I'll take my chances here and lay the big juice with the Mariners in Saturday's road contest against the Rangers. I see a massive edge here for Seattle on the mound, as they will send out one of their prized young talents in James Paxton against over-hill veteran Bartolo Colon. Since struggling in his season debut, the hard-throwing lefty is 1-0 with a 2.65 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 17 innings over his last three starts. He has really turned the corner of late. In his last 2 starts he's allowed just 3 runs on 9 hits with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings of work. Colon has pitched well in each of his first two starts in 2018, but I'm not buying it and he is coming off a huge effort on Sunday night. Back to the norm here as Seattle gets the win on Saturday night!

10* AL GAME OF THE WEEK 

The Philadelphia 76ers can take total command of the best of 7 series, as they are in Miami on Saturday. The 76ers played well on Thursday, and will now carry that over to this game. The 76ers have a lot of youth and they are playing wel. Look for Joel Embiid to have another big game and take Hassan Whiteside out of the picture early and often. Miami shot very well in game 3 and yet the Heat lost by 20. There's no reason to believe the Sixers won't impose their will again in Game 4 and go up 3-1 with a win here on Saturday afternoon.

5* 

The Bucks do not stand much of a chance in this series, but a win on Friday will get them a little momentum. We have seen Milwaukee play huge bounce back games, and being at home is going to be huge for them. The Bucks are athletic and long and know how to get to the FT line. Look for a big bounceback from their perimeter shooters on their homecourt plus they should be able to limit their turnovers. The Bucks now know they're just as good as these depleted Celtics. Look for a big game from the Bucks at home on Friday night!

5* 

Noah Syndergaard dominated Milwaukee in his last outing, striking out eight straight and 11 overall, and I expect that to carry over into this start against the Braves. Atlanta is off to a nice start but we have a major pitching mismatch here. The Mets have won the season series with the Braves three of the last four years and I look for the METS to get a comfortable win on the road Friday night!

5* 

The Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are tied at 1 game a piece as they head back to South Beach. The 76ers aren't going to shoot 7 of 36 from three-point range again and D Wade isn't going to have another huge game like he did in game 2.

 Expect Ben Simmons to be an active scorer and the 76ers to bounce back after dropping their 1st game after their 17 game winning streak.

 Look for Philadelphia to get back on track  and win pivotal Game 3.

5*

The Pirates are an away favorite here because Jameson Taillon has a 0.89 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in his 3 starts this season. While Taillon has certainly improved in his third season his body of work comes against Minnesota, Cincinnati and Miami teams that are current #26, #24 and #22 in BA versus righties. Pittsburgh also comes into this game 12-6 but they are 8-0 in day games and only 4-6 in nighttime action. Philly is 4-0 at home at night this year and come in 7-2 overall their last 9. Arrietta is making his third start and after only lasting 4 innings in his first we say him go 6 2/3 in his last and what caught our eye was the 14-2 GB-FB ratio.

5*

Utah had the NBA's best defense over the final month of the season and I expect that defense to resurface in Game 2. The Jazz are 32-9 their last 41 games and they will rebound here tonight.

Paul George isn't going to go 8 for 11 from deep again. I like the underdog Jazz here in this one tonight.

5*

SunTrust Park is the site of the matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Vince Velasquez for the Phillies and Brandon McCarthy for the Braves. We like Philly here as Velasquez lost to the Braves earlier this year and has revenge and likely will get it. The Philly lineup likely has huge revenge from losing against McCarthy earlier this year and likely has big revenge on their minds as well. 5*

5* 

The extra day of rest is just what the Cavs need to regroup, as they're dealing with several injuries. LeBron James and Kevin Love will be much more aggressive offensively than they were in Game 1, and Cleveland will shoot much better from deep than its disastrous 8 of 34 opener. Look for the Cavs to make adjustments and get a big win here on Wednesday night.

5*

Tropicana Field is the site of the matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Cole Hamels for the Rangers and Jake Faria for the Rays.

I am backing the TB Rays with Jake Faria here on Wednesday afternoon after he yielded just two hits, a career low as a starter Friday vs. the Phils. His seven K's were a season high and his command was great. The only run he allowed scored after he left the game. The Texas hitters have never faced him and that advantage goes to the pitcher and Tampa Bay here on Wednesday as our daytime dominator.

5*

 Los Angeles had a record of 45-29-8 including 23-15-3-0 at home this season and I just don't see them getting swept here.  They have talent and the players are out to get game 4.. They were 4th in the Pacific Division. They scored 239 goals and surrendered 203 for a goal differential of +36. Take the LA KINGS here on Tuesday night to get the WIN.

5* NHL Iceman Game of the Week

We go with the Under here as one would have to think after the Giants come off a 1-10 loss they will get a quality outing from their pitching staff today. 

With Cueto coming off the DL he is likely to put together a strong outing as he is itching to get back on the mound.We have 2 highly motivated pitchers to do well today as this game likely goes under the posted total this evening. The Under is 7-2 for the Giants when they face a pitcher with WHIP of less than 1.15 and the Under is 4-1 in Corbin's last 5 starts following his team's loss in their previous game.

Take the UNDER 8 runs.

5*

The Bucks are athletic and long and know how to get to the FT line. Look for a big bounceback from Eric Bledsoe, who was held to just nine points Sunday due to foul trouble. The Bucks now know they're just as good as these depleted Celtics. Milwaukee also had 20 turnovers in that game and I expect them to take better care of the ball tonight. Grab the points but don't be surprised by an outright win here in game 2 on Tuesday night.

5* 

We are backing the former Cy Young Winner in Keuchel to bounce-back and pick up his first win here. We like that Dallas only pitched 4 innings in his last game and he is in need of a much needed bounce-back. He is 4-0 L4 team starts in this series and 5-1 L6 team starts during April. Mariners are 0-5 L5 home games in this series and 0-6 L6 games overall in this series. The Astros have won five straight in Seattle. Look for Seatle to fall to 2-7 in James Paxton's last nine starts.

5* 

Presumably, the Heat learned something in Saturday's 27-point blowout loss that they can improve upon for Monday. The 76ers made 65% of their 3 pt shots and were on fire but I don't see that happening again. The Heat are well coached and will make the proper adjustments. The public is all over Philly but we are taking the underdog Heat here in Game 2.

5* 

This game features the 9-9 Rockies at the 11-4 Pirates. Pirates are smoking hot 7-3 in their last 10 and off a nice winning road trip. Gregory Polanco keeps getting big hits for this team. Pitt is 13-4 in their last 17 overall and their starting pitcher Steven Brault is off to a nice start 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA. Lay the small juice here and back the Pirates at home on Monday night.

10* NL GAME OF THE WEEK 

OKC beat the Jazz 3 out of 4 during the season, but the odd thing about those games is that they were all played before Dec. 23rd, and the last two without Rudy Gobert, who completely changes the dynamic of the Jazz defensively. They're one of the top teams in the league with him in their lineup. When Gobert returned in late January, the Utah Jazz went on a 30-8 run to close out the season and one of the hottest teams in the league right now and well coached. The Jazz are tough and they're disciplined, everything the Thunder aren't, and I'll back them as an underdog here. The key is to keep Paul George in check. Play the UTAH JAZZ plus the pts.

5* 

Cleveland has been a very dominant team at home while the Pacers were just .500 on the road. LeBron James has been the most dominant player in the first round of the NBA playoffs, has won 21 games in a row in the opening round (an NBA record). He's never lost a first-round series (12-0), nor even a Game 1 of any first round. I think the Cavs are the better team and should win this one at home by 10 or more on Sunday afternoon.

5* 

The 76ers are still churning wins without Joel Embiid. They come in winning 16 straight (11-5 ATS), the last eight without Embiid. Everyone on the squad has been picking up the slack, such as J.J. Redick, who has averaged 24 ppg in his last four. Saric has been solid and  Ben Simmons is nearing, or accomplishing, a triple-double almost nightly. The bench is giving them production and Philly is also playing great defense.

Its been a while since Philly has been in the playoffs and I like the team and the arena to be rocking on Saturday night.

Take the Sixers as they get the win & cover.

10*

The Oakland A's offense has been on fire.

We roll with Oakland A's here as they hook up against Seattle because we are also a believer of Andrew Triggs. Here is a guy that has faced 2 tough lineups in Texas and the Angels and has done very well giving up 3 runs in 10.2 innings and most impressive he has given up 1 just homerun and has given up just 4 walks.

The Oakland lineup is hot and they scored 16 runs yesterday and I like the A's pitcher Triggs  with better control in a pitchers ballpark here on Friday night.

5*

Trevor Williams is 2-0 but faced a couple of weak teams. The Cubs at home are a different story. This will be Hendricks' first 2018 start at Wrigley Field. The right-hander does not have a decision in his first two outings. In his last game, he served up multiple homers for just the seventh time in 101 career starts in a loss to the Brewers. Look for Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs to get a win at home here on Thursday afternoon in a low scoring game by my predictions.

5* 

The Portland Trail Blazers would like to get healthy before the postseason starts. They are very tough at home with a 27-13 record. Portland has dropped 4 in a row all on the road and  I look for them to finish the season strong at home as the Jazz won by 40 last night plus had to travel.

This is a big game because the winner will be the third seed in the Western Conference. Look for Damian Lillard to come out with a big game. 

5*

The Yanks only had 1 less hit than Boston last night but fell way short on the scoreboard 14-1. The Red Sox are, by record, the top team in MLB. But consider more than half of their wins have come by a single run, and all were against either the Marlins or Rays. Against Boston’s David Price, the Yankees’ current roster is batting .357 over 115 career at-bats. Meanwhile, Masahiro Tanaka has held current Red Sox batters to .234 hitting average and has a solid 1.79 ERA over 30-plus career innings at Fenway. Look for the Yankees to bounce back with a win here on Wednesday night.

5* 

This is a great spot here for the Dbacks given the pitching matchup b/c they get a pitcher in Robbie Ray who is 9-1 with a 1.84 era dating back to last season and has traditionally performed very well against West Rival San Francisco. He has some very good numbers against the team.

Ray is 4-1 with 2.53 against the Giants Suarez is the same pitcher that had put up a 7.62 era in 13 innings in Triple A before bouncing back recently with a 3.35 era in the minors. Look for Arizona to bounce back in a big way on Wednesday afternoon.

10*

I like the SF Giants here behind Tyler Beede who will make his first start tonight. Beede was the organization's 2014 first round draft pick and he's made 72 starts in the minors. The ARZ offense has been awful with just 7 home runs in 10 games. DBacks starter Patrick Corbin who was 5-9 with a 5.09 ERA on the road last season and he's given up 11 runs (six earned) on 17 hits in 17 2/3 innings the last three years at AT&T Park. The Diamondbacks are 5-15 in Corbin's last 20 road starts. Look for San Francisco to bounce back with a win here on Tuesday night.

5* 

Tyler Skaggs of the Angels will make his third start of the season on Tuesday, the middle of a three-game series against the Rangers. Skaggs has gone 1-0 over his first two starts, with 10 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. LA is riding an emotional high with Shohei Ohtani starting 2-0 retiring the first 19 batters on Sunday plus hitting 3 HR’s. Ohtani will be in their lineup tonight and that will help the Angels mentality and guide them to another win.

10* 

This Royals team that doesn't have a great offense right now and I think the Seattle team is much better with their lineup. Royals are off to a rough 2-5 start and it’s not surprising. This is going to be a tough season after losing leaders Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain. To make matters worse, catcher Sal Perez is out for the first month after a freak knee injury. There’s just not much left offensively for the Royals. Mariners starter Marco Gonzalez was good in his opener and a very solid lefty pitcher. The 26-year-old gets his second start of '18, now against the Royals after Sunday’s postponement in Minnesota. Gonzales made his Mariners debut in KC last year, giving up seven hits and five runs in four innings.

5* 

On Saturday the Chicago Cubs stole a game from their NL Central division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. That’s a noticeable momentum boost heading into Sunday’s series finale. I am backing Cubs lefty Jose Quintana here on Sunday.

He threw a three-hit shutout in his previous outing against Milwaukee.

5*

The Sixers are fighting for the third seed in the Eastern Conference and have a very winable game against a Dallas Mavericks team intent on playing guys that don't belong on an NBA roster. 

Philly gets off to quick starts and I am looking for a big blowout win at home for the 76ers on Sunday afternoon.

Look for Philly to build an early lead and  I expect the Sixers to pull away in the 2nd half and cruise to a 20-pt victory.

5*

Vince Velasquez lasted just 2 2/3 innings Saturday in a loss to the Braves. He needs to start pitching deeper into games and expect that here at home against the weak hitting Marlins team. Vince also has very good numbers versus this Marlins team. Play the PHILLIES. 

5*

On Thursday we saw the MLB Games go UNDER in 8 of 9 games.

 We roll with an Over here because we have some confidence that the Oakland A's will get their bats going against Parker Birdwell.

 They have put together some big outings against Birdwell who has consistently struggled against them. 

Birdwell in his last 2 starts last year gave up 10 hits, 4 walks and 4 homeruns in 12 innings.  Plus, Gossett has given up a cool 21 runs in 14 innings over his last start and faces an Angels team who is really hitting the ball and I see this one going OVER the total.

5*

The Blues have lost four straight games to put them in this must win spot and that includes a loss in Chicago on Wednesday in the first game of this home-and-home set. Allen is expected to get another chance in net Friday for St. Louis. The 27-year-old is 27-24-3 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 58 games.

In 14 career games against Chicago, Allen is 8-5-1 with a 2.53 GAA and .915 save percentage.

This is the final home game of the season for Chicago but there is not much to celebrate as this is the first time in nine years it will be going home without a playoff appearance. Chicago won the first game of this home-and-home, but it is 3-11 in its 14 games coming off a road win this season. I'm on the STL BLUES here on Friday night.

5*

Home opener for the Rockies, and the Atlanta Braves are completely overmatched. Due to a hot start to the season, the Braves are receiving too much credit here and I expected this line would be much closer to -180. In McCarthy's last three starts against this Rockies team, he has struggled not picking up a win in any of those outings. German Marquez on the other hand getting the nod for the Rockies, is coming off a very successful season at Coors field and will take advantage of these Braves batters who have never faced off against him.

I'm on the Rockies this afternoon in their home opener in chilly Denver.

5*

Denver is very good at home sporting a 29-10 record. They are also playing with double revenge in this THursday game. No question this is a playoff game for Denver and they’ve done well with the playoff pressure going 5-2 with the only losses to #1 & #4 seeds of Toronto and Philadelphia. A win tonight would give the Nuggets the same record as the T-Wolves. Minnesota is 2-3 SU/1-4 ATS the L5 games with the wins against Atlanta and Dallas (2 of the 5 teams with 24 wins or less). The T-Wolves are really struggling without Jimmy Butler and also their PG Jeff Teague. I'm on the Nuggets here tonight.

5* 

Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester lasted 3 1/3 innings in his Opening Day start against the Marlins and had trouble finishing his pitches. He served up seven hits and walked three.  He has always been a slow starter in the season.

This is a hitters ballpark and likely to be a high scoring affair between these two teams. 

The Brewers just lost 6-0 to the Cardinals in their last game. The Brewers had 24 runs in their previous 4 games prior to that. You have a Milwaukee team that comes off getting its first shutout on the offensive side, will get up to face Lester and the Cubs and will be at home on a night game on Thursday Night and likely get their bats going. Lastly. the Over is 9-1 in Lester's last 10 starts and the Over is 5-2 when Lester faces a team with a winning record as well. 

5*

Milwaukee is 24-15 at home this season, while Brooklyn is just 11-27 on the road. This Nets team relies too much on outside shots. It’s hard to trust the Nets right now after back-to-back ugly performances. The Nets lost by 12 at home to Detroit and by 26 at Philadelphia. Milwaukee is in the middle of a playoff race battle, and I like them at home here Thursday night. The Milwaukee Bucks are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks would love to move into 7th because that would put them against the injury-ravaged Boston Celtics in the first round. They will be looking to win big tonight. Lastly the Bucks are now 10-0 SU & 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings with Brooklyn and 2-0 against them this year winning both games by 12 or more points.

10* 

The Diamondbacks beat Tyler Anderson in his opening start, allowing seven runs in just over two innings. But I think he will bounce back here against a weaker San Diego team that he's had a lot of success against. Anderson has just a 2.00 ERA in his three career starts against the Padres, winning two of them. The Padres are going with Joey Lucchesi. Lucchesi made his first career start on Friday and wasn't very good. He is not an MLB-caliber starter and was a surprise addition to the roster this year. His highest level prior to this season was a stint at Double-A. And now he's facing a tough Colorado lineup that should bat him around. Colorado had the highest batting average in the Majors against left-handed pitching last year and they are off to a solid start this season. The Rockies are 10-3 in the last 13 games in this series and they are 5-2 in their last seven in San Diego.

5* 

Colorado starter Jon Gray 4-1 career team starts during April, including 3-0 the last three. On the other hand the Padres -Richard: 4-8 L12 team starts in this series and 4-8 L12 team starts during April. In four starts against Colorado last year, Richard posted a 6.75 ERA while allowing 38 hits in 22 2/3 innings. With Gray off a solid spring camp in which he has 22 strikeouts and only 5 walks. SD got their 1st win of the year last night, and back to the norm for the Padres as I like our chances with the Colorado Rockies here on Wednesday night!

5* 

The 76ers playing great defense lately as none of their last 9 opponents have reached 43% shooting. Detroit has also been an Under team of late going 3-7 O/U their last 10 games. Look for a low scoring battle as many of the 76ers rested in the 4th quarter last night in  their blowout win.

5*

Rangers starter Cole Hamels hasn't look himself. I have no idea if he's unhealthy or just getting old, but there's some alarming stuff here as he is losing a lot of his velocity on his fast ball.

Kendall Graveman was not especially effective in his first outing, but it was more about location than anything else, and that's correctable. No edge either way in the bullpen. My main focus is going against Cole Hamels for the aforementioned reasons. I'm taking the A's to win this one.

10* 

We have a pair of very good pitchers going at it here.  Neither team has a very potent lineup and this is a pitchers ballpark.  I think the UNDER is a very good play in this matchup. PLease note the early 610pm ET start.

5*

Michigan needs to really defend  Villanova's Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges - they are a couple of very skilled players who in a breath

and a half can rip the nets for a big game. One weakness for Villanova is that they rely too much on outside shots.  They only took 7 FT's in Saturdays game.  Michigan likes to penetrate and get foul shots.

No way Villanova starts off hitting 12 of their first 18 three-pt shots.

Michigan is well coached and will play good defense and slow the pace here on Monday night.

All of the talk is how well Villanova has played, but Michigan has won 14 consecutive games and have covered 11 of those and one push. On average, the Wolverines cover their games by 7.9 points more than the spread so they are on top of their game too. 

Look for a low scoring game here and I am taking the pts with the Underdog Michigan Wolverines.

5*

Jaime Garcia is a pitcher I've had loads of early success with over the years. The Blue Jays lefty is not as dominant as he used to be, but he's still capable with his five-pitch mix. Garcia can be very effective against free-swinging lineups and the White Sox fit that aggressive mode. He is now in the A.L. so teams aren't used to seeing him.

 Control has been an ongoing issue for WSox starter Lopez and that problem was still on display in the spring games. Both teams are off to good starts, though let's just say I'll put more into Toronto winning the last two from the Yankees then the Chisox handling the awful Royals. Garcia is rightfully a big favorite here, but there are good reasons why and I look for the Blue Jays to win their 3rd straight.

5*

The tendency for Nova's team to just light it up in bunches so well is almost unfair - and they have really having been shooting as well as they have during the season.

 Villanova is very comfortable with shooting in transition and off cuts to the paint that everything is constant motion - they are then able to play even faster, and become more dangerous. Villanova's guys are smart and very quick - the quickness that cannot be overstated.

I haven't seen the power from Kansas. They struggled with defending the shot vs a Duke team, and Villanova is going to be even tougher on them. 

 Villanova has better scorers and better rim attackers, which is more than what Kansas brings to the game.

The Jayhawks big man-7 footer Udoka Azibuke is the  most important player for Kansas but he has been on foul trouble in every game of the tournament.

IF Azibuke get two quick fouls they don't have a solid backup. Villanova has 8 straight double-digit wins and I like Villanova to roll here in this one on Saturday night and advance to the National Championship on Monday!

10*

I like the Arizona Diamondbacks in this matchup on Saturday night.

Zach Greinke would have started on Opening Day, but he suffered a groin injury on March 14th, which set him back a bit. Greinke bounced back from a disappointing 2016 season to go 17-7 with a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts last year. He always pitches well at home and this is a good spot for him.

For the Rockies German Marquez has really struggled in spring training games. In four starts he struggled with a 9.82 ERA while trying to figure out his changeup.

Arizona should be able to take care of business in this one.

5*

The New York offense is looking good as Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs in his first game with the Bronx Bombers.  Just look at their first 6 batters- Gardner-Judge-Stanton-Sanchez-Hicks-DD. That is a tough lineup to face.

Masahiro Tanaka has good numbers pitching versus the Toronto hitters, who have a collective .189 batting average against him and just a .360 slugging percentage. In four seasons, Tanaka is 52-28 with a 3.56 ERA.  

Tanaka was 3-1 versus Toronto with a .216 opposing batting average in five starts in 2017.  Aaron Sanchez is trying to recover from 4 DL appearances last season.

 In four starts at home, Sanchez allowed 14 runs on 19 hits in 13 innings. The Yanks have won eight of Tanaka's last 11 starts and five of his last six starts versus the Blue Jays.  I believe the Yankees are the far dominant team here on Friday night and at a good price.

10*

This is a matchup of two teams that don't have very high expectations going into this season. The Pirates are in full sell mode after getting rid of McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, who would have started in Ivan Nova's place. Nova struggled mightily on the road last year going 3-12 with a 5.03 ERA. He struggles even more against the Tigers, losing all three starts with a combined ERA of 8.35 in this stadium. 

Tigers starter Zimmerman Zimmermann has a new focus on two-seamers has tweaked his game and I like him and Detroit to get a win on Friday afternoon.

5*

Pacers play a slow pace as they are #24 in possessions per game while Sacramento is even lower at #28. The Pacers are off an upset win in which their defense allowed Golden St to shoot just 40.7% and 13 of their last 15 games have gone Under. Sacramento is struggling on offense failing to reach 100 points in 5 of their last 6 games and they’ve shot 50% or better once in the last 13 games. They may get Zach Randolph back but with him in the lineup they slow the pace even more.

 Kings are playing solid D as in their last 16 games they’ve held 9 opponents to under 45% and 14 under 50%!

Lets back the UNDER here in NBA action tonight.

5*

I like the Phillies to come out strong  here on Opening Day Thursday.  Their lineup is very youth but good.  We also have the pitching edge here.

Julio Teheran has struggled the last two years at home and in the first season of Sun Trust Park, which is more of a hitters park. 

Gabe Kapler wasted no time naming Aaron Nola his Opening Day starter early in camp. He earned it. The Phillies expect Nola to take another step forward in 2018, creating a tough 1-2 punch atop the rotation with Jake Arrieta. Last season Nola's  ERA in day games last year was 2.98.

I'm on the Phillies as my season opening 5* PLAY OF THE DAY!

This is the only pick I am using in MLB on Thursday. A few other opinions are the BlueJays, Athletics, and DBacks.

5*

The SF Dons made 12 of 18 3-point attempts in the first half as they built an 18-point lead but struggled to make anything in the second, shooting 29 percent from the field and missing their first seven free-throw attempts. I expect N Texas to come out of the gates strong on Wednesday night, hitting shots and getting to the FT line. I think they'll play much better at home and even up this best of 3-series at one a piece. I'm on the N TEXAS squad here with a big win and cover.

10* 

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK:

I'm rolling the 76ers here on Big Monday in NBA action.  This is the fifth game of a 7-game road trip for the Nuggets, who enter play 13-23 away from home. The Sixers have played brilliantly during their current six-game winning streak, and in their last three contests against the Timberwolves, Magic and Grizzlies have built up huge leads before coasting to victories. That means Philly's starters have gotten some much-needed  rest in the fourth quarters and should be fresher than the road-weary Nuggets. 

The Sixers won in Denver by five earlier this season, and I expect Philly at roll at home on Monday night!

Don't be fooled by the seeds. THere is a reason why the #1 seed with Kansas is the underdog in this game.

 Duke is the much stronger team in this matchup.

 The Blue Devils' freshmen bigs Wendell Carter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III will dominate the paint and set the tone early on against the undersized Jayhawks. THat will get open looks for Grayson Allen.

This game is going to be won or lost by the glass, and quite simply, Duke has the far better players for the job, with their awesome size of their frontcourt, they have shown they get boards and clean the glass, on both ends of the court. Duke struggled with the length and size of Syracuse, but that wont be the case here.

Duke is built for big time games like this. Marvin Bagley has been getting the Devils 22 points per game.

Kansas is going to likely fall behind early, as Duke starts off strong - which will keep the 7-0 Udoka Azubuike from getting involved in the game as much as he should be. He will not be getting his best opportunities - which will then bring frustration from their biggest player - which will seriously take the momentum out of defending the lane and clogging up the paint, if he gets run down.

 Kansas will be outcoached and outplayed. Duke will cruise to the Final Four.

5*

Cavs got back 4 of their top 6 rotation men in the last 3 games and will now start playing good ball again with a solid bench. They are now focused on playing post-season basketball and we’ve seen it especially on the defensive end as they allowed 44.4%, 47.8%, 39.3% and 44.2% their last 4 games. Cleveland owns this team’s first round draft choice and is going to want to beat them good here on Sunday afternoon.

5*

 Florida State has slowed things down a bit in the NCAA tournament and their defense has started to become a difference maker giving up well below their season averages in opponents’ scoring. 

I expect this game is going to be a physical game. There is some wear and tear on the Michigan team and FSU is a live dog.

Against Texas A&M - Michigan shot lights out hitting 14 three-pt shots, shot 62% for the game and forced 15 turnovers. I don't see that happening again and that is why I like the balanced FSU team on Saturday night.

Given their offensive advantages we like FSU to keep things competitive as the Noles go on to cover the spread.

5*

The Pistons have gone 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall. They recently got Reggie Jackson back from injury and are playing very well with his return. In their last three games, they won by 16 in Sac, by 27 in Phoenix and only lost at Houston by 4 pts a few nights ago. Now they host the Chicago Bulls, who have lost four straight and haven’t even been competitive in their last three. The Bulls lost by 18 at New York, by 33 to Denver and by 13 to Milwaukee. They have several injuries right now with Dunn and LaVin both out with injuries and Markkanen also questionable to play.  It seems like tank mode for the Bulls and they don't have much talent with all of their injuries.

The Bulls played last night and this is their 3rd in the last 4 days. I'm backing the Detroit Pistons in a blowout.

5*

Marvin Bagley works really well with Grayson Allen and they are set to get even better throughout the tourney. They are tough with their scoring and playmaking abilities that seems to always push their offensive excellence + their combination looks almost unstoppable at times. Duke has been putting up 83 points/game over the last 4 games  even the smothering D of Syracuse will not be able to contain that kind of scoring finesse.

UNC was the last team who was able to win vs Syracuse big time offense with 78 back at the beginning of March. Here's the story, Syracuse doesn't have enough scoring punch here vs Duke. The Orange can play defense but they struggle to score and Duke has the inside-outside attack to beat them.

 Duke has the weapons to score on the SYR defense. Sparty may have been too young to take advantage of Syracuse and they shot poorly. The Blue Devils won't make that mistake and I like them in a big blowout on Friday night. 

10* College Tournament Game of the Year

 Michigan guard Poole woke up the Wolverines with that buzzer beater in their opening tournament game.

They will come out hot and Texas A&M will struggle to keep up and Michigan will be hitting shots from the perimeter.

The #7 seed Aggies will fall back down to earth after playing a great game against the NC Tar Heels. These two grinding clubs both prefer a deliberate half-court offense which I think Michigan is better coached and runs their offense better.  They will not get jumped early like NC did.

Look for Michigan to win by 7-16 pts on Thursday night.

10*

Utah's last win could not have been more impressive on Monday night. The Utes piled up a season-high 95 points against SEC team LSU, with five players scoring at least 12 points. 

Lets back Utah one more time here as an underdog. Look for Utah to slow the pace and keep this one close throughout.

We had them on Monday and I like them again tonight.

I like UTAH U with a better-than-average side from a power conference here tonight.

5*

OKL State is not a good team at home.  They are led by their guards Carroll and Smith who combine to average 30 ppg but Western Kentucky has quick guards who will be able to guard and matchup against them.  

In their win over Stanford we saw OKL ST force 19 turnovers. They wont be able to do that tonight verses this Western Kentucky team who has the bigs to dominate in the paint.

The W Kentucky Hilltoppers have shot well in the NIT hitting 55.4% in the win vs the Eagles and 53.6% from three point range. They have 5 players averaging 11 points or more and have a balanced attack.

Western Kentucky over their past five games is in better shooting form by hitting on 48.4% from the field while the Cowboys are connecting on 39.9%. Oklahoma St failed to cover in their home win to Stanford and has dropped a lot of games on their home court this season. Hilltoppers are an efficient offensive team as they connect on 55% from two point distance which is 28th in the nation. On defense the team defends the three-pt shot well. Oklahoma St struggles with their three point defense and rebounding on the defensive boards. Western Kentucky already beat Purdue, SMU, USC and BC this year out of conference and I like them to steal a win on the road tonight.

Play Western Kentucky plus the points on Wednesday night! 

The Rangers will attempt to slow the hottest team in the league Tuesday night, when the Blue Jackets visit Madison Square Garden for the final game this season between the Metropolitan Division rivals.

The Blue Jackets ran their winning streak to eight games Monday night, with a come from behind win with their backup goalie.

The Blue Jackets' #1 GOALIE Sergei Bobrovsky will be back in the net here Tuesday night after getting the night off and I believe he will shut down the NY Rangers.  Look for the HOT Columbus Blue Jackets to get another victory at MSG and extend their winning streak as the Rangers are just experimenting with new lineups and playing out the string.

5* NHL GAME OF THE WEEK

This Marquette squad is very good especially at home which will be the difference maker tonight. They are the #17 scoring team in the country at 84 PPG. The Big 10 has two teams that rank in the Top-6 in three-point percentage this season, Purdue and Michigan State. PSU went 0-3 versus those two league foes this season allowing 50 percent from beyond the arc in those trio of losses. I believe the Marq guards will light it up from the perimeter tonight. Marquette is at home, playing for a trip to MSG against a Penn State squad that doesn't have the bench to keep pace in the second half tonight.

5* 

San Antonio is playing with triple revenge and this is a good spot for them to get the win.

With so much firepower missing from the Warriors' arsenal, it's hard to imagine them keeping pace with a determined Spurs team attempting to make the playoffs for a 21st consecutive year.  The Spurs' defense has made the difference of late, conceding 90.6 points over their last five games. They've won and covered their last three decisions all at home and on Monday night I expect them to make it four in a row and grab this one by double digits.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

LSU a poor road team that went 4-10 SU and 4-8 ATS with their last win away from home coming Jan 10th! The Tigers defense is allowing 48.5% away from home and will be dealing with the high altitude for the first time this season. Utah went 14-3 SU and 9-5 ATS at home shooting 46.9% while allowing only 38.8%. Both teams were home in the first round with LSU having to fend off a pesky in-state ‘little brother’ ULL.

I think LSU will run out of gas in the 2nd half and I like UTAH to pull away and win by double digits on Monday night!

5*

The Thunder won by 17 when these teams met in OKC in December. Yes the Raptors enter Sunday on an 18-1 tear, including 11 straight wins, but they're admittedly tired. And this game means more to OKC and Corey Brewer has given the Thunder an energy lift at both ends of the court.  I think the Thunder matchup well with the Raptors and we'll take the 6.5 pts with the underdog OKC here on Sunday as OKC goes for its sixth straight win.

5*

The Hall most defintly has the talent, expieience and front court muscle to give Kansas a hard time and perhaps win the game. They will be loose and ready to go after getting their first win under their belt. In their Thursday game the Pirates did a tremendous job handling the basketball in such a fast-paced game committing just seven turnovers. Carrington had 26 points and Desi Rodriguez added 20 on 8 of 14 shooting. Seton Hall also got 28 rebounds combined from Angel Delgado, Myles Powell, and Ismael Sanogo. We've mentioned how much we like good guards and upperclassmen in the tourney and Seton Hall owns plenty of experience and won't be intimidated at all by the situation. Seton Hall enters on a 6-0 spread run and they've covered five in a row against teams playing better than .600 basketball. I'm backing the underdog here on Saturday evening.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK 

NOTRE DAME is now coming at their opposition at full strength after not playing with their best player Bonzie Colson for a good portion of the regular season. 

The Irish have a great home court advantage and Notre Dame brings the effort on both sides of the ball ranking 134th in the nation in scoring and 77th in total defense. One would figure the early start time in the NIT would favor the home team and that’s going to be the top seeded Irish in this instance. 

ND's point guard Matt Farrell is coming off a supbar game so I expect a big performance from him this afternoon.  Notre Dame coach Mike Brey is a celebrated motivator, and he'll have his team ready to excel in this game and get a double digit win.

5*

New Mexico State comes into this game winners of 6 in a row and they are a very good team. This AGGIES team and their players are very talented and well coached. They already beat Miami-FL and Davidson this year so they proved they can play with the big boys. I expect 40 MINUTES OF INTENSE BASKETBALL from this tough team. Once they get the lead I expect them to keep it and I like them as underdogs here on Friday night.

5*

Syracuse comes into this game playing some of their best ball of the season right now. Jamie Dixon might know the 2-3 matchup zone, but TCU players haven't played against a zone all season. Syracuse is slowing down high scoring teams and they have quick guards who can score along with big-men who are long defenders and can rebound. Arizona State had the best game of their season and couldn't even score 60 points. Syracuse has a great chance of winning this game. The quick matchup zone will make them struggle even more here on Friday night. Take the Orange plus the points.

10* 

Lets go with the UNDER here on Friday night NBA action.  The Celtics last played the Magic on January 21 and lost 95-103 in a bit of a shocker. This is a Celtics team that prides itself on defense, and the fact they not only lost but gave up 103 points is a bit upsetting for a squad that is first in the league in opposing field goal percentage and second in overall defense. This team will have revenge on its mind when they face them again in Orlando, and this team comes in holding its opponents to less than 100 points in four out of their last eight games. Look for the Celtics to likely have a strong defensive effort in Orlando as they will not overlook the Magic again. Look for the UNDER to come in here on Friday night NBA action.

5*

Houston comes in red hot, winning 12 of its last 14 (11-3 ATS), which includes Sunday's 56-55 loss, but cover, to Cincinnati in the conference final. Now the Cougars are facing an even hotter team that's been unleashed with a true rating that hasn't caught up yet. The difference maker this season has been senior guard Trey Kell. Since he missed three games in early February, the Aztecs have won nine straight games (8-1 ATS) with Kell, concluding with an 87-75 win in Saturday's MWC Final where he scored 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting. SD St is very physical and I give them the defensive and rebounding edges. San Diego State is the play here as a small underdog.

5* 

South Dakota State dominated action in the Summit League this season, but the Jackrabbits also proved their worth outside of conference play getting wins against teams like Iowa, Buffalo, and Ole Miss. SD State doesn’t have to travel far and this has potential 12 seed upset written all over it. 

The Jackrabbits are an offensive force ranking 6th in the nation in scoring behind veteran forward Mike Daum who’s averaging nearly 24 points per game. The team is averaging 85 ppg. I LOVE their ability to knock down the long ball as this will be the game-changer in this game Thursday afternoon. The Jackrabbits have shot 41.5% as a team from beyond the arc this season on the road, and the Buckeyes have struggled against the perimeter shot this season with opponents shooting 47% from beyond the arc against them on the road. 

One concern we have about the Buckeyes is Ohio State didn’t pick up much of anything in the way of resume building wins outside of conference action.

With this game being played in Boise, Idaho, South Dakota State should have a strong fan support in the stands. In a game we feel SD State has a decent shot at winning, we’ll take the Jackrabbits getting the 8 points as a strong value oddsmaker mistake play.

10*

The Blue Devils are coming full speed ahead and their new matchup zone defense has looked tough as well. On Thursday they will be playing against statistically the worst defensive team in the tournament. The Gaels rank 311th in the nation in defensive field goals made. If you are wondering, there are only 351 NCAA D1 schools. What makes it even more salivating for Duke backers is after a loss; they are 86%ATS this season. I think it will be a high scoring game and it wouldn't surprise me if Duke wins by 30 or more.

5*

All I hear is how OKL should not have made the tournament and everyone is disrespecting them.

 We know that we're going to get the Sooners' best effort and they played a tough schedule this year. But let's not just count on effort; let's count on talent because that is what it's going to take. Oklahoma has wins versus eight top-50 teams and three versus top-20 teams. Trae Young is not just the best freshman in college basketball, he has to be in the conversation of having the best season of any player, period. The R.I. Rams will definitely compete but Oklahoma's experience against a more difficult schedule. Look for OKL to pressure RI and pull away in the 2nd half for the win.

5*

The public is all over Arizona State, which opened as a 1.5-point underdog but now the 1.5 favorite. Guard-oriented teams have cherished in the NCAA Tournament, and the Sun Devils fit the bill. However, Syracuse holds a significant edge in tourney openers because its trademark zone-matchup defense varies little from game to game. The Orange need minimal time to prepare. They have won 7 consecutive opening games in the tourney by an average of 22 points. Syracuse is the better team with the shorter trip here and I like them to win here on Wednesday night!

5* 

Marquette did make the NCAA tournament last year in Steve Wojciechowski 3rd year but this will be the 3rd time in four years they have not. I expect them to be motivated and come out strong. My feeling is they would love to get to the 20-win mark as they are a very tough team especially at home. Harvard may be playing without the Ivy League POY Seth Towns (knee). Towns is a do it all type player. Marquette is one of the top three point shooting teams in the country and that is how you beat this Harvard team. Marquette is a talented team has a major edge at home and I like them to win this one handily.

10* 

While I usually fade a team that got screwed out a March Madness bid the dynamics are different with a non-power conference team. Middle Tenn St has 24 wins against the #97 schedule while Vermont had 27 wins against the #249 schedule. The Blue Raiders best players and best the best player in CUSA are seniors and they now return home off a home loss and a first round upset in the conference tournament. In fact, they had to stay in Frisco, TX an extra day because they only booked a flight home after the final but the day after getting knocked out they found a gym I Frisco and practiced. Look for Middle Tenn St to get a double digit win here on Tuesday night.

10* Home Cooking Blowout! 

Though neither team hails from a major conference, Radford and LIU-Brooklyn are on different levels. The Highlands toughened up with impressive pre-league losses by 10 to Ohio State and 12 to Vanderbilt. (There were blowout defeats to Virginia Tech and Nevada, both NCAA Tournament participants). The biggest-name foe for the Blackbirds was Tulane in their opener, and their strength of schedule is 335th, 16 spots from the bottom. The line has escalated from four, which mean it is headed in the proper direction and I expect Radford to get a big here.

5* 

We have two teams that like to slow the tempo (#238 & #259) and have better defenses than offenses. San Diego only shoots 44% at home while their defense allows only 40.2% shooting. Hartford has played shutdown defense down the stretch allowing only 39.1% while they themselves only shot 41.6%. San Diego’s defensive efficiency is #77 which is 100 spots better than every team in the American East with the exception of Vermont (#130). Hartford’s two game against Vermont totaled 137 and 129 points so lets go with the UNDER here in this one.

5* 

Washington got a huge lift from goaltender Phillip Grubauer, who recorded the shutout win against the Sharks. He's been solid, while starting netminder Braden Holtby has struggled. This marks the 5 of a six-game road trip for the Jets and their 3rd game in 4 days, with a huge matchup Tuesday at Central Division-leading Nashville looming. The Capitals are a really good home team and they are 12-3 against the Jets at home of late. Washington is 30-12 after scoring 2 goals or less. I like the CAPITALS here on Monday night.

5* NHL ICEMAN GAME OF THE WEEK! 

Liberty is playing at home in this CIT game on Monday night. This team is very solid as they beat Wake Forest earlier in the year if you remember and won 79-66. This is a squad that only lost to Houston by 2 points. This is a team that is as good as it comes when it comes to defensive pressure and intensity. THey are excited to still be playing and the coach will use this as a building block for next season. I love them to get a huge win here at home on Monday night in a blowout fashion.

5* 

The Houston Cougars might not get as many headlines as Wichita State and Cincinnati in the AAC, but the Cougars have been right there with both squads this year standing 26-6 overall and 14-4 in conference. Both of these teams know they’re going to the NCAA tournament, but Houston would probably feel a lot better wrapping things up with a win today. 

 Cincinnati hasn’t been quite as strong as Houston this year on the offensive end, and we feel like Houston is probably going to have more motivation to get the automatic bid so I'll grab the points with Houston on Sunday afternoon.

5*

After a scorching 15-1 start in conference play, Rhode Island hasn't been as sharp down the stretch. 

Davidson has a lot more on the line in today’s matchup given the Wildcats know they won’t be going to the NCAA tournament if they don’t get the automatic bid. This was the case with Davidson yesterday against the Bonnies, and Davidson came through in the end beating Saint Bonaventure by a final of 82-70. Davidson has quietly been one of the more well balanced teams in the A-10 this season ranking a solid 85th in the nation in scoring and 58th in total defense.

Back Davidson to win for the eighth time in its last nine games and take the Atlantic 10 title on Sunday

5*

Marshall has been red hot in the tournament and playing some of their best ball of the season. They are hot and playing with double revenge vs. Western Kentucky. Marshall has had a manageable path to the conference tournament title game getting past the likes of UTSA and Southern Miss. Now Marshall will have to earn their way into the Big Dance taking on arguably the most dangerous team in CUSA. Marshall can be a bit one dimensional, but that dimension can be deadly, as the Thundering Herd rank 9th in the nation in scoring. I like the motivated underdog here with Marshall on Saturday night!

5* 

The forwards of Kentucky  are going to make a huge impact for the Wildcats - they will hammer the Crimson Tide frontcourt.

Kentucky has been getting explosive offense in 4 of the last 5 games and this young team is peaking right now. Kentucky  will wear the Crimson Tide down with excellent ball movement and aggressiveness. The Wildcats also come into this game allowing teams to only hit 29% of the shots from behind the arc 

 I’m all-in with Kentucky and their improved defense that was held 5 of their last 6 opponents 40 40.5% or less. Bama is banged up and lost another big man in yesterdays game and playing their third game coming off upsets against A&M and Auburn thanks to shooting 47.5% and 50% but they won’t shoot that well versus Kentucky this afternoon.

10*

Cornell didn’t have a whole lot of consistent success this season, but the Big Red were able to do just enough to get into the Ivy League tournament. Cornell stands just 12-15 overall and 6-8 in conference ranking 91st in the nation in scoring compared to 332nd in total defense. This Harvard team is very young and while the Inexperience was showing early, the Crimson have rounded into really good form. Harvard won eight of its last nine with only a very close road loss at Penn as a blemish. Lastly I like that Harvard played this team last Friday at home and needed double OT so there is no looking past them. Also favor that Harvard went 8-1 down the stretch and the loss was just 14 days ago at this same venue while Cornell last played here on Jan 12th. Take HARVARD!

5* 

Playing at a neutral zone, SD ST beat Fresno State by double digits, SDSU can win this game, if Nevada lose, they are in, they need to save the energy to win a couple games in the NCAA tournament. Look for Pope, Watson, Mitchell, and Kell play solid offense and step up along with McDaniels.

The only way San Diego State makes the NCAAs is by winning this game tonight and then winning in Saturday's MWC Final as the favorite. Nevada knows they get an invite whether winning this Tourney or not. The Aztecs have won seven straight (6-1 ATS), including a 79-74 home win against Nevada on Saturday. I like the Aztecs current form and desperation here and took the points.

5*

Kentucky is playing their best ball of the year right now.

Georgia liked to play at a very slow pace (#328) and they could do so against Vandy and Missouri. Now they face the Wildcats on a double bye. Kentucky has shown great improvement down the stretch, with the exception of the reg season loss at Florida, but that should help them here.

5*

Tulsa  finished the season 9-1 with the only loss at Cincinnati. The players bought into an adjusted defensive scheme and allowed only 41% in those wins. Memphis lost Jerimiah Martin on Feb 24th. Martin averaged 35 MPG (#2 avg’d 29 & #3 avg 24) and led in PPG with 18.9 (#2 13.3 & #3 was 8.9) as well as assists, steals and #2 in rebounds. Memphis is 3-1 since but the fist win at UConn was the the injury system (team can recover one game from best player out), and they beat the worst AAC team twice (USF) and the second worst once (EC). Now the short-handed Tigers play a second straight day against a rested foe.

5*

Alabama had a rough patch to close out the regular season losing 5 straight including a 19 point loss on the road against this Auburn squad. Alabama wasn’t overly impressive yesterday against Texas A&M, but the Tide were able to find a way to grab the win on a buzzer beater, taking down the Aggies by a final of 71-70. Alabama has some momentum and I expect emotions to carry over here tonight. The Crimson Tide still have a lot to play for, since they're not lock for the tournament. Auburn's a shorthanded team, Collin Sexton is not all Alabama has. The Tide will prove that on Friday. I'm on the small underdog here Friday afternoon.

5* 

San Diego State has clearly been heading in the right direction over the past few weeks of action winning their last 6 games in a row to improve to 19-10 overall and 11-7 in the MWC. SDSU’s increase in production has been evident. San Diego St went up-tempo in Brian Dutcher’s first year replacing Steve Fisher and while the Defense struggled early they are now playing the defense the Aztecs are known for with a very much improved offense and I expect them to make a nice run here with a win on Thursday evening.

5* 

Providence had 4 guys averaging 9 or more points and I like them this afternoon on a neutral court. Both of these teams are more than likely going to the NCAA tournament, but Providence probably could use this win a little more. Look for the Fryers to get the cash as a small 4 pt underdog.

5* 

BC is not a good road team and we'll back NC State here on Wednesday afternoon.

Boston College played a physical game against a Georgia Tech (still w/out their PG) and they were pressed often and turned the ball over 11 times in the 2H. Now they face a rested NCSt squad that doesn’t always press but you can expect it today. The Wolfpack have the far better conference offense and defense and when they went played at BC on Jan 11th they were a 5.5 pt AF and now laying a basket less at a neutral site.  

10*

Line looks right for a 8-9 seed game but not the way the teams are in current form.  Coastal finished the Sun Belt season going 7-4 with all 4 losses to teams that were #6 seeds or better. Texas St ended the year losing their last 9 games.  The Chanticleers has only the #9 offense in Sun Belt action but they were #2 in defense while the Bobcats were #11 and #8.

Coastal Carolina is the better team here!

5*

These two teams had very similar results this season in terms of their conference records and overall statistics, but Northeastern went 0-2 against Charleston, losing on the road by 16 points and at home by 5 points to the Cougars. 

Charleston came into the year with high expectations and the Cougars have been living up to their billing standing atop the league with a record of 25-7 overall and 14-4 in conference. Charleston tied Northeastern in terms of their conference record, but the Cougars win the tiebreaker with their 2 head to head wins over the Huskies. Charleston came through for us yesterday taking down William & Mary by a final of 82-73. On the year Charleston ranks 153rd in the nation in scoring and 82nd in total defense. I like Charleston to get the win here on Tuesday night!

5*

WF has the inside big guys and rebounding edge here.

They split the season games but as long as Wake doesn't turn the ball over then they should win this game outright and eliminate SYR from going to the Big Dance next week.

5*

#2 seed vs #6 seed. Wright St was 14-4 in Horizon League action and went 0-2 against Milwaukee losing as a 7 pt HF, 74-73, on Feb 10th and as a pick’em at Milwaukee, 66-61, Jan 20th. 

This tourney set-up is unique as the #1 & #2 seed games played Saturday against a foe playing their play-in foes while the 4-5 & 3-6 played yesterday. If a team is better on offense they might want to play B2B days but when you have the conference’s best defense, I’ll take them with a day off who Is prepared and ready. We have the better team with double revenge too. 

5*

Now CIncy plays is an unfamiliar arena and it will be a ZOO! The Bearcats will be looking for revenge from their home loss on Feb 18th but they won’t get it. Cincinnati is over-rated to me as they as they’ve beaten ONE top 60 team this season and that was Houston at home. They are 0-4 against the other top 6- teams and have only been tested as a dog once a loss at Xavier.

Wichita St has a seven game win streak, and I like them at home here on Sunday.

5*

Houston will look to remain extremely aggressive on the scoring attack, as the Rockets hope to continue beating teams with their 3rd ranked free throw attempts/game. Al Horford is only putting up 11 ppg over the last month, and he hasn't been effective. I think the Celtics are in trouble on Saturday night here. They wont be able to guard the Rockets 3-pt shot attack.

 Boston can, at times, make bad switches and Houston will be able to capitalize on those kind of mistakes.  In their first meeting this year, the Rockets had a HUGE 26 point lead and blew it.  They didn't have Chris Paul or Capela in that game and I look for a big blowout for the Houston Rockets here at home.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

The North Texas Mean Green are playing hard for first year HC Grant McCasland and have made great strides from LY’s program (8-22). In their last 6 home games they are 4-2 with the losses to to a tough WKU in OT and to Marshall by 2. The Mean Green are also 15-15 and it is a massive difference to finish with a .500 record (if they lose first conf tourney game) than a losing record. UTEP meanwhile is off a pair of wins before they lost at Rice Thursday but they both game at home and prior to those they failed to cover 6 straight games plus versus the Owls. The Miners are 1-11 SU on the road and I don't see UTEP showing up here. Play N Texas by double digits.

5*