7* NIU/Duke NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Northern Illinois +7 

The Key: The Northern Illinois Huskies have been one of the better Group of 5 teams in the country for years.  They kind of get overlooked this season because they ‘only’ went 8-4, but this is still a very good team that nearly won the MAC.  All four losses came by 10 points or less, including three by 7 points or fewer to Boston College (20-23), San Diego State (28-34), Central Michigan (24-31) and Toledo (17-27) with three of those losses coming on the road.  They also beat Nebraska on the road.  So they were competitive in every game, and they will be competitive against Duke here.  The Blue Devils only beat two bowl teams this season.  What gives NIU a shot to pull the upset tonight is the fact that its defense ranks 20th in the country, giving up just 20.8 PPG, 328 YPG and 4.6 YPP on the season.  The offense has been fine in scoring 30.2 PPG.  Duke’s offense has been suspect at 25.7 PPG.  This just has the makings of a low-scoring, defensive battle, and that certainly favors the underdog getting 7 points.  The Huskies are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games off two straight games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse.  The Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.  Take Northern Illinois. 

6* T’Wolves/Lakers NBA *BAILOUT* on Minnesota -5 

The Key: The Timberwolves are fresh heading into this Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.  They will be playing just their 2nd game in the last 5 days and enter on a 3-game winning streak.  The Lakers are much more fatigued as this will be their 3rd game in 4 days.  They won’t have much left in the tank after going through a gauntlet of Cleveland, Golden State, Houston, Golden State and Portland in their last 5 games.  It’s no surprise they are just 1-5 in their last 6 games overall.  And the Lakers have many injury problems right now with both Lonzo Ball and Brook Lopez out, and Brandon Ingram questionable.  The Timberwolves are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.  Take Minnesota. 

7* Steelers/Texans AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston +9 

The Key: I question the motivation of the Pittsburgh Steelers today.  They blew their game against the Patriots and lost a game that decided the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  And with the Jaguars losing yesterday, the Steelers can afford a loss today and still get a first-round bye by winning next week against the lowly Browns at home.  They will suffer a hangover from that loss to the Patriots last week.  Plus they don’t have two of their best players in Antonio Brown and Ryan Shazier.  And the Steelers have several close wins against bad teams of late as 6 of their last 7 games have been decided by 5 points or fewer.  Bets on teams that were beaten by the spread by 49 or more total points in their last 7 games against an opponent that went over the total by 28 or more points in their last 3 games are 39-13 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  The Texans couldn’t be more undervalued than they are right now off 3 straight double-digit losses.  Take Houston. 

7* NFL Game of the Year on Tennessee Titans +7 

The Key: Two weeks ago you could have bet the Los Angeles Rams at a pick ‘em against the Tennessee Titans.  This line has moved 7 points since then.  That’s based solely on public perception.  The Rams are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 42-7 beat down at Seattle.  After basically clinching the division with that victory, I expect them to suffer a letdown this week against the Titans.  The Titans have since lost back-to-back games and that’s why the perception on them is down.  But they have everything to play for here at 8-6 as they are fighting for a playoff spot in the crowded AFC.  And they still have a chance to win the division if they can win out.  That’s why I expect the best effort of the season from the Titans in this game.  And we’re getting 7 points with them at home.  This is one of the best values I’ve ever seen in the NFL.  Take Tennessee.

6* Sunday NFL *BLOWOUT* on Detroit Lions -3 

The Key: The Detroit Lions have to be more than 3-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals today based on the motivation of these two teams.  The Lions have managed to stay alive in the playoff race by going 5-2 in their last 7 games overall.  Now they play a Bengals team that has clearly quit, losing their last 2 games to the Bears and Vikings by a combined score of 14-67.  Marvin Lewis has announced he is done after the season, so the players have nothing left to fight for.  And the Bengals are a mash unit due to all of their injuries both on the offensive line and all over the defense.  Cincinnati is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games after railing its previous game by 21 or more at the half.  Detroit is 10-2 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record in the 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.  The road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.  Take Detroit. 

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Denver Broncos +3 

The Key: Brock Osweiler had a near-perfect QBR in his last game against the Colts.  He is trying to show teams that he can still be a starting quarterback in this league.  The Broncos have throttled the Colts and Broncos by a combined 48-13 score over the past 2 weeks.  Now they have extra prep time to get ready for the Washington Redskins after playing last Thursday.  They have the league’s top-ranked defense this season and will make life miserable on Kirk Cousins and the banged-up Redskins.  Washington was fortunate to win last week against the Cardinals limiting them to 5 field goals instead of touchdowns.  I think Osweiler and company punch it in a few more times this week, and the defense shuts down this anemic Washington offense.  The Redskins are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a win.  Take Denver. 

6* Saturday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Thunder/Jazz UNDER 198 

The Key: The Thunder just beat the Jazz 107-79 on Wednesday for 186 combined points.  Now they get to play just a few days later and it will be another low-scoring affair, which has been the case in this series over the past couple seasons.  The UNDER is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings in Utah.  They have combined for 200 or fewer points in all 7 meetings, including 198 or fewer in 6 of them.  Enough said.  Take the UNDER. 

6* App State/Toledo NCAAF *CA$H COW* on Toledo -6 

The Key: I really like this spot for the Toledo Rockets.  They lost to Appalachian State in their bowl game last season, and now they get a shot at revenge this season.  I think they will be the more hungry team because of it.  And I think Appalachian State isn’t as good as last year, while Toledo is a better football team than it was a year ago.  The Rockets won the MAC this season.  Their only 2 losses both came on the road at Miami and at Ohio.  That Ohio game wasn’t that important because they had basically clinched the MAC West with a win over Northern Illinois the week before, so it was a letdown spot.  They went on to win their final 3 games by 29, 27 and 17 points.  And that 17-point win came after they let the foot off the gas following a 35-0 lead over Akron in which they committed 5 turnovers, or it would have been an even bigger blowout.  Appalachian State lost to the likes of UMass and UL Monroe this season.  The Mountaineers are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games after leading their previous game by 24 or more points at the half.  The Rockets are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games after leading their previous game by 17 or more at the half.  Take Toledo. 

7* Colts/Ravens AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Indianapolis +14 

The Key: The Baltimore Ravens don’t have a potent enough offense to be laying 2 touchdowns to the Indianapolis Colts today.  In fact, they have one of the worst offenses in the entire NFL.  They have been living off turnovers this season, which is hard to sustain.  They are plus-17 in turnover differential.  But the Colts don’t turn the ball over as Jacoby Brissett has thrown just 7 interceptions on the season.  The Colts have committed 1 or fewer turnovers in 11 of their 14 games this year.  They aren’t going to give the Ravens the gifts they have been used to getting this year.  That’s going to make it hard for them to cover this massive spread.  The Colts have shown up every week and given a great effort for Chuck Pagano.  He is doing a good job, and it’s unfortunate that he may lose that job at the end of the season.  But it won’t be for a lack of fighting, and I expect his players to show up for him this week once again.  This is also a good spot for the Colts as they are rested after playing last Thursday against the Broncos, getting extra time to prepare, while the Ravens are on a short week after beating the Browns on Sunday.  Bets against home favorites a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) against a losing team are 70-38 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Pagano is 23-13 ATS off a loss as the coach of Indianapolis.  The Colts are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a double-digit home loss.  The Ravens are 3-8-2 ATS in their last 13 games following a win by more than 14 points.  The Colts are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  Take Indianapolis. 

6* Lakers/Warriors ESPN *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 216 

The Key: This will be the 3rd meeting already between the Lakers and Warriors.  They are very familiar with one another, which should lead to an UNDER.  They just played on Monday as well.  That game was tied 102-102 at the end of regulation for 204 combined points.  I think the fact that it went to OT and went over the total has the total in this rematch set too high.  The UNDER is 16-6 in Warriors last 22 games vs. a team with a wining percentage below 40%.  The UNDER is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 games overall.  Take the UNDER.

6* Friday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Bradley +7.5 

The Key: The Bradley Braves should not be this big of underdogs to the Ole Miss Rebels tonight.  This is a Bradley team that returned all 5 starters from last year and is absolutely loaded.  The Braves are off to a 10-2 start this season with one of their losses coming by a single point to Vermont.  Ole Miss has already lost 5 games this season and is just 2-8 ATS in all lined games, clearly being overvalued in the market place.  They have home losses to Illinois State, South Dakota State and Virginia Tech already, plus neutral court losses to Utah by 9 and at Middle Tennessee by 19.  Their 6 wins have come against Lafayette, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia State, Rice, Sam Houston State and Texas A&M CC.  They haven’t beaten anyone of any significance, and they struggled to put away 3 of those teams.  The Rebels are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.  The Braves are 16-4-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall.  Take Bradley. 

7* Central Michigan/Wyoming NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Central Michigan +3 

The Key: The Wyoming Cowboys are overrated because of Josh Allen’s NFL prospects.  But this offense has been one of the worst in the country.  The Cowboys only average 22.3 points and 287 yards per game.  That’s not very good for a QB like Allen who was expected to be a top draft choice coming into the season.  Conversely, the CMU Chippewas are rolling offensively.  They have gone 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games behind an offense that has scored at least 31 points in all 5 games while averaging 41.2 PPG.  Miami transfer Shane Morris is lighting it up at the quarterback position, and the rushing offense has really gotten going too.  I like their momentum coming into this game and simply think they are the better team and shouldn’t be catching points.  Bets against favorites of 3 to 10 points off a close road loss by 3 points or less, with a winning record playing another winning team are 39-13 ATS since 1992.  Take Central Michigan.

7* Temple/FIU NCAAF *HEAVY HITTER* on Temple -6.5 

The Key: This is one of the bigger strength of schedule differences of any bowl game.  Temple play the much tougher slate of games.  And after struggling to start, they made the switch at quarterback and have finished strong.  They have won 3 of their last 4 with their only loss coming to unbeaten UCF to get to 6-6 and bowl eligible.  This Temple senior class has never won a bowl game and will be motivated to do so after getting upset by both Toledo and Wake Forest the past two seasons.  FIU went 8-4 this season, but only 2 of the wins came against bowl teams in Marshall and WKU.  Their 4 losses all came by 7 points or more, including 3 by 20-plus points against the better opponents they faced.  They lost by 44 to UCF and by 28 to FAU.  I think Temple is only a notch below those 2 teams.  Temple is 7-0 ATS after allowing 125 or fewer passing yards over the last 2 seasons.  The Owls are 15-3 ATS after the first month of the season over the last 2 seasons.  Temple is 11-1 ATS vs. poor passing defenses that allow 58% completions or worse over the last 2 seasons.  The Owls are 6-0 ATS in road games versus poor defensive teams that allow 5.9 or more yards per play over the last 3 years.  The Owls are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. C-USA teams.  The Golden Panthers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.  FIU is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 non-conference games.  Take Temple. 

6* NBA Eastern Conference *CA$H COW* on Chicago Bulls +10.5 

The Key: The Chicago Bulls are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  They have won 7 in a row since Nikola Mirotic made his season debut.  They are playing great, confident basketball right now and are more than capable of competing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Bulls have actually gone 8-1 ATS in their last 9 meetings with Cleveland, winning 6 of those 9 games outright.  Take Chicago. 

6* Kansas State/Washington State ESPN 2 *BAILOUT* on Washington State +9 

The Key: This will essentially be a home game for the Washington State Cougars playing in Spokane, WA. The Kansas State Wildcats will clearly be the road team despite the fact that this is listed as a neutral site game.  And I’ve seen enough from Wazzu to know that they can stay within 9 points of the Wildcats tonight.  They pulled off 3 upset victories on neutral courts already this season, beating St. Joe’s 75-71 as 8.5-point dogs, St. Mary’s 84-79 as 17.5-point dogs, and San Diego State 93-86 as 9.5-point dogs.  The Cougars are 7-0 ATS in neutral court games when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.  The Wildcats are 0-6 ATS versus teams who attempt 18 or fewer free throws per game over the last 3 years.  The Wildcats are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.  Take Washington State. 

7* NBA Western Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Phoenix Suns +5.5 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns are so deep that they have been able to overcome the losses of Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker.  They have gone 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall as they have been consistently underrated.  In their last two games, they pulled off two huge upsets on the road at Minnesota as 12-point dogs and at Dallas as 7.5-point dogs.  I think they upset the Clippers tonight.  But this shouldn’t really be an upset given how many injuries the Clippers have right now.  They are without Blake Griffin, Patrick Beverly, Danilo Gallinari and Wesley Johnson.  They have lost 3 straight coming in and are just 11-18 on the season.  Phoenix is 9-1 ATS revenging a loss by 20 points or more over the last 2 seasons.  The Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.  The Clippers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. Western Conference.  Take Phoenix. 

6* LA Tech/SMU NCAAF *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 72 

The Key: The LA Tech Bulldogs are going to try to slow down the pace in this game and play to their strengths, which is their defense and running game.  They average just 28.7 points per game and cannot keep up with SMU in a shootout.  They rush for 175 yards per game and should have success moving the sticks and slowing down the pace against an SMU defense that allows 213 rushing yards per game.  The Bulldogs only give up 26.7 points per game on the season.  This is a much different team under Skip Holtz than in year’s past.  They just beat UTSA 20-6 at home in their season finale.  It won’t be that low-scoring of a game, but it won’t exceed 72 points either.  SMU is 16-5 UNDER in its last 21 games when playing on 2 or more weeks of rest.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Bulldogs last 6 games following an ATS win.  The UNDER is 4-0 in SMU’s last 4 bowl games.  The UNDER is 14-6 in Mustangs last 20 games following a win.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Tuesday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Georgia -5 

The Key: Mark Fox has one of his best teams yet this season with 4 starters back from last year and a ton of talent.  The Bulldogs are off to a 7-2 start this season with wins over St. Mary’s and Marquette away from home along the way.  They will be playing just their 5th home game of the season tonight.   They face a Georgia Tech team that hast lost 3 of its last 4, including losses to Grambling and Wofford.  The Bulldogs have owned the Yellow Jackets the past 2 seasons, winning 75-61 at home in 2015 and 60-43 on the road in 2016.  Georgia is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 home games vs. ACC opponents.  Georgia Tech will be without second-leading scorer Tadric Jackson (15.8 PPG), who is doubtful with an ankle injury.  Take Georgia. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings +9.5 

The Key: The Philadelphia 76ers are a tired team right now.  They will be playing for a second consecutive day after a draining 115-117 loss at Chicago Monday.  They can’t be 9.5-point favorites in this situation, especially considering the Kings are rested and will be playing only their 2nd game in 5 days.  The underdog is a perfect 7-0 ATS in the last 7 meetings, including an upset win by the Kings over the 76ers in Sacramento in their first meeting earlier this season.  Take Sacramento. 

7* Akron/FAU NCAAF *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 66 

The Key: Florida Atlantic gets too much credit for its offense and not enough for its defense.  The Owls have held each of their last six opponents to 28 points or fewer, including 17 and 12 points allowed in their last two contests.  Akron is one of the worst offensive teams that they will have faced this season.  The Zips only average 23.6 points and 330 yards this season.  They do play decent defense and should do enough to slow down the Owls.  The Zips give up 26.3 points per game.  Akron is 10-3 UNDER in all games this season.  The Zips are 8-1 UNDER off a loss by 17 points or more over the last 3 seasons.  The UNDER is 8-2 in Zips last 10 road games.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Owls last 6 December games.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Falcons/Bucs NFC South *HEAVY HITTER* on Atlanta -6.5 

The Key: The Atlanta Falcons have done whatever they wanted to offensively in their last two meetings with the Bucs.  They won 43-28 in Tampa last year with 461 total yards, and they won 34-20 at home earlier this season behind 516 total yards.  The Bucs rank last in the NFL in total defense and won’t offer much resistance tonight either.  The Bucs are a mess at 4-9 on the season and haven’t had a bye all year.  They are tired, they are beat up, and they stand no chance of keeping this game close against Atlanta.  They are going to be without 2 of their best players on defense in DT Gerald McCoy and LB Lavonte David.  Tampa Bay is 0-6 ATS as an underdog this season.  The Bucs are 0-6 ATS vs. teams who average 235 or more passing yards per game this season.  The Falcons are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.  The Bucs are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 vs. NFC opponents, and 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. NFC South opponents.  Take Atlanta. 

6* Monday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Blazers/Timberwolves OVER 206 

The Key: The Timberwolves and their opponents are combining for an average of 214 points per game this season.  We have a total of just 206 here tonight and I think the price is right to pull the trigger on the OVER.  Portland is 11-2 OVER in its last 13 road games after a combined score of 185 or less.  Minnesota is 12-2 OVER off an upset loss as a home favorite over the last 2 seasons.  The OVER is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings in Minnesota.  Take the OVER. 

7* NFL Total of the Year on Cowboys/Raiders UNDER 45.5 

The Key: The Dallas Cowboys have been missing Ezekiel Elliott offensively.  They scored 9 or fewer points in 3 consecutive games without him.  They get him back next week, but until then their offense will continue to struggle moving the football.  Their defense got a big boost with the return of Sean Lee, and their numbers with and without him have been staggering.  They held the Redskins to 14 points two weeks ago and the Giants to just 10 points last week.  The Raiders are lacking offensive punch, and now they’re without their best receiver in Amari Cooper, who re-injured his ankle in a 15-26 loss to the Chiefs last week.  I think both teams will struggle to score points tonight.  Both teams will lean on the run, which will keep the clock moving.  Dallas is 11-1 UNDER in road games in the 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.  The UNDER is 17-6 in Cowboys last 23 road games, and 5-1 in their last six games overall.  The UNDER is 4-0 in Raiders last 4 games overall, and 4-1 in their last 5 home games.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Sunday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Pistons/Magic UNDER 203.5

The Key: The Magic are a mess right now injury-wise playing without Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Terrance Ross.  Both Arron Afflalo and Jonathan Isaac are questionable too.  They have had to slow down their offense and try to run it through Vucevic just to get anything going.  But they have struggled to score of late because of these injuries.  The Magic have scored 95 or fewer points in 3 of their last 4 games overall.  The Pistons play great defense and have given up 98 or less in 3 of their last 4.  The UNDER is 8-0-1 in Pistons last 9 games overall.  The UNDER is 5-2 in Magic last 7 games overall.  Take the UNDER.

6* Sunday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Vanderbilt +12.5

The Key: The Arizona State Sun Devils have opened 9-0 SU & 8-0-1 ATS this season.  The betting public is catching on, and they are now laying a huge price at home here Sunday against the Vanderbilt Commodores.  This is a huge letdown spot for the Sun Devils as well.  They are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 95-85 road win as 12-point dogs at Kansas.  They have been getting patted on the back all week since that win last Sunday.  They won't have the focus and want to beat Vanderbilt by double-digits now.  Take Vanderbilt.

6* Sunday NFL *BLOWOUT* on Buffalo Bills -3 

The Key: Don’t look now but the Buffalo Bills are in the playoffs if the season were to end today.  They have a lot to play for, and it’s as hard to win in Buffalo in December as it is anywhere else in the NFL.  Now they get to host the Dolphins, who are in the ultimate letdown spot following their upset win over the Patriots on Monday.  They are also on a short week, and this warm weather team won’t like the conditions in Buffalo.  This game just screams Bills’ blowout because they get starting QB Tyrod Taylor back from injury this week, and they are the better running team in this cold weather.  Bets on any team (Buffalo) after being beaten by the spread by 42 or more points total in their last 5 games against an opponent that went over the total by 35 or more points in their last 5 games are 41-13 ATS over the last 10 years.  The Bills are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 home games in the 2nd half of the season vs. bad defensive teams that give up 24 or more points per game.  The Dolphins are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Sunday games following a Monday game.  Take Buffalo. 

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Arizona Cardinals +4 

The Key: The Arizona Cardinals have won 2 of their last 3 games coming into this contest over the Titans and Jaguars, two teams poised to make the playoffs.  They should be able to handle the Washington Redskins, who sit at 5-8 and are done for.  This Redskins defense looks to have basically quit as they have allowed 30 or more points in 6 of their last 8 games.  The Cardinals still have an elite defense as they are yielding just 242 yards per game in their last 3 contests.  I’m not sure how the Redskins can be favored by more than a field goal in a game that they’ll likely lose outright.  They are just 14-28 ATS in their last 42 home games as a favorite in the 3.5-7 range.  The Redskins are also just 11-28-2 ATS in their last 41 home games when playing against a team with a losing record.  Take Arizona. 

6* Chargers/Chiefs AFC West *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles PK 

The Key: The Chargers have been one of the best teams in the NFL down the stretch.  They have won 4 straight games by a combined 78 points, or an average of 19.5 points per game.  The Chiefs have lost 4 of their last 5 with their only win coming at home against the hapless Raiders.  They also lost to the Giants, Bills and Jets during this stretch.  It’s clear to me which team is playing better football right now and most likely to get the win in this pick ‘em game.  Philip Rivers knows this is one of his last chances to make the playoffs, and he’s not going to squander it.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Phoenix Suns +12 

The Key: The Phoenix Suns have remained competitive without Devin Booker because of their depth.  They have lost their last 5 games, but all 5 losses came by 13 or less, including 4 by 10 or fewer.  They last 3 have come by 6, 7 and 3 points.  They can hang with the Timberwolves tonight as 12-point dogs to stay within this number.  Minnesota is 3-14 ATS off a blowout win by 15 points or more over the last 3 seasons.   The Suns are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a tea with a winning record.  The Timberwolves are 1-7-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.  Take Phoenix. 

7* Oregon/Boise State ABC *HEAVY HITTER* on Oregon -7 

The Key: Oregon was 6-1 and averaged 51.2 points in games Justin Herbert started this season, while going 1-4 and scoring 15.0 points in games he was sidelined.  That’s all you need to know about this game.  The Ducks will hang a big number on the Boise State Broncos, and they won’t be able to keep up. Take Oregon. 

6* Saturday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Loyola-Chicago -2.5 

The Key: What does Loyola-Chicago have to do to get any love from the books?  They are off to a 10-1 start this season that includes a 65-59 win at Florida as 17-point dogs.  They have had no letdowns since, beating Norfolk State by 28 in their next game out.  Now they are only 2.5-point favorites over this mediocre Wisconsin-Milwaukee squad.  Milwaukee is 1-3 in its last 4 games that includes a home loss to Montana State and a road loss to Western Illinois.  They were upset as favorites in both of those contests. I don’t expect them to even be competitive against one of the most underrated teams in the country in Loyola-Chicago here Saturday.  The Ramblers are 26-10 ATS in their last 36 road games vs. a team with a winning record.  The Ramblers are 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games off a win.  The Panthers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 home games.  Take Loyola-Chicago. 

7* NBA Non-Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Portland Trail Blazers -3.5 

The Key: The Portland Trail Blazers are getting healthy.  They may be at full strength if Jusuf Nurkic returns from an ankle injury.  He is listed as questionable, but the Blazers should have everyone else.  The Magic are really banged up.  They are without Evan Fournier and Terrance Ross, and Aaron Gordon, Arron Afflalo and Jonathan Isaac are all questionable.  The Magic have gone 1-4 SU & 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall with their only win coming at home over the Hawks by 4 in overtime.  They just lost to a bad Clippers team by 11 at home on Wednesday.  Now they take a step up in competition here against the Blazers.  Portland is 11-2 ATS in road games off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.  Orlando is 0-7 ATS in home games revenging a road loss vs. opponent this season.  The Blazers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.  Take Portland. 

6* Mavs/Warriors Western Conference *BAILOUT* on Dallas +10.5 

The Key: The Golden State Warriors will be very short-handed tonight.  They will be without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Zaza Pachulia and Nick Young.  That will make it very difficult for them to win by double-digits against the Mavericks tonight.  This is a Mavs team that has quietly gone 5-5 SU & 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.  They haven’t lost a single game by double-digits since November 17th, a span of 12 games.  Take Dallas.

7* Broncos/Colts AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Denver -2.5 

The Key: The Denver Broncos actually have the No. 1 defense in the NFL based on a number of different statistical categories.  That is the difference in this game as the Colts have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, giving up 26.4 points and 375.3 yards per game.  And the Colts have one of the worst offenses as well, averaging just 16.3 points and 290.7 yards per game.  This is a complete mismatch, and even this stagnant Denver offense should be able to get going against this weak Colts defense tonight.  The Colts are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 home games after scoring 17 points or fewer in 3 straight games.  Take Denver. 

7* Wednesday NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston -2.5 

The Key: The Houston Cougars have a very good team and they are flying under the radar this season.  They are 8-1 under Kelvin Sampson, the former Oklahoma coach who is doing good things down in Houston.  They are 8-1 and have beaten the likes of Wake Forest and Arkansas (by 26).  LSU is one of the worst teams in the SEC this season, and that showed when they stepped up in class with a 39-point loss to Notre Dame and a 10-point loss to Marquette during their 5-2 start.  Houston is 8-0 ATS off 2 straight games with 9 or less offensive rebounds over the last 2 seasons.  LSU is 0-8 ATS off 2 straight games giving up 9 or less offensive rebounds over the last 2 years.  The Tigers are 8-23 ATS off a win over the last 3 years. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Indiana Pacers +1 

The Key: The Indiana Pacers have been one of the surprises of the season.  They are gelling very well with all of their youth and have one of the deepest teams in the NBA. They have gone 10-3 SU & 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games overall.  The Thunder have been the single most overrated team in the NBA.  They are 12-14 SU & 7-18-1 ATS on the season.  They are 0-9 ATS in their last 9 games overall, and now they are somehow favored here on the road against Indiana.  The Thunder have 2 stars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but not much else.  They have no depth, and Carmelo Anthony is a cancer.  Pacers players will want to make a statement here and let George know he made a mistake leaving them.  I like this situation for them as they’ll be hungry for a win.  Take Indiana. 

7* NBA Non-Conference Game of the Month on Detroit Pistons -6 

The Key: The Detroit Pistons will be hungry for a victory tonight.  They have lost 6 in a row coming in, but 4 of those losses were on the road, and the other 2 were against two of the best teams in the NBA in Golden State and Boston at home.  Now they face a team they can handle tonight in the Denver Nuggets, who have lost 3 of their last 4 and are playing without their two best players in Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap.  The Pistons already won 106-95 in Denver as 5-point dogs on November 12th.  They also won their last home meetings with the Nuggets 103-86 as 4.5-point favorites.  The Nuggets are 3-11 ATS in all road games this season.  The Pistons are 8-1 ATS in non-conference games this season.  Detroit is 43-23 ATS as a home favorite over the last 3 years.  Take Detroit. 

6* NCAAB Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Columbia +12 

The Key: The Boston College Eagles cannot be trusted to bring their A game tonight.  They just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in program history as 15-point home dogs against Duke on Saturday.  They could care less about beating Columbia off that performance.  This is a Columbia team that has only lost by more than 10 points twice all season.  That was a 15-point loss at Villanova and a 14-point loss at Penn State, two teams that are better than Boston College.  The Lions will be able to hang around in this game due to a letdown from the Eagles.  The Lions have gone 32-10 ATS in their last 42 games as a road underdog of 6.5 to 12 points.  Take Columbia. 

7* Patriots/Dolphins AFC East *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +12 

The Key: The Patriots will be playing their 4th road game in 5 weeks here.  They also have to play a team they just beat by 18 points 2 weeks ago.  And they have their ‘game of the year’ against the Steelers on deck next week.  This couldn’t be a worse situation for the Patriots.  I think their 6-game ATS winning streak comes to an end Monday night.  They are being asked to lay too many points in Miami.  The home team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings between these teams.  The Dolphins have won 2 of their last 3 home meetings with the Patriots outright.  Take Miami. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Chicago Bulls +7.5 

The Key: The Boston Celtics are playing the 2nd of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 days tonight.  They won’t have much left in the tank for the Chicago Bulls, who are playing very well right now.  The Bulls are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games.  They have pulled off outright upsets over the Hornets and Knicks in their last 2, and they have losses by 1, 1 and 2 points to the Nuggets, Kings and Pacers, respectively, during this stretch.  They can hang with the Celtics tonight given the difficult situation for Boston.  The Celtics are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 playing on 0 days rest and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 following an ATS win.  The Bulls are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 vs. Eastern Conference.  Take Chicago. 

7* NFL *Blowout* Game of the Month on Los Angeles Chargers -6 

The Key: The Redskins have nothing to play for after losing 14-38 to the Cowboys last week.  It was their last stand, and now they’re done.  And they’ve been hit so hard by injuries that they never had a chance anyway.  The Chargers have everything to play for as they are tied for first place in the AFC West with the Chiefs and Raiders.  They have won 6 of their last 8 and Philip Rivers has a 12-to-1 TD/INT ratio in the six wins.  He’s playing at a high level, and he’s backed by a defense that is great against the pass and getting to the quarterback.  That makes this a bad matchup for the Redskins and Kirk Cousins.  The Chargers are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games during Week 14.  The favorite is 4-0-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  Take Los Angeles. 

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Chicago Bears +6.5 

The Key: The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a crushing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.  They blew a 17-point lead in that game.  It was their last stand.  Now they’re on a short week and won’t be excited at all to face the Bears.  And they are missing numerous players on defense, and possibly their entire starting secondary.  The Bears continue to fight despite the poor media attention.  I think they can go into Cincinnati and pull the upset, but we’ll take the points for some added cushion.  The Bears have been competitive in every game by one that Mitch Trubisky has started.  They have only lost by more than 8 points once in their last 8 games, and that was at Philadelphia.  The Bengals only have 2 wins by more than 4 points all season.  John Fox is 10-1 ATS when he total is 35.5 to 42 as the coach of Chicago.  The Bengals cannot be this heavily favored considering the bad spot for them off the Steelers game Monday, and all of their injuries on defense.  Take Chicago. 

6* Raiders/Chiefs AFC West *CA$H COW* on Kansas City -4 

The Key: The Chiefs have lost 6 of their last 7 after a 5-0 start.  They are now tied for first place in the AFC West with the Raiders and Chargers.  I think we are getting them at a discount now after this poor run.  Their offense came to life last week with 31 points while averaging over 10 yards per play against the Jets.  I think they score in bunches here against an awful Raiders defense.  The Chiefs will want revenge on the Raiders after losing on the final play of the game 31-30 in their first meeting.  The Raiders likely won’t have Amari Cooper because of an ankle injury.  That’s huge considering Cooper has 11 receptions for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Chiefs in the first meeting.  Bets on home favorites revenging a loss against opponent, off an upset loss as a favorite are 33-11 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  The Chiefs are 7-0 ATS after gaining 6.5 or more yards per play in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.  Kansas City is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 vs. AFC West foes.  Take Kansas City. 

7* Rockets/Blazers Western Conference *BAILOUT* on OVER 216 

The Key: Expect offensive fireworks tonight between Houston and Portland, especially with Jusuf Nurkic out for Portland.  He is their best defender and has made them a respectable defensive team.  But without him, the Blazers will go smaller and with more outside shooting and worse defense as you’ll see more of Myers Leonard.  The Rockets and their opponents have combined for 213 or more points in six straight games.  They have scored at least 112 points in all six and are averaging 114.0 points per game on the season.  The OVER is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in this series.  The Rockets and Blazers have combined for at least 219 points in 5 straight meetings.  That will get the job done tonight with this low 216-point total.  Take the OVER. 

6* Saturday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Creighton -10.5 

The Key: The Creighton Bluejays own the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  They have gone 8-2 SU and a perfect 10-0 ATS in the last 10 meetings.  They have won the last 6 meetings all by double-digits.  Enough said.  Take Creighton. 

7* NBA Non-Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Milwaukee Bucks -7 

The Key: The Milwaukee Bucks want revenge from their worst loss of the season, a 79-111 loss in Dallas back on November 18th.  Now they get their shot at revenge just 3 weeks later.  The Bucks have gone 4-1 in their last 5 games overall with their only loss coming in Boston, which has the best record in the NBA.  Dallas could be without several key players tonight.  They are already without Nerlens Noel and Seth Curry, but both Dennis Smith Jr. and Devin Harris are questionable.  The Mavs are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 Friday games.  Dallas is 7-15-1 ATS in its last 23 games following a loss.  Take Milwaukee. 

6* Friday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Arizona State -5 

The Key: The Arizona State Sun Devils have been one of the most underrated teams in college basketball this season.  The Sun Devils are 7-0 SU & 6-0-1 ATS.  They have beaten San Diego State by 22, Kansas State by 2 and Xavier by 16.  That win over Xavier as 6.5-point dogs was mighty impressive and shows they are the real deal.  St. John’s has played a much softer schedule and is getting too much credit for its 8-1 record.  The Red Storm lost their toughest game against Missouri 82-90 on a neutral.  And now I think ASU will be the best team they have played yet.  And they’ll have to play this game without their best player in Marcus Lovett, who is out with an ankle injury.  St. John’s is 0-6 ATS off 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.  The Red Storm are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Arizona State. 

7* Saints/Falcons NFC South *HEAVY HITTER* on Atlanta -2 

The Key: The Atlanta Falcons are ‘all in’ tonight as they can’t afford to lose this game if they want to make the playoffs.  Look for them to get the job done at home against the Saints, who have beaten up on such a soft schedule of late.  The one time they stepped up on class?  They lost 20-26 on the road to the Rams two weeks ago only after scoring a touchdown in the closing seconds to make the score look closer than was.  Now this is another step up game for the Saints.  The Falcons get two starting cornerbacks back this week from injury, and that’s going to be huge for them.  The Saints are still banged up everywhere, especially on defense.  Bets on home favorites after having won 2 of their last 3 games, a marginal winning team 51% to 60% playing a winning team are 28-6 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take Atlanta. 

6* Thursday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Northern Iowa -4.5 

The Key: The Northern Iowa Panthers are going to be contenders in the MVC this season, that much is clear.  They are 6-2 this season with their only losses coming to Villanova and UNC on the road.  They have already beaten SMU and NC State both outright as underdogs, and they also topped a previously unbeaten UNLV team 77-68 as 1-point favorites.  Texas-Arlington has played a much softer schedule.  Arlington is 0-8 ATS in its last 8 road games after playing 3 consecutive games as a home favorite.  Take Northern Iowa. 

6* Wednesday NCAAB *UPSET SPECIAL* on Portland State +2.5 

The Key: The Portland State Vikings cannot be underdogs to Loyola-Marymount tonight.  The Vikings are 6-2 this season and even gave both Duke and Butler a run for their money in their 2 losses.  They lost 81-99 to Duke as 24.5-point dogs and 69-71 to Butler as 12-point dogs.  They also have an 87-78 win over Stanford as 6.5-point dogs on their resume.  The Vikings are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.    Lackluster wins over McNeese State (92-86) and Incarnate Word (91-87) show that Loyola-Marymount is not very good.  Take Portland State. 

6* Warriors/Hornets ESPN *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 216 

The Key: Without Steph Curry, the Warriors are going to struggle offensively.  They also could be without Draymond Green, who helps make this offense run on all cylinders.  Look for a lower scoring game than the oddsmakers anticipate as Shawn Livingston at the point is a huge downgrade from Curry.  Bets on the UNDER on all teams where the total is 210 or higher off a win by 10 points or more against an opponent off 3 straight wins by 10-plus points are 36-8 since 1996.  Take the UNDER. 

7* NBA Situational Game of the Month on Sacramento Kings +13 

The Key: The Sacramento Kings last played on Saturday, giving them 3 days to get ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  They will have a big effort here and stay within this massive 13-point spread.  After all, the Kings are 9-0 ATS in their last 9 when playing on 3 or more days of rest.  Take Sacramento. 

7* NCAAB Non-Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Utah +7.5 

The Key: The Butler Bulldogs are getting too much credit from the books tonight as 7.5-point home favorites over the Utah Utes.  The Bulldogs have two double-digit losses already to Maryland 65-79 and Texas 48-61.  The price is right to back Utah, which is 6-1 highlighted by 77-59 and 83-74 wins over Missouri and Ole Miss, respectively.  Utah is 44-25 ATS in its last 69 games off a home blowout win by 20 points or more.  The Utes are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 games vs. at team with a winning record.  The Bulldogs are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 following an ATS win.  Take Utah. 

6* FSU/Florida ESPN 2 *CA$H COW* on Florida -9 

The Key: The Florida Gators are legitimately one of the best teams in the country.  Their only lost this season came against top-ranked Duke 84-87 after they blew a 15-point lead in the second half.  They beat another great team in Gonzaga 111-105 in overtime.  They have proven themselves, and now they are ready to get revenge on a rebuilding Florida State team that lost all but one starter from last year.  The Seminoles have won 3 straight meetings by 2, 2 and 5 points.  Not only will the Gators get revenge, they’ll do so by double-digits tonight.  The Gators are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.  The Gators are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss.  Florida is 23-10 ATS as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.  Florida State is 22-40 ATS in its last 42 road games off 3 or more consecutive wins.  Take Florida. 

7* AFC North Game of the Year on Cincinnati Bengals +6 

The Key: The season is on the line for the Cincinnati Bengals tonight.  At 5-6 they need a win to stay in the playoff hunt.  The Steelers are 9-2 and can afford a loss now.  Because they host the Patriots in a couple weeks, they can lose this game and win that one and still be the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  I believe this line is way off as the Steelers were only 3.5-point favorites over the Bengals at home in their first meeting, and now they are 6-point road favorites in the second meeting.  That’s an 8.5-point adjustment.  And the Steelers have recent 3-point wins over both the Colts and Packers, so it’s not like they are playing at an extremely high level.  The Steelers are 8-24-1 ATS in their last 33 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.  Take Cincinnati. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Milwaukee Bucks +6 

The Key: The Boston Celtics are starting to get too much love from the books due to their 20-4 record.  I expect the Milwaukee Bucks to give them a run for their money tonight.  Home-court advantage has meant nothing in this series of late as the road team is 4-1 SU & 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  The Bucks have won each of their last two trips to Boston outright as underdogs.  The underdog is 23-9-1 ATS in the last 33 meetings.  The Bucks are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 meetings in Boston.  Take Milwaukee. 

6* Browns/Chargers AFC *CA$H COW* on Cleveland +14 

The Key: This line has gotten way out of whack.  The Chargers can’t be 2 touchdown favorites against anyone.  I realize the Cleveland Browns are 0-11, but they are better than they get credit for.  One quick look at the stats shows that.  The Browns are only getting outgained by 8 yards per game on the season, averaging 310 yards per game on offense and giving up 8 per game on defense.  Their problem has been red zone struggles on both sides of the ball.  But now the Browns are in the largest underdog role they’ve been all season, and it’s coming against a mediocre 5-6 Chargers team that has zero home-field advantage.  Bets on underdogs of 10.5 or more points off 7 or more consecutive losses against opponent off 2 or more consecutive wins are 23-7 ATS since 1983.  Bets on road underdogs off 6 or more consecutive losses in weeks 10 through 13 are 35-13 ATS since 1983.  Take Cleveland. 

7* NFL Blowout Game of the Year on Baltimore Ravens -3 

The Key: This game is all about the matchup.  The Ravens have 14 sacks over the past month and have forced 13 turnovers in their past 4 games.  Mathew Stafford has been sacked 10 times in the past 3 weeks and they are starting to turn the ball over more.  Stafford is nursing an ankle injury that will have him far from full strength.  And there are injuries along the offensive line that are going to allow the Ravens to get after him for 4 quarters.  The Vikings put up 30 points and 408 total yards on this Detroit defense last week, and I think Joe Flacco and the offense will do enough to support their dominant defense in this one.  Bet on home favorites that have won 2 of their last 3 games coming in, who are winning 51% to 60% of their games and playing another winning team are 27-6 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take Baltimore. 

6* Patriots/Bills AFC *CA$H COW* on Buffalo +9 

The Key: The Patriots have some mass injuries right now they are dealing with.  They will be without receiver Chris Hogan, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon and sack leader Trey Flowers.  They also could be without cornerback Eric Rose and offensive tackler LeAdrian Waddle, who are both questionable.  The Bills earned a huge 16-10 win in Kansas City last week to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Their defense was awesome, limiting the Chiefs to just 10 points and 236 total yards.  They have a knack for playing the Patriots tough.  They have actually won 2 of the last 5 meetings outright and have only lost once by more than 8 points in those 5 meetings.  The Bills are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.  The Bills are 26-13 ATS in their last 39 home games in weeks 10 through 13.  Take Buffalo.

6* St. Mary’s/Cal NCAAB *BAILOUT* on St. Mary’s -7.5 

The Key: Randy Bennett has another great St. Mary’s team this season that is 5-2 with its two losses coming to Power 5 opponents Washington State and Georgia by a combined 7 points.  California is rebuilding this season with a new head coach.  The Bears are 3-4 with their 3 wins coming against Cal Poly, Wofford and CS-Northridge.  They actually lost at home to Riverside by 8 as 13.5-point favorites.  They were blown out 72-96 by Chaminade as well.  That’s how poor of shape this team is in right now, losing to Chaminade and Riverside by those margins.  The Gaels are 10-2 ATS in December games over the last 3 seasons.  Cal is 0-8 ATS in home games versus good teams outscoring opponents by 4-plus points per game over the last 2 seasons.  Take St. Mary’s. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Sacramento Kings +12.5 

The Key: The Sacramento Kings want revenge from an 87-112 home loss to Milwaukee on November 28th less than a week ago.  They get their chance here in Milwaukee.  That loss was a bad spot for the Kings as they were playing for a second consecutive night after an upset win at Golden State the night before.  That was a clear letdown spot.  Milwaukee is 3-15 ATS in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games over the past 2 seasons.  The Bucks are 17-39 ATS in their last 56 as as favorite of 10 or more points.  Take Sacramento. 

6* Saturday NCAAF *BLOWOUT* on New Mexico State -9.5 

The Key: We are going to get a max-motivated New Mexico State Aggies team here Saturday.  They sit at 5-6 on the season and need one more win for bowl eligibility, while 4-7 South Alabama has been eliminated from bowl contention.  New Mexico State hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1960!  Senior QB Tyler Rodgers has been the catalyst for the turnaround.  He sat out last game with a shoulder injury, but it 100% now and will make his return on Senior Day here.  These teams have 5 common opponents.  South Alabama is getting outgained by 113 yards per game against those 5 teams, while New Mexico State is outgaining those 5 teams by 13 yards per game.  It’s clear which of these is the better team, and which will be more motivated.  South Alabama is 0-8 ATS in road games in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.  The Jaguars are 0-7 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 years.  Take New Mexico State. 

6* NCAAF Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Louisiana-Monroe +26.5 

The Key: The LA-Monroe Warhawks have held their own against some very good competition this year.  They only lost 29-37 at Memphis as 28-point dogs, and that Memphis team has just one loss on the season.  They only lost 14-42 at Auburn as 39-point dogs, and Auburn is one win away from making the four-team playoff.  Now they face a worse team than both of those squads in 5-6 Florida State.  And the Seminoles are in turmoil right now with Jimbo Fisher announcing yesterday that he was signing a 10-year, $75 million deal with Texas A&M.  Players could revolt here.  They need one more win for a bowl game, but it’s hard to believe these players even want to play in a bowl now with Fisher gone.  The Seminoles are 0-6 ATS versus good offensive teams averaging 425 or more yards per game this season.  Take Louisiana-Monroe. 

7* Akron/Toledo MAC *HEAVY HITTER* on Akron +21 

The Key: The Toledo Rockets cannot be 3-touchdown favorites in the MAC Championship Game.  They beat Akron 48-21 at home earlier this season for a 27-point victory.  But the Zips have improved since then and this game will be on a neutral field, and they’ll want revenge from that defeat.  They also have a more electric quarterback running the show now in freshman Kato Nelson, who has thrown 6 TD’s against 2 INT while leading the Zips to the MAC East title down the stretch.  He also adds a dual-threat element with 167 rushing yards and a score.  MAC dogs of 12 or more in championship games are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 tries.  The Zips are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.  The Zips are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.  Take Akron. 

6* Creighton/Gonzaga ESPN 2 *BAILOUT* on Creighton +8.5 

The Key: The Creighton Bluejays have been mighty impressive this year en route to their 5-1 start.  They have beaten both UCLA and Northwestern away from home with their only loss coming by a final of 59-65 to Baylor on a neutral court.  They led that game against Baylor most the way before coming up just short in the end.  They can hang with Gonzaga, which has some interestingly close wins this year against Utah State 79-66 and Texas 76-71 in overtime.  They also lost to Florida 105-111 in overtime.  I don’t think this Bulldogs team is nearly as strong as last year’s edition that made the NCAA Championship Game.  And it’s a tougher spot for them because they just played on Wednesday, so they have only one day to get ready for Creighton.  The Bluejays have been off since Saturday and have had ample time to prepare for Gonzaga.  The Bluejays are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 non-conference games.  The Bulldogs are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games off a win by more than 20 points.  Take Creighton. 

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on New Orleans Pelicans -2.5 

The Key: The Pelicans will be playing just their 2nd game in 6 days tonight.  The Jazz will be playing their 3rd game in 4 days and for a second consecutive night after winning in Los Angeles against the Clippers last night.  The Jazz are just 9-20 ATS in their last 29 when playing their 3rd game in 4 days.  The Jazz are also just 1-10 ATS in their last 11 home games after covering 4 of their last 5 ATS coming in.  Take New Orleans. 

7* Stanford/USC NCAAF Friday Night Lights on USC -3.5 

The Key: The USC Trojans have had 2 weeks to get ready for Stanford after receiving their bye last week.  The Cardinal are on a short week after a tough game against Notre Dame in which they trailed into the 4th quarter Saturday night before the Fighting Irish gave the game away with 3 turnovers.  The situation favors the Trojans, who have already beaten the Cardinal 42-24 while racking up over 600 yards of total offense against them in their first meeting this year.  The Cardinal are 0-5 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win.  Take USC. 

7* Redskins/Cowboys NFL Total of the Week on UNDER 47.5 

The Key: This has the makings of a low-scoring game tonight between Washington and Dallas.  Both teams have banged-up offensive lines, and the Redskins are missing several key weapons on offense.  The Redskins are improving defensively, giving up just 10 points and 170 total yards to the Giants last week.  The Cowboys are faltering on offense, averaging just 7.3 points and 235 yards per game in their last 3 games.  Neither team was that effective on offense in their first meeting, a 33-19 Dallas win that was misleading.  The Cowboys only managed 307 total yards while the Redskins were held to 285.  With those small yardage outputs, their shouldn’t have been 52 total points scored.  Dallas is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 after gaining 250 or less total yards in 2 consecutive games.  The Cowboys are 10-2 UNDER when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Thursday NBA *Total* Annihilator on 76ers/Celtics UNDER 212 

The Key: The Boston Celtics are the best team in the NBA defensively, ranking No. 1 in defensive efficiency this season.  This is a very high total for them and I think there’s value with the under.  The 76ers are a tired team as they just played a game against the Wizards last night and won’t be looking to push the pace.  They will also be without their best player in Joel Embiid due to rest.  Points won’t be as easy to come by for the 76ers without Embiid.  The UNDER is 9-2 in 76ers last 11 games when their starting 5 players combined for more than 160 minutes played the previous day.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Notre Dame/Michigan ESPN *CA$H COW* on Michigan State -6.5

The Key: The Michigan State Spartans are legitimately one of the top teams in the country this season.  They returned 4 starters and have opened 5-1 with their only loss coming to arguably the best team in the land in Duke.  All 5 of their wins have come by 18 points or more, including their 63-45 win over UNC last time out.  Notre Dame is 6-0 but has played the softer schedule and barely beat Wichita State 67-66.  This is the best team they have faced yet, and it will be a true road game here and a tough test.  The Spartans are 8-0 ATS versus good defensive teams allowing 39% or less over the last 2 seasons.  Michigan State is 9-1 ATS in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 years.  The Spartans are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games overall.  Take Michigan State. 

7* NBA Situational Game of the Month on New Orleans Pelicans -5 

The Key: The New Orleans Pelicans are in a great situation here tonight, while the Minnesota Timberwolves are in a tough one.  The Timberwolves played last night and will be playing for the second straight day.  They will also be playing for the 7th time in 11 days, and it doesn’t get much tougher than that.  The Pelicans have had the last 3 days off since playing on Saturday against the Warriors.  Minnesota is 21-37 ATS when playing 6 or more games in 10 days over the last 3 seasons.  The Timberwolves are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games following a loss.  The home team is 13-5 ATS in the last 18 meetings.  The Timberwolves are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 trips to New Orleans.  Take New Orleans. 

6* Wednesday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Louisiana Tech +11 

The Key: Louisiana Tech is one of those small schools that deserves attention year in and year out.  They can compete with the big boys.  The Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start this season.  They even handed Evansville their first loss last time out with a 63-61 victory on a neutral.  I think they can hang around with Alabama tonight.  The Crimson Tide just finished a big tournament with a loss to Minnesota on a neutral court.  It will be hard for them to get back up to face a team like Louisiana Tech tonight after facing one of the top teams in the country in Minnesota.  Alabama is missing two key players in Braxton Key and Ar’Mond Davis due to knee injuries, and John Petty rolled his ankle against Minnesota and is questionable.  Petty is their second leading scorer, so if he’s hampered at all or doesn’t play it would be a big loss for the Crimson Tide.  Alabama is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 vs. C-USA foes.  Take Louisiana Tech. 

7* ACC/Big Ten Challenge *HEAVY HITTER* on Northwestern -2

The Key: The Northwestern Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history last year.  They brought back 4 starters from that team.  It's understandable that they would suffer a bit of a hangover after that experience as they have not gotten off to the best start this season.  But I think that had them undervalued now.  Georgia Tech is not a very good team and is missing its best player in Josh Okogie, who serves the final game of his 5-game suspension tonight.  GA Tech is 3-1, but narrow wins over Bethune-Cookman (65-62) and UTRGV (78-68) at home show that this team is very vulnerable.  The Wildcats are 11-2 ATS in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.  The Wildcats are 17-4 ATS in road games after a home game over the last 3 years.  Take Northwestern.

6* Tuesday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Heat/Cavs UNDER 208

The Key: The Miami Heat are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA with a healthy Hassan Whiteside, and he is healthy right now.  The Cavs played last night in Philly and only gave up 91 points.  They should be tired tonight and not looking to run as much.  The Heat will slow down the tempo to a snail's pace to try and give them the best chance to win tonight and limit possessions.  The Heat have allowed 98 or fewer points in 4 of their last 5 games coming in.  The Cavs have allowed 99 or fewer in 3 of their last 4 as their defense is steadily improving.  The Heat are 9-1 UNDER in road games when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 70%) over the last 2 seasons.  Take the UNDER.

7* Texans/Ravens NFL *Total* Annihilator on OVER 39

The Key: Oddsmakers can't set a Monday Night Football total below 40.  These prime time games have been going over the total at an alarming rate over the last several weeks, and I think the books have made another mistake here setting this total too low Monday night.  The Ravens are clicking offensively right now, and they should be able to score at will on a depleted, bad Houston defense.  The Texans got their offense going last week for the first time with Tom Savage at quarterback, scoring 31 points and managing 357 total yards against a good Arizona defense.  They should score enough to help push this game OVER the total.  Houston is 10-2 OVER in road games off one or more straight ATS wins over the last 3 seasons.  They are scoring 50.6 combined points per game in this situation.  Take the OVER.

6* NBA Eastern Conference *CA$H COW* on Philadelphia 76ers -2.5

The Key: The Philadelphia 76ers are 11-4 SU & 13-2 ATS in their last 15 games overall.  They have been mispriced all season and are once again tonight as only 2.5-point favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Cavs are dealing with so many injuries right now that they are struggling to win games, let alone cover them.  Philadelphia is 14-2 ATS in November home games over the last 2 seasons.  Take Philadelphia.

6* Jags/Cardinals Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Arizona +5

The Key: The Jacksonville Jaguars have benefited from an extremely soft schedule of late.  They have won 4 in a row and are starting to become a public team.  Now they are laying 5 points on the road here to the Arizona Cardinals.  The Cardinals played well enough to win their last two games against Seattle and Houston.  Blaine Gabbert made his first start with the team last week on the road at Houston, and should be much more effective at home this time around in his 2nd start.  And you can bet Gabbert wants revenge on his former team here.  The Jags are without some key starters in OL Jeremy Parnell, OL Patrick Omameh, CB Jalen Ransey and WR Allen Hurns.  Not having Hurns will allow Patrick Peterson to lockdown Marquise Lee, who is the only real threat at receiver now for the Jaguars.  Bruce Arians is 10-2 ATS as a home dog of 7 points or less in all games he has coached.  Take Arizona.

7* AFC East Game of the Year on Miami Dolphins +17

The Key: After going 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall, the New England Patriots are becoming that public darling once again.  The betting public is going to line up to back them at any number.  That provides some line value to fade them as the Patriots are now 17-point favorites against the Dolphins this week.  This is their biggest favorite role of the season as they have only been a double-digit favorite one other time.  The Miami Dolphins have lost four straight and haven't covered a point spread in any of their last 5 games.  The betting public wants nothing to do with them, especially after their 20-30 loss to the Bucs last week.  But they should have won that game as they lost the turnover battle 5-0 and managed 448 total yards.  Matt Moore will find success against this soft New England defense that gives up 402 yards per game and 6.5 yards per play this season.  The Patriots have a ton of injuries right now and will be without two starting offensive linemen in C David Andrews and OL Marcus Cannon.  Bets on road teams (MIAMI) - after being beaten by the spread by 49 or more points total in their last five games, in weeks 10 through 13 are 23-4 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take Miami.

6* NFC Game of the Week on Chicago Bears +14.5

The Key: The Chicago Bears have been a profitable team to back this season.  They are now in their largest underdog role of the season, while the Philadelphia Eagles are in their largest favorite role of the year.  Mitch Trubisky has helped make the Bears at least competitive.  In his 6 starts, the Bears have not lost by more than 8 points once.  He has been protecting the football very well with just 3 turnovers in their last 4 games.  The Eagles are in a letdown spot off their big win over Dallas Sunday night.  They could also be looking ahead to a huge stretch with back-to-back road games at Seattle and the LA Rams in their next two games.  John Fox is 9-2 ATS when facing teams who average 5.65 or more yards per play as the coach of Chicago.  Take Chicago.

6* Texas/Gonzaga NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Gonzaga -2.5

The Key: I think Texas is getting too much credit from oddsmakers for taking Duke to overtime last game.  That has kept this line lower than it should be as Gonzaga is clearly the better team and should be more than 2.5-point favorites.  Texas is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or PK.  Gonzaga is 24-11 ATS as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.  Take Gonzaga.

6* Saturday NBA *Total* Annihilator on Magic/76ers UNDER 221

The Key: The Philadelphia 76ers are going to be without their point guard and floor general in Ben Simmons tonight.  I think they slow down the offense and run it through Joel Embiid.  I think this game is played at a very slow pace, which will help it stay UNDER this massive 221-point total.  The Magic are a tired team playing the 2nd of a back-to-back after a loss in Boston last night, which also favors the UNDER.  Take the UNDER.

7* NCAA Football Game of the Year on Temple -3

The Key: The Temple Owls sit at 5-6 and one win short of a bowl berth.  They will be hungry to get that 6th victory here against Tulsa, a rebuilding team that is just 2-9 on the season.  The Owls should be bigger favorites here.  After beating both Navy and Cincinnati, they lost 19-45 to unbeaten UCF last week.  But that was a misleading final as they actually outgained the Knights and held them to 384 total yards, but they lost the turnover battle 5-0, which was the difference.  Tulsa's biggest game came last week when they fell just short 20-27 at South Florida.  They won't be nearly as hungry to win this week.  I think the line value is with Temple due to last week's results from these two teams as the scores weren't indicative of the kinds of games they were.  Temple is 6-0 ATS after a game where they committed 3 or more turnovers over the last 2 seasons.  Tulsa is 0-6 ATS in home games after covering the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games over the last 3 seasons.  The Owls are 11-1 ATS versus poor defensive teams that allow 425 yards/game or more over the last 3 seasons.  Take Temple.

6* Saturday NCAAF *BLOWOUT* on Florida Atlantic -23

The Key: Lane Kiffin and the FAU Owls are absolutely rolling right now.  They are 7-0 SU & 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.  Their only non-cover came when they took an intentional safety against Marshall in the final few seconds to blow the cover.  They have 4 wins by 25-plus points in their last 6 games. and now they take on 1-10 Charlotte.  The 49ers quit last week in a 21-66 loss at Southern Miss, giving up 363 rushing yards.  FAU rushes for 280 yards per game and 6.2 per carry and should score at will on this Charlotte defense, which gives up 32.9 PPG on the season.  Charlotte has one of the worst offenses in the country, averaging just 14.4 PPG on the season.  I fully expect the Owls to win by 4-plus touchdowns in this one.  The Owls are 7-1 ATS as a favorite this season, winning by 25.4 PPG.  Bets on road favorites of 14.5 or more points (FLA ATLANTIC) - after 2 straight wins by 21 or more points against opponent after trailing in their previous game by 17 or more points at the half are 25-3 ATS over the last 10 seasons.  Take Florida Atlantic.

6* Saturday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Indiana State -1.5

The Key: This is an Indiana State team that went into Indiana and beat the Hoosiers 90-69 in their opener to flash their potential.  They are up against a 1-4 Ball State team that simply isn't very good.  I think the Sycamores should be much bigger favorites at home today.  Take Indiana State.

6* Saturday NCAAF *UPSET SPECIAL* on Tulane +8

The Key: The Tulane Green Wave are 5-6 and one win away from a bowl game.  The SMU Mustangs are 6-5 and have already clinched a bowl.  The Mustangs have not played with much intensity the last three weeks, going 0-3 SU & 1-2 ATS in their last 3 games since clinching a bowl.  I don't expect them to show up this week either.  Tulane has won 2 in a row over ECU and Houston just to put itself in this position to make a bowl.  I think they finish the deal here and pull the upset.  The matchup couldn't be better for the triple-option attack of Tulane, which averages 237 rushing yards per game and 4.9 per carry.  SMU has been awful against the run this season, giving up 217 rushing yards per game and 5.1 per carry.  They gave up 559 rushing yards to Navy and 33 to Memphis the past 2 weeks.  The Green Wave are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.  The Mustangs are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  The Green Wave are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 trips to SMU.  Take Tulane.

7* Cal/UCLA NCAAF Friday Night Lights on California +7

The Key: The California Golden Bears are 7-4 ATS this season and have been consistently undervalued.  They gave Stanford all they wanted on the road last week as 14-point underdogs in a 14-17 loss.  They had a bye coming into that game, so they should still be fresh for UCLA here.  The Bruins have been overrated all season and are 5-6 SU & 4-7 ATS.  It's likely Jim Mora will be fired at season's end.  The Bruins put a lot into their 23-28 loss at USC last week, and they won't be nearly as motivated to play Cal this week.  The Bruins will have played for a 7th straight week here and will be the more tired team on this short week.  The Golden Bears are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. a team with a losing record.  The Bruins are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games following an ATS win.  Take California.

7* Giants/Redskins NFC East Game of the Month on New York +7.5

The Key: The Giants have gone 6-2 SU & 6-2 ATS in their last 8 meetings with the Redskins.  They haven't lost any of their last 10 meetings with the Redskins by more than 6 points.  The Redskins being 7.5-point favorites in this game is a big line mistake from the books, especially with all of the injuries they are dealing with right now.  The offensive line is banged up, the front 7 defensively is missing key players, and the top two running games in Chris Thompson and Rob Kelley are out for the season.  The Redskins are just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.  The underdog is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings.  Take New York.

6* Wednesday NCAAB *CA$H COW* on Louisiana Tech -4.5

The Key: The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are one of the top teams in Conference USA year in and year out.  That's the case again in 2017.  They are off to a 4-0 start this season and just blasted George Mason 77-64 last night.  Evansville is also unbeaten at 5-0, but this team was picked to finish near the bottom of the MVC this season with all they lost in the offseason.  The Purple Aces have beaten up on a soft schedule, but LA Tech will be their stiffest opponent yet tonight.  Evansville is 12-41 ATS in its last 53 games following a game with 9 or fewer assists.  The Purple Aces are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games following a ATS win.  Take Louisiana Tech.

7* Celtics/Heat Eastern Conference *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +3.5

The Key: The Boston Celtics stayed last night in South Beach and certainly were probably out celebrating their 16-game winning streak.  I think they are ripe for the picking here against the Miami Heat.  The Heat are a feisty team that won't back down.  And they'll certainly want to avenge their 96-90 loss to the Celtics in their first meeting of the season.  Miami is 21-9 ATS revenging a same season loss over the last 2 seasons.  The Heat are 25-10 ATS when revenging a home loss over the last 3 years.  The Heat are 15-5 ATS off an upset loss as a home favorite over the last 3 seasons.  The underdog is 13-5 ATS in the last 18 meetings.  Take Miami.

6* Tuesday NCAAF *CA$H COW* on Akron -15

The Key: The Akron Zips are playing for everything tonight.  A win would send them to the MAC Championship Game to face Toledo.  They put themselves in this position by upsetting Ohio 37-34 last week as 15.5-point underdogs.  Freshman QB Nelson has given this offense a spark since starting two games ago.  He threw for 322 yards and 4 touchdowns against Ohio, while also adding 45 yards on the ground.  He is the most talented QB on Akron's roster and has a bright future with the program.  Not only is Kent State just 2-9 SU, but also 3-8 ATS this season.  The staggering stat is that all 9 of Kent State's losses have come by 14 points or more, and Akron is only being asked to cover 15 points at home tonight.  Kent State is 1-10 ATS after having lost 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games over the last 3 seasons.  Akron is 8-1 ATS after covering the spread in 4 or 5 out of their last 6 games over the last 3 seasons.  The Zips are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games.  The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.  The Zips are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home meetings.  Take Akron.

7* NCAAB *HEAVY HITTER* on Oklahoma State -13

The Key: It's clearly a rebuilding year for the Pitt Panthers, who had to break in 5 new starters this season.  They opened 1-3 with a 62-71 loss to Navy, a 78-83 loss to Montana, and a 54-85 loss to Penn State.  Their only win came against UC-Santa Barbara 70-62.  They won't be able to hang with Oklahoma State today.  The Cowboys are 3-1 with the 3 wins coming by 31, 18 and 43 points despite not having their best player in Jeffrey Carroll due to suspension.  Carroll is back now.  Their only loss came to Texas A&M yesterday, and that's a Texas A&M team that beat a ranked West Virginia team by 23 in their opener.  Pitt is 2-11 ATS versus good defensive teams that allow 64 or fewer points per game over the past 3 seasons.  Oklahoma State is 25-11 ATS in its last 36 when playing against a bad team with a winning percentage between 20% and 40%.  Take Oklahoma State.

7* Falcons/Seahawks NFL *Total* Annihilator on OVER 44.5

The Key: The two meetings between the Seahawks and Falcons last season saw 50 and 56 combined points.  I think we get another shootout here Monday night.  The Falcons and Seahawks have two of the better offenses in the NFL statistically.  The Seahawks aren't as formidable on D as they once were, especially with all their injuries right now. The Legion of Boom secondary is only a shell of its former self with all of the injuries.  Richard Sherman is out for the season, and Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are both banged up.  Fellow cornerback Shaquille Griffin is also hurt.  Matt Ryan should carve up their defense, and Russell Wilson is fully capable of keeping pace with all of the weapons at his disposal.  6 of the last 7 meetings in this series have seen 50 or more combined points.  Atlanta & Seattle have averaged 57.7 combined points per game in those 7 meetings.  Take the OVER.

6* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Portland Trail Blazers -2

The Key: The Memphis Grizzlies are in trouble right now without their best player and one of the most underrated players in the NBA in Mike Conley.  He is out with an Achilles injury, but the list of injuries for this team doesn't stop there.  Both Brandan Wright and Wayne Selden are out, and Tyreke Evans is questionable.  The Blazers will be hungry to avenge their 97-98 home loss to the Grizzlies on November 7th in their first and only meeting this season. They should take advantage of these vulnerable Grizzlies, who have now lost 4 straight and are coming off a 22-point home loss to Houston.  Memphis is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 home games off a home loss.  The Grizzlies are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games off a loss to a division opponent.  The Blazers are 8-1-2 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.  The Grizzlies are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.  Take Portland.

6* Bills/Chargers AFC *CA$H COW* on Buffalo +4.5

The Key: The Los Angeles Chargers just can't cover the spread as favorites, let alone win games.  The last 27 times that the Chargers have been favored by 1 to 5 points, they have actually lost the game outright 18 times.  Bets on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (BUFFALO) - in a game involving two average teams (+/- 3 PPG differential.), after scoring 14 points or less last game are 64-28 ATS since 1983.  The price is right to pull the trigger on the Bills this week thanks to their blowout loss to the Saints last week.  Look for them to likely win this game outright.  Take Buffalo.

7* NFL Dog of the Month on Cleveland Browns +8

The Key: The Cleveland Browns have kept fighting.  They are trying to win games, and that was evident last week.  But once again they shot themselves in the foot despite outplaying the Lions for most of the game.  They had a 7-point lead late in the 3rd quarter, but Deshon Kizer got hurt and they went backwards on offense.  Kizer returned to lead them down the field, but threw an INT on first and goal from the 5 to lost 24-38 and fail to cover as 10-point underdogs.  They also had the clock run out on them on the 1-yard line on the final play before halftime.  They outgained the Lions 413 to 345 for the game.  The Browns have one of the better defenses in the NFL.  The key to stopping the Jaguars is stopping the run, and the Browns do a great job of that.  They are only giving up 86 rushing yards per game and 3.1 per carry.  That's very good when you consider they have been trailing for the majority of their games, and the opponents have been wanting to run the football.  Bets on home dogs or PK who failed to cover 2 of their last 3, a team that's winning 25% or less of their games playing a team with a winning record in the 2nd half of the season are 71-33 ATS since 1983.  Take Cleveland.

6* Sunday NFL *Total* Annihilator on Rams/Vikings OVER 45.5

The Key: Two of the better offensive teams in the NFL square off Sunday when the Rams play the Vikings in a dome built for scoring.  The Rams are putting up 32.9 PPG and averaging 389 YPG and 6.2 YPP this season.  The Vikings are scoring 24.1 PPG, averaging 364 YPG and 5.7 YPP this year.  The Rams have scored 33-plus in 3 straight and 4 of their last 6.  The Vikings have scored 71 combined points in their last 2 games and Case Keenum has been better than he is getting credit for.  The Rams are 13-3 OVER in their last 16 after allowing 17 points or less in 3 straight.  Minnesota is 29-13 OVER in its last 42 vs. teams who average 7.5 or more passing yards per attempt.  Bets on the OVER on road teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points (LA RAMS) - quick starting offensive team - scoring 14+ PPG in the first half, after allowing 17 points or less in 2 straight games are 29-7 over the last 10 seasons.  Take the OVER.

6* Utah/Washington Pac-12 *BAILOUT* on Utah +17.5

The Key: The Washington Huskies just blew their chances of winning the Pac-12 and making the four-team playoff with their 22-30 loss at Stanford last week.  Now, since they can't win either, I don't expect them to be fully focused on this game against Utah.  And I think they would need to be to cover this inflated 17.5-point spread.  Utah needs another win to get to a bowl game and will be motivated.  Especially after they gave away their game against Washington State last week, committing 7 turnovers and still only losing 25-33.  Utah has played Washington extremely tough the past two years.  They won 34-23 as 3-point road dogs in 2015 and only lost 24-31 as 10-point home dogs last year.  Utah is 6-0 ATS in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.  The Utes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.  The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.  Take Utah.

6* Conference USA Game of the Week on Florida International +14.5

The Key: The FAU Owls are starting to get too much love now after winning 6 straight and covering the spread in 5 of those.  But it's a bit of a fraudulent run considering the Owls have been outgained in 4 of those 6 games.  I think this spread would be smaller had FIU not gotten upset by ODU last week.  It would have been for first place in the conference because FIU is 4-2 and FAU is 6-0.  I actually think that benefits FIU more here because FAU knows it can afford a loss and still win its side of Conference USA.  I think FIU will be the more motivated team to prove that they are the best team in the division.  FAU can lose this game and then win at lowly Charlotte next week and still win the division, and that has to be in the back of their minds.  Either way, getting 14.5 points here is a nice price because there isn't that big of a difference separating these two teams.  It's just an inflated number, period.  FAU is 9-23 ATS in its last 32 as a home favorite.  The Owls are 4-14-1 ATS in their last 19 home games.  The dog is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.  The Golden Panthers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Florida International.

7* Big 12 Game of the Year on Kansas +38

The Key: The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off two straight massive wins against their top two contenders in the Big 12.  They beat Oklahoma State 62-52 and TCU 38-20.  Off those two huge wins, it's only human nature for them to suffer a letdown this week.  I'm not saying they'll lose to Kansas, but they certainly won't be focused enough to beat them by more than 38 points.  Kansas is improving down the stretch going 2-1 ATS in its last 3 games.  It only loss 20-30 at home to Kansas State as 25.5-point dogs and gained 482 total yards on the Wildcats.  The Jayhawks only lost 27-42 at Texas last week despite committing 4 turnovers.  That's a great showing against a good Texas defense.  The Jayhawks are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 November games.  The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.  Take Kansas.

7* NBA Situational *SLAM DUNK* on Brooklyn Nets +2

The Key: This is a revenge game for the Brooklyn Nets, who just lost 106-114 in Utah on Saturday.  Now they get the chance to beat the Jazz just 6 days later.  And this will be just their 2nd game in 6 days, so they are rested and ready to go.  They also catch a vulnerable, beat up Jazz team that is already playing without Rudy Gobert, Joe Johnson and Dante Exum, and they could be without Ricky Rubio who is nursing an Achilles injury.  Take Brooklyn.