Boston has really been just above average after the16-2 start this season and just 18-14 their last 32 games. I think Cleveland has more firepower now, and renewed motivation and hope. Cavaliers has now added more younger, and fast moving players for their offense. Good job by the Cavs in the first game following the wheeling and dealing, That was with a skeleton crew as the new guys didn't play, but they will today. I'm buying the premise that the vastly improved clubhouse atmosphere and I would expect a surge by this Cleveland team. Gotta think the intensity will be there today against the Celtics. I'm backing the underdog here with Cleveland today.

10* NBA Game of the Week 

Idaho State had a big lead vs Northern Colorado on Thursday and blew it. I think this might be the spot where Idaho State can grab a lead and make it hold up. North Dakota is off a very hard fought little series of games. They pilled out a one point win over Montana State, threw a huge scare into Big Sky frontrunner Montana and fought hard Thursday at Weber State. Idaho State is the choice to get the win here.

5* 

Jim Les is a terrific Big West coach, and he's going to have his team ready for this game this time. Its the second meeting between the Titans and Aggies, and true revenge here. Fullerton was a comfortable winner in the first game, but it was the end of the game that caught my attention. The two teams did not enjoy any cordial handshakes after the game and it looked for a moment that Les and Titans coach Dedrique Taylor might square off. 

I expect the Aggies to be back to being fully focused here, and I think you can make a good case this will be looked at as their biggest game of the season. Respect Fullerton, a pretty good program that's rising under Taylor, but I want the hosts here with UC-Davis minus the 3.5 points.

5*

Kansas has played great on the road with the only loss at Oklahoma while posting a 5-2 ATS record. Baylor which has been a zone team for years started to man-to-man this season and it caught Kansas by surprise in their first meeting as the Jayhawks survived at home 70-67. It’s no surprise that the Bears are 3-6 SU their last 9 games with the B12’s second weakest offense as 2 wins came against Oklahoma St one versus and Iowa St as these two teams are last in the conference in defense. Kansas is by far the better team and should win big on the road this afternoon. Kansas has looked about as good on the road as they have at home in the Big 12 and we see that trend continuing today as the Jayhawks go on to cover this small spread.

5*

Princeton has had some tough results this past week losing back to back games at home against Brown and Penn with their last defeat against the Quakers coming by 17 points. Princeton hasn’t lived up to their billing up to this point in the Ivy standing 11-10 overall and 3-3 in conference. Princeton will bring in the offensive edge into this matchup, This team is well coached with HC Mitch Henderson. Harvard is a very young team and I like Princeton to get back on track tonight. This team is a top 100 offense, top 30 in effective field goal percentage, top 30 in 3 point field goals and top 100 in turnover margin. I am backing the overall better team with their experience, better shooting and coaching edges today.

10* BLOWOUT! 

We have a Houston team that lost both times to SMU last year and is tired of playing little brorther or bullied in this conference. They have senior leadership this year, they are better, they are more experienced which is why they have won 17 games already. They have been looking forrward to this game as a benchmark if you will not to mention they are a perfect 11-0 at home with a great 11 game home winning streak to boot. SMU has really struggled as the away team this year with the very notable exception of Wichita State. And now they are playing their second straight game without Shake Milton (+ already lost Jarrey Foster). SMU is very short-handed and not much off the bench. Houston U is a well coached team as you're going to find and they are going to be ready in a big way tonight.

5* 

Duke is looking to rebound from one of its worst losses in recent memory, as it fell on the road to a St. John's team that was winless in Big East play. Maybe St Johns is starting to put it together after they also upset Villanova last night. The Blue Devils already would be motivated for this rivalry game against North Carolina, but the loss will add some fuel. Coach K was very upset and ripped his team after the Saturday loss. North Carolina is down from a talent standpoint and also has shown an alarming lack of poise in close games. The Tar Heels have the home-court advantage Thursday, but look for the much more talented and inspired Blue Devils to get the win here tonight. 

5*

The Bulldogs might have the better record here, but Vandy is playing the better ball. Vandy returns home after 2 tough road games vs Kentucky and Auburn. Georgia HC Mark Fox has been in Georgia for a long time now and he has not really turned this program around when he came over from Nevada. Other schools have turned it around much faster including Tennessee, Auburn, Missouri, Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State and Georgia is still struggling to find quality success given the vast resources they have. We like Vanderbilt here with Bryce Drew doing a great coaching job. Vandy is a top 50 offense and a defense that is decent at home including big wins over TCU, LSU and Alabama at home. With Georgia struggling and having Auburn on deck and outside the top 270 in offensive efficiency, they simply might not be able to keep up with the scoring with Vandy on their home floor.

5* 

The Virginia Cavaliers will run into one of their tougher tests thus far in the ACC as they head out on the road to take on Florida State. This is a great chance for Florida State to pick up another elite resume building win coming off their great win the other day on the road against Louisville. Florida State has shown a high ceiling at times this year, but they’ve been a little less consistent than the Cavaliers, standing 17-6 overall and 6-5 in conference. Florida State plays a different brand of basketball than Virginia as the Seminoles rank 16th in the nation in scoring. This is an interesting contrast in styles and both teams bring confidence and momentum into today’s contest. We like Florida State to build off of their Louisville win as they come through behind their home court edge covering this spread.

10* 

NorthWestern returns home after 3 straight road games including an 11 pt loss at Michigan. In that game they only shot 38% and had 16 turnovers. They are 8-2 their last 10 at home and I like the Wildcats tonight in this spot. Dererk Pardon went a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor en route to 17 points to go along with three blocked shots in the win over Wisconsin. Scottie Lindsey added 14 points and Bryant McIntosh scored 10 points and dished out a game-high four assists to move past Dee Brown for seventh place on the Big Ten's all-time list with 676 assists. Vic Law contributed nine points and a team-high eight rebounds as the Wildcats held the Badgers to 32.8 percent shooting from the floor to secure back-to-back victories in Madison for the first time since 1969-70. Northwestern is tough at home and I like them in this spot tonight to get the win.

10* 

This Butler team is very tough. They really know how to show up for big games, as shown when they knocked off No. 1 Villanova earlier in the year. Look for Butler to come out focused and hungry on their home court. This will be a back-and-forth game, but I think the home team pulls away and wins in the 2nd half in Hinkle Fieldhouse. 

5*

Washington has won four in a row without John Wall, and the Wizards are 8-0 ATS in their last eight visits to Indianapolis. But this is a bad spot for them against a Pacers team that's won four of five. I really like the way the Pacers shoot and play defense at home and I'll back tonight here tonight in a near pick'em situation.

5*

Rutgers sits at the bottom of the Big Ten standings and has lost five in a row.  The Scarlet Knights can't score, and they are coming off a tough game with Purdue and will still be hungover from that game.

 It's hard to nearly beat a team like Purdue and then get up for a hungry Indiana team. Indiana is a team that is on the hot seat with their first year coach and it's no big deal because Miller is in his first year, but this team has lost 4 in a row now. And, they have simply been the victim of a brutal schedule where they lost to Illinois on the road, looking ahead to Purdue, then lost to a resurgent Ohio State team and then had to face an angry Michigan State at home. Indiana is the better team, a top 110 offense, a top 100 defense, a top turnover percentage and top 70 offensive rebounding and Rutgers is likely still hungover from that loss.  I'm backing INDIANA U tonight!

5*

 Orlando's main playmaker, Elfrid Payton, has been playing good ball averaging 14 pts, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. The Magic are very good at home despite their record and also expect to get Aaron Gordon back tonight. Orlando is a very balanced team with 8 players averaging 8 pts or more.

The Wizards are 3-0 since losing John Wall, but now go on on the road and I expect them to struggle.

Look for the Magic to use their home court, balanced attack and perimeter shooting to get the win/ATS Cover versus the Wiz on Saturday night.

10*

Iowa really struggles on the road going 1-6 their last 7 most in blowout losses. PennState(15-9) need to take care of homecourt if they want any shot at the big dance and some recognition. They are off an emotional loss to Michigan State on the road in which they were winning at the half and the Penn St team has a very good home court dominance.

5* 

Look for Stanford to use their size and inside presence to get a win here on Saturday evening. The Cardinal play much better at home and the Ducks lost a bunch of talent from their Final Four team a season ago and rely and struggle too much from the perimeter. Stanford is 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall. The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

5* 

This is an Oakland team that already beat Illinois-Chicago earlier this year if you remember by a score of 78-68 on the road so it's not inconceivable they beat them by the same margin or more at home. This is an Oakland team that comes off a terrible game where they only scored 51 points.

 This team had scored 83, 92, 78, 81 and 95 points in 5 straight wins prior to that. So, talk about frustrating for a top 80 offense to be held to just 51 points. One way they can take out some frustration is against a team like Illinois-Chicago who is on the rise, who is 7-3 in conference play and who has an offense outside the top 280. Look for Oakland to bounce-back here on Friday Night behind a solid home crowd and get a big win. 

5*

Columbia is better than their overall record might suggest and they have been tough at home winning 3 in a row. They are much more competitive now and rebounding well. WE'll back them tonight here at home.

4* 

Wisky has dropped 3 straight games and they weren't even close.

 This Northwestern team is different, they have revenge, they come off a game where they scored just 47 points at Michigan a good defensive team (top 25 defensive and offensive team). Wisconsin is 3-7 in conference play and outside the top 90 in defense which should allow Northwestern to see some more open looks and play better today. Northwestern went on the road to beat Minnesota earlier this year 77-69, nearly beat Ohio State by losing by 6 points who is an elite team and features 2 seniors who lead the way for this team. Let's roll with Northwestern as a small dog as they are the better balanced team here.

5*

Washington lost John Wall for the next 4-6 weeks, and he's worth 3 points to the betting line. Washington is just 9-16 ATS at home and coming off a big win over OKC. The Wizards are 28-22 but I say without Wall they will go down to the wire for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. As is the case with NBA injuries to star players, teammates step up for one or two games and then the value of the star starts to kick in. Toronto is No. 4 overall on offense, No. 3 on defense. Look for Toronto to win this one by double digits on Thursday night!

5*

Wichita State has been putting together another strong regular season standing 17-4 overall and 7-2 in the AAC. With going through a tougher conference slate in the AAC it’ll be interesting to see what kind of affect this has on the Shockers once postseason play comes around. Wichita State dominated action this past week at home blowing past UCF and Tulsa. The Shockers have strengths on both sides of the ball ranking 23rd in the nation in scoring and 100th in total defense. 

Temple is coming off their big Sunday night win over UConn but overall I don't think they are as good as Wichita St.

The oddsmakers adjusted on the Shockers because of their recent struggles, but they should be in good shape against a Temple club that is limited offensively at 66 points per game. The Owls are no longer the lethal threat they once posed as home underdog, and they are just 1-5 this season coming off an ATS win.

The Shockers have a major offensive edge in this matchup we like the Shockers to cover the manageable spread.

10*

We’ll play against Miss St again on the road as they are now 0-5 SU/ATS. The Bulldogs are also playing their 3rd road game in the last 4. In South Carolina we have a team that lost their last two home games, to Tennessee and Texas Tech, and I can’t see them losing a third straight at home.

We’ve been getting a little better play out of the Gamecocks in the SEC in comparison to MSU and behind their home court advantage we like South Carolina to come through and cover the spread.

 The Gamecocks are mediocre offensive team (#143) and they are now matched vs a team that has a worse offense than them (#179) and road weary.

5*

Loyola comes in at 18-4 with 7 straight wins and we’ll use them again after their win against N Iowa on Sunday. One loss is easy to explain as it was at Boise which is a tough place and long road ride. The other 3 losses came against inferior opponents between Dec 16th and Jan 3rd and that was the period of time when they were without PG Clayton Cluster who missed 5 games. In conference play the Ramblers have the best offensive and defensive efficiency and a dangerous team as they are healthy.

5*

Virginia has covered the spread in 13 of the last 16 games when playing as a favorite and they have covered the spread in 17 of the last 25 games when playing their 2nd game in a week. Tony Bennett's team is very good and now at home should be able to take care of Louisville here. This team is legit and will be a #1 seed come Selection Sunday.

5*

Xavier does not play well in NY at St Johns.

St John's is coming off their worst game of the year dropping their 10th straight game on Saturday.  They only shot 29% in that game and just got out-hustled.

These two teams just met 2 weeks ago and it was a 6-pt win for Xavier.

I expect St John's to come out strong here on Tuesday night and keep things competitive today like they did in their road loss against Xavier a couple weeks back.

I'm backing the home UNDERDOG with St Johns plus the pts.

5*

The NY Knicks are returning home from a long 7-game road trip. The Brooklyn Nets are playing with triple revenge in this cross town rivalry game on Tuesday night.

The Nets play small but they are also in the top-5 for team rebounds and I expect Brooklyn to use a small lineup and push the tempo against a tired Knicks team who doesn't have a deep bench.

Look for a tight game throughout tonight and I like the NETS plus the pts.

10* NBA Game of the Week

Kansas St only lost by one point when they visited Kansas on Jan 13th but to me that just insured that Kansas stay focused. Kansas actually plays with more focus on the road as they’ve only lost two true road games the last two seasons, at WV last year and at Oklahoma in their past road games.  

Kansas has generally shown a great knack for coming through in close games and we like for the Jayhawks to come through in crunch time today as they go on to cover this manageable spread on Big Monday!

5*

 The Memphis Grizzlies will try to finish their four-game homestand with a .500 mark when they host the Phoenix Suns on Monday. After taking the opener of the homestand, the Grizzlies have dropped two in a row to match their longest losing streak since before Christmas.

 Six Memphis players scored at least 12 points and the squad posted 31 assists on 39 baskets but couldn't make enough stops and turned the ball over 20 times in a 109-100 loss to Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. 

The Grizzlies suffered a pair of two-point losses at Phoenix in six-day span last month, so Memphis is playing with double revenge here tonight.

The Suns are pretty much a 1-man show with Devin Booker and they also played last night.

The Griz Mike Conley, who had been sidelined with a heel issue since Nov. 13, will have surgery and miss the remainder of the season. Tyreke Evans has done an admirable job filling in for Conley ALso, Veteran center Marc Gasol recorded his fourth career triple-double - first this season - in the loss to the Clippers while tying his season high with five blocked shots.

I like Memphis here at home behind their balanced team attack on Monday night.

5*

This is a big game for Temple at home. They need to come out strong on Sunday night. UConn is coming off probably their best game of the year holding SMU to just 28% shooting. On the flipside, Temple is coming off their worst game of the season shooting just 28%, 3-23 shooting from 3-pt land, 20 turnovers and losing to Cincy by 33. It was a total beatdown they took. Now they return home and after a few tough practices, I expect them to bounce back in a big way vs UConn.

5* 

The Bucks play their first road game since Jason Kidd's firing and playing with double revenge. In their earlier matchups the Bucks had a ton of turnovers and got beat on the boards. Look for Milw to make the proper adjustments and take care of business here. Milwaukee needs to concentrate on getting their front court better shots. Like I said on Friday its tough to prepare for a new coach and I like the Bucks chances here on Sunday afternoon at Chicago.

5* 

Maryland is 12-1 outright at home this season, falling only to Purdue by five points. 

The first sellout crowd of the season is expected here at the XFinity Center.

The Maryland Terps have been very competitive as of late coming up just short in recent losses at Michigan and Indiana.

This game means a lot more to Maryland than Michigan State and this will be a revenge game for the Terps after falling in East Lansing earlier in conference play by 30. Behind their home court advantage we like the Terps to stay competitive enough to get the cover. The Spartans could suffer from odd scheduling, which forced them to play Friday night at home. Then there is the potential media distraction from fallout over the USA Gymnastics DR from Mich St.

 Maryland has 5 days off before this game so they’ll be prepared and have a plan for attacking and defending Michigan State. 

 Maryland has a guard in Cowan who has played very well the past few games. And Kevin Huerter is arguably the best 3 point shooter in the Big Ten. 

Lastly, Maryland is desperate for a resume building win. And at 15-7, a win in this game might put them in the field of 68.

 Look for Maryland to close this one close and possibly pull the upset.

10*

The Golden Eagles know their NCAA Tournament hopes could ride on this game. The Bradley Center is going to be packed and rocking. The No. 1 team in the country is Villanova with a 19-1 SU record and 14-6 ATS record. Marquette is a very tough team at home who shoots the 3-ball well. Villanova has played a very easy road schedule so far with just one away game versus a Top-50 opponent. The Wildcats have five left on their schedule, starting with Sunday's game at Marquette. Steve Wojciechowski, now in his fourth season at Marquette, has shown improvement each year. Marquette is very efficient offensively and I expect a tight game throughout.

5* 

John Calipari's Kentucky teams historically gel and make a strong mid-to-late season run, but we've yet to see such progress from these Wildcats, who lack the NBA-ready talent of years past. They struggle with pressure and shooting from the perimeter. They struggled against pressure-defensive clubs such as Tennessee and South Carolina, showing a lack of poise and resilience. W Virginia has senior led guards and I like them big here at home where they play extremely well.

5* 

The Tennessee Vols have been consistently competitive this season standing 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the better than expected SEC. Tennessee has been able to move into the top 25 on the strength of their balanced attack this season as the Vols rank 103rd in the nation in scoring and 94th in total defense. This group is also very unselfish sharing the ball ranking 38th in the nation in assists. This past week Tennessee handled their business grabbing a win at South Carolina and a home win over rival Vanderbilt. Grant williams is going to put a lot of Iowa st players in foul trouble with his low post presence plus with the 3 point snipers Tennessee has this could be a game that put tennessee on radar as a top seed as ISU is playing very inconsistent. Tennessee is a tough group that has shown they can come through on the road like in their win at South Carolina this past week. We like Tennessee to handle their business today against the worst team in the Big 12 as they go on to cover this manageable 3 pt spread.

5* 

Northern Kentucky is a very good team that no one talks about. They play extremely well at home and I all they do is win and they have played a very tough schedule so far and they win big tonight. They are 10-2 on their home court winning by an average of 20 ppg. Northern Kentucky is a top 70 offense and defense has won seven of its last eight games and has won its last three by an average of 18 points while shooting 50 percent from the field. Oakland has won four straight, but it's just 1-6 ATS its last seven games. Northern Kentucky has a big edge defensively as it allows a .427 field goal percentage overall and just .316 from 3-point range, which is important when facing the Golden Grizzlies. At home, the N Kentucky Norse(whatever that is) defense is even better as it holds opponents to only 29.1 percent from long distance. Drew McDonald leads the Norse with a 16.8 scoring average while grabbing 8.4 rebounds per game. Northern Kentucky is 18-6-2 ATS its last 26 games overall and 15-5-1 ATS its last 21 home contests. Look for a double digit win for the home team here on Friday night!

10* 

The Spurs are 32-18 and playing at home and only a 3.5 pt favorite. I think the odds-makers are begging you to take San Antonio tonight. Philly already beat the Spurs this year at home and beat them in all aspects of the game. The 76ers are young, hungry and playing some great ball right now winning 8 of their last 10 games. They are giving a balanced attack led my Simmons and Embiid. The team is 1st in the league in rebounding, 3rd in assists and 7th in scoring. The Spurs bench is still in trouble with Ginobli still hurt. I'm on the Philadelphia 76ers plus the points tonight.

5* 

Kristaps Porzingis is questionable for this game, and, without him, the Knicks are dreadful. All of this points to a Nuggets win, but they’ve been anything but a sure thing against bad teams at home in the past month. Denver plays well at home and will be pumped up to play NY tonight.  Take the Nuggets!

5*

Tulane is a team that was only 6-25 LY but in the 3rd season under former NBA HC Mike Dunleavy Sr the change in attitude is now complete. Tulane has learned how to play very well at home as indicated by the upsets of SMU and Houston. USF is a train wreck. They are 0-7 SU and 1-6 AT Sin conference play and the lone cover was their last game, at home, against their rival (UCF) who was playing their first game without 7-6 Tacko Fall.

5* 

Central Florida was dealt a tough blow when it lost starting center Tacko Fall last week. Fall is a great rim protector. Without Fall, the UCF defense will not be the same. Wichita State has lost two in a row and will be ready to explode here at home. The Shockers have one of the best offensive clubs in the NCAA, ranking 18th in points per possession. More importantly, they play a much faster pace at home. Look for the Wichita St Shockers to get a big win here at home on Thursday night!

10* 

UConn has been hammered twice in a row by 20-plus points. Against SMU, the Huskies must find a solution likely without F Terry Farrier (facial injury), their second most productive score and rebounder. His replacement is an inexperienced freshman. In the betting universe, UConn is living off of its reputation, having gone 7-15 in its most recent 22 home games. The Mustangs have covered in four of the past five head-to-heads and are the better balanced team tonight.

5* 

Rutgers has been a tough team to figure out at times this year, but the Scarlet Knights have been more of a threat this year than perhaps in recent seasons in the Big Ten. Rutgers came through for us in their last outing at home getting past Iowa in impressive fashion by a final of 80-64. Occasionally the Scarlet Knights have been able to cobble together some strong showings at home off the strength of their defense. On the year Rutgers ranks 9th in the nation in total defense compared to 299th in scoring. Rutgers has the edge of their home court as well as the fact that Nebraska is heading into a second leg of their current road trip. Rutgers played great for us in their last outing at home and we see that being the case again today as the Scarlet Knights get the win here at home on Wednesday night!

5* 

Rider already beat Fairfield by 19 at home in the first meeting earlier this month, and there isn't enough that has changed from a few weeks ago to avoid another similar outcome for these two. The Broncs have flourished in MAAC play at 6-2 and are putting up some strong offensive numbers at 81.3 points per game. Fairfield are on the opposite end of the spectrum, just 7-11 overall and 2-5 in league play, even allowing more points than scoring. Fairfield are 0-6 against the RPI Top 100, and Rider rank inside that number. There is value on the road, and this is one of those spots. Rider gets its second double digit win over Fairfield and sweep the season series in the process.

5* 

TCU started a hot 12-0 and earned a Top 15 ranking, but they have since dropped five of seven Big 12 games to begin league play. That's not that big of a concern, as the conference is arguably the toughest in the country with the high level of competition. Of the Horned Frogs five losses this year, four have been to RPI Top 50 teams and all four by a combined 11 points. Head Coach Jamie Dixon's is very familiar with the WVU coach and team. They need a resume win here in conference play, missing out on so many close games in recent weeks. We go with the small home dog and TCU here on Monday night.

5* 

After 2 straight road games I expect AUBURN to return home and get a convincing win. Georgia tends to struggle to score points and the Tigers and Bruce Pearl will be ready for this one on Saturday. Auburn shot poorly in their last game at just 39% and get man-handled and outrebounded. Pearl will have his team ready for a big win at home on Saturday evening.

10* College Hoops Game of the Week 

The additions of Lauri Markkanen and more court time for Denzel Valentine look like good upgrades for Chicago. With size and deep shooting - they add promise to the team. Markkanen will be a good player for the Chicago frontcourt - and Valentine is a dangerous young player with his ability to generate some offense off the dribble. Markkanen doesn't have great athletic ability - but he really is a monster in the lane with his length and offensive awareness. The bigs of Atlanta will struggle stopping his aggressiveness and touch. It's amazing that Atlanta hasn't been playing better. Since 2 weeks ago - the Hawks have been slacking with just poor play. The shooting from Taurean Waller-Prince has been a real disappointment for the Atlanta fans. The 6-8 forward has only been hitting around 30% of his shots since the beginning of January. They have also really struggled on defense - allowing teams to score at will from all over the court. Chicago wins this one on the road Saturday evening.

5* 

I like Monmouth tonight as a home dog.  This is only their 3rd home game since Dec 9th.

Monmouth has been competitive in the MAAC, and they are always solid at home. They were sloppy on the road in their last game with 18 turnovers and they got beat on the boards.

Look for Monmouth to get a win at home tonight as they usually take care of business with Iona.

5*

The Niagara Purple Eagles have lost four straight years to Quinnipiac, but finally Niagara has a better team. After just ten wins all of last season, Niagara has already eclipsed that number with 11 so far this year, including four straight in MAAC play to move into the top quarter of the league standings. Niagara is in the Top 30 in the country in scoring and has one of the best scoring combinations with 20-point scorers Matt Scott and Khahlil Dukes. Their partnership will be too much for Quinnipiac to handle. Niagara gets another conference victory and cruises to their 5th straight win here as they are the better team by far in my opinion.

10* 

The Delaware Blue Hens have won three straight as well as seven of their last nine overall. They'll be good for a cover here as an underdog against Hofstra. These two played three times last year and each game finished in single digits to the winner. Delaware already has as many true road wins as Hofstra has home wins. The Pride are 1-4 ATS as a favorite this year and 0-3 ATS at home. The points hold up in a close game between these two tonight.

5* 

For the most part Big East home teams have dominated league play. But in this spot I really like the road Pirates. Seton Hall is 6-2 against the RPI Top 100, while Creighton is just 5-4. Both teams are having rankings in the Top 30. The Hall have won both its games outright as a road underdog, and I think this is a good spot for them to cash again. The Pirates get it done against Creighton here with the +4.5 points.

5* 

The Redbirds have consistently established themselves as a tough home out in Missouri Valley play. So while Bradley has started its season strong, they aren't validated away games yet. The Braves are 0-3 on the road in league play, and their last two were lopsided losses. ISU has won each of the last seven meetings against Bradley, but more specifically five straight by double digits. I like the home team with ILLINOIS ST here tonight.

5* 

This is an angry Syracuse team that rarely loses back to back games in general under Boeheim but then you tack on the fact this team has revenge, comes off 4 straight losses including a double-overtime loss to FSU, loss to Virginia, Notre Dame and Wake Forrest on the road. They've played some very stiff competition and I look for them to beat the snot out of a weak Pitt team.

Pitt might not be as focused and outside the top 220 in offensive efficiency in general and that should set up well for Syracuse and a BLOWOUT win at home tonight!

5*

The Celtics had plenty of time to rest up following their London trip, and I like them to get their eighth straight win here tonight. If there's one team that might come out flat, I'll say it's the Pelicans, who are coming off a taxing long OT win at New York on Sunday where the starters played a ton of minutes. Back Boston to improve to 13-5-1 ATS in its last 19 games versus winning teams and they play the better defense and have the better coach.

5*

The Commodores have lost three straight SEC games (1-4 overall) and tonight they are going to get into a tough spot.
Vandy is 1-10 against the RPI Top 100 this season (Miss State ranked 62), and their losses have come by an average of nearly ten points each. The Bulldogs suffered their first home loss of the year last time out to a very good Auburn team, but overall MSU is 12-1 on their home floor while Vanderbilt is winless away from Nashville. At home Miss State is holding opponents to just 64.5 points per game, while scoring 78.8 points in Humphrey Coliseum. The home team has won each of the past four meetings,and I expect another strong effort tonight from Miss St.

5*

If you noticed West Virginia has received some bad press lately given how things worked out between them and Texas Tech and we like them to take some anger out on Kansas today. I like W Virginia on Monday night to take out some anger on this Kansas team as they will come out motivated and united today. This is a WVU team that is top 10 in defense and top 10 in offensive rebounding as well and as Kansas comes off a big win against Kansas State. WVU will be ready for this game, they are angry and Kansas is outside the top 180 in offensive rebounding and the extra possessions likely make the difference today. I think this is a clear mismatch on Big Monday College Hoops action!

10* 

The Hurricanes were one of a handful of unbeaten teams remaining in college basketball just a few weeks ago. Since then they have gone 3-3, with all the losses by nine points or more. Monday, they’ll have to figure out how to keep up with a Duke team that averages 93.2 points (2nd best in the country). Still, Duke’s home-friendly schedule has not prepared the Blue Devils for tough road defensive tests. Monday marks just their 5th road game and the Devils went 2-2 in the first four. I'm grabbing the value on Miami as the home underdog.

5* 

Memphis has been solid at home over the past few weeks. Lonzo Ball played 43 minutes in Saturday's OT win over Dallas, and he suffered a minor knee sprain in the process. It makes no sense for the Lakers to push their rookie sensation to play Monday in Memphis, and we all know LA is a much different team without him. Not to mention, Brandon Ingram also is dealing with an ankle injury. He had been playing lights out until going down Saturday. Even if Ball and/or Ingram play, chances are they won't be as effective as usual. Lay the small number with the Griz.

5* 

Devin Booker needs to hit his 3 point shot - as his smooth shooting game has shown he can do. Booker has on many occasions, done just that, with more than his fair share of games of knocking down 3+ treys over the last few seasons. He always seems finds a way to get wide open shots and make defenses pay. The guards of Phoenix have been playing very good lately - that is going to be the the answer here. Indiana doesn't look at the 25yr old journeyman, Victor Oladipo, as the player who brings them to the next level. Even with 25ppg and shooting 41% from deep - it is hard to see the concern for him, but he hasn't brought them to a serious level. Indiana has had their problems with defense - and they will have problems doing that vs the shooters of Phoenix. The Suns know what they need to do to throw the frontcourt of Indiana off. Phoenix gets this win here at home on Sunday night.

5* 

I like Rutgers getting 6.5 on its home floor against a team that's closer to 35th best in the country than 25th-best. The Scarlet Knights' have more than enough defense to outright win this game, let alone cover. Rutgers is on the rise. Great basketball coaching staff, and good recruits and they bring defense, rebounding and never give up. Take Rutgers with a solid chance to get the upset win on Sunday night at home.

5* 

Miami last played last Sunday in their first home game since early December as the Hurricanes defeated (and covered) the Florida State Seminoles. Clemson just played on Thursday night, and they expended some energy, as did their pair of games prior to Thursday, as Brad Brownell's team needed overtime to beat back Louisville the game before (they did not cover as the home chalk), and against Boston College the game prior, Clemson blew a double-digit lead at Boston College but held on for a 4-point win (again no cover). I know Clemson has yet to lose at home, but I have to believe they are about out of gas in this spot, while Miami comes into this game with a full tank of gas, and series wins in 5 of the last 7 meetings. The Hurricanes have not been an underdog since November 29th when they won outright at Minnesota. I know the 'Canes are not a massive dog, but I also know they are in a better situation schedule-wise than their ACC rivals.

5* 

Booker is back for the Suns and he provides a big spark as Phoenix has shown big wins over Oklahoma City, Memphis twice and Sacramento on the road, and this team without a doubt has not quit on the season and will play with a lot of pride and revenge when they host Houston on Friday night with a great home crowd behind them

When will the injuries end for Houston?

They have 6 injured players right now: Harden, Nene, Mbah a Moute, Tarik Black, Troy Williams, and Chinanu Onuaku.

The Rockets are allowing even more points per game than Phoenix does since they lost Mbah a Moute last month.

They allowed just 102.8 PPG in the games he has played, but without him they allow 113.8 PPG, 11 more PPG!

 The Suns will be looking forward to this game as the last time they played the Rockets they were embarrassed by a score of 142-116. These are professional NBA players, and nothing gets them more upset given their competitive nature than to get routed by a team by allowing 142 points, which was one of the most embarrassing defeats even for this franchise. I like the home UNDERDOG with the Suns here at home on Friday night.

10* GAME OF THE WEEK

The ILL-Chicago Flames come in having won back-to-back games for the first time all season, and they'll make it three straight tonight at home against Milwaukee. UIC is 7-10 overall, so on paper their play isn't showing much, but currently this team is playing the best basketball of the season. The Flames are 5-2 ATS in their last seven, and despite only playing three home games the last month, they won all three by double digits. Wisc-Milwaukee is going the other direction, just 1-5 ATS in their last six and 1-4 SU in their last five away from home.

5* 

N.C. State is coming off a monumental home upset of Duke, providing value again Thursday as a shorter home dog against Clemson. My simulations have the Wolfpack covering the number about 60 perent of the time, making them a worthy side to support. What a great result and exciting game to watch in NC State's last outing at home against Duke. Sometimes it can be tough getting back up after such a big time emotional victory and it'll be interesting to see how the Wolfpack respond today at home against another quality opponent. This is a revenge game for NC State after having a tough time offensively in their loss at Clemson to open ACC play. I look for NC State to come up strong and get their revenge with Clemson.

5* 

The Cougars have dropped two straight on the road since opening up CAA play 2-0. But getting on their home floor again will yield instant dividends. Charleston is 7-0 at home with wins by an average of 14.7 points. They have also played some tough out of conference teams like RI and Wichita St. For most of the season Charleston hasn't been fully healthy, but they are now with league action in full swing. Lay the number with them at home as they continue their stellar play on their home floor as our TOP SMALL SCHOOL 10* selection.

NM is in complete rebuilding mode and nowhere in the same class as Wyoming is at this point of the season. The Lobos are 2-2 in the conference, but those two wins have come against San Jose State and Air Force, the two worst teams in the league. Wyoming has played a brutal schedule thus far in MWC play and they are 2-1 with their only loss coming at Nevada, the best team in the league. Wyoming is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games and I'll take them here tonight.

5* 

10* Oddsmaker Mistake PLay:

With B.J. Taylor still out for the Knights, UConn will take advantage with much superior advantage on the wings. The Huskies' top three scorers are combining to produce 47 points, led by Jaylan Adams' 18.9 ppg. This is a match-up the Huskies have dominated, winning seven straight over UCF and nine of the past ten. UConn is 7-1 at home this year with their lone loss coming top Top 5 ranked Wichita State. Take UConn here at home in a early pick'em tipoff. 

  I just believe Boise State is the second-best team in the MWC this season. The Broncos are coming off a bad loss against Wyoming in which they blew a double-digit lead in that game to lose by one point. I expect them to be more focused and bounce back with a win tonight. Fresno State is always a tough out at home, but they lost a lot of firepower from last year. The Broncos are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

5* 

Marquette has taken a step in the right direction this year opening better than many expected standing 11-5 overall and 2-2 against a tough conference slate. The Golden Eagles are an offensive force, and a very good team at home. It’s never easy going back to back on the road in the Big East, so we are backing MARQUETTE here on Tuesday night to knock off the #13 ranked S.H. Pirates.

10* College Hoops GAME OF THE WEEK 

Tulane is a team that could win this game outright and is coached by Mike Dunleavy - the same coach who used to coach the LA Clippers. Ex-NBA Coaches that move to College have had success including Lon Kruger who coaches Oklahoma now who is an elite team and he used to coach the Atlanta Hawks, Dunleavy is afraid of no one and especially not anyone in this conference. They are already 11-4 to start the year after winning just 6 games last year, top 120 in defense, top 100 in 3 point shooting, beat top 35 SMU at home by 3 points, beat Temple on the road by 10 points and they face a Memphis team who is outside the top 200 in turnover margin and outside the top 250 in effective field goal percentage. Take TULANE

5* 

This is quite simply an injury play. The line jumped to 6.5-7 so I’m only making a 5*. Irish without their All-American Bonzie Colson (21.4 PPG/ 10.4 reb) and then in their last game also lost PG Matt Farrell. ND rallied against NCSt and shot 52% mostly from the perimeter, but that will now be the case with a freshman PG taking on the Syracuse matchup zone.

5* 

Georgetown is as fake of an 11-3 team as you can get as they have faced the #350 schedule (out of 351 teams) and 11 of their first 12 wins all came against teams ranked 300 or higher (other was #212). Creighton’s last road game was a loss and the team talked about a lack of 2H energy in the 2H against Seton Hall and they’ve taken care of business since beating Providence and St John’s. Creighton has faced Georgetown 4 times since joining the conference and are 0-4 SU and they’ll get their revenge today.

5* 

I'm laying the points with Wright St on Friday. Detroit was expected to improve from its 8-23 season a year ago with three returning starters but it hasn't worked out that way as the Titans have lost nine in a row and are 4-11 on the season. Detroit historically has been a bad shooting team and it's no different this year as they have a .420 field goal percentage. The big edge in this matchup is on defense as the Titans allow 92.2 points per game compared to 65 for Wright St. Wright St has a major size and rebounding advantage here and I like them to win this with confidence.

5* 

The road team is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings and BYU should be primed to roll in this road spot after coming off an overtime loss to Saint Mary's last week. The loss ended a nine-game win streak, and the Cougars have won all three of their true road games so far. This is San Francisco's first home game in two weeks. The Dons are a terrible shooting team at 39.3 percent from the field. BYU shoots 47.7 percent. BYU gets the cover here. The road team has covered 10 of the last 11 meetings. BYU has covered the last four at San Francisco. The Dons are 2-10 ATS their last 12 games against teams with winning records and 2-5 ATS their last seven home games. Yoeli Childs leads the Cougars with 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and Elijah Bryant averages 16.7 points followed by T.J. Haws at 11.5 points per game. Take BYU here on Thursday night.

5* 

I like SAC St here on Thursday late night. Katz's team won 21, 14 and 13 games the last 3 years and this year is a bounce-back year for them. This team has started conference play 1-0 as they beat Portland State by 5 points at home who is a top 140 team and they have consistently gotten better over the season as note that they have faced some big teams this year such as Colorado State, San Diego State, Saint Mary's (only losing by 16 points to a top 30 team on the road) and Boise State. So, playing Idaho on the road is not intimidating for this team who is led by a Senior, Junior and 2 Sophomores. I think this game is tight throughout.

5* 

Virginia has lost each of their last 2 trips here as a 5 pt fav LY and as a 12.5 pt fav two years ago. Virginia is playing their 3rd game in 12 days coming off a battle against BC where they were flat with 8 days rest as a 15.5 pt HF and came out a 59-58 win. VT is playing their 3rd game in 6 days and they shot 34.6% in a loss to Syracuse. The Hokies have a played one of the worst group of defenses (#343 of 351 teams) and they now face the #1 D in the country. In fact, VT has faced only THREE defenses in the top 120 (Syracuse #13, Kentucky #15 & St Louis #81) and those are their 3 SU losses also going 0-3 ATS against them.

5* 

St Bonaventure is playing great BB with losses to Niagara in the season opener and TCU. The Bonnies now get revenge after getting swept last season and with their 4 returning starters they as a veteran team that can win on the road as they did at Syracuse back on Dec 22nd. Dayton returned just one starter and has a new HC and they are 6-7with the 6 wins coming against teams that are all ranked #109 or higher with three of the losses also coming against teams ranked #146 or higher. Bonnies are #53! Bonus is that Dayton PG John Crosby is ? with a concussion (missed last game) and his injury is not reflected in the line and is a selection even if he plays.

5* 

Memphis came into this season with 2 starters and had 8 newcomers and started 9-3 beating opponents mostly in the bottom third of the country’s 351 teams. They are not a good team especially on the road. A home loss to LSU and blowout at Cincinnati has them rattled and there are actually petitions floating around to can Tubby Smith. Now Memphis which has shot under 40% four times this year including their last 2 games travels to take on UCF with the country’s #7 defense and the 7-6 Tacko Fall in the middle. UCF is 8-2 ATS on the season with the 2 non-covers against West Virginia and an eleven point win against William & Mary (UCF was -13). I love Central Florida tonight to win by double digits.

10*

The TCU Horned Frogs have been living up to their hype and then some so far this season standing 12-1 overall with their only defeat coming in their last outing to Oklahoma by 1 point. TCU might not have gone against the toughest nonconference slate, but this group was still able to pick up some resume building wins against teams like South Dakota, UNLV, Belmont, SMU, and Nevada. The Horned Frogs have had success primarily pushing the pace of play ranking 15th in the nation in scoring and 3rd in assists compared to 219th in total defense.

 Baylor is top 150 in turnover margin, they have Texas on deck and if Baylor can only put up 62 and 63 points against Creighton and Wichita State, they simply might not be able to compete with TCU on the offensive side of the ball. Let's roll with TCU with revenge, off a loss, with the better offense and looking to start conference play 0-2 this year.

Bounce-back play here. UT Arlington won the Sun Belt conference LY and is favored again this year so opening conference play with a 25 point loss is a wake-up call. The Mavs shot a season low 37.9% and allowed 50% (only allowed 50% to Alabama and Fl Gulf Coast this season). App St 1-5 SU/ATS their last 5 games and while they are off a 4 point win against Texas St they shot 37% and allowed 46% but won thanks to the Bobcats shooting 11% from 3pt.

5* 

Portland St has played the #63 schedule and they are 10-3 with losses to Duke, Butler and Oregon and they are 10-0 ATS. The Vikings are an up-tempo full court press team, under new HC Barret Peery, that leads the nation in steals at 12.9/game and they are #2 in TO margin again against one of the toughest schedules. Sacramento St has played this season w/out injured PG Marcus Graves (started previous 62 games) and a first year PG will struggle against this defense. The Hornets are 3-10 with the 3 wins coming against #328 Cal St Northridge and two lower division teams.

5* 

Not only does Northeastern have the better record (7-5 vs 4-9) they’ve have played a far tougher schedule (#85 vs #253). Northeastern played to nobodies to start the season and then went 0-4 SU/ATS but since that time they won 5 straight before losing their last game at St Bonaventure. James Madison three wins came against teams that are ranked #224, #248 & #290 while the Huskies are in the 130’s. Northeastern comfortable at this site having won 4 straight before LY’s loss when an illness caused them to travel with only 7 players.

5* 

The pay-back now starts for Northern Colorado. They, as my regulars know, they self-imposed sanctions LY and red-shirted 4 senior starters. That meant they returned 8 starters this season plus an Arizona St transfer. The Bears failed to cover their first two games but have gone 7-0-1 ATS since. Last year N. Colorado was also at home to the Cougars and were embarrassed 70-44! N Colorado is a very good rebounding team, forces turnovers and get to the FT line a lot which I like. Eastern Washington is 1-7 SU on the road and hasn’t played a road game since Dec 12th. Look for a home cooking blowout tonight from Northern Colorado.

10* 

I have Siena as the far better team and while they are 4-9 they have faced the #136th rated schedule. Marist is 2-10 having faced the #223 schedule. Last season Siena won and covered both games laying 11.5 at home and 6.5 on the road and have dominated this opponent winning 18 of the last 22 games. The Saints are 2-1 ATS on the road while the Red Foxes have allowed their last 5 foes to shoot 52%. SIENA should have no problem here on Friday night.

5* 

San Jose St now has a healthy group on the court and they showed that are a much-improved team by going into Santa Clara and pulling the upset as an 8 pt dog. 

Utah St is has been banged up and have not won & covered a game since Nov 25th. Utah St just played Life Pacific & Youngstown St (#329) and while they shot 60% & 59.6% Life Pacific is an NAIA team and the Penguins have the #339 defense. Aggies think they can win the conf and they have San Diego St on deck , a team they are 0-9 against the L4Y including getting knocked out of the MW conf tourney twice. 

5*

4*

The Wizards had a seven-game winning streak snapped in the series in their last visit to Brooklyn. 

Washington is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings and I look for that trend to continue tonight.

Very unique scheduling spot as the Wizards made the same trip 10 days ago and lost 103-98. That game was the last of 5 game road trip and the tired group shot 40% which is the second lowest they % they have made this season (at Utah 12/4 28.7%). Since that game Washington has had played 4 games, all at home, winning 3 and losing only to the Cavs. 

The Wizards defense is what has impressed me as they have held their last 5 opponents to 42.5, 47.1%, 38.8%, 28.3 and 40.5% shooting with the 47.1% coming against Cleveland. 

Brooklyn has lost 4 straight with an offense that has shot 38.6%, 42.0% and 42.1% the last 3 games while the defense has allowed 48.8%, 56.6% and 55.7%. Washington is the far superior team here and the Wiz get their Revenge!

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK

Towson impressed me shooting 47.1% and 52.9% from 3 pt and now they play a Pitt squad that is without its starting center. Panthers off B2B home wins and they are 3-1 their last 4 games but all 3 victories came against teams that are in the bottom 50 of the 351 Div-I teams and they needed OT to beat Mt St Mary’s and only beat Delaware St by 6 points. 

Don't be fooled here.

The Towson Tigers HC Pat Skerry was a Pitt asst for 2 years under Jamie Dixon (which Pitt basically booted out – dumbest move ever).  He'll get a big win over his former team on Friday night.

5*

I think this is a great spot for the Rams to lay the wood. Iona doesn't play any defense at all. And that's the end of the court that Rhode Island excels at. The Rams are finally healthy with E.C. Matthews back in the fold and I expect him to be even better than he was against Charleston, which was his first game in over a month. The Rams are on a 12-4 ATS push and they have the edge at both ends of the court here tonight and should roll. They should get it done easily. 

10* BURIAL

We roll with Liberty here in a small conference game that might surprise you and please note that this is an early game on the docket today. This is a Liberty team that is a bit undervalued considering they are a top 110 defense, a team that lost to a very dynamic Houston team by just 2 points earlier this year and held them to just 68 points, lost to a very good UNC Greensboro team who is a top 115 team in triple overtime, a team that beat a very good Georgia State team on the road.  We also have Fort Wayne who beat Indiana in its last game and this is a classic let down spot for them as they face an even better defensive team than Indiana in Liberty who are very sound. 

By the way, Liberty is the #1 Free Throw Shooting team in the Country as well. Liberty will be fired up for this game and I like them to get the WIN this afternoon.

5*

Once March rolls around these are the kind of matchups during the nonconference that can hold a lot of weight if both of these teams find themselves around the bubble of making the Big Dance. This should be a good measuring stick game to see how the AAC stacks up against the Big East. Houston been solid during the nonconference and the Cougars' 91-65 win over Arkansas was really impressive to see. Providence hasn't picked up much in the way of nonconference resume buidling wins up to this point, but the Friars will get more than their fair share of chances come Big East play. Providence is struggling and half their team is injured. I think HOUSTON is the overall much better team.

10* 

4*

This game features the 13-15 Jazz and the 24-6 Celtics. I feel the rested Jazz are getting no respect in this game they play the Celtics tonight and Cavs Saturday so I expect them to go all in tonight to try and get a win in tonight's game. They have the talent and the Jazz are coming off a sloppy game with 19 turnovers vs the Bulls. Look for Rodney Hood and 1st year star Donovan Mitchell to come up big along with the Jazz defense to get the win and cover. The public is all over the Celtics at 90% but we'll take the pts with the Utah Jazz.

10* NBA GAME OF THE WEEK 

Most Colleges are taking finals this week so there haven't been many games this week.

I think the best play of the board tonight is NWestern who has played the much tougher schedule and they are a solid shooting and defensive team at home.

Lay the 10.5 with NW and watch and win on the Big Ten network.

5*

LSU will get another tough challenge today on their home court in what has been an up and down nonconference slate. LSU has faced just 7 opponents so far this season standing 5-2 overall with their defeats coming against strong opposition in Notre Dame and Marquette. LSU is a tough competitive team and in a good spot tonight.

 The Tigers have been able to pick up one resume building win over Michigan and in their last outing LSU got past UNCW at home by a final of 97-84. LSU is expected to have another difficult campaign in the SEC conference but I see them getting the win here on Wednesday night.

5*

We roll with Cincinnati here in what should be a great opportunity for them to to step up and pick up an important win. Cincinnati comes off back to back losses and desperately needs to pick up a big win. They had a season high 21 turnovers and playing poorly on Saturday. Now they are at home and ready to bounce back. Cincinnati will be highly motivated given that they face a good SEC team here with a solid record and they can make their mark here. This team can ill afford to keep losing non-conference games if they want to make it back to the Big Dance. Look for Cincinnati to step up here at home, at 7-2, behind a very motivational coach in Mick Cronin, as this team knows how to win as they have won 30, 27, 22 and 23 games the last few years, to step up with the 5th best defense in the country and a top 40 offense to lay the wood down today. Remember, Mississippi State has not faced anyone this good yet and they'll be in for a surprise tonight. CINCY BIG!

10* 

The Denver Nuggets, coming off solid road win against the Orlando Magic, go on the road once again here on Sunday evening. The Pacers shoot the ball very well at home and from behind the arc. The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most surprising teams in the league this season and with a win over the streaking Cavaliers it is becoming clear this team is not one to be taken lightly. The main question that has arisen from the success of the Pacers this season is where the hell was this version of Victor Oladipo last year? Offensively Indiana has been great with Oladipo leading the way and are doing a great job moving the ball, averaging 23.2 assists per game.

The Nuggets have been trying to keep their heads above water as they wait for Nikola Jokic to recover from a sprained ankle. It has become very obvious during his absence that Denver is not going to be a great road team or really much of anything without him on the floor. Denver has struggled all season long on defense as they are allowing 106.9 points per game, a number that puts a ton of pressure on them on a nightly basis to put the ball in the basket. I'm sure they are tired and had to travel. Take the Pacers to get the win and cover at home where they are 8-5 ATS and going up against a Denver squad that is a near league worst 3-10 ATS.

5* 

Cincinnati Cincinnati meets Florida in a matchup of two top 25 ranked teams. This game is being played at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. The Florida confidence is rocked and now have to meet a very good Cincinnati Bearcats team. The Bearcats are well balanced and know how to hustle. The Bearcats rank among the nation's top 10 in scoring margin (second at plus-25.1), rebound margin (ninth at plus-11.4) and field-goal percentage defense (ninth at .362). They are also among the top 25 in total rebounds per game (12th with 43.1), scoring defense (15th at 61.3); total blocks (15th with 48), blocked shots per game (19th at 6.0) and assists per game (24th at 18.4). Cincinnati has won 35 of its last 40 regular-season games dating to a 61-54 win over SMU in March 2016. Bearcats senior forward Gary Clark ranks third in the nation with 883 career rebounds. His 20 career double-doubles are the most among all active players in the American Athletic Conference. The Bearcats are the tougher team and better defensive squad. This is a bad spot for Florida to try to regroup especially against a quality team. Take CINCY this evening!

10* 

The Toronto Raptors, winners of their last four in a row, go on the road tonight to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Raptors, at 15-7, are starting to look like a slightly better version of the team they were a season ago. Offensively Toronto is putting up very solid numbers, averaging 111.5 points per game and with Kyle Lowry and DeRozan both playing great that number actually looks sustainable for this squad. The ball movement on this team really sets them apart as they are averaging 23.6 assists per game and really get everyone involved across the board. 

The Memphis Grizzlies have been predictably floundering with Mike Conley out of the lineup and at 8-16 have a huge hole to dig themselves out of if they want to be able to compete for a playoff spot. The Grizzlies had little offense before Conley was sidelined but now that he is out and they have only Marc Gasol to rely on things have gone from bad to worse. In addition to having no offense the Grizzlies rebounding is near worst in the league as they average only 38.8 boards per contest. 

Take the Raptors to get the win and cover in this one as they are the better team by a landslide margin and are fully capable of winning this game in blowout fashion on the road here Friday night!

Take the TORONTO RAPTORS as our 10* NBA Game of the Week

I think this line is a bit too high.  The Big 10 is going to 20 conference games next season so they wanted to acclimate their teams by starting the conference schedule this past week. Purdue is off wins against Arizona and Louisville then they won at Maryland before a non-cover win against Northwestern. Valpo now an in-state ‘Little Brother’ that is 8-0 this season, and while they have played a fairly weak schedule they have held those opponents to 34% from 2pt and 25% from 3pt land.

I'll back Valpo behind their defense to stay within 16 pts.

5*

This game is being played at the home of the Phoenix Suns. Arizona has beaten 4 teams at home by 32 PPG but those teams are ranked #336, #207, #185 and #240. In their 4 games at a neutral setting or on the road they lost to NCSt, SMU and Purdue and then won by 3 in OT at UNLV Saturday. A&M is the best team they have faced. A&M has faced the #40 schedule and is 7-0 and with a shutdown defense (#4) and we’ll back them here.

5* 

Virginia has posted a perfect 6-0 ATS record in their last six games following a straight up win and they have that same perfect 6-0 ATS record in their last six non-conference games. Virginia with the #1 defense looks for revenge for a home loss to WV LY. Mountaineers have played a weak schedule (#274) and have only faced one top 50 team which was a 88-65 loss to Texas A&M another top defensive squad. WV relies on their full court pressure to force TO’s but Virginia is #3 in fewest TO’s (bit misleading because they play such a slow pace). I think W Virg will struggle to score in their half-court offense vs this very good Cavalier defense. Take Virginia plus the pts.

5*