Rating: 2 Units

The Jayhawks' struggles on the road this season have kept them on the outside looking in as far as earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They have lost to good teams like Iowa State and Illinois but also marginally good teams like Kansas State and UCF away from home. Texas Tech comes into this game at 12-1 at home, only losing to Cincinnati. The teams that have the best shot to beat the Red Raiders are teams that shoot the ball well from long range and rebound well. The Jayhawks, however, don't shoot the ball well from long range, ranked just eighth in the conference in 3-point shooting and next to last in 3-point field goals per game. The Jayhawks are also just 9th in total rebounds per game. The Red Raiders have the type of offense to keep up with the Jayhawks and protect the ball well enough to steal this game at home against the higher-ranked Jayhawks.

Rating: 3 Units

We’re looking at a matchup of a pair of teams that are considered among the elite squads in their respective conferences. Denver was flattened by Sacramento Friday night but they hope to have Porter Jr. and Caldwell-Pope back in the mix for this contest. Milwaukee rolled past a weak Charlotte squad without Middleton, giving them a chance to play their reserves while giving their starters a breather. Missing Middleton is a tough one for the Bucks but it gives guys like Portis and Beasley more opportunity to run. The Bucks are a solid 22-6 at home this season while the Bucks are 15-13 on the road. With the Nuggets potentially missing two starters, that puts too much pressure on Jokic and Murray to shoulder the load. Look for Milwaukee to come up with the victory in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

The Pacers, who should feel confident arriving in Charlotte, also might look different from a meeting earlier this month. They'll be back in Charlotte after winning there 115-99 on Feb. 4. That was the Hornets' second-lowest scoring output in their last nine home games. Indiana added forward Doug McDermott -- who played three seasons there (ending in 2020-21) -- in a trade with San Antonio. Even though he was scoreless in limited playing time at New York on Saturday, he should make an impact. The Pacers also have another factor that could work in their favor from the previous matchup with Charlotte. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton was on a minutes restriction coming off an injury, but he has worked his way up to logging 30 minutes a contest. His 22 points vs. the Knicks marked his largest output in his last 11 games.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland has won eight straight and most of those games were played without their second and third leading scorers Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, who are both back and healthy. Cleveland's defense is second best in points allowed at 109.3 and 4th best in field goal shooting percentage allowed at 45.4. Toronto is 19th in points allowed, 23rd in field goal shooting percentage allowed and 22nd in 3-point shooting percentage allowed. Toronto has several new faces in the lineup from trades and that will take time for the players to mesh as a unit giving Cleveland an additional advantage on Saturday. Cleveland's back court of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are scoring a combined average of 47.1 points per game and handing out a combined total of 12 assists per contest. On defense, the two are combining to average 3.3 steals per game.

Rating: 2 Units

The 76ers are juggling new pieces into their rotation after making several deals at the trade deadline. Coupling that with the slew of injuries that the team has and things are a little murkier for Philadelphia. The hope at the moment is that Embiid will return for a playoff run but even that is cloudy at this point.

Rating: 2 Units

With this game in Lincoln, the Wolverines should get back to their losing ways. They're allowing more than 80 points per game as the visiting team, which does not bode well for this game. Nebraska puts up more than 80 points per contest at home. On the other end, Michigan's turnover issues will cost them precious points. Nebraska doesn't send foes to the free throw line often either, which will hurt the Wolverines. Expect the Cornhuskers to get back on track with a blowout win.

Rating: 2 Units

Brooklyn dealt away several pieces ahead of the trade deadline but they are still hanging around the fringes of the play-in tournament field in the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets hope that they can find a way to make up ground but it could be tough sledding. Fortunately, they get a soft team here in the Spurs, who have dropped six straight contests and who are just 5-21 on the road this season. San Antonio has struggled defensively, even with the addition of Wembanyama to their rotation. This is the kind of game that the Nets need to win if they have any hopes of making a push for the postseason. Look for Brooklyn to claw out a victory in this one to get back in the win column.

Rating: 3 Units

Wake is led in scoring by 6'5 junior guard Hunter Sallis with 17.9 PPG, which is tied for 4th in the ACC. He is a 6'5 junior guard with NBA potential, he is projected to be a second-round pick according to NBADraft.net. Sallis is the top shooter on the team with 48 made threes on 39.0% shooting from deep. Kevin Miller is their playmaking point guard, he is a 6'0 sophomore point guard averaging 16.5 PPG and a team-high 3.8 APG. Miller had a 21-point game in the win over Syracuse. Cameron Hildreth is a 6'4 junior guard with a strong floor game, he averages 14.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 2.7 APG. Hildreth had a double-double against Syracuse with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Carr is their big man inside, he is a 6'10, 220-pound senior center averaging 14.1 PPG and 6.9 RPG.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

We’re looking at a clash of styles here as Illinois is a high-octane offensive unit that is capable of piling up points against a Michigan State team that grinds out every possession. The Spartans are at home here, where they have gone 12-2 on the year though they did open the season with an overtime loss to James Madison. Illinois has been only 3-3 on the road this season with losses to Tennessee and Purdue along with an OT loss to Northwestern. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Lakers don’t lean on 3-point shooting (35.1, 28th in 3-point rate), but they love to pick up the pace (101.0 possessions per 48 minutes, 6th). On the other side, the Pelicans are 25th in the league in 3-point rate (36.5) and 17th in pace (98.7). The total has gone under in four of the Pelicans’ last five outings, and I would ride this betting trend. As mentioned, the Pels have done a great defensive job lately, and I expect to see more of the same when they take on the Lakers. Six of the previous ten encounters between the Pels and Lakers have gone under. 

NBA Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

The primary difference between these two squads has been their performance in conference play this season where Philly stands 19-11 SU and 18-10 ATS overall, while the southbound and down birds are 13-20 SU and 7-26 ATS (more below). The 76ers were 5-0 SUATS in this series until Atlanta pulled the rug out on them in a 139-132 loss a month ago. Inside this series, Philadelphia is 4-0 SUATS with same-season revenge from a loss of 4 or more points. With the Hawks arriving off a get even rematch at Boston and a puny 3-15 ATS in Celtics follow ups versus avenging opposition.  Finally, Atlanta is 0-8 ATS this season versus .400 or greater foes with same-season revenge

Rating: 2 Units

Rams are 0-3 SUATS versus .800 or greater conference foes seeking LTKO (League Tournament Knockout) revenge. Dayton also knows how to cash tickets away from UD Arena, going 7-2-1 ATS in road and neutral site games this season. VCU’s rookie head coach Ryan Odom was not along for the ride in last year’s A-10 title game and is the first “outsider” to take over the tradition-rich program in over a decade. Expect him to get a sour taste of meaningful LTKO revenge tonight.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are tied in the lower half of the Big ten standings at press time, but the Hawkeyes sport the superior record, and after dropping their last meeting with Penn State, 83-79, they will also be out for revenge. As for the 10-11 Lions, they quickly lost their roar after a 4-0 start to the season, going just 5-11 in their next 16 contests (check Saturday result at Indiana). Making matters worse, they are an awful 1-5 SUATS versus avenging opponents this campaign while Iowa stands 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in this series in revenge-seeking mode, including 5-0 SU ATS with a winning record. We like backing winning teams looking to exact revenge from losing opponents.

Rating: 2 Units

The Pistons have done a great job covering the spread lately, but I expect them to slow down at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Kings’ offense will be too much for Detroit. Sacramento is third in the league in 3-pointers per 100 possessions (14.8) and seventh in effective field goal percentage (56.3%). Back on January 9, the Kings cruised past the Pistons 131-110, covering an 11-point spread on the road. Sacramento made 57.4% of its field goals, and Domantas Sabonis went off for 37 points, 13 assists, and ten rebounds. I expect more of the same when the Kings host the Pistons.

Rating: 2 Units

The Pelicans arrive at Los Angeles on a three-game winning streak and will provide a stern test for that Clippers defense while coming off a 138-100 home victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday. It was New Orleans' fifth-highest scoring game of the season, just two weeks removed from a 153-point game against the Utah Jazz. Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 41 points to go along with nine assists for New Orleans on Monday, while CJ McCollum had 20 points. The Pelicans shot 51 percent from the floor. Ingram's dominant performance included 8-of-11 shooting from 3-point range and no turnovers in 30 minutes. Ingram made five of his 3-pointers during a short burst of the third quarter, when the team went 10 of 14 from distance. While Ingram has averaged 21.8 points in 46 games this season, Zion Williamson leads the team with an average of 22.1 points across 40 games. McCollum posts 19.2 points per contest and has played in 36 games.

Rating: 2 Units

The 5-returning starter Bulldogs from Starkville will be out for revenge tonight knowing they are 3-0 SUATS at home with the revenge chip. They are also a long-term 139-49-9 ATS as conference favorites with revenge in games they win outright. On the flip side, Georgia is 87-189-4 ATS as a conference dog in games it loses straight-up against avenging foes. Throw in a nasty 11-27-1 ATS mark for the Dawgs in games before hooping it up with the Hogs of Arkansas and we see MSU taking UGA behind the woodshed here. 

Rating: 2 Units

What a difference a year makes. The new-look Spurs, led by 7’4” rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama, got out of the gates like a turtle stuck in molasses at 5-27 SU and 12-20 ATS in games before the New Year rolled in. They’ve picked up the pace since, though, riding a 5-11 SU and 10-5-1 ATS mark over their next sixteen games. They invade South Beach tonight, where Miami’s fall from grace has been dramatic as they’ve gone from Miami Nice to Miami Vice in the blink of an eye after encountering a 1-7 SU and 0-8 ATS slide in mid-January. The Heat checks in off a revenge contest here against Orlando last night, with another same-season revenge battle on tap with Boston. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Atlanta Hawks are poor on the road. They only have 10 wins in 24 road games on the season. The Boston Celtics are incredible at home, going 23-3. The Hawks’ defense won’t hold up against this Celtics squad. The Hawks continue to give up a ton of points. They are conceding 120 points per 100 possessions compared to only 110 points per 100 by the Celtics. Also, Boston will shine in the offensive end. They are shooting 37.9% from beyond the arc and the Hawks are pegged 28th in the NBA in three-point defense. Defensively the Celtics remain difficult to solve, allowing an average of only 111 points in their last five games.

Rating: 2 Units

Losing 80-72 to ANYONE would be a leap forward for the 7-14 Wolverines, who have dropped 9 of their last ten games, and gone 7-18 SU and 9-16 ATS overall since March of last year. In the process, they’ve turned up the heat on head coach Juwan Howard, who has nearly exhausted the good will he accrued over the years by being a member of Michigan’s iconic Fab Five team. The Wolverines were winners in the last meeting with the Badgers, 87-79, but Wisconsin boasts a solid 13-4-1 ATS record when seeking revenge against Michigan. Bucky took a 4-0-1 ATS mark this season as a revenge-seeker into Sunday’s hoster against the Boilermakers but regardless of that outcome, we’ll look for the woes of the Wolves to continue tonight.

Rating: 2 Units

Grant McCasland has set Lubbock on fi re with a 16-4 start, including a current run of 10-2. As a result, the No. 15 Red Raiders sit just a half-game back of the top spot in the Big 12. TTRR will be looking to get even tonight with a Baylor squad that annihilated them in their last meeting, 89-62, on February 4 of last year. McCasland’s crew stands 18-10 ATS when seeking revenge in this series and they catch the No. 18 Bears in a bad before-and-after situation: Baylor is off a triple revenger against Iowa State (1-5 ATS post Cyclones) with Kansas revenge on deck (3-7 ATS before Rock Chalk). This is where upsets occur, so grab the points in this classic revenge sandwich.

CBB Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

while the Hawks may not be the powerful basketball presence of years gone by (last winning season was in 2015-16), they are 10-5 ATS at home in this series, including 7-2 ATS when seeking revenge. Head coach Billy Lange chips in with a 9-4 ATS record with the Hawks versus .800 or greater foes, including 4-1 ATS with the revenge chip. The fact of the matter is the Flyers have bigger fish to fry on Friday when they visit VCU with LTKO revenge on the their minds, and Dayton is a feeble 2-6 SUATS in its last eight A-10 contests against avenging conference foes. The bottom line is St. Joe’s has won 10 of its 12 games SU at Hagan Arena this season. Finally St. Joseph’s is 9-1 ATS in this series when seeking revenge, including 6-0 ATS at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The New York Knicks are on the rise and a loss to the Lakers on Sunday will not derail them against this Grizzlies team. The Grizzlies are without their two best players coming into the season as well as Marcus Smart and potentially Jackson on Tuesday night as well. The Knicks have tightened up their rotation since picking up Anunoby and their defense has shown vast improvement as well, particularly in the halfcourt offense. The defense won't be taxed on Tuesday night against a Grizzlies team that is last in the NBA in scoring and field goal percentage. The Knicks' offense isn't as potent as the Celtics', who pup up 131 points against the Grizzlies on Sunday, but the Knicks will easily outpace the Grizzlies at home tonight.

Rating: 2 Units

The Mavericks, who are eighth in the Western Conference, own a 5-8 record since winning three straight Jan. 3-7. Dallas lost four of the six games Irving missed due to a sprained right thumb before he returned Monday and produced 23 points and eight assists in 35 minutes at Philadelphia. The team Irving left is in worse shape, as the Nets are nine games under .500 and in 11th in the Eastern Conference. Both Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith are rumored to be on the trading block ahead of the Thursday deadline, as the Nets are 7-19 in their past 26 games.

Rating: 2 Units

The Redhawks have won two of their last three home games. They have played well offensively at home, scoring more than 71 points per game. They’ve also taken advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, making over 79 percent of their free throws in their last three games. They rebound the ball well and they’re aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They also do a good job of protecting the ball and won’t give the Huskies a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Huskies have struggled defensively and they’re giving up more than 84 points per game on the road, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Redhawks in this game. The Huskies have lost 10 of their last 11 games and seven straight road games. They have played well offensively, scoring more than 76 points per game on the road. They’ve struggled at the charity stripe, making less than 70 percent of their free throws. Their ball movement isn’t very good, but their rebounding has been good and it will give them a chance in this game. They’ve been careless with the ball, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Redhawks, who average more than six steals per game at home. The Redhawks have done a good job defensively at home, holding opponents under 68 points per game, and will keep the Huskies’ offense in check. Go with Miami (OH) to cover the spread

Rating: 2 Units

Rating; 2 Units

This is a great buy low moment for the Wildcats. K-State has lost their last four games, but this rivalry matchup will have the team ready to go, and playing at home will give them an additional boost. Kansas State still has their top three players available for this game, Carter and Perry can get hot from the perimeter at any time, and Kaluma plays bigger than his 6'7 frame. Kansas State also has McNair to battle Dickinson inside. McNair is 6'11 and 265 pounds, he has the size to matchup with Dickinson and limit his production. McCullar is a strong scoring guard, but Kaluma and Carter can take turns defensively, each with different defensive strengths to slow down the top scorer in the league. The Wildcats have an elite defense, they rank 26th in defensive efficiency and will be able to slow down the Jayhawks at home.

Rating: 2 Units

The New Orleans Pelicans (28-21; 24-21-1 ATS) snapped a three-game skid last Wednesday, outlasting the Houston Rockets 110-99. Two days later, the Pels wrapped up a four-game road trip with a 114-113 victory at the San Antonio Spurs. The Pelicans barely edged the lowly Spurs as firm 8.5-point favorites.

Rating: 2 Units

It doesn’t help that a pair of All-Stars – Chris Paul and Draymond Green – are out of the lineup, either. The Nets have problems of their own, yet they own a noteworthy home-road dichotomy this campaign, going 14-9-2 ATS at home as opposed to 8-14 ATS away at press time. With the Warriors likely eyeing the Sixers, up next on Wednesday and 1-6 ATS before facing Philly, and the Nets 5-1 ATS as non-conference home dogs with same-season revenge we're on the Nets.

Rating: 2 Units

Even in the second half of a back-to-back, this game is Los Angeles' to lose assuming that they leave Miami without any injuries. Atlanta's defense is not equipped to slow down the Clippers offense. The Hawks also won't have their leading rebounder, Clint Capela, which will hurt them a lot. An Atlanta offense that struggles with efficiency won't fare well against the Los Angeles defense that forces misses everywhere. The Hawks are 7-18-0 ATS at home, so they don't even have that going for them. Take the Clippers to win and cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

The Virginia Cavaliers have proven to be a top team in the ACC this season, sitting in second place. The Cavaliers have won six consecutive conference matchups and have no signs of slowing down for the Miami Hurricanes. Virginia has the second-best defense in college basketball right now, surrendering 57.8 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot less than 40% from the floor. This will be a game-changer when facing the high-caliber Miami offense. When looking at matchups against other high-scoring offenses, the Cavaliers' defense has not shown any signs of breaking. For example, they shut down the Clemson offense — averaging 79 points per game — keeping them at 65 points on the night. The Cavaliers' defense will win this game and add their seventh consecutive ACC win.

Rating: 2 Units

Milwaukee checks in after playing in Dallas last night. It’s also a series in which the Jazz have dominated, winning 132-116 as an 8-point dog in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Bucks went into the Big D last night with a sorry 8-14 ATS road ledger this season, including 0-4 SUATS in non-conference clashes. Finally, Utah is 19-2 SU and 17-4 ATS at home against Milwaukee, including 3-0 SUATS when the Bucks arrive without rest.

Rating: 2 Units

The main catalyst in this matchup is Zona’s stunning 18-point road loss at Stanford as 12.5-point chalk on the final day of 2023. Wildcats’ head coach Tommy Lloyd has done an outstanding job in his 2-plus seasons in Tucson, currently 77-16 overall but a second loss to the Cardinal tonight would remove a lot of that luster. Don’t look for that to happen, though, as the Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in this series with same-season revenge from a double-digit loss. As for Stanford, the Cardinal arrive off a same-season revenger with Arizona State, and they’re just 1-6 SUATS away versus a conference foe after tangling with the Sun Devils. Arizona has no room for error here, not with road games at Utah and Colorado to follow, so expect the Wildcats to deliver a merciless pummeling at the McKale Center tonight

Rating: 2 Units

The Thunder have won two straight games and nine of their last 10 home games. They have played well offensively at home, scoring more than 122 points per game while making over 50 percent of their shots. They’ve also done a good job at the charity stripe, making over 83 percent of their free throws. They rebound the ball well and they’re aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. The Raptors have struggled defensively and they play worse on the road, giving up more than 120 points per game, and will have a hard time slowing down the Thunder in this game. The Raptors have lost six of their last seven games and six of their last seven road games. They have played well offensively, scoring more than 116 points per game on the road. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Thunder and won’t get a lot of extra-scoring chances against them. They’ve also been careless with the ball, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Thunder, who average more than eight steals per game. The Thunder have done a great job defensively in recent games and held their last three opponents under 105 points per game, so expect them to keep Toronto’s offense in check. Go with Oklahoma City to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

The Clippers are a bad matchup for the Heat. Miami does not possess very athletic wings except for Jimmy Butler. Leonard and George will have their way with the Heat on the offensive end much like the Celtics did recently with their high-scoring wing duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The Clippers, like Boston, shoot the 3-ball very well also, which will be a problem for the Heat. Leonard is back to playing shutdown defense, healthier than he's been in any of the last few seasons. He will likely have some floor time covering Butler which could slow down the Heat's most prolific scorer. George is also an above-average defender and will likely be tasked with slowing down Tyler Herro. The Heat's two advantages in the game will be through Adebayo and Rozier but Adebayo is not a high-leverage scorer and Rozier has been off to a slow start on the offensive end for the Heat. The Clippers will roll to a win on Sunday.

Rating: 3 Units

The Wildcats have barely kept their heads above water in Neptune’s sophomore campaign, currently 11-10 overall with a five-game losing skid. However, three of those losses came by margins of 1, 7 and 5 points, and the Wildcats will be hungry to avenge a pair of losses to the Friars last season. Meanwhile, 14-7 Providence is 5-12 ATS versus conference foes looking to avenge two losses from the previous season, including 1-9 ATS at home. The Friars also show up today off a double revenger with UConn (5-13 ATS at home after Huskies) with another revenger on deck against Creighton (0-4 ATS before the Bluejays). To guarantee that Villanova will send Providence straight to the bottom of the deep blue sea here, let’s turn to the fact that Villanova is 6-0 ATS home with three-plus days of rest and double revenge-exact from the previous season.

Rating: 2 Units

This is an exciting matchup of the elite squads of the Big Ten. Purdue is solid but can be beaten on the road. They are only 3-2 in their last five Big Ten road games including a loss to Nebraska. Wisconsin has won eight out of their last 10 games. Purdue and Wisconsin have each lost to Nebraska. Purdue is one of the best scoring teams in DI but Wisconsin is just behind. Purdue is averaging 126 points per 100 possessions compared to 121 points per 100 by Wisconsin, ranking them seventh in the country. Wisconsin has scored at least 83 points in four of their five Big Ten home games. Purdue is dominant due in part to the rebounding however, Wisconsin has the size to compete.  The Badgers are conceding fewer opponent rebounds per game.

Rating; 2 Units

St Marys enters on a 9-game win skein with the best overall and conference record this season. After struggling through a 4-3 December, Gonzaga is playing more like the Zags of old, going 7-1 SU since with that lone defeat coming by just one point at Santa Clara. But even though Mark Few’s Bulldogs are riding a five-game win streak, they’re just 2-5 ATS in this series with the worse record. And when they take on a conference foe off back-to-back wins, the Zags are a weak 5-9 ATS, including 0-3 ATS this season. At 13-6-1 ATS with LTKO revenge, look for the Gaels to keep their foot on the pedal as the better team avenges last season’s LTKO loss. 

NBA Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

The Lakers will be looking to even the score against New York from a five point home loss as five-point home chalk back in December, knowing they are riding an 8-1 ATS streak as non-conference dogs in same-season revenge. The Knicks are 0-8 ATS as a home favorite coming off a same-season revenge win over the Pacers. Finally, playing on LeBron James when his team’s win-loss is .500 is 8-1 ATS.

SEC Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

Mississippi State is playing with revenge from an 8-point home loss this season, and a pair of setbacks last season – including an LTKO defeat. That should find the five-returning starter Bulldogs chomping at the bit for payback today and we won’t have to worry about a letdown following their in-state rivalry battle with Ole Miss as MSU is often in a celebratory frame of mind after taking on the Rebs (27-14-1 ATS the last 20 years, including 18-7-1 ATS as a dog). The Tide is also one leg up on 6-2 Auburn, who waits on deck, and Bama’s lackluster 2-4 ATS mark in games before Aubbie adds to the Crimson woes here. Finally, MSU is 15-10 ATS versus greater than .666 foes with head coach Chris Jans, including 7-0 ATS during the regular season when the Bulldogs sport a sub .700 win percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bears got whacked three times by ISU last season – all as a favorite – and it was capped off when the Clones sent the Bears packing in the first round of the Big 12 tourney. Even so, Baylor owns a 17-3 outright record as a host in this series and is 4-0 ATS coming off a win when seeking LTKO revenge. Iowa State has not fared well on the conference road after beginning play in early January, losing SU to BYU by 15 points and to Oklahoma by 8 points, and edging TCU by a single point to avoid a three-game road losing streak. Things get worse when we look strictly at conference road games versus LTKO avenging foes, where Iowa State is a paltry 0-10 SU and 2-8 ATS.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are dealing with some injury issues but the 76ers have been better suited to working through those issues. Maxey comes in off a career-high 51 points in their win over the Jazz as he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The 76ers have capable scoring options to work around the Embiid injury with Harris and Oubre Jr. looked at to step up and contribute. Brooklyn has sputtered and got Simmons back for all of one game before he was injured again, which doesn’t help matters at all either. The Nets are just 7-15 on the road this season and the 76ers have dominated this series of late with nine straight wins. Playing at home, you have to back them to make it 10 straight triumphs as they take care of business.

Rating: 2 Units

The bad news for Utah State first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle is he knew it would take some time to build a team with zero returning starters from a 26-9 squad. The good news is it took only two games. After opening the campaign 1-1, USU has gone 18-1 since as they enter tonight’s targeted triple revenger, and as a result they reside atop the MWC standings. San Diego State took a different path to today’s clash: following a 13-2 start to the season, the Aztecs have become little more than a middling squad, going just 2-3 since. They have also fallen two full games behind the Aggies in the conference race and must face a Utah State team that’s 3-0 SUATS with LTKO revenge when owning a greater than .750 win percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

OKC's most glaring flaw on both ends of the floor is rebounding. The defense also tends to send opponents to the free throw line. The Hornets are a subpar rebounding team and the worst team at getting to the free throw line. They aren't equipped to take advantage of the Thunder's weaknesses. That is why this game should be a blowout, especially since it's in Paycom Center where OKC is a much better squad. The Thunder are 18-6 (16-8-0 ATS) at home. That, paired with all of the other clear edges, won't make for a competitive game. Take OKC to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams come in with win streaks going for them but the fact remains that one team is solidly in the playoff picture while the other is hanging on for dear life. The Suns, when they are healthy, have a dangerous unit led by the trio of Durant, Booker and Beal, though that’s been a challenge this season. Atlanta is in a dicey situation as it’s unclear as to whether the team will be a buyer or a seller at the trade deadline. The Hawks have not been great at home this season, posting a 10-13 mark entering this game. Atlanta has a little bit of a rest advantage at this point but the Suns are the better team. Look for Phoenix to take care of business here as they take advantage of an unimpressive Atlanta squad to put this game in the win column.

Rating: 2 Units

Ohio State was ice-cold in the point spread department, riding a 1-6 ATS skein before a pair of games against Northwestern and Illinois on Saturday and Tuesday. Turns out the Buckeyes are just 1-5 ATS after taking on the Illini, plus they’ve got a same-season revenger up next against the Hoosiers (1-6 ATS before IU). OSU’s most grievous sin was beating Iowa in the ‘donkey’ round of last year’s Big Ten tourney: The Hawkeyes are 23-10 ATS with revenge in this series, including 16-3 ATS when OSU sports a .750 or fewer win percentage. We close the book with the Buckeyes’ alarming 0-4 ATS mark as a visitor this season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Suns are 16-27-2 against the spread as they come into this game. Likewise, they are 9-10-1 against the spread on the road. The Suns are just 8-16-1 against the spread when they have equal rest. Moreover, they are 3-9-2 against the spread against nonconference teams. While The Magic are 28-17 against the spread. Additionally, they are 13-7 against the spread at Amway Arena. The Magic are 17-4 against the spread when they have had equal rest. Also, they are 9-6 against the spread against nonconference teams. The Magic are almost finally healthy again with Wagner back. Therefore, they can play to their full potential. Banchero is their best player. Currently, he is averaging 22.5 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. Wagner is averaging 20.7 points per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field. Thus, he will be a focal part of the team.

Rating: 2 Units

The Scarlet Knights’ fast 5-1 start to the season has cooled off (they ride a 5-7 skein into this fray) but these guys are Jonesing to put a Tony Soprano-style hit on the Boilers to make amends for their first-round loss to Purdue in last season’s Big Ten tourney. The Boilermakers are 1-9 ATS in this series, including 0-7 ATS the last seven meetings. They’re also staring dead ahead to a double revenge affair with pesky Northwestern, who handed Purdue one of its two losses this campaign in a 92-88 OT upset at Evanston. That’s not particularly good news for the Boilers, who own a 5-9 SU and 4-8 ATS ledger in games before facing the Wildcats. In this latest episode of The Zach Edey Show, the big guy gets his stats, but the Scarlet Knights pocket the cash. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Lakers have won four of their last six games. They have been on a roll offensively in recent games, scoring more than 130 points per game in their last three games while making over 54 percent of their shots and 46 percent of their three-pointers. They’ve done a good job rebounding the ball and they’re aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. The Warriors have struggled defensively this season and they gave up more than 120 points per game in their last three games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Lakers in this game. The Warriors have lost three of their last four games and four of their last six home games. They have played well offensively at home, scoring more than 117 points per game at home. Their rebounding has been good and it will keep them in this game, but they’ve been careless with the ball, which will give the Lakers, who averaged more than nine steals per game in their last three games, easy-scoring opportunities. The Lakers aren’t great defensively, but they’ve done a better job in recent games and will keep Golden State’s offense in check. Go with Los Angeles to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

The younger McKillop has gotten his team off to a decent 12-7 record this campaign but he can regain major credibility if he manages to halt VCU’s 3-game series win streak (one of those losses came to the top-seeded Rams in the first round of last year’s A-10 tourney). Virginia Commonwealth sits in third place in the conference race and is riding a 4-game win streak entering tonight’s contest. Unfortunately for the horned ones, they’ve gone 1-5 ATS in this series of late, including 0-3 ATS when going into revenge. First-year head coach Ryan Odom inherited a team devoid of experience (zero returning starters), so we look for Davidson to improve on its 4-0 SUATS mark at home with a sub .615 win percentage when playing off a previous home loss and facing a foe coming off a pair of SUATS wins.

Rating: 2 Units

Houston is playing the second game of a back-to-back situation here, which has been a tough spot for them this season. The Rockets entered Friday losers of five of their previous six and they have gone just 4-15 on the road entering the game with the Hornets. Brooklyn has dropped three straight and seven of their last eight games coming into this one. The Nets do have the rest advantage, having played Thursday at home before having Friday off, while Houston had to play Friday and then fly in after the game against Charlotte. Even with a young team like Houston, that can take a toll on you. The Rockets have been grounded on the road and in the second game of a back-to-back set, you can’t have a ton of enthusiasm about them here. Lean toward the Nets in this contest.

Rating: 3 Units

The fact that the Nuggets struggle mightily in this series is an influencer, too, given their naughty 6-20-1 ATS mark. And yes, the gold-diggers return home off their worst loss of the season in a 122-84 beatdown at the Knicks, yet they are a paltry 2-5 ATS as home chalk of more than 4 points when coming off a 5-plus road trip. On the other side of the court, Philly has won six of its last seven games and is 8-2 ATS against greater than .600 foes this season, as well as a stellar 15-5 SU and 4-6-1 ATS this campaign when coming off a win and facing a foe coming off a loss. Finally, Denver is 0-10 ATS in this series with revenge from a single-digit same-season loss.

Rating: 3 Units

The regression has continued this season as Michigan currently owns an embarrassing 7-12 record, including a 1-7 SUATS disaster in the last eight overall contests. Remember, this display of futility is set against the backdrop of the Wolverines football program winning the College Football Playoff championship on January 8, so every loss by Howard means the scrutiny intensifies. Following a 2-point loss at home to Maryland on Wednesday, Iowa finds itself going 3-3 in January after a 3-3 effort in December. However, the deuces are wild in this matchup where the Hawkeyes limp in off a pair of home losses seeking revenge from a double-digit loss suffered at Hawkeye-Carver Arena last season in the only meeting between these two Big Ten rivals. Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey excels at getting even, going 9-4 ATS in this series with same-season revenge from a loss of 3 or more points and 7-4 ATS away with revenge versus a foe coming off a pair of losses. More trouble for the Wolves looms on the horizon with a trip to Michigan State to face the hated Spartans, as Michigan brings a 1-4 ATS mark into this showdown in games before MSU. Finally, Iowa is 8-1 SUATS with conference revenge under head coach Fran McCaffrey in games in which Iowa owns a winning record and its opponent owns a losing record.

Rating: 2 Units

Today’s clash is a battle of the conference bears with both teams tied atop the MWC standings at 5-1 and like many contests this time of year, there’s an element of revenge involved. Boise State lost to the Aggies in the semifinals of last season’s MWC tournament. No. 18 Utah State stands 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS as a dog versus foes seeking LTKO revenge (League Tourney Knock Out). Boise backers have cashed like crazy in the last eight meetings between these two with the Broncos going on a 7-1 ATS regular season run, including 5-0 ATS at home. Another headache for USU is an on-deck revenger versus San Jose State, as the Aggies are a miserable 2-8 ATS away before the Spartans, including 0-5 ATS when USU is coming off a win.

CBB Conference Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

If you’ve been an ISU backer this season, you probably think there’s a printing press in Hilton Coliseum that cranks out the bucks after a home game as the Cyclones are 12-2 ATS on this floor. They’ll also be looking to square things up from a loss to KU in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament last season. No. 7 Kansas is loaded with talent like most Jayhawks squads under head coach Bill Self, but they’ve had two uncharacteristic stumbles of late, losing on the road to UCF and West Virginia. That’s music to our ears considering the Jayhawks have not dominated this series, going 7-12 ATS, including 0-5 ATS when ISU sports a .777 or greater win percentage. The Cyclones have performed well taking points at home, going 5-1 ATS the last half dozen games and will look to lean on their 4-0 ATS success at home with conference tourney revenge against .800 or greater opponents. Finally, Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger is 9-1 ATS at home with the Cyclones as either a dog or a favorite of 3 or fewer points, including 7-0 ATS with a win percentage of .777 or greater. .

Rating: 2 Units

Following a 2-3 start that had fans reaching for their brown paper head sacks, UGA suddenly caught fire to go on a 12-2 winning run. However, the O’Connell Center will be revved up and rabid today considering it was their Mike White who left Gainesville to take the job at Georgia last year “due to a toxic environment created by the fanbase and fear it would begin to affect his five young children” (we shudder to see some of the signs in the stands). As a result of White’s departure, the Gators were forced to hire Todd Golden and the arranged marriage produced a 16-17 record. He’s off to a better start this season, going 13-6 overall but Florida has split its last six games on the scoreboard and has this standing in its way here: the series host is currently on an incredible 1-14 ATS slide, including 0-11 ATS the last eleven games! That’s all we need to know in this bad blood slugfest. 

Rating: 2 Units

One weird thing about Memphis this season is that they're worse at home. The Grizzlies have a 4-15 record (5-14-0 ATS) in FedEx Forum. Although their recent road wins were nice, fading them on their home court is the smart play. Especially since Orlando does everything that the Grizzlies do better. The Magic rely on their defense, which is stronger, and have a struggling offense that outperforms Memphis'. Orlando will earn a much-needed win, covering the spread in the process.

CBB Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

The Spartans fell 70-57 as a -5.5-point home favorite to the Badgers in an earlier meeting back on December 5. What would make this win even sweeter for Izzo is the fact that Wisconsin will still be sitting atop the Big Ten should they defeat Indiana and Minnesota before facing Sparty, so knocking off the conference leader would look really good for a Michigan State squad that struggled to a 4-5 start to the season. The Badgers have not fared well in this series recently, going 8-17 SU and 9-16 ATS, including 1-7 ATS as a favorite. Finally, playing on Michigan State from Game 20 out when they are seeking conference revenge with 3 or more days of rest is 34-12-1.

Rating: 2 Units

The Raptors catch the Clippers in an ideal scheduling spot tonight, and they’ll be happy to oblige. For openers, the Clips arrive off a monster double revenge showdown at home against the Lakers on Tuesday, with yet another same-reason avenger on tap at Boston tomorrow from a 37-point home loss they suffered against the Celtics two days prior to Christmas. Hence, it’s no surprise to learn they are 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in post-Laker operatives, while just 18-26 SU and 18-24 ATS away before Beantown bashes. With the Dinosaurs 16-8-1 ATS as a host in this series, including 5-1 ATS when taking points, we’re all over this.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are struggling at the moment as each team comes in with three straight losses on the books. There are injury issues on both sides with the Hawks missing a pair of starters in Hunter and Young while Irving is a question mark for Dallas here. Atlanta has been brutal on the defensive end of the floor, giving up an average of 124 points in their last three games, which is slightly worse than their season-long number, which is third-worst in the league. The Hawks are at home, so they have that going for them, but they are just 8-12 as the hosts this season. Trying to stop Doncic is a tough task for anyone, much less a team that is seemingly checked out on that end of the floor. Look for this game to go to the visitors.

Rating: 2 Units

The Kings have only won two of their last eight encounters with the Warriors. Sacramento is only 1-9 SU in its past ten trips to Chase Center, but the Kings have covered the spread in six of their previous seven road contests against the Warriors, who’ll play on the second night of a back-to-back today. I like the Kings in this spot. Domantas Sabonis, who posted a 14-point, 21-rebound double-double against the Hawks last Monday, will torture the Warriors at the low post. Golden State’s interior defense has been pretty bad so far this season (22nd in opposing 2-point percentage, 55.5%), and the Warriors will have to improve a lot if they want to beat the Kings. 

Rating: 2 Units

Coming into this game are the 15-4 San Francisco Dons, who have almost become an annual call selection when clashing with the Zags. This year Frisco checks in with a 15-8-1 ATS log in conference tourney revenge losses (fell to the Zags in the semis of last year’s West Coast conference event) and they’re currently riding a red hot 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS train. A concern is USF’s 0-2 SUATS slide in this series when they own the better record, but they are 12-1 SU and 9-4 ATS in games this season in which they boast the better record. With the Zags 8-1 SU at home this season, we can’t call for an outright win but their 1-5 ATS effort against foes coming off consecutive wins this campaign says you should grab the points with an avenging squad that just may be the better team.

Rating: 2 Units

The Knicks are now 10-2 since acquiring Anunoby from Toronto. They hope to keep the wins coming on Thursday against the Nuggets. The Knicks are 16th in the NBA in scoring offense this season. They are 20th in field goal percentage and 11th in 3-point shooting. The Knicks do rely heavily on the 3-point shot, ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-point field goals made per game. New York is third in the NBA in scoring defense this season. They are 15th in field goal defense and 15th in 3-point defense. Despite not having a dominant center, the Knicks are second in the NBA in rebounds per game. They are just 18th in the NBA in turnovers per game.

Rating: 2 Units

Sixers will take the court with a 21-7 ATS mark as a favorite this season. With the Pacers in the middle of a brutal stretch in their schedule – off Denver and Phoenix with Phoenix and Memphis coming up, don’t be surprised to see them ‘rode hard an put away wet’ during this span.

Rating: 2 Units

A visit to the Sun Belt Conference finds us on the 5-returning starter Mountaineers, who arrive with a lofty 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS mark in this series when they own a winning record. They’ve also been red hot, winning 13 of their last 15 games on the scoreboard to improve to 14-4. As for Georgia Southern, first-year head coach Charlie Henry’s Eagles appear to be anything but the ”sleeper team’” they were tabbed to be. Instead, they look anything but, after nodding off to a dreadful 3-15 record this season at press time (0-15 outside the Sun Belt).

Rating: 2 Units

I expect the struggling Warriors to play this game for their late assistant coach. They are not a great defensive team by any stretch of the imagination, but the Hawks are arguably even worse, so I like the Warriors in this spot. The Hawks struggle to defend the 3-point line, so keep your eyes on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. When it comes to covering the spread, Atlanta has been a complete disaster so far this season, and I expect to see more of the same when the Hawks take on the Warriors. The Hawks are 4-12 ATS in their past 16 games overall. 

Rating: 3 Units

San Antonio is averaging 112.8 points per game. They scored 133 points in their last game, making 46.2 percent of their field goals and 31.7 percent of their three-pointers. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 33 points and seven rebounds. Devin Vassell finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and nine assists, while Jeremy Sochan added 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

Rating: 2 Units

UF is 12-5 ATS away with LTKO revenge, including 9-1 ATS against foes coming off a win. Mississippi State counters with a feeble 1-4 SU record the last five versus SEC foes with LTKO revenge. The Starkville Bulldogs also have a quintuple revenger with No. 13 Auburn on deck and they’re an ineffective 1-5 ATS before facing Aubbie. We rest our case by noting that Florida averages 85 points per game (MSU 75 PPG) and the Gators have cashed in 5 of the last seven matchups in this series.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wildcats are in a desperate situation and with the spread now at 4.5, I feel confident backing them to cover today at MSG. Nova has lost three of its last four and has only beaten two Big East teams not named DePaul, so it has some work to do if it hopes to earn a bye for the conference tournament. It has faced a tough schedule, 15th per KenPom, including an average offense ranked 20th and an average defense ranked 10th. With wins over North Carolina, Texas Tech, Maryland, Creighton, Memphis, and Xavier, there's no denying the Cats can play but will their shooters show up tomorrow? When Nova shoots over 37 percent from deep, it's 7-1, and when its opponent shoots under 29 percent, it's 5-0. St. John's ranks 212th in three-point percentage and its perimeter defense isn't elite. With one guard sidelined and another currently dealing with COVID, I'm not confident the Red Storm guards will outplay the Wildcats' guards.

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland is one of the hottest teams in the league as they come in on an eight game win streak. The streak is impressive, but they were listed as the favorite in every game in the stretch, including wins over the Spurs, Nets, Hawks, Magic and two games against the Wizards. Included in the stretch was a win over Milwaukee, they were two point favorites but ended up winning the game by 40. In their most recent game, the Cavs were led by Sam Merrill who knocked down eight threes off the bench and finished with 26 points in the win over Orlando.

Rating: 3 Units

The Minnesota Timberwolves are not happy after a home loss against the Hornets and will rebound here. The Washington Wizards continue to stumble. They have just one victory this month. They have lost to the Pistons and Spurs within the last week. Minnesota is the best defensive squad in the entire NBA while the Wizards are the worst. Minnesota is only conceding 109 points per 100 possessions, ranking them 1st in defensive rating while the Wizards are squandering 120.8 points per 100, pegging them 29th. Minnesota has conceded 105 or fewer points in three of their last five games. Three of the Timberwolves' last five wins have occurred by at least 15 points.

Rating: 3 Units

Georgia is in the midst of an extraordinary 11-1 SU run over the last 12 games, with the only loss coming to Tennessee by 6 points (Dawgs cashed the ticket at +7.5). The Tigers are on a nice 5-1 run of their own but they’re 0-3 SUATS the last three years against SEC LTKO seeking avengers. LSU is coming off a game with Texas A&M and the Tigers are just 1-7 ATS after facing the Aggies, UGA is 9-5-1 ATS in this series, including 5-1-1 ATS with a .575 or greater win percentage. With that, we know that Georgia is 11-4 ATS with SEC tourney revenge, including 5-1 ATS with a .667 or greater winning percentage.

NBA Game of the Week

Rating: 5 Units

When James Harden joined the Clippers in November, Erik Spoelstra said he didn’t know exactly how Harden would fit alongside Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook, but had faith Lue would find a way. And he has. As a result, they are now the T-Lue Clippers, currently resting a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the third sport in the Western Conference playoff chase. Despite dropping the last two games in the series to King James and company, the Clips bring an 11-3 SUATS overall mark in Lakers showdowns the past four seasons. Finally, the Clippers are 9-0 ATS at home in this series when taking the court with same-season double revenge.

Rating: 2 Units

This has not been a vintage season for the X-men. Despite winning 3 of their last five games, they were just 9-8 this season and must pay the piper here for knocking the Bluejays out in the semifinals of last year’s Big East Tournament. That’s because Creighton stands 5-1 SU and 5-2 ATS with LTKO revenge while Xavier is just 2-4 ATS against foes with LTKO. The Jays also own a 5-2 ATS mark in the series with the Musketeers when playing with revenge. The killer, though, is that Xavier is 4-38 ATS in games they lose on the scoreboard as underdogs against avenging conference foes. 

Rating: 2 Units 

The Pacers raced out to a strong start this season thanks to outstanding point guard play from All-Star Tyrese Halliburton. Halliburton leads the team in points per game and assists but has been sidelined in six of the past seven games with a hamstring injury. The Pacers are just 2-4 with Halliburton out but he appears to be returning tonight. For the season, the Pacers rank first in the NBA in scoring offense. They are second in field goal percentage and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage. The Pacers are also sixth in the league in 3-point field goals made per game. 

Rating: 2 Units

It’s never hard for us to get behind Coach Cal when it comes to his team on a humiliating revenge prowl and losing as -19.5-point chalk at home to the Gamecocks last year certainly qualifies. The high from that upset has long since faded – South Carolina finished the season 11-21 after getting bounced in the first round of the SEC Tournament – but the Columbia Cocks are 14-3 this campaign (check Saturday’s result at Arkansas) and dangerous. They seem a little less dangerous, though, after Calipari trots out his 95-68-4 ATS when seeking revenge, including 14-5-2 ATS versus greater than .750 opponents. Meanwhile, South Carolina is just 8-19 SU and 11-16 ATS home of late, including 0-3 SUATS with a win percentage of .800 or greater.  

Rating: 2 Units

Ohio State is averaging 76.4 points per game. They scored 79 points in their last game, making 45.8 percent of their field goals and 16.7 percent of their three-pointers. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the Buckeyes with 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Evan Mahaffey finished with 16 points and five rebounds, while Jamison Battle added 11 points and six rebounds. Ohio State has played well defensively, giving up 66.6 points per game. They gave up 67 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to win this game.

Rating: 2 Units

Montana State is scoring an average of 74.1 points per game and is shooting an above average 45.9% overall and in a close game, which this likely will be, the Bobcats are shooting 75.3% from the free throw line which gives them an advantage as Idaho State is shooting just 69.2% from the charity stripe. Idaho state is allowing opponents to shoot 47.5% overall. Montana State has covered the spread in two of its last three, while Idaho state has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last 10. Montana State's top five scorers are shooting between 46.6% and 66.7% and averaging between 10.0 points and 15.9 points per game, giving the Bobcats plenty of options on the offensive end of the court and making it more difficult for the Idaho State defense.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 3 Units

San Antonio is a team that is going nowhere this season as they continue on their rebuilding project. The Spurs are well outside the playoff picture and are the worst team in the Western Conference. San Antonio is just 5-18 on the road and they stand 23rd in field goal percentage defense (48.7%), 28th in threes allowed per game (14.1) and 28th in three-point defense (38.8%) this season. Embiid has run his streak of 30-point games to 20 after hitting that mark against Charlotte Saturday night. The 76ers are always tough at home and they should have enough firepower to take down the Spurs in this contest.

NBA Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

Following a lethargic 13-11 SU and 10-13-1 ATS start to the season, Cleveland has rebounded and will carry an 11-3 SU and 10-3-1 ATS mark into Orlando, where they will look to extract a healthy measure of revenge from a 10-point loss in Orlando when they last met in mid- December. They bring the league’s No. 2 Scoring Defense and No. 5 Defensive Field Goal Percentage into this fray; knowing they catch the Magic off a double revenger from the night before on the same floor against Miami. On the other side of the court, the Magic bring a measly 1-4 SUATS record in the game as an unrested host coming off a home contest. Finally, Cleveland is 6-1 SUATS this season in games with same-season revenge this season, including 5-0 SUATS versus sub .770 foes

Rating: 2 Units

The Utes after watching their promising 11-2 start to the season dissipate by dropping three of their last four contests entering this game. That’s not good news for a Utah team that’s forgotten how to win a game in this series as they are 1-20 SU against Oregon since 2013, including 0-5 SUATS as a favorite. Neither are the Utes’ 1-7 ATS failures after squaring off against Stanford and their 6-17 SU and 6-15-2 ATS mark against foes that own the better record. Must give a coaching edge to Oregon here as Utah’s 3rd-year HC Craig Smith has to match wits with the veteran Dana Altman, now in his 14th season with the Ducks and the 39th year of his career. Altman is 3-0 ATS off a loss this season, so you know the state and the team we’ll be lining up with today. Ducks get off the mat to hand Utah its first home loss of the campaign.

Rating: 3 Units

The top two teams in the Western Conference lock horns in the Twin Cities tonight, where the Timberwolves will be anxious to make amends from a 23-point beatdown they suffered in Oklahoma the day after Christmas. Minnesota is 5-1 ATS at home when looking to even up a 20-point same-season loss. With it, the Wolves enter with the top-scoring defense in the loop, while also ranking No. 5 in Defensive field Goal Percentage. Given the Thunder’s paltry 0-9 SU and 2-6-1 ATS mark in road games after usurping Utah, we’ll ride the Big KAT – Karl-Anthony Towns - to the pay window. Finally, Minnesota is 12-3 SU and 10-5 ATS this season with same-season revenge, including 4-0 SUATS versus .600 or greater foes.

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland has won each of its last six games and the Cavaliers are 5-1 against the spread over that same span. Cleveland has moved up to 2nd in points allowed in the NBA at 110.3 points per game and is scoring enough though their second and third leading scorers are sidelined with injuries. Atlanta is giving up far too many points, allowing an average of 123.0 points per game on 50.1% shooting. Atlanta also has its share of injuries as DeAndre Hunter is out and Hunter is 4th in scoring. Atlanta's Dejounte Murray has been named in several trade rumors for Atlanta which could cause the talented guard to be distracted as well as his teammates. Atlanta will be playing the second half of a back-to-back and the Hawks have failed to cover the number in 10 of their last 13 overall. When playing against a team from the Eastern Conference, Atlanta has failed to cover the spread in 10 of the last 11.

CBB Play of the Day

Rating: 4 Units

The Cougars dropped the hammer on Wilmington three times last season, including a win in the CAA title game. Charleston was tripped up as double-digit chalk on Thursday night against Towson, and the Cougars are a weak 3-8 ATS coming off SU favorite loss, including 0-3 ATS this season when coming off a SU favorite loss. Considering that the Seahawks have not lost on their home court this campaign, we look at the fact that UNCW is 19-4 ATS in this series, including 14-1 ATS when they sport a sub .750 win percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wildcats beat the top-seeded Bruins, 61-59, in the finals of last season’s Pac-12 tourney and remember Zona is a money-burning 7-22-1 ATS against Pac 12 foes with a revenge chip on their shoulder, including a brutal 2-18-1 ATS as a favorite of 7 or more points. The Bruins may be down a tad this season, but rest assured they will be fully focused here. Finally, UCLA is 9-2 SU and ATS with revenge in this series, including 5-0 SUATS when the Wildcats own a sub .840 win percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

We’re going with the Trojans, who were upset by the Sun Devils in the opening round of last year’s Pac-12 Tournament, and the Trojans just so happen to own a 6-0 ATS mark in this series when seeking revenge. That should provide plenty of incentive for a team with Big Dance aspirations who is languishing around the Mendoza line as we come up on February. It helps too that Arizona State is just 2-4 SUATS versus conference foes seeking Pac-12 tourney revenge. Enfield and company simply cannot afford another loss with UCLA and Oregon on deck after this one, so take a shot with the Traveling Trojans.

Rating: 2 Units

The Atlanta Hawks have not been reliable on the road where they have lost four of their last five games. The Miami Heat are clicking, winning three of their last four games. The Hawks rely heavily on the scoring to win games but are up against a remarkable Heat defense. The Hawks are allowing 119.3 points per 100 possessions, pegging them 26th in the NBA in defensive rating compared to only 113 points per 100 conceded by the Heat defense. Miami has shined against Atlanta this season, going 2-0, and winning the meetings by eight and nine points respectively. Also, each of the Hawks' last five defeats have occurred by at least seven points.

Rating: 2 Units

The Nuggets have not played as well away from Ball Arena this season (7-14 ATS), failing to cover in three of their four games as road underdogs. One reason for their below-average play away has been their three-point shooting, which drops three percentage points on the road. Given the state of today's NBA, it's tough to cover when you're off the mark from beyond the arc. The Celtics are primed to win this game, riding their hot offensive attack to the finish line. The most efficient offense in the league uses the three-ball like a chainsaw in a horror movie, cutting down its opponents one by one. The C's rank first in three-pointers attempted and sixth in shooting percentage, per Dunks and Threes, an area of the court the Nuggets do not defend well enough (15th in opponent 3PT%). The visitors are stout at the rim (6th in rim defense), but the Celtics rank 29th in rim shot attempts. With Porzingis and White expected to suit up for the Celtics and Gordon likely to play for the Nuggets, basketball fans should expect a competitive game on Friday night in Boston. The trends and analytics point to a Celtics win and cover, which is how I'll be wagering on this potential NBA Finals matchup.

Rating: 2 Units

Embiid is on a war path, and Orlando is on a cold streak, I expect both trends to continue as Philadelphia easily takes this one. I am not an NBA coach, but I am beginning to question Coach Mosley's rotations in Orlando. Franz Wagner is injured, but he still is not playing his best players in his starting lineup, and its not just at one position. The Magic have been starting Chuma Okeke, Houstan, and Goga Bitadze, these players only combine to score exactly 16.0 points per game. That is not enough production for three starters. The Magic have talent they are giving less minutes, players who arguably deserve to start over those three include: Cole Anthony, Moritz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, and Jonathan Isaac. You could even make a case for Joe Ingles or Anthony Black. All of those players are healthy, but the Magic continue to start players who produce less. The 76ers are not going to bring Maxey and Harris off the bench, and they will always have a stronger lineup on the court. Orlando does not have a post defender that can stop Embiid here, the big man could very realistically go for 50 again. Even if he doesn't, the 76ers will still roll.

Rating: 2 Units

 Virginia Commonwealth team that went 27-8 last year is barely treading water under fi rst-year head coach Ryan Odom at press time with a 9-7 record. A lot has to do with the fact that the Rams were decimated by graduation and transfers with ZERO returning starters back from last year’s unit, so it’s time to hop on their misfortune – especially with VCU still looking to cash a winning ticket at the Siegel Center in a conference game this season. Saint Louis head coach Travis Ford brings a stellar 27-8 SU  

Rating: 2 Units

Zips remember being trashed in all three meetings last season, including a loss in the semifinals of the MAC tourney. They also enter this fray at 11-7 ATS when seeking conference tourney revenge, including 7-1-1 ATS against foes coming off a win. As for the Flashes, they’re barely glowing this season with Kent just above the Mendoza line at press time. Worse, the Flashes are 0-3 ATS against avenging foes this campaign.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Utes might miss junior center Lawson Lovering (7.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and senior guard Rollie Worster (9.9 PPG, 5.5 APG) due to injuries, but I still expect Utah to dominate Oregon State in front of the home audience. However, I wasn’t expecting the bookies to set a 15-point spread, so I’ll take the underdogs in this game. If Rollie Worster remains on the shelf, the Utes will struggle to beat the number. Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall and 2-7 ATS in its previous nine outings in the conference play. On the other side, Oregon State is 5-1 ATS in its last six contests overall.

Rating: 3 Units

Toronto stands 4-9 SU and 5-8 ATS as of late in this series, including 0-4 ATS without rest. In addition, the Raptors are 0-3 ATS at home on Thursdays without rest in their franchise history. Toronto also finds itself in the middle of a Miami-New York same-season Chicago revenge sandwich. Finally Chicago comes into this one 41-21-1 ATS on Thursdays.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Towson is comes in looking to avenge a loss to the Cougars in the semifinal of last years’ Colonial Conference tourney. A smart 9-6 ATS mark with revenge in this series sets the table tonight and an even smarter 63-39-3 ATS ledger in games as a revenge-seeking conference dog cleans it up. Since joining the CAA, the Cougars have faced two foes with triple revenge chips on their shoulders from the previous season and they’ve lost the money each time. 

Rating: 2 Units

Nevada is averaging 76.1 points per game. They scored 56 points in their last game, making 36 percent of their field goals and 25 percent of their three-pointers. Kenan Blackshear led the Wolf Pack with 15 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Jarod Lucas finished with 14 points and four assists, while Nick Davidson added 12 points and five rebounds. Nevada has played well defensively, giving up 63.6 points per game. They gave up 64 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to win this game.