Xavier beat Maryland by 11 points (76-65) on Thursday night after the Musketeers out-scored the Terrapins 41-29 in the second half.  Xavier shot 50% (25-50) from the field and 39.1% (9-23) from three-point land.  Xavier’s offense only averaged 70.8 points per game on 41.5% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from three-point land away from home, so it’s hard to imagine them repeating their last performance.  Xavier was also extremely fortunate to be playing a bad Maryland team that did not deserve to be a #6 seed.  The Musketeers will be taking a major step-up in class for this game against Florida State, and we expect sharp regression from Xavier.  The Musketeers like to play at a fast pace, but that will be to their demise against the Seminoles who play the same way.

Florida State did not have an easy matchup against Florida Gulf Coast in their opening game, so don’t be fooled by their 86-80 win.  The Seminoles are actually taking a step-down in class against an undermanned Xavier team.  Florida State plays excellent team basketball, and they use a solid 8-man rotation.  Their depth is highly beneficial for tournament play, especially in this game against Xavier who only has a 6-man rotation.  Florida State owns an efficient offense that is averaging 82.6 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the field.  The Seminoles are also super athletic and their size will be too much for Xavier to handle.  We’ll lay the points with Florida State in this game on Saturday night.

10* Play FLORIDA STATE (-).

Michigan State had a tumultuous season.  The Spartans were ravaged with injuries throughout the season, and that resulted them going 19-14 SU.  Michigan State also played much better basketball at home where they went 14-2 SU on the season.  The Spartans were terrible on the road where they went just 5-12 SU with a poor -6.7 point differential.  Michigan State struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, especially when playing away from home.  The Spartans went 0-10 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points with their average loss coming by 11.5 points per game.       

Miami, FL plays at a pretty slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Hurricanes only give up 63.7 points per game on 41.4% shooting from the field and 33.1% shooting from three-point land this season.  Miami held 25 of their 32 opponents this season to 70 points or less, so Michigan State’s offense is in for a struggle.  Miami’s offense will face a Michigan State defense that is giving up 74.3 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field and 36.5% shooting from three-point land on the road.  Miami will dictate the pace in this game, and since Michigan State has shown no ability to play slow, we’ll lay the points with the Hurricanes in this game on Friday night.

10* Play MIAMI, FL (-).

Kansas State and Cincinnati matchup extremely well for a low-scoring game on Friday night.  The Wildcats had to play on Wednesday night, and their offense had one of their best games of the season.  Kansas State scored 95 points after shooting 66% (31-47) from the field and 37.5% (6-16) from three-point land.  Overall this season, Kansas State only averages 69.8 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 36.2% shooting from three-point land away from home.  The Wildcats’ offense will regress sharply tonight, especially against a stout Cincinnati defense that only gave up 55.7 points per game on 36.2% shooting from the field and 27.1% shooting from three-point land away from home this season.

Cincinnati plays at an extremely slow place while grinding teams in the half court.  The Bearcats win games with their defense, and they’ll have to do that tonight in order to knock off Kansas State.  The Bearcats struggled mightily on offense all season, especially away from home.  Cincinnati averaged just 60.7 points per game on 37.7% shooting from the field and 29.4% shooting from three-point land on the road.  Over their last five games, Kansas State’s defense has held their opponents to just 60.5 points per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 35.5% shooting from three-point land.  We expect a low-scoring game between Kansas State and Cincinnati on Friday night. 

9* Play UNDER the total.

Seton Hall opened the season with a 12-3 SU record, but the Pirates are just 9-8 SU and ATS over their last seventeen games.  Seton Hall’s offense has struggled with their shooting away from home all season, and that’s not a good thing against a potent Arkansas offense.  Seton Hall is shooting just 42.7% from the field, 34.3% from three-point land, and 64.2% from the free throw line.  The Pirates will now face an Arkansas defense that is in excellent current form.  The Razorbacks have given up 72.2 points per game on just 39.5% shooting from the field and 30.2% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Arkansas is 25-9 SU on the season, and the Razorbacks have gone 8-2 SU over their last ten games.  Arkansas’ two losses during that span came against Kentucky and Florida who happen to be the best two teams in the SEC.  The Razorbacks love to play at a fast pace, and their frenetic style tends to wear teams down.  Seton Hall does not face this style in the Big East, so this is a difficult matchup for the Pirates.  Arkansas averages 79.8 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from three-point land.  Arkansas simply has too much offense for Seton Hall, so we’ll back the Razorbacks in this game on Friday afternoon.          

9* Play ARKANSAS (-).

Los Angeles is in a terrible situational and scheduling spot for tonight’s game in Denver.  The Clippers lost 97-96 at home last night to the Milwaukee Bucks after blowing a fourth quarter lead.  Four of their five starters played 30 minutes or more, and because of that, head coach Doc Rivers will not be taking a full team to Denver for tonight’s game.  Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan did not make the trip, so that leaves Los Angeles extremely thin inside the paint.  The Clippers will be playing on a back-to-back set in the thin air and altitude of Denver.  This will also be their third game in four nights, and their fourth game in six nights.

Denver comes into this game in excellent current form.  The Nuggets have won three straight games, and four of their last five games overall.  Denver’s offense is terrific at home where they are averaging 113.3 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 38.4% shooting from three-point land.  The Nuggets’ offense will take advantage of the undermanned Los Angeles defense in this game, especially since the Clippers will be playing on tired legs.  Los Angeles is giving up 108 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field and 36.8% shooting from three-point land on the road.  We’ll lay the points with Denver in this game on Thursday night.    

9* Play NUGGETS (-).

Memphis recently snapped a 5-game losing streak, but the Grizzlies are in a tough scheduling spot for tonight’s game in Atlanta.  Memphis is just 4-6 SU since the All-Star break with one of their wins coming last night in Chicago against the Bulls.  The Grizzlies did not shoot the ball well in that win; Memphis hit just 42.4% (36-85) from the field and 35.5% (11-31) from three-point land.  Memphis had two starters play 36 minutes or more while five guys played 24 minutes or more.  The Grizzlies will now play on a back-to-back road set with this also being their third game in four nights, and their fourth game in six nights.  

Atlanta last played on Monday night in San Antonio; the Hawks lost 107-99.  Atlanta has had the last two nights off, and off a loss and a return home, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Atlanta’s offense averages 106.4 points per game on 46.3% shooting from the field and 35.6% shooting from three-point land at home.  The Hawks will face a Memphis defense that comes into this game in poor current form; the Grizzlies have given up 105.4 points per game on 47.2% shooting from the field and 45.1% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  We’ll lay the points with Atlanta in this game on Thursday night.     

9* Play HAWKS (-).

Vermont comes into this game with a 29-5 record.  The Catamounts are on a 21-game winning streak, so this is a team that simply knows how to win.  Vermont plays a terrific style of basketball that is well-suited for tournament play.  The Catamounts play at a slow, methodical pace while running good offense and suffocating defense.  Vermont averages 73.4 points per game on 49.7% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three-point land.  Vermont’s defense has been exceptional this season while only giving up 62.8 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 34.5% shooting from three-point land.  The Catamounts have held 15 of their last 18 opponents to 67 points or less. 

Purdue is a team that needs to play at a quick tempo in order to be at their best.  The Boilermakers like to get a lot of easy baskets in transition, but when they are unable to play at a fast pace, Purdue’s offense struggles in the half court.  The Boilermakers will not get their preferred style of play against a Vermont team that plays at an extremely slow pace while grinding teams in the half court.  Purdue has been held to 70 points or less in five games away from home this season.  The Boilermakers are just 2-3 SU and 0-5 ATS in those games with their two wins coming by just 4 and 5 points.  Purdue will be out of their comfort zone in this game, so we’ll take the points with Vermont in this game on Thursday night.                     

9* Play VERMONT (+).

Vanderbilt got hot at the right time, and they parlayed that into a NCAA tournament bid.  The Commodores went 7-2 SU over their last nine games of the season, and their two wins over Florida during that span sealed their at-large bid.  But Vanderbilt had too put everything they had into their late season push, so there’s reason to expect a drained team for this game.  Vanderbilt’s offense has struggled all season away from home.  The Commodores only average 65.9 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 35.8% shooting from the three-point land away from home.  Vanderbilt struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, especially when playing away from home.  The Commodores went just 3-8 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points.        

Northwestern had a terrific season, and they finally got their first ever ticket to the Big Dance.  The Wildcats play at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  Northwestern only gives up 65.1 points per game on 40.3% shooting from the field and 33.5% shooting from three-point land this season.  Northwestern held 28 of their 34 opponents this season to 70 points or less, so Vanderbilt’s offense is in for a struggle.  Northwestern will face a Vanderbilt team that shouldn’t be laying points, especially since they own a poor -1.6 point differential away from home this season.  The wrong team is favored, so we’ll take the points with Northwestern in this game on Thursday afternoon.  

9* Play NORTHWESTERN (+).

Bucknell is a fundamentally sound and experienced team that will not get trapped into West Virginia’s frenetic style.  The Bison are 18-3 over their last twenty-one games, so this is a team that simply knows how to win.  Overall, Bucknell is 26-8 on the season, including 12-6 in games away from home.  The Bison play at a semi-fast, but controlled pace while running good offense that hits a lot of high percentage shots.  Bucknell averages 76.1 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from three-point land.  Bucknell’s defense has been exceptional in neutral court games this season as they are only giving up 61 points per game on 40.5% shooting from the field and 32% shooting from three-point land.

West Virginia opened the season with a 12-1 SU record, but the Mountaineers are just 14-7 SU and 7-14 ATS over their last twenty-one games.  West Virginia’s offense comes into this game in poor current form.  The Mountaineers are only averaging 67.4 points per game on 40.2% shooting from the field and 35.7% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  West Virginia is certainly a good team, but their recent play does not warrant them being priced in this pointspread range, especially on a neutral court against a very good Bucknell team that is in excellent current form.  We’ll take the generous points with Bucknell in this game on Thursday afternoon.   

9* Play BUCKNELL (+).

Princeton played exceptional basketball this season.  The Tigers come into this game with a 23-6 record after opening the season at just 4-6.  That means Princeton is on a 19-game winning streak, and to their credit, ten of those games were on the road.  The Tigers are extremely well coached, and they play a perfect half-court style of basketball that is conducive to NCAA tournament success.  Princeton has held their last 18 opponents to 69 points or less in regulation time.  Overall, the Tigers are only allowing 62 points per game on 42.4% shooting from the field and 34.4% shooting from three-point land.  Their defense is tremendous by efficiency metrics as they only give up 0.94 points per 100 possessions.  Princeton also has a terrific offense that averages 70.8 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field and 38.1% shooting from three-point land.  

Notre Dame was more of a slower paced offense in years past, but the Irish sped up their style of play this season.  And because of their faster style of play, Notre Dame’s offense has struggled mightily in the half court.  The Irish went just 3-5 SU when held to less than 70 points this season, and they are just 1-7 ATS when held to less than 70 points based on the posted spread.  Notre Dame’s three wins came by 4, 5, and 8 points which clearly indicates that the Irish cannot extend leads when playing an opponent that forces them into a half court game.  Notre Dame went just 9-7 on the road this season, and the Irish only own a 1.0 point differential away from home.  This game will be close throughout, so we’ll take the points with Princeton on Thursday afternoon.           

10* Play PRINCETON (+).

UC Irvine had a good season; they won the Big West regular season title while going 12-4 in conference play.  The Anteaters will play in the NIT after reaching the title game of the CollegeIndsider tournament last season.  UC Irvine played all four games on the road to reach that game, so playing away from home is not an issue for them.  UC Irvine played at California, Arizona, Saint Mary's, New Mexico State and Nevada in non-conference this season.  All are NCAA tournament teams except California who happens to be the #1 seed in the NIT.  “We’re not strangers to playing road games against good teams as you can see from looking at our schedule,” said head coach Russell Turner.  The Anteaters also feel a bit disrespected with their seed: “We’ve got a competitive group and enjoy playing together, and we’ve earned the opportunity to do that again. We have a lot of pride. We feel like we’re seeded last in the NIT.”

Illinois State feels like they got snubbed by the NCAA tournament committee.  The Redbirds are highly disappointed to be in the NIT, so they are quite vulnerable tonight, especially as a double digit favorite.  “Obviously we were pretty disappointed and crushed after waiting for our name to come up,” said head coach Dan Muller.  “Mentally it’s tough because we had high hopes.”  Illinois State’s players feel the same way as their coach: “Obviously we were disappointed our name didn’t get called,” said Tony Wills.  “It is what it is. We have to fight through it. We have to come together and make the best of the NIT.”  This game is all about motivation; UC Irvine wants to be playing while Illinois State is clearly distracted by not making the Big Dance.  We’ll take the points with UC Irvine in this game on Wednesday night.

10* Play UC IRVINE (+).

New Orleans has played mediocre basketball since the All-Star break.  The Pelicans traded for DeMarcus Cousins, but so far, his addition has yet to make an impact on the team’s performance.  New Orleans is just 4-6 SU with one of their wins coming in overtime.  New Orleans played five of those ten games on their home court, so it’s not a good sign that they’ve struggled.  The Pelicans did beat Portland 100-77 at home last night, but the Trail Blazers were in a terrible spot, so the big win wasn’t a surprise.  New Orleans won by 23 points despite shooting just 28.6% (6-21) from three-point land and 60% (18-30) from the free throw line.  Their win last night had more to do with Portland’s ineptitude rather than any dominance displayed by New Orleans.

Miami last played on Sunday night in Indiana; the Heat lost 102-98.  Miami has been playing without Goran Dragic (eye), but he is expected to return to the court tonight.  Dragic makes Miami’s offense go, so his return will boost the performance and production tonight.  The Heat have had the last two nights off, and off a loss and a return home, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Miami’s offense averages 105.7 points per game on 46.9% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three-point land at home.  New Orleans’ defense gives up 104.5 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field on the road.  We’ll lay the points with Miami in this game on Wednesday night.     

9* Play HEAT (-).

Philadelphia will play their fourth and final game of their West Coast road trip tonight at Golden State.  The 76ers opened their trip with a 114-108 overtime loss at Portland.  Next up was a game in Los Angeles against the Clippers where they blew a 4-point lead in the fourth quarter after getting out-scored 37-21 en route to a 112-100 loss.  In their last game, Philadelphia beat the Lakers 118-116 after overcoming a halftime deficit.  Now the 76ers are stepping way up in class against Golden State, and off their last three draining games, we expect Philadelphia to be non-competitive in this game.  Philadelphia’s defense is in poor current form; the 76ers have allowed an average of 118 points per game on 50.3% shooting from the field over their last five games.

Golden State comes into tonight on a 3-game losing streak.  That losing streak began with an ugly 13-point (99-86) home loss to the Boston Celtics.  That was Golden State’s lone home game over their last eight games, and with a return home tonight, we expect a peak performance.  Don’t read too much into Golden State’s 22-point loss at San Antonio on Saturday night because the Warriors rested four of their starters.  Golden State has had two full days off since, and with everybody returning to the court, the Warriors will be primed for a big game, especially on the offensive end of the court.  Golden State’s offense is terrific at home where they are averaging 120.3 points per game on 51.3% shooting from the field and 41.6% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll lay the points with Golden State in this game on Tuesday night.    

10* Play WARRIORS (-).

This is a difficult scheduling situation for the Lakers as they must travel and play in the thin air and altitude of Denver after a draining, high-scoring 116-118 loss at home versus the 76ers last night.  The Lakers' defense was terrible as they allowed Philadelphia to score those 118 points while shooting 51.9% from the field, including 41.7% from three-point range.  The Lakers are now 1-9 SU in their past ten games and they will have no time to fix their problems tonight, especially on the road where they are 8-27 SU this season while allowing 113.1 points per game on 48.4% FG shooting.

Denver enters tonight in solid current form with a 5-2 SU/ATS record over their past seven games, including back-to-back wins by +33 points.  Overall, the Nuggets have won their past five games by +75 points combined.  Denver is rested and will be focused as they are playing with revenge after losing the most recent meeting in Los Angeles in January.  The Nuggets are still 6-2 ATS in the past eight head-to-head meetings in this series and Denver has been a strong offensive team at home this season where they average 112.8 points per game on 47.8% FG shooting.  This is a solid scheduling situation for Denver at home tonight.

10* Play NUGGETS (-).

Portland is in a terrible situational and scheduling spot for tonight’s game in Phoenix.  The Trail Blazers have played back-to-back overtime games, including last night at home against the Washington Wizards.  The Trail Blazers blew a 21-point halftime lead in that game and lost 125-124 despite shooting 51.1% (48-94) from the field and 50% (16-32) from three-point land.  Portland had seven players log 25 minutes or more, including five guys logging 33 minutes or more.  In their previous overtime game against Philadelphia, the Trail Blazers had four of their five starters play 38 minutes or more while six players overall logged 24 minutes or more.  Portland will now hit the road while playing on a back-to-back set after two consecutive draining games.

Phoenix also played last night, but they got a confidence-building win at Dallas in a 100-98 final.  The Suns will now return home, and they are catching points against a tired and deflated Portland team.  Phoenix has a good offense that can take advantage of Portland’s tired defense.  The Suns are averaging 107.7 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field and 34.2% shooting from three-point land.  That offense will face a Portland defense that is giving up 110.6 points per game on 45.6% shooting from the field and 38.1% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll take the points with Phoenix in this game on Sunday night.    

10* Play SUNS (+).

A pair of top 25 teams will meet in the Big 12 championship game tonight in Kansas City, Missouri and the matchup edge goes to West Virginia.  The Mountaineers are already 2-0 SU/ATS this season versus the Cyclones with easy double-digit wins in both games.  WVU won 85-72 as a 2-point road favorite in January and then won 87-76 as an 8-point home favorite one week ago.  Using a standard 3.5 points for home court in each game would have made neutral court lines of -5.5 and -4.5 favoring West Virginia, so tonight's line for this third meeting is a full basket too low.

Iowa State is a team that needs to play fast with an uptempo pace in order to be successful.  That style plays right into West Virginia's game plan as the Mountaineers are a full-court pressure defense that forces 21 turnovers per game and is very comfortable with a fast pace.  West Virginia enters this game in excellent current form on defense, allowing just 62.0 points on 40.2% FG shooting in their past five games, while Iowa State has allowed 77.0 points on 43.4% FG in their past five games.  The Cyclones rely heavily on the three-point shot with 25 attempts per game this season, however those long range shots will be more difficult tonight since this is the third game in three days without rest, while West Virginia will be able to generate more consistent baskets down low and in transition.  The matchup and line value favors the Mountaineer in this Big 12 championship game on Saturday night.

10* Play WEST VIRGINIA (-).

Vanderbilt played last night and they beat Texas A&M 66-41.  The Commodores somehow won that game by 25 points despite shooting just 39.7% (23-58) from the field and 37.9% (11-29) from three-point land.  That type of offensive performance against Florida tonight will make Vanderbilt non-competitive in this game.  Vanderbilt’s offense has struggled all season away from home, so there’s a very good chance they’ll play a subpar game tonight.  The Commodores only average 65.9 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 35.8% shooting from the three-point land away from home.  Vanderbilt struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, especially when playing away from home.  The Commodores went just 3-7 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points.

Florida comes into tonight’s game off a 73-71 road loss at Vanderbilt in their season finale.  The Gators did not have to play yesterday, and with extra time to prepare for this game and playing with quick turnaround revenge, we expect a strong bounce back game by Florida.  The Gators are actually playing with double revenge as they also lost to Vanderbilt at home this season as well.  Florida’s defense only gives up 66.4 points per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 45.4% shooting from three-point land, and they’ll stymie Vanderbilt’s offense in this game.  We’ll lay the points with Florida in this game on Friday night.

10* Play FLORIDA (-).

Alabama had to play yesterday, and the Crimson Tide beat Mississippi State 75-55.  Alabama played one of their best offensive games of the season while scoring 75 points in their twenty-point win.  Alabama shot 47.2% (25-53) from the field and 50% (8-16) from three-point land.  The Crimson Tide have struggled all season on offense, and in fact, Alabama only averages 68.6 points per game on 42.2% shooting from the field and 32% shooting from three-point land.  Alabama’s offense averages just 67.2 points per game on 41.2% shooting from the field and 32.2% shooting from three-point land away from home, so yesterday’s offensive outburst sets them up to regress in this game.

South Carolina comes into today’s game off a 75-70 road loss at Mississippi in their season finale.  The Gamecocks did not have to play yesterday, and with extra time to prepare for this game and playing off a loss, we expect a strong bounce back game by South Carolina.  The Gamecocks will also be playing with revenge after losing to Alabama in overtime earlier this season.  South Carolina’s defense only gives up 64.6 points per game on 39.8% shooting from the field and 29.5% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll lay the points with South Carolina in this game on Friday afternoon.

9* Play SOUTH CAROLINA (-).

Indiana began the season with a 10-2 SU record, but since then, the Hoosiers have gone just 7-12 SU over their last nineteen games.  Unfortunately for Indiana, they were hit with major injuries to their better players.  James Blackmon Jr and Juwan Morgan both missed multiple games while OG Anunoby suffered a season-ending knee injury.  However, Indiana’s play as of late has been vastly improved despite the fact they’ve gone just 2-6 SU over their last eight games.  In fact, four of their six losses have come by 6 points or less, so those games could have been wins instead of losses.  One of those losses was a 96-90 overtime loss at Iowa in a game Indiana dominated but ultimately couldn’t overcome the refs who gave the Hawkeyes a whopping 47 attempts from the free throw line; Indiana only took 19 free throws.  Indiana has a very good offense that averages 80.4 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 37.6% shooting from three point-land.  That strong offense will now face a terrible Iowa defense that gives up 80.6 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 37.5% shooting from three-point land away from home.

Iowa comes into this game on a 4-game winning streak which began with their overtime home win over Indiana.  The Hawkeyes then won outright as underdogs at Maryland and at Wisconsin before blowing out Penn State in their last home game.  Iowa’s defense has been their weakness all season, especially as of late.  They’ve given up 70 points or more in eleven of their last fourteen games.  Over their last five games, Iowa has allowed 73 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field.  Iowa’s offense played one of their best games of the season in their route of Penn State.  The Hawkeyes scored 90 points on 47.7% (31-65) shooting from the field, 57.1% (12-21) shooting from three-point land, and 84.2% (16-19) from the free throw line.  Indiana is the superior team, and since Iowa is set to regress, we’ll back the Hoosiers in this game on Thursday night.

10* Play INDIANA.

New Mexico went 17-13 SU during the regular season, but they ended on a 1-3 SU slide.  The Lobos won their last game 64-59 over San Diego State as 1.5-point home underdogs.  New Mexico is a team that needs to play at a faster pace to be at their best, but they will not get their preferred pace against Fresno State in this game.  New Mexico struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, especially when playing away from home.  The Lobos went just 1-4 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points.  Fresno State routinely plays in games that have low possessions, so New Mexico’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Fresno State was in a funk for the month of January when they went just 4-6 SU over a ten-game stretch.  The Bulldogs have reverted back to their winning ways as they come into this game on a 5-game winning streak.  Fresno State plays at a slow pace while playing solid defense.  Over their last five games, Fresno State’s defense has given up just 60.2 points per game on 41.9% shooting from the field and 29.5% shooting from three-point land.  New Mexico’s offense is in poor current form; the Bulldogs have only averaged 66 points per game on 42.5% shooting from the field and 28.9% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  We’ll back Fresno State in this game on Thursday night.

9* Play FRESNO STATE (-).

Rutgers went just 14-17 SU during the regular season with ten of those wins coming on their home court.  The Scarlett Knights went just 4-11 SU away from home, so it’s apparent they’ve played much worse on the road this season.  Rutgers already lost to Ohio State earlier this season after their offense shot just 39.7% (25-63) from the field and 23.5% (4-17) from three-point land.  The Scarlett Knights have struggled all season on offense, and in fact, Rutgers only averages 65 points per game on 41% shooting from the field and 29.5% shooting from three-point land.  Rutgers’ offense averages just 61 points per game on 39.4% shooting from the field and 31% shooting from three-point land away from home.

Ohio State comes into tonight’s game off a 96-91 home loss to Indiana in their season finale.  The Buckeyes played their worst defensive game of the season while allowing Indiana to shoot 58.6% (34-58) from the field and 52.2% (12-23) from three-point land.  Off that awful defensive performance, we expect a strong bounce back game by Ohio State, especially since they are taking a monumental step-down in offensive class against Rutgers.  Overall, the Buckeyes’ defense only gives up 69.9 points per game on 41.7% shooting from the field and 35.8% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll lay the points with Ohio State in this game on Wednesday night.

10* Play OHIO STATE (-).

Chicago has played mediocre basketball since the All-Star break.  The Bulls are 3-3 SU with one of their wins coming in overtime.  Chicago played four of those six games on their home court, so it’s not a good sign that they’ve struggled.  The Bulls lost 109-95 in Detroit on Monday night, and now they’ll be playing on a back-to-back road set while playing shorthanded.  Chicago may be without Jimmy Butler (illness), Dwyane Wade (thigh), and Rajon Rondo (ankle) tonight; all three are listed as either doubtful or game-time decisions.  Chicago’s offense has trouble scoring when those three are on the floor, so if the Bulls have to play without them, it’s hard to imagine the team being efficient on the offensive end of the court.

Orlando comes into tonight’s game off back-to-back losses with their last being a 113-105 home loss to the New York Knicks.  The Magic held a 7-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of that game, but they got out-scored 28-13 over the final twelve minutes and lost.  The Magic had last night off, and off that blown game, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Orlando’s offense comes into this game in good current form.  Over their last five games, the Magic have averaged 104.8 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field.  Chicago’s defense has given up 104.2 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field over their last five games.  We’ll back Orlando in this game on Wednesday night.     

9* Play MAGIC (+).

St. Mary’s and Gonzaga will play for the third time this season.  Gonzaga won both meetings quite easily while scoring 79 and 74 points on St. Mary’s.  Both teams are in the NCAA tournament regardless of tonight’s outcome, so this game will be played much looser than normal.  St. Mary’s offense comes into this game in excellent current form.  The Gaels have scored 70 points or more in six straight games, and 81 points exactly in three of those games.  Over their last five games, St. Mary’s offense has averaged 76 points per game on 53.5% shooting from the field and 42.7% shooting from three-point land. 

Gonzaga has had a terrific season, and they come into tonight’s game with a 31-1 SU record.  The Bulldogs have scored 77 and 82 points in their two conference tournament games, and their offense will be highly efficient once again tonight.  Over their last five games, Gonzaga’s offense has averaged 81.6 points per game on 53.7% shooting from the field and 34.6% shooting from three-point land.  In their two games against St. Mary’s this season, the Bulldogs scored 153 total points on 60.2% (59-98) shooting from the field and 47.6% (10-21) shooting from three-point land.  We expect a high-scoring game between St. Mary’s and Gonzaga on Tuesday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Sacramento has played five consecutive home games since the All-Star break.  The Kings went 1-4 SU in those games with their last being a 110-109 home loss in overtime last night to the Utah Jazz.  Sacramento blew that game after being up by 12 points heading into the fourth quarter, and after a draining effort, we don’t expect the Kings to have much for tonight’s game in the thin air and altitude of Denver.  The Kings had all five starters play 37 minutes or more while three of those guys played 39 minutes or more.  Overall, Sacramento had seven players log 24 minutes or more.  The Kings will now hit the road while playing on a back-to-back set with this also being their first road game since February 15th.  Sacramento’s defense has been poor on the road this season; the Kings are giving up 105.2 points per game on 45.9% shooting from the field and 37.8% shooting from three-point land.    

Denver was in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for their game against the Hornets on Saturday night.  They lost that game as expected, but off such a poor effort, we expect a peak performance tonight.  The Nuggets had three starters score 8 points or less on 22.2% shooting from the field (4-18) and 25% (3-12) shooting from three-point land in that game.  Denver’s offense is terrific at home where they are averaging 112.8 points per game on 47.4% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from three-point land.  The Nuggets’ offense will take advantage of the poor Sacramento defense, especially since the Kings will be playing on tired legs.  We’ll lay the points with Denver in this game on Monday night.    

10* Play NUGGETS (-).

Minnesota has an impressive 23-7 SU record, and the Golden Gophers come into this game on an 8-game winning streak.  Minnesota is a team that needs to play fast to be at their best, but they will not get their preferred pace tonight against a Wisconsin team that plays at a very slow pace.  The Golden Gophers struggle mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, and they are just 1-3 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points.  Wisconsin routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Minnesota’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Wisconsin comes into their season finale on a 3-game losing streak with their last being a terrible 59-57 loss to Iowa as 12-point home favorites.  Off that ugly effort, and with this being the last home game for their seniors, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Wisconsin plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Badgers only give up 56.2 points per game on 38.1% shooting from the field at home.  Minnesota’s offense has been much worse on the road where they only average 69.6 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from three-point land this season.  We’ll lay the points with Wisconsin in this game on Sunday night.

10* Play WISCONSIN (-).

Charlotte has alternated wins and losses since the All-Star break with their last game being a 120-103 loss at Phoenix.  The Hornets had last night off, and off a blowout loss, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Charlotte’s offense has played good basketball recently, and that will continue tonight against a Denver defense that gives up 111.5 points per game on 48.2% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from three-point land at home.  The Hornets are averaging 108 points per game despite shooting just 42.5% shooting from the field and 35.9% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Denver is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game against Charlotte.  The Nuggets return home off back-to-back road wins at Chicago and at Milwaukee.  Denver was underdogs in both of those games, but now they must lay points into the Hornets; the Nuggets are just 1-3 ATS as a favorite their last four times in that role.  Denver’s offense scored 225 points while shooting 52.4% (86-164) from the field, 36.5% (23-63) from three-point land, and 90.9% (40-44) from the free throw line in their last two games.  Denver will regress in this game, so we’ll take the points with Charlotte on Saturday night.    

9* Play HORNETS (+).

Duke has an impressive 23-7 SU record, and the Blue Devils already beat North Carolina by 8 points (86-78) earlier this season.  But we expect a much different outcome in the rematch, especially with this game on North Carolina’s strong home court.  Duke shot 52.6% (30-57) from the field and 48.1% (13-27) from three-point land in the first meeting, but that won’t be repeated tonight.  The Blue Devils have played much better basketball at home than on the road, and in fact, Duke is just 4-5 SU in true road games this season.  Duke’s defense is giving up 71.7 points per game on 44.9% shooting from the field and 35.4% shooting from three-point land.

North Carolina returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being an expected loss at Virginia.  The Tar Heels played their worst game of the season, especially on offense as they scored just 43 points against the Cavaliers.  North Carolina is a perfect 15-0 SU at home this season, and with this being their final home game, we expect a peak performance tonight.  North Carolina’s offense is averaging 87.3 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field and 38.1% shooting from three-point land.  North Carolina’s defense has been terrific at home where they are only giving up 64.8 points per game on 40.5% shooting from the field and 29.7% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll lay the points with North Carolina in this game on Saturday night.     

10* Play NORTH CAROLINA (-).

Kansas comes into tonight’s game at Oklahoma State with the #1 ranking and an impressive 27-3 SU record.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Jayhawks.  Kansas will hit the road after an emotional senior night win over Oklahoma.  The Jayhawks trailed by 12 points in the second half before rallying back for a 73-63 win.  Kansas shot 50% (26-52) from the field and 47.4% (9-19) from three-point land in that comeback win.  Kansas beat Oklahoma State 87-80 at home earlier this season, but they trailed at the half, and they got out-shot 45.6%-44.1% from the field.  The Jayhawks were fortunate in getting a very favorable whistle in that game as they were +19 points from the free throw line while attempting a whopping 45 free throws to the Cowboys’ 14 attempts from the line.

Oklahoma State returns home off an 86-83 road loss at Iowa State.  The Cowboys are in excellent current form; they are 8-2 SU over their last ten games.  Oklahoma State is 11-4 SU at home where their offense has been very difficult to stop.  The Cowboys are averaging 91.5 points per game on 49% shooting from the field and 40.1% shooting from three-point land.  Oklahoma State’s strong offense will face a Kansas defense that has been significantly worse on the road where they are giving up 71.5 points per game on 43.2% shooting from the field.  This is a natural letdown spot for Kansas, so we’ll back Oklahoma State at home on Saturday night.

9* Play OKLAHOMA STATE (pick).

Texas Tech comes into today’s game at Kansas State with a solid 18-12 SU record.  However, sixteen of their eighteen wins this season have come on their home court.  The Red Raiders are 0-8 SU in conference road games, and we do not expect that to change after this game.  Texas Tech is just 3-6 SU over their last nine games, so they are not in good current form right now.  The Red Raiders beat Kansas State 66-65 earlier this season, but the Red Raiders were fortunate as they trailed at the half, and they only led for a total of 47 seconds in the second half.  That’s not a good sign with the rematch on the road, especially since Texas Tech gives up 72.9 points per game on 44.5% shooting from the field away from home this season.

Kansas State returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being a 75-74 win at TCU.  The Wildcats have lost their previous four home games, and with this being their final game of the regular season, they’ll be primed for a peak performance this afternoon.  Kansas State is holding opponents to just 67 points per game on 42.7% shooting from the field at home this season.  Kansas State’s offense has also been much better at home where they average 74.6 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three-point land this season.  We’ll lay the points with Kansas State in this game on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play KANSAS STATE (-).

Toronto just hosted Washington on Wednesday night, and the Raptors lost that game 105-96 as 4.5-point home favorites.  The Raptors’ offense was terrible in that game as they only shot 36.7% (33-90) from the field and 35% (7-20) from three-point land.  Despite the 9-point loss and the terrible shooting, Toronto held some significant advantages over Washington in that game.  The Raptors dominated the boards, especially on the offensive end of the court.  Toronto held a 16-7 offensive rebounding edge, and they also got to the free throw line 26 times (7 more attempts than Washington).  The Raptors also held a 13-5 fast-break points edge which shows they were the more aggressive team while being able to control the pace of the game.  Toronto’s downfall was their shooting, but off that poor performance, we expect a strong bounce back effort tonight.

Washington is in a bad situational spot for tonight’s rematch with Toronto.  The Wizards return home off their upset win at Toronto, and they are now laying points.  Not only that, but Washington also beat Golden State 112-108 as 7-point home underdogs in their game prior to that.  So Washington is off back-to-back SU wins as underdogs, and they are now playing in the favorite’s role.  The Wizards lost 102-92 to Utah in their first home game after the All-Star break, and Toronto’s new lineup is quite capable of playing similar lockdown defense.  In fact, prior to their loss to Washington, the Raptors held three of their previous four opponents to 97 points or less.  This game will go right down to the wire, so we’ll take Toronto plus the points on Friday night.    

10* Play RAPTORS (+).

Charlotte and Phoenix match-up well for a high-scoring game on Thursday night.  Charlotte’s offense has been on a roll since the All-Star break.  The Hornets have scored 108 points or more in three of their four games while averaging 109.3 points per game.  Over their last four games, the Hornets’ offense has made 55 three’s while getting to the free throw line 98 times.  Charlotte has been very aggressive on offense, and that won’t change tonight against a bad defensive team that also likes to play at a quick pace.  Charlotte will face a Phoenix defense that is in poor current form.  The Suns have given up 358 total points on 51.2% (133-260) shooting from the field in their three games since the All-Star break.

Phoenix will return home off three straight road games, so we expect a focused effort tonight.  The Suns’ offense likes to play up-tempo basketball, and the Hornets will be more than willing to run with them in this game.  Phoenix is averaging 114.8 points per game on 50.2% shooting from the field over their last five games.  The Suns will face a Charlotte defense that gives up 106.5 points per game on 45.1% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from three-point land on the road.  We expect a high-scoring game between the Hornets and Suns on Thursday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Denver is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Milwaukee.  The Nuggets have alternated wins and losses since the All-Star break, and their last game was a 125-107 win at Chicago last night.  Denver shot 56.2% (45-80) from the field, 43.3% (13-30) from three-point land, and 91.7% (22-24) from the free throw line.  Denver played a complete team game last night with seven guys scoring in double digits.  The Nuggets had four starters play 30 minutes or more while six guys played 28 minutes or more.  Denver is now playing on a back-to-back road set without rest, so they will regress off last night’s performance.

Milwaukee has also alternated wins and losses since the All-Star break with their last game being a 102-95 loss at Cleveland.  The Bucks had last night off, and with a return home, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Milwaukee has played much better basketball at home this season, especially on the offensive end of the floor.  The Bucks are averaging 107.9 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three-point land at home.  Milwaukee will face a Denver defense that is giving up 111.8 points per game on 48.2% shooting from the field and 37.4% shooting from three-point land on the road this season.  We’ll back Milwaukee in this game on Wednesday night.    

10* Play BUCKS (-).

Detroit is 2-1 SU since the All-Star break, but they played all three of those games at home.  Even so, Detroit trailed by double digits late in the second half in all three games, and both of their wins came in overtime after making big comebacks.  The Pistons beat Portland 120-113 last night after coming back from a 13-point deficit.  Detroit had two starters play 40 minutes or more while eight players overall logged 22 minutes or more.  The Pistons will now hit the road while playing on a back-to-back set with this also being their third game in four nights.  Detroit’s defense has been poor on the road this season; the Pistons are giving up 104.4 points per game on 47.4% shooting from the field and 39.4% shooting from three-point land.    

New Orleans made a big splash at the trading deadline when they landed DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings.  With Cousins playing alongside Anthony Davis, many believed the Pelicans would dominate right away.  But that hasn’t been the case at all as New Orleans has lost all three of their games since the trade.  But the Pelicans played a terrific game in Oklahoma City on Sunday night, and they deserved a better outcome.  New Orleans has had two days off since, and with a return home, we expect a peak performance tonight.  The Pelicans will be without Cousins after he got a technical foul in their last game, but his absence will force New Orleans to play more of a team game.  We’ll back New Orleans in this game on Wednesday night.    

9* Play PELICANS (-).

Florida State has an impressive 23-6 SU record, and the Seminoles already blew out Duke by 16 points (88-72) earlier this season.  But we expect a much different outcome in the rematch, especially with this game on Duke’s strong home court.  Florida State shot 53% (35-66) from the field in the first meeting, but that won’t be repeated tonight.  The Seminoles have played much better basketball at home than on the road, and in fact, Florida State is just 3-5 SU in true road games this season.  Florida State’s defense has been terrible on the road where they are giving up 76.1 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field and 38.6% shooting from three-point land.

Duke returns home off back-to-back road losses at Syracuse and at Miami, FL.  The Blue Devils are 14-1 SU at home this season, and with this being their final home game of the season, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Duke’s offense has been fantastic at home all season.  The Blue Devils are averaging 85.6 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the field and 38.7% shooting from three-point land.  Duke’s offense will take advantage of Florida State’s poor road defense, especially since the Seminoles will be playing their second consecutive road game, their fourth road game in five games, and their seventh road game over their last ten games overall.  We’ll lay the points with Duke in this game on Tuesday night.     

10* Play DUKE (-).

Indiana came out of the All-Star break with an easy 102-92 home win over the Memphis Grizzlies.  But the Pacers had to play the very next night on the road, and they got blown out in a 113-95 loss at the Miami Heat.  That was a bad scheduling spot for Indiana, and fatigue set-in during the fourth quarter when they got out-scored 30-16 by Miami.  Overall, the Pacers shot just 40% (34-85) from the field and 33.3% (4-12) from three-point land.  Indiana had last night off, so they are rested and ready for a strong bounce back performance tonight in Houston.  The Pacers waxed the Rockets 120-101 last month, and they are 2-2 SU over their last four meetings with the two losses coming by 10 and 4 points in overtime. 

Houston is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game against the Pacers.  The Rockets are 2-0 SU since the All-Star break with those wins coming by a combined 42 points.  Houston won at New Orleans by 30 points (129-99), and their last game was a 142-130 win at Minnesota.  The Rockets’ offense scored 271 total points in those two games while shooting 48.1% (89-185) from the field and 38.5% (42-109) from three-point land.  Those numbers are not sustainable, especially the amount of shots taken, so this is a prime spot for the Rockets to throw in a clunker.  This is a flat spot for Houston, so we’ll take Indiana plus the points in this game on Monday night.     

9* Play PACERS (+).

West Virginia opened the season with a 12-1 SU record, but the Mountaineers are just 11-5 SU and 6-10 ATS over their last sixteen games.  West Virginia will play back-to-back road games for just the second time this season; they lost the second game in this situation back in January.  West Virginia’s defense is in poor current form; the Mountaineers have given up 69.6 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 38.7% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  West Virginia is certainly a good team, but their recent play does not warrant them being priced in this range, especially on the road against a Baylor team that is in an excellent scheduling spot.

Baylor returns home off an expected road loss at Iowa State on Saturday.  The Bears are 14-2 SU at home this season, and with this being their final home game of the season, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Baylor’s defense has been fantastic at home all season.  The Bears are holding their opponents to just 58.9 points per game on 38% shooting from the field and 28.2% shooting from three-point land.  Baylor has held fifteen of their sixteen home opponents to less than 70 points this season.  West Virginia just scored 61 points in their last game at TCU, and they were fortunate to win that game by a single point.  Baylor is a monumental step-up in class for the Mountaineers’ offense, so expect them to struggle once again.  We’ll back Baylor in this game on Monday night.     

9* Play BAYLOR (+).

North Carolina has an impressive 25-5 SU record, and the Tar Heels are certainly one of the most talented teams in the country.  The Tar Heels already waxed Virginia by 24 points (65-41) earlier this season, but we expect a much closer game in the rematch.  North Carolina is a team that needs to play fast to be at their best, but they will not get their preferred pace tonight against a Virginia team that plays at one of the slowest paces in the country.  Even though they blew out Virginia in the first meeting, the game was slow and the Tar Heels only scored 65 points at home.  North Carolina struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, and they are 0-3 SU on the road this season when held to less than 70 points.  Virginia routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so North Carolina’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Virginia returns home after a confidence-building 70-55 road win at NC State on Saturday.  The Cavaliers have lost their last two home games, so we expect a peak performance tonight, especially since they are playing with legitimate revenge.  Virginia plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Cavaliers only give up 51.1 points per game on 36.7% shooting from the field and 30.6% shooting from three point-land at home.  North Carolina’s defense has been terrible on the road where they allow 77.7 points per game on 44.7% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from three-point land this season.  We’ll take the points with Virginia in this game on Monday night.

10* Play VIRGINIA (+).

New Orleans made a big splash at the trading deadline when they landed DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings.  With Cousins playing alongside Anthony Davis, many believed the Pelicans would dominate right away.  But that hasn’t been the case at all as New Orleans got blown out in their first two games since the trade.  Tonight’s game at Oklahoma City will be their third game together, and we expect a much better result, especially since they are playing a limited Thunder team that mainly relies on Russell Westbrook for offense, and a team that has very little protection inside the paint.  This is a favorable matchup for New Orleans, and off back-to-back blowout losses, we expect this to be the game the Pelicans showcase what their new lineup is capable of.

Oklahoma City won their first game after the All-Star break.  The Thunder walloped a poor Lakers team by 17 points (110-93).  Oklahoma City got a rare team performance on offense as four of their five starters scored 15 points or more while five players scored at least 12 points or more.  Oklahoma City has been unable to produce that type of offensive production consistently this season; it’s usually Westbrook doing all the scoring on his own.  Oklahoma City allowed the Lakers to score 56 points inside the paint, and now they are taking a monumental step-up in class while facing Davis and Cousins.  This game will go right down to the wire, so we’ll take New Orleans plus the points on Sunday night.    

9* Play PELICANS (+).

Butler comes into today’s game at Xavier with an impressive 22-6 SU record.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Bulldogs.  Butler will be playing back-to-back road games with their last being a 74-66 win at Villanova as 10-point underdogs.  Butler shot 50.9% (27-53) from the field and 40% (10-25) from three-point land in that game.  The Bulldogs will now lay points on the road off that upset win while playing in a natural letdown spot.  Butler will also be playing their fourth road game over their last six games, and their eighth road game over their last fourteenth game overall.

Xavier returns home off three straight road games with all of those games ending in defeat.  The Musketeers also lost their previous home game, so they will be primed for a peak performance this afternoon, especially against an upper echelon team like Butler.  Xavier is 12-2 SU at home where their defense is holding opponents to just 65 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from three-point land this season.  Xavier’s offense has also been much better at home where they average 77.4 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field and 38.5% shooting from three-point land this season.  We’ll take the points with Xavier in this game on Sunday afternoon.

10* Play XAVIER (+).

Iowa comes into tonight’s game off an extremely fortunate 96-90 home overtime win over Indiana on Tuesday night.  The Hawkeyes were dominated in that game, but they overcame a double-digit deficit because of Indiana’s ineptitude and a very generous whistle (they had a 49-17 free throw attempts advantage).  That gift win snapped a 3-game losing streak for Iowa, but we expect them to revert back to their losing ways in this game.  The Hawkeyes’ defense has been their weakness as they’ve given up 70 points or more in ten of their last eleven games.  On the road, their defense has given up 85 points per game on 47.3% shooting from the field and 39.9% shooting from three-point land.

Maryland is on a 2-game losing streak with their last being an 89-75 home loss to Minnesota.  The Terrapins are now primed for a big bounce back win, and we expect that tonight, especially since they already beat Iowa 84-76 on the road earlier this season.  Maryland has a very good defense, especially at home where they are holding opponents to just 66.5 points per game on 40.4% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from three point-land.  The Terrapins’ offense has been consistent all season while averaging 74.3 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 37% shooting from three-point land.  Maryland is the much better team, so we’ll lay the points with the Terrapins in this game on Saturday night.

9* Play MARYLAND (-).

Baylor comes into today’s game at Iowa State with an impressive 23-5 SU record.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Bears.  Baylor will hit the road while facing revenge after playing back-to-back home games.  Baylor beat Iowa State 65-63 at home earlier this season while out-shooting Iowa State 44.1%-39.3% from the field.  The Bears were also +5 points from the free throw line, but only won that game by 2 points on their home court.  Baylor’s offense is in poor current form, and they’ve struggled mightily with their half court offense against good defenses all season.  The Bears’ offense was unable to score on Iowa State at home, so it’s unlikely they’ll be able to do much damage against the Cyclones on the road.

Iowa State is in excellent current form as they’ve won four straight games and five of their last six games overall.  Iowa State is 10-3 SU at home where their offense has been very difficult to stop.  The Cyclones are averaging 82.2 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 39.4% shooting from three-point land.  Iowa State’s strong offense will face a Baylor defense that has been significantly worse on the road, especially recently when they’ve allowed 73, 75, and 84 points in three of their last four road games.  This is a huge game for Iowa State, so we’ll back the Cyclones at home on Saturday afternoon.

10* Play IOWA STATE (-).

Towson comes into today’s game at William & Mary with a solid 19-11 SU record, including an 82-80 home win over the Tribe earlier this season.  Towson was down 46-33 at the half in that game, and they allowed William & Mary to shoot 46.2% (24-52) from the field and 45.5% (10-22) from three-point land.  The Tribe also got to the free throw line 31 times in that game.  Despite all that, Towson somehow managed to comeback and win that game.  But the fact that they allowed William & Mary to control that game on their strong home court does not bode well for the rematch which comes on the road this afternoon.  Towson’s offense is significantly worse on the road where they only average 68.2 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 28.9% shooting from three-point land this season.

William & Mary owns a 15-13 SU record, including a terrific 12-1 mark at home.  The Tribe will play their final home game of the season, and since they are off a poor 14-point home loss to Hofstra and playing with meaningful revenge, we expect a peak performance in this game.  William & Mary’s offense is in excellent current form.  The Tribe averaged 81.8 points per game on 49% shooting from the field and 35.1% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  This is a terrific spot for William & Mary to bounce back strong, so we’ll lay the points with the Tribe in this game on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play WILLIAM & MARY (-).

Miami was one of the hottest teams in the NBA prior to the All-Star break.  The Heat went 14-2 SU over their last sixteen games before the break, and we expect Miami to pick up right where they left off in tonight’s game in Atlanta.  The Heat had no representatives in the All-Star game, and none were invited for the individual skill competitions.  Miami’s players felt disrespected, so expect a spirited effort in this game.  Head coach Erik Spoelstra has also put a lot of importance into the first game out of the break, and in fact, Miami beat the Hawks 115-111 in Atlanta as 10-point underdogs in this same spot a season ago.

Atlanta was up and down to close the first half of the season.  The Hawks alternated wins and losses over their last five games, and they went just 6-6 SU over their final twelve games before the All-Star break.  The Hawks are coached by Mike Budenholzer who was an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.  Popovich allows his teams to ease back into game shape after the All-Star break, and Budenholzer has taken that same approach with Atlanta.  The Hawks lost their first game back after the break last season as noted above.  Miami beat Atlanta 116-93 in their last meeting in early February, and the Heat are a perfect 3-0 ATS versus the Hawks this season.  We’ll take the points with Miami in this game on Friday night.       

10* Play HEAT (+).

Memphis comes into tonight’s game at Cincinnati with a solid 18-9 SU record on the season.  However, the Tigers are in poor current form as they are just 1-3 SU over their last four games.  Memphis’ offense has been terrible recently.  In fact, the Tigers have scored 66 points or less in six of their last seven games.  It’s highly unlikely Memphis will be able to snap out of their offensive funk tonight, especially with this game being on the road.  Over their last five games, the Tigers are only averaging 66.4 points per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 30.6% shooting from three-point land.  Memphis will now face a stout Cincinnati defense that only gives up 62.8 points per game on 37.8% shooting from the field and 37.9% shooting from three-point land at home this season.   

Cincinnati is 24-3 SU on the season, including a perfect 16-0 SU at home.  The Bearcats always dictate a slow pace at home, so Memphis will be at a tactical disadvantage in this game.  Memphis will be unable to play at their preferred fast pace, and their offense will not be able to trade points with the highly efficient Bearcats offense.  Cincinnati is averaging 84.6 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field and 38.4% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  The Bearcats’ average win at home has come by 21.8 points per game overall, and by 17.3 points per game in conference play.  We’ll lay the points with Cincinnati in this game on Thursday night.

10* Play CINCINNATI (-).

Oregon comes into tonight’s game at California with an impressive 24-4 SU record.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Ducks.  Oregon comes off back-to-back blowout wins at home with the last being a 101-73 throttling of Colorado.  The Ducks have scored 180 total points in their last two games while shooting an incredible 55.6% (65-117) from the field, 47.9% (23-48) from three-point land, and 79.4% (27-34) from the free throw line.  Oregon has struggled mightily with their half court offense on the road in slow-paced games this season; the Ducks are just 1-3 SU when they’ve scored less than 70 points away from home with their lone win coming by just 4 points.  California has held all sixteen of their home opponents to less than 70 points in regulation time this season.

California returns home off three straight road games with their last two ending in defeat.  The Golden Bears will be primed for a peak performance tonight, especially against an upper echelon team like Oregon.  California plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense, especially at home.  The Golden Bears only give up 60.3 points per game on 37.7% shooting from the field and 30% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  California’s offense has also been much better at home where they average 72.2 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field this season.  We’ll take the points with California in this game on Wednesday night.

9* Play CALIFORNIA (+).

Xavier comes into tonight’s game at Seton Hall with a solid 18-9 SU record, including a 72-70 home win over the Pirates earlier this season.  Xavier outshot Seton Hall 45.6%-43.1% from the field and 40%-27.6% from three-point land and still only won that game by 2 points on their strong home court.  Xavier was also +8 points from the three throw line which makes their 2-point win look even worse.  The Musketeers are now in a terrible scheduling spot; Xavier will be playing their third consecutive road game while on a 3-game losing streak.  Xavier’s offense is also in poor current form as they’ve averaged just 67 points per game on 43.9% shooting from the field and 32.3% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Seton Hall is also having a solid season; they own a 16-10 SU record, including a terrific 10-2 mark at home.  The Pirates got embarrassed by 22 points (92-70) by Villanova in their last home game.  With a back-to-back home game, and playing with meaningful revenge, we expect a peak performance by the Pirates in this game.  Seton Hall’s defense only gives up 68.9 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 34.9% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  The Pirates’ offense averages 78.8 points per game on 48.3% shooting from the field at home.  We’ll lay the points with Seton Hall in this game on Wednesday night.

10* Play SETON HALL (-).

Indiana began the season with a 10-2 SU record, but since then, the Hoosiers have gone just 5-10 SU over their last fifteen games.  Unfortunately for Indiana, they were hit with major injuries to their better players.  James Blackmon Jr and Juwan Morgan both missed multiple games while OG Anunoby suffered a season-ending knee injury.  However, Indiana’s play as of late has been vastly improved.  In fact, three of their last four losses have all come by 5 points or less, so those games could have been wins instead of losses.  Indiana has a very good offense that averages 80.3 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field and 37.4% shooting from three point-land.  That strong offense will now face a terrible Iowa defense that gives up 77.6 points per game on 43.7% shooting from the field and 35.6% shooting from three-point land.

Iowa comes into this game on a 3-game losing streak, including a 70-66 home loss to Illinois in their last game.  The Hawkeyes’ defense has been their weakness lately as they’ve given up 70 points or more in nine of their last ten games.  Over their last five games, Iowa has allowed 76.2 points per game on 44% shooting from the field.  Iowa’s offense has also gone missing in their last two games.  Against Michigan State and Illinois, the Hawkeyes have scored just 132 total points while shooting just 35.6% (42-118) from the field and 26.2% (11-42) from three-point land.  Iowa is just beginning their slide while Indiana has shown signs of improvement, so we’ll back the Hoosiers in this game on Tuesday night.

9* Play INDIANA (+).

Davidson has bounced back from their 3-game losing streak by winning their last two games.  The Wildcats beat George Washington at home, and their last game was a 79-74 win at Massachusetts.  Davidson will now play on the road once again, and tonight’s game at Richmond is one they’ve had circled since losing 82-80 to the Spiders as 11-point home favorites earlier this season.  Davidson played one of their worst defensive games of the season while allowing Richmond to shoot 53.2% (33-62) from the field and 44.4% (12-27) from three-point land.  Don’t expect a repeat performance in tonight’s rematch, especially since Richmond’s offense has averaged just 69 points per game over their last three games.

Richmond comes into tonight’s game on a 2-game losing streak, and we expect another home loss by the Spiders.  Richmond is only 9-5 SU at home this season, so they don’t possess a strong home court advantage.  The Spiders’ defense has been mediocre at home where they are giving up 72.1 points per game on 42.8% shooting from the field.  Richmond’s defense is also in terrible current form as they’ve given up 84 and 93 points in their last two games.  Over their last five games, Richmond has allowed 77 points per game on 47.6% shooting from the field.  Davidson is simply the better team, and in a revenge spot, we’ll back the Wildcats in this game on Tuesday night.

10* Play DAVIDSON (-).

Texas comes into tonight’s game with just a 10-17 SU record on the season, but the Longhorns have been a competitive team.  In fact, eleven of their seventeen losses this season have come by 10 points or less.  One of their close losses came versus West Virginia earlier this season.  Texas gave the Mountaineers all they could handle before losing 74-72 at home as an 11-point underdog.  The Longhorns have been a tough out for West Virginia over the past few years; Texas is 3-2 SU versus the Mountaineers with the two losses coming by just 9 total points.  Texas will once again give West Virginia all they want in tonight’s game, especially since the Longhorns only have four games left to play in their season.

West Virginia opened the season with a 12-1 SU record, but the Mountaineers are just 9-5 SU and 6-8 ATS over their last fourteen games.  West Virginia’s defense is in poor current form; the Mountaineers have given up 71.2 points per game on 41.8% shooting from the field and 41.1% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  West Virginia is certainly a good team, but their recent play does not warrant them laying this many points, especially against a competitive Texas team.  This is also a terrible scheduling situation for the Mountaineers as they are coming off back-to-back overtime games, including a grueling double-overtime game just two days ago in which three different starters played at least 41 minutes or more.  West Virginia relies heavily on their pressure defense which makes fatigue more of a factor this evening.  We’ll take the generous points with the Longhorns in this game on Monday night.

10* Play TEXAS (+).

Syracuse comes into tonight’s game at Georgia Tech with a 16-11 SU record on the season.  But 14 of their wins have come on their home court.  Syracuse is off back-to-back close losses with their last being a 76-72 overtime home loss to Louisville.  Now the Orange must hit the road once again and play their third road game over their last four games, and their fourth road game over their last six games overall.  Syracuse’s defense is in terrible current form, and they’ve been awful on the road all season.  Over their last five games, Syracuse’s defense has given up 78.4 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field and 42.1% shooting from three-point land.  Away from home this season, the Orange are giving up 84.9 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field and 44% shooting from three-point land. 

Georgia Tech returns home off a 70-61 loss at Miami, FL in their last game.  Off that loss and back on their home court, we expect a peak performance tonight, especially since the Yellow Jackets are 13-3 SU at home this season.  Georgia Tech’s defense has been terrific at home all season; the Yellow Jackets are only giving up 61.3 points per game on 36% shooting from the field and 30.6% shooting from three-point land.  Unlike Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets’ defense is in excellent current form.  Over their last five games, Georgia Tech’s defense has only allowed 67.8 points per game on 42.6% shooting from the field and 36.1% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll back Georgia Tech in this game on Sunday night.         

10* Play GEORGIA TECH (+).

South Carolina comes into tonight’s game at Vanderbilt with a 20-6 SU record on the season.  But the Gamecocks are not playing good basketball right now.  South Carolina is just 1-2 SU over their last three games, and their lone win came by just 4 points against a poor Mississippi State team.  South Carolina lost as 8.5-point home favorites against Arkansas in their last game, and now they must hit the road and lay points at Vanderbilt.  The Gamecocks’ defense is in terrible current form, so they are quite vulnerable in this spot.  Over their last five games, South Carolina’s defense has given up 76.8 points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 38.1% shooting from three-point land.

Vanderbilt has plenty of confidence coming into this game after beating Texas A&M 72-67 at home in their last game.  Vanderbilt’s offense has been good at home all season; the Commodores are averaging 77.8 points per game on 46.4% shooting from the field and 40.1% shooting from three-point land.  They’ll take advantage of South Carolina’s defense in this game.  Unlike South Carolina, the Commodores’ defense is in excellent current form.  Over their last five games, Vanderbilt’s defense has only allowed 66.6 points per game on 40.1% shooting from the field and 33.7% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll back Vanderbilt in this game on Saturday night.         

9* Play VANDERBILT (+).

Virginia hits the road after losing 65-55 at home to Duke on Wednesday night.  The Cavaliers played their worst offensive game of the season as they shot just 36.8% (21-57) from the field and 25% (5-20) from three-point land.  Off that loss, we expect a peak performance by the Cavaliers tonight, especially since they are now in the underdog role.  Virginia is 4-2 SU off a loss this season with all four wins coming by 16 points or more.  Virginia plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Cavaliers only give up 55.5 points per game on 39.6% shooting from the field and 32.3% shooting from three point-land.  Virginia’s offense has been slightly better on the road where they are averaging 68.7 points per game on 48.3% shooting from the field and 42.6% shooting from three-point land this season.

North Carolina has an impressive 22-5 SU record, and the Tar Heels are certainly one of the most talented teams in the country.  However, they’ve struggled against Virginia in the last few meetings because of their style of play.  North Carolina is a team that needs to play fast to be at their best, but they will not get their preferred pace tonight against a Virginia team that plays at one of the slowest paces in the country.  North Carolina struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, and they are just 2-3 SU against Virginia over the last few years.  The Tar Heels’ two wins came by just 4 points apiece.  Virginia routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so North Carolina’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.  We’ll take the points with Virginia in this game on Saturday night.

9* Play VIRGINIA (+).

SMU comes into tonight’s game at Houston with an impressive 23-4 SU record on the season.  However, this is a terrible situational and scheduling spot for the Mustangs.  SMU will hit the road after winning big back-to-back home games over Cincinnati and Tulane.  The Mustangs’ game against Cincinnati was a revenge spot that had implications on the regular season title.  SMU had to grind in that game and came out with a 60-51 win.  SMU’s next game was an obvious let down spot as 24-point favorites against a bad Tulane team.  The Mustangs trailed that game 42-27 at the half before out-scoring Tulane 53-33 over the final 20 minutes to win 80-75.  That strong offensive outburst by SMU was an anomaly, and since they only play a 6-man rotation, the energy needed to fuel that comeback will leave them empty for tonight’s game, especially since all five starters played 35 minutes or more.

Houston returns home off back-to-back road wins at Tulane and Tulsa.  The Cougars are playing their best basketball of the season right now; they’ve won five consecutive games by 9 points or more.  Houston was embarrassed by SMU earlier this season when they lost by 21 points, so we expect a peak performance tonight, especially since they are playing with revenge.  Houston is 10-3 SU at home where they own a terrific +15.7 point differential on the season.  The Cougars only give up 60.8 points per game on 37.2% shooting from the field and 31.7% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  Houston’s offense averages 76.5 points per game on 45.9% shooting from the field and 38.1% shooting from three-point land at home.  We’ll take the points with Houston in this game on Saturday night.

10* Play HOUSTON (+).

Princeton comes into tonight’s game at Yale on a hot run; the Tigers have won eleven straight games.  Overall, Princeton is 15-6 SU on the season, including a 66-58 home win over Yale earlier this season.  But that game was much closer than the final score indicates.  Princeton actually trailed Yale 54-53 with three minutes left to play, and the Bulldogs were playing without Anthony Dallier who averages 9.6 points on 32 minutes per game.  So even with Yale missing one of their better players, Princeton still trailed the Bulldogs on their strong home court.  That’s not a good sign for the rematch tonight, especially since the Tigers will be playing a fully healthy Yale team with this also being their fourth road game over their last six games overall.

Yale had their 22-game home winning streak snapped in a 75-67 loss to Harvard on Saturday night.  The Bulldogs blew a 36-31 halftime lead after shooting just 18.8% (3-16) from three-point land.  Yale is a very good three-point shooting team, so that performance was an anomaly.  Yale is 8-1 SU at home where they own a solid +11 point differential on the season.  The Bulldogs only give up 68 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 34.3% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  Yale’s offense averages 79 points per game on 49.9% shooting from the field and 39.2% shooting from three-point land at home.  We’ll take the points with Yale in this game on Friday night.

10* Play YALE (+).

Boston is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Chicago against the Bulls.  The Celtics played last night at home, and they beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-108.  Boston shot 47.5% (38-80) from the field and 46.4% (13-28) from three-point land.  The Celtics also got to the free throw line 36 times in that game which shows how aggressive their offense was last night.  Boston had six different players score 10 points or more while all six of those guys played 22 minutes or more.  Boston had four starters play 29 minutes or more while three of those guys played 34 minutes or more.  The Celtics will now play on a back-to-back set with travel with this also being their third game in four nights, their fourth game in six nights, and their sixth game in nine nights.

Chicago returned home off a 6-game road trip to beat the Raptors 105-94 on Tuesday night.  The Bulls had last night off, so they are rested and ready for another strong performance tonight.  Chicago’s offense has also been much better at home this season.  The Bulls are averaging 103.2 points per game at home, and they’ve had success against Boston’s defense this season.  Chicago has scored 105 and 100 points on the Celtics in two meetings this season.  Boston’s defense has allowed an average of 105.8 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field over their last five games.  This is simply a bad spot for Boston, so we’ll back Chicago in this game on Thursday night.     

10* Play BULLS.

Duke has an impressive 20-5 SU record, but tonight’s game at Virginia is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Blue Devils.  Duke will be playing their first road game since last month, and just their third road game over their last eight games overall.  Duke is a team that needs to play fast to be at their best, but they will not get their preferred pace tonight against a Virginia team that plays at one of the slowest paces in the country.  Duke struggles mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, and they lost 78-69 in their lone road game in which they were held to less than 70 points this season.  Virginia routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Duke’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Virginia returns home off an overtime loss at Virginia Tech; they blew a 14-point halftime lead.  Off that loss, we expect a peak performance by the Cavaliers tonight.  Virginia is 4-1 SU off a loss this season with all four wins coming by 16 points or more.  Virginia also gave up more than 70 points for just the third time this season.  The Cavaliers are a perfect 2-0 SU in their following games, winning each game by 17 points while holding their opponents to just 62 and 54 points.  Virginia plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Cavaliers only give up 49.8 points per game on 36.1% shooting from the field and 30% shooting from three point-land at home.  Duke’s defense gives up 76.2 points per game on 46.3% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from three-point land on the road.  We’ll lay the points with Virginia in this game on Wednesday night.

10* Play VIRGINIA (-).

St. John’s comes into tonight’s game at Butler on a hot run; the Red Storm are 4-3 SU and 6-1 ATS over their last seven games.  Overall, St. John’s is just 12-14 SU on the season, including a 76-73 home win over Butler earlier this season.  St. John’s outshot Butler 54%-45.9% from the field and they were +7 in points from the free throw line yet they only won that game by 3 points on their home court.  It’s highly unlikely the Red Storm will match that production in this game, especially since Butler’s defense is much better at home.  St. John’s defense has been atrocious on the road where they are giving up 81.8 points per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 37.2% shooting from three-point land this season.

Butler returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being a 71-65 loss at Providence.   The Bulldogs have also lost their last two home games, so we expect a peak performance tonight, especially since they are playing with revenge.  Butler is 11-2 SU at home where they own a terrific +13.3 point differential on the season.  The Bulldogs only give up 66.5 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field and 34.6% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  Butler’s offense averages 79.8 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field and 35.8% shooting from three-point land at home.  We’ll lay the points with Butler in this game on Wednesday night.

9* Play BUTLER (-).

Tennessee comes into tonight’s game at Kentucky with a mediocre 14-11 SU record on the season.  The Volunteers somehow beat Kentucky 82-80 earlier this season, but we expect a non-competitive rematch tonight.  Tennessee outshot Kentucky 46.9%-41.7% from the field and 50%-25% from three-point land and still only won that game by 2 points on their strong home court.  Tennessee is highly unlikely to match that production in tonight’s game, especially since their offense only scored 59 points in their last road game.  In fact, the Vols have scored 70 points or less in half of their conference road games this season, and those games came against inferior opponents compared to the team they’ll face tonight.

Kentucky returns home off a 67-58 win at Alabama.  That was an abnormal game for the Wildcats, especially since it was played at such a slow pace.  Kentucky is 12-2 at home where they always dictate a fast pace, and Tennessee will be more than willing to run with the Wildcats.  That gives Kentucky a tactical advantage, and Tennessee will be unable to trade points with the highly efficient Wildcats offense.  Kentucky is averaging 92.4 points per game on 49.7% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  The Wildcats’ average win at home has come by 24.3 points per game overall, and by 20 points per game in conference play.  We’ll lay the points with Kentucky in this game on Tuesday night.

10* Play KENTUCKY (-).

Golden State is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Denver against the Nuggets.  The Warriors played in their showdown game in Oklahoma City on Saturday night on national TV; Golden State won that game 130-114 with Kevin Durant scoring 34 points against his old team.  The Warriors shot 52.9% (46-87) from the field and 41.9% (13-31) from three-point land.  Golden State’s offense has scored 375 points in their last three games while shooting an incredible 53.2% (133-250) from the field and 46.7% (43-92) from three-point land.  Those numbers are not sustainable, especially since Golden State will be playing their third game in four nights, and their fourth game in six nights.  The Warriors will return home after tonight’s game, so this is a prime spot for them to throw in a clunker.

Denver returns home off a 3-game road trip with their last being a 125-109 loss in Cleveland.  The Nuggets had last night off, so they are rested and ready for a peak performance tonight.  Denver’s offense comes into this game in good current form.  Over their last five games, the Nuggets have averaged 110.6 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from three-point land.  Denver’s offense has also been better at home where they are averaging 112.9 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field.  This is a flat spot for Golden State, so we’ll take Denver plus the points in this game on Monday night.     

9* Play NUGGETS (+).

Baylor comes into tonight’s game at Texas Tech with an impressive 22-3 SU record.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Bears.  Baylor will be playing their fourth road game over their last six games, and their seventh road game over their last eleven games overall.  Baylor beat Texas Tech 65-61 at home earlier this season, but the Bears got a favorable home whistle in that game as they out-scored the Red Raiders 26-9 from the free throw line.  Baylor had 28 free throw attempts while Texas Tech only got 10 attempts from the line.  Baylor has struggled mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games this season; all three losses have come when they’ve scored less than 70 points.  Texas Tech routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Baylor’s offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Texas Tech is having a good season, and they’ll be on the bubble for a ticket to the Big Dance in March.  They lost by a single point to Kansas in their last game, so that makes tonight’s game against Baylor extremely important.  Texas Tech plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Red Raiders only give up 64.6 points per game on 42.7% shooting from the field at home this season.  Texas Tech’s offense will face a Baylor defense that has given up 72.3 points per game and 69 total free throw attempts in their last three road games.  We’ll take the points with the Red Raiders in this game on Monday night.

10* Play TEXAS TECH (+).

Nevada is in a poor scheduling and situational spot for today’s game at San Diego State.  The Wolf Pack are 19-5 SU, and they come into this game off their best offense performance of the season.  Nevada crushed in-state rival UNLV by 27 points (104-77) on Wednesday night.  The Wolf Pack shot an incredible 52.8% (38-72) from the field and 52.4% (11-21) from three-point land.  That performance was in stark contrast to their previous game in which they only scored 57 total points in a 17-point loss at Utah State.  It’s highly unlikely Nevada will match their previous game’s production in this game, especially since they’ll be playing against a slow-paced team that will take them out of their comfort zone.

San Diego State returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being a 76-71 loss at San Jose State.  The Aztecs own a strong +11.2 point differential at home this season.  San Diego State plays at a very slow pace, and they combine that with a stout defense.  The Aztecs’ defense is holding their opponents to just 63.4 points per game on 38.4% shooting from the field and 34.2% shooting from three-point land at home.  Nevada needs to play fast to be at their best, but they won’t get their preferred pace in this game.  We’ll take San Diego State minus the points in this game on Sunday afternoon.         

10* Play SAN DIEGO STATE (-).

Cincinnati comes into today’s game at SMU with an impressive 22-2 SU record, including a 66-64 home win over the Mustangs earlier this season.  Cincinnati outshot SMU 46.3%-40% from the field and 46.2%-39.1% from three-point land and still only won that game by 2 points on their strong home court.  Cincinnati made 12 three’s in that game which is an abnormal amount for them, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll match that production in this game.  The Bearcats’ offense is significantly worse on the road where they only average 61.9 points per game on 38.7% shooting from the field and 28.4% shooting from three-point land this season.

SMU is also having a terrific season; they own a 21-4 SU record, including a perfect 14-0 mark at home.  The Mustangs return home off back-to-back road games, and since they are playing with meaningful revenge, we expect a peak performance in this game.  SMU plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Mustangs only give up 55.3 points per game on 36% shooting from the field and 31.9% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  SMU’s offense averages 77.3 points per game on 49.1% shooting from the field and 41.3% shooting from three-point land at home.  We’ll lay the points with SMU in this game on Sunday afternoon.

9* Play SMU (-).

Gonzaga comes into tonight’s game at St. Mary’s with an undefeated 25-0 SU record and the #1 ranking in the country.  The Bulldogs certainly look like one of the best teams in the country, but they are in a poor scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game against their conference rival.  Gonzaga will be playing on a back-to-back road set with this also being their fourth road game over their last five games, and their sixth road game over their last nine games overall.  Gonzaga’s offense has also scored 85 points or more in their last four games after shooting a combined 54.8% (125-228) from the field in those games.  It’s highly unlikely the Bulldogs will match that production tonight, especially since they’ll be playing against the slowest-paced team in all of college basketball.

St. Mary’s is 22-2 SU on the season, including 13-1 on their home court.  The Gaels are playing their second consecutive home game, so that gives them a scheduling edge, especially considering Gonzaga has been traveling a lot as noted above.  St. Mary’s owns a strong +17.6 point differential at home this season.  The Gaels play at the slowest pace in the country, and they combine that with a stout defense.  St. Mary’s defense is holding their opponents to just 56.5 points per game on 42.8% shooting from the field and 29.6% shooting from three-point land at home.  Gonzaga needs to play fast to be at their best, but they won’t get their preferred pace in this game.  We’ll take St. Mary’s plus the points in this game on Saturday night.          

9* Play ST. MARY’S (+).

William and Mary has been a substantially better team at home this season, going 11-0 SU compared to just 2-11 SU away.  This means the home team is 22-2 SU in all Tribe games this season.  It is not a surprise as William & Mary is a strong offensive team that likes to push the pace and relies heavily on three-point shots.  William & Mary is more comfortable at home as evident by their 93.6 points per game on 55.7% FG shooting, including 45.2% from three-point range this season.  This will be the biggest home game of the year as it is a national TV "Gold Rush" game in which the first 6,000 fans will receive t-shirts and the energy level in the Kaplan Arena will be high.  William & Mary won last year's "Gold Rush" game by 27 points (90-63).

The Tribe also returns home off back-to-back road losses which was preceded by four straight double-digit home wins.  William & Mary blew a 16-point second-half lead at Towson in an 82-80 loss last Saturday and then lost 79-61 two nights ago at Drexel.  It was a major flat spot for William & Mary, especially after just beating the Dragons by 23 points two weeks ago.  The Tribe should bounce back with a solid effort today as head coach Tony Shaver is 23-11 ATS after a SU loss by 15+ points, including 7-1 ATS the past four seasons in that role.  This is also a revenge game for W&M as they lost 77-67 at Charleston last month.  However, William & Mary played that game without their best player, Daniel Dixon, who leads the team with 18.0 ppg and shoots 39% from three-point range this season.  The home team is 7-1 SU/ATS in this series since Charleston joined the CAA three years ago.  This is also a tough scheduling spot for the Cougars as they must travel on one day's rest after blowing a 16-point halftime lead in a 73-72 home loss versus Northeastern on Thursday night.

10* Play WILLIAM & MARY (-).

Kansas comes into today’s game at Texas Tech with an impressive 21-3 SU record.  However, this is another tough scheduling and situational spot for the Jayhawks after beating in-state rival Kansas State 74-71 on Monday night.  Kansas outshot Kansas State 48.2%-38.2% from the field and 47.1%-36.4% from three-point land and still only won that game by 3 points.  Kansas is a team that needs to play at a fast pace to be at their best.  The Jayhawks struggle mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, so Texas Tech is not a good match-up for them at all.  The Red Raiders routinely play in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Kansas’ offense will be out of their comfort zone in this game.

Texas Tech is having a good season, and they’ll be on the bubble for a ticket to the Big Dance in March.  A win over Kansas will be big for their resume, so we expect a peak performance in this game, especially since they return home off a road loss.  Texas Tech plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Red Raiders only give up 63.5 points per game on 42.3% shooting from the field at home this season.  Texas Tech’s offense will face a Kansas defense that has given up 77.8 points per game on 44.9% shooting from the field and 42.4% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  We’ll take the points with the Red Raiders in this game on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play TEXAS TECH (+).

San Antonio will continue their 8-game road trip tonight in Detroit.  This will be the Spurs’ third game of the trip; they are 1-1 SU, but 0-2 ATS so far.  San Antonio won 111-103 in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.  The Spurs shot 52.7% (39-74) from the field and 50% (11-22) from three-point land.  San Antonio also hit 88% (22-25) from the free throw line.  All five starters scored in double digits while all twelve players on the roaster scored at least 2 points.  That production will not be duplicated tonight, so the Spurs are in a tough spot, especially since they are laying points on the road.

Detroit will be playing their third consecutive home game, and with last night off, the Pistons are rested and ready for a peak performance tonight.  Detroit is on a 2-game winning streak, and they’ve won four of their last five games overall.  Over their last five games, Detroit’s offense has averaged 110.4 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field.  This isn’t a spot where we expect San Antonio to come with their best performance, and with Detroit in good current form, we’ll take the Pistons plus the points in this game on Friday night.     

10* Play PISTONS (+).

Oregon comes into tonight’s game with an impressive 21-3 SU record, and the Ducks certainly look like one of the better teams in the country.  However, Oregon is in a poor scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game at UCLA.  The Ducks have played their last two games at home, and in fact, fifteen of their twenty-one wins this season have come on their home court.  Oregon waxed Arizona 85-58 in their last game after shooting an incredible 65.2% (30-46) from the field and an amazing 64% (16-25) from three-point land.  Oregon’s offense will not repeat that performance tonight, especially since their play on the road has been noticeably worse than at home this season.

UCLA returns home off a 3-game road trip, and since they lost their previous home game, we expect a peak performance by the Bruins tonight.  UCLA is 11-1 SU at home where they own an excellent +21.7 point differential this season.  The Bruins are averaging 97 points per game on 54.8% shooting from the field and 44.2% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  UCLA’s defense is holding their opponents to just 40.8% shooting from the field at home.  UCLA has been waiting for this game since losing 89-87 at Oregon earlier this season; they led that game by 4 points with 20 seconds left before losing.  We’ll lay the points with UCLA in this game on Thursday night.          

9* Play UCLA (-).

Utah is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Dallas against the Mavericks.  The Jazz played in New Orleans last night; they waxed the Pelicans 127-94 in that game.  Utah’s game before that resulted in a 120-95 win against the Hawks in Atlanta.  Utah’s offense has scored 247 points in their last two games while shooting an incredible 57.7% (97-168) from the field, 41.4% (24-58) from three-point land, and 74.4% (29-39) from the free throw line.  Those numbers are not sustainable, especially with travel on a back-to-back set.  Utah will also be playing their third game in four nights, and their fourth game in six nights.  Utah will return home after tonight’s game, so this is a prime spot for them to throw in a clunker.

Dallas will be playing their second consecutive home game, and with last night off, the Mavericks will rested and ready for a peak performance tonight, especially since they lost their last home game.  Dallas’ offense has been much better since getting Dirk Nowitzki back on the court.  Over their last five games, the Mavericks have averaged 105 points per game on 46.3% shooting from the field and 39.2% shooting from three-point land.  Dallas has had success this season against Utah’s defense; the Mavericks scored 107 and 100 points in their last two meetings.  This is a flat spot for Utah, so we’ll take Dallas plus the points in this game on Thursday night.     

9* Play MAVERICKS (+).

Philadelphia is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Orlando against the Magic.  The 76ers played at home last night against the Spurs, and they gave San Antonio all they wanted but came up short in a 111-103 loss.  Philadelphia will now play a back-to-back set with this also being their third game in four nights, and their sixth game in nine nights.  Not only that, but the 76ers will also be playing their fifth road game in their last six games overall.  In their loss last night, Philadelphia had three players log over 31 minutes, and eight players overall played 21 minutes or more.  That’s not good for tonight, especially since Philadelphia had to travel without any rest while missing their best player, Joel Embiid, because of an injury. 

Orlando returns home off back-to-back road losses in Atlanta and Houston.  The Magic didn’t have enough offense to compete against those teams, but that will not be the case tonight against Philadelphia.  Orlando had last night off, so they are in a much better scheduling spot than the 76ers.  The Magic will play one of their best offensive games tonight because they’ll be facing a Philadelphia defense that is in terrible current form.  Over their last five games, the 76ers’ defense has given up 112.8 points per game on 49.1% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three-point land.  We’ll lay the points with Orlando in this game on Thursday night.     

10* Play MAGIC (-).

California will hit the road after playing their last three games at home.  In fact, the Golden Bears have played five of their last seven games on their home court.  California won all three of their recent home games with the last being a 77-66 win over Colorado.  The Golden Bears beat Arizona State 81-65 earlier this season.  But that game was much closer than the final score indicates.  The Sun Devils actually led 61-60 late in the second half before California ended the game on a 21-4 run.  California shot 52.6% (30-57) from the field and 44% (11-25) from three-point land in that game, and they still trailed Arizona State before rallying back to win.  That’s not a good sign for California tonight in the rematch.

Arizona State returns home off back-to-back road games, and since they lost their previous home game, we expect a peak performance tonight.  The Sun Devils are averaging 90 points per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from three-point land at home.  Arizona State will face a California defense that is giving up 74.5 points per game on 47.9% shooting from the field and 44.8% shooting from three-point land on the road this season.  California is just 2-2 SU on the road in conference play with one of their wins coming by a single point (74-73) at USC.  We’ll take Arizona State plus the points in this game on Wednesday night.     

9* Play ARIZONA STATE (+).

Boston and Sacramento match-up well for a high-scoring game on Wednesday night.  Boston’s offense has been on a roll over their last twenty-five games; Boston scored 105 points or more in twenty-four of those games.  Over their last five games, the Celtics’ offense has averaged 110.8 points per game on 47.8% shooting from the field and 37.4% shooting from three-point land.  Boston will now face a Sacramento defense that is in poor current form.  The Kings have given up 110 points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 34.5% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Sacramento will be without DeMarcus Cousins tonight; he is suspended after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season.  Without Cousins on the floor, Sacramento has no choice but to go small and play up-tempo basketball.  The Kings will be willing to run against the Celtics tonight, especially since Sacramento knows they’ll need to have a strong offensive game to defeat Boston.  Sacramento is averaging 105.3 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 37% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  Boston’s defense has given up 101 points or more in twenty-two of their last twenty-four games.  We expect a high-scoring game between the Celtics and Kings on Wednesday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Florida is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for their game tonight in Georgia.  The Gators come in off their big 88-66 home win over Kentucky on Saturday night.  Florida got a complete team effort as four players scored 12 points or more while all ten players scored at least 2 points.  That was Florida’s fourth consecutive strong offensive game; they scored 84 points or more in all four games while shooting a combined 47.5% (123-259) from the field and 44% (48-109) from three-point land.  There’s reason to expect regression from the Gators’ offense tonight, especially since they are in a letdown spot.  Florida beat Georgia 80-76 in overtime earlier this season.  That game was played on Florida’s strong home court, and they trailed Georgia by 8 points late in the second half before rallying back to win.  That’s not a good sign for Florida tonight in the rematch.

Georgia returns home off back-to-back road losses, including a 90-81 overtime loss at Kentucky.  Off those two defeats, the Bulldogs will be primed for a strong bounce back performance tonight, especially since they’ll be playing with legitimate revenge.  Georgia is 9-3 SU at home where their defense has performed much better this season.  The Bulldogs’ defense is holding their opponents to just 66.7 points per game on 40.5% shooting from the field and 31.7% shooting from three-point land at home.  Georgia’s offense is averaging 71.3 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the field at home.  We’ll take Georgia plus the points in this game on Tuesday night.     

10* Play GEORGIA (+).

Kansas comes into tonight’s game at Kansas State with an impressive 20-3 SU record and ranked #3 in the country.  However, this is a tough scheduling and situational spot for the Jayhawks.  Kansas beat in-state rival Kansas State 90-88 last month.  That game was played on Kansas’ strong home court, and they shot 53.2% (33-62) from the field and 50% (11-22) from three-point land.  Despite that strong performance, the Jayhawks still only won the game by 2 points at home.  That’s not a good sign for tonight, especially since Kansas will now be playing on the road with this also being their third game in six days, and their third road game over their last five games.  Kansas’ defense has been subpar this season, especially over their last five games.  The Jayhawks have given up 77 points per game on 45.9% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from three-point land.

Kansas State returns home off a 56-54 win at Baylor as 7-point underdogs on Saturday.  The Wildcats will bring that momentum home, especially since this will be just their second home over their last five games.  Kansas State is also playing with legitimate revenge, so we expect a peak performance tonight.  Kansas State is 10-2 SU at home where they own a strong +11.4 point differential this season.  The Wildcats are averaging 75.1 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field and 39.1% shooting from three-point land at home.  Kansas State’s defense is holding their opponents to just 63.7 points per game on 41.1% shooting from the field at home.  We’ll take Kansas State plus the points in this game on Monday night.     

10* Play KANSAS STATE (+).

Auburn began the season with a 10-2 SU record.  But since then, the Tigers have gone just 4-6 SU over their last ten games.  Auburn throttled Alabama 84-64 in the first meeting.  The Tigers shot 50% (24-48) from the field and an incredible 61.5% (8-13) from three-point land.  Auburn just had one of those shooting nights, but don’t expect a repeat performance in the rematch.  Auburn is a team that needs to play at a fast pace to be at their best.  The Tigers struggle mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, so this is not a good match-up for them at all, especially on the road.  In two SEC road games in which they were held to less than 70 points, Auburn is 0-2 SU and ATS while losing by 19 and 29 points.

Alabama returns home off a blowout loss (87-68) at Arkansas on Wednesday night.  Back at home and off that embarrassing loss, we expect a strong bounce back by Alabama tonight, especially since they are playing with legitimate revenge against their in-state rival.  Alabama plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Crimson Tide only give up 61 points per game on 38.8% shooting from the field at home this season.  In eight home games in which they’ve held their opponent to 70 points or less, Alabama is a perfect 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS based on tonight’s posted pointspread.  We’ll lay the points with Alabama in this game on Saturday night. 

9* Play ALABAMA (-).

Illinois State comes into tonight’s game at Wichita State with an impressive 19-4 SU record, including a 76-62 win over the Shockers last month.  However, Illinois State will be without their second leading scorer in this game.  MiKyle McIntosh averages 13.5 points per game, but he had knee injury and isn’t expected back until later this month.  In the first meeting against Wichita State, McIntosh scored 20 points on 77.8% shooting from the field.  Without him on the floor, depth-shy Illinois State will fine the going much tougher on Wichita State’s strong home floor.  The Redbirds’ offense has been in poor current form as well as they are only averaging 67.6 points per game on 44.5% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Wichita State is 20-4 SU on the season, including 12-1 on their home court.  The Shockers return home off back-to-back road games, and with legitimate revenge, we expect a peak performance tonight.  Wichita State owns an incredible +26.7 point differential at home this season.  The Shockers are averaging 88.4 points per game on 50.1% shooting from the field and 39.2% shooting from three-point land at home.  Wichita State’s defense is holding their opponents to just 61.7 points per game on 37.6% shooting from the field and 31.6% shooting from three-point land at home.  Wichita State beat Illinois State by 16 points at home last season, and we expect more of the same tonight, so we’ll lay the points with the Shockers.      

10* Play WICHITA STATE (-).

Orlando is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Atlanta against the Hawks.  The Magic played at home last night against the Raptors, and they won that game 102-94.  Orlando will now play a back-to-back set with this also being their third game in four nights, and their sixth game in nine nights.  Not only that, but the Magic will also be playing their fourth road game in their last six games overall.  In their win last night, Orlando had four players log over 31 minutes, and six players overall played 28 minutes or more.  That’s not good for tonight, especially since Orlando also had to travel without any rest.

Atlanta returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being a big comeback win in the fourth quarter in Houston on Wednesday night.  Atlanta had last night off, so they are in a much better scheduling spot than Orlando.  The Hawks’ offense is in good current form as they’ve averaged 110.6 points per game over their last five games.  Atlanta will now face an Orlando defense that has given up 108.8 points per game on 46.4% shooting from the field and 42.4% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  We’ll lay the points with Atlanta in this game on Saturday night.     

9* Play HAWKS (-).

Milwaukee and Denver match-up well for a high-scoring game on Friday night.  The Bucks and Nuggets both need to play at a fast pace in order to have offensive success, but neither could do that in their last game.  Milwaukee only scored 88 points on just 73 total shots against Utah in their last game.  The Jazz have an outstanding defense, and they play at a slow pace.  Denver only scored 99 points on just 80 total shots against Memphis who also plays terrific defense while playing at a slower pace.  With Milwaukee and Denver playing each other tonight, we expect a very fast pace since that’s the preferred style of both teams.  Overall, Milwaukee is averaging 104.4 points per game on 47% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three-point land.  The Bucks will face a Denver defense that has given up 112.8 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 39.8% shooting from three-point land over their last five games. 

Denver has been at their best this season when allowed to play at a fast pace.  The Nuggets did not get their preferred style in their last game, but they will certainly get that opportunity tonight against the up-tempo Bucks as noted above.  Denver has also been playing without some of their better offensive players due to injury, but all reports indicate that Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic will be on the court and playing healthy tonight.  Denver’s offense has been better at home where they are averaging 112.7 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from three-point land this season.  The Nuggets will face a Milwaukee defense has given up 109.2 points per game on 46.9% shooting from the field and 39.4% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  We expect a high-scoring game between the Bucks and Nuggets on Friday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Gonzaga comes into tonight’s game at BYU with an undefeated 22-0 SU record and the #1 ranking in the country.  The Bulldogs certainly look like one of the best teams in the nation, but they are in a poor scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in the thin air and altitude of Utah.  Gonzaga will be playing on a back-to-back road set with this also being their sixth road game over their last ten games overall.  Gonzaga’s offense also scored 96 points after shooting 58.6% (41-for-70) from the field in their last game.  It’s highly unlikely the Bulldogs will match that production tonight, especially since they’ll be playing in altitude against a BYU team that holds one of the strongest home court advantages in all of college basketball.

BYU is 16-7 SU on the season, including 12-1 on their strong home court.  The Cougars are playing their second consecutive home game, so that gives them a scheduling edge, especially considering Gonzaga has been traveling a lot as noted above.  BYU owns an incredible +16.1 point differential at home this season.  The Cougars are averaging 86.9 points per game on 49.7% shooting from the field and 37.9% shooting from three-point land at home.  BYU’s defense is holding their opponents to just 37.7% shooting from the field and 26.4% shooting from three-point land at home.  Nick Emery is listed as questionable, but it has already been factored into the line and the Cougars are a deep team with Eric Mika being the key player.   BYU has given Gonzaga fits in the last three meetings, and we expect more of the same tonight, so we’ll take the Cougars plus the points in this game on Thursday night.          

10* Play BYU (+).

Toronto and Boston match-up well for a high-scoring game on Wednesday night.  Toronto is playing a quicker style of basketball this season; they’ve shown a willingness to run against up-tempo opponents.  That will be the case tonight against Boston, especially since the Raptors know they’ll need to have a strong offensive game to defeat the red-hot Celtics.  Toronto is averaging 109.6 points per game on 46.4% shooting from the field and 37.4% shooting from three-point land this season.  The Raptors’ defense has been awful away from home this season while giving up 105.8 points per game on 46.5% shooting from the field and 38.2% shooting from three point land.

Boston’s offense has been on a roll over their last twenty-two games; Boston scored 105 points or more in twenty-one of those games.  Over their last five games, the Celtics’ offense has averaged 116.2 points per game on 47.8% shooting from the field and 37.4% shooting from three-point land.  However, as good as their offense has been, their defense has been bad.  The Celtics have allowed 108 points or more in six of their last seven games.  Over their last five games, Boston’s defense has given up 109.4 points per game on 46.9% shooting from the field.  We expect a high-scoring game between the Raptors and Celtics on Wednesday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Iowa is 12-10 SU on the season, but eleven of those wins have come on their home court.  The Hawkeyes are 0-5 SU in true road games, and just 1-2 SU in neutral court games.  Iowa played without their best player, Peter Jok (back), in their last game.  The Hawkeyes beat Ohio State 85-72 after shooting 50% (32-64) from the field and 43.5% (10-23) from three-point land.  Iowa usually starts four freshman alongside Jok, and off such a big offensive performance, we expect regression tonight, especially on the road.  Overall, Iowa’s offense is only averaging 70.6 points per game on 39.3% shooting from the field and 28.1% shooting from three-point land on the road this season.  The Hawkeyes only scored 68 points in a 6-point home win over Rutgers earlier this season.  Jok scored 18 of those points, but he is listed as questionable tonight with back spasms.  If Iowa couldn’t generate much offense at home against Rutgers, it’s hard to imagine the Hawkeyes having much success in tonight’s game, with or without Jok.              

Rutgers is also 12-10 SU on the season with nine of their wins coming on their home court.  The Scarlet Knights are primed for a peak performance, especially since their two home losses have come during their last five games.  Rutgers gave Iowa all they could handle earlier this season, and in fact, the Scarlet Knights led that game by 9 points in the second half while holding the Hawkeyes to zero made shots over an 8 minute stretch.  Rutgers has played exceptional defense all season; the Scarlet Knights are only giving up 61.6 points per game on 39.1% shooting from the field and 30.9% shooting from three-point land at home.  Iowa’s defense is giving up 87.8 points per game on 49.7% shooting from the field and 44.1% shooting from three-point land on the road.  We’ll back Rutgers in this game on Tuesday night.

9* Play RUTGERS (+).

Creighton was well on their way to having a terrific season, but unfortunately they lost their best player (Maurice Watson Jr.) to a season-ending knee injury.  Watson was the engine that made Creighton’s offense run efficiently and smoothly.  The Bluejays have played three game since losing Watson; they’ve gone 1-2 SU with their lone win coming at home over an inferior DePaul team in their last game.  Creighton is now in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game at Butler.  The Bluejays beat Butler 75-64 at home earlier this season, but they were catching the Bulldogs at the perfect time.  Butler was off back-to-back draining games; a win over #1 Villanova and an overtime win at Georgetown.  Creighton is now the team in a bad spot for the rematch, especially after their offense scored 83 points on 55.8% (29-52) shooting from the field against DePaul.

Butler comes into tonight’s game off a home loss to Georgetown on Saturday night.  That was the Bulldogs first home loss of the season, and it coincided with their worst defensive performance of the season.  Butler gave up 85 points on 63.8% (30-47) shooting from the field and 50% (10-20) shooting from three-point land.  That’s abnormal for Butler considering they only give up 65.8 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 32.2% shooting from three-point land at home.  Overall, Butler is 11-1 SU at home where they own an excellent +15.0 point differential on the season.  The Bulldogs’ offense is averaging 80.8 points per game on 51.6% shooting from the field and 36.9% shooting from three-point land on their home court.  We’ll lay the points with Butler in this game on Tuesday night.

10* Play BUTLER (-).

Detroit and Boston match up well for a high-scoring game on Monday night.  In their most recent meeting this season, the Pistons and Celtics scored 235 total points.  Detroit scored 121 points while shooting 55.2% (48-87) from the field and 45% (9-20) from three-point land.  Detroit only made 16 free throws, so they didn’t get many free points either.  However, the Pistons scored 48 points inside the paint with an additional 12 fast-break points.  Detroit’s offense comes into this game in good current form.  Over their last five games, the Pistons’ offense has averaged 108 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three-point land.  Detroit will take advantage of a Boston defense that has given up 113 points per game on 47.4% shooting from the field and 38.5% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Boston has been at their best this season when allowed to play at a fast pace.  In their last meeting against Detroit, the Celtics’ offense managed 114 points despite shooting just 44% (40-91) from the field and 35.7% (15-42) from three-point land.  The Celtics did have 18 fast break points, and they scored 40 points from inside the paint.  Those numbers show that Boston got a lot of easy baskets in transition, and they’ll be able to repeat that production tonight.  Boston’s offense is in excellent current form; the Celtics have averaged 118.2 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field and 36.8% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  Detroit’s defense has given up 337 points in their last three games, so Boston’s offense should continue their scoring ways this evening.  Look for a high-scoring game between the Pistons and Celtics on Monday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Indiana began the season with a 10-2 SU record.  But since then, the Hoosiers have gone just 4-5 SU over their last nine games.  Indiana is now without their best player after James Blackmon hurt his leg in their last game.  Blackmon is Indiana’s best offensive player; he took 28.4% of the shots while scoring 307 points, the most on the team.  Indiana is also without OG Anunoby after he recently suffered a season-ending knee injury.  Indiana is a team that needs to play at a fast pace to be at their best.  The Hoosiers struggle mightily with their half court offense in slow-paced games, so this is not a good match-up for them at all, especially without their best offensive player.  Northwestern routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Indiana will be hard-pressed to score points.

Northwestern is having a terrific season, and they’ll be on the verge of getting their elusive ticket to the Big Dance in March.  This is an important conference game for the Wildcats, especially since this is just their third home game over the last three weeks.  Northwestern plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Wildcats only give up 62.4 points per game on 38.1% shooting from the field and 29.0% shooting from three-point land at home this season.  Northwestern’s offense will face an Indiana defense that gives up 81.4 points per game on 46.3% shooting from the field and 37.9% shooting from three-point land on the road.  We’ll lay the points with the Wildcats in this game on Sunday night. 

10* Play NORTHWESTERN (-).

This is a difficult scheduling situation for Oregon as they must play their second straight road game in just three days in thin air and altitude.  The Ducks played in Utah on Thursday night and now travel to Colorado for this game.  Oregon has been a weaker team on the road this season, winning their games by -15 points less than at home.  The Ducks have previously struggled in the thin air and altitude of Colorado, losing every road game there the past four years, going 0-4 SU with an average loss by -9.3 points per game.  Contrast that to the fact that Oregon is 6-0 SU in all the other head-to-head meetings which weren't played in Colorado and you can see what a difference the thin air and altitude makes.

Colorado is just 11-10 SU this season, but they have been competitive with each of their past three losses coming by 3 points or less, including a pair of overtime losses on the road.  The Buffaloes bounced back with a home win versus OregonState on Thursday and Colorado should carry that momentum into this home game tonight.  Overall, the Buffaloes are 8-3 SU at home this season.  This is a terrible scheduling situation for Oregon in a back-to-back altitude set, so we'll take the points with the Buffaloes as a home underdog tonight.

10* Play COLORADO (+).

Oklahoma snapped their 7-game losing streak with an 84-75 home win over Texas Tech two weeks ago and followed that up with an 89-87 overtime win at West Virginia as a +16.5 point underdog.  Oklahoma has also been competitive in their past two losses which came in double-overtime and by just one point at Texas.  Overall, the Sooners are 3-1 ATS in their past four games and they remain an underrated team.  The Sooners played a brutal schedule during their earlier losing streak with games against Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Wichita State, and Wisconsin.  The Sooners were also playing short-handed as leading scorer Jordan Woodard missed most of those games with an injury while Kameron McGusty was limited by injury as well.

Florida has been an inconsistent team this season and enters just 1-3 ATS in their past four games.  They might also be without their second leading scorer, Canyon Barry, who is questionable with an ankle injury.  Barry is averaging 12.4 points per game this season.  The Gators were able to beat a bad LSU team without Barry on Wednesday, but Florida struggled when he was injured two games ago versus Vanderbilt as the Gators lost outright as an -11.5 point home favorite.  Florida is in a poor scheduling spot today, while Oklahoma remains an underrated team, so we'll back the Sooners as a home underdog in this game on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play OKLAHOMA (+).

Tennessee enters this game off back-to-back home wins including an 82-80 upset win versus Kentucky earlier this week as a +10.5 point underdog.  However, those two wins now put the Volunteers in a flat spot for this non-conference home game today.  Tennessee shot 47% from the field (61-for-131) in their past two games, but they are likely to regress this afternoon.  The Vols are only averaging 44.4% FG in all games this season and will now be facing a strong Kansas State defense that is permitting just 64.7 points per game on 41.0% FG shooting this season (versus opponents that average 74.7 ppg and 44.7% FG).  Before their past two wins, Tennessee started the season just 1-5 ATS at home.

Kansas State will be focused for this game after a 70-65 road loss at Iowa State on Tuesday.  The difference in that game was a substantial discrepancy from three-point range as the Cyclones shot 11-for-23 (48%) while the Wildcats shot just 7-for-23 (30%). Kansas State is still 15-5 SU this season and they should shoot better today as they average 37.8% from three-point range, including 38.0% on the road.  The Wildcats also have a solid revenge motive after a close 65-64 loss on this same court two seasons ago. Tennessee is due for a regression, while Kansas State is primed for a strong bounce back effort, so we'll back the Wildcats in this game on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play KANSAS STATE.

Memphis will hit the road after beating Toronto 101-99 at home on Wednesday night.  That game was not as close as the final score indicates, but after an ugly 14-point fourth quarter, the Grizzlies, who led by double digits, had to hold on for the win.  Memphis got fatigued late after having the previous three days off, so they’ll be better conditioned to play a full 48 minutes tonight.  Memphis plays at an extremely slow pace and they combine that with an excellent defense.  The Grizzlies are only giving up 99.4 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field and 33.7% shooting from three-point land.  In two previous meetings against Portland this season, the Grizzlies have held the Blazers to just 186 total points on just 37.3% (57-153) shooting from the field and 34.4% (21-61) shooting from three-point land.

Portland comes into tonight’s game on a 2-game winning streak after losing their previous four games.  However, the Trail Blazers have been an inconsistent team this season, and most of their success has come against lesser teams that like to play their style of basketball.  Portland prefers up-tempo basketball, and when unable to play fast, the Trail Blazers struggle mightily on the offensive end of the court.  Portland matches up poorly against Memphis in terms of pace, but the Memphis roster is also bad for the Trail Blazers.  Portland has no answer for Marc Gasol in the middle, and Mike Conley and Tony Allen torture Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with ferocious defense.  Portland is just 2-10 SU this season when held to less than 100 points, including 0-1 against Memphis in that situation.  We’ll back the Grizzlies in this game on Friday night.     

10* Play GRIZZLIES.

Oregon comes into tonight’s game with an impressive 18-2 SU record, and the Ducks certainly look like one of the better teams in the country.  However, Oregon is in a poor scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Utah.  The Ducks have played their last three games at home, and in fact, thirteen of their eighteen wins this season have come on their home court.  Oregon is 2-1 SU in true road games, but their two conference away games have come against two of the worst teams in the Pac 12 (Washington and Washington State).  Oregon has been playing without their best player, Dillon Brooks (foot), over the last few games.  He is listed as a game-time decision tonight, and if he doesn’t play, it’s hard to imagine the Ducks leaving Utah with a win.

Utah is 14-5 SU on the season, including 9-2 on their home court.  The Utes return home off back-to-back road wins which were preceded by an 83-82 home loss to UCLA.  The Utes are playing at a much faster pace this season, and they will definitely get their preferred pace against an up-tempo Oregon team.  Utah owns an incredible +15.1 point differential at home this season.  The Utes are averaging 83.7 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field at home this season.  Utah’s defense is holding their opponents to just 68.6 points per game on 40.8% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from three-point land at home.  Utah has been waiting for this game since losing 88-57 to Oregon in the Pac 12 championship game last season, so we’ll back the Utes in this game on Thursday night.          

10* Play UTAH (-).

Toronto is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Memphis against the Grizzlies.  The Raptors played at home last night against the Spurs, and they lost that game 108-106 despite San Antonio missing their best player, Kawhi Leonard.  Toronto will now play a back-to-back set with this also being their third game in four nights, and their sixth game in nine nights.  Not only that, but the Raptors will be playing their fourth road game in their last six games overall.  Toronto is also playing without their leading scorer DeMar DeRozan (ankle) who averages 27.9 points per game.  In their loss last night, Toronto had two starters play over 39 minutes, including Kyle Lowry who logged over 41 minutes.  That’s not good for tonight, especially since Lowry is the go-to scorer without DeRozan on the court.

Memphis lost their last home game in embarrassing fashion; the Rockets beat the Grizzlies by 24 points (119-95).  Memphis has had three full days off since that loss, so they’ll be primed for a peak performance tonight.  The Grizzlies have played much better basketball at home than on the road this season.  Memphis is 15-9 SU at home while just 11-11 SU on the road.  Aside from their last game against the Rockets, the Grizzlies’ defense has been fantastic at home this season.  Memphis is only giving up 94.8 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 32.4% shooting from three-point land at home.  Toronto is just 2-7 SU this season when held to less than 100 points.  We’ll lay the points with Memphis in this game on Wednesday night.     

10* Play GRIZZLIES (-).

Kansas is having a fantastic season as they come into tonight’s game at West Virginia ranked #1 in the country with an 18-1 record.  The Jayhawks have been terrific on both ends of the court, but tonight’s game against the Mountaineers is simply a bad matchup for Kansas.  In their last six meetings against West Virginia, the Jayhawks are just 2-4 SU, including 0-3 SU on the road.  Kansas will be playing their third road game over their last five games while stepping way up in class.  Kansas will also face 40 minutes of pressure from the Mountaineers who employ a relentless full-court press; the Jayhawks have yet to face a similar team this season.  West Virginia is #1 in the country in both steals and turnover percentage meaning they force their opponents into a lot of mistakes.  That has been a recipe for disaster for Kansas in recent meetings, and we expect more of the same tonight.

West Virginia returns home off a 79-75 loss at Kansas State on Saturday.  The Mountaineers also lost their previous home game to Oklahoma as 16.5-point favorites.  Off back-to-back poor efforts, we expect a peak performance by the Mountaineers tonight.  West Virginia is 10-1 SU at home where they own record an incredible +31.3 point differential on the season.  West Virginia’s defense has been tremendous at home as they are holding opponents to just 63.1 points per game on 40.7% shooting from the field and 29.2% shooting from three-point land.  The Mountaineers’ offense has been phenomenal at home where they are averaging 94.4 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field.  West Virginia matches-up extremely well with Kansas, so we’ll back the Mountaineers in this game on Tuesday night.

10* Play WEST VIRGINIA (-).

Houston and Milwaukee match up well for a high-scoring game tonight.  The Rockets and Bucks just played five days ago, and that game had 203 total points scored despite both teams shooting the ball poorly.  Houston scored 111 points while shooting just 45.3% (43-95) from the field and 31.8% (14-44) from three-point land.  Houston only made 11 free throws, so they didn’t get many free points either.  Overall, the Rockets are averaging 114.5 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three-point land.  Over their last five games, Houston’s offense is averaging 115.6 points per game on 46.3% shooting from the field.

Milwaukee has been at their best this season when allowed to play at a fast pace.  The Bucks will certainly get that opportunity tonight against the up-tempo Rockets.  In their last meeting, Milwaukee’s offense was terrible as they shot just 39.8% (37-93) from the field and 25% (7-28) from three-point land.  The Bucks did have 17 fast break points, and they scored 54 of their 92 points from inside the paint.  Those numbers show that Milwaukee got a lot of easy baskets in transition, and they’ll be able to repeat that production tonight.  Milwaukee’s offense has been significantly better at home where they are averaging 108.8 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 38.3% shooting from three-point land this season.  Look for a high-scoring game between the Rockets and Bucks on Monday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Houston is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Milwaukee against the Bucks.  The Rockets will be playing their third game in four nights, their fifth game in seven nights, and their ninth game in fourteen nights.  Not only that, but the Rockets will also be playing their seventh road game in their last eleven games overall.  Houston has done a lot of traveling while playing in multiple time zones, and their recent schedule will catch up to them at some point.  Houston comes into this game off a 119-95 blowout win in Memphis.  That game was preceded by a 125-108 home loss to Golden State.  So while the Rockets were able to snap back right away after their embarrassing loss to the Warriors, there’s reason to believe they’ll take the Bucks lightly tonight, especially since they just beat them by 19 points (111-92) five days ago.  

Milwaukee is on a 5-game losing streak, but four of those five games were on the road.  Their lone home loss during that stretch came against the Philadelphia 76ers who happen to be one of the hottest teams in the league.  Milwaukee returns home for tonight’s game against Houston, and they’ve had a day to prepare.  The Bucks recently held a team meeting because of their poor play, so if they are ever going to have a peak performance, it will be tonight.  Milwaukee owns 12 wins on their home court where their offense has played significantly better.  The Bucks are averaging 108.8 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 38.3% shooting from three-point land at home.  This is a flat spot for Houston, so we’ll take the points with Milwaukee in this game on Monday night.     

9* Play BUCKS (+).

South Carolina is having a terrific season as they come into this game at Kentucky with a 15-3 SU record.  Two of South Carolina’s three losses have come by just 3 and 2 points, so they’ve proven to be a tough out for their opponents.  South Carolina plays at an extremely slow pace while playing suffocating defense.  The Gamecocks have held sixteen of their eighteen opponents to less than 70 points this season.  Overall, South Carolina’s defense is only giving up 59.2 points per game on 36.4% shooting from the field and 26.7% shooting from three-point land this season.  Their defense has traveled well as they only allow 64.2 points per game on 39.1% shooting from the field and 28.6% shooting from three-point land on the road.

Kentucky is 16-2 SU on the season, and the Wildcats are certainly one of the best and most talented teams in the country.  Kentucky is a team that needs to play at a fast pace to be at their best.  The Wildcats have played at their preferred play in every game this season except against Louisville; they lost that game 73-70.  Kentucky has had a history of struggling mightily when forced to play half court basketball in slow-paced games, so this is not a good match-up for them at all.  South Carolina routinely plays in games that have less than 60 total possessions, so Kentucky will be put out of their comfort zone.  South Carolina has the better defense, and since we expect them to disrupt Kentucky with their pace of play, we’ll take the points with the Gamecocks on Saturday night. 

9* Play SOUTH CAROLINA (+).

Michigan State comes into this game at Indiana off a 72-67 loss at Ohio State.  However, the Spartans have had five full days to get over that loss and prepare for Indiana.  The Spartans have been terrific when playing off a loss this season; they are 5-1 SU in that role.  Head coach Tom Izzo is one of the best at game planning for an opponent, so expect Michigan State to be primed for a peak performance in this game.  Michigan State’s defense has been tremendous recently.  The Spartans have given up just 61.6 points per game on 40.6% shooting from the field and 32.9% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  That’s a major difference from Indiana’s defense which has allowed 72.4 points per game on 44% shooting from the field and 39% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.

Indiana began the season with a 10-2 SU record.  But since then, the Hoosiers have gone just 3-4 SU over their last seven games.  Indiana was without Juwan Morgan (foot) in their last game, and according to head coach Tom Crean, Morgan is “very doubtful” to play in this game.  Indiana also lost OG Anunoby to a season-ending knee injury in their last game.  Anunoby and Morgan are two starters that are key ingredients to Indiana’s success, and without either on the court, it’s hard to envision the Hoosiers having enough to beat Michigan State by margin.  This game will be close throughout, so we’ll take Michigan State plus the points on Saturday afternoon.

9* Play MICHIGAN STATE (+).

Iowa State comes into this game at Oklahoma on a 2-game losing streak, and we expect another loss for the Cyclones.  Iowa State has an 11-6 SU record on the season, but the Cyclones are just 1-3 SU in true road games, including 1-2 in conference road games.  Iowa State’s wins have mostly come against inferior teams like Savannah State, Mount St. Mary’s, The Citadel, Nebraska Omaha, and Mississippi Valley State just to name a few.  Iowa State’s defense has given up 170 total points in their two conference road games this season.  Overall, the Cyclones’ defense is allowing 78.2 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field away from home this season.

Oklahoma snapped their 7-game losing streak with an 84-75 home win over Texas Tech last Saturday night.  The Sooners followed that up with an 89-87 overtime win at West Virginia on Wednesday night.  We had Best Bet selections on Oklahoma in both of those games, and we’ll come right back and play them once again in this game.  The Sooners played a brutal schedule during their losing streak with games against Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Wichita State, and Wisconsin.  The Sooners were also playing short-handed as leading scorer Jordan Woodard missed most of those games with an injury while Kameron McGusty was limited by injury as well.  Oklahoma’s recent play has been much improved, so we’ll back the Sooners in this game on Saturday afternoon.

10* Play OKLAHOMA.

Chicago and Atlanta match-up well for a high-scoring game on Friday night.  The Bulls and Hawks scored 222 total points in an earlier season meeting, and there’s no reason they can’t duplicate that tonight.  Chicago comes into this game off two full days of rest, and their offense has been terrific when rested.  In fact, in six such games this season, the Bulls have scored 105 points or more in four of those games; they averaged 106.3 points per game.  Chicago has scored 313 total points in their last three games, so they are in good current form.  The Bulls should take advantage of an Atlanta defense that is in poor current form.  The Hawks have allowed 103 points or more in three of their last four games.  Over their last five games, Atlanta’s defense has given up 104.6 points per game on 46.4% shooting from the field and 35.7% shooting from three-point land.

Atlanta has been playing a quicker style of basketball recently, and that has resulted in the Hawks playing their best basketball of the season.  Atlanta has averaged 106.4 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field and 36.3% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  Atlanta has scored 100 points or more in fourteen of their last twenty games overall.  The Hawks’ offense will take advantage of a Chicago defense that has giving up 101.4 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three point land over their last five games.  We expect a high-scoring game between the Bulls and Hawks on Friday night. 

10* Play OVER the total.

Memphis has a winning 13-5 SU record on the season, but the Tigers have played just four true road games so far this season.  Memphis is 2-2 SU in those games with one of those wins coming  in overtime against a short-handed Oklahoma team last month.  Memphis has padded their record with wins over inferior teams like Texas Rio Grande Valley, Savannah State, McNeese State, Jackson State, and Incarnate Word to name a few.  Aside from holding a terrible Tulane team to just 59 points on the road, Memphis has given up 260 total points in their other three road games.  Overall, the Tigers’ defense is allowing 79.8 points per game away from home this season.

Houston returns home off back-to-back road games with their last being a 77-70 loss at Central Florida.  They also lost their previous home game before going out on the road, so we expect a peak performance tonight by the Cougars.  Houston owns a strong +17.9 point differential at home where they are 7-2 SU.  The Cougars’ offense is averaging 77.9 points per game on 49.1% shooting from the field at home.  Houston’s defense is only allowing 60 points per game on 36.7% shooting from the field on their home court.  We’ll lay the points with Houston in this game on Thursday night.

10* Play HOUSTON (-).

New York and Boston played on Christmas day, and the teams combined to score 233 points with the Celtics winning 119-114.  After a sluggish first quarter, the teams combined to score 183 points over the final three quarters.  New York was at full strength for that game as Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah combined to score 30 points on 60% (12-20) shooting from the field and 50% (2-4) shooting from three-point land in 65 minutes of action.  Porzingis (Achilles) is out for tonight’s game while Noah (ankle) is listed as doubtful; the Knicks are likely to be without two starters who provide offensive punch for New York.  The Knicks’ offense is not in the best of form anyway; New York is only averaging 101 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and 32.6% shooting from three-point land over their last five games. 

Boston played a complete team game in their recent meeting against the Knicks.  The Celtics had six players score in double digits while shooting 48.4% (45-93) from the field and 38.9% (14-36) from three-point land.  Boston recently went Over the total in 12 consecutive games, and a major reason for that was the poor play of the Celtics’ defense.  However, over their last two games, Boston has put tremendous effort into their defense.  They held the Hawks and Hornets to just 199 combined points while forcing those teams to shoot just 43.8% (74-169) from the field and 35.2% (19-54) from three-point land.  Boston only allowed 38 total free throw attempts in those games which shows how good their defense played.  The Celtics will now face a limited New York offense that will be missing their second leading scorer.  We expect a low-scoring game between the Knicks and Celtics on Wednesday night. 

10* Play UNDER the total.

Oklahoma snapped their 7-game losing streak with an 84-75 home win over Texas Tech on Saturday night.  The Sooners had excuses for losing seven straight games.  They played a brutal schedule during that stretch with games against Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Wichita State, and Wisconsin.  The Sooners were also playing short-handed as leading scorer Jordan Woodard missed most of those games with an injury.  He has since returned for Oklahoma’s last two games.  Oklahoma also has Kameron McGusty back on the court fully healthy: “I'm 100 percent and have come back to my quick first step and being able to move and be active on the ball.”  Oklahoma’s losing streak can easily be forgiven, and their recent play has been much improved.  

West Virginia caught everybody by surprise when they opened the season with a 12-1 SU record.  The Mountaineers were steamrolling their opponents in those games, but that hasn’t been the case recently.  West Virginia is 3-1 SU, but just 1-3 ATS over their last four games.  The point- spreads have clearly been inflated in their recent games because of their early success, and that’s certainly the case tonight as 17-point favorites over Oklahoma.  West Virginia is averaging 80.3 points per game over their last four games.  That’s 14.8 points per game less than their seasonal average of 95.1 points per game.  West Virginia is certainly a good team, but their recent play does not warrant them laying this many points, especially against an improving Oklahoma team.  We’ll take the generous points with the Sooners in this game on Wednesday night.

9* Play OKLAHOMA (+).

Denver is in a terrible scheduling and situational spot for tonight’s game in Los Angeles against the Lakers.  The Nuggets played in London last Thursday; they waxed the Pacers 140-112 in that game.  Denver’s last game was at home last night, and they beat Orlando 125-112.  Denver expended a lot of energy in winning that game.  The Nuggets had four of their five starters play 33 minutes or more with three of those guys playing 35 minutes or more.  Denver’s bench also had three reserves play 20 minutes or more.  Overall, six players scored in double digits, but it was costly as Gary Harris re-injured his ankle and Kenneth Faried logged a season-high in minutes played.  Denver’s offense has scored 265 points in their last two games while shooting an incredible 57.8% (104-180) from the field, 40.7% (24-59) from three-point land, and 86.8% (33-38) from the free throw line.  Those numbers are not sustainable, especially with travel on a back-to-back set.

Los Angeles is on a 4-game losing streak, but the Lakers have played a brutal schedule as of late.  The Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers, Spurs, Clippers, and Pistons.  Los Angeles is taking a step-down in class tonight against the Nuggets, and with a day of rest after a home loss, we expect a peak performance by the Lakers tonight.  Los Angeles’ offense has been much better at home this season.  The Lakers are averaging 108.2 points per game on 45.8% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three-point land.  Los Angeles will take advantage of a Denver defense that has given up 118.4 points per game on 50.9% shooting from the field and 38.5% shooting from three-point land over their last five games.  This is a flat spot for Denver, so we’ll back Los Angeles in this game on Tuesday night.     

10* Play LAKERS (+).