Each game so far between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks has been down to the wire. That is not typical of a postseason series, and I expect game five to be the game that is not competitive. Minnesota limited PJ Washington, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving all below thirty three percent shooting in game four. They’ll continue to have success on the defensive end, and look to end a 1-4 postseason stretch at home. Tail the Twolves.

It’s going to take rapid adjustments from the Minnesota Timberwolves to even the series after losing game one to the Dallas Mavericks. Offensively they had a couple of surges to begin the fourth quarter and erasing a 97-89 deficit, but could not put it together. Look for Minnesota’s adjustments to come on the defensive end, in particular on Luka Doncic who looks as healthy as he has been in the postseason. Take the Timberwolves to respond in game two.

A weakness for the Dallas Mavericks in the postseason has been their performances in game ones. They lost decisively by twelve points in both game ones to the Oklahoma City Thunder and LA Clippers. The stage is different now and I believe they will be ready for the road challenge against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Take the value on the underdog with the Timberwolves coming off a series win over the defending NBA champions.

I’m tailing the Denver Nuggets as the final game seven of today. It’s clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves have the better overall team in my opinion, but the Nuggets have the edge in coaching and home court. Look for the home crowd to spark Denver and Michael Malone to have his team ready to get back to the WCF. Take Denver. 

Indiana and New York has been a fantastic series, and one that each team has traded blows to get to seven games. What we do not know is the level of effectiveness Josh Hart or OG Anunoby will provide the Knicks on the floor. Expect those minutes to possibly hurt the Knicks as the Pacers play determined basketball. Grab the Pacers as the slight underdog.

The Oklahoma City Thunder should already be eliminated with as poor as they have played offensively against the Dallas Mavericks. Yet, they found a way in game four with a late rally at Dallas, and all it takes is that one game for a team to wake up in the postseason. Take the Thunder to finally look a bit more fluid offensively for the first time since game one.

During this postseason we have seen the Indiana Pacers be a resilient group off a loss. Game five featured a high level effort from the Knicks in particular Jalen Brunson. Expect the Pacers to re-adjust defensively and be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. This goes seven games like the Twolves-Nuggets. Lay it with the Pacers.

The youth of the Oklahoma City Thunder may cost them in this series against the Dallas Mavericks. They had the Mavericks on the ropes in game three but completely unraveled in the third quarter allowing a big 15-0 run. Yet, they still had a chance to win late and in their first test of needing a win I think they respond tonight. Take the Thunder in game four, as this series has seven games written all over it.

Postseason patterns have been apart of the Boston Celtics playoff runs for years. Game two has been an issue thus far in both postseason series, but look for Boston to turn it up a notch in game three. From an offensive stand point expect a night and day difference from game two. The Cavaliers may be in the second round but they are extremely vulnerable as witnessed in three losses to the Magic, and game one to the Celtics. Lay it with Boston.

The Thunder had their first postseason loss in game two on their floor to the Mavericks. Dallas responded well with a bump up in play from their bench led by Tim Hardaway Jr. Yet, this Thunder team will make adjustments, including playing Wiggins more than struggling Josh Giddey. Expect better defense on Doncic as well. Grab the Thunder in game three

Denver heads to Minnesota for game three in a heap of trouble. They were blown out at home in game two, and now find themselves attempting the impossible. This series is likely going to go the Timberwolves way, but I look for the defending champs to put together a better effort tonight.  With three days off since game two, take the points with Denver.

Denver is going to have their difficulties against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but game two I believe goes there way convincingly. For as mediocre as Denver played in game one, they still had the lead for stages and had a chance to win late. Expect Denver to have better team balance and get more shots for Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and their star guard Jamal Murray. Play the Nuggets on the spread.

This spread in game one is a bit high in my opinion. We have the Knicks coming off a physical series against Philadelphia, to now facing a team that plays with tempo in Indiana. Indiana has the better overall depth that could test the Knicks, and they won two of the three regular season matchups. The lone loss was by just four points. Take the Pacers on a generous second round spread.

We finally saw a competitive game in game five between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. I think we see one once again as the Cavaliers try to avoid the blowouts we saw in games three and four. Jarrett Allen was at shoot around this morning, so having Allen would be a huge upgrade to the Cavaliers. Take the Cavs as they get the cover in Orlando tonight.

The New York Knicks should be resting after letting game five slip away multiple times. As great as Tyrese Maxey was, the Knicks have to feel comfortable with how well they’ve kept the 76ers in check the majority of the series. Expect Jalen Brunson to defer the ball a bit more, and give his teammates the open shots that are there. Take the Knicks plus the points in game six.

The Pacers played very poor in game five, where the road element likely got to them. Milwaukee over the last three games has shown their veteran makeup, pushing Indiana in both games at Indiana, and the blowout on their home floor. Yet, Indiana had these type of letdowns in the regular season, and is just to potent of an offensive team. They’ll bounce back with or without Gianna/Lillard on the floor. Play Indiana.

One has to wonder how much is left in the tank for the Milwaukee Bucks. They fought hard in Indiana taking game three to overtime, and hanging around for the majority of game four. Yet, with Damian Lillard out in game four the Bucks made ten less three pointers than Indiana. Fatigue along with that factor will be the difference in game five. Take the Pacers.

Of all the NBA series, the Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks has been arguably the most competitive. Three of the four games so far have went down to the wire. Closing out a team in the playoffs is so difficult, and I expect the Knicks to feel that pressure on their home floor. Additionally, both Josh Hart and Donte Divencenzo struggled in game four. Take the points here with Philadelphia.

In a crucial game four for the LA Clippers, there is no doubt we will see a heightened effort. Where Dallas has grown is their ability to wear down the Clippers on the offensive end of the floor. In both games two and three they scored below ninety six points. That leaves the door open for one key run for a talented team like Dallas to push past the number late. Take Dallas on the spread.

In the NBA playoffs right now we are seeing lopsided series in the West with Dallas winning consecutive games, Minnesota up 3-0, and Denver up 3-0. The Pelicans if they are going to take one game the best opportunity will be in game three. Oklahoma City is coming off an A+ offensive game in which they put in over 120 points. But in the third quarter the Pelicans got their star finally going in Brandon Ingram. He should be much more aggressive in game three and the Pelicans will feed off his energy. Take the Pelicans.

We saw the Dallas Mavericks flip the switch in game two on the defensive end of the floor. They forced tough shots the entire game from the Clipper’s star players in Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George. Now expect the Mavericks to defend their home court as they were the top team in the NBA down the stretch of the season.

The Boston Celtics are once again huge favorites in game two. Thanks to a big fourth quarter run from the Miami Heat in game one, I expect an even faster start from the Celtics in game two. Additionally, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will play with a chip on his shoulder after Caleb Martin collided into him at the tail end of the game. Miami just does not have the personnel to run full speed with the Celtics for four quarters. Take the Celtics to cover once again.

Look for the Pacers to respond in game two tonight in Milwaukee. As poor of a first half as the Pacers played they fought back to cut the deficit to just twelve points. They held Damian Lillard scoreless in the second half, and Milwaukee to just forty points post half time. Look for Indiana to shoot much better from the field and not be held under 100 points again. Take Indiana.

At first I leaned towards the Oklahoma City Thunder side but sometimes we see teams get better through a key injury. The Pelicans know they will be without Zion, but have one of the better developed rosters in the NBA. Ingram looks ready to go, and I expect CJ McCollum to bounce back from two rare off games in the play in. Additionally, the Pelicans had one of the eight wins on the Thunder’s home floor this season. Take the Pelicans. 

One of the toughest elements of the postseason is handling a team’s talent and escalated pressure. For the Minnesota Timberwolves they had a banner year but now enter a phase they have not experienced as a higher seed in the Western Conference. To make matters worse the Suns have won nine out of the last ten matchups including a road win last Sunday. Take Phoenix to get another win over the young Timberwolves. 

Atlanta goes into the play in with a record of just 36 and 46. At ten games below .500 they lost the final six games of the season. Yet, this team has adapted after missing Trae Young for nearly two months. Furthermore, Chicago is a team they defeated at the United Center on April 1st by a margin of twelve points. Grab the generous amount of points here on the Hawks side.

The Sacramento Kings are a team that down the stretch of the season did not look like a postseason team. Yet, they have two young talents in D’Aron Fox and Sabonis that can override their depth issues for one game. Additionally, the Warriors appear to have peaked towards the end of the season. Lets not forget they Rockets were a game back of catching them for the tenth spot. In a Northern California battle grab the Kings plus the points.

The Milwaukee Bucks head into Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks with three straight losses against the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Toronto. Piling on to the matter is the fact that Giannis is questionable. Expect the Knicks to give maximum effort as they are two games back of the Bucks for the 2nd seed in the East. Tail the Knicks as the Bucks woes continue.

The Detroit Pistons put forth a disastrous effort and performance yesterday against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies. That creates a buy low opportunity today against a Brooklyn Nets team they defeated last month by six points. Jaden Ivey had his second best performance of the season with 34 points, and is coming off thirty one points in yesterday’s loss to the Grizzlies. Take the points here with Detroit.

The Philadelphia 76ers used a late surge to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last game. The win was Joel Embiid’s return, but also devalued because the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Thursday, the 76ers get a solid matchup against a Heat team they defended well and limited to 91 points on March 18th. Grab the 76ers as the slight underdogs.

One constant for Indiana State during the NIT has been their offensive excellence. They can play from behind as they did against SMU and Cincinnati, and they can hold off runs as they did from Minnesota and Utah. Seton Hall had problems with the Sycamores type of offense in particular against St. Johns. Look for Indiana State to complete their NIT title and get the win over the Pirates.

The Portland Trailblazers continue to have key players out in Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and off the bench Matisse Thybulle. As a result the Trailblazers have lost ten straight games as they utilize more role players. Yet, they did come close to defeating the Magic as they lost by one point. Take the Blazers in what is a solid matchup against the Hornets.

The Houston Rockets had their eleven game win streak snapped in a big way by the Dallas Mavericks. Now the Rockets are two games back of the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot, and will face a Timberwolves team driven to win. The Timberwolves are just one game back of the top seed in the Western Conference, and are coming off a poor let down home loss to the Bulls. Grab the Timberwolves.

Utah has been dominant in the NIT with three decisive wins by nine points or more. Their size has been a big advantage with 7 footer Branden Carlson having his way. Yet, Indiana State has shown an ability to adjust in-game. They came back from big deficits against SMU and Cincinnati, and also handled a run from Minnesota. Being tested is something Utah has not experienced since the Pac-12 tournament. Take Indiana State on a neutral court.

The Phoenix Suns will aim to bounce back after a twenty five point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The last three times they have lost by double digits they have responded with wins by an average margin of ten points. Additionally, the Suns have incentive for their true last attempt to get out of the play in round. Two games back of the sixth spot Pelicans, they have tonight and at the end of the week a home matchup against New Orleans. Take the Suns.

Typically in a repeat matchup I will take the prior winner. In this case I’ll make the exception and back Alabama. In non-conference play Clemson’s first true  test was against Alabama, while the Crimson Tide had come off a tournament. As a result, Clemson wore tired out Alabama down the stretch outscoring the Crimson Tide by fifteen points in the final thirteen minutes. Look for Alabama to give the Tigers problems with their pace for forty minutes, as we have seen Clemson struggle to score in second halves. Back Alabama.

Under Doc Rivers the Milwaukee Bucks have had several mini stretches that make a person scratch their head. They appear to be in the middle of another down turn after blowing a near twenty point fourth quarter lead to the Lakers, and then falling to the Pelicans. Atlanta may be lacking depth but they have won four straight, including two wins over the Celtics. Play the Hawks

Throughout NC State’s seven game winning streak they have not been tested in terms of a deficit. They’ve been in the lead or as was the case against Virginia tied at halftime. Look for that to change today against a Marquette team that has had their leader back for a couple of games now in Tyler Kolek, after he missed their last six. The Golden Eagles are also the best team that the Wolfpack have faced this season in terms of field goal percentage. Lay it with Marquette.

North Carolina was a trendy team to go down in their last game against Michigan State. The Spartans just could not execute enough in the half court on two occasions with a big lead and a comeback in the second half. Alabama offensively is going to give North Carolina problems with their flurry of runs and the high level play of Mark Sears. They may survive but the result will favor the underdog. Grab the points with Alabama.

The ACC has been a surprise in March Madness where they have been 8-0 overall. Clemson nearly blew their last matchup against Baylor but did just enough to hold on. The Tigers have an upper hand on knowing Caleb Love’s strengths from his years as a Tar Heel. Chase Hunter has also emerged as he has been the leading scorer for the Tigers in both tournament games. Grab the points with Clemson.

It is odd to have an Eastern Conference and Western Conference opponents face each other again in a quick turn around. Yet, that is the case with the Philadelphia 76ers who just defeated the Clippers three days ago in LA. Off their four game West Coast road trip look for the Clippers to be fueled to even the series. Lay it with the Clippers.

Seattle thus far has been unchallenged in the CBI tournament with three lopsided wins. Today they will face a High Point team that will match their size and veteran players in Cameron Tyson and Alex Schumacher. Additionally, this is Seattle’s sixth game in a span of fourteen days. Take High Point to win the CBI.

I’ve been very high on UNLV for much of their progression down the stretch of the season. To get a win over Princeton showcased how much they have improved offensively. Yet, they are a bit beat up at this stage and we just saw Boston College take advantage of a Providence team in the same situation. UNLV has also had a tendency to play down to their opponents at home. Take the points with Boston College.

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to deal with a bulk of their starting lineup out. It has resulted in losses in three of their last four games, including just ninety one points scored in their last matchup against the Timberwolves. Yet, the Miami Heat’s style of play should keep Cleveland in this one. Just four days ago they lost by three points to the Heat. Take the points.

James Madison had their way in the opening round against Wisconsin. The Badgers failed to challenge the Dukes at the onset, and never got into a flow offensively. That will change today against a Duke team that is going to make James Madison work for their shots. Take Duke as they played two strong halves of basketball defensively.

The final stretch of the NBA regular season is upon us. This is an important phase for the Phoenix Suns to take care of business against below .500 teams. Eight of the Suns final twelve games are on the road, making it even more important to handle weaker opponents. Grab the Suns to put on a showcase performance in what is the first of two straight road games against the Spurs.

Oakland did a terrific job hanging with Kentucky and getting the upset. The victory was more on hot shooting and a Wildcats team that did not resemble what we saw offensively in the regular season. NC State is on a roll confidence wise, and is prepared to end the Grizzlies run. Take NC State -6.

When seed lines come out for Selection Sunday, attention gets drawn to an 8 or 9 seed that has potential to upset the top seed. Michigan State was that team this year as it began the season as a top five team. The tournament is about going on a run and your draw, and the Spartans match up well with the Tar Heels. Look for a great battle and for Tom Izzo’s Spartans at the very least to cover the number.

For Florida they will face a Colorado team that finally played up to their potential down the season. A veteran team they also have potential top pick Cody Williams coming off the bench. Yet, down the stretch of the season Colorado has used team defense to excel. Over their last four wins no opponent has eclipsed fifty eight points. Look for Florida to change that as they are to octane of an offense.

The Mountain West has seen three teams fall, with Boise and Nevada losing in heart break fashion. Look for the conference to get a win today with New Mexico. The Lobos found a steady guard with sophomore Donovan Dent paired with senior Jaelen House. In the interior the Lobos have the bigs with Nelly Joseph and freshmen JT Toppin to matchup with PJ Hall and Clemson. Tail the Lobos as the 11th seed favorite.

I fully expect their to be a game day rise on the Kansas spread, so lock in this number now. The Jayhawks may be undermanned but still have carry over talent from their title two years ago with Duane Harris Jr. and KJ Adams. Samford also lacks a go to scorer outside of Achor Achor, who I believe Kansas will limit. Additionally, the Bulldogs need to be able to run to have success. They ranked seventh in the country in fast break points. Expect Kansas to attack the weaknesses of the Bulldogs defensively. Lay it with the Jayhawks.

Momentum prior to the tournament can be rated on different scales depending on the team. For NC State their momentum is on a higher scale after winning five games in five days. Experience is on their side with DJ Horne who was apart of last year’s eleven seed with ASU. They also can withstand runs which may be their biggest tournament quality. Take the points with NC State.

Typically I do not go against streaks but I’ll back the Bulls against the Houston Rockets. Their lone regular season matchup went to overtime, but it was a game the Bulls should have won decisively. Houston’s perimeter defense was poor as the Bulls made nineteen three pointers, and had five players that made two or more three’s. Grab the Bulls to at least cover the number.

South Carolina has sleeper potential in my opinion, but March Madness is about the draw. South Carolina gets a poor draw against an Oregon team whose system fits tournament play. Dana Altman has continually advanced Duck’s squads in the tournament, and they come in with confidence after winning the Pac-12 tournament. An underlying factor is Jermaine Cousnard began his first three seasons as a Gamecock.

UNLV was an interesting team in how they developed in conference play. They played like a tournament team but their body of work from November and December was not there. Defensively they will give Princeton problems with their length and ability to keep defenders in front of them. Even with the far road travel look for the Rebels to keep this close.

Even with travel in play look for the Sacramento Kings to handle the Toronto Raptors decisively. Value is to be had with the Kings faltering ATS in consecutive home games against the Knicks and Grizzlies. Yet, this is a Raptors team playing for next year and were handily defeated in their last game against the Magic. Tail the Kings.

The Denver Nuggets are coming off a rare loss Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks. Look for Denver to bounce back as a motivated team against a Timberwolves squad that defeated them 110-89 in the lone matchup. Minnesota’s last back to back spot was a lackluster performance and a nine point loss to an undermanned Cavaliers team. Tail Denver as Minnesota is playing their third game in four nights.

Often times the heart break of missing out on March Madness has a ripple effect in a consolation tournament. For Providence their matchup against Boston College could showcase the reason they are not in the tournament. Additionally, Boston College has played well down the stretch of the season and looked good in the ACC tournament. Take Boston College plus the three.

The Memphis Grizzlies have shown fight the entire season, even with how thin they are. Expect that Monday as Sacramento is coming off a low point in their season, scoring just 91 points against the Knicks. It was De’Aaron Fox’s worst shooting performance of the season. Tail Memphis

South Florida had an incredible American Conference season, with a record of 16-2. UAB actually had one of the few wins over South Florida, a 75-71 victory. They also seem to be more dialed in since blowing a huge lead to Memphis. They’ve won three straight, and have the defense to contain the Bulls. Grab UAB.

The Atlanta Hawks seek to end their two game losing streak on the road against the Utah Jazz. This should be a favorable matchup for the Hawks who won in lopsided fashion by twenty seven points against Utah on February 27th. It was their best game post All Star break, and when the Jazz were relatively healthy with Lauri Markannen available. Back the Hawks as the slight road favorites.

San Diego State showed in yesterday’s win over UNLV how efficient they can be as a team with a downgraded game offensively. They overcame their offensive woes with superior defense and that was with UNLV having a playmaker in Dedan Thomas Jr on the floor. Tail the Aztecs as Utah State’s win streak snaps in Las Vegas.

This is important to buy the hook and get this to the key number of three. Akron has the pedigree with three straight strong MAC seasons, including getting to the big dance two seasons ago. Holdover talent exists with multiple players from their NCAA tournament appearance, but they have faded down the stretch of the season. Once 11-1 in conference, they are just 3-4 over the last seven. This includes a loss to Ohio. Take the Bobcats with the half point buy.

I fully expect UC Santa Barbara’s Big West tournament experience to be one and done. They have a good matchup to start against Cal State Northridge, a team they can attack versus settle for jump shots. Their biggest win in-conference actually came in a road win over Northridge by 28 points. Take UC Santa Barbara.

Typically one will not see a team favored in correlation to a regular season spread. That is the case with Montana which was a seven point favorite on their home floor in mid February against Montana State. In both season victories Montana scored with ease 88 and 87 points. Grab them for the tri-fecta over Montana State.

Notre Dame finds themselves as a slight favorite against Georgia Tech even with a worse record. The Irish played well against Georgia Tech this season, defeating them in both matchups. Look for a rare three game season sweep for a team 12-19 on the season.

The Big Sky has showcased upsets galore, with both Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington going down. Today, would be easy to mark Montana as next on upset watch. Their worst loss in-conference was against Portland State, 72-46.  Look for Montana to be extra focused from that loss and seeing the top seeds falter. Grab Montana

Often times season series from the regular season can change swiftly in the postseason. For Minnesota St. Thomas they have a recent flat loss against North Dakota State. In fact, they scored just fifty points in the matchup. Look for their level of focus to be dialed in as a loss concludes their season. Much sharper performance as Minnesota St. Thomas gets the cover. 

Samford has been the front runner of the Southern Conference this season, but conference tournaments can be tricky for top seeds. Case in point today’s matchup against Furman presents a team that gave them difficulties in-season. Furman won the first matchup decisively and lost the most recent by two points. Grab the points as Furman’s season record does not match their play today.

In tonight’s Pac-12 matchup between Colorado and Oregon, I’ll follow the line movement on the Ducks side. Colorado may be on the better win streak than the Ducks, but have had issues in nationally televised games. Look for the Ducks to get strong revenge from the prior sixteen point loss to Colorado.

The same angle as yesterday’s Ohio Valley Conference win with Tennessee State over Southern Indiana is in play in the Patriot League. The Boston Terriers are on their home court and excelling on a five game winning streak. Yet, this is a different Navy team than they began that win streak against. Since that loss, Navy has won their last five games. Grab the points with Navy.

Line movements in conference tournaments can be tricky. Texas State opened as the favorite and we have seen a rapid three point line move to Southern Miss’s side. This likely has more to do with Texas State having played consecutive overtime games. Additionally, Southern Miss has the rest advantage of six days off. Yet, grab Texas State who runs a simplistic but effective offense.

In the final regular season game in the Southland I’ll back the top underperforming conference team in Incarnate Word. The Cardinals issues made the mainstream news with several players suspended down the stretch. Today’s spot is advantageous of a Texas A&M Corpus Christi team taking them lightly and looking ahead to the Southland Conference tournament. Grab the points as Incarnate Word keeps the loss under ten points.

The Ohio Valley Conference tournament begins today on Southern Indiana’s home court. The Screaming Eagles dropped five of their final six games, including the final two as sizable home favorites. An appealing factor on today’s matchup is Southern Indiana had one of their two conference home victories against Tennessee State. They also played a competitive road game in which they lost by five points. That will raise Tennessee State’s game in a must win scenario to move onto the second round. Take Tennessee State.

Utah has had its issues with a three game losing streak. As depleted as their lineup is they should still have an upper hand against a Washington Wizards team on a current West Coast road trip. The Wizards will drop their fifteenth straight game and falter ATS.

One of the toughest turn arounds in the Southland conference is the Saturday to Monday schedule. For Southeast Louisiana they dropped back one game below .500 with Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi. On the road again Monday they will face an Incarnate Word team that has dropped five straight games. Grab Southeast Louisiana to spoil the Cardinals senior day.

The Memphis Tigers are closing out the season properly on a current three game winning streak. Today, they will have a revenge spot facing a UAB team that scored 97 points against them. As great as the Blazers have been ATS especially on the road, this is a poor spot. Take Memphis who will pour it on to improve their NET ranking.

Incarnate Ward gets three key players back today from a multi-game suspension. The Cardinals actually fared decent ATS covering against McNeese and missing a cover by a half point against Nicholls. Look for the chemistry to be off enough to give New Orleans the upper hand. Grab the points here.

A great end of season matchup is in play as Western Carolina travels to face Chattanooga. Chattanooga has been excellent on their home floor this season, and already has a win at Western Carolina. Yet, this is a game of significance for the Catamounts to have confidence going into the Southern Conference tournament. Grab the points as Western Carolina keeps this within two possessions.

Tonight in the Metro Atlantic Conference Niagara will come in on a full week’s rest. In fact, they have played just one game in the last twelve days. That could be an issue for the Purple Eagles as their offense has been stagnant down the stretch. Look for Rider to capitalize as they are playing their best basketball of the season on a four-game winning streak. Take the points with Rider.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not had a strong performance post All Star break yet. In four games they are 2-2, and both victories were not their best output. Today, look for the Cavaliers to be sparked off Max Strus’s insane winning shot. Additionally, they played the Bulls in a recent matchup on February 14th, and the Bulls are coming off a poor loss to the Pistons.

An aggressive line move has occurred in the first game on today’s slate. Out in the Patriot League American is coming off a televised upset win over Colgate. Army on the other hand has seen their offense drop significantly in two straight blowout losses. Look for American to show a bit of road fatigue in a consecutive road spot.

Texas State concluded a four game road trip Saturday with a victory over Georgia State. The Bobcats ended a three game skid with a strong defensive effort holding the Panthers to 59 points. Returning home expect the Bobcats to excel on their home floor where they have won four straight games. They’ll get the season sweep over UL Monroe tonight.

The New Orleans Pelicans have had issues to post All Star break with consistency. Brandon Ingram missed action as well as CJ McCollum, and today Zion Williamson is questionable. Look for the Pelicans to rise above leaving home and heading on the road to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have struggled with a depleted lineup and are in a back to back spot.

The SWAC has been a conference where a team can enter conference play with a subpar record and get hot. Texas Southern took on some of the top teams from Power Five schools in non-conference. To begin SWAC play they were just 2-10, but now are 11-14. They have won consecutive games by double digits. Take the Tigers to get the season series split over Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Incarnate Word showed on Saturday they still had enough starters and a bench presence to hang around against McNeese. Typically any multiple game suspension, the impact is going to be felt on the second game not the first. In the first matchup against Nicholls their leading scorer was Alex Anderson with 21. With Anderson suspended look for Nicholls to find that extra gear in the second half.

The New Orleans Pelicans will be down a couple of role players tonight due to suspension in Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado. That will affect their second unit rotation but also give a chance for their deep roster to shine. Look for the Pelicans starters to put forth a crisp effort, especially after a lackluster first half their last matchup. Take the Pelicans as the favorite. 

Any time a team has a rest advantage the point spread is going to be influenced. Kansas has a three day rest advantage over the Longhorns, combined with their home dominance at Allen Field House. Yet, Texas has won the last two meetings and has the veteran leadership to not be deterred. Play the Longhorns. 

Cleveland is hopeful to have Donovan Mitchell back tonight, after missing yesterday’s return against the Magic. Expect the Cavaliers to regroup especially on the defensive end where they gave up 123 points to the 76ers eleven days ago. That is the most they had given up since New Year’s Day. Grab the Cavs in a revenge spot.

Jacksonville has been a disappointment in Atlantic Sun Conference play with a 4-9 record. They have been competitive in the majority of their losses, including the first matchup against North Florida. They led into the second half but North Florida could not miss and shot a blistering 59 percent for the game. Expect Jacksonville to have an answer on their home court defensively. Tail Jacksonville.

Lopsided wins in conference are usually a red flag for the following matchup. UNC Asheville the top team in the Big South Conference just defeated Charleston Southern by 31 points. They’ll face a Longwood team that blew a six point lead with three minutes left in the first matchup against the Bulldogs. Grab the Lancers in a revenge spot.

Texas A&M Commerce has just one road win all of conference play, and are in the middle of a four game road trip. Today will mark an opportunity for the Lions to gain their only chance of a season sweep over an opponent. They defeated Incarnate Word by five points on January 31st. Take the Lions as the Cardinals have have been susceptible in second halves recently.

Southeast Louisiana is starting to play like the team many picked to win the Southland Conference before the season. They have won six straight games and will face a Lamar team that has had issues off a blowout win. Their last two lopsided wins, they proceeded to lose outright the following game, including last Monday to Incarnate Word. Take SE Louisiana. 

St. Johns certainly has under achieved in Coach Pitino’s first season. Two games below .500 in Big East play they have dropped four of their last five games. At home though they have been respectable going 3-1 ATS over their last four games. Look for St Johns to play one of their best games in-conference and get the strong win over Seton Hall.

Cal Santa Barbara has lost three straight games, and is coming off their worst outing of the season scoring just 46 points against UC San Diego. We have seen this pattern before from the Gauchos as they began conference play 0-3, before winning five of their next six. Today is a regroup spot against a Hawaii team they defeated by seventeen points at Hawaii.

One of the more lopsided road conference matchups was Louisiana Tech over Florida International. The Bulldogs led by forty points the majority of the second half and won 93 to 53. Look for the Panther to not necessarily get revenge but play with more pride in the second matchup.

The Canisius Golden Griffins will look to erase their road woes at Marist. They are winless on the road in-conference, and have lost eight straight games on the road. Still, they are coming off a big win against Iona, and covered in their last road game against Niagara. Look for Canisius to gain their third straight cover.

Queens University has won their last three home games, and is coming off two competitive losses on the road by three points or less. They have a revenge spot today against a North Florida team that defeated them 91-75 on January 20th. That was apart of a five game winning streak for the Ospreys who have since regressed. Tail Queens 

East Tennessee State has shown improvement from a 1-5 Southern Conference start. Seven of their past eight games have been decided by five points or less. Furthermore, they played a competitive game at home against Chattanooga in January. Grab the points here with East Tennessee State.

New Mexico comes into tonight having lost two of their last three games. They will face a Nevada team that might be playing their best basketball of the season. They’ll also be motivated to get revenge from an 89-55 loss to New Mexico on January 28th. New Mexico’s pace and scoring was a problem for Nevada then, and will be tonight as well. Take the underdog as New Mexico's seniors aim to get their first win in Reno.