Rating: 2 Units

Boston College will be playing just their fourth game in the last five weeks, as the Eagles have been hit by two separate program pauses. In addition, the Eagles fired head coach Jim Christian and saw both guards Rich Kelly and Wynston Tabbs opt to transfer. The Eagles program is simply running out the string on the season at this point. Notre Dame has struggled with physicality at times this season as well as switching man-to-man defense. The Eagles do not pose that challenge as they’ve played a passive zone defense for most of the season.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Units

Northern Iowa is 21-43-3 ATS in their last 67 games following a ATS loss, 19-39-4 ATS in their last 62 games following a straight up loss, and 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games overall. While Illinois State is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games following three or more consecutive road games.  In addition the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Rating: 2 Units

Troy has double-revenge for 90-81 and 70-65 back-to-back road losses in late January. But they’re a losing team on a five-game losing streak, not taking many points against a winner. Their shooting percentages of 40.0% overall and 27.8% give you no confidence. Neither does the -4.0 Assist/Turnover Ratio.

Rating: 2 Units

Drake is 38-15-1 ATS in their last 54 games as a favorite, 27-11-1 ATS in their last 39 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record, and 57-27-2 ATS in their last 86 games overall. While Bradley is 2-11-3 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up loss, 1-9-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall, and 0-6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. In addition the favorite 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

Rating: 3 Unit Missouri Valley Conference Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit C-USA Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

WSU just closed out five straight home games (3-2) with a triple-OT win on Senior Day against the Stanford Mediocre. Leading scorer Isaac Bonton did not play, again. Neither did another ‘floor general,’ Ryan Rapp. Assuming either or both is out again, we say, about travelin’ WSU, ‘No way, Jose.’

Rating: 2 Units

It’s been a long road back for Eastern Illinois this year in regards to their health. The Panthers now do have their full core group back and they’ve been showing that they’re clearly a different team than “6-17 ATS” when healthy. Eastern Illinois went on the road and defeated both Murray State and Austin Peay last weekend. Josiah Wallace, Mack Smith and Jordan Skipper-Brown all started together for the first time in weeks for the Panthers. Smith’s shooting ability was especially helpful, making 8 of 9 three-point attempts over the course of two games.

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

While Michigan’s play this season has been impressive, it should be noted the Wolverines have yet to play either Iowa or Illinois, perhaps the two other most talented teams in the Big 10. Michigan will also be tasked with trying to respond after a huge road victory at rival, Ohio State. With C.J. Frederick back in the lineup, Iowa should again display their early season form, and have won the last four games, covering the spread in three of those outings. Michigan freshman big man Hunter Dickinson is likely to finally meet his match in All American Luka Garza of Iowa.

Rating: 3 Unit Horizon League Hammer

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

Rating: 3 Units

If Miami-OH could beat Central Mich by 42 points (they sure ‘nuff did, on Tuesday), then imagine the margin Buffalo could make if they cared to, given that the Bulls have the #1 scoring offense and #2 scoring defense in the MAC. They should care, considering they need the game to move up into the conference’s top four. CMU is not playing with a full deck.

Rating: 2 Units

EMU is 1-9 in the MAC and has three home games after this final regular-season road date. They’ve lost six straight, the littlest margin by -11 points to a Central Michigan team that most recently got drilled by 42 points at home by a .500 foe. Ohio (12-6) has won five straight and nailed 52% of their three-pointers coming off a two-and-a-half week break on Tuesday.

Rating: 2 Units

Vanderbilt, a two possession underdog, continues to improve and fly a bit under the radar. The Commodores are now 5-0-2 against the spread in their last seven outings, as Jerry Stackhouse continues to put his offense in good spots to succeed. Stackhouse has a star point guard in control of the operation with Scotty Pippen Jr., and will likely hold an edge against an inconsistent Vols backcourt.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Mismatch of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Who is sitting on the New Mexico bench as a “special assistant,” who sat on Air Force’s bench for eight seasons before this? Oh, none other than Dave Pilipovich, the former eight-season Air Force head coach who was fired after last season. He walked off happy following the Lobos’ 73-65 win here on Monday night and it’s not like Air Force – losers of 10 straight -- has the personnel to play much differently than he knows, or will have become taller and faster in the 48 hours since.

Rating: 2 Units

Davidson will get another chance against St. Bonaventure after suffering a defeat on the road against the Bonnies on Sunday. Davidson should be encouraged, as the Bonnies needed to make 9 of 11 second half three-pointers to finally separate distance. Davidson was playing in their first Division I game since January 24th and should be much better in their second game back. Davidson has owned this series in recent history, having covered the spread in seven of the prior nine games.

Rating: 2 Units

Missouri is clearly a different team with big man Jeremiah Tilmon in the lineup. The Tigers failed to cover both games without Tilmon last week, but then responded with covering convincingly against South Carolina on Saturday. The Tigers are now 11-7 against the spread with Tilmon in the lineup this season. The Tigers also have a bit of revenge on their mind in this spot, having lost by 21 points on the road to Ole Miss earlier this season. Playing at home, the Tigers should be able to push the ball more effectively, as they played to just 62 possessions in the first meeting against the Rebels.

Rating: 2 Units

Wildcats have revenge for 70-59 loss in New York. Who wants to lay a 12-point run with this version of their defense, which hasn’t been up to Jay Wright program standards? Not us. Winning teams that average 80+ ppg (okay, only 78.3 in Big East play, but 1 more than Villanova!) and take this many possessions worth of points don’t come around very often. When the Great College Basketball Card Shuffler deals one of them, playing that card doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic-10 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

CMU, 6-12 overall, 2-9 in the MAC, is coming off a break following self-inflicted virus protocols. Senior guard Devontae Lane, “Such a big part of what we do,” was on the bench with crutches during their most recent game, a loss to Western Mich on Feb. 6. The visiting Redhawks went through a tough, four-game losing grind vs. Kent State, Buffalo, Akron, Toledo but dropped down in class to win at CMU’s fellow bottom-dweller Northern Illinois to hit .500 again at 9-9.

Rating: 2 Units

Oregon is at full strength for one of the few times this season, as junior wing Eric Williams was healthy and logged 25 minutes against Utah on Saturday. With Williams back in the fold along with starting point guard Will Richardson, the Ducks are primed for a late season run. Oregon’s ability to make opposing offenses beat them from the outside will be key against USC’s frontcourt. Oregon’s defense rarely allows two-point field goals, ranking 108th-best in two-point distribution.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

The home team is playing to stay out of last place in the SoCon (they’re 2-12). The visitor is playing still with a shot at winning the regular season title (they’re 11-4 in first place.) Schedule-raters who rank schedule strengths say that WCU has played the toughest SoCon slate so far. Which means that it only stays as tough, or tougher, with this match-up against a 16-7 overall opponent. UNCG will be laying more points when they meet in Greensboro Wednesday night, so why not do it here instead of there? WCU is the only team in the conference that averages less than 1.0 points per possession in SoCon games, and UNCG is the only team in the conference allowing less than 1.0 ppp in same.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Not a lot to like about this Cincinnati team despite the fact they enter with four straight wins. Look at it this way: somebody had to win their games against Temple (twice), Tulane and Central Florida, all with losing records, opponents who merely did what they normally do to help raise the Bearcats’ record to 5-4. Big deal, right? They won the games by 3, 3, 2, 1. They’ve played one other ranked opponent this season, scored 56 losing at Tennessee.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

St. John’s continues to be the story of the Big East, as the Red Storm have gone 9-1 against the spread in their last 10 games. The Johnnies are getting terrific point guard play from freshman Posh Alexander and will look to continue their winning ways against a beat up DePaul backcourt. Both starters Charlie Moore and Javon Freeman- Liberty missed DePaul’s last game on Wednesday against Seton Hall. Even if that duo can suit up, the Blue Demons are likely to have a ton of issues on offense. DePaul ranks 316th nationally in turnover rate, and will face a daunting task against St. John’s pressure.

Rating: 2 Unit

Seton Hall’s defense is starting to play more to the standard that Kevin Willard has created with the Pirates program. Seton Hall limited three of their last four opponents to 0.81 points per possession or less on the offensive end. Seton Hall has already displayed the ability to shut down Georgetown’s offense. The Pirates limited the Hoyas to 17-of-53 shooting from two-point distance on December 23rd.

Rating: 3 Unit Atlantic 10 Play of the Day

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

Big East Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

St. Joseph’s has not played a game since January 30th and will be jumping back into action against a La Salle team that provided trouble for the Hawks in their first meeting this season. LA Salle won comfortably, at one point leading by as much as 21 points with 5:47 remaining on January 18th. The Explorers did so by making 31-of-51 two-point attempts and only needed to make five three-pointers to put 90 points on the board.

Rating: 2 Units

Buffalo has ripped off three impressive victories in MAC play, rolling to a win by at least 20 points in each outing. Nate Oats (Alabama) left a sound program behind and the aggressive Bulls play as hard as any team in the MAC and appear to be hitting their stride at the right time. Junior big man Josh Mballa is a force inside who can take advantage of a Toledo defense that ranks 226th in two-point percentage allowed. On the other end of the floor, Buffalo has excelled at defending the perimeter. The Bulls rank 3rd-best nationally in three-point percentage allowed and 58th in three-point attempt rate. Above the arc is where Toledo prefers to operate.

Rating: 2 Units

South Dakota State suffered a big loss this week when it was announced that starting guard Noah Freidel was opting out of the season. Friedel, a two year starter opting out, results in the loss of one of the Jackrabbits best shooters and more reliable players. They’ll look to re-gather on the road in a rivalry spot against an experienced North Dakota State team. The Bison are the best team in the Summit League at defending the three-point line, which can offset a major part of South Dakota State’s attack.

Rating: 2 Units

John Dunne, Marist head coach, came to the Red Foxes directly from a 12-year stint at Saint Peter’s. It took him a while, but after four straight losses with a sub-par roster, Marist won the most recent meeting last season. They thought we’d forget about this fact after their series from Feb. 6-7 got virused-out. But we remember. Marist hasn’t played since Jan. 31 but it’s an easy prep for the coaching staff and Saint Peter’s would shoot erratically if they played every danged day.

Horizon League Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Rutgers, a near double digit underdog, has started to capture what made them the talk of the Big 10 through Christmas this season. The Scarlet Knights have gotten past a rough patch and have won five of six games, covering the spread in four of those outings. Rutgers’ stout interior play offers a challenge for a Michigan team that has bullied opposing frontcourts most of the season. Rutgers 3rd ranked two-point percentage defense in Big 10 play should prove helpful.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Upset of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

The Provo people are hyping the fact that BYU has never lost back-to-back games in the era of head coach Mark Pope. That era began only last year and there’s a first time for everything. They’re off an 11-point loss at Gonzaga, a fair enough effort but so what? In a second game in three nights, at high Provo, UT altitude on Jan. 30, Pacific took the Cougars to double-overtime before backing down. It was 64-64 after 40 minutes. Defense-and-rebounding home dog with revenge on national television (CBS cable).

Rating: 2 Units

Iowa has looked more like itself lately, rolling to a 13 point win over Rutgers and winning by a 30 point margin at Michigan State. The Hawkeyes offense produced 1.21 and 1.30 points per possession in the two victories. That level of offensive output will be tough for a struggling Badgers offense to keep pace with. Wisconsin now ranks 242nd nationally in two-point percentage. A disappointing senior season for big man Nate Reuvers will not help the Badgers case in trying to slow down Luka Garza

Rating: 2 Units

Tennessee will benefit from a short-handed South Carolina roster on Wednesday night. The Gamecocks will be without starting guard Jermaine Cousinard and forward Justin Minaya. Those two starters account for the second and third most minutes on an already struggling South Carolina team. Tennessee and freshman guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson will also present an issue for a Gamecock defense that has not been able to stop anyone off the dribble this season.

Big-10 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Wake Forest enters as a two possession underdog on Wednesday, and the Demon Deacons have proven they can be plenty competitive in year one under Steve Forbes. Wake Forest is perhaps still a bit undervalued as they’ve compiled a 9-3 record against the spread in ACC play. Forbes found his offense to really perform at a high level this past week against Florida State. Said Forbes, “Offensively, I thought we really had them messed up. We were cutting and screening, running motion. They had a really hard time guarding it. I thought we were moving the ball.”

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit Big East Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Missouri big man Jeremiah Tilmon will miss his second game in a row on Tuesday night against Georgia. Without their big man, Missouri loses their identity, as they prefer to play through Tilmon often. Georgia will be fortunate to not see the size Missouri normally possesses, as the Bulldogs often struggle against bigger and more physical post players. Now without Tilmon’s presence, Georgia can get out and run and not have to worry about how to defend the post or finish over length.

Rating: 2 Units

Dayton has played well lately against teams that are not VCU. VCU has shown to have the Flyers number this year, and have been responsible for two of the Flyers three losses since January 6th. Outside of those matchups, Dayton has gone 6-1 against the spread in that timespan. On the other side is a Rhode Island group that looks like a broken team, having lost four games in a row. Rams point guard and leader Fatts Russell is not near 100% and will have his hands full with Dayton guard, Jalen Crutcher.

Rating: 2 Units

At 0-11 in the Big 12, can head coach Steve Prohm get his ISU Cyclones to play as desperate as they did vs. West Virginia, or at Oklahoma and at TCU recently when they lost by only 3-7 points? It might be possible. When they lost 81-60 at home Jan. 25, they were coming off a pause and guard Jalen Coleman-Lands and forwards Solomon Young and Javan Johnson didn’t play. They’re back, representing 98 minutes and 35.0 ppg.

Rating: 3 Unit ACC Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

This is Edwardsville’s eighth game of the month of February. That’s too many for a team with no college hoops pedigree. They’re off a 20-point road loss at Jacksonville State. They’ve lost by 28 at Belmont during this stretch, by 15 on this floor vs. Austin Peay. During this stretch, they’ve been able to win against Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, three of the Ohio Valley slum dogs. Murray State is a penthouse team whose stats say that their record should be better than it is.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit PAC-12 Play of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Mismatch of the Day

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

Rating: 3 Units

The Murray State-Austin Peay weekend road continuum is a tough deal for Ohio Valley also rans when there is one day in between games. When the visit to Austin Peay becomes the second of back-to-backs, Friday-Saturday, after playing at Murray State the night before, it gets a lot harder despite the relatively short bus trip (80 minutes) from one place to the next. SEMO dropped the second game of this trip by 22, 18 points the last two seasons.

Rating: 3 Units

The Razorbacks haven’t won two straight on the SEC road since 2016-17, when they played three games in the NCAA Tournament. Off the 1-point win at Kentucky on Wednesday, they come to Cuonzo’s place with the #10-ranked Tigers of Missouri coming home off an embarrassing loss at Ole Miss. Mizzou won 81-65 at Arkansas when the Razorbacks played mostly with four guards in the absence of forward Justin Smith. Adjustments from that game are all for Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, who notes that “We had two guys go 1-for-21” on a day they nevertheless got 21 turnovers, 11 made by two of Missouri’s starting guards. He’ll no doubt take a cue from Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis, who, following his team’s 80-59 win vs. the Tigers, said, “You can’t let Missouri play downhill.”

Rating: 2 Units

The fact that Iowa could not kill Michigan State in their first meeting -- when the situation dictated that the Hawkeyes should have a very fine opportunity to do so -- would seem to bode poorly for them as they enter the return match in Sparty-land. Michigan State is 10-7, with zero (0) wins against anyone ranked. Their ownership of Iowa is causing us to think they have a chance. And we know that they’re 4-13 ATS, so shame on us if you know what

Rating: 2 Units

Northern Ill is 2-10 overall, 1-6 in the MAC, hasn’t played since losing by 20 points at Ball State on Jan. 16. They average a mere 59.4 ppg, with a -4.5 Assist/Turnover ratio, 39.8% field goal shooting and a low 62.4% free-throw percentage. They’ve played four MAC road games so far, and trailed them all at halftime by margins of 14, 11, 16, and 15 points. Hey, other than all that, they’re fine!

SEC Game of the Week

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

Rating: 2 Units

Your host lumbered out to a 19-6 lead against the visiting Post-Pause Puppies after 12 minutes yesterday afternoon, as Canisius was shooting 2-for-23. This was to be expected! But Quinnipiac already had 7 team fouls at that point, because they’re really not very good, shoot bricks from all angles and do things like take lane violations on free throws. They’d go on to lose the game 74-67. Therefore, we now have… an anger play! Against Quinnipiac! Because they’re not good, and because we should have known better with Mike Dunleavy’s son and Tom Pecora on the same home coaching staff, and because Canisius won’t open the game shooting 2-for-23 off a layoff this time

ACC Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Welcome back, Canisius! Unable to play since Jan. 3. For their tribulations, they are asked to make just about the longest possible in-conference trip, from their Buffalo, NY home all the way down to southern Connecticut to face an opponent giving up less than 1.0 points per possession in MAAC play. ‘The wheels on the bus go round and round…’ Good luck!

Rating: 2 Units

The Beavers lost 98-74 to Arizona at home, when OSU was coming off a pause. Arizona freshman guard Benn Mathurin scored 31 points in that game. “He’s no longer an unmarked freshman,” says his head coach, Sean Miller. “So the scouting report (changes) and the defense will try to take away certain things that we do for him and that he’s very good at.” Aha.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

A 78-66 win over Oklahoma State on Monday was a great sign that there are brighter days ahead, but the Jayhawks must still close against Texas Tech, Texas and Baylor before the conference tournament even rolls around. All five KU starters scored in double-figures on Monday, led by center David McCormack’s 23 points and 10 boards. Freshman forward Jalen Wilson and sophomore guard Christian Braun recorded double-doubles and the defense held the Cowboys to 35 percent shooting. If Kansas can replicate that, it will be dangerous come March regardless of where it finishes in the Big 12. If it can’t, games like these against an Iowa State team that has overcome a COVID outbreak and is back intact as a dangerous spoiler that nearly won at Oklahoma an should’ve beaten TCU won’t be gimmes. The Cyclones have dropped eight consecutive games but Self is calling this the “biggest weekend of the season.” He’s trying to make sure his team is prepared for taking a stiff punch from a 15-point underdog that is much better than their record indicates and has nothing to lose as it takes back-to-back shots at the struggling conference power.

Rating: 2 Units

Houston (16-2) is 10-2 in AAC play and unlikely to be challenged for the regular season title. However, Wichita St has quietly moved to 11-4 and 7-2 in AAC play. Wichita St's season was marred before it got started, as head coach Gregg Marshall resigned as coach of Wichita State after multiple allegations of verbal and physical abuse spanning years on November 17, 2020. Marshall's success started at Winthrop (seven NCAA berths in nine years) and continued at Wichita St, winning the NIT title in 2011 then winning 30-plus games in three straight seasons, including a Final 4 appearance in 2013. Lead assistant Isaac Brown was named interim head coach. Wichita State has the same number of league defeats as No. 8-ranked Houston but the Shockers aren't drawing votes for the top-25 but are building their credentials for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. They've won 10 of their last 12 and will make it 11 of 13 in this winnable game at UCF. Consider that Wichita State is 40-17-1 ATS in their last 58 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.

Rating: 2 Units

The tallest and smallest players on the roster helped the Cavaliers (13-3, 9-1 ACC) hold off the Yellow Jackets (9-6, 5-4) in a 64-62 victory on Jan. 23 at Charlottesville, Va. Virginia guard Kihei Clark missed his first eight shots in that game and finished 1 of 10 from the field, but the one bucket by the 5-foot-9 junior was a doozy. His short jumper with 68 seconds left provided the final points of the game. The Yellow Jackets were in another battle Saturday against Notre Dame, this time pulling out an 82-80 victory and improving their home record to 8-2. Georgia Tech overcame a 50-35 halftime deficit against the Fighting Irish, with Michael Devoe scoring 14 of his 19 points in the second half to fuel the rally. Alvarado also scored 19 points and added six rebounds, six steals and five assists. Consider that Georgia Tech is 50-24 ATS in their last 74 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

This as been a different MSU team since coming back from its three-week layoff due to COVID-19 postponements. The Spartans were blown out by Rutgers 67-37 in their first game back on January 28, then suffered a 79-62 loss at Ohio State and an 84-78 loss at Iowa before finally picking up a win over Nebraska last Saturday, 66-56. Despite the straight up win over the Cornhuskers and the cover as a 9-point dog at Iowa, MSU is just 2-5 ATS since the start of January. This Penn State team can shoot the 3, is playing with confidence following wins over Wisconsin and Maryland, as well as a competitive, four-point loss at Ohio State, and is taking on a MSU team that has yet to find its footing since returning to play last month. Consider that Michigan State is 4-12 ATS.

Rating: 3 Unit CBB Play of the Day

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

Rating: 2 Units

Ohio St. will mark the fifth top 10 team Maryland has faced. Ohio St. has won four straight games and seven of its last eight to move into third place in the Big Ten with a 9-4 record. The Buckeyes are a decent shooting team and it has to be to win because they are ninth in the Big Ten with a turnover margin of just 0.16 per game. On top of that, they are last in the conference with just 4.37 steals per game so they do not create points off turnovers.  consider that Maryland is 15-7 ATS in their last 22 Monday games.

Rating: 2 Units

Oregon State (10-7, 6-5) moved above .500 in conference play with a 68-66 home win over Washington State on Saturday. That victory capped a two-game home sweep of the Washington schools last week. Now, the Beavers embark on a finish that has them on the road for six of their last nine games. Their only Pac-12 road win in four tries so far has come on the short trek over to Oregon last month. Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle declared last week every game is winnable in a season of lesser home-court advantage and great parity in the Pac-12. Consider that Colorado is  6-13 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up win.

Rating: 2 Units

A team is supposed to rise when it’s legend dies. Instead, to follow up on John Chaney’s death, Temple lost a home game to relatively hapless Tulane – by a lot! -- then followed up with a home loss to a 3-7 Cincinnati team that hadn’t played a game in who knows how long? Sheesh!

Rating: 3 Unit NCAAB Play of the Day

Let’s do some zig-zagging. Georgetown is off an outright win at Creighton as +9.5 point road underdog. Villanova is off a road loss at St. John’s as -9.5-point road favorite. Jay Wright’s Wildcats shot 8-for-30 on three-pointers at St. John’s. Georgetown made 10 of their 21 three-pointers at Creighton (47.6%). The Hoyas average 35.5% from there. When they met in December, it took Villanova a while to figure out the Hoyas. They trailed by 18 in the first half, by 13 at halftime… and eventually won by 13 after a 43-17 second half. Highly ranked team comes home off loss; unranked team with losing record stays on road off win. Consider that Villanova is 34-16-1 ATS in their last 51 games following a ATS loss

Rating: 2 Units

Iowa enters this game ranked #8. They peaked in mid-January and could probably use a break. They’re the kind of team that usually loses six straight in February anyway. They are scheduled to close with four road games in their last six from Feb. 13 to Mar. 7. Therefore, we predict that the Hawkeyes will go “on pause” very soon after losing this game to the home dog that needs it more and guards better.

Rating: 4 Unit PAC-12 Game of the Week

The Buffs couldn’t be more ready to play a game, at least from the mental standpoint and pretty much from the preparation situation, too. First of all, they hate Arizona. Secondly, they were beaten in Tucson, 88-74 on Dec. 28. (Revenge!) Next, their Thursday game vs. Arizona State was postponed due to a cooties problem in or around ASU’s Hurley girlie program. While Arizona was fighting (flailing, really) at Utah on Thursday, the Buffs got some extra time to make whatever use they could out of it, as they come off that stinging home loss to Utah that was probably 99.9% theirs with 8:46 remaining until the 31-9 run hit. Ya’ think maybe they’ll guard whomever it is on Arizona that might be hot, so he doesn’t stay hot, if he even gets hot? Consider that Colorado is 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games as a favorite.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-10 Play of the Day

Leaving home following a lengthy layoff at 0-5 in the Big Ten, for a road game against a desperate home team with back-class that’s on a four-game losing streak, is not what Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg envisioned as being the state of his team with one month left in the regular season. Off three straight losses, the last two against Top 10 opponents, the Spartans return home, drop in class, and get what they need, with lessons learned from the 84-77 win at Nebraska on Jan. 2. Consider that Nebraska is 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games overall.

Rating: 2 Units

Look for better shooting results for the visitor after netting only 32.8% from the field in last night’s 71-65 loss. The energy that South Alabama didn’t have to prevent 21 offensive rebounds by the Chanticleers will be down a few notches for this instant re-hook. Guard Michael Flowers is a good player for the home team but he played all 40 minutes for his game-high 28 points after the sun went down yesterday. South Alabama is 1-2 SU and ATS in second of back-to-backs, the win/cover against a Georgia Southern team that can’t hit water from a boat, and one of the losses to tonight’s opponent.

Rating: 2 Units

The home side is desperate! Denver has yet to beat a Division 1 foe this season (0-13). This is the second opportunity for them to take advantage of a second of back-to-backs on their home floor at 5,200 feet of altitude. They covered the other (vs. Oral Roberts) when they lost by 9, taking 10.5. They’re not good, so if they’re gonna take advantage, it probably won’t be easy but ya’ gotta try out these rare "favorable" situations that don’t exist in other years

Rating: 2 Units

Schedule-overload seventh game in 12 days for Edwardsville, a perpetual Ohio Valley also ran with no college hoops class and very little depth. To be playing it against Belmont – perennial challenger for the OVC title and multi-NCAA Tournament performer – seems like the worst possible draw for their situation. To be playing it against Belmont when Belmont is 19-1, 13-0 in conference) with a +17.8 scoring differential in OVC play, and the Bruins don’t play again until Thursday, would seem to increase the blowout potential. The score when they met at Belmont on Jan. 23 was 114-62, so if Belmont wins by half as much this time, it’s still 26 points.

Rating: 3 Unit SEC Play of the Day

‘Tell me how will you score the upset that isn’t really an upset? Tell me, Cuonzo, Cuonzo, Cuonzo!’ Alabama has had an early “peak.” We were on them early, had Mississippi State against them recently when all MSU did was muck up the game, forcing Alabama play slow and ugly. At Oklahoma a week ago, it was basically the same thing. Missouri’s band has been together as long as anyone in the SEC and Cuonzo’s preferred game was always slow and ugly until this group finally got some cohesion and could play more up-and-down this season. Now, the Tigers are versatile but not to the point where they’ll try to trade threes in a fast-paced game, and they’ll run the Tide off the three-point line as often as possible. Consider that Missouri is 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a home underdog.

Rating: 2 Units

There’s no place like Lawlor (Center), it seems, for Nevada, which can’t seem to win a game away from Reno these days but has been very tough to beat in Reno. To wit: the home team has won eight straight games involving the Wolf Pack. And, the good news for Steve Alford’s crew is that it is at home tonight, as Nevada was within the last week when twice taking out downstate UNLV by double-digit margins. Alford has been getting some big production in recent weeks from Wichita State transfer G Grant Sherfield (18.3 ppg), who has scored 20 or more in seven of the last ten games.

Rating: 3 Unit Summit League Play of the Day

The visitor is 8-0 atop the Summit League, and also beat South Dakota State in a hastily scheduled, neutral site, third-game-in-three-nights situation for both sides back on Dec. 12, a game which did not count in the conference standings. Here we are in February for a re-match. South Dakota’s 8-0 was accomplished vs. the bottom four teams in the conference (who are 4-24 combined). The home side watched South Dakota’s Stanley Umide go for 41 points in the game that didn’t really count for much, and is thinking, ‘You only got 11 and 15 points against us last year.” SDS’ second-leading scorer, senior forward Douglas Wilson didn’t play in that game. Consider that South Dakota State is 29-9-1 ATS in their last 39 games following a ATS loss.

Rating: 3 Unit Big West Play of the Day

The Fabulous Bakersfield Boys have won four Big West road games and in a fifth, lost in overtime. They’ve also won at Pepperdine by 17 points, a team that beat Cal-Irvine by 15 points. Oh, if it was only that easy, right? The host Anteaters are the Big West’s top dog, never primed to play their best early in the season but usually ready to jump from the starting blocks when the conference light goes on. They’ve been forewarned about the uppityness of this visitor, and just had a seven-game winning streak snapped in overtime at Hawaii over the weekend. At 5-1 in conference to Bakersfield’s 7-3, the Anteaters need to make sure that when the visitor leaves here after tomorrow night, it will make the trip northward still with more losses than Irvine. Consider that Irvine is 20-6-2 ATS in their last 28 home games.

Rating: 2 Units

The home side is off back-to-back road losses at Horizon League leader Cleveland State. The visitor is last in the Horizon League in both offensive and defensive field goal percentage (40.5% shooting, 50.2% shooting allowed). IUPUI is also last in the conference in rebounding margin (-4.8 per game). So, if they miss more than everyone else, and everyone else makes more against them, and they can’t grab enough boards, then this would seem to be a good spot for Green Bay to get back on the winning track, eh?

Rating: 2 Units

Through six Big Sky games, Portland State has the conference’s worst field goal percentage: 37.6%. That’s one of the nation’s worst, too. A habitually strong defensive squad like Montana doesn’t figure to allow them to suddenly start making shots more frequently. PSU’s Assist/Turnover ratio is -4.5.

Rating: 2 Units

The Utes suddenly look like a dangerous spoiler in Pac-12 play, continuing their steady improvement and serving notice that they’re not a team you want to underestimate in February by posting a 77-74 upset at Colorado. Arizona has won four of five and has overcome injury-related attrition thanks to the backcourt of transfers James Akinjo (Georgetown) and Terrell Brown (Seattle) in addition to the impressive development of freshmen Bennedict Mathurin and Azuolas Tubelis. Consider that Utah is 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games as an underdog and 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as a home underdog.

Rating: 2 Units

These teams played only once last season. Iowa prevailed at home 85-76 last Feb. 20, surging ahead to a double-digit halftime edge before holding on. The Wesson brothers were the driving force behind last season’s team while this year’s key cogs, forward E.J. Liddell, guard Duane Washington, Jr. and shooter Justin Ahrens all came off the bench. Luka Garza led Iowa with 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting and will likely draw matchups with Kyle Young and Liddell, who will look to find a way to keep Garza from finding a rhythm. Even at home, this should be the toughest test the Hawkeyes have received since its 80-75 loss to Illinois to close out February. The Buckeyes should be a live ‘dog and could win outright.

NCAAB Play of the Day

Heady times for the host Eagles, 10-2 in second place in the OVC, nine straight wins The play of 6’10," 235 freshman Johni Broome has helped them along and he didn’t even play when the Eagles beat these Racers 61-56 on the road last month. It was the only game Broome has missed this season and his teammates shot only 2-for-14 on three-pointers but still came out on top. That’s how good the overall team defense has been. They’ve covered seven in a row and are 13-4 ATS to Murray State’s 5-8-1 ATS.

Rating: 2 Units

The Wolfpack want to run whenever possible while the ‘Hoos want to slow the game down, so that tug of war should help decide this one. Without Daniels, I don’t see N.C. State having enough firepower to overcome a focused Cavaliers team coming off a loss. Consider that Virginia is 25-10-1 ATS in their last 36 games as a road favorite and 30-13-1 ATS in their last 44 road games.

Rating: 2 Units

Wichita State is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record, 20-6 ATS in their last 26 games after scoring more than 90 points in their previous game, and 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall. While Tulane is  1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall, and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog.

Rating: 2 Units

Pitt is coming off Saturday’s lopsided home loss to Notre Dame and is due a bounce-back effort tonight. But unless playing that contrarian angle, hard to construct a persuasive case for the Panthers, still awaiting a real breakthrough for 3rd-year HC Jeff Capel. That seems to be happening at VPI, as Mike Young’s Hokies have moved all of the way up to a No. 16 ranking in the polls after a couple of big efforts last week that included a rousing 65-51 whip of Commonwealth rival Virginia on Saturday. That not only made Cav alums like Brit Hume cringe but also marked a fifth win in six games for Young’s surging side, which has really clamped down on the stop-end in the recent surge, allowing only 58 points per game across those last five wins.

Rating: 2 Units

This visitor has won five straight over tonight’s home favorite, including two games last season. Ben Howland to Eric Musselman, who’s headed Arkansas only for the two most recent defeats against the Bulldogs: ‘I own your program.’ Because they are able to protect the rim, rebound better and contain the tempo

Rating: 2 Units

The Badgers haven’t stopped playing their pack line defense and getting back religiously. They’re still running offense methodically, playing at the slowest pace in the Big Ten. However, concerns over the effectiveness of their defense in 2021 have taken center stage since they just lost 81-71 on Saturday against the same Nittany Lions team they’ll welcome into the Kohl Center on Tuesday night. Although a double-OT win over Indiana skews the following slightly, Wisconsin has surrendered over 70 points in six of its last 10 dating back to a Christmas Day win over Michigan State. It had surrendered no more than 67 over its first eight contests. Teams have figured out that you can push against the Badgers, and Penn State is going to come into Madison quite confident after scoring 50 second-half points in upsetting Wisconsin to close out January

Rating: 2 Units

After losing at home to St. John’s on Sunday afternoon, Marquette has matched a season-long three-game losing streak but it does have a win at Creighton and a home win over Wisconsin on its resume, not to mention enough talent to go on a run if everything gels together. The schedule is friendly too, featuring a visit to Seton Hall as the toughest road game and no more matchups with Big East-leading Villanova. Butler comes off a 68-55 home loss to Xavier and is 3-6 over its last nine, scoring 60 or fewer points in each of its setbacks. The Bulldogs shot 5-for-25 from 3-point range at Hinkle Fieldhouse in a blowout loss to the Muskies over the weekend and leading scorers Aaron Thompson and Jair Bolden shot a combined 15-for-45 (33 percent) in last week’s losses, combining for just 33 points over a two-game span.

Rating: 3 Unit Big-12 Play of the Day

Despite playing without leading scorer Austin Reaves and starting guard Alondes Williams because of virus protocols, the Sooners took care of red-hot Alabama at home. But you knew that Alabama would have problems vs. Oklahoma (because it said so, in our paper!). The Red Raiders don’t mind Sooner style and as a familiar Big 12 foe, they’ll know what to do if Reaves and Williams are out again for the visitor. One player out of the three who came off the Sooners’ bench scored points vs. Alabama. The home team is 10-2-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings

Rating: 2 Units

Valparaiso is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up loss. While Evansville is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 home games, 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win, and 6-2-2 ATS in their last 10 Monday games.