Rating: 2 Units

Will Arizona win this game? Absolutely! The question is by how much, and recent history demonstrates that they can crush the Trojans by 17 or more. Last season at home, they beat USC by 15 and the season before they had a 20-point victory over the Trojans in Los Angeles. Arizona has also produced at least 81 points in five of the last six meetings against USC.  What they have also done is shut down the Trojans, who have scored under 70 points in two of the last four meetings between these teams. USC has gone under 65 in the last two games and they will do that here as well.

Rating: 2 Units

A pair of Western Conference foes collide on the parquet floor with a matchup in the City of Angels looking to put up a victory. The Dallas Mavericks are on the road as they travel to take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Dallas rallied to down New Orleans 125-120 at home in their previous contest Monday night, winning outright as a 4.5-point underdog. Los Angeles picked up a 112-105 home win over the Thunder in their previous game Monday night, winning outright as a 2.5-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Lakers own a 116-57 advantage but the Mavericks have won the last three meetings. That includes a 127-125 home win in the most recent matchup on December 12, 2023.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

In this matchup, my unwavering pick is the Illinois-Chicago Flames. Their robust defense is the cornerstone of this decision. They allow only 65.3 points per game, ranking an impressive 43rd in the nation. Coupled with this, their opponents struggle with a low 39.7 field goal percentage and a mere 28.1 success rate from the three-point line. This defensive solidity is pivotal in games that are often decided by fine margins. Offensively, Isaiah Rivera leads with an average of 14.2 points per game, providing the Flames with a reliable scoring option. The Flames' ability to consistently restrict their opponents' scoring, backed by their decent offensive outputs, makes them a confident choice for victory in this encounter.

Rating: 3 Units

These two teams are the top two squads in the Central Division and have momentum on their side coming into this game. Milwaukee has won three straight while Cleveland has five consecutive wins on the books. This one is going to be interesting as the Bucks are extremely dangerous on the offensive end of the floor and are leaky defensively. On the flip side, Cleveland has been stingy on the defensive end of the floor while they have struggled offensively on the year. We saw the Bucks take the first meeting between the teams this season. Cleveland being minus Garland and Mobley is too much for the Cavaliers to overcome here. Give the advantage to the Bucks as they prevail in this contest.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Rhode Island Rams are looking to continue winning games as they are coming off an 89-77 home victory against the UMass Minutemen and it helped scoring 41+ points in each half. Their offense was unbelievable as the Rams were able to shoot 27-of-52 (51.9 percent) from the floor, 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) from the three-point line and 28 free-throw attempts. Junior guard Jaden House stepped up in this game as he finished with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and three turnovers in 35 minutes of action. The defense has done a good job as well as the Minutemen were held a team shooting split of 40.9/20.0/71.4 throughout the game. 

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Isaiah Hill is a lone Bulldog with points per game north of 10.0. On the other side, four Spartans average points in double figures, so I have to take San Jose State even though the Spartans’ defense has been pretty bad all season. The Bulldogs’ defense has been solid over the last few weeks, but their offense has been pretty much awful. I’m looking for a tight battle for all 40 minutes, and the Spartans’ offense should make a difference down the stretch. Fresno State is 7-0 ATS in its last seven home games against San Jose State. However, the Bulldogs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall, whereas the Spartans have gone 4-1 ATS in their previous five. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Kings come into this game with one of the more dynamic offenses in the NBA. They rank ninth in the league in scoring offense. The Kings are 15th field goal shooting and 14th in 3-point shooting. The Kings rely heavily on the 3-point game, ranking third in the league in 3-point field goals per game. Defensively, the Kings are ranked 20th in scoring defense. They are 22nd in field goal defense and just 27th in 3-point defense. The Kings, led by Sabonis, are 11th in the NBA in total rebounds this season. They are 16th in turnovers per game.

Rating: 2 Units

Akron will be too tough at both ends of the court for Western Michigan to keep pace. Akron scores 77.1 points per game and has the 63rd best field goal shooting percentage, allowing just 65.6 points per game which is 55th in the country. In contrast, Western Michigan scores an average of 74.9 points per game but is allowing 76.2 points per game and opponents are shooting 44.9%. Western Michigan is allowing opponents to shoot 35.6% from 3-point territory which is 314th, and plays to one of Toledo’s strengths, as the Rockets are hitting the same 35.6% from three point land. Akron has covered the spread in four of its last five. Akron's scoring duo Enrique Freeman and Ali Ali, who average a combined 33.8 points per game, will be too much inside and out for the Broncos defense. Akron's Freeman is leading the nation in rebounding at 13.1 per game and helps the Zips clear the glass at both ends giving opponents fewer second look opportunities.

Rating: 2 Units

The Cavs come into this game hot and with some rest following Friday afternoon's game in Paris. They are fourth in scoring defense and 10th in 3-point defense. The Cavs' offense has been thriving during this four-game winning streak with a points-per-game average of over 120 points in that stretch. Cleveland is also 1-0 against the Bulls this season, beating them by 14 points in Cleveland earlier this year. The Bulls are just 6-12 away from home this season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Villanova Wildcats are right at the top of the Big East standings, as only three teams in the league have only one loss. The one-loss teams are Seton Hall, UConn and Villanova. Nova's lone loss was a home matchup against St. John's, they defeated DePaul twice, won a home game over Xavier, and grabbed a road win over #12 Creighton. In their last game against DePaul, Nova got out to a 10 point lead at half and never looked back. They were led in scoring by Eric Dixon with 24 points in the win.

Rating: 2 Units

It's usually wise to fade the Rockets on the road. They don't win, their scoring dips, and their defensive performance gets dramatically worse. None of that bodes well against a team they've already lost to that may also be getting an MVP back onto the court. Houston's defense struggles to keep opponents off the free throw line, which is where the 76ers excel. In the first meeting, Philadelphia ended the game 29-33 at the free throw line. The Rockets' defense does not match up well with the 76ers, and that's the team's strength. Expect a decisive Philadelphia victory.

Rating: 2 Units

The Milwaukee Bucks took a while to get going early in the season, then settled in and had a seven game winning streak. The Bucks are back to their losing ways, as they have now lost four of their last six, and look to rebound against this Kings team. The Bucks lost two games to the Pacers, and dropped games with the Jazz and Rockets in their recent stretch. They showed their capability in their recent matchup with the Celtics, winning by 33 as they were led by Bobby Portis with 28 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Rating: 2 Units

Both St Peters and Manhattan do not score that many points per game but the big difference in this matchup is on defense, as the Peacocks are allowing an average of only 63.5 points per game and 42.4% shooting, while the Jaspers are allowing an average of 76.0 points per game and 45.5% shooting. St Peter's has covered the spread in six of its last seven games and in four of the last five games head-to-head versus Manhattan. Manhattan has covered the spread in just one of its last seven games and the Jaspers have covered the spread in just one of their last six games played on their home court. Manhattan is scoring only 64.4 points per game and shoots very poorly, hitting just 39.4% of its shots overall and 30.1% of its 3-point attempts, which are 347th and 316th respectively.

Rating: 2 Units

The Jazz have been terrific lately, winning nine of their last 11 games prior to Friday’s clash against the Raptors. On the other side, the Lakers have dropped ten of their previous 14 contests. They are without Rui Hachimura (calf) and Gabe Vincent (knee).

Rating: 2 Units

The Celtics have won three of their last five games and 18 straight home games. They are playing well offensively, scoring more than 123 points per game at home. They’ve also done well at the charity stripe, making over 84 percent of their free throws at home. They rebound the ball well and they’re aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They also did a great job of protecting the ball in recent games, turning it over less than 10 times per game in their last three games, do don’t expect them to give the Rockets a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Rockets have struggled defensively on the road this season and they are also playing on consecutive nights against a team that has been dominant at home, so expect the Celtics to keep their offense in check. The Rockets have lost two straight road games. They are playing well offensively, scoring more than 114 points per game in their last three games. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Celtics and won’t get a lot of extra-scoring chances against them. They’ve also been careless with the ball on the road, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Celtics, who average more than six steals per game. The Celtics have been very good defensively at home, holding opponents under 110 points per game, and will keep Houston’s offense in check. Go with Boston to cover the spread.

Rating: 3 Units

Rating: 3 Units

Rating: 3 Units

The Miami RedHawks are middle-of-the-pack on the offensive side of the floor as they are averaging 74.8 points per game, which is 185th in college basketball. Their defense has been doing a decent job as they are 181st in the NCAA with 71.7 points per game allowed.

Rating: 2 Units

Louisville comes in with a victory in their previous contest, giving them a little bit of momentum heading into this game. Meanwhile, NC State struggled against Notre Dame on the road and lost to North Carolina so they are looking to get back on track here. Louisville has struggled shooting the ball all season long and they have sputtered on the defensive end of the floor. This should be an opportunity for the Wolfpack to get right offensively in this contest as they face this struggling Cardinals group. Burns Jr. should have a big game on the interior, especially with Traynor missing for Louisville. Take the Wolfpack in this contest as they earn the road victory.

Rating: 2 Units

These defenses have been showing two completely different levels as the Raiders are allowing 84.6 points in their last five games while the Penguins are giving up 76.3 points in their previous three games. When diving into the assist-to-turnover ratio, there is a bit of a difference here as Youngstown State is 70th in the country with a 1.295 ratio right now while Wright State is 87th a 1.257 ratio thus far. All in all, go with the Youngstown State Penguins to cover the spread as it is only one possession.

Rating: 2 Units

There are blowouts every night in the NBA. On Wednesday the Pelicans beat the Warrior by 36. On Tuesday, the Knicks beat these Blazers by 28. On Monday, the Clippers beat the Suns by 27. That is the last three days of NBA action, and every day had a landslide victory. This game is next in the progression. Gobert and Conley both sat out last game, neither has a serious injury and will likely play here after another day of rest. Edwards and Towns have played in almost every game this season, the Wolves will be at full strength. Portland on the other hand, will be playing on the tail end of a back-to-back after chasing around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the road on Thursday. Portland has to travel in between, and fatigue will be an issue when the Blazers get to Minnesota. Minnesota is strong inside with Towns, Reid and Gobert, which will be bad news for the Blazers as Ayton is likely out again. The T-Wolves are clinging onto first in the West, and are coming off a loss, they will not take any chances in this game and will blow the tired Blazers out of the water.

Rating: 2 Units

Haliburton's injury could be costly for Indiana. It managed to get past Washington in its first game without him, but that isn't saying much. The Pacers went 8-21 straight up (10-18-1 ATS) without Haliburton the last two seasons, which isn't surprising considering that he's the catalyst to their top-ranked offense. His absence is likely worth five or six points to the spread, as he's worth +8.2 points per 100 possessions to Indy's offense, schedule-adjusted, per Dunks and Threes.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The most recent time the Oklahoma City Thunder played the Portland Trail Blazers, the Thunder did something no other NBA team had done in at least 25 years with their hot shooting. In Oklahoma City's 134-91 win in Portland on Nov. 19, the Thunder shot 60.5 percent from the floor, 61.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line and 100 percent from the free-throw line to reach the rare single-game 60/60/100 mark. The Thunder's 77 percent true shooting percentage also set a franchise record. Tonight, the Thunder and Blazers will meet again, this time in Oklahoma City, with the Thunder on another shooting hot streak. The Thunder have shot 50 percent or better in each of their last nine games, their longest such streak in the 15 seasons since they moved to Oklahoma City. During the nine-game stretch, Thunder standout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 60.2 percent from the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.4 points per game, which matches his career high, as do his 5.9 rebounds a game. He also has career-high averages in assists (6.4) and steals (2.4) per game.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

San Antonio continues to flounder with only two wins in their last 29 games after a 3-2 start to the season. The Spurs have a ton of youth and one has to wonder if Popovich is the right fit as a head coach for this team at this point. He is the league’s all-time winningest coach but this isn’t a team with the veteran leadership that they had in previous seasons during a reloading period. Cleveland is minus a pair of starters in Mobley and Garland yet they have won four of six heading into this contest. The Cavaliers have had success against the Spurs, taking six of the last eight in the series, and San Antonio is only 3-14 on the road this year. Take Cleveland to pick up the home win here to make it three straight victories.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 3 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 3 Units

Against Louisville, Virginia handled its business the way a good team should against a not-so-good one. The Cavaliers had just three turnovers and shot 51.7 percent from the floor while notching 20 assists on 30 made baskets. Ryan Dunn had 15 points and 10 rebounds while Isaac McKneely scored 18 points. Reece Beekman leads the team in scoring this season with 12.9 points per game. While Virginia struggled in South Bend, NC State was able to escape the state of Indiana with a 54-52 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday. DJ Burns Jr. had 13 points and four rebounds and sank the game-winning shot with 0.6 seconds left. The buzzer-beater by Burns was the first time NC State had the lead. The Wolfpack won despite one of their worst 3-point shooting performances of the season, making just 3 of 17 shots (17.6 percent) from behind the arc.

Rating: 2 Units

Until last season, the Broncos had dominated this matchup. In fact, they had won the previous eight games by at least 16 points in every instance but one. The only two times they did not cover the spread in that time was when they were favored by 22 points or more. They win, but simply not by 26. That makes a 5.5-point spread totally workable. There is no denying that San Jose can score, producing at least 73 points in six straight games, but Boise State can be an offensive machine, scoring 85 or more points in four of the last five games. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Illinois basketball program recently suspended their top scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. after he was charged with rape. Many were wondering how Illinois would respond in their first true test without him against Northwestern. Well, they beat the Wildcats by 30, the same Northwestern team that handed Purdue their only loss of the season. Illinois held the lead all game and it was never close. Marcus Domask led the way with 32 points, and Quincy Guerrier had a double-double with 14 points and ten boards in the win.

Rating: 2 Units

Defensively, Quinnipiac allows an average of 72.7 points per game (221st nationally). Their field goal defense stands at 42.5% (161st) and their three-point defense at 33.1% (203rd), indicating a need for more stringent defense, especially on the perimeter. In their last game against Florida, Quinnipiac faced a tough 97-72 road loss. 

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Thunder is playing the second game of a back-to-back situation and their third game in four nights here. Those sorts of situations haven’t seemed to bother Oklahoma City though as they have dropped the hammer on opposing teams in the second game of back-to-backs this season. Atlanta has been awful against the number this season, going 7-25 ATS on the year, including failing to cover in five straight contests and seven of their last eight. The Hawks have a rest advantage and they are at home here but their porous defense is too much to overlook. Look for Oklahoma City to take care of business again here as they deliver a road victory.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Chicago has beaten Philadelphia in the first two meetings this season but this one could turn out differently. The 76ers have the same two days of rest between games as opposed to playing the second game of a back-to-back situation Saturday night while the Bulls had a rest edge. Embiid has been bumped up to questionable for this contest, which would be a nice boost to the 76ers given how well he’s played this season. The Bulls are still minus Vucevic and LaVine from their starting five, while Craig takes a valuable second-unit player out of the mix. Playing on the road hurts the Bulls as they are 4-10 away from the United Center. Look for the 76ers to take advantage here and put this one in the win column.

Rating: 3 Units

The Pirates followed up their win over Delaware State with a loss to the Buccaneers in their last game. They will try to bounce back from the loss with a win over the Owls, which will give them their second win in their last three games and their first road win of the season. East Carolina is averaging 72.8 points per game. They scored 71 points in their last game, making 34.9 percent of their field goals and 16.7 percent of their three-pointers. Brandon Johnson led the Pirates with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. RJ Felton finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Ezra Ausar added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Rating: 2 Units

The Redhawks enter MAC play this season at 6-6 following a tough non-conference schedule. They have won two straight games but have had trouble offensively thus far. The Redhawks are ranked 235th in scoring offense this season. They are, however, 142nd in field goal percentage on the season and an impressive 10th in 3-point shooting. The Redhawks rank 36th in 3-point field goals per game. They are just 224th in scoring defense this season. They are ranked 305th in opponent's field goal percentage.

Rating: 2 Units

Creighton was justifiably a top-ten team until the team's recent struggles. They have size, shooting, and excellent perimeter defense. That combination of attributes is critical in the modern-day college basketball landscape. The Bluejays now square off against a Hoyas team that is in the midst of an overhaul under new head coach Cooley. Cooley eventually got Providence turned around and it started with taking care of their homecourt. Thus far, the Hoyas are 6-3 at home this season but have lost to the three quality teams they've played at home: TCU, Syracuse, and Butler. The Hoyas lost those games by just under eight points per game. The Bluejays certainly qualify as a quality opponent and are a step above the three aforementioned teams. Look for the Bluejays to dominate the glass and dominate the interior forcing the Hoyas to collapse into the paint and thus opening up the Bluejays' 40th-ranked 3-point shooting.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into this game with confidence as they have won their last seven games. They had some easy wins in the stretch, but did pull off some impressive victories along the way. Wake beat Florida as a 5-point underdog, and have victories over Rutgers and Virginia Tech as small favorites. They come into their second ACC game, hoping to go 2-0 in conference play and put themselves in good position before taking on the top of the conference. In their last game, Wake was led by Hunter Sallis with 20 points and nine rebounds in the blowout win over V-Tech.

Rating: 3 Units

Rating: 2 Units

IUPUI is coming off of victory over Detroit Mercy, but will lose at home to Cleveland State on Sunday. IUPUI is one of the worst shooting teams in the nation. The Jaguars are 233rd in field goal shooting percentage at 43.8 and 362nd in three-point shooting percentage at 23.4. It is just as bad or likely worse at the defensive end as the Jaguars allow opponents to shoot 49.6% overall which is 358th and 37.1% from 3 point land which is 341st. A poor shooting offense and a weak defense do not add up to many wins.  Cleveland State holds its own offensively, scoring 76.1 points per game thanks to excellent shooting from the perimeter as the Vikings hit 38% of their 3-point attempts which is 32nd in the nation. Although on defense the Vikings are giving up a high shooting percent at 44% overall, Cleveland's perimeter defense is holding opponents to 29.8% shooting from 3 point land which is 71st in the country. Cleveland State has covered the spread in each of its last five games and in six of the last eight when playing IUPUI head to head. IUPUI has failed to cover the spread in nine of its last 10 games.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

With or without Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat are clicking right now. Both teams have covered the spread in four straight, but the Heat did it while beating much tougher competition. Miami will beat Utah for a sixth straight contest, covering the spread in the process. Utah's greatest offensive strengths are rebounding and hitting free throws, two areas where Miami is excellent at stifling opponents. On the other end of the floor, Utah is terrible against three-pointers, whereas the Heat are the most efficient three-point shooting team. Take the Heat to beat the spread against the Jazz.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Notre Dame has had major issues on the offensive end of the floor this season. Scoring only 60 points against Marist isn’t something you want to hang your hat on, even if it was in a victory. Now the Fighting Irish have to face a Virginia team that is suffocating on the defensive end of the floor. We know that Tony Bennett’s team isn’t going to overpower anyone on the offensive end of the floor as they rely on that pack line defense to make life miserable for opposing teams. That’s the situation here as Notre Dame has struggled to shoot the ball with any kind of consistency this season. Virginia is sixth in field goal percentage defense (36.7%), 10th in two-point defense (42%) and 27th in three-point defense (28.1%) this season. Notre Dame will be fortunate if they get above the mid-50s on the scoreboard. Virginia rolls here to improve to 2-0 in the ACC.

Rating: 2 Units

Oklahoma City has used the youthful lineup to start the season 20-9 but has a tough stretch coming up. After facing Denver, the Thunder host Brooklyn and Boston before going on a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. The Nuggets are coming off a 142-105 win over Memphis on Thursday night but didn't have to travel to complete this back-to-back set. They did have to play without Aaron Gordon, who is out for an unspecified time after requiring 21 stitches on lacerations on his face and hands suffered from dog bites on Christmas. With Gordon unavailable, coach Michael Malone started Peyton Watson at power forward, and the hunch paid off. Watson had a season-high 20 points and took advantage of the Grizzlies sagging off of him and daring him to shoot open shots.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Cleveland delivered during a hard-fought battle Wednesday, taking down the Dallas Mavericks on the road 113-110 after needing to come-back from a 20-point deficit. Caris LeVert led the way for the Cavaliers with 29 points and seven assists off the bench. Jarrett Allen put up a 24-point, 23-rebound performance down low and Isaac Okoro added 22 points. The Cavaliers have been one of the few teams in the East to give Milwaukee problems in the regular season the past two years. They won three of the four games in the 2021-22 season and split the four-game series last season, winning the two most recent matchups.

Rating: 2 Units

As the Nets embark on a four-game trip, coach Jacque Vaughn hopes his club can rediscover the defensive magic that has been missing in recent outings. Brooklyn has lost six of eight, allowing at least 121 points in each defeat. With defensive ace Ben Simmons slow to return from lower-back pain, Vaughn has called upon Dennis Smith Jr. to be a leader on that end of the court. Smith was promoted to the starting lineup Wednesday in a 144-122 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, chipping in with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. In his previous five outings off the bench, his contribution was better represented in five straight non-negative plus/minus figures (a total of plus-35) than his 8.4 points per game.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Idaho State is not the highest-scoring team in the nation but much of that is due to a very methodical offense. Idaho State is shooting. 47.3% overall which is 71st in the country. Idaho State's offense is very well balanced as five players are averaging between 9.0 and 12.6 points per game making it difficult to defend against anyone or two players through using a special defense such as a box and one or a triangle and two. Montana State is being outrebounded by opponents each game as the Bobcats are averaging just 30.8 rebounds per game an average of 35.2 rebounds per contest. Montana State is 203rd in the nation in field goal shooting percentage and 191st in three-point shooting percentage. The Bobcats are also giving up far too much on defense as opponents are shooting 45.3% overall which is 298th in the country. Montana State has failed to cover the spread in each of the last six games.

Rating: 2 Units

New Orleans has struggled with three losses in their last four games coming into this contest with each of those coming at home. The Pelicans simply don’t have that closing instinct that they need in order to be considered a serious threat in the Western Conference. Now, Utah isn’t a great team by any stretch as they have a ton of youth to work with in their rotation after dealing away veterans last season at the trade deadline. However, the Jazz have strung together three straight wins on the road. While one can say they came over doormats in Detroit, Toronto and San Antonio, the fact remains that they were just 2-13 on the road before that. The Jazz have had the Pelicans’ number, winning five straight meetings, and they aren’t intimidated by the city the franchise once called home. Take Utah here as they steal one on the road.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Maryland (8-4) has a chance to extend that streak to 19 games on Thursday night with a tune-up against Coppin State (1-12) in College Park, Md. The Terrapins are coming off a 69-60 win Friday at UCLA that was propelled by a virtuoso performance from Jahmir Young, who scored a career-high 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Coppin State arrives on a five-game losing streak and has been idle since an 87-48 defeat at No. 20 James Madison on Dec. 19.

Rating; 2 Units

I like the Thunder at home in this game against the Knicks on Wednesday. The Knicks have been decent but far from outstanding against the Western Conference thus far with a record of just 4-5. They shouldn't be hurt as much on the glass by the Knicks on Wednesday as the Knicks adjust to life without Robinson and his tenacious rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass. Despite playing decent defense this season, the Knicks are just 18th in opponent's shooting percentage which should mean another strong shooting night from the Thunder, ranked fifth in the NBA in shooting percentage. The Thunder have depth, shooting, and are 6-1 against the Eastern Conference this season.

Rating: 2 Units

The Suns took a 128-114 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas, Phoenix's ninth loss in 12 games following a seven-game winning streak that left the team a season-high five games over .500. An inability to cultivate any semblance of consistency continues to stall the Suns, whose injury concerns remain at the heart of their ongoing woes. Phoenix remains without Bradley Beal (ankle), who has logged only six games this season, and was also missing Jusuf Nurkic (personal) against the Mavericks. Beyond Beal, the injury issues haven't been overly debilitating but rather a constant nuisance, with the Suns laboring to construct a set rotation that can compete with the heavyweights in the Western Conference. The early-season struggles have yielded a fair share of think pieces contemplating what ails Phoenix. For their part, the Suns have yet to display any signs of panic despite everything that's gone awry.

Rating: 2 Units

When reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid is out of the lineup, the Philadelphia 76ers are quite vulnerable. And winless. The Sixers, who are 0-4 without Embiid this season, will again be without their leader when they visit the Orlando Magic today. Embiid missed Monday's Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat and will again be sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Embiid sustained the injury in the first quarter of Friday's 121-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers will also be without Nicolas Batum because of a strained right hamstring. With Embiid recuperating, Tyrese Maxey struggled in a 119-113 loss to the host Heat on Monday.

Rating: 2 Units

The Clippers shouldn’t have any problems beating the Hornets even if Kawhi Leonard remains on the sidelines. Charlotte has injury worries, too. The Hornets are without LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (back), while Terry Rozier (knee) and Brandon Miller (ankle) are both listed as questionable. Charlotte is a bad defensive unit, and LA will be scoring at will in this matchup. Hereof, I’m backing the Clippers to cover a double-digit spread in front of the home audience and make amends for an embarrassing loss to the Celtics. The Clippers are 8-2 ATS in their last ten contests against the Hornets. LA is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games overall and 13-5 ATS in its previous 18 tilts versus the Southeast Division teams. On the other side, Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last six contests overall and 1-7 ATS in its last eight outings on the road. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Kings have won four of their last six games and two of their last three road games. They are playing well offensively, scoring more than 111 points per game on the road. They do a good job of finding the open man and they’re very aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They also cut back on their turnovers in their last three games and won’t give the Blazers a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Trailblazers aren’t very good defensively and they play worse at home, giving up more than 115 points per game, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Kings in this game. The Trailblazers have lost two straight games and five of their last six home games. They have struggled offensively, scoring less than 110 points per game. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Kings 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 Kings, who average more than seven steals per game. The Kings aren’t great defensively, but they play better on the road and won’t be tested by the cold-shooting Blazers, so go with Sacramento to cover the spread.

Rating: 2 Units

The Celtics will come in fresh and ready to go likely with Porzingis at center. The addition of the Unicorn has completely changed Boston's interior defense this season and will cause problems for James and Davis in the lane. On the other end, the Lakers' defense has not looked as sharp lately and the Celtics' offense has been clicking, scoring nearly 140 points per game on this trip. Tatum and Brown are playing at an extremely high level and present matchup issues for everyone and certainly this Lakers' team without any ++ defensive forwards. The Lakers inconsistencies have been a big issue this year but I do expect them to be up for this game. The Celtics, however, have the length to bother them and the defensive backcourt to bother a team playing without a true point guard.

Rating; 2 Units

Sacramento played on Friday against Phoenix. The Suns (14-13) are no joke and should push Sacramento. That will make for a slightly fatigued Kings team facing a Minnesota club who is one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Minnesota knocked off Los Angeles on Thursday and will be riding high, especially as winners of 10 of their last 12 games. The fact that Towns is out will hurt them, making this a close contest. 

Rating: 2 Units

The Trail Blazers take on the Warriors for the third time this month, and Portland has covered the spread in its previous two dates with Golden State. The Warriors have been playing a ton of close games of late, so I’m backing the Blazers to grab their third consecutive ATS victory over Golden State. On paper, Golden State is a better team than Portland, but the Warriors will have to deal with fatigue in this game. The Warriors have gone 3-4 ATS over their previous seven games, and each of those seven contests have been decided by eight or fewer points. The Blazers will look to slow things down once more and force the Warriors into half-court basketball, so I’m expecting Portland to hang around down the stretch. 

Rating; 2 Units

The Hawks played well over the past week and they’ve won three of their last four games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Grizzlies, which will give them their fourth win in their last five games. Atlanta is averaging 123.1 points per game. They scored 134 points in their last game, making 51.6 percent of their field goals and 42.5 percent of their three-pointers. Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points, four rebounds, and 14 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while Dejounte Murray added 21 points, three rebounds, and five assists.

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams have played solid basketball this season with wildly different splits. The Bucks have played 18 of their 28 games at home this season while the Knicks have played 17 of their first 27 games on the road. New York has been solid defensively this season, which helps make up for the fact that they are a middle of the road team on the offensive end of the floor. The problem for coach Tom Thibodeau’s team is that they don’t have the pieces to effectively lock up Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Milwaukee is a deep, talented team and we’ve seen them torch this Knicks team to the tune of 146 points in the most recent meeting. Look for the Bucks to take advantage of their firepower to earn a win here.

Rating: 2 Units

Phoenix is arguably a better defensive team than Sacramento, but I’m not sure the Suns will be able to take full advantage of the Kings’ defensive flaws. The Suns have scored more than 112 points just twice in their last seven outings overall, and it looks like Phoenix rely on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker way too much. On the other side, the Kings might be vulnerable following that thrashing at the hands of the Celtics. It’s hard to trust Sacramento’s defense, so I’m backing the Suns to keep it close and hopefully upset the Kings. Phoenix should be able to slow the pace down and force Sacramento into half-court basketball which is crucial for the Suns in this matchup. 

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Mustangs should close out 2023 with a comfortable win at Murray State. They are superior on the glass to Murray State. The Mustangs defend both the interior and perimeter expertly and should hold the subpar Murray State offense to less than 60 points in this game. While the Racers rarely turn the ball over, they will have a plethora of one-and-done possessions thanks to their inability to shoot the ball well and the team's struggles on the glass. The Mustangs will control the pace and tempo of this game and cruise to their 9th win.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

The Commodores have won four of their last seven home games. They don’t have a high-scoring offense and they’re scoring a little more than 69 points per game. They’ve taken advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, making more than 70 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. They also do a good job of protecting the ball and won’t give the Catamounts a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Catamounts have struggled defensively on the road, giving up more than 70 points per game, and will have a hard time slowing down the Commodores in this game. The Catamounts have won two straight games, but they’ve lost two of their last three road games. They have struggled offensively on the road. Their ball movement also isn’t very good and they’ve struggled at the charity stripe, making less than 70 percent of their free throws. They don’t rebound the ball as well as the Commodores and they’re careless with the ball, which will lead to easy-scoring opportunities for the Commodores. The Commodores have played well defensively at home, holding opponents under 70 points per game, and will keep Western Carolina’s offense in check. Go with Vanderbilt to cover the spread

Rating: 2 Units

Even if the Jazz don't win, there's little chance that this game won't come down to the wire. Utah only has two home games that ended with a loss by at least five points and one of those was opening night. At the very least, the Jazz +4 is the best way to bet this game. Turnovers kill Utah's offense, but Brooklyn is the worst defense at forcing them. The Jazz's dominant offensive rebounding will also give them ample opportunity against a team allowing 122.8 points during their current road trip. Bet on a tight game, if not another Utah home win.

Rating: 2 Units

Michigan State and Oakland play every year, but the Golden Grizzlies have yet to beat the Spartans in 21 meetings since Oakland became a Division I program in 1998. Oakland (6-5) will have had 10 days off since its last game, a 77-63 win at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 8. It will be the third Big Ten opponent this year for Oakland, which lost by six at Ohio State and by 11 at Illinois to open the season. The Golden Grizzlies are led in scoring by Trey Townsend (15.8 points) in what is head coach Greg Kampe's 40th season at the helm.

Rating: 2 Units

Rating: 2 Units

Both teams are playing poorly and each has gone 1-2 ATS in the last three. The difference is that Golden State is 7-3-0 ATS in the last 10, and has been playing better overall. The Warriors have already beaten the Trail Blazers once this season and have taken eight of the last 10 meetings, going 6-3-1 ATS. The Trail Blazers are just a mess right now, the kind of team who can help Golden State right the ship.

Rating: 2 Units

Orlando is atop the Southeast Division but they have done most of their damage at home, going 11-2 at the Amway Center compared to a 5-6 road mark on the year. We saw the Magic struggle in their matchup against the Celtics Friday night in a game where Boston didn’t have Horford or Porzingis in the mix, yet they still won by 17. Boston is a perfect 13-0 at home this season with only two of those games decided by six points or less. The Celtics are a dangerous team on the offensive end and they get the job done making life tough for opposing squads defensively. Look for this game to go in favor of Boston as Tatum, Brown and company do their part once again.

Rating; 2 Units

Because New York plays on Friday, a line and total were not set for this game at the time this preview was written. That is irrelevant because Los Angeles should dominate this game. Not only will the Knicks be fatigued after playing on Friday. New York is not only struggling, but they have given up at least 133 in three of the last four games. The Clippers are rolling. They have won their last five games by at least eight points. Look for the Clippers to win this game by at least 11.