazz on Tuesday in San Antonio. That loss was the first at home for the Spurs this season and remember, it took the Spurs until their 40th of 41 home games for San Antonio to fall at the AT&T Center last season. San Antonio is an 8* play.

The set-up: Thursday night at Oracle Arena was first meeting for Kevin Durant with his former club and the Warriors rolled to a 122-96 win, in what was an emotional and sometimes-heated contest with the Thunder. Durant scored 29 of his season-high 39 points in the first half, as the Warriors made it four straight wins after shockingly losing their season-opener 129-120 at home to the Spurs. The 2-3 Lakers earned their first road win of the season Wednesday by beating the previously unbeaten Hawks 123-116 in Atlanta, as Luke Walton's first head coaching gig has clearly shown signs of improving LA’s fate. Golden State: Durant badly outplayed former running mate Russell Westbrook in Golden State’s convincing 122-96 win, as Westbrook scored just 20 points (on 4 of 15 shooting) with six turnovers.  “I put the work in,” Durant said afterward. “I have to trust in that and just tried to shoot good shots when I got them.” Durant (30.6 & 8.6) is becoming more comfortable with his new teammates and the other three parts of the team’s “Core Four” are Curry (25.2 & 4.8 APG), Thompson (17.0) and Green (9.2-10.8-7.2). Pachulia starts at center and has averaged 6.0 & 8.0 in just 20 MPG. LA Lakers: Luke Walton was Steve Kerr's top assistant for the previous two seasons at Golden State and will be facing the Warriors for the first time in a regular-season game as the Lakers' head coach (teams met twice during the exhibition season, with the Warriors recording wins in both). LA has five players averaging between 12.4 and 16.6 PPG, with PG Russell leading the way, while adding 4.8 APG. Center Timofey Mozgov started the first four games (8.5 & 6.0) but is listed as doubtful for the contest against the Warriors after he sustained a soft tissue contusion around his left eye in a Tuesday defeat against the Indiana Pacers (he sat out Wednesday’s win). The pick: The Warriors are averaging 119.3 points during their four-game winning streak and are now back on top of the NBA by scoring 115.4 PPG and rank second in FG percentage at 49.1 percent from the floor. Walton and the LA Lakers are hoping the Warriors are a little bit flat after trouncing the Thunder but I’m not biting. The talent difference is just too severe. Golden State is an 8* play. 

The set-up: The 2-3 Sacramento Kings continue their road trip Thursday night when they visit Orlando to take on the 1-3 Magic. The Kings are coming off a 33-49 season last year, the first time the franchise had won more than 30 games since the Kings went 34-44 back in 2007-08. The Magic know more than a little bit about losing lately as well, having averaged only 25.8 wins the last four seasons, since going 37-29 in the strike-shortened 2011-12 season. Sacramento: The Kings’ best player is DeMarcus Cousins (26.8 & 9.6) but he’s highly volatile. In the span of a week, Cousins has picked up the first of what will surely be many technical fouls, has gotten fined for throwing his mouthpiece halfway into the stands at Sacramento's Golden 1 Center and walking into the bleachers to retrieve it and, probably most damaging to his team, picked up six fouls in the fourth quarter of Sacramento's overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, sitting out the final five minutes of the 108-96 loss. The bottom line is, the Kings will go as their sometimes moody All-Star center goes in 2016-17 season. Orlando: The Magic have a center in Nikola Vucevic who can stand up to Cousins, averaging 14.8 & 12.8 to open the young season. New additions Serge Ibaka (from OKC) and and Bismack Biyombo (from Toronto) join Vucevic up front, along with  the returning Aaron Gordon. Ibaka (14.5 & 5.3) and Gordon (11.0 & 5.0) start, with Biyombo (2.3 & 6.7) coming off the bench. Starting in the backcourt are SG Fournier (16.8) and PG Payton (14.8-6.5 APG). The pick: Cousins could use some more help from starters other than Rudy Gay. Gay added 30 points on Tuesday but fellow starters Matt Barnes (0-of-7) and Ty Lawson (1-of-6) combined for two points and Arron Afflalo went 1-of-5 from three-point land. This is a tough scheduling spot for the Kings, who are playing their third road game in four days but the Magic have opened the new season 1-3 SU & ATS, losing their lone home game 108-96 to the Heat. Orlando is a terrible offensive team, ranking 29th (of 30 teams) in both scoring 95.0 PPG on 40.8% shooting. Sacramento is a 10* play.

The set-up: The Toronto Raptors opened 2-0 but then lost 94-91 to the Cavs last Friday night. Toronto has not played since but travels to Washington tonight to take on the Wizards, who have opened the season with back-to-back losses, including Sunday's 112-103 overtime setback at the Memphis Grizzlies after leading 96-88 with under four minutes remaining. Toronto was swept in a first-round playoff series by Washington in the 2015 playoffs but then swept all four meetings with the Wizards during last year’s regular season. Toronto: DeMar DeRozan signed to a five-year, $139 million contract this summer and he’s now become the first player in Raptors' history to open the season with at least 30 points in each of the first three games. DeRozan has averaged 36.0 points while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor. However, his backcourt teammate Kyle Lowry has seen the shooting woes he endured during last year’s postseason are still dogging him. Lowry may be averaging 18.7 PPG but he’s shooting just 36.7% from the floor, including a pathetic 20.0% on threes. Good news comes Toronto’s way in that center Jonas Valanciunas is healthy and has averaged 18.0 & 12.3 after three games. Washington: The Wizards’ biggest change this season is on the bench, where the Wizards fired head coach Randy Wittman and hired Scott Brooks, who spent six seasons at Oklahoma City and took the Thunder to the NBA finals in 2011-12. The Wizards are still led PG John Wall and Bradley Beal. Starting along with Washington’s dynamic guard duo are Otto Porter, Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat up front. Wall is averaging 17.5 PPG and 11.5 APG and Beal 13.5 PPG. Morris checks in at 16.5 & 5.5, Porter at 11.5 & 5.0 and Gortat 9.0 & 11.5. The pick: The Wizards will remember losing all four to the Raptors last year but is it enough? Washington lavished a five-year, $127 million contract on shooting guard Bradley Beal in the offseason but he’s averaging just 13.5 PPG and shooting 2 of 10 from three-point range. In this one, he’ll also be asked to be the defensive stopper up against Toronto’s red-hot DeRozan. I don’t like Washington’s chances. Toronto is an 8* play.

The set-up: The Warriors are a in a position that the only way the 2016-17 season will be considered anything other than an abject failure, would be for them to win the NBA title. That’s why the team's 129-100 season-opening home loss to the Spurs was a seismic event. Golden State has rebounded with consecutive wins but neither of those have been impressive, so the Warriors visit Portland 2-1 but 0-3 ATS. The Blazers lost four of five starters from the previous year’s team but went 44-38 last season and then upset the injured Clippers in the first round, before falling to the Warriors in five games. Portland’s opened this season 2-1 SU & ATS. Golden State: Warriors can hardly point to Kevin Durant as a reason for the team’s early struggles, as he’s averaging 31.3 PPG (on 56.6% shooting) and adding 10.3 RPG. Curry’s been fine at 25.7 PPG but Thompson’s off to a slow start, making only 14.3% on threes (he’s averaging 17.7 per). The final member of the team's “Core Four” is Green and what team wouldn’t want a guy averaging 10.3-12.0-7.3? However, Golden State has to improve its defense, as the Warriors rank 30th, allowing 114.3 PPG. In case one doesn’t know, the NBA consists of 30 teams! Portland: The Blazers own a terrific backcourt duo in Lillard (35.0-8.0-5.3) and McCollum (21.3) and enter this game averaging 111.3 PPG (2nd) on 47.7% shooting (also 2nd-best). Lillard is off to a sizzling start to this season, shooting 54.9 percent from the floor, 44.4% from three-point range and 90.5% from the free-throw line. Portland won at Denver 115-113 in OT on Saturday night, rallying from an eight-point deficit in the final 1:15 of regulation. The pick: Portland will take the floor with some extra motivation after losing to the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals last spring in five games but Golden State will also remember that one of its nine regular-season losses last year came in Portland’s 137-105 home triumph on Feb. 19, with Lillard scoring 51 points. Expect Golden State to make it three straight victories and for them to earn the team's first ATS win with a comfortable cover. Golden State is an 8* play.  

The set-up: The Detroit Pistons rebounded from a disappointing season opener (lost 109-91 at Toronto on Wednesday) with a dominant 108-82 victory at home over the Magic on Friday night. The Bucks also enter this contest at 1-1, losing their opener 107-96 at home to the Hornets (Wednesday), before John Henson’s tip-in at the buzzer gave them a 110-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets last night, again in Milwaukee. Milwaukee: The Bucks take to the road for the first time on Sunday, visiting a Detroit team which took three out of four meetings with the Bucks last season. Milwaukee shot just 42.4 percent from the floor in its opener (including only 3-of-16 behind the 3-point arc) but improved to 46.6 percent overall, including 8-of-22 on threes, against Brooklyn. Last year’s leading scorer, Khris Middleton (18.2 PPG), is still several months away from returning from a ruptured hamstring but the Bucks received a big boost last night from guard Rashad Vaughn, who scored a career-high 22 points off the bench. Henson had the game-wining tip-in (only seven points) but added 12 rebounds to go along with the late-game heroics. Jabari Parker is 9-for-20 from the from and averaging a modest 13.5 PPG but Giannis Antetokounmpo is off to a strong start for Milwaukee, averaging 26 points and 10 rebounds in the team’s first two games. Detroit: The Pistons are also without their leading scorer from last year, as guard Reggie Jackson (18.8 PPG), who is recovering from a knee injury. Tobias Harris has made 16-of-29 from the floor, averaging 20.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG. He’s part of an excellent front line which also includes Marcus Morris (17.0 & 8.5) and center Andre Drummond (14.0 & 13.0).The Pistons made the playoffs last year for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The pick: On balance, center Greg Monroe has been a disappointment for the Bucks but he should highly motivated here, against his former team and matched up against Drummond with something to prove. The Pistons were a good home team last year but that just means Detroit will be somewhat overpriced at home, this season. Take the points and make Milwaukee a 10* play.

The set-up: Utah opened the season with starting forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors sidelined with injuries. Both players were missed, although new addition Joe Johnson (starting in place of Hayward) finished with a team-high 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting. However, the Jazz went ice cold over the final 3 1/2 minutes of a 113-104 loss at Portland on Tuesday to the Blazers. The Lakers won Luke Walton’s head coaching debut Wednesday night, 120-114 over the Rockets. LA clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter of the opener, outscoring the Rockets 30-18 to record the comeback victory. Shooting guard Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points off the bench while PG D'Angelo Russell scored 20 points and power forward Julius Randle an excellent all-around game with 18 points (on 9-of-11 shooting), seven rebounds and six assists. LA Lakers: Winning in coach Luke Walton's debut was no small deal for a team that tasted victory so infrequently a year ago, going 17-65.The Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat a quality opponent which is a much-welcomed change of pace from the the 2015-16 season. "It wasn't pretty, but we got the job done," said LA’s top scorer Clarkson after the game. "It was the first one. I feel like as the season progresses we'll do a better job of coming together and making the most of each possession." Utah: The Jazz finished ninth in the West last season and some shrewd moves during the summer brought improved depth to the Utah Jazz, positioning the team to possibly be a rising star in the NBA's Western Conference. PG George Hill, swingman Joe Johnson and all-purpose forward Boris Diaw were added to a young nucleus that includes front-liners Gordon Hayward (19.7-5.0-3.7), Derrick Favors (16.4-8.1) and Rudy Gobert (9.1-11.0). However, Hayward is out through at least mid-November after fracturing his left finger in the preseason and Favors missed the opener against Portland on Tuesday because of lingering knee and IT band issues. He practiced with the team on Thursday but remains questionable. The pick: Utah won the season series 3-1 a year ago, with the Lakers' lone victory coming on April 13 in Kobe's final game of his NBA career when he scored 60 points to lead his team to a 101-96 victory. Utah hasn't lost at home to the Lakers since falling 100-97 on February 25, 2015 but take note, Walton’s young team played with a degree of energy and enthusiasm not seen from the Lakers in quite awhile. Take the points and make the Lakers a 10* play. 

The set-up: The Chicago Bulls will debut their retooled roster against the Boston Celtics on Thursday at United Center, as guards Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo join Jimmy Butler. Wade and Rondo are both aging but feel they can help Butler bring the Bulls back to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and hopefully achieve even loftier goals. Meanwhile, the Celtics opened their season Wednesday night with a 122-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets, as Isaiah Thomas led with 25 points and nine assists with Jae Crowder adding 21 points. Boston: The Celtics are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances and over the summer added four-time NBA All-Star Al Horford, who signed a four-year free agent contract worth $113 million. Horford's veteran experience up front is expected to mesh nicely with Boston's young core group and he contributed 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots in Wednesday’s win. Boston saw four of five starters reach double digits last night, got 40 points from its bench and by game’s end, the Celtics had shot 53.9 percent from the floor. Chicago: The Bulls' offseason housecleaning saw the departures of Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah but the arrivals of not just Wade and Rondo but also center Robin Lopez, who received a two-year, $47 million deal. Power forward Taj Gibson will start with the previously mentioned other four, after beating out Nikola Mirotic. Chicago owns a very deep perimeter group featuring Michael Carter-Williams, rookie Denzel Valentine, Jerian Grant, Isaiah Canaan. Then there is German rookie forward Paul Zipser and Mirotic up front. The pick: The Celtics actually led by 21 points with 5 1/2 minutes left last night but the Nets had two chances to tie in the late going, before falling short by five points. The Celtics will again play without PF/C Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) plus PG Marcus Smart (ankle). Optimism is high for Boston again this season but the same applies to Chicago, as well. Let me remind all that the Celtics were just 20-21 SU on the road last season and that down the stretch, failed to cove nine of their last 11 road contests. Make Chicago a 10* play.

complete analysis by 12 pm et

The set-up: The Memphis Grizzlies snuck into the postseason last year at 42-40 (No. 7 seed) but were quickly swept out of the playoffs 4-0 by the Spurs. While the Grizzlies look for a repeat playoff appearance, the Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t been to the postseason since the 2003-04 season and last had a winning year in 2004-05. The T-wolves won just 29 games last year, the 10th time in the last 11 seasons in which the T-wolves have failed to reach even 35 victories in a single season. Minnesota: The Timberwolves enter the season with a new head coach and some high(er) expectations. Tom Thibodeau, former Chicago Bulls coach, takes over after the Timberwolves let interim coach Sam Mitchell go following last year's 29-win season. He begins with the last two rookies of the year, in Karl-Anthony Towns (18.3 & 10.5) who won last season and Andrew Wiggins who earned the award the season before (Wiggins led the team with 20.7 PPG last season). It’s not good news that center Nikola Pekovic (Achilles, ankle) is out for the season but joining Towns and Wiggins are talented players like Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.  Memphis: The Grizzlies were able to re-sign PG Mike Conley Jr. to a five-year, $153 million deal plus have added Chandler Parsons to join the inside duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph up front. However, Memphis will feature a first-time head coach in David Fizdale, who has spent the last six seasons as an assistant with the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies’ season went into a tailspin when Gasol went down with a foot injury and Fizdale is hoping to get more offense out of a traditionally defense-first team. "When you know that the offense isn't just predicated on one guy and that every movement you make gives you a chance to be a part of the action, to make you a weapon, it's empowering," Fizdale told Sports Illustrated. The pick: There are many who think all Minnesota needs to turn itself into a playoff-caliber team is the right head coach. If so, the T-wolves have their man in Thibodeau, who never had a losing season in five years as the Bulls' coach and was ousted after going 50-32 two years ago. Minnesota went 13-7 ATS in its final 20 regular season road contests and Memphis was just 14-12 ATS as a home favorite last year. Make Minnesota a 10* play. 

The set-up: The Jazz were 40-42 last season, falling one victory short of a Western Conference postseason spot. Meanwhile, the Blazers, despite losing four of five starters from the previous year’s team, went 44-38. Portland then fell behind the LA Clippers 2-0 in its opening round series, only to rebound and win four games in a row over an LA devastated by injures to first Blake Griffin and then Chris Paul. Portland’s season ended when it was eliminated by the Warriors in five games. The team’s open the 2016-17 season tonight in Portland at the Moda Center (I miss the Rose Garden). Utah: After finishing ninth in the West last season, the Jazz made three veteran offseason acquisitions, PG George Hill, swingman Joe Johnson and all-purpose forward Boris Diaw, to a young nucleus that includes front-liners Gordon Hayward (19.7-5.0-3.7), Derrick Favors (16.4-8.1) and Rudy Gobert (9.1-11.0). However, the team’s best player (Hayward), will miss the game with a broken left ring finger plus Favors and reserve guard Alec Burks will likely miss the game with knee issues. That means Diaw and Johnson will likely team with Gobert on the front line in a Utah starting lineup that will include Hill and Hood (14.5 PPG) in the backcourt. Portland: Damian Lillard had his best season in 2015-16, joining James, Curry and Westbrook as the only players to place among the league's top 10 in scoring (25.1, sixth) and assists (6.8, eighth) during the regular season. "I want to get to the Western Conference finals and give ourselves a chance to get to the (NBA) Finals," said Lillard, who is joined in the backcourt by C.J. McCollum (20.8 PPG & 4.2 APG). That duo led Portland to revamp quickly last season after losing mainstay LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent. Al-Farouq Aminu (10.2 & 6.1) and Maurice Harkless (6.4 & 3.6) will open the season as the starting forwards with Mason Plumlee (9.1 & 7.7) back as the center. The pick: The Jazz are missing too many key ‘pieces’ in the opener to deal with Lillard and McCollum, who combined for 426 three-pointers last season (Lillard ranked fourth in the NBA with 229). Offseason additions such as swingman Evan Turner and center Festus Ezeli were brought in to fortify a bench that includes swingman Allen Crabbe (10.3) and forward/center Meyers Leonard (8.4 & 5.1). The Blazers were 3-1 against the Jazz last season, losing only in a game Lillard say out. Portland has won eight of the past 11 meetings with Utah and let’s make that nine of 12 with a cover in tonight’s opener. Portland is an 8* play. 

The Cavs will try to be the first team ever to come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals, but the bookmakers still say they are an underdog. They've owned the Warriors in the last two games, and they appear to come into Game 7 as the team with destiny on it's side. My money is on the Cavs plus the points.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. LeBron James - The King has more to prove than anyone else on the floor tonight. His previous failures in the NBA Finals are well documented, but he's looked better in this series than in any of his previous Finals appearances. He's coming off back-to-back 41 point performances in Games 5 and 6, and anther big game is expected here tonight.

2. Three Point Shooting - The Warriors have struggled from beyond the arc in recent games, especially Harrison Barnes who is 1 for his last 11, and Klay Thompson who 3-for-10 in Game 6.

3. X-Factor - Depth is a strength for the Warriors, but they've lost center Andrew Bogut to a knee injury, and last year's MVP Andre Igoudala is hobbled with a sore back.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Half (10*)

The Golden State Warriors failed to close out the Cavs in Game 5 at Oracle Arena, and now they have to go back to Cleveland and try to win on the road. The Cavs have been dominant at home throughout the playoffs, and they come into Game 6 with all the momentum after a commanding victory in Oakland. My money is on Cleveland to win the 1st Half.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Kyrie Irving - If the Cavs can pull off the upset and win the championship, Irving could get serious consideration for MVP. He went off for 41 points in Game 5, and he's now scored 30+ in each of the last three games.

2. Home Cookin' - The Cavaliers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games, and even though they lost Game 4, they were leading at halftime. The Warriors haven't taken a lead to the locker room at halftime in any of their road games in these playoffs.

3. X-Factor - The Warriors lost starting center Andrew Bogut for the remainder of the series due to a knee injury he suffered in Game 5. While they do have the personnel to replace him, it may take time to make the necessary adjustments.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers (10*)

The Warriors will try to clinch their second straight championship in Game 5 at Oracle Arena on Monday, but they'll have to do it without Draymond Green. If the Cavs hope to avoid elimination, a fast start is an absolute must. The Warriors are not a great first half team at the best of times, and without one of their best players, it could take some time to make the necessary adjustments.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - Cleveland has taken the lead to the locker room in each of the last two games, but they were blown out in the second half of Game 4, losing 108-97. The Cavs have been a good bet when coming off a loss, covering the spread in five of their last seven when failing to cover in the previous game.

2. Splash Bros - Curry went off for 38 points in Game 4, but he and Klay Thompson were terrible in the first three games of this series. Draymond Green's 44 points in the first two games was more than double the production of either Curry or Thompson. Green is going to be there to carry the load tonight.

3. X-Factor - LeBron James should benefit greatly from the absence of Green, who is one of the Warriors top defenders. He's totaled 57 points in the last two games, and I expect him to go for 30+ tonight.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Half (10*)

The Cavs showed almost no signs of life in back-to-back blowout losses at Golden State, but the NBA Finals got interesting when Cleveland came back to win 120-90 in Game 3. All the momentum is now with the Cavs heading into Game 4, and I expect the Warriors to struggle once again at Quicken Loans Arena.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Splash Brothers - Can you remember the last time you saw Steph Curry fail to score 20 points in three consecutive games? It didn't happen during the regular season, not even in the pre-season. Here in the NBA Finals Curry has yet to score 20 heading into Game 4, and Klay Thompson has been even worse. The two hit just 4-of-16 three-point attempts in Game 3.

2. Previous History - The Cavs are 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games, and they are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games playing on one day's rest. 3. X-Factor - The Warriors haven't lead at halftime in any of their road games in these playoffs so far.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Half (10*)

 The Golden State Warriors have a firm grip of the NBA Championship 2016 after a pair of blowout wins home at Oracle Arena. I think they'll be in for a much tougher game as the series shifts to Quicken Loans Arena though, and the Cavs need to take an early lead and never look back.  Here are my keys to the game:  1. Situational - The Cavs need to make a statement and come roaring out of the gates after getting humiliated in Oakland. The fans will demand it, Tyronn Lue will demand it and and the King will demand it. "It's a do or die game for us," said Lebron James at Tuesday's press conference at Quicken Loans Arena.  2. Home Cookin' - The Cavaliers can not afford to disappoint the home town crowd tonight, and they've had plenty to cheer for in Cleveland with the Cavs winning and covering the spread in six consecutive home games. "We feed off each other. We've been great at home," said Cavs forward Tristan Thompson. "We're excited." 3. X-Factor - The Warriors have lost each of their Game 3's in previous series here in the playoffs.  Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Half (10*)

The Cavaliers looked totally out-classed in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oakland. They scored just 43 points in the first half, and went on to lose 104-89. Perhaps the biggest concern for the Cavs is that Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scored a combined 20 points, and the Warriors role players badly out-played Cleveland's starting five. After watching the Cavs shoot 38.1 percent from the field in Game 1, I don't think much will change in Game 2.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - These two teams have failed to reach the total in six of the last eight meetings, and the Cavs have failed to cover in five of the last six meetings. Cleveland is just 3-8 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Golden State. The Warriors have held Cleveland to less than 100 points in each of the last eight meetings.

2. Kyrie Irving - The Cavs star PG missed most of last year's Finals after suffering a knee injury in Game 1. He had a disappointing Game 1 this time around, shooting 7-of-22 from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range. The Cavs will need him to hit his shots if they are going to compete here in Game 2. 3. X-Factor - The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 NBA Championship games.

Selection: This is a play on the Golden State Warriors first half (10*)