Rating: 2 Units

Hofstra is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss, 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall,  20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and 20-8 ATS in their last 28 road games.

Rating: 4 Unit Play of the Day

Colorado State is off an amazing shooting performance in its Thursday win over New Mexico. The Rams were incredible from beyond the arc in the rout over the Lobos. They knocked down a remarkable 19/28 on those treys. This sets up a bounce situation as teams off abberational performances generally regress to their norm pretty quickly. I expect CSU to cool off today. Air Force is proving to be deadly from long range themselves, especially at home.

Rating: 2 Units

Oklahoma City won 12 of its last 16 games but fell into a 30-point hole in the first half against the Raptors on Wednesday and could not dig all the way out while allowing Toronto to shoot 61.2 percent from the floor. The Heat improved to an NBA-best 18-1 at home with a 106-100 win over the Spurs on Wednesday but are just 10-11 on the road, where they will play the next two games.

Rating: 2 Units

Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon aren't leading the Eastern Conference in All-Star votes, but the duo is certainly putting as much pressure on opposing defenses as any in the league. Sabonis and Brogdon will try to lead the Indiana Pacers to a home-and-home sweep when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves today. Sabonis scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half on Wednesday and Brogdon scored 16 of his 21 after the break to keep the Timberwolves off balance and lead the Pacers to a 105-99 victory in Minnesota.

Rating: 2 Units

Dayton is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record,  5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a road favorite, and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. St. Louis is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Friday games,  1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall, and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

The struggling Golden State Warriors look to halt a nine-game losing streak when they host the Denver Nuggets today. Golden State hasn't endured a 10-game slide since experiencing one from March 9-24, 2002 during a 21-61 campaign. The Warriors were pounded 124-97 by the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday for their second straight setback by 20 or more points and that doesn't sit well with Golden State coach Steve Kerr.

Rating: 2 Units

Texas State is  2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win,  2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite,  1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and  0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a road favorite. LA Monroe is  6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up loss of more than 20 points, 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss, and 21-9-1 ATS in their last 31 Thursday games.

Rating: 2 Units

Point guard Russell Westbrook will be back on the floor today as the Houston Rockets try to escape a minor rut when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. Westbrook was held out for rest Tuesday and the Rockets lost 121-110 to the host Memphis Grizzlies for their second loss in the past three games. Star guard James Harden poured in 41 points for his 16th 40-point performance of the season but Westbrook's absence was felt during the double-digit setback. Portland beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-112 on Monday for its third win in the past 11 games and begins a three-game road trip. Damian Lillard scored 30 points against the Hornets. The Rockets have won nine of the past 12 regular-season meetings, including a 132-108 home win Nov. 18 in which Harden scored 36 points

Rating: 2 Units

New Mexico is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall,  2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog, and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

Rating: 2 Units

Air Force is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600,  6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record,  5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games, and  7-3 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games. Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

Miami is 7-2-1 ATS (9-1 SU) off a road loss this season. Over the past couple of years, they're 3-0 ATS when off b2b losses, when they'd been favored. Note that both those recent losses came on the road. The Heat are 10-5-1 ATS (16-0 SU!) as home favorites this season. Overall, they're 17-1 at home. Every other team in the league has been beaten at least twice, on its home floor. The Spurs are only 6-12 on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

The Philadelphia 76ers seek some more love at home when they open up a two-game stay at the Wells Fargo Center against the Brooklyn Nets today. The 76ers are 3-6 over their last nine games, with all six losses coming on the road and all three wins at home, where they are 18-2. The Nets rebounded from a recent seven-game losing streak with back-to-back wins before falling 118-107 to Utah at home Tuesday night. Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 11 assists in his second game back from a shoulder injury for Brooklyn.

Rating: 2 Units

Rutgers suffered its first loss since Dec. 8 after dropping a 54-51 decision to Illinois on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights held the Fighting Illini to 28.6 percent shooting, but scored five points in the final five minutes to come up short in Champaign, and they hope to stay on track for their first winning season since 2005-06 by improving to 12-0 at home.

Rating: 2 Units

Maryland is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record,  1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss, and  1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Wisconsin is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 50 points in their previous game, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall, and  4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. In addition, the Home team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

Kansas is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall, 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite, and 41-19-3 ATS in their last 63 games following a straight up loss. Oklahoma is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss, 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall, and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Buckeyes are now 1-4 in the Big Ten but three of those losses came on the road against pretty solid teams in Minnesota, Maryland and Indiana. Ohio St. is now 8-1 at home and are 35-9 over the last three seasons at Value City Arena. The Huskers enter the game with the Buckeyes with a 7-9 record and an 0-4 record in true road games. Nebraska is 2-3 in Big Ten with the wins coming against Purdue and Iowa at home. Nebraska was picked to finish last in the conference and it is a game away from that now ahead of only the Buckeyes and Northwestern, which they just lost to on Saturday.

Rating: 2 Units

The Los Angeles Lakers have won eight straight games and it doesn't seem to matter who is in or out of the lineup as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. LeBron James (illness) and Anthony Davis (gluteus maximus contusion) missed Saturday's 125-110 victory at Oklahoma City but Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo proved the Lakers are more than a two-man team. Kuzma scored a season-high 36 points while Rondo went for 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as Western Conference-leading Los Angeles improved to an NBA-best 17-3 on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Defensively Utah ranks 11th in the conference in surrendering 69.3 points per outing and only is forcing 11.9 turnovers per contest, which also ranks 11th in the league. Point guard McKinley Wright does it all for the Buffs, leading the team in scoring (13.4) and assists (4.9) while averaging 5.3 rebounds as well. He’s been especially productive over the last four games, averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists. Forward Tyler Bey (13.1 points, team-leading 9.6 rebounds) and guard D’Shawn Schwartz (11.0 points, 45.1 3-point shooting percentage) also average double digits for Colorado, which is allowing the second-fewest points (61.9) in the Pac-12, despite the 76 surrendered to the Beavers on Sunday

Rating: 2 Units

Jokic broke out with a career-high 47 points in the 123-115 triumph over the Hawks on Monday and followed that with 33 points on Wednesday at the Mavericks, including the go-ahead basket with 7.9 seconds left in the 107-106 triumph. The Cavaliers can match Jokic on the inside with Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, who combined for 52 points in a 115-112 overtime win over Detroit on Thursday

Rating: 2 Units

South Alabama is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall,  1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win, 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 road games, and  1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Arkansas LR is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record, 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and  6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

Russell Westbrook put on a show in front of his old home crowd on Thursday, but it wasn't enough to pull his new team to a win. Westbrook and the Houston Rockets will try to bounce back and win for the fourth time in five games when they return home and host the Minnesota Timberwolves today. Westbrook spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Oklahoma City before being traded to the Rockets over the summer and was showered with cheers and "MVP" chants while going off for 34 points on 14-of-26 shooting. Houston earned a 125-105 win at Minnesota on Nov. 16 behind 49 points from Harden.

Rating: 2 Units

Virginia limited Virginia Tech to 39 points last Saturday but surrendered 60 in a seven-point loss to Tuesday in a game that was tied heading into the final 45 seconds. Boeheim's crew has dropped two straight, but none of the seven losses was as embarrassing as the first. The Orange shot 23.6 percent from the floor in the season opener, absorbing a 48-34 defeat at Virginia - their fewest points under Boeheim, who took over in 1976, and the fewest since a 49-31 loss to Temple in 1945. Virginia is 8-5 all-time against Syracuse, including a 7-1 mark in ACC action. The Cavaliers own a four-game winning streak in the series and are 3-1 against the Orange at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers have held the Orange to 68 or fewer points in each of the last nine meetings.

Rating: 3 Units

Kobe King scored a game-high 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor, but the Badgers saw their 15-game winning streak against Illinois come to an end. Micah Potter narrowly missed out on a double-double as he added 13 points and nine rebounds while Nate Reuvers, who is averaging a team-best 14.3 points per game this season, was limited to seven against the Fighting Illini. The Badgers have won seven consecutive road meetings with the Nittany Lions.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando is 11-25 ATS in their last 36 Friday games, 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 road games, and 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a double-digit loss at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The Indiana Pacers seek their seventh straight win over the Chicago Bulls when the teams meet today in the Windy City. With point guard Malcolm Brogdon missing seven of the last eight games - including four straight The Bulls are mired in their longest losing streak of the season at five games, the latest a 123-108 setback at New Orleans on Wednesday. Zach LaVine scored 32 points for Chicago, which made 12-of-21 foul shots and was beaten on the boards by a 50-39 margin.

Rating: 2 Units

The Knicks were drubbed in each of their last two games, but those losses came against arguably the two hottest teams in the league right now (Lakers, Jazz). Both games were also on the road. The Knicks aren't much better at home than they are on the road, but they do allow three fewer points per game. It's more about the Pelicans and their 6-13 SU road record though. This is just the 3rd time this season that NO is a road favorite. The previous two games were both decided by 5 pts or less.

Rating: 2 Units

The last four meetings between these teams have ALL been decided by four points or less. They had scores of 74-71, 70-67, 79-75 and 77-75. ASU won three of those four. Going back further finds that the Sun Devils have won 15 of the last 20 meetings. While the Sun Devils did get blown out last time, they're 2-0 SU/ATS the past couple of seasons, when off a Pac-12 loss of 20 or more points. Meanwhile, the Beavers are just 2-4 ATS the past six times that they were home favorites in the -3.5 to -6 range. In what should be another close one, consider grabbing the points.

Rating: 2 Units

No. 24 Arizona, which had a six-year run of NCAA Tournament bids snapped last season, delivered a statement win to open Pac-12 play with a 75-47 victory over in-state rival Arizona State. Things get quite a bit tougher in Week 2 of conference play for Sean Miller's squad which travels to the Pacific Northwest to play the Oregon schools, starting with tonight's contest against the ninth-ranked Ducks. The contests with Oregon and Sunday at Oregon State mark the Wildcats' first games outside the state of Arizona since Dec. 7 when they lost at current No. 4-ranked Baylor, 63-58.  Arizona leads the series 51-32, but Oregon has won the last three.

Rating: 2 Units

Sophomore center Daniel Oturu has been the leader for Minnesota this season, ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.1 points per game while adding a league-best 12.4 rebounds along with 3.1 blocks. Sophomore guard Marcus Carr has also been vital to the team's success, averaging 15.9 points and a team-high 6.9 assists while ranking 15th in the country with 36.5 minutes per contest. Michigan State caught fire lately behind its senior All-American guard Cassius Winston, who has team-high averages of 18.9 points and 6.3 assists. The Spartans have a number of offensive weapons and pass the ball extremely well, though junior forward Xavier Tillman has stood out recently, averaging 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds during the seven-game winning streak.

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland is 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400, 5-2 ATS in their last 7 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game, and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. While Detroit is 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win, 2-8 ATS in their last 10 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game, and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Bucks have not hit many speed bumps this season on their way to the best record in the NBA but ran into one on Monday. The Bucks will try to bounce back and avoid their first back-to-back losses of the season when they visit the Golden State Warriors today. Milwaukee began a four-game road trip with a 126-104 loss at San Antonio on Monday, ending a five-game winning streak and giving the team its worst loss of the 2019-20 campaign. The Warriors are losers of five in a row after dropping a 111-98 decision at Sacramento on Monday and are even more shorthanded than usual with Draymond Green (ankle) and D'Angelo Russell (shoulder) sitting out.

Rating: 2 Units

Kansas is 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games as a road favorite, and 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games. Iowa State is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up loss.

Rating: 2 Units

San Antonio is 14-29-1 ATS in their last 44 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game, 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games following a ATS win, and  6-20 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up win.  Boston is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss., and 17-7-2 ATS in their last 26 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.

Rating: 2 Units

The Miami Heat look like one of the top teams in the league in front of their own fans but struggle away from the warmth of South Beach. The Heat will try to change their fortunes on the road when they visit the Indiana Pacers today in the opener of a three-game trip. Miami is an NBA-best 17-1 at home but is 9-9 on the road and traded wins and losses over the last four games, with the two losses coming by an average of 19 points at sub-.500 divisional opponents Washington and Orlando.

Rating: 2 Units

The Red Storm haven't forced teams to guard the 3-point line of late as they have made 18.9 percent in the last six games. Heron, who leads the team in that department at 37.7 percent in addition to leading them in scoring (14.7 points per game), being absent for three of those games certainly contributed, but his return against Xavier didn't rectify the problem.

Rating: 2 Units

The Knicks are 1-6 SU/ATS the past seven times that they were off a road loss of three or fewer points. Also, note that NY is 2-5 ATS (1-6 SU) when off an ATS win but SU loss. The Knicks are a money-burning 11-22 ATS (7-26 SU) in that situation the past 2+ seasons. While the Knicks play again tomorrow, the Lakers have the next couple of nights off. Their sole focus should be on hammering a team which upset them here, en route to sweeping last season's two games.

Rating: 2 Units

Sacramento is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of less than .400, 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games as an underdog, and 12-5 ATS in their last 17 road games. While Phoenix is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games as a home favorite, and  0-4 ATS in their last 4 Tuesday games.

Rating: 2 Units

Marquette is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games,  5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall, and 19-9 ATS in their last 28 games following a straight up win. While Providence is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall, 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following a ATS win, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.

Rating: 2 Units

The Utah Jazz are quietly climbing the standings in the Western Conference and look like one of the best teams in the league with wins in five straight and 10 of 11. The Jazz will try to make it six straight and sweep a three-game road trip when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans today. Utah is leaning on star guard Donovan Mitchell for offensive production but is getting strong performances up and down the roster over the last 11 games and had five players score in double figures in Saturday's 109-96 victory at Orlando.

Rating: 2 Units

A frustrating four-game road trip is finally over for the Philadelphia 76ers, who host the Oklahoma City Thunder today in the opener of a two-game homestand. The 76ers dropped all four on the trip and are losers of seven of 10 overall. The Thunder are on a roll with wins in five straight games and nine of their last 10 after rolling over the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-106 on Saturday. Oklahoma City knocked off the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of the four-game road trip and can improve to .500 away from home with a victory today.

Rating: 2 Units

UL Lafayette is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games, 6-19-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up win, and 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. While Appalachian State 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win,  6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall, 21-10-1 ATS in their last 32 games following a ATS loss, and Favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to stay perfect on their current homestand and extend their winning streak to five games in a row when they host the Detroit Pistons today. Behind 46 points and 13 rebounds from Anthony Davis, the Lakers improved to 3-0 on the five-game homestand with a 123-113 win over New Orleans on Friday. It was the fourth 40-point game of the season for Davis, who made 15 of his 21 shot attempts, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and all 13 of his free throws.

Rating: 2 Units

Phoenix has four games left on its homestand - all against teams with sub-.500 records - and the Suns are just 7-12 at Talking Stick Resort Arena as they sit just outside the top eight in the Western Conference with the Grizzlies. Memphis, which split the first two meetings this season with Phoenix, comes to town after one of its best performances of the season Saturday as the Grizzlies scored 40 points in the first quarter en route to a 140-114 romp at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rating: 3 Units

La Salle is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite, 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games overall, 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and 17-5-1 ATS in their last 23 road games following three or more consecutive home games. While Fordham is 16-36 ATS in their last 52 home games,  3-7 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games as a home underdog,  and 6-20 ATS in their last 26 games following a ATS win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Dallas Mavericks have yet to drop three straight games this season and made sure they wouldn't when they opened a six-game homestand by cruising past the Brooklyn Nets 123-111 on Thursday. The Mavericks will try to make it two consecutive victories when they host the Charlotte Hornets today. Dallas closed out a three-game road trip by averaging 98 points in losses at the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder but got the offense back in gear while shooting 50 percent from the floor and knocking down 18 3-pointers against the Nets.

Rating: 2 Units

The Denver Nuggets attempt to win for the 11th time in 13 contests when they visit the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The talented Denver squad is now also receiving a boost from rookie forward Michael Porter Jr., who scored a season-best 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting in Thursday's 124-116 road win over the Indiana Pacers. Porter missed all of last season due to a back injury and has recently begun to make an impact by averaging 15.5 points over the past four games while making 26-of-35 field-goal attempts. The Wizards were outclassed 122-103 by the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and have lost 16 of their past 21 games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Oklahoma City Thunder are winners of four straight and eight of their last nine games and kicked off a four-game road trip with a 109-103 win at San Antonio on Thursday. The Thunder will try to earn their fourth consecutive road win when they continue the trip by visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers today. Oklahoma City is generating offense from defense during the hot stretch and is holding opponents to an average of 100.8 points over the last four contests. The Cavaliers squandered a nine-point lead with just over 5 1/2 minutes left at home against Charlotte on Thursday and dropped a 109-106 decision for their third loss in four games.

Rating: 2 Units

Arkansas goes for a fourth straight victory when it opens SEC play at home today against Texas A&M. The Razorbacks are coming off a win at Indiana on Sunday, while the Aggies just got by Texas Southern on Monday for their third consecutive victory. Coach Buzz Williams hasn't seen a lot of offense from his team in his first season at the helm of Texas A&M, as it ranks last in the SEC in scoring by nearly 10 points - averaging just 57.7 points. Senior forward Josh Nebo and junior swingman Savion Flagg are the only two Texas A&M players averaging in double figures in scoring at 11.4 and 11.3 points, respectively. Arkansas has been nearly perfect this season, thanks in no small part to its defense, which ranks No. 1 in the nation in defending the 3-point shot - holding opponents to just 21.9 percent from beyond the arc. Offensively, the Razorbacks have a trio of dynamic guards in Mason Jones (19.7 points, 6.2 rebounds), Isaiah Joe (17.4, 4.7) and Jimmy Whitt Jr. (13.5, 5.6) leading the way for first-year coach Eric Musselman.

Rating: 2 Units

For the first time since 2008, Alabama and Florida meet in their SEC opener as they battle in Gainesville this evening. The Gators closed out their up-and-down nonconference slate with a dominant 102-63 triumph over Long Beach State while the Crimson Tide head into conference play on a roll, winning three straight and five of the last six after beating Richmond 90-78 on Sunday. Alabama scored at least 90 points in those last three victories, the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Crimson Tide has hit that mark in three straight games. Along the way, they averaged 95.7 points and shot 49.7 percent from the field, including 44.9 percent from deep. But while the Crimson Tide seem to be on the rise after their 2-4 start in coach Nate Oats' first season at the helm, the Gators remain inconsistent, following up their last two wins with losses as they wrapped up one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country. Making matters even more difficult, Florida may face the high-scoring Tide without its best defender as guard Scottie Lewis may miss his second straight game with a concussion.

Rating: 2 Units

The New York Knicks are suddenly a competitive team under interim coach Mike Miller and will try to extend their season-best winning streak to four in a row when they open a four-game winning trip by visiting the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Knicks are 6-6 under Miller after beginning the season 4-18. New York held the Portland Trail Blazers to 39.4 percent shooting in a 117-93 victory on Wednesday to celebrate the new year as Julius Randle continued his strong run with 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead a balanced effort. The Suns dropped nine of their last 11 games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Golden Hurricane's last game Sunday was a competitive 69-67 loss at Kansas State in which the team employed a balanced attack, as 10 players registered 2-to-12 points and nobody took more than nine shots. LSU transfer Brandon Rachal (team highs of 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals) was held to single-digit points for the first time since early November. Darien Jackson (9.3 points) continued his sizzling play of late as he added 10 points Sunday and the junior guard is 21-of-31 from the field over the last five outings.

Rating: 2 Units

James Harden missed his first game of the season last Sunday (a 127112 loss at New Orleans) due to an injury but he put his toe issue behind him with a 35-point effort in Tuesday's 130-104 rout of the visiting Denver Nuggets. 23-11 Houston has won EIGHT of its last 11 in an attempt to chip away at the 27-7 Lakers, 24-10 Nuggets and 25-11 Clippers atop the West Conference standings. Visiting Houston tonight will be the 23-11 Philadelphia 76ers, who after beating the Bucks 121-109 on Christmas Day, have lost THREE in a row. The 76ers were routed 115-97 by the host Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, a game in which they trailed by as many as 36 points.

Rating: 2 Units

Boston is pretty clearly one of the best teams in the league. Only Milwaukee (+13.0) has a better net efficiency rating. At home, the Celtics are beating teams by an average of nearly 10 points/game. They've won 10 of 13 overall and are 13-2 SU at home this year. While Boston is one of the league's best, Atlanta is one of the worst and maybe THE worst. They are tied with Cleveland for the worst net efficiency in the league (-10.5), have the worst point differential and fewest wins. The Hawks did win their last game, 101-93, a big upset of Orlando as 10.5 point dogs. But that was at home and there's a big difference between hosting Orlando and playing at Boston. Before that upset, the Hawks had lost 10 in a row.

Rating: 3 Units

Two teams picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12 look to start conference play on a winning note Thursday when California visits rival Stanford. Cal is rebuilding after winning eight games in each of the past two seasons, while Stanford opened with an 11-1 mark before committing 19 turnovers in last Sunday’s 72-56 loss to No. 3 Kansas. Stanford leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 58.8 points per game while Cal is 6-2 at home this season and 0-5 away from Haas Pavilion.

Rating: 2 Units

Oregon is 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games following a ATS win, 21-7 ATS in their last 28 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and 22-8 ATS in their last 30 games as a favorite. While Colorado is 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as an underdog, 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win, and 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

The streaking Oklahoma City Thunder look for their fourth straight victory and eighth in the past nine games when they visit the San Antonio Spurs today. But Oklahoma City could find it tough sledding in the opener of a four-game road trip as it has dropped nine straight games in San Antonio. The Spurs have gone 7-4 after a 7-14 start and they ended 2019 on a good note with a 117-113 overtime win over the visiting Golden State Warriors.

Rating: 2 Units

Golden State is 17-35-2 ATS in their last 54 games following a ATS win, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a losing home record, 5-18 ATS in their last 23 Thursday games and 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings in Minnesota.. While Minnsesota.  While Minnesota is 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss.

Rating: 2 Units

Texas Arlington is 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 Thursday games, 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games as a road favorite, and 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a favorite. While Arkansas State is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games, and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Rating: 2 Units

The Heat already hammered the Raptors, at Toronto. Playing at home, they should have the advantage once again. While the Raptors are a modest 9-6 on the road, the Heat are a dominant 15-1 here at home. Thats the fewest homecourt losses of any team in the league. They've outscored visiting teams by an average margin of 12 points, an average score of 117.7 to 105.8. By comparison, the champs only outscore teams 106.9 to 103.3 on the road. With the Raptors just 1-3 ATS when attempting to avenge a "same season loss," consider laying the points with Miami.

Rating: 2 Units

Washington is 4th in the league in offensive efficiency (trail only Dallas, Milwaukee & Houston) and third in points per game. So no matter who is on the floor for them tonight, expect lots of points. The opponent couldn't be more different. Orlando is dead last in the league in scoring at 102.9 PPG. They just lost to Atlanta, at home, 101-93 as 10.5 point favorites. The Magic can play defense as is evident by the fact they are allowing only 104.8 PPG this year. But they allow 108.4 on the road where they have won just four times all year. Difficult to back this team as a road favorite.

Rating: 2 Units

OKC isn’t healthy, with #2 scorer Danilo Gallinari and #3 scorer Dennis Schroeder both dealing with injury concerns.  The Thunder haven’t exactly been beating up on elite teams during this run; not a team that has stepped up in class particularly well this year.  Dallas hasn’t forgotten the 20 point beatdown they took on this floor on New Year’s Eve last year, and the Mavs have been money in the bank off a loss like the one they suffered to the Lakers over the weekend; 9-1 SU, 8-2 ATS in their next game following a defeat.  Rick Carlisle’s squad is road chalk here for a reason; worth supporting whether Tim Hardaway suits up or not tonight!

Rating: 2 Units

The Clippers also have won nine straight overall games against the Kings after sweeping last season's four meetings. Sacramento enters this contest in the midst of a deep slump that has seen it lose a season-worst seven consecutive games following Sunday's 120-115 road loss to the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles suffered a 120-107 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday in a contest in which Montrezl Harrell sat out with the flu while Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were also hampered by the illness.

Rating: 2 Units

The Boston Celtics aim to bounce back from their most lopsided loss of the season when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday for a New Year's Eve matinee. After winning five in a row by an average of 16.2 points, the Celtics fell 113-97 to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday for their second home loss in 15 tries. That rare clunker for the Celtics came six days after a 119-93 win over Charlotte at home in which Boston's Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 39 points. The Hornets have lost two more since then to stretch their losing streak to five in a row, tied for their longest this season. They started slow and never recovered in a 117-104 loss at Memphis on Sunday.

Rating: 2 Units

Northern Iowa is  4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win, 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games as a favorite, and  20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 Tuesday games. While Illinois State is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog, 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games overall, and 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Rating: 2 Units

A break in the schedule is giving Giannis Antetokounmpo time to rest an achy back while the Milwaukee Bucks continue to pile up wins. Antetokounmpo is questionable to return to the lineup when the Bucks take on their third consecutive sub-.500 foe while visiting the Chicago Bulls today. Antetokounmpo sat out Friday at Atlanta and again Saturday at home against Orlando and watched his teammates breeze by the pair of struggling teams by an average of 18.5 points, led by power forward Ersan Ilyasova. Milwaukee is enjoying an eight-game winning streak in the series and pulled off a 115-101 victory at Chicago in the most recent meeting on Nov. 18.

Rating: 2 Units

The Minnesota Timberwolves are losers of 12 of their last 13 games and returned from a road trip with a dud on Saturday, dropping a 94-88 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Timberwolves will take another crack at finding the win column when they host the Brooklyn Nets.  Brooklyn is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest, 10-4 ATS in their last 14 Monday games, and 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.

Rating: 2 Units

Yale is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS win, 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, and 7-1 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. While North Carolina is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win and 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

The Mavericks cruised to a 141-121 win at Golden State on Saturday behind another triple-double from Doncic, improving to 12-3 on the road. They already have a win at Los Angeles to their credit after picking up a 114-100 victory over the Lakers on the road December 1. The clincher:  Dallas is 36-17 ATS in their last 53 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Rating: 2 Units

The Oklahoma City Thunder battled back over .500 with a hard-fought win at Charlotte on Friday. They'll try to move two games over the even mark for the first time this season when they face a stiff test at the Toronto Raptors.  Oklahoma City has won four in a row at Toronto.

Rating: 3 Units

West Virginia has bounced back from a subpar 2018-19 season and lost only at St. John's in its first 11 games, but its schedule hasn't been as challenging as Ohio State's. That's about to change with today's matchup against the Buckeyes and a visit to No. 5 Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 4.   Ohio State leads the country in scoring margin, beating its opponents by an average of 21.8 points per game.

Rating: 2 Units

Utah is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. While Los Angeles is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game, 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite, 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

Rating: 2 Units

San Antonio shot an NBA season-best 67.4 percent from the floor in a 145-115 win at Memphis on Monday but returned from a holiday break and needed to score the game's final 13 points to make it respectable in a 102-98 loss at Dallas on Thursday. The Spurs traded wins and losses over their last eight games but are opening a three-game homestand on Saturday, and the team is 8-8 in its own building. The Pistons were losers of five in a row and got bullied on the inside in a 125-109 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday

Rating: 2 Units

Miami standout Jimmy Butler hasn't fared well against his former teammates this season but gets a third chance when the Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers today. Butler averaged 12.5 points as the teams split two meetings in Philadelphia, scoring 11 in a 113-86 loss Nov. 23 and 14 in a 108-104 victory Dec. 18. Butler scored 20 points in Friday's 113-112 home win over the Indiana Pacers but it was point guard Goran Dragic who made the decisive shot with 6.8 seconds remaining.

Rating: 2 Units

The New York Knicks are showing some fight on the road of late, a trend they'll try to maintain when they visit an injury-ravaged Washington Wizards team tonight. The Knicks split their last eight games following a 4-20 start and three of the wins during the 4-4 stretch came away from home, with Thursday's 94-82 triumph at Brooklyn perhaps the most impressive.

Rating: 2 Units

Fourth-ranked Louisville and its stifling defense travel some 75 miles down Interstate 64 to face No. 19 Kentucky in the 53rd renewal of the Bluegrass State rivalry today. The Wildcats have won six of the past seven meetings after a 71-58 victory last season and five straight at Rupp Arena, but Kentucky's latest crop of freshmen is about to take its hardest test against Louisville's experienced group. The Cardinals are third nationally in field goal defense at 35 percent - 40.7 inside the 3-point line and 26.7 outside it - and have held their last five opponents to 21.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Clincher:  Kentucky is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a home favorite.

Rating: 2 Units

The Golden State Warriors are red hot all of a sudden, with advanced scouting reports and defensive execution making up for an injury-induced talent gap. The Warriors will try to extend their season-best winning streak to four in a row when they host the Phoenix Suns today. Golden State knocked off struggling Western Conference foes New Orleans and Minnesota to pick up its first set of back-to-back victories before stepping up on Christmas Day and stifling James Harden and the Houston Rockets in a 116-104 victory.

Rating: 2 Units

The Charlotte Hornets have had ample time to put a disappointing effort behind them as they enter Friday's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Charlotte has dropped three straight games and hasn't played since being walloped 119-93 by the host Boston Celtics on Sunday. Hornets coach James Borrego told the troops to forget about the beating and to enjoy their time off and said he is pleased with the team despite a 13-20 start.

Rating: 2 Units

Coppin State is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 games overall,  23-8 ATS in their last 31 games as an underdog, 17-6 ATS in their last 23 games as a road underdog, and 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 road games. While Mount St. Marys is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400,  0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall, and  0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.

Rating: 2 Units

The Boston Celtics have barely been challenged during a four-game winning streak, including a 16-point win at the defending champs on Christmas. They'll try to extend their run to five games in a row when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers today. After a six-point win at Dallas to begin the streak, Boston has three more victories by an average of 21 points as it tries to keep pace with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.

Rating:2 Units

The Memphis Grizzlies are hoping two days off for a Christmas break can help the team forget about some of the breakdowns on the defensive end that occurred during a 145-115 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The Grizzlies will try to get things right when they visit the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder today. Memphis dropped three of its last four games - a stretch that began with a 126-122 setback at Oklahoma City in which it squandered a 24-point lead - but the worst loss of the bunch came as it allowed the Spurs to shoot 67.4 percent from the floor on Monday. The Thunder are winners of four in a row and pulled above .500 for the first time this season with Sunday's 118-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rating: 2 Units

Star point guard Luka Doncic will likely return from a four-game absence when the Dallas Mavericks host the San Antonio Spurs today. Doncic, who suffered an ankle injury against the Miami Heat on Dec. 14, went through a full practice on Tuesday and displayed he is nearly ready to rejoin the Mavericks. Dallas is 2-2 without Doncic, an MVP candidate who is averaging 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists in 25 games. Doncic collected 42 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the Mavericks' 117-110 home victory on Nov. 18 to end the Spurs' winning streak in the series at five.

Rating: 2 Units

The Brooklyn Nets seek a fifth straight win over their in-city rival when they host the New York Knicks today. The Nets are coming off a 122-112 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the opener of their two-game homestand, riding Spencer Dinwiddie's 39 points to their 11th win in the last 16 games. Garrett Temple added 25 points as Brooklyn overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to improve to 9-5 at home. The Knicks haven't done much better than anybody of late, losing three in a row while giving up an average of 124.3 points. Juluis Randle scored a season-high 35 points while the rest of the starters combined for 37 in a 121-115 loss to Washington on Monday.

Rating: 3 Unit NBA Play of the Day

The Denver Nuggets own the longest active winning streak in the NBA and they look to extend it to eight when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on the Christmas night stage. Denver routed the Los Angeles Lakers 128-104 on Sunday but needed a game-winning shot from point guard Jamal Murray to escape with a 113-111 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Bucks might not be all that happy about spending Christmas Day away from their families for a road game, but I think they'll be looking to make sure it's worth the trouble and come out all guns blazing. They're a solid 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite, and while Philly has been solid as a dog I don't see them keeping pace with the visitors in this one. We can also note that Philadelphia has hit bit of a rough patch lately, dropping three of its last five straight up while covering the spread in only one of those five games.  Milwaukee has seemingly made it a mission to beat down on other competitors in the East this season, most recently defeating Indiana by almost 30 points.

Rating: 2 Units

Golden State's season went off the rails early due to injury and the ailments keep piling up, with rookie forward Eric Paschall the latest to go down. Paschall is averaging 15.4 points but was forced to leave Friday's game with a right knee injury and has been dealing with a hip injury of late as well. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Portland Trail Blazers try to extend their season-high winning streak to five games when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Portland's 5-12 start to the season is a distant memory as it has gone 9-4 since after Saturday's 113-106 victory over Minnesota featured top performances from Hassan Whiteside and Kent Bazemore, while Damian Lillard did his thing.

Rating: 2 Units

The Toronto Raptors hope to have enough left in the tank Monday at the Indiana Pacers after putting forth a historic comeback a day earlier. After falling behind 83-53 with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter at home against Dallas on Sunday, the Raptors stormed back for a 110-107 triumph. The 30-point comeback was the largest in franchise history and the the first of that magnitude in the NBA in more than 10 years.

Rating: 2 Units

Los Angeles just finished up a stretch with eight of nine on the road, which began with a 105-96 triumph at Denver on Dec. 3, and is staring ahead at a stretch that includes the visit from Denver and a Christmas Day meeting with the rival Los Angeles Clippers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Hornets fell to Utah 114-107 on Saturday for their third loss in four games despite 29 points from ex-Celtic Terry Rozier. Boston prevailed 108-87 on Nov. 7 in the first of three meetings this season as Kemba Walker had 14 points and six assists in an emotional return to Charlotte. Walker, a three-time All-Star whose career scoring average is 19.96 points, played his first eight seasons with the Hornets before signing with the Celtics in July.  The Celtics are 11-1 at home, losing to Philadelphia 115-109 on Dec. 12, and 12-1 versus sub-.500 teams.

Rating: 2 Units

Houston aims to reach a semifinal game with either Georgia Tech or Boise State on Monday, but must first get past a Portland team that has cooled off since winning six of its first seven games - losing only to USC by 11. The Pilots have lost three of five since and should come to Hawai'i angry after losing at home 73-63 on Thursday against Jackson State, which won its first game against a Division I opponent.

Rating: 3 Units

Cincinnati leads the all-time series 6-3, but the Hawkeyes won the last meeting 79-72 last March in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Garza had 20 points and Wieskamp added 19 for the Hawkeyes, while Jarron Cumberland had 18 for the Bearcats. Iowa features the No.1 ranked team in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.3 points per 100 possessions).

Rating: 2 Units

For the most part, the Spurs’ defense has left much to be desired so far this season, ranking just 20th in defensive rating coming into tonight’s game (111.5). A lot of this has come down to playing specialists that are easily exploited on the defensive end (Marco Belinelli and Bryn Forbes seemingly cause Spurs Twitter to drink every time they blow an assignment) or just at times flat-out defensive incompetence.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bucks are obviously coming off the heels of an incredible 111-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, which helped them to not only bounce back from their loss to the Dallas Mavericks earlier in the week, but take sole possession of the NBA’s best record. Saturday night will mark the second occasion the Bucks have matched up with the Knicks, after having demolished New York earlier this month in what stands as their biggest victory by margin to date this season.

Rating: 3 Units

Obi Toppin, a 6-9 sophomore, leads the Flyers with 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per outing but is coming off a season-low 11 points in the win over North Texas. Crutcher is averaging 12.5 points and a team-leading 5.5 assists while forward Ryan Mikesell (10.9 points), and guards Trey Landers (10.2) and Ibi Watson (10.1) also are averaging double figures. Overall, Dayton is tops nationally with a 53.7 team field-goal percentage and is ninth with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging 84.8 points (sixth).

Rating: 3 Units

Washington's absence was noticeable in the loss at Minnesota, where Ohio State could have used his 11.4 points per game and 53.7 percent 3-point shooting. Wesson is averaging 14.1 points and 9.3 rebounds and shooting 46.3 percent from the field, but has turned the ball over 11 times in the past two games. Similar to Kentucky, Ohio State brings two productive freshmen - guard D.J. Carton and forward E.J. Liddell - off the bench who could end up being difference-makers in this matchup of top teams.

Rating: 2 Units

The Jazz, for as disappointing as they’ve been, are still good. They won’t have Mike Conley, who reaggravated a hamstring ailment on Tuesday. But they do have Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Bojan Bogdanovic. Mitchell isn’t getting the hype he got as a rookie, but he’s steadily improved every year. This year he’s up to 25.2 points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 36% from three. Gobert hasn’t been quite the defensive force we’re used to seeing, but he’ll still cause all sorts of problems for a Hornets team that isn’t very efficient around the basket. Bogdanovic has picked up where he left off in Indiana, averaging a career high 21.1 points per game while drilling 3.4 3-pointers per game at a 46% clip.

Rating: 2 Units

UL-Monroe is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games,  0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite, and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite.

Rating: 2 Units

The Fighting Irish are a little short-handed after Robby Carmody suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this month and Chris Doherty announced that he's transferring, but they managed to handle UCLA in South Bend using only seven players. Notre Dame revolves around John Mooney, a senior forward who is averaging 14.8 points and 13.4 rebounds and ranks among the top rebounders in the country. The Irish's strengths are 3-point shooting, which accounts for 37.5 percent of their field goals, and avoiding turnovers (9.7 per game, nation's best 1.82 assist-to-turnover ratio), but they could be vulnerable inside the paint against Indiana.

Rating: 2 Units

New York is 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600, 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games following a ATS win, and 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games playing on 2 days rest. While Miami is 11-2 ATS in their last 13 home games, 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games as a home favorite, and 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

Rating: 2 Units

Boston comes into this game a little short-handed, but is 10-1 SU at home. Coming off a SU win as an underdog, they are 22-5 ATS the L3 seasons. The Pistons just aren't good enough to compete with a team like the Celtics on a consistent basis. Earlier in the week, they allowed 133 points in a loss to the Wizards. So that's a season-worst effort on both the defensive and offensive end in just the last two games.