Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day

Following the blowout win against Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide covered by the hair of a rattled-in free throw in the final seconds vs. offensively challenged Tennessee yesterday. LSU is not offensively challenged. Quite the contrary. Although Alabama has put up big points in many blowout victories, LSU has been the more offensively efficient side, overall. The Tigers have won nearly 70% of their games straight-up and are taking two possessions worth of points – the kind of commodity that we are happy to pay our price for before the chips, er, shots, fall where they may. Sure, we see, “Alabama, 105-75” and “Alabama, 78-60” over LSU in the regular season. In the first, Alabama set an SEC record for three-pointers made in a game, 23. In the second, in the words of LSU head coach Will Wade: “We went 1-for-17 for a stretch there in the second half. We’re just not capable of overcoming that, especially on the road against a very good team.” Right. Re-set to 0-0, take the points with the double-revenge dog averaging 82.2 ppg

Rating: 3 Unit Big West Play of the Day

Let’s try this again. Get up off the mat and punch back. Last night’s embarrassing result in the Cal-Irvine game was triggered by six Riverside guards shooting a combined 9-for-33. Way to go. Way to be there. Way to show up in the big game. Geez. Leading 41-28 at the half, Irvine defense wasn’t going to allow a comeback. Double-revenge is a dish best served cold. Way back on Dec. 27-28, the Anteaters beat the Gauchos 75-56 and 73-69 in the first two games of Big West Conference season. That’s as cold as an in-season revenge dish can be served. UCSB has lost one (1) game since. As noted yesterday, Irvine’s most experienced players don’t handle the ball very much. Cal-Santa Barbara’s most experienced players are senior guards Jaquori McLaughlin and Devearl Ramsey, a couple of ball-security experts who combined for 9.0 assists per game on a team with a 16.4-11.1 Assist/Turnover rate. They may not be the world’s greatest-shooting three-point team, but 35.0% isn’t shabby and they can stretch the floor enough to create space for Amadou Sow to go to work inside.

Rating: 10 Unit NHL Total of the Month

Rating: 3 Unit Mountain West Play of the Day

San Diego State will be out for payback, after falling to Utah State in a back-to-back series in January. The Aztecs did not have their best player, Matt Mitchell, available for the second meeting and that cost the Aztecs in a big way. With Mitchell on the floor along with sharpshooter Jordan Schakel, the Azetcs have the shooting to space out and take advantage of a bigger Utah State team that prefers to pack the paint. Schakel and Mitchell combined for 39 points and six mad threes on Friday night against Nevada.

Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day

Arkansas continues to roll through the SEC, having not lost a conference game since January 16th. The Hogs are clicking on both ends of the floor and have the versatility to slow down a potent LSU offense. Arkansas starting forward Justin Smith is an ideal matchup to go against LSU big man Trendon Watford. Eric Musselman’s ability to adjust on the fly with schemes should bode well for a quick turnaround into Saturday. In the last meeting against LSU, Arkansas limited LSU to 43.8% shooting from two-point range, as Watford shot 4-for-13 inside the arc.

Rating: 3 Unit Big West Play of the Day

The most experienced players on Irvine don’t handle the ball a whole heck of a lot. The Anteaters are a favorite that has scored less than 1.0 points per possession in conference play. After 4-19 Cal Poly was able to hang with them for 40 minutes last night, Irvine seems to be asking for somebody with better offensive capabilities to come along and beat them, kind of like Northeastern in the CAA when that team got beat by Drexel. Cal-Riverside is the Saint Mary’s of SoCal, with an infusion of Aussie and New Zealanders and, in fact, a former Saint Mary’s player, 7’1”, 250 center Jock Perry. Usually, every Highlander is a three-point shooter including Perry (and they all have percentages to respect), which can lure Anteater rim protector Brad Greene away from the hoop to begin an unraveling of their normally good defense.

Rating: 3 Unit AAC Play of the Day

Facing Memphis is a tall order for a Central Florida team that has proven to not be able to handle pressure this season. The Knights turned the ball over 33.3% and 29.6% of the time in two meetings against the Tigers this season. Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway has noted that his full defensive system is now installed, as a COVID-19 pause helped his team implement it, “The two long pauses gave us the time to do that. Now we’re definitely way more prepared to shut team downs.” Memphis appears highly motivated to find itself in a rematch with Houston on Saturday, as the Tigers lost on a buzzer beater finish against the Cougars last weekend.

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

Huskies head coach Dan Hurley downplayed the status of James Bouknight on Thursday, saying it was only cramping and he’ll be ready for Friday. With Bouknight back in the fold, the Huskies are now 11-2 against the spread and UConn seems intent on sending a message to their new conference this week. Said starting wing Tyrese Martin, “We’re a different team. We’re at full strength. We’re probably one of the hottest teams in the country right now. So to beat us, you’re going to have to do a lot of things. And I don’t think that there’s a team right now that’s going to do that.” The physicality that the Huskies play with will be difficult for Creighton to match.

Rating: 10 Units NHL Total of the Mont

The over is 8-2-1 in Islanders last 11 home games, 3-1-1 in Islanders last 5 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.,  5-2 in Islanders last 7 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game, and 5-2 in Islanders last 7 games following a win. In addition, the over is 5-1 in Devils last 6 games playing on 1 days rest.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

Virginia’s ability to dissect Syracuse’s 2-3 zone should help the Cavaliers
create separation on Thursday. Virginia produced 1.16 points per possession in the first meeting against Syracuse this year, opting to stick point guard Kihei Clark in the middle of Syracuse’s zone. That allowed Virginia to space the floor with shooters and the result was a 81-58 Virginia victory. Jim Boeheim has had tough luck going against Virginia, with a 3-7 record against the spread in his last 10 meetings against Tony Bennett.

Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day

Kentucky enters the SEC Tournament with a chance to save a disappointing season and John Calipari appears ready to empty the tank. “There will be no pitchers left,” Calipari said during a teleconference Wednesday. “I’m using every pitcher I can. The knuckle-baller. The curve-baller. The fast (ball) pitcher. The middle reliever. The last-pitch (closer).” Part of the Wildcats adjustments as of late has been moving senior Davion Mintz into the point guard role. That move should benefit the Wildcats, as it removes struggling freshman Devin Askew from the lineup. The Wildcats will now be bigger, more athletic and will not have sacrificed shooting.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

The Sooners enter off four straight losses. As far as we’re concerned, they’re going into this “the right way.” The last three were against the fan base’s two most hated rivals, Oklahoma State and Texas. They were right there in all three, losing each by 4 points. The “slide” actually began in the second half of their second win against Iowa State, when they turned a 41-25 halftime lead into a non-cover in the road win. Hey, they’re entitled. It’s a tough conference, long season, and somebody has to lose a game involving two high-class winning teams. But enough is enough, and now they drop in class. It’s not like Iowa State is coming into this any better. Actually, the Cyclones current losing streak is four-and-a-quarter times worse, with 17 in a row!

Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day

Owl not be denied? Last Friday, we won a ***BEST BET on Florida Atlantic against an admittedly weaker foe, Middle Tennessee, in which we described them as a poor man’s version of the highly ranked Houston Cougars. They hit the offensive glass (11.4 ORs per game) and get many second-chance opportunities after missed three pointers. But they miss fewer treys than most, with a good make rate of 37.5%. They are also in the national top 20 in defensive rebounding percentage. UTEP has played close games against Arizona and Kansas, beat Arizona State. Those were exhibitions for Arizona and Kansas, and we all know that Arizona State was/is a joke. UTEP is more accurate then FAU only at the free-throw line, but they don’t get there with any fearful frequency.

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

Marquette’s defense has made strides lately, looking like the physical and attentive group that Steve Wojciechowski had been hoping for this season. The Golden Eagles have held five of their last six opponents to 0.93 points per possession or less. That has helped lead Marquette to a 4-1 record against the spread in those outings. Marquette’s physicality poses as an issue for a Georgetown offense that prefers to play inside through big man Qudus Wahab. Wahab will have to deal with senior center Theo John, one of the better interior defenders in the Big East.

Rating: 10 Unit NHL 10* Game of the Year

The Isles have been playing well. However, they're stepping up in class here. I expect a visit from the talented and hungry Bruins to bring them back down to earth. Off an upset loss to the Devils, the Bruins are going to be in an angry mood. The fact that they're 0-3 against the Isles this season adds further motivation. The last of those meetings was a 7-2 beatdown. Obviously, Boston hasn't forgotten. The Bruins haven't fared well here this season but are still 18-6 their last 24 visits here. While they'll be without Rask, Halak is 5-2 with a 2.24 GAA. I expect them to bounce back with a huge effort

Rating: 3 Unit Horizon League Play of the Day

Oakland enters as a slight underdog on Tuesday night, with a strong chance to win the Horizon League title. The Grizzlies continue to get exceptional point guard play from Jalen Moore, who totaled 14 points, seven assists and two turnovers in Monday’s win over Northern Kentucky. The Grizzlies will get a third crack at Cleveland State after falling to the Vikings twice in early February in two close contests. Oakland starting guard Rashad Williams missed the first game and only played 11 minutes in the second outing due to injury. Williams is now back and has totaled 39 points in the first two games of the Horizon League Tournament this week. With Moore’s running partner back in the fold, the Grizzlies can more than even the score with Cleveland State.

Rating: 3 Unit Horizon League Play of the Day

In an odd twist, Oakland and Northern Kentucky have not met yet this season and will see each other for the first time on Monday night. The meeting will be a clash of styles with Oakland’s uptempo system facing off against a very slow Northern Kentucky team. Where Oakland holds an advantage is with terrific point guard Jalen Moore leading the way. Moore leads the nation in assist rate and will likely be able to get the pace of the game on the Grizzlies’ terms. Also helpful for Oakland is their willingness to pack the paint and allow opposing teams to shoot from three. That’s an issue for a Northern Kentucky team that ranks 288th in three-point percentage.

Rating: 3 Unit Southern Conference Play of the Day

Easy-peasy with our **PREFERRED winner on VMI yesterday – needed only one overtime! Although the Keydets invested a lot of sweat and limited manpower into yesterday’s upset (Wait, what upset? We thought they’d win!), this second of back-to-backs for them is against a Mercer bunch playing for the third straight night. And, they’re military kids. They’ve been through their share of off-the-court physical abuse, er, training! The lone regular season meeting went Mercer’s way, 83-80, at Mercer but our numbers, with an underdog that shoots and rebounds as well as VMI, say that today, it’s…

Rating: 3 Unit AAC Play of the Day

Houston has been dominant at home this season, having covered the spread in their last five home games by double digits. The Cougars have had a week to prepare for this AAC showdown, while Memphis has spent the week on the road playing Tuesday and Thursday road games. This will be a major step up in weight class for Memphis, who has not played a Top 100 Ken Pom team in more than a month. The Tigers’ carelessness on offense, where they rank 326th in turnover rate, will create issues against an aggressive Houston defense.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

Davidson’s 99-point outing on Friday against George Mason was impressive but the Wildcats are perhaps a bit overvalued off such a performance. VCU meanwhile saw the return of star guard Bones Hyland, who totaled 30 points in a victory against Dayton. Hyland missed VCU’s first meeting against Davidson last week, in which the Rams were competitive in a one-possession game for the first 30 minutes until losing distance on the road. VCU will have the luxury of having seen Davidson’s motion offense once recently, something George Mason did not have the benefit of on Friday. Consider that Davidson is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games following three or more consecutive home games, and 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points

Rating: 3 Unit Sun Belt Play of the Day

USA’s short rotation has not done well in the second of back-to-back games this season, and those losses occurred against opponents who were also playing without rest. Tonight’s opponent is a 17-6 team with rest, and 6’9" and 6’10" forwards the smaller Jaguars will be scrappin’ for rebounds against with their shorter, tired legs. It took us about three-and-a-half months to acknowledge the existence of Bob Marlin’s Ragin Cajuns and if they don’t come through for us, then we can go back to forgetting about them.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

Indiana isn’t supposed to have a losing record in head coach Archie Miller’s fourth season, are they? But they have one, following four straight losses, scoring only 57 and 58 in the last two vs. Michigan and Michigan State. Trayce Jackson-Davis had 25 points but only 4 rebounds when the Hoosiers lost 81-69 to the Boilermakers at home. They’ve been missing guard Armaan Franklin, #2 scorer and 45% three-point shooter. By all accounts, he’ll miss this

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

Wichita State has plenty at stake when they take the floor on Saturday. The
Shockers have a shot to win the American Athletic Conference outright with a win and will be attempting to do so on Senior Day. The Shockers will also be fortunate to play in front of a crowd that will be at 25% capacity, creating a rare homecourt advantage this season. South Florida meanwhile has appeared lifeless lately, being blown out in three straight games. The Bulls interior  defense has been decimated as starting forward Alexis Yetan and center Michael Durr are dealing with injuries.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Mismatch of the Day

Taking two possessions worth of points on double-avenging Dayton. Not since Eric Maynor in 2009 (22.3 ppg) has VCU’s scoring leader averaged as many points per game as VCU’s Bones Hyland (19.2), who’ll be coming off a two-game absence and foot sprain if he plays. Given that second-leading scorer Vince Williams is playing through an injury and nobody else on the favored Rams averages more than 7.3 ppg, doesn’t Anthony Grant go with a box-and-one against Hyland?

Rating: 3 Unit Missouri Valley Play of the Day

Indiana State will rally around head coach Greg Lansing this week, as rumors that he will not return have surfaced. In what would be a bizarre decision by Indiana State to let Lansing go, the Sycamores can put forth a great effort in Saint Louis this week. They’ll return starting guard Tyreke Key to the lineup after missing games due to injury and Lansing feels this team is ready to break through. “In our tenure, in our earlier years, we did well in the Valley tournament,” Lansing said. “Then we went on a stretch where we weren’t good enough, prepared enough and the guys weren’t competitive enough. We’re not happy not going over any winning games, but this team is different, a special group of young men.”

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

Duquesne battled St. Bonaventure in both meetings this season before running out of steam late. Both games were one possession games after 30 minutes but at that earlier point of the season Duquesne’s conditioning was still an issue off of a program pause due to COVID-19. The Dukes are a physical bunch capable of playing a low scoring slugfest against the Bonnies. The Dukes ability to defend the three-point line, where they rank best in the A10, will be key against a St. Bonaventure attack that shot 37.5% from three-point range in conference play.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Not a good set-up for the Warriors. Following last night’s ding-donger defeat in Portland, they face the new "hottest team in the NBA" after a night flight into the Arizona desert, where the rested Suns await with some impressive recent numbers including: +14.8 points differential last eight games, including the second best offensive efficiency (1.24 points per possession) and fifth best defensive efficiency (1.09 points per possession) in that span. During it, the Suns are shooting 52.0%, tops in the league for the stretch, and turning it over only 11 times per game, fewest in the league. On Jan. 28, the Suns beat the Warriors by 21 points here without Devin Booker. 6’7" shooting guard Kelly Oubre (15.5 ppg, 5.7 reb in 30.3 minutes per) didn’t play for the Warriors last night

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

Rasir Bolton, Iowa State’s leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals – not to mention minutes with 33.6 per game! -- injured an ankle on Sunday and didn’t play in the second half. In Tuesday night’s hosting of Texas, Bolton did not play but two guards who played Bolton-like minutes when they normally don’t shot 2-for-11 and 1-for-8. If Iowa State was a good team, we’d say that these kids would definitely do better next time out. But their only 2 wins have been against low-Major competition. They’re not a good team.

Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day

Host FAU is a poor man’s version of the highly ranked Houston Cougars. They hit the offensive glass (11.4 ORs per game) and get many second-chance opportunities after missed three-pointers. But they make an above-average percentage of their threes: 38.0%. They are also in the national top 20 in defensive rebounding percentage. All of this would seem to work well against a 3-11 visitor that can’t shoot straight (.96 points per possession in C-USA games).

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

Massachusetts did not have the luxury of easing back into play off of their
program pause recently, opening back up on the road against Richmond and
Saint Louis. The Minutemen now are closer to full health, as Matt McCall called
Wednesday’s practice the best they’ve had in a while. While St. Joseph’s has
impressed lately, their recent win streak is a bit hollow. The Hawks knocked off
a poor La Salle team narrowly in two games, defeated a depleted Richmond
and beat a Dayton team that inexplicably changed their lineup for one game.
The Hawks are not likely to be able to defend UMass star big man Tre Mitchell
in this meeting.

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

Losses have been rare for Villanova since the formation of the new Big East, but when they do occur, the Wildcats respond strongly. Villanova is 22-13-2 against the spread after a loss, which they’re faced with here after a Sunday defeat at the hands of Butler. The motivation does not stop there for the Wildcats, as they also owe Creighton payback from their worst loss of the season on February 13th. In addition, Villanova is also hosting senior day for starters Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, two pillars of their program for the last four years.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Denver has several guys with nagging injuries and guys that are dealing with protocol issues. Denver lost to this team by 13 last month when the Nuggets not only lost the battle of the boards but they lost on a night when the Bucks Khris Middleton was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. This season, Khris is shooting at 43% from distance. The Bucks got Jrue Holiday back Sunday and although he played limited minutes and the rust was evident, Milwaukee still had enough to take care of the Clippers. As usual, Giannis Antetokounmpo did a little bit of everything with 14 boards, 5 assists, 4 blocks and a steal to go along with this 36 points. Bobby Portis has found a niche with Milwaukee. On Sunday, he had 9 points, 7 boards and 3 thefts in 21 minutes. It’s a tough spot for Denver in their current shape with no rest.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Mismatch of the Day

Oakland gets to restart its season at home after finishing the regular season on the road for four straight games, which included two double overtime losses. The Grizzlies now have had more than a week of rest and preparation to face a team they beat handily in two regular season meetings. In two wins over Youngstown State, Oakland’s offense was clicking, producing 1.17 and 1.20 points per possession. Point guard Jalen Moore was in full control of those outings, dishing a total of 26 assists.

Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day

First game for Alabama since clinching the SEC regular-season title with a low-scoring win at Mississippi State. Some will expect a letdown for the home favorite. We do not. It’s an opportunity to put away the school’s archrival at home, convincingly, and not get involved in another 94-90 game like the one they played at Auburn, which was the collegiate debut of the Tigers’ freshman point guard Sharif Cooper. Cooper played well, but now the Tide knows who he is. Others know him as the kid who didn’t play in either of Auburn’s last two games. Auburn can’t play in the post-season, so many will assume they’ll go nuts here. But Alabama knows that. They’ll be ready to punch back.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

The 18-1 Wolverines have been darn near infallible against just about all comers. That their one loss came at Minnesota – who is 2-8 since – is pretty much the exception that proves the rule. They are 1 win away from clinching the Big Ten regular season title, with three games to play before the conference tournament. Illinois is their closest pursuer. The Illini’s star guard, Ayo Dosunmu, has been out with a broken nose. Illini head coach Brad Underwood made some recent comments about Michigan’s pause that Wolverines players may interpret as insulting. He also said, “These games mean nothing. There’s no Big Ten championship that means much. These games don’t mean much. They really don’t.” Seems like he’s more interested in pursuing a national championship, eh?

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The Blazers have two days of rest. The visiting Hornets play the second of back-to-backs. We started saying this a few weeks ago: Portland – still 18-14 -- needs to win games like this while Nurkic and McCollum are out. They enter on a four-game losing streak, three of them on the road against winners (Phoenix, Denver, Lakers). For this they are home, with the favorable set-up, against a loser. They’re in sixth place in the West but only 1.5 games out of ninth. It may not appear so on the surface, but it’s as big a game as they’ll play. Consider that Charlotte is
2-10 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Portland.

Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day

Oregon returns home after playing three games in a row on the road, and
ended that trip with two road wins at Stanford and California. The Ducks are
fully healthy and a dangerous team as they enter March. Oregon’s ability to
keep teams off balance on offense will be pivotal against an Arizona team that
wants to play inside out. The Ducks allow very little around the interior, as
they’ve forced Pac 12 teams to attempt 38.1% of field goals from three-point
range, the 3rd-highest rate in the conference. That’s a potential issue for an
Arizona team that takes the 2nd-fewest threes in the Pac 12.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

See the Dayton selection above for a reason to be against St. Joe’s this evening. The Hawks are a 3-14 team overall, 2-9 in conference, coming off a 97-point outing in victory. They hit a ceiling so hard, and now it’s time for the bounce-down crash against a 13-6 Richmond team coming home off a loss at Saint Louis where the Spiders played well enough to win despite losing and not covering. Saint Louis – who plays defense while St. Joe’s pretty much does not – beat Richmond where St. Joe’s cannot, in the paint

Rating: 3 Unit

NBA Play of the Day

The Rockets’ latest misadventure was losing by 11 points to what was basically a self-coached Raptors team. When we heard that Toronto would be without six coaches plus Pascal Siakim vs. Houston on Fridayand doubled down on the ***BEST BET. People will cling to any piece of not-so-relevant news in order to take points, won’t they? But bad teams do not take advantage and are not good to latch onto. On Friday night, Memphis lacked defensive intensity in the second of back-to-backs vs. the Clippers. They’ve done that before in the same situation. This is not that situation. Consider that Houston is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.

Rating: 3 Unit

Summit League Play of the Day

North Dakota State will be attempting to even the series against South Dakota this weekend, and will have the benefit of not facing the Coyotes at their best. South Dakota star guard AJ Plitzuweit suffered a gruesome leg injury that likely ended his season. Plitzuweit has averaged 19.0 points per game while making 43.3% of three-point attempts. Without their leading scorer, the Coyotes will have a tough time fending off a North Dakota State team looking for payback on Sunday.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

Earlier this season, KU suffered a home loss to Texas by the score of 84-59. Texas was ranked #8 then, is still in the Top 20. Baylor is ranked #2, with a points differential of +23.1, and beat the Jayhawks 77-69 in January after leading 41-28 at halftime. Wisely, the Bears didn’t pour it on in the second half, the better to lessen Jayhawk revenge emotions for this re-hook. Sweeping Kansas would put a nice cherry on top of Baylor’s seasonal sundae that sure is taking a long time in between spoon fulls.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

Duquesne was robbed of momentum earlier this month when their program had to go on pause. The Dukes now have two games under their belt and now will get to play in their renovated Cooper Fieldhouse for just the second time this season. In their first outing in their new gym, the Dukes impressed in a home victory over Rhode Island. Duquesne’s recent loss to La Salle has deflated their value and a buy-low situation now has appeared. Head coach Keith Dambrot said a good old fashioned butt kicking would be good for his team. The duo of Michael Hughes and Marcus Weathers inside can control the interior in this one for the Dukes.

Rating: 3 Unit Ohio Valley Play of the Day

JSU is off a season-best 54.2% from three-point range in a season sweep of Murray State. This happened on the same Thursday night during which Tennessee Tech pulled a shooting night out of their butts (56.4% overall, 50.0% from three-point range) to beat Austin Peay, who contributed to their own demise with a 5-for-20 (25.0%) outing on three-pointers. The traveling Governors have revenge against JSU, for a 76-70 loss in which their available bench was three players who totaled 3 points. They’ve gotten guys back since then. Consider that Jacksonville State is 5-14 ATS in their last 19 games as a home favorite

Rating: 4 Unit ACC Game of the Week

In their prior meeting, Va. Tech blocked 9 shots to Wake’s 0, shot 47.8% to Wake’s 36.7%... but won the game only 64-60! Despite that nonsense, we’ll side with the #16-ranked Hokies in their second game back from a pause. They returned from it in a hornet’s nest – all right, a Yellow Jackets’ nest -- at Georgia Tech, turning in their worst offensive game of the season against a good defensive foe. At the same time, Tech exploited their shaky interior defense with 26-and-10 game from Moses Wright, a 6’9” inside scorer the likes of whom Wake Forest does not feature.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

Texas Tech hasn’t been able to catch much of a break in the past week, as they had the challenge of playing at Kansas and at Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders lost both by narrow margins but now get to return home against a Texas team that is perhaps in for a letdown. The Longhorns had a different fortune against Kansas, narrowly escaping in overtime. Encouraging for Texas Tech as they have previously defeated Texas this season despite the Longhorns making 13-of-25 three-pointers. The Red Raiders limited Texas to 34.5% shooting from two-point range in that contest

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Rockets are supposed to go up during missions. These Rockets are going down, in flames. Nine losses in last 10 games, the latest to an opponent with the lowest power rating who makes the fewest three-pointers per game in the NBA. Cleveland had lost 10 straight games going into the match-up, but won it by 16 points. Houston has released DeMarcus Cousins (9.6 ppg, 7.6 reb, 2.4 assists, 20.2 minutes). They keep giving serious minutes to P.J. Tucker, who has produced nine games with 0 points. This is the NBA, fellas. If a non-productive player gets serious minutes, and you start nobody taller than 6’6,” and the only true big you bring off the bench is Justin (Who?) Patton, then you’ll lose a lot, by a lot.

Rating: 3 Unit Missouri Valley Conference Play of the Day

The road favorite has won six straight. The home dog has lost six straight. Evansville’s six straight losses were against the first, second and fourth place teams in the Missouri Valley, five of them on the road. Missouri State is in third place. But their six straight wins were against 5-11 Southern Illinois w/o Domask, 5-11 Bradley who played without four guys, and 4-12 Illinois State.

Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day

Defense travels, they say. UAB is giving up only 59.5 ppg. They got a game in against Rust on Monday, 2/22, not necessarily to knock off the rust because they’ve been playing steadily since Jan. 8. But they’d lost their final “real” home game to Old Dominion two days earlier, so it was a good way to leave Birmingham for the season. Now, they play four straight on the road to close out their regular-season C-USA slate. A defense this good ought to figure out a way to contain 21+ ppg Jhivan Jackson and force UTSA to adjust in the next game. Consider that Texas San Antonio is 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games as an underdog

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

Penn State’s lack of interior defense is a major issue when facing an improving Purdue offense. The Boilermakers now rank 4th-best in the Big 10 in two-point percentage during conference play. They can use 6’10 big man Trevion Williams as an asset when facing a Penn State defense that ranks last in two-point percentage allowed in the Big 10. In the first meeting against Penn State this season, Purdue converted 63.3% of two-point attempts in a 80-72 victory. Purdue has been off since Saturday to prep for this spot, while Penn State had to play games on both Sunday and Tuesday

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The Grizzlies own the NBA’s Sophomore Jinx of the Year, Ja Morant. Everybody was waiting for him to return after being injured very early in the season and in hindsight, given the well-known existence of the “jinx,” and NBA coaches’ adjustments on players such as Morant, the anticipation seems to have been quite foolish. The team’s strongest identity is the creation of havoc on defense. That’s nice, but shooting the basketball straight is also important, and when harassing defense nevertheless allows 144 points to New Orleans, and the team can score only 92 points when it gives up only 102 vs. Dallas, and the only opponents it’s been able to beat in the last 12 games have been Charlotte, OKC and Detroit

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day

The #10 Seed has an offensive Effective Field Goal percentage of 58.2%, fourth highest in the nation behind Gonzaga, Baylor and Belmont. (The first two are the undefeated, #1, #2 ranked teams in the nation, and Belmont is unbeaten atop the Ohio Valley conference.) So, what the heck is Fort Wayne doing as a lowly #10 seed in a First Round Horizon League game? Probably biding their time, tinkering here and there, learning about the opposition they’ve been facing for the first time in their first season in this league, and working themselves up for this double-revenge outing with a seven-season coaching staff vs. Green Bay’s first-season bunch.

Rating: 3 Unit Horizon League Hammer

Detroit had little issue with disposing of Robert Morris last weekend and now meet them to start the Horizon League Tournament on their home floor. Detroit built leads as big as 23 and 19 points in the two meetings last week, producing 1.15 and 1.31 points per possession in their two wins. The Titans attack was led by Antoine Davis totaling 54 points. Detroit has gone on a tear to end the season, going 9-1 against the spread over their last 10 games.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Mismatch of the Day

Miami head coach Jim Larranaga called the Hurricanes situation currently as a ‘miserable’ one, as they’re down to six available scholarship players. Starting guard Harold Beverly has been ruled out indefinitely, joining a long list of sidelined ‘Canes. Miami’s lack of depth poses a serious issue against a Florida State team that can come at them in waves. That proved to be the case in the first meeting on January 27th, as Florida State rolled to a 81-59 victory. Florida State dominated the interior, making 59.1% of two-points compared to 35.5% for Miami.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day

The Spurs will be without DeMar DeRozan for this game because of a death in the family. LaMarcus Aldridge has not played since Feb. 1 with a hip issue but he did practice on Monday. Even if he does play, the rust could be evident. LaMarcus missed a few consecutive games last month and in the game he returned in, he only scored 14 points. Rudy Gay, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Derrick White did not travel for this game because of health and safety concerns. OKC lost Monday but they were playing in the second of a back-to-back game after winning in Ohio. The Thunder have some quality wins on their record against teams like Milwaukee, Phoenix and Brooklyn. When considering schedule strength based on opponents’ records, days of rest, and home and away OKC has had the second toughest schedule in the league according to ESPN.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The Pacers are extra-rested after not playing since Feb. 17. By contrast, the Warriors come out to play for a second of back-to-backs on the road. At Golden State on Jan. 12, the Pacers had enough in the tank in a second of back-to-backs to beat rested Warriors 104-95, using a box-and-one defense against Steph Curry most of the game. (Curry had 20 points, 3 assists; he averages 29.9 and 6.2.) Not sure if the Warriors can adjust if the Pacers do it again. T.J. McConnell didn’t play in that first meeting so the Pacers have an extra, fresh guy to be the “1” chasing outside the box. Consider that Golden State is 5-17-1 ATS in their last 23 games playing on 0 days rest.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

Off two road losses at Florida State and Duke, Virginia is eligible to come home and smoke the Wolfpack, who is eligible to be fat and happy off road wins at Pitt and Wake Forest as they enter this third straight away from Raleigh. Meeting in-game adversity head-on is not part of what NC State hoops is all about (at least not anymore). When you play Virginia, in-game adversity often strikes in the form of long scoring droughts and the resulting frustration that mounts. Consider that Virginia is 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss while NC State is 3-8-2 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch

Sunday night sweep of the West Coast when their largest lay was -4.5 while they went 5-0? Tuesday home game 3,000 miles away from their last victory spot, L.A., laying -7.5 against one of the teams they beat on the trip? Well, now. While covering this spread is certainly within the Brooklyn Ball Hogs’ scope, they are coming off a “mission accomplished” trip. Compared to what they just did out West, this match-up is a nuisance on the work slate. The Kings, on a 0-7 SU, 0-7 ATS skid, nevertheless are pros who want to snap that losing streak. Off two games in Chicago and Milwaukee, they’ve eased into the time zone change while the Nets are suddenly jarred back into it. Consider that Sacramento is 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games as a road underdog

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

This is a re-match of the Sunday game and again, the Pistons will be without Delon Wright, who is averaging 10 points, 5 boards and 5 assists a night. On Sunday, Orlando won the battle of the boards, held Detroit to 28% from beyond the arc and the Magic were just more aggressive getting to the free-throw line 29 times to 21 for the Pistons. Orlando also should now have an improved rotation as the returning Al-Farouq Aminu started and got some rust off.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic-10 Play of the Day

Virginia Commonwealth was dealt the unfortunate news that star guard Bones Hyland will not be able to suit up on Tuesday. Hyland is averaging 19.2 points per game, and there is no way to replace his individual talent on the offensive side of the floor. The Rams will also be welcoming in a ticked off Billikens team, coming off of a terrible effort at Dayton. Helpful for Saint Louis is their ability to protect the ball against VCU’s pressure, as they rank 63rd-best nationally in turnover rate.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

There could be some rust on the Dallas squad as this is their first game since losing to Portland 8 nights ago. The Mavericks have been on the selfish side as they are 25th in assists this season while Memphis leads the league in that category. Memphis has leveled off a bit since losing only three games in January. The Grizzlies figure to show some resiliency after being crushed Saturday by Phoenix. Memphis had a couple of guys out and they rested a couple of key players. They have shown they can respond after a bad beat this season. They lost to Toronto by 15 earlier this month and then beat Charlotte in the next game. They also were beaten by 31 by New Orleans 6 nights ago and won 24 hours later over OKC.

Rating: 3 Unit NHL Total of the Day

Consider that the 9-3-4 in Stars last 16 road games, 5-2 in Stars last 7 overall, 5-2 in Stars last 7 vs. NHL, and 5-2 in Stars last 7 vs. Central. While the over is 19-7 in Panthers last 26 Monday games and 42-20-2 in Panthers last 64 games playing on 1 days rest.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

Duke continues to surge, as they’ve won and covered three straight games. It’s not likely a coincidence that they’ve done so with freshman Jalen Johnson exiting the program. Duke’s chemistry and energy along with their defense all appears to be much improved. Also, Duke is shooting the ball tremendously making 50-of-113 three-point attempts over their last five games. That serves as a great advantage when going against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense.

Rating: 3 Unit Total of the Week

The under is 14-6 in Eagles last 20 overall, 37-16 in Eagles last 53 games following a straight up win, and 23-10 in Eagles last 33 road games. While the under is 6-2 in Cougars last 8 games as a home underdog and 7-3 in Cougars last 10 home games.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Don’t look now, but Tom Thibodeau’s New York side has won 3 of 4 and is in playoff position in the East, not something that would mean much to the Lakers or Milwaukee, but for a Knick franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in the last 7 seasons and that has won only one playoff series in this century, it’s a big deal. Thibs’ team has been among the top three in the NBA defensively for the entire season (currently 3rd on the year; 1st in last 8 games in defensive rating), and is getting some stronger play from other directions than Julius Randle lately. PG Elfrid Payton has scored 15 ppg and shot 48% while getting 5 rpg and 4 apg over last 8 games, RJ Barrett is at 17 ppg and 6.2 rpg on the season, 6th man Immanuel Quickley has been a surprise (although his shooting has fallen off a bit of late) and the addition of ex-Thibodeau favorite Derrick Rose (11 ppg since arriving from Detroit, played for him in Chicago and Minny). Timberwolves have been winning about once every two weeks (5-23 L28), and Thibodeau might have a bit of emotion against his old employer and snaps 4-game Knick losing streak in series.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

There should be no shame in the two losses Rutgers has suffered over the last month, with losses coming on the road at Iowa and Michigan. The Scarlet Knights overall have gone 5-2 as of late, including against the spread.  Rutgers’ length and athleticism will cause issues for a perimeter based Maryland team that relies on shooting from three-point range. Rutgers is 5th-best in the Big 10 in limiting three-point attempts and possesses multiple athletic defenders that can match up well with a smaller Maryland team. Consider that Rutgers is 21-8-2 ATS in their last 31 games following a ATS win.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

It's been a difficult year for Duke, with Coach K continually suggesting he would prefer not to play during a pandemic, and one of their starters opting out in the middle of the season. They have won back to back games on the road against bottom feeders, but their last two home games were losses to Notre Dame and North Carolina. The Cavs are coming off a blowout loss to #4 ranked FSU, but they have previously won on the road at Georgia Tech and #12 ranked Clemson. The Cavaliers are 8-0-1 ATS in their last nine games following a loss, and the road team is 21-6-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings. Duke has only covered in two of their last 10 home games.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

Richmond is now further removed from their program pause due to COVID-19. The Spiders now have two games under their belt and will look to benefit from a Duquesne team exiting the same sort of situation. Dukes head coach Keith Dambrot said he has no idea of how good his team will be after an 18 day layoff. Dambrot said he has no idea if it’s the right call, but he has kept practices to no longer than one hour this week. Duquesne will have their hands full with a veteran Richmond team looking to get back on track after a hard fought loss to VCU. Consider that Richmond is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games vs. a team with a losing road record and 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games as a home favorite.

Big East Play of the Day

Connecticut is a drastically different team with star guard James Bouknight back in the fold, and the Huskies remain undervalued in his second game back. Bouknight returned to score 18 points in 24 minutes on Tuesday against Providence, as the Huskies built a comfortable 18 point lead at one point in the process. Where UConn can match up well against Villanova is on the defensive end of the floor, where they are exceptional at running opposing teams off of the three-point line. That is where Villanova prefers to operate, as they rank 33rd in three-point attempt rate. Consider that UConn is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record and 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

These cannot be pleasant times in Detroit. The team has decided to shut down Blake Griffin until they can move him. The Pistons are 19th or worse in scoring, allowing points, rebounding and assists. In Chicago on Wednesday, the Pistons allowed the Bulls to rally and win. It probably is not a lot of fun playing for Detroit these days. Jerami Grant shot the ball 25 times against Chicago. The rest of the team only got 57 shot attempts. Memphis has some quality wins to boast about against teams like Philly, Brooklyn and Phoenix. They lead the league in assists. In the win against OKC on Wednesday they forced 18 turnovers. Grayson Allen has picked up his production for the Grizzlies scoring his average or better in 5 of the last 6 games including a 22-point outburst on Wednesday. Consider that Detroit is 5-16 ATS in the last 21 meetings vs Memphis

Horizon League Play of the Day

After being 2-5 in Horizon League play, the Titans have gone 6-1 since. The only loss in the stretch was on a back-to-back at Cleveland State on Saturday after winning the first game. Detroit leans heavily on star guard Antoine Davis, and for good reason. The 6’1 junior has totaled at least 23 points in nine straight games. Davis is shooting 42.3% from long range during conference play. Robert Morris is a team that is likely going to begin to feel the impact of losing top player, 6’’7 senior A.J. Bramah to an opt out last week. Consider that Robert Morris is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog.

Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day

As Dana Altman’s teams often do, the Ducks are starting to peak at the right time. Oregon has won three in a row, including an impressive sweep of the Arizona schools last weekend in the Pac 12. Oregon has welcomed back point guard Will Richardson from injury, and that has made a world of difference for the Ducks. Now playing off of Richardson, Rutgers transfer Eugene Omoruyi, has totaled 62 points in the last three games, which is no coincidence. Omoruyi’s tough and physical presence on the perimeter is a difficult matchup for a Colorado team that recently allowed 1.09 points per possession in a loss to California. Consider that Colorado is 18-43-1 ATS in their last 62 games as a road underdog.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Upset of the Day

If Arizona cannot participate in the post-season (they can’t, they won’t), then, while a regular-season Pac 12 title is still mathematically possible, weeping Arizona State (done!) and beating UCLA are pretty high on the list of goals. “I told you guys we were not a juggernaut,” said Bruins’ head coach Mick Cronin recently about his down-trending bunch. The Wildcats lost 81-75 to the Bruins on Jan. 9 and although head coach Sean Miller would have people believe otherwise, they’re in better shape than UCLA is right now. Consider that UCLA is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss, 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win, and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite

Rating: 20 Unit NHL Total of the Year

The over is 5-1-1 in Oilers last 7 vs. a team with a winning record, 4-1 in Oilers last 5 home games, and 7-3 in Oilers last 10 games as a home favorite. In addition, the over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

Big-10 Play of the Day

Minnesota’s road struggles have continued, as they now stand at 1-6 against the spread during Big 10 play. Making matters worse is that the Gophers could possibly be without starting center Liam Robbins on Wednesday. At best, Robbins will be limited, putting the Gophers in a tough spot when going against Indiana star big man Trayce Jackson-Davis. Indiana will be in a much better spot at home after playing the last two games on the road. Indiana’s letdown against Ohio State on Saturday was a reasonable one, considering the quality of Ohio State and the Hoosiers coming off of a double overtime win at Northwestern

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day

Following an initial uptick period in which the Houston players were happy to be rid of James Harden and determined to show the world that they could compete without him, it appears that the energy level has dropped, opponents have scouted them well, too many guys are injured and the honeymoon period is over. “It’s only gonna get worse before it gets better. Give it time. Whole new system, coaching and players. Let everything sink in,” says one seemingly level-headed observer. The absence of Christian Wood didn’t seem like it would be followed by road losses by 20, 29, 22 and 12 points at losing teams Charlotte, New Orleans, New York and Washington. But they were, with home losses to San Antonio and Miami thrown in for good  measure. Consider that Houston is 7-23 ATS in their last 30 games playing on 1 days rest.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

When teams play a lot of one-on-one basketball, things can go awry. Orlando is not only 27th in assists but only two clubs put up fewer points nightly. Orlando’s Cole Anthony is gone and Evan Fournier, James Ennis and Al-Farouq Aminu are all iffy for this game. Break up the Knicks. They have won 3 of 5 and 5 of 7 and they are finally putting points on the board. With center Mitchell Robinson sidelined with a hand issue, New York has been forced to go small and it has worked of late. In the Monday win over Atlanta the New York combination of guards accounted for 57 points. Consider that Orlando is 6-20-2 ATS in their last 28 games as a home underdog.

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

After Marquette won the prior meeting 70-67 at home on Feb. 2, Butler had to be kicking themselves because they got 21 turnovers, made only 9 themselves, sank only 13 of 25 free throws while Marquette was shooting a not-likely-to-be repeated 61.5% on field goals. Marquette played badly enough to lose, but didn’t. But they’ve lost all three games since!

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

Xavier looked out of sorts in their return to the floor on Saturday, losing at home to UConn. Xavier has only played two games since January 10th and now have to deal with a relentless St. John’s team that has been surging. St. John’s will certainly look to wear down the Musketeers and their ability to sustain pressure over the course of 40 minutes should make a difference. Prior to the second half of their game against Butler, the Red Storm had been on fire. St. John’s now gets to return home after having been on the road for four of their last five games.  Consider that St. Johns is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall and 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Oklahoma City just shocked the Milwaukee Bucks but they caught a tired team that was at the end of a 6-game road trip. OKC is in the bottom third of the league in allowing points and only 4 teams overall score fewer points nightly. This is a ‘payback’ game for the Blazers. They lost to OKC last month but there were excuses. They were playing the second of a back-to-back game and Damian Lillard had a poor shooting night going just 8 for 22 from the field. Consider that Portland is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game, and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.

Rating: 10 Unit 10* NHL Total of the Month

The over is 18-7-2 in Capitals last 27 Tuesday games and 27-11-1 in Capitals last 39 vs. a team with a winning record. While the over is 8-1 in Penguins last 9 games as a favorite and 4-1 in Penguins last 5 overall. In addition the over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in Pittsburgh and 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.

Rating: 4 Unit NHL Total of the Day

The under is 6-2 in Panthers last 8 road games, 4-1 in Panthers last 5 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game, and 7-3-1 in Panthers last 11 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. While the under is 5-2-1 in Lightning last 8 Monday games.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

Florida State’s ability to utilize their versatility on the defensive end should prove beneficial on Monday night. The Seminoles can switch defenders across the board and that creates an issue for a Virginia offense that has gained an advantage by creating matchups with big men Jay Huff and Sam Hauser in the half court. On the offensive end, Florida State’s ability to space the floor and shoot from distance is equally helpful against Virginia’s pack line defense. Florida State is making 38.7% of three-point attempts this season, 15th-best nationally. Florida State is a rare ACC foe that Virginia has struggled with, winning four of the last seven in this series. Consider that Florida State is 15-5-2 ATS in their last 22 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Knockout of the Day

The Lakers hit the road after they had mucho trouble with Oklahoma City at home, twice, then didn’t put Memphis away until late. Therefore, they will go to Denver and lose, because they are allegedly "struggling"? Maybe, but we wouldn’t bet on it. Remember – the Lakers scrimmage against opponents like OKC. They tend to play for real against the opponents they really need to measure themselves against. When they meet those opponents on the road, they don’t need to win by as much to get the money for their backers. With Utah hot-hot-hot, leading the West at 21-7, where are these Lakers? Ho-hum, a relative afterthought, a half-game behind, 21-6, poised to take over when the peak-too-soon Jazz begin falling to Earth.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Mismatch of the Day

Before the Bucks lost a second straight game (and didn’t cover the spread) at Utah, we noted that they were 36-18 ATS when coming off a loss the last two-plus seasons. But we didn’t pick them to cover at Utah because Utah is too good. The "trend" didn’t take into account who they were playing. Tonight, they play off two straight losses and the opponent is not good. However, the opponent is 14-10 ATS, not bad. But most of that "trend" for OKC has been compiled covering road games at larger numbers against opponents who don’t take the Thunder seriously (they’re 11-3 ATS on the road). Off two straight losses (to 21-7 and 16-9 opponents), the Bucks will take them seriously. Also consider that Milwaukee is 17-5 ATS in their last 22 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

The overall length and athleticism gave the Gophers issues in their first meeting, as the Terps won by a final of 63-49 on the road. Maryland limited Minnesota to 39.1% shooting from two-point distance in the win. Maryland has their back against the wall after losing two in a row and will welcome a Minnesota team that has yet to win a road game this season. While Maryland’s 10-10 record doesn’t look great on paper, they have yet to lose to a team that sits outside of the KenPom Top 50. Consider that Minnesota is also 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games

Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day

The leader of Hurley’s girlies, now 2-12-1 ATS, head coach Bobby, seems to be semi-delusional. After losing by 11 points at home to an Oregon team that’s barely played, he said: “To be that close is a statement to just how hard these kids are playing despite a ton of adversity.” There are teams with only eight available scholarship players who do just fine. And then there’s Arizona State, who was losing games, and money vs. the spread, when they had more of them. Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle was extremely disappointed at how his players shied away from the paint and chucked the ball at Arizona, while fouling Arizona’s bigs on the other end for a 10-34 disparity in free throw attempts in Thursday’s 9-point loss (but they covered!). He will kick their butts and make sure they go that route in an easier match-up down there.

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day

Bradley announced on Saturday that all Elijah Childs, Danya Kingsby, Terry Nolan and Ja’Shon Henry had been suspended for the weekend series against Missouri State. That accounts for three starters and a key reserve for the Braves. Without that group of players, the Braves would trail by 44-24 at the half and lose by 80-58. While the spread has been adjusted for Sunday, it’s likely still too low for a decimated Bradley roster.

NBA Play of the Day

Utah is coming off last night’s signature victory over Milwaukee, but not to worry, as the Jazz are not only 17-1 SU in their last 18, they are 16-2 against the points and have covered 3 of their first 4 chances playing the second night of back-to-back games. Jazz have made 18 treys per game over the past 15 and shot 41% from long range. Still, it’s never easy in the NBA, and Miami has won 4 straight, with Jimmy Butler starting to warm up (23 ppg, 9 rpg, 9 apg in his last 7 games). Utah has won 11 in a row against Eastern Conference teams, with a 10-0-1 spread mark, so all things considered, just lay the points.

NHL Total of the Day

The over is 6-1 in Lightning last 7 games playing on 1 days rest, 4-1-1 in Lightning last 6 after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game and 46-22-4 in Lightning last 72 Saturday games. While the over is 18-7-1 in Panthers last 26 Saturday games, 36-16-1 in Panthers last 53 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game, and 41-20-4 in Panthers last 65 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.

SEC Game of the Week

No. 16 Tennessee and LSU are both part of a tight battle for second place in the SEC as they prepare to meet Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. The Volunteers (14-4) and the Tigers (12-6) are 7-4 in league play as is Arkansas. Missouri and Florida are 6-4. First-place Alabama is 11-1. The Volunteers held a 44-26 halftime lead against Georgia and led by as many as 23 points in the second half before a sloppy finish. Barnes said he thinks Yves Pons, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year who has led the Vols in scoring in each of the last five games in which he played, will return from a knee injury that sidelined him against Georgia and play against LSU. Consider that LSU is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games as a home underdog.

NBA Play of the Day

The Nuggets ended a three-game losing streak by pummeling bottom-dweller Cleveland. Another bottom-dwelling foe makes the climb to 5,280 feet elevation preparing to be swallowed by a still-hungry bottom feeder that will take them seriously, unlike the Lakers, who use a team like OKC to work on their games and practice winning the close ones. Off two overtime losses vs. the scrimmaging Lakers, this doesn’t seem like a good spot for the depth-shy visitor. Consider that Oklahoma City is 1-12 ATS in the last 13 meetings.

ACC Play of the Day

“No. 20 Clemson falls at Georgia Tech,” said a headline from Jan. 20. If they’d asked us, we’d have told them that the Tigers were beaten by the better team. “Number 20. Ha. Who they kiddin’? “The Tigers won the rebounding battle 28-18 and racked up 30 points in the paint,” they wrote. “The Tigers also collected 17 bench points and 16 assists.” Hey, they lost the game 83-65! The Yellow Jackets shot the lights out but even if they don’t do that again, we’ll take point guard Juan Alvarado making his way through Clemson’s D in a near pick’em. Consider that Georgia Tech is 22-9 ATS in their last 31 games following a ATS loss.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

The visitor has lost 10 straight and scored from 49 to 63 points in the last six. This is their fifth straight road game, prior to a home re-hook with ULL in two nights. Bob Marlin’s Ragin Cajuns are coming home off a pair of road losses at Arkansas State by 8 and 6 points. In the second, a back-to-back, they trailed 46-29 at haltime but ‘won’ the second half 48-37. Ah, some momentum to ride on, outta that loss and into the winner’s circle again. Consider that UL Monroe is 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. while the home team is 4-0 ATS L4 meetings

Rating: 5 Unit NHL Total of the Week

The over is 7-3-1 in Lightning last 11 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game, 7-3 in Lightning last 10 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game, and 7-3-2 in Lightning last 12 games following a win. While the over is 21-7 in Panthers last 28 Thursday games, 8-3-2 in Panthers last 13 games a home underdog, and 35-16-1 in Panthers last 52 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game. In addition, the over is 39-18 in the last 57 meetings between these two teams.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The Bulls will be without two 7-footers, Lauri Maarkenen and Wendell Carter. Otto Porter has been out for the last four games, too. Are you excited about backing a starting group of Patrick Williams, Daniel Gafford, Coby (I Barely Played One Season of College Basketball) White, Denzel Valentine and Zach LaVine, with Thaddeus Young, Cristiano Felicio, Ryan Arcidiacono, Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky coming off the bench? If so, then why? Consider that New Orleans is 23-8 ATS in their last 31 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

South Florida is coming off a program pause, first game since Jan. 9. For their first assignment after it, they are forced to travel to the nation’s #8-ranked team, whose starters are coming off a loss at East Carolina. Kelvin Sampson didn’t play the “A” group in the next game, against NAIA’s Our Lady of the Lake. This means that five guys who’ve made serious contributions to a 16-2 team allowing only 57.5 points per game are playing for the first time since a ‘shocking’ defeat, and will be out to redeem themselves against a rusty foe that scored only 57, 68, 51, 69 points in its four games prior to the pause. Consider that UCF is 17-35-1 ATS in their last 53 Wednesday games.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The hottest team in the NBA takes the court for the first time since a 3-0 road trip raised the recent run to 15-1 SU, 14-2 ATS since Jan. 8. Utah is 19-5, a half-game ahead of the Lakers for best record in the West, and the league. They are peaking too soon, but is the peak still peaking or is the tail-off is ready to start? With the Celtics adding Jaylen Brown to their absentee list on top of Marcus Smart, perhaps it’s a reason for the Jazz to continue with the peaking. Without those two the floor for Boston, the Suns shot just 27.6% from three-point range yet still beat the Celtics by 9 points. The next time Utah shoots as low as 27.6% from three-point range will be the first time this season.

Rating: 5 Unit NBA Total of the Week

Consider that the over is 14-3 in Nets last 17 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game, 9-2 in Nets last 11 games following a ATS loss, 13-3 in Nets last 16 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game, 13-3 in Nets last 16 games as a favorite, 16-5 in Nets last 21 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game, and 19-7 in Nets last 26 overall. While the over is 19-7 in Pistons last 26 games playing on 2 days rest, 8-3 in Pistons last 11 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game, and 16-6 in Pistons last 22 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

The Cougars nearly notched a backdoor cover the first time these teams met, losing “only” 86-69 back on Jan. 7. Gonzaga let its guard down in the closing minutes and BYU applied some serious make-up to help cosmetically conceal what really went down in Spokane since it trailed by as many as 32 points and fell behind 23-2. That was the first of what Mark Few’s Bulldogs can rightfully look at as their lone revenge games this season since the undefeated group still hasn’t lost since a 91-78 setback in Provo on BYU’s Senior Night last Feb. 22. Zags look to extend their streak of double-digit wins to 16 as they attempt to cover the lowest spread (-11) oddsmakers have saddled them with since their 98-75 rout over Virginia on Dec. 26. Look for them to get some revenge via sweep behind another lopsided win. Consider that BYU is  4-13-2 ATS in their last 19 games as a home underdog.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

Interesting: Not Milwaukee’s 9-40 SU record in Denver lifetime. That’s not interesting at all, just a multi-decades compilation involving many former players now collecting social security. What’s interesting is that Milwaukee was 0-2 against the Nuggets last season, by 12 and 14 points. They hit Mile High City shaking the back-to-back loser dust of Cleveland off them, with no margin for error. They can’t just kill the Nuggets for revenge simply because they want to. The Nuggets are home off two road losses with plenty of confidence in the match-up based on last year’s positive results. Consider that Denver is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.