At 9:10 ET, my Revenge Game Of the Week is on Denver. The Nuggets lost twice to the Clippers, once on October 26th and then again on December 1st. It's not happening a 3rd time! The Nuggets won their last game by 30 points. Nikola Jokic scored 48 points with 14 rebounds and eight assists. When he's playing like that, the Nuggets are close to unstoppable. The Clippers lost their last 2 games by 39 combined points, each loss coming by double-figures. They may have upset the Nuggets here once but they are still only 5-5 on the road. Looking to win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month, Jokic and the Nuggets will have their revenge. Lay the points.

At 8:10 ET, my NBA Underdog Game Of the Month is on Charlotte. The Hornets snapped a lengthy losing streak in their last game. The win over Indiana, which proved the Hornets can win without LaMelo Ball, combined with some extra rest to recover has them feeling good coming into Friday's action. They'll still be without Ball but at least for tonight's game but now they have the confidence to know they don't always need him. After losing to Charlotte, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said: "I think the Hornets were trying harder." The Bulls are dealing with injury issues of their own and they're off consecutive losses. With stars Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vučević all candidates to get moved before the February 6th trade deadline, the Bulls hunger may not fully be there. They know changes are likely coming. One one league figure with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking recently said: "The fact they were willing to move DeMar and Caruso this past offseason, they're willing to move anybody now." The Hornets are coming to play! Grab the points.

At 8:10 PM ET, my Western Conference Game Of the Month is on the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams have had the time off but the Kings were hot and would have preferred to keep playing. The break came at a better time for New Orleans. Just as the Pelicans were starting to get healthy, they've endured some more injuries. This is a team which is used to that though. They've still got outstanding guards and they're going to be coming to play tonight. They always get up for the Kings. Coach Willie Green has had the Pelicans really working during the off time for due to the NBA Cup. Green said this: "It's almost like a training camp for us. It's great for us in the sense that we got a day off to fill our cup, rest, recover. We had two high-level, detailed practices. It allows you to take a step back and look at some of our concepts that we're doing well and areas that we can improve in and try to pick some of those to go work on the floor and work on." New Orleans has beaten Sacramento 6 straight times. Grab the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Atlantic Division Game Of The Month is on the NY Knicks. New York was 4-0 against the Raptors last season and the Knicks will be too much for their hosts again tonight. The Knicks are off a loss last game and they are 5-0 straight up after their last 5 defeats. They won those 5 games by an average of more than 13 points each. Three of last season's 4 wins (against the Raptors) by the Knicks were by double-digits. That includes both the games at Toronto. The Knicks won their last visit here by 44 points, outscoring the Raptors by 9 or more in every single quarter! This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 7:10pm ET, my Revenge Game Of The Month is on New Orleans. OKC pounded the Pelicans 106-88 a few weeks back. At the time, New Orleans was very short-handed. As a matter of fact, they were missing 4 starters and another 2 rotation players. The Pelicans are healthier now and they're looking for some payback. Guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray missed the first game but both are now back. New Orleans received a big boost Thursday when leading scorer Brandon Ingram returned from a five-game absence. He was joined by Herbert Jones, the team's best perimeter defender, who returned from an 18-game absence. With those important players back, the Pelicans are a different team. They snapped their losing streak last game and that gives them some important positive momentum. Grab the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my Atlantic-10 Conference Game Of The Year is on St. Josephs. The Hawks are off their 3rd loss of the season. They've responded brilliantly to each of the first 2 losses. They upset Villanova off their first loss and destroyed Coppin State 83-54 off their 2nd loss. The Explorers are well-coached and they typically fight hard. The roster just isn't there to seriously contend in the A-10 though. They were 6-12 in Conference play last season and are very likely going to finish near the bottom of the A-10 again this season. The Hawks bring back 3 starters (including the top returning scorer in the conference and the last year's rookie of the year) from the team which had a strong run through the A-10 Tournament last year; they're confident and expecting a big season. The Hawks were 2-0 straight up and against the spread against La Salle last season. They won the game at Wells Fargo Center by 20. We can expect another big win today. Lay the points.

At 8:30pm ET, my Non-Conference Game Of The Week is on Seton Hall. The Highlanders will encounter a hostile band of Pirates at the Prudential Center this evening. Seton Hall is angry after getting upset by Monmouth. That was another NJ-based school which they were supposed to blow out. They will make absolute certain that it doesn't happen again. NJIT is at the end of a lengthy road trip. They (1-8) won 7 games last season and wins are going to be hard to come by for the Highlanders again this year. A perfect 6-0 the past 6 meetings, the Pirates crushed the Highlanders by 29 the last time these teams faced each other. This will be another one-sided blowout. Lay the points.

At 10:30pm ET, my Big Ten Game Of the Month is on UCLA. The Bruins are going to be much better this season as they are now playing in the Big Ten. Thankfully, for UCLA fans, they are. The Bruins returned 4 starters from last year and they landed 6 significant transfers. They've been playing well to start the season and are going to want to make a splash with a big win in their first ever Big Ten game. Playing at home against a lesser opponent, one they are very familiar with, is a bonus. With all the travel that's going to come from the new schedule, it's imperative to make the most of winnable home games. They beat the Huskies by 12 here last season and the gap is much wider this year. With no returning starters, Washington essentially has an entirely new coaching staff and team. They're not yet ready for what's in store for them at Pauley Pavilion tonight. Lay the points.

At 9:00pm ET, my Game Of the Week is on St. Mary's. St. The Gaels allow only 64.8 points per game, which is significantly less han the 70.5 points per game that USC's defense gives up. All of the Trojans wins have come against fairly weak teams. They lost to Cal. St. Mary's win neutral site win over Nebraska was more impressive than anything USC has accomplished. The Gaels play a controlled, slower-paced game that wears down opponents. They're excellent at dictating the tempo and reducing the number of possessions. That's going to prove effective against a USC team which has shown inconsistency on both sides of the ball. Those early season inconsistencies are expected from the Trojans as returned 0 starters from last year's team and have a new coach. They aren't ready for what St. Mary's will bring to the table. Lay the points.

At 9:10pm ET, my NBA Game Of the Week is on Denver. Nuggets coach Mike Malone wasn't happy with his team's effort in Monday's bad home loss to New York. Malone said this: "I need Nikola Jokic. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys that have been here, in that starting lineup, to be vocal. Regardless of who's in who's out, who do we want to be as a team? So yeah, leadership would be great, toughness would be great, physicality would be great, playing like you actually care would be great." The Nuggets will be much better tonight and they will take it out on their hosts. The Jazz would already be over-matched but things are even worse due to them coming off a hard-fought in-season tournament game to the Spurs last night. They lost by 11 and 17 points in the 2 instances when they played 2 games in 2 days so far this season. The Nuggets are 3-0 their last 3 versus Utah and those wins came by 26, 16 and 21 points. Utah fans are in for another long night. Lay the points.

At 10:10pm ET, my Pacific Division Game Of The Month is on Phoenix. The Suns really rely on their "Big 3." When all 3 of their stars are playing, or even when 2 of them are, they're one of the best teams in the NBA. But when 2 or more of them are hurt, they struggle. Recently both Beal and Durant have been out. The Suns are 1-6 in the games without Durant and they're 0-5 since Beal went down. Thankfully for Suns fans, they are both expected back tonight! They've had a nice break between games which allowed them to practice and get ready. Beal said this at yesterday's practice: "I definitely feel a lot better. I'm thankful we had the schedule we had so we had some rest days, Kev and I." Off b2b losses, the Lakers are now 7-2 at home. They're only 3-4 on the road. The home teams is already 2-0 in the season series. Lay the points with the Suns at Footprint Center.

AT 9:10pm ET, my NBA Game Of The Week is on the LA Clippers. The Clippers have had some hard road games lately. Getting home to face Utah is just what they need. The Clippers have won their last 3 games here. They had yesterday off. The Jazz are off a difficult game at Sacramento last night. That's going to take a lot out of them tonight. Unequipped to effectively handle a back-to-back situation, they lost by 17 when playing 2 games in 2 days earlier. The Clippers have taken 2 of the past 3 meetings and both wins came by 14 or more. This will be another blowout. Lay the points.

At 7:00pm ET, my November CBB Game Of The Month is on Creighton. Things will get easier for the Roos after this game. For now, they're forced to take a 2nd straight beating at the hands of a superior opponent. Off a 26-point road loss at Iowa State, they face an equally dangerous Creighton team. Tuesday's game against the Calvary Warriors can't here fast enough! The Bluejays have been getting better each time out. They won their first game by 13 points. They doubled that margin with a 26-point victory in their 2nd game. In their 3rd game, the Bluejays won by 35. It's been awhile since these teams faced each. The last time was 2018. Creighton was favored by 18.5 and won by 36. I've got the Bluejays winning by 25+ once again.! Lay the points.

At 8:10 ET, my NBA Eastern Conference Game Of The Month is on Milwaukee. Both teams are really struggling. The Raptors don't really care. The Bucks absolutely want to get things turned around. Check out the difference in what the 2 coaches are saying. Milwaukee's Doc Rivers: "We gotta get out of this hole that we created. We created it. All of us, me, them, together. I have no doubt that we will. We have to play ourselves out of this hole." Compare that to Toronto's Darko Rajakovic: "It's hard to make any conclusions after 10-11 games. We still have guys dealing with injuries. We are really investing in developing the young players that we have." The Bucks are a much better team and you can tell by the coach's comments that they want this game a lot more. The Bucks have been playing some good teams. They will take this opportunity of facing a bad team and make the most of it. Lay the points.

At 9:40pm ET, my NBA Non-Conf. Game Of the Month is on the LA Lakers. The Raptors fought really hard here last night against the Clippers. They ended up losing 105-103. That difficult defeat will set them up to get blown out by the Lakers tonight. They are missing important players and their absences will be noticed more than ever. LA had yesterday off. The Lakers are off a double-figure win over Philadelphia. Including a 6-point win at Toronto to start this month, they have beaten the Raptors 4x in a row. The Raptors are going to be gassed and the Lakers 5th straight win in the series won't even be close. Lay the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my NBA Game Of the Month is on the Dallas Mavericks. Off 6 straight wins, the Suns are hot. That streak started with a win over the Mavericks. A slightly deeper dive into the Suns hot streak reveals that 5 of those 6 games, including the one against Dallas, were at home. Their only road game in the winning streak was at LA, versus the Clippers. That lone road game was a favorable setup for the Suns, as they had the previous 2 nights off and they were catching the Clippers playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Suns have also been barely beating teams on their win streak. The last 5 wins all came by 6 or less. The Mavericks may have been a little inconsistent but they are off a big win, their 4th in 6 games, and they are one of the best teams in the NBA. Unlike the Clippers, the last team Phoenix faced on the road, the Mavericks are rested. The Mavericks play with revenge. They won by 10 the last time they hosted the Suns and they will put an end to their winning streak tonight. Play on Dallas.

At 9:10pm ET, my NBA Northwest Div. Game Of the Week is on the Denver Nuggets. With an undefeated record, OKC is off to a great start. The Thunder thrashed the Nuggets 102-87 a couple of weeks back. The Nuggets hadn't really gotten their game going yet as that was their first game of the season. They lost their next one to the Clippers. Since then, Denver is playing much better. The Nuggets haven't been blowing teams away but they have been winning. They're 4-1 since that loss to the Clippers and the only loss was by 3 points, on the road, against a good Minnesota team. The Thunder caught the Nuggets flat-footed the first time but since then they've been rather fortunate with their schedule. As a matter of fact, with the exception of Denver, none of OKC's other opponents currently have a winning record. They're all either 3-5 or 3-4. They'll find a much better Denver team waiting for them and will suffer their first loss on Wednesday.

AT 9:00pm ET, my NBA Non-Conference Game Of the Week is on Minnesota. The Timberwolves are going to be too difficult a matchup for Charlotte tonight. One of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves will be in a bad mood from having lost to San Antonio. With the possible exception of Gobert, the Timberwolves are mostly healthy. Though this will be their 3rd game in 4 days, they didn't play Sunday and they will have Tuesday and Wednesday off. There will be no looking past the Hornets. Charlotte, which also plays its 3rd game in 4 days, is dealing with some injuries. The Hornets will have a chance for a win Wednesday, when they host Detroit but tonight will result in a 3rd straight double-digit defeat. Lay the points.

At 4:00pm ET, my Game Of The Week is on Stanford. The Cardinal were 10-6 at home last season and they will start this season and the Kyle Smith era with a big win for the home fans at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal brought back last year's leading scorer Maxime Raynaud. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 15.5 points at 9.6 rebounds per game last season. Denver has been getting better the past few years but is still not capable of competing with a team like Stanford. The Cardinal are 7-0 SU in 7 all-time head-to-head meetings. Also, the Pioneers lost their top three scorers, including Tommy Bruner who averaged 24 points, from last season and are going to take some time to find their way. Coach Smith stated: "We need winning seasons here." Raynaud won't be3 stopped and this will be a great spot to start. Lay the points.

At 9:40pm ET, my NBA Northwest Div. Game Of The Year is on Minnesota. This is a playoff rematch. In a back and forth series, the Timberwolves rallied from a 20-point deficit to win Game 7 98-90. The Nuggets may want some payback for that but the Wolves are going to want it every bit as much. They just lost to Dallas, also a playoff rematch, and can't afford to drop 2 straight at home. Even though they lost to the Mavericks, Minnesota has been better than Denver this season, the way that I see it. The Nuggets got crushed by OKC when they faced them to start the season. They then lost a home game against the short-handed Clippers. They have since responded to win consecutive games. But those wins were both against rebuilding teams from the Eastern Conference and the Nuggets needed to go to Overtime in both. The Wolves handled one of those teams, Toronto, with relative ease and have a road win against a good Sacramento team. The Nuggets get another couple of easier games after this but they will struggle against a really good Minnesota team tonight. Lay the points.

At 7:10pm ET, my Revenge Game Of The Month is on Atlanta. The Hawks are already dealing with injuries to some players. Such has been life in Atlanta. They've still got enough to beat the Wizards though. Washington is rebuilding this season but the Wizards just beat the Hawks, at Atlanta. Out for revenge, this is a game that the Hawks need. Trae Young only made 2 of 15 field goals and shot 2 of 10 from 3-point range in Monday's game. The Hawks still only lost by 2. You know that Young will be much better tonight. Jalen Johnson was super on Monday for Atlanta and he can build off his big game. The Hawks can overcome the absence of players like Bogdanovic and Hunter but the Wizards will have more trouble playing without Kuzma. They wouldn't have won Monday's game without him and they won't have him tonight. Atlanta gets its revenge. Lay the points.

At 7:10 ET, my NBA Non-Conf. GOM is on Atlanta. This is too many points for the Thunder to be laying in this spot. OKC played yesterday and Atlanta comes in fresh. The Hawks might not have covered but they've won each of their first 2 games. Over the last 2 seasons, these teams have faced each other 4 times. All 4 of those games were decided by single-digits, each team winning twice. The Hawks have taken 5 of the last 7 meetings. With OKC playing 2 games in 2 days, this will be another tightly contested fight. Grab the points.

At 7:40pm ET, my Eastern Conf. GOW is on Atlanta. The Nets may have fleeced the Knicks by trading Mikal Bridges for five first-round picks (time will tell) but its not going to make them any better right now. Bridges had 38 points in the last meeting between the Nets and Hawks and he had 32 points the last game at Atlanta. That can't be replaced. They are a very young team. They lack talent and are going to have a really bad record this season. Even last year, they were 12-29 on the road and this team isn't as good. The Hawks are going to be better in Quin Snyder's second season and they know it needs to start with a big win over the Nets tonight. Lay the points.

The Celtics won the 2 games here at Boston by an average of 12.5 points. They have beaten Dallas 4x in a row here. All 4 victories came by 7 or more and they came by an average of more than 16. The Celtics responded to each previous playoff loss with a blowout victory in their next game. They are 16-4 the last 20 times that they were off a loss and the wins have come by an average of 12.7 points. This will be another big victory. Play on Boston.

At 8:00 ET, my NBA Playoff GOY is on the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics made it look easy in Game 1. They led the entire way and won by a wide margin. Things will be a lot more difficult in Game 2. We've already seen Boston lose Game 2 against Miami and Cleveland. In both cases, the Celtics won big in Game 1.

The Mavericks are still 34-17 versus the spread on the road. They are 15-8 ATS off a loss by 10 or more, 32-19 ATS in that situation the past 3 years. They are also 9-4 ATS after scoring 100 or less, 33-17 ATS their last 50 tries in that situation. The Celtics are only 3-6 versus the spread when leading in a playoff series. This game will be close! Play on Dallas.

At 8:35pm ET, my Western Conf. Finals Game Of The Year is on Dallas. The Mavericks don't want to drag this thing out. The Celtics are already waiting for them and the longer this series goes, the harder the Finals are likely to become. Games have been very close in this series. Getting this many points in a game where Dallas has an excellent chance of winning outright is offering us great line value!

The Mavericks have only lost 2 games over the last 3 weeks and both losses came by 5 or less. They are 14-3 versus the spread their last 17 tries, when off an upset loss. Doncic and Irving both took the blame for the Mavericks' loss in Game 4. It was the first time that both of them shot less than 35% in the playoffs and they still lost by only 5. Both superstars are determined to improve tonight. Irving is still 14-1 in close out games. Play on Dallas.

At 8:00pm ET, my Conference Finals Game Of The Year is on the Boston Celtics. The Pacers have really given it their all. They nearly won Game 1, only to get blown out in Game 2. They also nearly won Game 3. It was a rather heroic effort, as the Pacers were playing without Haliburton. They shot amazingly well and had a large lead. Just like Game 1, it was not meant to be. Boston stormed back and handed them a very disappointing loss. The series is now 0-3. In other words, it's over. There's no coming back from a 3-0 deficit. Not in this series.

To a certain degree, the pressure is off the Pacers. They may shoot the ball well again. It's going to be hard to match the intensity of the Celtics for a full 4 quarters though. Boston doesn't want to extend this series. The Celtics are experienced and know that the time to go for the throat and finish this series is right now. Just like the Game 1 loss was difficult to bounce back from for the Pacers, the bitter Game 3 result will be the same. The Celtics are 31-12 (straight up) as away favorties and they've won those games by an average of 9 points. They will win by at least that many today! Play on Boston.

The Knicks have a 3-2 lead. I've successfully played on both teams in the series and I had the Knicks on Tuesday. The Pacers are a different beast on their home floor and they will make sure they get a chance to play a Game 7.

The Pacers are 3-0 straight up and versus the spread after scoring 100 or less. The Pacers are also 14-5 straight up and versus the spread after a loss of 10 or more points. Homecourt has been the difference in the series. The Pacers won by 32 last game here. They won't let their fans see them eliminated tonight. Lay the points!

This hasn't been a typical series. Minnesota won the first 2 games at Denver. Easy wins, both of them. Then, the Nuggets won the next 2 at Minnesota. The defending champions made it 3 straight with a win in Game 5, at Denver. The Timberwolves can't be too pleased. They were up 2-0 and heading home. Now, they're down 3-2. Tonight, they will regroup and force a Game 7.

The Nuggets are only 8-16 versus the spread their last 24 tries, after winning 3 straight games. They are also 1-3 ATS the past 4 times that they were leading in a series. The Timberwolves are 13-7 versus the spread their last 20 tries, after 3 or more consecutive losses. They are also 10-1 straight up their past 11 tries, after a loss of 10 or more points. Bring on Game 7!

After last night's win by the Knicks, most are fully anticipating a Boston vs. New York Eastern Conference Final. That may well come to pass. But there's still a long way to go. Indiana was right there in both its games and could have won either of them. Cleveland was not as the Cavaliers got blown out in Game 1. Thats still only 1 game though and the Cavaliers were off a hard 7-game series versus the Magic against a rested Boston team. Now the teams play with the same amount of rest.

Boston slipped up in the second game of its first round series against Miami. It can happen again. This Cleveland team is better than many still realize. Maybe not good enough to win this series but absolutely good enough to give Boston a real battle tonight.

Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Facing a team like Boston, I think it's good to be able to play them and see them, and then play them again because you're not used to the speed, the spacing, the shooting -- all those things -- until you get up against them. Especially coming from the series that we just came from (against Orlando) that was more of a half-court slugfest. ... We'll learn from it and we'll be better on Thursday."

Donovan Mitchell said: "They came out here and did what they were supposed to do. Now we have to find a way to steal Game 2." Grab the points!

Anthony Edwards is a very impressive player. He was the best player on the floor in Game 1. Jokic, the best player in the world, is going to have something to say about that in Game 2. The Nuggets are 6-2 versus the spread their last 8 tries, revenging a home loss.

This is unusual territory for the world champions as they are used to getting a lead in each series. The Nuggets haven't lost 2 in a row since March. They are 4-0 straight up the past 4 tries, off a loss. The average margin of victory in those games was 19.5 points. They'll respond with a double-figure blowout!

Give me all those points with the Los Angeles Clippers! Down 3-2 in the series, the Clippers are in a must win situation. When previously trailing in the series, they responded with an outright 116-111 road win in Game 4. Though its perhaps not quite as close as the NY/Philly series, most of these games have also been extremely close. Including that 5-point win by the Clippers in Game 4, we've see 3 of the 5 games in this series decided by 5 points or less.

Bear in mind that LA is 27-16 on the road and that Dallas is 26-17 at home. The Mavericks only outscore teams by an average of 3.6 points here. The Clippers have come back from down 3-2 to the Mavericks before and still believe that they can do it again. Harden will be better than he was in Game 5 and they will keep this one close the whole way. An outright upset is entirely possible. Grab the points!

The Bucks prolonged the inevitable in Game 5 but this series ends tonight. Milwaukee hasn't been quite right all season. The mid-season coaching change didn't exactly fix things. No matter who suits up tonight, the Bucks are far from healthy. The Pacers have been strong all season. They are ready to take the next step.

The Bucks are 5-11 versus the spread the last 16 times that they were off an upset win as an underdogs. The Pacers are 13-5 versus the spread off an upset loss as a favorite. The Pacers are also 26-13 ATS versus teams which 116+ points/game.

Haliburton said: "We've just got to understand that they're a team that's on the brink of their season being done ... we've just got to be better top to bottom." Knowing that they want nothing to do with a Game 7, the Pacers will be better from top to bottom and they will blow the Bucks out of the building!

It was a gutsy performance by Embiid and the 76ers to get back in the series with a big win last game. Doing it again will be much harder. Embiid still is far from healthy. The Knicks are 10-6 versus the spread after a loss of 10 points or more, 12 of those were outright victories.

On the season, the Knicks were 22-10 straight up and 21-11 versus the spread, when off a loss. This NY team rarely plays consecutive bad games. You saw what happened in the 2nd game at MSG. It was a wild final 30 seconds of a game decided on the final play. This 2nd game at Philadelphia may also be decided at the buzzer. Grab the points!

The Suns soundly beat the Timberwolves to close out the regular season. When it really matters, on April 20th, we will see a much different result. The Suns are 9-17 versus the spread after a win by 10 points or more.

The Timberwolves are a perfect 10-0 their last 10 tries, both straight up and against the spread, when playing with revenge from a home loss. Minnesota is also 9-4 ATS And 11-3 SU after an upset loss. Minnesota allows the fewest points in the entire NBA. The Wolves were 30-11 at home and only allowed 103.7 points a game here. Lay the small number!

This is the biggest game of the season for Orlando. The Magic have their sights set on a top 6 position which would mean avoiding the play-in round. A win over the Bucks gets them there.

"We control our destiny in this situation," said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley, "so the way in which we have to play, the focus we have to have, and the attention to detail in how we start games and how we finish games is going to be very important."

"We just need one win and we're good," Magic forward Franz Wagner said. "One more game and we have to focus on that one and get a win."

The Bucks are still without Giannis Antetokounmpo and have lost 7 of their last 10 games. A win gets them the #2 seed but they don't seem overly concerned about it.

"You're going to play somebody good in the playoffs no matter what. There is no easy path. We learned that in the past before -- winning it and also losing it.

The Magic are 25-11 versus the spread, when favored. They've had a great season and they will finish it strong. Lay the points!

This is a lot of points to be giving a desperate home underdog. The Kings are playing with 0 days rest but the last time that they did that, they lost by only 1 point at Boston. This is a Sacramento team which badly needs to get on track before its too late. They will fight with everything they've got. The Suns are 8-9 in division games, the Kings are 10-6.

The Kings are 9-4 versus the spread after allowing 130 points or more. The Suns are 9-16-1 versus the spread off a win by 10 points or more. The Suns are also 8-20 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 116+ points/game. The Kings are 17-10 ATS as underdogs. Grab the points! **Pacific Div. GOM**

The Houston Rockets can't afford any losses. The Rockets are four games behind the Warriors with only five remaining in the regular season. That obviously doesn't give them much of a chance. They have fought all year though and they are going to continue to battle until the bitter end.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka: "Just finishing on the right step, on the right foot and playing the right way."

Dallas isn't entirely healthy and wants to make sure it it for the playoffs. Doncic missed the Mavericks last game and is questionable. So is Kleber. Those guys would play if this was a playoff game but they may not for this one. Rookie sensation Lively is out. Green remains out.

The Rockets are 7-3 versus the spread after 3 or more consecutive losses. Grab the points! **Southwest GOY**

The Rockets have many factors in their favor tonight. They are playing with Double-Revenge with the Warriors having won both of this season's previous meetings. Golden State has been strong on the road this season but the Rockets are even better at home. The Warriors need wins but the Rockets need them even more!

The Warriors play at Dallas tomorrow night. Its a really big game and a rematch from Tuesday. If there is a game to look ahead to, its a game against Luca Doncic and the Mavericks! The Rockets have been underestimated all year. They are 13-7 versus the spread as home underdogs and they won 11 of those game outright. They are 12-3 ATS against Pacific Division teams and they will have their revenge on Thursday night!

Indiana State has a far superior record and is the better team here. Inside or outside their conference, the Sycamores have handled their business. The Sycamores were 19-4 against Missouri Valley Conference opponents and 12-2 in non-conference play. Utah was only 10-12 within its conference. The Pac-12 has some good teams but so does the Missouri Valley. The level of competition doesn't account for such a large discrepancy in records!

The Utes are 0-3 versus the spread their last 3 tries as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick. They were only 4-7 ATS as underdogs this season. They won only 5 of their 12 road games. The Sycamores are 20-11 ATS as favorites. They are 30-14 ATS their last 44 tries after scoring 80 or more. Lay the small number!

Zach Edey is a different kind of player. He changes the game. You have to worry about him when you're on both offense and on defense. Worry too much about him on offense and he'll mess up your shot, if he hasn't blocked it. Worry too much about him on defense and he'll kick it out to Purdue's capable 3-point shooters. So far, that formula has worked for the Boilermakers. That was before they had to contend with the Tennessee Volunteers! Purdue hasn't faced a defense like this one in this tournament. Tennessee allowed 49 and 58 points its first 2 games!

Excellent on both sides of the ball, the Volunteers are peaking at exactly the right time. They got a taste of Purdue in the Maui Invitational. The Boilermakers pulled away late for a 4-point win. The experience of having faced Edey once will help Tennessee in Sunday's rematch. The Volunteers know what he's all about. They know they could have won that game. They know that they've improved since then. The Boilermakers average more than 80 points a game but the Volunteers are 7-1 their last 8 tries versus the spread against teams which average 77 or more per game. Grab the points!

Houston versus Duke. In the past, you'd expect the Blue Devils to be favored over the Cougars. Those days are over. The Cougars are the better team, as they were last year. Duke still carries the name and the tradition though and that has helped in preventing this line from being even higher. The Cougars are 12-7-1 against the spread in 20 tries with 3 or more days rest. The Cougars only allow 57.7 points a game. Their defense is for real.

The Cougars are 10-2 versus the spread their last 12 tries, a perfect 12-0 straight up, in a neutral court game where the total is 130 to 134.5. The Blue Devils are only 2-5 versus the spread their last 7 tries as an underdog. They found themselves in that role twice this season and went 0-2 ATS with losses against Wake Forest and UNC. This is the end of the road for the Blue Devils!

If you pay attention to how teams fare in certain situations, you'll understand why this the case of the wrong team being favored. Both teams are off a victory last night. That works in favor of Dallas. The Mavericks are 8-3 versus the spread their last 11 tries, when playing with 0 days rest. The Kings are only 4-8 ATS when doing so.

The Kings played great defense last night. The problem is that they are only 2-9 ATS their last 11 tries, after allowing 105 points or less. The Mavericks are 29-18-1 ATS (30-18 straight up) when revenging a home loss, 12-5 ATS their last 17. The Kings won twice at Dallas but the Mavericks get them back tonight!

Seattle was 9-3 versus the spread in non-conference action. Having beaten Grand Canyon during the season, the Redbirds know that they can beat this Fairfield team. The Stags are 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 tournament games and the Redbirds are 5-1 versus the spread.

The Redbirds are the stronger team but they also have a scheduling advantage. They play 2 games in 2 days but the Stags are playing 3 games in 3 days. That extra Sunday game played by Fairfield, as opposed to Seattle playing on Saturday, will be a factor. Lay the points with the Redbirds!

This is as essentially as big a mismatch as it gets in the NBA. The Denver Nuggets are the defending champions. They need to keep winning and they dominate teams at home. The Memphis Grizzlies are playing for nothing. This is a team which is beleaguered by injuries.

The last time that these teams faced each other, the Nuggets won by 37 points. The Nuggets have won 41 of 50 meetings here and many of them have been blowouts. The last 5 Denver home wins over Memphis have all been by at least 13 points. With the Grizzlies only 4-7 versus the spread their last 11 tries with 2 days rest, this one will see the Nuggets win by at least 20! **WESTERN CONF GOM**

The San Diego State Aztecs are an experienced team which made a deep run in this tournament. They have the type of team suited to winning at this time of the year. The Yale Bulldogs were fortunate to win the Ivy League Finals. Then, they pulled off a first round upset over Auburn. That was a big win but they won't duplicate it tonight.

The Aztecs will dial up the defensive intensity and low-scoring games don't really suit Colorado. The Buffaloes are just 1-3 versus the spread their past 4 when the total was 120 to 129.5. San Diego State is a perfect 5-0 ATS its past five tries, as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. The Aztecs caught a break by getting Yale and they will take advantage of it!

A small line is offering excellent value with the Big 12 team. The Mountain West is a solid conference but the Big 12 is stacked. The Horned Frogs have wins over teams like Houston, Texas Tech, Baylor, K-State Cincinnati and Oklahoma. They were within a bucket of beating Kansas, and Iowa State. In fact, there were numerous very close losses. This team is better than its record!

The Horned Frogs are 21-9 versus the spread their last 30 tries, off a loss against a conference rival. The only time that they played with 7 or more days rest in between games resulted in an easy cover, a 77-42 blowout. The Frogs were 14-10 versus the spread as favorites, 3-1 ATS as road favorites. TCU is 7-1 straight up its last 8 against Mountain West teams. The Aggies are 1-5 ATS as underdogs and 0-3 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Lay the small number!

Getting to play this game in Jadwin Gymnasium is a big advantage for Princeton. The Tigers were undefeated on their home floor this season. In going 12-0, they outscored visiting teams by an average of 16.8 points. UNLV had some big wins but came up short when it mattered. The Rebels are a long way from home and aren't going to be as motivated as the Tigers.

The Tigers score more points and they allow less. That's not all from the Ivy League schedule either. The Rebels are only 2-5 versus the spread in 7 tries in a road game where the total is 135 to 139.5. The Tigers are 6-3 ATS in nine tries, off a loss against a conference rival. Lay the small number!

Give me the points with Timberwolves! The situation is that the Nuggets are off a buzzer beater loss on Sunday and the Timberwolves are off a comeback win last night. Because of the lack of rest, the Nuggets are laying a hefty number as a road favorite. Too hefty!

If we look at Minnesota's 10 games with 0 days rest we find a 7-3 straight up record. Closer examination reveals that all 3 losses came on the road, the last 2 both by single-digits. The Timberwolves are 4-0 straight up when playing a home game after playing the previous day. Twice they've played a home game after playing an away game and they won those games by an average of 118-107. On the season, the Timberwolves have a better home record than Denver does a road record. Give the me points! *Northwest GOW

I wasn't surprised that the Hawks showed up for last night's game. I don't believe that they'll be able to do it two nights in row though. Atlanta is 4-7 versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. When playing the 2nd of back-to-back road games, the Hawks are 0-2 both straight up and against the spread. They lost those 2 games by an average score of 120-111.

Overall, the Hawks are only 12-19 ATS as underdogs. They are really bad when they are off an upset victory. In that situation, they've gone 10-27 ATS their last 37 tries, 3-7 ATS this season. The Lakers lost at Atlanta in January but they smashed the Hawks by 16 the last meeting here. Another big win coming up tonight!

Nice win for the Wolfpack yesterday. Any time you knock out Duke, its a good day! They are only 5-9 versus the spread their last 14 tries off an ATS victory though and now they will face a dominant defensive team. They are 1-4 straight up the past 5 times versus good defensive teams - allowing

Who in their right mind would back Villanova after the Wildcats only beat Depaul by 1 point? Call me crazy and count me in. Yesterday's result was great. It's keeping people off the Wildcats today and that is leading to extra points on the line. With Marquette's best player Tyler Kolek out, and with Nova needing the win more than the Golden Eagles, this is a lot of points. They could come in handy, as Villanova has had some close ones. Yesterday's 1-point game was preceded by a 2-point loss versus Creighton, a game Villanova was down big and showed heart in rallying. Remember the 1-point game versus UConn?

A win today and the Cats could start feeling a lot better about their NCAA Tournament hopes. Marquette already knows it'll be there. The Golden Eagles are 1-2 versus the spread on a neutral floor. The Wildcats have thrived in their neutral court games including victories over UNC, Texas Tech and Memphis. They are 2-0 both straight up and versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. Give me the points!

The Gauchos weren't that good against the spread this season. They were good to me when I supported them though. I won my Big West Game Of The Year on them way back in the middle of January. I was high on them then and I still them. I also won with the Gauchos last March 11th, my Big West Tourney Game Of the Year from last year. They were laying a similar number that day that they are today and they won by 10.

The Gauchos have been excellent as short neutral court favorites the past couple of years. In all neutral site games they were 6-3 versus the spread. The Matadors have won just 1 of their last 10 first round tournament games, going 3-7 versus the spread. The Gauchos went to the NCAA Tournament last year. They won't be stopped tonight.

Arkansas' disappointing regular season has provided us with great value in the opening round. Vastly superior to Vanderbilt talent-wise, at least in my opinion, the Razorbacks somehow got upset by the Commodores at home, in late February. They were favored by double-digits! That was a low point and now is a chance to start making things right.

The Razorbacks are 5-1-1 versus the spread their last 7 tries, when revenging a home loss. They are a respectable 8-6 ATS their last 14 tries against losing teams but 13-1 SU in those games. The loss was the Vanderbilt game. The majority of those spreads were a lot higher than this one. Looking for its revenge, Arkansas will move to 14-1 its last 15 tries against losing teams and will cover the small number for us in the process!

The River Hawks lost to Vermont in the America East Championship game last year. They want another crack at the Catamounts this year. A win here should earn them that opportunity as Vermont is a 13 point home favorite versus New Hampshire.

Playing this game on their home floor is a major advantage for U Mass Lowell. The Bulldogs are strong at home but below .500 on the road. The River Hawks are 4-0 both straight up and versus the spread in four meetings since last season. They beat them by 22 here a few weeks ago after winning by 9 at Bryant the previous week. Bring on Vermont!

I won with Weber State as my 2023 Big Sky Conference Tourney GOY. The Wildcats led from wire-to-wire in their quarterfinal victory over Sacramento State. The Wildcats brought back a ton of experience and depth from that team, including unanimous First Team All-Conference performer Dillon Jones. Jones had 18 points (plus 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals) in last year's GOY win.

Jones is even more dominant this season. He averages more than 20 points and more than 10 rebounds. He's scored more than 20 points in 3 straight games and at least 17 points in each of his past 12. Heavily favored to win this conference before the season started, Jones and the Wildcats know that their time is now. They lost to the Bobcats to close out the regular season but will avenge that loss with a big win "when it counts" on Monday.

James Madison is in a class of its own in the Sun Belt and will prove it again this evening. The Dukes are 28-3 and they haven't lost since January. They beat Texas State by 17 in the lone regular season meeting. A dominant team, the Dukes also have the schedule in their favor.

Both teams played yesterday. Its not surprising that JMU had an easier time with Marshall than Texas State had with Troy. Not only did the Bobcats have to battle harder yesterday but they also will already be playing their 4th game in this tournament, the first of which went to Overtime. It will catch up them against a superior opponent which had a double-bye and will be playing just its second game of the tourney. Lay the points!

I always enjoy getting points with a team which I expect to win outright! Though its unlikely that such a small point spread will come into play, when considering how close the regular season meetings were, its far from impossible. Those scores were 72-71 and 64-62, in Overtime. The Terriers won both games!

You'll hear people say that its hard to beat a team 3 times. Guess what? It happens! I like to counter with the argument that its hard to beat a team which has already beaten you twice. Not only has Boston beaten Lehigh twice but the Terriers get to play this game at Case Gym, their very own home floor. They are 9-6 at home, Lehigh is 7-10 on the road. Boston is 6-1 the last 7 meetings and gets it done again this afternoon!

The Kangaroos enter the tournament on a hot streak. The opposite is true of the Pioneers. The tournament is a chance to wipe the slate clean though and those recent results have provided additional line value with the underdog. In the regular season,  UMKC was only favored by 2 points at home against the Pioneers. (The Pioneers were favored by 4.5 at Denver.) Tonight, the Roos are laying more than that for a neutral site game. Value!

This is unfamiliar territory for the Roos. They aren't used to being favored in tournament games. They are 15-44 SU their last 69 tournament games, 5-21 in conference tourney games. Over the last 2 seasons, they are 2-8 (3-7 ATS) in tournament play, 0-2 SU/ATS in the Summit Tourney. The Pioneers are 6-3 ATS their last 9 tries, when playing with 5 or 6 days rest. Denver is also 6-2 ATS its last 8 tries as a neutral court underdog of 3.5 to 6 points. Grab the points!

This is another case of too many points in a game which should come down to the wire. The Blue Devils did win both regular season meetings. Those wins each game by a single point though. That's 3 straight meetings which were decided by exactly one point. Scores of 73-72, 69-68 and 58-57. The previous two before that were both double-digit Wagner wins.

One of the reasons Wagner gives the Blue Devils trouble is its defense. The Seahawks allow just 62.8 points per game. Central Connecticut is just 4-8 versus the spread its last 12 tries versus good defensive teams - those allowing

Give me all those points with Tennessee Martin! The Eagles are a really good team but they're running into a really hot opponent. The Skyhawks are a perfect 7-0 both straight up and versus the spread their last 7 games. They won 21 games this season and they are 9-1 ATS their last 10. One of those wins came versus Morehead State.

The Eagles easily won yesterday but still didn't cover. They are playing 2 games in 2 days for the first time this season. Even with 1 day's rest, they are 3-6 versus the spread. Grab the points with the rested, higher-seed! **OVC Tourney GOY**

The Aztecs are no longer in the running for the regular season title. They have bigger fish to fry though. They want to win the Conference Tournament in order to get as high a seed as possible for the NCAA Tournament, which is where the ultimate goal lies. They don't want to expend too much energy in winning the Conf. Tournament though. That means that they absolutely do not want to have to play 4 games in 4 days to win it. If they lose tonight, they'd be in danger of dropping all the way down to the 6 seed. That would mean no bye and it would mean they would need to win 4 games in 4 days, which would leave them weary for the Big Dance. This game is important.

The Aztecs are undefeated at home this season. A victory here gives them their first undefeated home record in school history. They are 4-1 ATS their last 5 tries when revenging a road loss vs opponent. They are also 4-1 ATS their last 5 tries off a MWC loss. Better still, they are 4-0 versus the spread as home favorites of 6.5 to 9 points. They will still be perfect in that role after tonight. Lay the points!

Yesterday was a favorable matchup for Belmont as the Bruins got to beat up on a bad Valparaiso team. That was expected but today's opponent represents a night-and-day difference. The Panthers were one of the preseason favorites to win this conference and they've been showing that type of form. They closed the season off 3 consecutive double-digit wins.

The last meeting saw UNI win by 11 at Belmont. The Bruins are 6-11 versus the spread, when playing against a team with a winning record. The Panthers are 8-3-1 versus the spread their last 12 on a neutral court. They are hot and rested and they will secure a small upset by knocking off Belmont this afternoon. **MVC Tourney GOY**

This is a big rivalry in the Bay area. The Golden Bears won at Cal but the Cardinal will win here at Stanford. The Cardinal are 3-0 straight up and versus the spread their last 3 tries in a home game where the total is 155 to 159.5. The Cardinal are also 13-8 ATS their last 21 tries in the road revenge role.

The Bears are playing their 3rd straight road game. They lost the first game by 10 and then got annihilated by 39 last game. The Bears beat up Stanford at Cal last season but the game at Stanford was an entirely different story. The Cardinal crushed Cal by 29. Lay the points!

Off three straight road games, Portland returns to the Pacific Northwest. Playing at home is not an advantage for the Trail Blazers. They are 10-18-1 versus the spread here. The Trail Blazers are also 16-31-1 versus the spread, after playing 3 consecutive road games.

The Thunder average 120.9 points per game. The Trail Blazers average only 107.6. When matched up against low-scoring teams like Portand, the Thunder tend to dominate. They are 31-9-1 versus the spread their last 41 versus poor offensive teams - those. scoring

I've got the Howard Bison winning big in this one. The records may be similar but the Bison have some matchup advantages. They already beat the Hornets at Delaware State and they beat them by 20 when the teams played here last season. This is Senior Day and that the Bison are going to want to close out their final home game of regular season with a big statement win.

If the Hornets can't beat teams at home, they're rarely able to do on the road. They're 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 tries when playing with home revenge. Delaware State gets outscored by 8.8 points per road game. Howard outscores teams by 6.5 points per home game. The Bison are 4-1 versus the spread their last 5 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Lay the points! **Mid Eastern Athletic GOM**

The Seahawks upset them at Fairleigh Dickinson. This afternoon, the Knights will do the same at Wagner. The Knights are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries, as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick. All five ATS victories were also of the straight up variety. Wagner is the opposite. The Seahawks are 1-3 their past 4 tries as home favorites of 3 or less. All the ATS losses came outright. Last year as 2 point road underdogs, the Knights beat the Seahawks by 18 here! That was after Wagner has won at FDU. Sound familiar?

The Knights love March basketball. They're 20-4 versus the spread their last 24 lined games in the month of March, 5-1 ATS the past 2 years. They are also 9-5 ATS their last 14 tries, after scoring 60 points or less and 5-2 ATS their last 7 tries versus good defensive teams - those allowing

After consecutive losses, the Gamecocks won at Ole Miss last game. They will now be playing their second straight road game and they will do so against a desperate Texas A&M. Though the Aggies have lost 4 in a row, 3 of those losses were on the road. They are still 9-4 at home. They will be happy to face a South Carolina team which they beat by 41 points the last meeting.

The total for this game is in the mid 130s. The Aggies are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries when the total is 130 to 139.5. Over the last 3 seasons, Texas A&M is 31-16-1 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5. They are also 6-2 ATS (8-0 straight up) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points. Lay the points with the Aggies!

I had the Kings last night. Great game by them. They went to LA and hammered the Clippers, a hated division rival. That puts them in a difficult position tonight. They are 3-5 versus the spread when playing with 0 days rest. They are also 3-5 versus the spread when off an upset win as an underdog.

The Heat are playing their best basketball and they come in fresh and well-rested. They are 8-1 versus the spread since end of January, 7 of those wins coming outright. That streak began with a 9 point win over Sacramento. Last season's games were both close, decided by 4 and 6 points. With the schedule in their favor, grab the points with the red hot Miami Heat.

Not many will want to back the Hurricanes in this spot. Miami has lost 6 straight games, one of them to North Carolina. The Hurricanes are 1-5 versus the spread in those games, 0-4 the past 4. That's going to keep people off them. The oddsmakers are forced to post a very large point-spread. That's giving us exceptional value on the road underdog.

The Hurricanes have been playing some close games. Miami is off a 4-point loss and that the game against North Carolina was decided by only 3 points. The Tar Heels have also been playing some close ones. They are 5-3 their last 8 games and only one of the games was a win by more than 10 points. That was a 15-point win over Virginia Tech, a team which Miami is 2-0 against.

The Hurricanes are on a long-term 43-24 ATS run, after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. They are also 8-2 versus the spread (7-3 straight up) their last 10 tries, revenging a home loss vs opponent and 7-2 ATS their last 9 road games where the total was 150 to 154.5. The Hurricanes won outright here last February. Give me the points!

Give me the points with Sacramento in this important Pacific Division battle. The Clippers won both this season's meetings but both of those were in 2023. The Kings have been playing well on the road since losing here earlier and they are 44-25-1 versus the spread their last 70 tries in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 230.

The Clippers are 1-5 versus the spread their last 6 games. Their last 4 wins have all been by 6 or less. The Kings are off consecutive wins and their alst loss was by only 5. This game is also likely going to be decided late. Grab the points. **PACIFIC DIV GOM**

Minnesota has been printing money for its backers this season. The Gophers have been excellent versus the point-spread all season and they beat Nebraska by 11 back in December. Their ATS success comes to a screeching halt this evening though. Nebraska has been strong at home this season and the Gophers lost by 11 here on this exact day last year.

The Cornhuskers are a perfect 6-0 versus the spread their past 6 tries when revenging a road loss vs opponent. They are 17-8 ATS their last 25 tries. With a 5-1 ATS record this month, 3-0 ATS the last 3, Nebraska is playing better than it was for the earlier meeting. The Gophers are 20-41-1 ATS their last 62 a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. Lay the points with Nebraska this evening.

A trip to Hawaii isn't easy on students. Coaches can help them avoid distractions but there's the physical toll of the trip itself. There's also a tough defensive team waiting for them upon arrival. The Warriors are 10-6 here. They make scoring difficult. Visiting schools score 67.7 points per game here. Long Beach State allows more than 77 points per game on the road.

The Warriors are 5-3 versus the spread their last 8 tries as a home favorite of 3 points or less or pick. They lost last month at Long Beach State but they beat the Beach by 9 here last season. They're undefeated at home this month including a revenge win. They will help close out our Saturday with another win and cover.

Small line but this should be a big win in this Big South Conference "Battle of the Bulldogs" this afternoon. The Gardner Webb Bulldogs won at Gardner Webb but they only have 5 wins in 16 road games. The UNC Asheville Bulldogs are 12-1 at home. They outscore teams by an average of 18.9 points here!

UNC Asheville is 5-0 versus the spread its last 5 home games where the total is 150 to 154.5. Gardner Webb is 1-6 versus the spread (0-7 straight up) its last 7 tries, in a road game where the total is 150 to 154.5. UNC Asheville has thrived in the revenge role and is 9-4 versus the spread its last 13 tries, when off a conference loss. UNC Asheville beat GW by 12 here last season. Lay the points.

Home-court means a great deal to each of these clubs. The Ospreys are 10-4 at home but 5-9 on the road. The home/road differences are even greater for Jacksonville. The Dolphins are 2-13 away but 10-1 at home. The Ospreys won at North Florida. Now the Dolphins will win at Jacksonville.

The Dolphins allow only 59.5 points per game at home. The Ospreys allow 81.4 points per game on the road. The Dolphins are 7-1 straight up and versus the spread their last 8 tries in a home game where the total is 135 to 139.5.

It was on this day (2/23) 2 years ago that Jacksonville beat North Florida 71-39. The Dolphins will repeat history and will improve to 4-1 versus the spread in five tries when playing with road revenge.

Too many points. Samford can really score but so can the Paladins. Furman won this season's first meeting by 10 points. The Paladins have won 4 straight in the series and 9 of the last 10. Four of the last 5 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points, one of those going to Overtime.

Samford is off a 4-point loss. Furman has won 3 straight games, the margin of victory growing with each one. The Paladins are 5-1 versus the spread their last 6 tries when listed as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. The Paladins are also 11-1 ATS versus good offensive teams after at least 15 games have been played, good being defined as teams which score 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Grab the points.

The Spartans lost in the MEAC Championship game last season. They are determined to get back there and to win it this year. They are gearing up to do so and that means beating teams like NC Central when they come for a visit.

The Eagles are off back to back losses. The Spartans are off a victory. The Eagles won this season's first meeting. They aren't as good on the road though and the Spartans are undefeated at home. In 10 games here, they outscore teams by a 87.6 to 62.8 average score. The Spartans are also 6-1-1 versus the spread their last 8 tries when playing with road revenge. They are 5-0 ATS their last 5 tries as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points and they will get us a win and cover tonight.

The Tigers may be wounded but they are still very dangerous. Prior to losing their last game to North Texas, they had won 3 straight. They have also defeated SMU 4 straight times. The Tigers are especially deadly as underdogs. Over the last 3 years, they are 14-5 versus the spread, when getting points. This season, they are 4-2 in the underdog role with 4 outright victories.

The Mustangs lost a close 3-point game at Memphis in January. Revenge isn't much of a motivator for them though as they are only 5-9 versus the spread their last 14 tries in the road revenge role. The Mustangs are 12-18 ATS their last 30 tries when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games and they are 4-8 ATS their last 12 tries versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Give me the points!

Short line for Duquesne at home. The Dukes are 8-4 at home. The Hawks are 3-6 on the road. The Hawks narrowly won the first meeting, at St. Josephs. Duquesne won the last game here by 14 points.

The Hawks are 1-3 versus the spread as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick. They have won just 8 of their last 39 road games which had a total of 145 to 149.5.

Off a bad loss to Dayton, Duquesne will respond. The Dukes are 2-0 versus the spread, after scoring 60 points or less In that situation, they beat Fordham by 9 and they went on the road and beat St. Bonaventure by 6. Dukes do it again!

This is a case of too many points. Cornell was favored by 5.5 points over Harvard here last season, also a mid-February game. The Crimson won outright by 17 points! Having lost this season's first meeting, the Crimson are coming in with another upset on their minds.

Harvard dominated Dartmouth last game. Cornell is off a tough 2-point loss to Yale. Though the Big Red covered the spread in that game, they are only 5-11 against the number of their last 16 games played in February.

Cornell can really score but Harvard is 19-7-1 its last 27 against the spread versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games. Harvard is also 3-0 against the spread its last 3 games as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points. Grab the points.

The Wolverines took the first meeting by a score of 65-58. That was at home and they are 2-11 on the road. The Lancers are 10-4 at home. They limit visiting teams to less than 64 points per game.

The point spread is low partly because Cal Baptist has lost 3 straight games versus the number. The Lancers are 5-2 against the spread their last 7 lined games, after 3 straight non-covers. The Lancers have to win this one as they face the best team in the conference next, the first of 3 straight road games. Lay the small number!

Tennessee is a very strong team but Arkansas is much better than most bettors realize. These were both top 10 teams in this year's preseason rankings. Public perception is providing us with a very generous line on a talented and live underdog.

The Razorbacks have under-achieved but they have turned the corner. They won their last game and have 2 wins their last 3 games. The Razorbacks are 9-4 SU at home and 38-9 here the last 3 years. They are 11-1 SU their last 12 home games where the total is 150 to 154.5

The Volunters are 6-5 on the road, only 3-8 against the spread. They are 8-13-1 versus the spread their last 22 tries, in a road game where the total is 150 to 154.5. They are off a loss to the Aggies and have dropped 2 of their last 4.

The Razorbacks have beaten the Volunteers the last few meetings here and they are 10-3 the last 13 here. In a game they could end up winning outright, let's grab all those points! **SEC GOY**

They say that an elephant never forgets. Apparently a "Wolf Pack" rarely does either. Nevada is an exemplary 79-50 against the spread its last 129 lined games, when playing with road revenge. That includes a 15-7 against the spread record when playing with revenge from a road loss of 20 or more points. Think the Wolf Pack remember last month's 89-55 throttling at New Mexico? You better believe it!

Since that beating, the Wolf Pack have won 3 straight, both straight up and versus the pointspread. The Lobos have dropped 2 of their last 3. They've been underdogs twice this season and came up short in both instances. Lay the small number!

Time will tell but I believe that they've got the wrong team favored in this one. I love a good home underdog as much as the next guy. The problem is Texas Tech isn't even a home underdog. The Red Raiders are laying points against a top 5 Kansas team. Short-handed or not, the Jayhawks are still the stronger team.

The Jayhawks are battling through some adversity as they are short-handed. The statuses of McDowell and McCuller are both up in the air. Important players that make the Jayhawks better. They just beat Baylor without them though, the defense elevating and delivering a peak performance.

The Red Raiders have battled illness themselves and are also coming off a strong defensive game. They are only 11-19 ATS their last 30 tries, after allowing 60 or less. Kansas is already 2-0 ATS as an underdog. The Jayhawks have beaten the Raiders 8 of the last 9 times and 3 of the last 4 meetings were decided by 2 buckets or less. Grab the points.

Wright State is one of the fastest teams in the country. The Raiders can run visiting teams right out of the building. They average 87.7 points per home game and 88.8 points a game in Horizon League play. They connect on a very high 56.4% of their field goals, in this building.

Oakland struggles against top level competition. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-3 against the spread their last 4 against teams with a winning record. That brings them to 8-14-1 ATS their last 23 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games.

These teams will face each other again on February 25th, at Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies will have a chance in that one but not today. The Raiders are 9-3 SU and 7-5-1 ATS their last 13 as a host in the series. Unable to contend with the pace, the Golden Grizzlies aren't going to know what hit them!

The Milwaukee Bucks played last night but that won't save the Charlotte Hornets from the beating which is coming their way. The Bucks won this season's earlier meeting by 31. Charlotte definitely hasn't gotten any better since then and is walking into a hornet's next.

The coaching change to Doc Rivers hasn't paid immediate dividends for Milwaukee. The Bucks have now lost 3 straight games and 5 of their last 6. To be fair, 5 of those games were on the road and last night's was against a top level team from the West, the one with the most road wins of any team in the NBA. Clearly, this is a big drop in class.

Charlotte lost at Detroit back on January 24th. That marked the first loss of the Hornets' current 9-game losing streak. Seven of their last 8 have come and the Hornets still couldn't get a win. The only road game over that time resulted in a 20-point loss.

The Bucks next 2 games come against the defending NBA champions and the defending Eastern Conference champions, Denver and Miami. After that, the Bucks go on the road again. Rivers knows his team needs a big win and that he needs one, too. He will make sure that that the Bucks don't squander this opportunity.

This is splendid value. We get Hawaii at home, playing with revenge and we don't even have to lay any points. Hawaii is 31-15 at home the last 3 seasons. Uc San Diego is 15-25 on the road.

This is no easy place to play and that's not just because of the travel factor. The Warriors 12-6 straight up their last 18 off a loss, won their last home game by 10 points. They allow only 66 points a game here. It was 365 days ago that they beat UC San Diego here by 7 points. Home court will reign supreme and the Warriors will win again tonight!

The Bulls have the talent edge and are healthier. They've got plenty of their own injuries though and they're on the road. They're also the type of team that the Grizzlies can outwork.

When they're at their best, the Bulls can be quite good. They beat Minnesota last game. That was at Chicago. They are only 9-15 on the road. They've got Orlando on deck and the Magic beat them twice. A look-ahead spot past Memphis. The Grizzlies are 20-5 against the spread their last 25 against teams from the Central. Grab the points.

Canisius is off a bad loss and has struggled of late. That has led to a nice underdog line against an inferior opponent. The Golden Griffins also struggled to start last season. But by February, they turned things around. They're 12-5 against the spread their last 17 in February. This team is fully capable of doing the same and it starts tonight.

The Golden Griffins beat the Purple Eagles handily at Canisius last season. The game at Niagara was decided by just 3 points. Niagara has lost 2 of its last 3 home games. All 3 were decided by 6 or less. Canisius is 25-13 against the spread the last 2 years against winning teams and has an excellent chance of winning this game outright. Grab the points.

The Trail Blazers hung with the champions for most of Friday's game but they will not be able to do do twice in a row. There was still some question about Jokic's health before Friday but the Denver big man dominated and is fully ready to go for this one.

The Trail Blazers may have covered 48 hours ago but they are still 14-26-1 against the spread in divisional game the past 2 years.

Portland was practically patting itself on the back for losing by only 12 on Friday. Denver will demonstrate its dominance from the opening tip tonight. The Nuggets are simply much stronger at both ends of the floor. A win of greater than 15 points is expected!

Give me Gonzaga at home in this battle of West Coast Conference heavyweights. These are the top 2 teams in the conference every year. The Bulldogs get more attention but the Gaels are also consistently very strong. This year is no different. Gonzaga is currently in a better place.

The Gaels have had trouble in consecutive games. Hosting back to back lightweights, they were favored by 16.5 and 13.5 points. They struggled with those bad teams though and won each game by only 5 points. Last game, they beat Santa Clara 82-77. That level of play won't cut it tonight.

The Bulldogs were favored by 14.5 points last game, roughly the same that St. Mary's was for its game. Unlike the Gaels, Gonzaga won by 34 points. That confidence building blowout is going to serve them well tonight!

The Gaels are only 5-11-1 against the spread their last 17 tries, after scoring 80 or more points. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS their last 10 tries, when facing a team which allows 64 or fewer points, through at least 15 games of the season. Gonzaga won by 26 last March in the WCC Tournament and by 9 in last season's regular season game here. Lay the points!

With both teams off a game last night, its important to know how these teams typically handle playing 2 games in 2 days. A quick look shows that Golden State tends to do a much better job than Atlanta.

The Warriors are 5-3 against the spread, when playing 2 games in 2 days. Upon closer examination, we find that they are 3-0 ATS when playing a road game after also playing on the road on the previous day.

The Hawks, 1-13 against the spread after a non-conference games, are 1-7 against the spread when playing 2 games in 2 days, 0-2 ATS when playing a home game after playing at home the previous day.

The Warriors had an easier time last night than the Hawks. They are 6-1 ATS off a win by 10 points or more. Give me the points.

Great setup for the Heat. After a long stretch of pointspread futility, they answered with a win and cover last game. Now they are off a win, had a day off and have tomorrow off. Better yet, they get to take on one of the weakest teams in the NBA.

Though they've managed 6 wins on the road, the Wizards have the worst home record in basketball. They are 3-19 here, 7-15 against the pointspread. Visiting teams outscore them by an average of 10.6 points.

This has been a profitable venue for Miami for years. The Heat are 37-16-2 against the spread their last 55 trips here. Expect them to win convincingly.

Hofstra already handled the Seawolves at Stony Brook. They will absolutely do so again in tonight's rematch at the David S. Mack Sports Complex. Both clubs are strong at home. Both have struggled on the road. Hofstra has won 8 of the last 9 meetings. The last game here saw the Pride win by a 79-58 score.

The projected tempo will not help the Seawolves. They are 2-8 straight up and against the pointspread their last 10 tries when on the road with a total of 140 to 144.5.

Off a 81-78 loss at Monmouth, the Pride are going to be bringing it. They are 10-6-1 ATS their past 17 tries when off a game where they allowed 80 or more. They've won each of their last 2 home games by more than 8 and they will win this one by more than 8 as well. ***CAA GOY***

Charlotte isn't a good team. Bad teams can still be profitable, if you back them at the right time. This is one of those times. Charlotte is rested and facing a mediocre Chicago team which lost against Toronto less than 24 hours ago.

Chicago is only 3-5 straight up and against the pointspread when playing 2 games in 2 days. The last time that the Bulls were in that situation, the team that they were playing (San Antonio) was in the same boat. No advantage. The previous time, when up against a rested team, the Bulls lost by 16. They are 1-3 against the spread when playing a road game after playing at home the previous day. The win was the previously mentioned Spurs game.

The Bulls have beaten them 3 times already this season. The Hornets want to avoid a sweep. Chicago is only 8-15 on the road. Grab the points!

Nice win for the Magic over Phoenix yesterday. Defeating Dallas on the second leg of a 2 games in 2 nights situation will be much harder. The Mavericks have owned the Magic here for years and beat them by 9 here last season.

The Magic have only 2 wins in 9 tries when playing 2 games in 2 days. They just lost by 27 points at Cleveland less than a week ago, after beating Miami the previous day. The time before in that situation, they lost by 12.

Playing their 2nd game in 2 days, the Mavericks lost their last game. They since had yesterday off. Refreshed, they bounce back and handle their business, moving to 17-11 against the spread, as favorites.

When taking points with an underdog, I first need to believe that my team has a legitimate chance to win the game outright. North Dakota checks that box. The Fighting Hawks have perhaps the top front-court in the Summit Conference. Coming into the season, they were projected by some to finish #2 in the conference, behind South Dakota State. St. Thomas was 3rd.

Though the Fighting Hawks may well win the game, they don't need to. This is a big number and we can still cash with a close loss. Two of the Tommies' last 4 games have been decided by 1 point.

The Fighting Hawks have a score to settle. They circled this game after the Tommies embarrassed them on December 29th. They are 9-6 against the spread their last 15, when playing with revenge. Off 3 straight double-digit wins, the Fighting Hawks are playing much better than they were for the earlier meeting. They are 9-2 ATS their last 11 off a conference win and they will bring their best tonight. **Summit Conf GOY**

Tough losses, the kind that come at the buzzer, or which feature a blown lead, can be tough for college teams to overcome. Southern Indiana lost a tough one 2 games ago, falling 77-75 to Arkansas Little Rock. After letting that one get away, the Screaming Eagles lost their next game by 11. They are still 9-6 against the spread as underdogs and they will be ready to respond today.

The Leathernecks are off a tough loss of their own. They blew a lead and fell 58-57 to Tennessee State. Just as it was difficult for the Screaming Eagles to bounce back from their tough loss, it will be the same for the Leathernecks. They are only 39-111 straight up the past 150 times that they were off a conference loss, an awful 56-88 against the spread in those games. Western Illinois only scores 63 points a game on the road and that won't be enough.

The Shockers are badly in need of a victory. They will be pleased to see East Carolina. Off 3 straight defeats, the Pirates are struggling nearly as much as they are.

As bad as things look on the surface, Wichita State hasn't played terribly. Let's look at the losing streak. They beat Southern Illinois on 12/16. The next 2 games were versus Kansas and Kansas State. Losing them wasn't too bad. A loss against North Texas to start 2024 wasn't very impressive. Since then, three of four games have been on the road and the only home game was against Memphis. Two games ago, they gave a strong FAU team a good fight and last game they nearly won at South Florida. This is a team on the cusp of breaking out.

The Pirates are 0-2 against the spread as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points. They are 19-31 their last 50 as road underdogs of 3.5 to 6 points. They score 64 points a game on the road. The Shockers score 76 at home. Don't be shocked when Wichita snaps its losing streak with a big win!

Give me the points with the home underdog Nets! The Nets are 12-6-2 against the spread at home. The Knicks are 6-10 against the spread, when off a double-digit win.

The Knicks have won 3 straight games. They are only 2-4 against the spread after winning their previous 3. The Nets lost to the Clippers to close out their trip. They pounded the Lakers before that though. Two of their last 3 losses have been by 2 points or less.

The Knicks won here last month but the Nets have still won 4 of the past 5 meetings here. Nets get some payback by upsetting the Knicks on Tuesday!