Rating: 2 Units

Kevin Durant was still in the frame for the Warriors when they won by 20 at Amway Center on Jan. 22. Though the game wasn’t quite as easy as the scoreline looked, as Orlando was ahead until early in the 3rd Q when Golden State went on a 42-19 run to seal the outcome. Those sorts of spurts aren’t happening lately, however, for the Durant-less Warriors, who had covered just one of their last ten into Tuesday’s game vs. Philly, with the resultant offensive dropoff resulting in 8-1 “under” mark last seven thru March 13. Orlando not helpless and has covered 7 of 9 as a road dog of more than 9 points.  This game could get very interesting in the Magic's, especially since the price floated into the teens.

Rating: 2 Units

Both of these sides were close to Big Dance bids, CSF losing a bitter OT battle in the Big West semis when a last-second UC Davis trey attempt missed the mark so badly that it bounced awkwardly into the unsuspecting hands of an Aggie (who barely beat the buzzer on a game-winning lay-in), and Weber State blowing an 11-point lead in the late going of the Big Sky finale and losing in OT vs. North Dakota. The Titans, however, get home edge in the “Riley Wallace Classic” of the CIT. And homecourt meant something down the stretch, as Fullerton has won six straight at Titan Gym, all part of a nice late-season turnaround in which Dedrqiue Taylor’s team won 9 and covered 10 of its last 12 games. CSF also might get back the services of key frosh F Jackson Rowe (10 ppg; foot), in whose absence the Titans still managed to stay afloat the last couple of weeks. The Wildcats lean heavily on sr. G Jeremy Senglin (21 ppg), but the Weber offense bogs down when Senglin goes cold. The deep Titan backcourt, led by sr. Tre Coggins (18 ppg), will relish the chance to out-duel Senglin.

Rating: 2 Units

Conference comparisons are often a tricky gauge in the Dance. But if assuming that the ACC was a couple of notches above this season’s Big Ten (and I do), it makes the case for VPI (9) a bit more convincing against Wisconsin (8). While the Badgers have plenty of experience on their roster from recent deep runs in the Dance, they also didn’t face often face as much quickness as Buzz Williams can put on the floor with his Hokies. And while VPI lost 6 of 10 in one particularly difficult January-February stretch, the Badgers also slumped in February (once losing five of six), and didn’t have an ACC slate to blame, before finally steadying late. The Hokies will come at Wiscy from lots of different angles, as their two best players (G Seth Allen, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year, and F Zach LeDay) come off of the bench, while VPI ranks among the nation’s leaders in points per possession and effective FG %, not to mention its 41% accuracy on 3-balls ranking 10th nationally. The Hokies also enter the Dance on a 9-1 spread uptick, are 10-4 as a dog this season, and were good enough to go into Ann Arbor and beat Michigan...the same Wolverine team that just whipped the Badgers to win the Big Ten Tourney

Rating: 2 Units

A little state pride is at stake as Florida State (3) from Tallahassee in the north of returns to the NCAA field for the first time since 2012, while Florida Gulf Coast (14) from Fort Myers in the southwest is making its third appearance in the last five years. It should be noted that the Eagles (who still brand their program as “Dunk City”), have advanced in each of their two previous appearances, beating Georgetown and San Diego State in 2013 under Andy Enfield, then demolishing Fairleigh Dickinson 96-65 in a First Four game LY under long-time Kansas asst. Joe Dooley before falling 83-67 to eventual finalist North Carolina. So FGCU can play more than just a little bit. The issue in this matchup for the Eagles is what the do with the Seminoles’ superior size, as FSU starts 6-10 freshman Jonathan Issac and 7-1 sr. Michael Ojo, and can bring 7-4 soph project Christ Koumadje off the bench. Not to mention freshman star Dwayne Bacon (16.9 ppg), who plays bigger than his 6-7. But the athletic Eagles, with their four DD scorers and 10-man rotation (three 6-8 or better) are used to facing bigger teams. FGCU played at Florida, Baylor, and Michigan State early in the season, losing by 21, 9 and 1, respectively. And “Dunk City” reached its stride near Christmas, winning 19 of its last 21 games, including three double-digit victories to capture the Atlantic Sun tournament. FGCU (35%) might not hit its triples as often as in the past, but the Eagles (26-7 SU) can dunk, with an overall margin of victory of 10.6 ppg. Enough to look for FGCU to play the pest role once more time.

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland not a reliable proposition in recent weeks, as Cavs had lost SU in five and dropped six vs. line in nine-game stretch into rematch with Detroit on Tuesday. The hoped-for reinforcement on defense that Andrew Bogut was supposed to provide went up in smoke when the big Aussie broke his leg in his first minute of action in Cleveland on March 6 vs. the Heat. Now LeBron & friends hit a hot Utah side that has won 7 of 10, and they also topped Cavs by 8 in Salt Lake City on Jan. 10 when Jazz held Cleveland to mere 36% from floor, and Gordon Hayward scored 28.

Rating: 2 Units

Despite good home results lately, Russell Westbrook’s one-man show is suddenly not enough for Thunder to win on the road. Ok City couldn’t beat Portland on March 7 despite 58 points from Westbrook, and had lost 7 straight on the road prior to visiting Brooklyn Tuesday. And Westbrook’s 36 were not nearly enough to overcome Toronto at the Peake back on November 9, when the Raptors won by 10 behind DeMar DeRozan’s 37. Toronto still minus G Kyle Lowry (wrist), but DeRozan is doing everything he can to try to haul the Raps out of a potential second-round encounter with defending champ Cleveland. DeMar is scoring 27 ppg since the All-Star break sans Lowry.

Rating: 2 Units

While Saint Peter’s has had almost two weeks to stew about its exit (as the second seed) in the Metro-Atlantic Tourney vs. Iona, Albany might still be thinking about one that got away in last Saturday’s A-East finale vs. favored Vermont, with the Great Danes blowing a double-digit lead in an eventual 56-53 loss. Remember, the Peacocks were the talk of their league late in the season, covering ten times in one 11-game stretch and winning their last four SU as a visitor, paced by a nasty “D” that ranked among the nation’s leaders in scoring defense (61.1 ppg, ranking 12th) and allowing only 41.1% from the floor, with punishing 6-8 sr. PF Quadir Welton (12.1 ppg) proving a viable offensive force on the blocks.

Rating: 2 Units

Kudos to 4th-year HC Richard Pitino of Minnesota (5) for leading his resurgent Gophers back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2013 (Tubby Smith’s final season in Minneapolis) after going a miserable 8-23 last season. But UM suffered a serious hit when team captain sr. G Akeem Springs (9.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg) was recently lost for the season with an Achilles injury. So, will side with veteran MTS (12), which endured only one blemish in C-USA play and is considered a superior overall squad than the one that stunned Michigan State in the Round of 64 last year. The Blue Raiders have been strengthened by the addition of 6-8 sr. Arkansas transfer, F JaCorey Williams (17.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 54.1% FGs), who along with frontline mate 6-8 Reggie Upshaw (14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 52.5% FGs) stand a good chance of getting UM’s foul-prone 6-10 jr. C Reggie Lynch (3.5 bpg) in early “whistle trouble.” Plus, burly 6-2, 220-lb. jr. MTS G Giddy Potts (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) will more than neutralize the Gophers’ go-to G Nate Mason (15.5 ppg, 5.1 apg). Undervalued Blue Raiders climb to 23-10-1 vs. the line TY!

Rating: 2 Units

Veteran, athletic UT Arlington, which had its eye on a Big Dance invitation, was unexpectedly knocked out of the Sun Belt tourney semifinals by underdog Texas State. But will still lend support to the hard-to-beat Mavericks, who posted a 4-1 spread mark as a visiting underdog TY, including upset wins at Texas and Saint Mary’s in the preconference. BYU’s main frontline weapon, 6-10 F Eric Mika, won’t easily “get off” vs. UTA’s aggressive 6-8 sr. F Jorge Bilbao. And the Cougs will have difficulty coping with the Mavs’ dynamic 6-7 jr. Kevin Hervey (17.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg), who wants redemption for his subpar effort vs. the Bobcats, when he hit only 4 of 12 from the field and had 3 TOs. Defensively-vulnerable BYU (73.3 ppg) has registered a poor 0-4-1 spread mark its last 5 in Provo

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Bucks are teetering on the edge of the top eight in the Eastern Conference and can't afford to go on a losing streak. The Los Angeles Clippers, who host the Bucks today, are more secure in the top eight of the West but are fighting for homecourt advantage in the first round and won’t make things easy on Milwaukee. The Bucks won six straight to get back into the top eight and move to the verge of a .500 record before falling off in a 113-93 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday in the opener of a six-game road trip. Milwaukee snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with a 112-101 home win on March 3.

Rating: 2 Units

Maybe Sacto wouldn’t have blown a 28-point lead on March 8 vs. Spurs had Boogie Cousins still been in the fold. Then again, imagine how all sharp objects would have to have been removed from the locker room had Cousins been around for that collapse. With Boogie in tow and scoring 24, Kings won by 19 in the desert on opening night, though Suns returned favor on Feb. 3 at Golden 1 Center behind Devin Booker’s 33 points. Thru March 12, Sacto still hadn’t won SU since its first game without Cousins out of the All-Star break, while Phoenix now competing briskly, covering 5 of last 7. Yet another ex-Kentucky G, Tyler Ulis, is now making big contributions for Phoenix, hitting the game-winner in recent upset of Celtics.

Rating: 2 Units

Interesting that these two get matched up early again as they did in a first round clash last year, when Southern Cal (11) blew a late lead and Providence (11) stole a 70-69 decision in Raleigh. While the Trojans look to have been the last team to make the field of 68, they have the capacity to win a few games in the Dance, and the revenge angle intrigues. Especially since this Friar edition, though rallying admirably down the stretch to make the field, lacks the firepower of LY’s version that featured the potent combo of G Kris Dunn (now NBA T-wolves) and F Ben Bentil. Curiously, SC lost more games after the return from injury of versatile 6-10 weapon Bennie Boatwright (14.6 ppg), but Andy Enfield’s bunch can force tempo and has the ability to rain 3s, especially Gs Elijah Stewart and Jordan McLaughlin (both near 40% triples). The battle at the point between McLaughlin and Providence counterpart Kyron Cartwright will be key, but if a similar SC almost beat a more star-studded Friars last season, the Trojans can get over the hump this time.

Rating: 2 Units

TCU’s first-year HC Jamie Dixon deserves props for quickly turning around the Horned Frog program. And while TCU represents the superior conference in this pairing, believe the oddsmakers are failing to give sufficient respect to balanced (4 starters who are DD scorers), road-proven Fresno State, which recorded a notable 8-2 underdog mark TY as a visitor (pulled off upsets at Nevada, San Diego State & Boise State) along with a 6-1 spread record in the preconference, including a near upset at Marquette in early December. The Bulldogs’ well-organized attack, led by hard-to-guard 6-6 G Jaren Hopkins (Colorado transfer), should get plenty of open looks vs. an inviting Horned Frog defense permitting 44.5% from the field (209th nationally). Somewhat overvalued TCU was a weak 5-12 its last 17 vs. the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

It’s a “Packers vs. Chiefs” rematch, not of Super Bowl I, but rather the Nov. 20 battle at the Bowling Green Tourney. Now, the venue shifts to the historic KC Municipal Auditorium (the home of several memorable Final Fours in its heyday), where host UMKC hops in, looking to atone for that earlier 95-77 loss, when Green Bay hit 53% from the floor and had five DD scorers, led by sr. G Charles Cooper, who had 17. Although they didn’t finish their season on an uptick, the go-go Fighting Phoenix still appear to have too much firepower for the Roos, who have been fighting with one hand (or one leg, given they’re the Kangaroos) tied behind them ever since LY’s leading scorer, G Martez Harrison (17 ppg), left the team earlier in the season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Timberwolves haven't beaten the Celtics in Boston in their last 10 tries and the hosts should be well-rested after an easy 100-80 victory over Chicago on Sunday. Isaiah Thomas needed only 24 minutes to score a game-high 22 points as Boston successfully started a closing stretch in which it plays 11 of its final 16 games at home.

Rating: 2 Units

Though we suspect improved efforts might be forthcoming from New Orleans, second nights of back-to-backs have not been the time to support the Pels (who hosted Blazers last night), just 4-8 vs. line in that role, and 2-6 on road. Plus the aforementioned adjustment phase is still ongoing, with Boogie Cousins fitting into a new team. In truth, however, I don’t need to knock New Orleans to make a case for Miami, which has continued its hot streak well beyond the All-Star break and has catapulted Erik Spoelstra into Coach of the Year discussions. Heat on 21-5 SU and 22-4 spread runs ; interestingly, the four losses are vs. Magic (twice!), Sixers, Mavs and Pacers, with plenty of playoff teams falling victim.

Rating: 2 Units

Sure, Akron naturally is “bummed” it’s not going dancing following its 70-65 upset loss to Kent State in the MAC tourney title game. But the Zips’ savvy 13th-year HC Keith Dambrot will have his squad ready to bring its “A” game, as he did in a similar situation a year ago. In 2016, Akron suffered a taut 64-61 loss to Buffalo in the conference championship, but then gave favored Ohio State a tough tussle in Columbus in a 72-63 OT defeat in the first round of the NIT. The Zips own the No. 1 big man on this floor in 6-10, 295- lb. sr. C Isaiah Johnson, who was selected the MAC Player of the Year. The G-oriented Cougs, featuring 6-2 Rob Gray, Jr. (20.3 ppg), tailed off down the stretch, going just 1-5 their last 6 vs. the spread. U of A capable of quickly narrowing a deficit, canning 10.2 triples pg (7th nationally) at 37.4%.

Rating: 2 Units

Uptempo, good-shooting Belmont (77.4 ppg; 47.3% from the field; drills10 triples pg), under the guidance of 18th-year HC Rick Byrd, should be fully re-charged after playing its last game back on March 3. So points worth considering with the experienced Bruins, who won 18 of their last 20 games. Belmont, which hung tough at Rhode Island and was fairly combative at Vandy and vs. Florida (game played in Tampa) this year, should keep it close in Athens, where Georgia is a “costly” 2-9 as chalk in 2016-17. The Dawgs’ primary big, 6-8 jr. F Yante Maten, will have no picnic down low vs. the Bruins’ tough defender, 6-8 F Amanze Egekeze (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Meanwhile, Belmont’s electric 6-7 sr. F Evan Bradds (20.6 ppg; 63% FGs; 61 assists) can score in a variety of ways or pass out of a double-team. Take.

Rating: 2 Units

First meeting. KSU (11) owns more Big Dance experience, having gone to the NCAA tourney in 3 of the past 5 campaigns. However, prefer rapidly-maturing, high-octane Wake Forest (11), averaging 82.7 ppg under third-year HC Danny Manning, who’s quite familiar with the Wildcats, having been a star at rival Kansas during his illustrious college career. KSU’s 3-G attack will have trouble coping with the Deacons’ budding NBA prospect, 6-10 soph John Collins (19.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg), while K-State’s smallish 6-0 soph G Kamau Stokes will be hard-pressed to bother WF’s rangy, 6-3 soph backcourt duo of Keyshawn Woods (12.8 ppg, 3.5 apg) and/or Byrant Crawford (15.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 1.9 spg). Manning’s crew, representing the nation’s premier hoop league, learned how to “finish” down the stretch, as evidenced by its impressive 88-81 home upset over L’Ville and an 89-84 roadwin at Virginia Tech in early March. Plus, the resilient Deacons are a solid 8-2 vs. the spread following a SU loss this term.

Rating: 2 Units

According to my rankings, this clash figures as a pick ‘em game. So I recommend grabbing 3 points or so with hard-nosed, defensively-fierce GT (yielding 66.8 ppg; 39.8% from the field; 15th nationally), which went 9-5 vs the spread at home. Weak-traveling Indiana, which was only 2-8 SU as a visitor TY (0-4 as traveling chalk!), yielded a whopping 79 ppg away from Bloomington. The fast-paced Hoosiers will be discouraged to consistently drive in the lane vs. the Yellow Jackets’ shotswatting fiend, 6-10 jr. C Ben Lammers (14.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg), who ranks third nationally in bpg (3.25). IU continues to miss the services of injured 6-8 soph forward OG Anunoby, while GT’s highly-decorated 6-4 frosh G Josh Okogie (15.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is eager to out-duel Hoosier star G James Blackmon Jr.

Rating: 2 Units

While both sorrowful squads lost in their conference title games, it might a be more difficult for Charleston to rebound while making its longest road trip of the season, to Fort Collins. The soft-boarding Cougars (-1.2 rebound margin) will get precious few second chance opportunities vs. CSU’s springy 6-8 sr. F Emmanuel Omogbo, who was tied for 7th nationally with 20 double-doubles. The depth-shy Rams own the No. 1 “money” performer in this one in dazzling 6-4 sr. G Gian Clavell (20.3 ppg), who should boost his profitable squad to a noteworthy 19-10 pointspread mark after this anticipated victory. The defensively-improved Rams can afford to collapse in the paint area, since Charleston connects on only 6.1 triples pg (291st nationally) at just 33.0% (271st).

Rating: 2 Units

No question, Clemson was a “tough out” in the talent-rich ACC in 2016-17. Still, however, reluctant to lay DDs to dangerous, high-octane Horizon League rep Oakland (79.4 ppg), which is well-equipped to (College Forecast Continued on next page) trade most of the way. The Golden Grizzlies showed virtually no drop-off away from home (80 ppg at home, 75 away; yielded 71 ppg both home & away), going 9-2 SU as a visitor. Moreover, Oakland’s super-steady 6-7 jr. F Jalen Hayes (16.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg) can go toe- to-toe with the Tigers’ primary weapon, 6-7 sr. F Jaron Blossomgame. Plus, CU won’t easily find a groove on the attack end vs. the aggressive Grizzlies, who rank in the top 20 nationally in both blocks (5.2 pg) and steals (8.1 pg).

Rating: 2 Units

The Knicks have beaten the Pacers in 2 of 3 this season, but New York has not been able to put together a meaningful win streak since Thanksgiving time. Or make that any win streak, as the Knicks haven’t won two in a row SU since just before Christmas! Indeed, only the Nets and Lakers have had worse SU marks since Xmas. So not much of a stretch to prefer Indiana, especially since Paul George has recently busted out of his mini slump and the Pacers have regained some traction with recent wins over the Rockets, Hawks, and Pistons to solidify their spot in the East playoff queue.

Rating: 2 Units

In what shapes up as a wide-open, fastpaced affair, I prefer to lay a small number with high-powered MAAC rep Monmouth (81.2 ppg), which has compiled an impressive 55-14 SU mark over the last 1+seasons, including upsets over UCLA, Notre Dame, Southern Cal (in 2015-16) and Memphis, plus a near-miss in its 70-69 OT loss at South Carolina this season. The Hawks’ 6-10 sr. C Chris Brady (9.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg; 57 blocks) can provide some resistence for Ole Miss’s main frontliner 6-9 sr. F Sebastian Saiz, while lethal Monmouth Gs 5-8 sr. Justin Robinson, even without injured backcourt mate Micah Seaborn, will do plenty of business vs. a permissive Rebel defense, permitting 77 ppg away. Ole Miss’ sole marquee triumph as a visitor came in its 81-74 upset at Vandy in early February

Rating: 2 Units

Though Illinois just fired 5th-year HC John Groce (asst. Jamall Walker is the interim HC), I still prefer to lay single digits vs. shorthanded Valpo, missing injured 6-9 NBA prospect Alec Peters (23 ppg; 8th nationally). Illini 6-6 sr. G Malcolm Hill (16.8 ppg, 3.0 apg) will be eager to atone for a season-worst 1 of 8 from the field in his team’s unsightly 75-55 setback vs. Michigan in the 1st round of the Big Ten tourney. Prior to the aforementioned dismissal of its HC, Illinois had played a bit better down the stretch, covering its final two home games in victories over Northwestern & Michigan State. Note that Illini sr. G Tracy Abrams had his best scoring performance (23, on 9 of 12 from the field vs. the Wolverines) since Dec. 10.

Rating: 2 Units

Welcome back to UNO (16), which almost eliminated hoops completely a few years ago when it dropped levels, and hasn’t appeared in a Dance since the days Tim Floyd was coaching the Privateers in the early ‘90s. Still, might slightly prefer the Mount (16), whose 19-15 SU mark was distorted by a brutal non-conference slate that began season with numerous “paydays” in nine-game road stretch to start the campaign. But the Mountaineers were rarely embarrassed vs. a string of Dance qualifers from power leagues, and emergence of smallish Gs Elijah Long and Josh Robinson (both 40% beyond arc) provided a sharper edge to the attack as the Mount drew clear in the Northeast. Not sure UNO takes advantage of small Mountie perimeter, and Privateers rely very heavily upon 6-5 sr. F Erik Thomas (19.5 ppg).

Rating: 4 Units

The Fighting Irish may be the hottest team in the conference, having won six of their last seven in the regular season and opening tourney play by topping Virginia 71-58 on Thursday. Junior forward Bonzie Colson notched his ACC-leading 19th double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds as Notre Dame reached the semifinals for the third straight season.

Rating: 3 Units

Brown, a 6-3 sophomore, was spectacular in Thursday night's upset of Baylor, connecting on all four of his 3-pointers and sinking 9-of-13 free throws, including 5-of-6 in the final 31 seconds to help seal the victory. His four-point play with 9:34 left triggered a 7-1 run that built the Wildcats' lead to 47-38, and Baylor never got closer than four points the rest of the way. Senior forward D.J. Johnson also scored in double figures (13) and  grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go along with two steals and two blocks while sophomore guard Kamau Stokes added nine points and five assists.  Kansas State is 14-0 when holding an opponent to 65 points or fewer.

Rating: 2 Units

Points have been a bit hard to come by for Chicago the last week, as the Bulls have scored 92.5 ppg in their last 4, as G Dwyane Wade is iffy with a thigh problem and F Jimmy Butler has been sick (just 7 of 21 shooting Wednesday at Orlando). Houston is 21-12 SU and 22-11 vs. the number on the road this season, and the Rockets are coming off back-to-back losses (at the Spurs and at home vs. the Jazz), and the Rockets are 14-5 vs. the number following a SU setback this season. Mike D’Antoni will have his team ready for second meeting with Bulls after the Rockets needed every one of G James Harden’s 42 points (and 12 boards, and 9 assists) to take a 121-117 OT decision from the Bulls on Feb. 3.

Rating: 4 Units

Just six days after they closed out the regular season against one another, Duke and North Carolina will meet for the 245th time in their storied rivalry Friday in the semifinals of the ACC tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y. The fifth-seeded Blue Devils held on to top Louisville 80-77 in the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon, their second win in the tourney after finishing the ACC slate with a 90-83 loss at North Carolina. This marks the first meeting between the programs in the postseason since 2011, when Duke won 75-58 to claim its 19th ACC tourney crown.

Rating: 3 Units

Vanderbilt has defeated No. 13 Florida twice this season and might need to do it a third time to solidify a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The seventh-seeded Commodores are on the bubble and will be in must-win mode when they square off against the second-seeded Gators in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament at Nashville, Tenn. today

Rating: 4 Units

Indiana defied its own history in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday when it knocked off a higher-seeded team for only the fourth time in the 20-year history of the event. The 10th-seeded Hoosiers attempt to pull off another seemingly improbable task one day later when they square off against No. 2 seed Wisconsin in the quarterfinals Friday in Washington, D.C. Indiana showed no signs of the struggles that led it to drop eight of its final 11 regular-season contests during its second-round 95-73 rout of seventh-seeded Iowa, catching fire beyond the arc after halftime (6-of-8) en route to setting school tournament records with 12 3-pointers and in 3-point percentage (60.0). The Hoosiers improved to 3-10 in the Big Ten toiurney over the last 10 years as a result.

Rating; 4 Units

The Spartans ended a two-game slide with an emphatic 78-51 victory against 13th-seeded Penn State in Thursday's second round. The Spartans, who are fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives, can cement their 20th straight appearance in the Big Dance by beating Minnesota for the third time in a row after sweeping the season series. Michigan State advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in each of the last six years while winning it three times during that span, and hopes to live up to its reputation of peaking in March with another deep run.

Rating: 3 Units

The Wildcats swept the regular-season series, winning 90-81 in overtime at home and 82-77 at Georgia, but the Bulldogs led in the final minute of regulation in both games. The Bulldogs played most of the second match up without big man Yante Maten, who injured his knee in the first two minutes and only returned to the lineup Thursday, scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

Rating: 4 Units

Third-seeded Notre Dame finished the regular season with six wins in seven games and hopes to ride that momentum when it takes on sixth seed Virginia in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y. The 16th-ranked Fighting Irish scored at least 80 points in five of six contests before losing 71-64 on Saturday at Louisville.  Notre Dame is 4-2 in ACC tournament play, including winning the championship in 2015.

Rating: 3 Units

In a conference featuring the defending national champion and seven 19-win-plus teams among its 10 members, no one is hotter than Providence, which brings a six-game win streak into the Big East tournament. The third-seeded Friars will try to pad their roll Thursday night when they take on sixth-seeded Creighton in the quarterfinals at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.  Following a Feb. 8 road loss at Seton Hall, Providence had dropped four of five and was languishing with a 4-8 Big East record. But the Friars have not lost since, including wins over Butler (71-65), Xavier (75-63) and Creighton (68-66), and bring much momentum to the Big Apple.

Rating: 4 Units

A roster laden with seven freshmen was supposed to be Iowa's major impediment from returning to the NCAA Tournament, and the team appeared to have little hope of making a fourth straight Big Dance until it ended the regular season by winning four in a row, including victories over then-ranked Maryland and No. 23 Wisconsin. The run began on Feb. 21 when the Hawkeyes ended a three-game losing streak with a 96-90 home triumph over Indiana behind 35 points from Big Ten leading scorer Peter Jok. The Hoosiers spent the bulk of the first half of the season ranked inside the top 10 - rising as high as No. 5 - before a season-ending injury to OG Anunoby and a three-game absence from leading scorer James Blackmon Jr. contributed to a 3-8 finish to the regular season.

Rating: 4 Units

Duke had lost three of four before opening the tournament with a 79-72 win over Clemson in the second round Wednesday, riding three 20-point scorers. ACC first-team selection Luke Kennard and freshmen Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson were the three to reach 20 points in Wednesday's win and senior forward Amile Jefferson recorded his eighth double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Louisville is 0-1 in ACC tournament play, having lost in the quarterfinal to North Carolina two seasons ago in its debut campaign in the conference.

Rating: 4 Units

Iowa State also enters off a loss - 87-76 on Friday at West Virginia - despite 22 points and six 3-pointers from Nazareth Mitrou-Long as well as 17 points from Morris and Deonte Burton. The Cyclones have owned the series of late, winning nine straight contests. Cyclones' Monte Morris joined Evans on the All-Big 12 first team, averaging 16.2 points while sporting a NCAA-best 6.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Rating: 2 Units

Those who remember this matchup from a year ago will recall that Golden State was looking like it was ready to finish undefeated at home in the regular season before Boston pulled the upset in Oakland. Indeed, the Celtics played Golden State tough on both occasions last year, but they weren’t close on Nov. 18 at TD Garden in 16-point loss, when Klay Thompson (scored 28) was the star of the night. No Kevin Durant (who scored 23 in first meeting) in rematch, and this is a one-night home stand for  Golden State, heading out on the road again tomorrow after returning from a long trip just for this game. Boston now has a bit of confidence in these sorts of high-profile games after last week’s win over Cavs, and note Celtics’ 9-4 road dog mark.

Rating: 2 Units

The NFL regular season was still underway when Charlotte won and covered the first two meetings vs. Miami before New Year’s. But the Heat of those days bear no resemblance to the current version that has continued to roll after the All-Star break, winning and covering 17 of last 20 into last Friday vs. Orlando. More than half of those recent victims had scored less than a point per possession, suggesting some quality defense being played by Erik Spoelstra’s troops. And Pat Riley has been doing some good business, too; at nearly $20 million less than Dwyane Wade is earning this season,

Rating: 4 Units

Four days after Wake Forest visited Virginia Tech and walked away with a crucial win, the Demon Deacons seek a repeat performance when they take on the Hokies in the second round of the ACC tournament today in Brooklyn, N.Y. Wake Forest rallied for an 89-84 victory in the regular-season finale in Blacksburg, Va. on Saturday in a triumph that many felt gave Danny Manning's team a good shot at an at-large bid in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Tuesday's 92-78 win over Boston College in the first round only helped the cause, as the 10th-seeded Demon Deacons are riding a season-high four-game winning streak.

Rating: 3 Units

TCU spent most of the first part of the season making a case for the NCAA Tournament and the last month ruining its strong start, so perhaps it is appropriate it faces the team that put the last nail in its coffin. The eighth-seeded Horned Frogs look to halt a long losing streak in the first round of the Big 12 tournament today in Kansas City, Mo., when it faces No. 9 seed Oklahoma for the second time in less than a week with a quarterfinal date versus top-ranked Kansas awaiting the winner. TCU, which posted six conference wins for the first time since joining the Big 12 in 2012-13, was gaining support for an NCAA Tournament bid until dropping its final seven regular-season games. Oklahoma, which lost leading scorer Jordan Woodard (14.6 points, team-high 38 3-pointers) for the season with a knee injury Feb. 11.

Rating: 3 Units

No. 12 Nebraska looks to bounce back from its worst home loss in program history when it opens the Big Ten Tournament against 13th-seeded Penn State in Washington, D.C. today. The Cornhuskers started conference play with three straight wins for the first time in over 40 years but went 3-12 the rest of the way, including a 93-57 setback to Michigan in the regular-season finale, to finish below .500 for the third consecutive year.

Rating: 2 Units

Arizona State aims for its third win of the season over Stanford today when the teams meet in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas. The eighth-seeded Sun Devils beat ninth-seeded Stanford 98-93 in Palo Alto to start the league season on Dec. 30 before posting a come-from-behind 75-69 win on Feb. 11 in Tempe. The Sun Devils shot 44.6 percent from 3-point range in the two games against Stanford and figure to rely on the shot again Wednesday against a Cardinal team that is next-to-last in the league in defending 3-pointers.

Rating: 2 Units

Fifth-seeded Duke begins its quest for a record 20th ACC tournament title after an eventful regular season when it takes on 12th seed Clemson in a second-round game today at Brooklyn, N.Y. The 14th-ranked Blue Devils lost three - all on the road - of their final four games while hampered by some nagging injuries and coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters he is hoping they will be at their best in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. For Duke to become the first team to win four games en route to the ACC tournament title, it must first knock off a Clemson team that has been in almost every league game this season despite losing nine times by six points or fewer.

Rating: 2 Units

The offshoot of the Lakers dealing away top scorer Lou Williams before the trade deadline is that their offense is now almost as bad as their defense. Nick Young certainly not helping much after shooting 9 for 37 from tripleville in recent four-game stretch. And for those very few who believe a turnaround is imminent in the new Magic Johnson-assupremo-era, consider that excess baggage such as Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov and, now, Corey Brewer, are taking up a ton of future cap space. Comparably speaking, Dallas’ problems are few, and the Mavs have basically played at a decent .500 level since a slow 4-17 SU break from the gate. Moreover, Mark Cuban loves to beat the Lakers, which the Mavs have done easily in the first two this term and in all six meetings since the beginning of last season.

Rating: 2 Units

Georgia Tech was picked to be 14th in the 15-team ACC entering the season, and some observers thought it would be challenged to win more than a couple of conference games, but the team opens the ACC tournament today at Brooklyn, N.Y. with an outside shot to reach the NCAA Tournament. The 11th-seeded Yellow Jackets meet 14th-seeded Pittsburgh in the tournament opener after a 17-win regular season that featured three upsets of ranked teams.  One of GT's victories down the stretch was a 61-52 triumph over the Panthers on Feb. 28 in Atlanta, as Pittsburgh enters the conference tournament on a four-game losing streak.

Rating: 2 Units

Wake Forest comes into this one having lost three straight in the ACC tournament since a win over Notre Dame in the first round in 2014. In addition Wake Forest is 8-17 ATS in their last 25 games following a straight up win, 8-20 ATS in their last 28 neutral site games as a favorite, and 8-22-2 ATS in their last 32 games following a ATS win.

Rating: 2 Units

Briefly circling the wagons after the DeMarcus Cousins trade, Sacto showed life in first game after the All-Star break and beat Denver by 16 at Golden 1 Center on Feb. 23. But Kings immediately went into a deep funk thereafter, blown out three straight at home, including vs. the lowly Hornets and Nets. Meanwhile, Denver went out on the road and won at Chicago and Milwaukee and appears capable of sustaining a push for the final West playoff berth. Nuggets have fared well vs. sub-.500 opposition this season and have stabilized with vet Jameer Nelson now getting most of the minutes at the point, with Emmanuel Mudiay having temporarily disappeared from view

Rating:  2 Units

Anthony Davis will be glad to have some extra help from newly-added Boogie Cousins against a Utah side that throttled the Pels by 33 on Feb. 8 at Smoothie King. That night, Davis was held to 12 points and recorded a ghastly -36 on the +/-. But when NO finally won a game after the All-Star break, it was only vs. the disappointing Pistons last Wednesday, and Cousins sat out that one on yet another technical foul suspension. So far, the Pels have scored a paltry 96 points per 100 possessions with Cousins and Davis on the floor together, in part because Jrue Holiday has shot 29 percent and has almost as many turnovers (16) as assists (18) in the first three games since the trade. And though the opposition has been tough, that’s not the return on investment fans were expecting. Utah throws in a stinker once in a while (such as last Wednesday vs. the T-wolves), but Jazz are already familiar with Cousins, and Pel chemistry issues still a concern.

Rating: 2 Units

This is a quick turnaround from Saturday night’s series meeting in Miami. The Cavs have won 7 of their last 8 SU at home and are 5-2 vs. the number in the last 7 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Heat haven’t won SU in Cleveland since LeBron was still wearing Miami gear, and the Cavs have covered last 5 as host in this series. First meeting was a 30-point Cleveland blowout win back on Dec. 9, when Cav PF Kevin Love scored 28 and grabbed 15 boards to lead the rout. The Heat won’t have to deal with Love, but Cavs are 9-4 L13 laying 9 or more points

Rating: 2 Units

OKC’s Russell Westbrook dropped 45 points on the young Dallas backcourt in a 109-98 Thunder win against Dallas Jan. 26, dealing Dallas its 9th loss in the last 10 series meetings. Westbrook has been a locomotive this season, and the Thunder are just 1½ games back of Utah in the hunt for the Northwest Division title, an important goal in gaining home court and avoiding Golden State or San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs

Rating: 2 Units

With UM probably needing one more win to feel comfy about it NCAA Tourney at-large chances, suggest laying several hoops vs. stagnating, inside-oriented Nebraska (converting only 5.8 triples pg; 303rd nationally), which is only 2-5 SU its last 7 in Big Ten home games. Look for high-impact efforts from the Wolverines’ potent inside-outside duo of evolving 6-10 soph F Moritz Wagner & mettle-tested 6-4 sr. G Derrick Walton Jr., who combined for only 7 of 20 from the field in their exasperating, last-second 67-65 setback at Northwestern on Wednesday. The “hot seat” under Huskers’ beleaguered HC Tim Miles increases in temperature following another defeat in Lincoln.

Rating: 2 Units

Perhaps not properly warned, Wiscy had all it could handle from Minnesota back at the Barn back on Jan. 21, as the Badgers barely escaped with an OT win. But developments since then (8 straight wins, 7-1 vs. the number) suggest the Gophers are hardly out of their depth, as Richard Pitino’s bunch has become the hottest Big Ten entry in recent weeks. The Gophers surely have sewn up a Big Dance bid. Meanwhile, Wiscy has been coughing and wheezing in recent weeks and had lost 4 of 5 entering Thursday’s game vs. Iowa, likely kicking away the Big Ten reg.-season crown and perhaps a chance at the desired Milwaukee sub-regional. The steadying influence of several vets in Pitino’s lineup has allowed touted 6-8 frosh wing Amir Coffey (12.2 ppg) to develop into a valued contributor without too much added pressure.

Rating: 2 Units

Golden State wasn’t covering numbers before losing Kevin Durant to a knee sprain, as the Warriors were just 1-5 vs. the points in their last 6 prior to visiting Chicago on Thursday. Warriors have underachieved as big road favorites, covering just 5 of 18 chances laying more than 9 points. New York covered at Golden State back in mid-December, when neither Knick leader F Carmelo Anthony nor G Derrick Rose played. Steph Curry made only 3 of 14 shots in that one, but Klay Thompson had 25 pts. and Kevin Durant flirted with a triple double to key the victory. This time around Anthony and Rose are on their games, and it’s the Warriors who’re shorthanded.

Rating: 2 Units

The Indiana Pacers know they have lost most of their margin for error in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and look to break a 2-8 skid when they visit the Atlanta Hawks today in the fourth stop of a five-game road trip. The Pacers did upend Houston on Monday and had chances in the final seconds Wednesday before falling at San Antonio, but entered Saturday just two games ahead of Detroit for seventh place in the East.  Atlanta leads the season series 1-0, getting 23 points and 21 rebounds from Howard in a 96-85 victory on Nov. 23 in Indianapolis.

Rating: 2 Units

Consistently-underperforming, offensively-pedestrian UConn (67.3 ppg; only 43.2% from the field) will probably be sitting home for the postseason (unless it miraculously wins the AAC tourney) following its listless 66-62 defeat at marginal East Carolina on Wednesday. Therefore have no problem laying several hoops with the defensively-fierce Bearcats (61.1 ppg; 38.2% FGs), who still haven’t forgotten their painful 4-OT loss to the Huskies in LY’s conference tourney. Cincy’s agile 6-9 jr. F Kyle Washington (NC State transfer; 13.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg) will likely get UConn’s overaggressive 7-0 jr. C Amida Brimah in early foul trouble, while the Huskies’ funkridden 6-4 sr. G Rodney Purvis (10 of 41 from the field over the last 3 tilts) fails to shine on senior night.

Rating: 2 Units

The Portland Trail Blazers might have saved their season with their last victory and now look to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak in late January when they host the Brooklyn Nets today. Portland outfought Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-109 on Thursday as they keep attempting to make up ground on the eighth-place Denver Nuggets for the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Nets lost for the 28th time in 30 games when they suffered a 112-97 setback against the Utah Jazz on Friday. Brooklyn is 1-3 entering the fifth contest of its eight-game Circus Trip and stands just 3-26 on the road.  The Trail Blazers are 35-6 all-time at home against the Nets.

Rating: 2 Units

After losing the first two against Memphis this season, the Rockets came back with a 109-95 victory in Memphis in most recent meeting, on Jan. 21. The Grizzlies are just one game out of the 4th seed of the playoffs, and Memphis PG Mike Conley, who is scoring 19 ppg vs. the Rockets this season, is shooting 42% from 3-point range over his last 10 games. Memphis faced Dallas last night, but the Griz are 20-10 vs. the number the last 2 years when unrested. Houston is just 4-10 vs. the points at home when not favored by more than 9 points.

Rating: 2 Units

Charlotte is streaking in the right direction, posting 3 straight covers, including SU victories at Sacramento and the Lakers prior to stopping in Phoenix on Thursday. However, Denver has regained services of F Danilo Gallinari, and the Nuggets are 8-3 SU and vs. the points in their last 11 at the Pepsi Center. Charlotte is not getting enough points to outweigh the Hornets’ 10-21 SU mark on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

The Chicago Bulls looked as though they were fading out of playoff contention and might trade their leading scorer a few weeks ago, but suddenly they are one of the hottest teams in the league. The Bulls, who beat the two conference leaders in a six-day span recently, go after their sixth win in seven games tonight when they entertain the struggling Los Angeles Clippers.

Rating: 2 Units

The Bucks had their best offensive output since before the All-Star break in a 112-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Giannis Antetokounmpo made 10-of-13 shots en route to 24 points as Milwaukee evened its home mark at 16-16. Three reserves combined to pitch in 47 points while shooting 71.4 percent from the floor Friday night, led by big man Greg Monroe. The seven-year pro matched Antetokounmpo in the scoring column while finishing 11-of-15 from the floor and chipping in five assists, more than twice his season average. Antetokounmpo is averaging 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds through the first three games against Toronto in 2016-17.

Rating: 2 Units

UNLV’s last gasp for the season probably came in its ugly midweek win over Utah State. Before that, however, the Rebs had lost nine in a row in what has already been the worst season in school history. Meanwhile, Fresno has been beating better UNLV teams in recent seasons. And the recent Bulldog surge has included a lot more than one game, with four wins and covers on the trot, including impressive successes on the MW road last week at San Diego State and Boise. Coach Rodney Terry is thanking his lucky stars that 6-6 Colorado transfer wing Jaron Hopkins (who has failed to score DDs just once in his last 12 games, and that was when saddled by serious foul issues Feb. 22 vs. the Aztecs) landed in his lap. Fresno will be properly focused for senior night at the Save-Mart Center.

Rating: 2 Units

Philly split first two with the Pistons this season, both played in Detroit, and Sixers didn’t have since-injured C Joel Embiid for either game. Philadelphia played last night, but the Sixers have covered 5 straight and 8 of their last 10 playing without rest. Meanwhile, Detroit’s road efforts have been lacking, as the Pistons are just 2-8 against the number in last 10 away from home.

Rating: 2 Units

Since BSU is seeking to stay ahead of Fresno State for 3rd place in the MW standings, willing to lay short price vs. sliding, defensively-yielding AF (74.3 ppg, 45.2% FGs; 244th nationally), which has dropped 8 of its past 9 tilts, with its only W coming vs. league co-cellardweller UNLV. No doubt the Broncos’ highly-effective 6-7 jr. G Chandler Hutchinson (17.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg) will be out for some serious redemption after canning a paltry 2 of 6 from the field to go along with six TOs in his squad’s 74-67 loss at Fresno State on Tuesday. Note that BSU has dropped back-to-back games only once since Nov. 18th.

Rating: 2 Units

No reason to jump off the UTEP gravy train that has been tracking the rising Dow Jones Industrial Average in an 11-game cover streak heading into Thursday’s game vs. ODU. The Miners finally began to understand Tim Floyd’s various defensive schemes at midseason, and UTEP Gs Dominic Artis (16.6 ppg) & Omega Harris (15.3 ppg) have emerged as arguably C-USA’s top backcourt tandem. Charlotte is not going anywhere and has been almost as cold lately (2-6 SU last 8, 2-7 vs. line last 9 before UTSA on Thursday) as the Miners have been hot.

Rating: 2 Units

With Big-Dance bound Virginia (currently projected as a No. 4 seed) jacked-up to avenge its OT loss at Pitt back on Jan. 4, will “lay it” vs. still-unbalanced, chemistry-poor Pitt squad, which has “problems with coachability,” says 1st-year HC Gene Stallings. Meanwhile, the Cav offense has gotten a needed offensive spark from highly-regarded 6-3 frosh G Kyle Guy (chosen Indiana’s Mr. Basketball as a senior prepster in Indianapolis), who has taken some pressure off do-everything sr. G London Perrantes. UVA’s smothering, pack-line defense (allowing a nation’s-stingiest 56.3 ppg) will perform with extra fervor after allowing a season-high 88 points in that earlier defeat.

Rating: 2 Units

Dallas will remember its humiliating 80-64 loss at Memphis back on Nov. 18, when the Mavs needed a 3-pointer as the last seconds ticked away to avoid their franchise-low of 62 pts., scored 20 years ago. The Mavs shot a mortifying 25% in the first 3 Qs. Since then, Dallas has regained the services of Dirk Nowitzki, and G Seth Curry has started playing like his brother (23.5 ppg, 61.5% on threes since the break). Clearly, the injury to G Wes Matthews (iffy with a hip problem) concerns HC Rick Carlisle, but overriding factor in this one is the Mavs’ 11-1 spread mark in last 12 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are 1-3 SU and against the points since the All-Star break, but the Clippers losses to Golden State, San Antonio and Houston are understandable. Meanwhile, Milwaukee has dropped 7 of its last 8 spread decisions at the Target Center, and is just 5-16 vs. the number since Jan. 12. The Clips have beaten the Bucks 3 straight and 8 of the last 9, and last season Buck F Giannis Antetokounmpo scored just 12 ppg and shot 39% against the Clips, while G Khris Middleton had a similar lack of success (12 ppg, 35%). L.A. Gs Chris Paul and J.J. Redick combined to shoot 55.6% and score 45 ppg in the two meetings vs. Milwaukee LY.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando has been sliding since just after Christmas, going 10-18 vs. the points since Dec. 26. Miami has been headed in a much more positive direction (16-3-1 since Jan. 16), and the Heat are chasing the playoffs and in double-revenge situation against the Magic. While Orlando has surprised a few teams lately (Atlanta, Miami, Toronto), the wins come few and far between for a Magic side yielding 107 ppg in its last 10 outings. Magic just 10-20 SU and 9-20-1 vs. the points at home.

Rating: 2 Units

This is a quick turnaround from Wednesday’s meeting, when Washington rode the hot hand of trade-deadline acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic (6 of 7 treys; 27 pts.) to a 105-96 victory over Toronto. That win snapped the Wizards’ 5-game series losing streak, although Washington is 8-3 vs. the points in last 11 facing the Raptors. Although Washington has cooled a bit at home lately (just 3-4 vs. the number in last 7 at the Verizon Center), the absence of Kyle Lowry (23 ppg; out 4-5 weeks after wrist surgery) is bound to slow down the Raptors

Rating: 2 Units

CMU’s games have turned into a sideshow for national top scorer G Marcus Keene (29.4 ppg) and back court gunnery mate Braylon Rayson (20.7 ppg), whose green lights to shoot and their nearly 20 triple attempts pg between them have devolved Chippewa outings into near Harlem Globetrotter-like comedy. CMU (345th in the nation in defense) has now lost and failed to cover six in a row, with a Washington Generals-like refusal to offer resistance on the stop end being a main contributor to recent embarrassing efforts like Tuesday’s 109-81 home loss to Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, WMU has been the MAC equivalent of Oklahoma State, surging toward the conference tourney at the “Q” with seven wins and covers in a row since a close Feb. 3 loss to the Chips...back when CMU was playing just a little defense and seemed more concerned about winning the game than padding the stats of its top scorers.

Rating: 2 Units

BSU highly-charged to stay tied atop the MAC West (with Western Michigan) and notch its 20th victory of the campaign. So will gladly lay a handful of points vs. middling, sliding Northern Illinois, which is only 1-6 its last 7 vs. the spread, with its only cover vs. West doormat Central Michigan. Also, look for inspired efforts from the Cards’ vet duo of 6-6 F Franko House (13.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) & 6-6 wing Ryan Webber (9.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), who’ll be pumped for crowd-pleasing showings on Senior Night. NIU certainly not built to narrow any expected deficit, hitting only 5.0 triples pg (335th nationally) at a lowly 30.8% (328th).

Rating: 2 Units

Home edge held in earlier meetings, as teams split first two. We’ll see how much Ok City upgraded its supporting cast for Russell Westbrook by adding Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson from the Bulls at the deadline. But given Westbrook’s tendency to dominate the ball, it might be a while before the new additions can properly fit into whatever mix Billy Donovan envisions. Portland a more dangerous team at home, and Blazers held Westbrook to 20 in easy Dec. 13 win at Moda Center before Russell scored 42 in return match victory for Thunder at the Peake on Feb. 5. Back at Moda Center, expect tougher sledding for Westbrook.

Rating: 2 Units

Golden State has really laid it on Chicago in recently meetings, winning by DD margins in both clashes last season and then destroying Bulls by 31 in Oakland on Feb. 8. Chicago made some moves at the deadline, but did not send away Jimmy Butler, yet we’ll have to see if Chicago really helped itself by dealing off supporting cast members Doug McDermott & Taj Gibson, and if G Cameron Payne (acquired from Thunder) is indeed ready to assume PG duties. If Payne is to play significant minutes, he’s in for a rough ride tonight against Steph Curry & Co. Though Warriors have underwhelmed vs. the number on the road, they have usually saved special efforts for these TNT Thursday games. Doubt Chicago’s recent moves will alter series trends.

Rating: 2 Units

UNLV has disappeared into the abyss, its losing streak at 8 (and 0-6-1 vs. the line its last seven) after its Feb. 22 humbling at Air Force. Mountain West sources now believe that HC Marvin Menzies actually worked some magic earlier in the season when guiding his talent-shy Rebs to 10 SU wins! The capable Utags already outclassed UNLV by 16 at Logan on Jan. 7 when F Christian Jones (17 points) was the only Rebel to score DDs. UNLV has few options these days, especially as its FG shooting has dipped below 40%. USU is now confident it can succeed on the conference road after last week’s impressive win at credible San Jose.

Rating: 2 Units

Houston dominated the shorthanded Clippers in first meeting (no Blake Griffin or Chris Paul), winning 140-116, but expect repeat performance from road-warrior Rockets. Houston is 15-6 vs. the points visiting “A” and “B” teams this season, so, if L.A. PG Chris Paul isn’t back and in top form, the Clippers could be in trouble again. L.A. has dropped 4 of its last 5 against “A” teams prior to facing San Antonio Feb. 24. The Rockets are “A” material.

Rating: 2 Units

After Larry Bird deflected away interest from elsewhere at the trade deadline for Paul George, Indiana can go about solidifying its playoff position (Pacers sat 6th in the East queue at the All-Star break), which became some what in question with a 6-game losing streak into the break. Not sure Indy can nab a win here, but San Antonio has been a lessthan-reliable spread proposition for a while now, covering only 4 of last 11 through Feb. 23. That included a close win-but-no-cover at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Feb. 13 when Spurs needed a big effort from Kawhi Leonard (who scored 32) to survive. Recent Pacer skid more the result of an extremely-tough schedule stretch. We’ll see if Spurs even recall their AT&T Center digs after they have been away from home since Feb. 4!

Rating: 2 Units

Toronto was limping at the All-Star Break, posting a 5-12 spread mark (2-6 at home) in its last 17 prior to facing Boston on Friday. Much has changed since the Raptors took a 113-103 decision at Air Canada Centre back in early November. Washington has recovered from a 6-12 SU start to go 28-9 from Dec. 5 through Feb. 23. The Wizards, who are 6-1 SU and against the points in their last 7 road games through Feb. 24, match up well.

Rating: 2 Units

Streaky FSU is gunning for its first four-game winning streak of the season following its ego-boosting 63-55 upset at San Diego State on Wednesday. With BSU in the midst of a five-game spread losing skein heading into Saturday’s game vs. San Jose, will gladly “take” with the ball-thievin’ Bulldogs (8.5 spg; 13th nationally), who out rebounded the Aztecs by 10 and committed only 9 TOs vs. defensively tough SDS. The Broncos’ slumping defense, which has permitted a whopping 83.3 ppg over the last 3, will have trouble slowing down the FSU attack, bolstered by blossoming, homegrown 6-8 frosh F Bryson Williams (7.8 ppg), who has popped for a combined 32 points augmented by 16 boards over the last two outings. The bustling Bulldogs are a nifty 7-2 as a visiting underdog TY.

Rating: 3 Units

Pittsburgh travels to Georgia Tech today in a matchup of two teams looking to snap late-season slumps and build momentum heading toward the ACC tournament. The Panthers have dropped three of their past four games after Saturday’s 85-67 home loss to North Carolina. In addition the Panthers are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

I didn’t see this coming with OSU, especially after the Cowboys dropped their first six out of the gate in Big 12 play. But the Cowboys have evolved into a UCLA-like offensive force now surging toward the Big Dance for first-year HC Brad Underwood (formerly SF Austin), as the Stillwater bunch had won 9 of 10 SU after last Wednesday’s recovery from a slow start at K-State. Note electric soph G Jawun Evans, who has caught fire and scored 24 ppg in recent wins over Oklahoma and KSU. It’s very a different OSU than the one that lost at home to ISU on Jan. 11.

Rating: 3 Units

The Buckeyes are coming off a home upset over Wisconsin but they are just 4-10 ATS this season following a victory. Additionally, they are just 3-7 on the road with two of those coming in the conference by just four points combined and the other coming at Navy.

Rating: 2 Units

With Big Dance-bound CU off a loss at Villanova, won’t hesitate to “lay it” with resilient Bluejays (4-1 vs. the spread following SU loss thru Feb. 24), highly-charged on Senior Night to avoid their first 3-game losing skein of the year. CU’s high-octane, accurate-gunning attack (84.3 ppg; 51.9% FGs; 41.1% from arc)—benefiting from sharper play making provided by 6-3 soph PG Khyri Thomas—gets open looks galore vs. soft SJ defense, permitting 85 ppg as visitor TY. Bluejays, led by dynamic 6-11 frosh C Justin Patton (13.6 ppg; 25 in 1st tilt), outscored the Red Storm in the paint, 52-24, in their 85-72 victory in Madison Square Garden on Jan. 4.

Rating: 2 Units

Memphis has hardly taken a deep breath while blasting Phoenix twice earlier this season in a pair of 19-point romps. That includes rather recent Feb. 8 beat down at FedEx Forum when Griz held Suns to 33% FG shooting. Mike Conley (31 ppg in the two previous meetings) was again in control as the game’s high scorer. Granted, there have been some positives lately for Phoenix, as since Jan. 1, Suns have scored 111.8 points per 100 possessions and are a plus-19 with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker on the floor together. None of that, however, manifested in the previous clashes vs. Memphis on Jan. 30 & Feb. 8.

Rating: 2 Units

Trading away one starter and another key rotation player in exchange for a pair of young projects might have been seen as the Chicago Bulls raising the white flag on the 2016-2017 season, but the team's recent results suggest otherwise. The Bulls will try to earn their fifth straight win and pull two games above .500 for the first time since mid-December when they host the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are clinging to the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and dropped three of their last four games after suffering a 105-98 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Rating: 2 Units

Oklahoma City regularly dominates Utah at Chesapeake Arena and the Thunder look to post their 11th consecutive home victory in the series when they entertain the Jazz today. Utah's last win in Oklahoma City was a 120-99 rout on Oct. 31, 2010, when guard Deron Williams was the franchise's best player and Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan served as coach. Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will be looking for his 30th triple-double of the season after producing 41 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Sunday's 118-110 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Westbrook recorded a triple-double against the Jazz on Jan. 23, when he totaled 38 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 97-95 victory in Salt Lake City.

Rating: 2 Units

Kansas has a national player of the year candidate in Frank Mason III, but it was a seldom-used reserve that helped it secure sole possession of its 13th consecutive Big 12 title on Saturday. The third-ranked Jayhawks hope to get another outstanding performance from forward Dwight Coleby when they host Oklahoma today. Kansas has won 33 straight home finales and Oklahoma hasn’t won in Allen Field House since 1993.

Rating: 3 Units

Junior forward Zach LeDay (16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds) comes off the bench but there is no doubt he is Williams' go-to scorer, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 77.5 percent from the foul line. Virginia Tech is 3-1 since they lost forward Chris Clarke with a torn ACL thanks in large part to the play of his replacement Ty Outlaw (5.0 points), who has averaged 14.3 points on 75 percent shooting from the field in the last three games. The Hokies lead the ACC in field-goal percentage (49.1) and 3-point shooting percentage (40.6)  with four players -- Seth Allen, Outlaw, Justin Bibbs and Ahmed Hill -- shooting between 40.1 and 47.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Rating; 2 Units

Dallas’ addition of Nerlens Noel at the deadline (costing oft-injured Andrew Bogut) suggests the Mavs are not yet waving the white flag and still believe they have a shot at sneaking into the playoffs as the West’s 8th seed. But not sure that move provides Dallas much of an upgrade, and Mavs also released Deron Williams, so not sure about Mavs in this spot. Remember, Miami won and covered in first meeting Jan. 19 at AA Arena at the outset of the Heat’s uptick that resulted in wins and covers in 14 of 16 into the break. Good news for Miami playoff hopes is that it has the easiest remaining schedule of teams six thru eleven in the East right now.

Rating: 2 Units

The Movin’ Mavs are moving closer to locking up the Sun Belt regular-season crown. And, in this game, UTA gets a chance to avenge its biggest loss of the season, a 93-71 setback in Alabama January 14. Make no mistake, Troy is a potent foe. But the experienced Mavs (top nine scorers TY are back from LY) are undefeated in Arlington and eager for revenge, led by 5-11 PG Erick Neal (No. 3 in U.S. with 6.5 apg) and 6-7 jr. Kevin Hervey (17.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg).

Rating: 2 Units

Toronto hosted Portland yesterday. But note that the Raptors are a solid 29-18 the last three seasons against the points when un-rested. In the Raptors’ two wins at Air Canada Centre earlier this season, the Knick “triplets” of Fs Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and PG Derrick Rose combined for 64 ppg and shot better than 50%. Addition of PF Ibaka might help defend Anthony and/or Porzingis this time around, so favor Toronto.

Rating; 3 Units

North Carolina already has locked up the top seed in the ACC Tournament, but the eighth-ranked Tar Heels still have some work to do to secure a higher seed for the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels can add another quality road win to their resume if they knock off No. 19 Virginia today. The Tar Heels clinched the No. 1 seed with an 85-67 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday and can claim the outright ACC title with a victory Monday or versus arch-rival Duke on Saturday. The Cavaliers snapped a four-game skid – their longest since the 2009-10 season – with a 70-55 win at North Carolina State on Saturday and have a quick turnaround to prepare for a Tar Heels team that hammered them 65-41 on Feb. 18 in Chapel Hill.

Rating: 2 Units

Neither of these teams was playing particularly well at the break, as the Raptors were 5-12 vs. the points from Jan. 17 through Feb. 23 and Portland was 4-11 from Jan. 13-Feb. 22. The difference being that while Portland appears to be sliding out of playoff contention, Toronto is in the thick of a fight with Boston for the Atlantic Division title and acquired Serge Ibaka to help boost its chances during the All-Star hiatus. Portland has been a terrible road dog (6-13), while Toronto is 15-9 this season laying 4 points or more at the Air Canada Centre.

Rating: 2 Units

Houston used a big second half to cool down sizzling Connecticut last game. The Cougars, looking to improve their NCAA Tournament resume, aim for their 20th win of the season when they visit Memphis in an American Athletic Conference game today. Houston won six of its last seven and boosted its RPI to 58 after defeating UConn 75-70. The Cougars got 25 points from Damyean Dotson and erased a double-digit deficit to notch the win and take over third place in the AAC. Memphis fell out of contention in the conference after dropping three straight games, including an 87-74 loss at No. 16 Cincinnati last time out.

Rating: 2 Units

Solid technical case easy to make for Washington in this matchup. The Wizards are 16-7 vs. the points at home this season, while Utah is just 1-10 as a road dog. Washington has been playing well for 2½ months, recording 27-8 SU and 25-10 spread marks since Dec. 8 (prior to visiting Philly on Friday). Utah has struggled to cover numbers since the third week in December, logging a 9-20 record vs. the points prior to visiting Milwaukee. Wizards have won and covered last three hosting the Jazz, holding them to just 88 ppg in those meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

Memphis had little trouble in its last trip to the Pepsi Center, scoring a 119-99 victory over the Nuggets behind C Marc Gasol’s game-high 24 pts. helped by 14 pts. each off the bench from Zach Randolph and Vince Carter. To be fair, C Nikola Jokic didn’t play in that meeting, but he wasn’t much of a factor in the first meeting (12 pts., 5 rebs., in foul trouble). With Denver frontliners Ken Faried and Danilo Gallinari still a bit gimpy, look for Grizzlies to nab another road win (only Boston, G.S. and San Antonio have more than Memphis’ 16 away victories).

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Play of the Day

Michigan State looks to continue its push toward an NCAA Tournament bid when it hosts reeling No. 15 Wisconsin in a key Big Ten Conference contest today. Losers of three of their last four, the Badgers enter the matchup just one-half game behind Purdue for first place in the conference standings, while the Spartans are coming off a win on Thursday that has them within one-half game of a three-way tie for fourth in the league.

Rating: 2 Units

In this “Packers vs. Lions” Horizon clash, compelled to look at the payback angle for host Green Bay, which was ambushed at Detroit back on Jan. 29. That day the Fighting Phoenix might have still been celebrating their big win at Oakland two nights earlier. Although GB might be in the same situation if it beat the Golden Griz again on Friday, still see no reason to fear the erratic Titans. Detroit’s defensive numbers are among the nation’s worst (85.1 ppg allowed ranks a sickly 344th) and still allowed the Phoenix to hit 61% from the floor when springing the upset four weeks ago