Taking the PACERS. Had Indiana at home the other night and the Trailblazers rolled them. I look for a bounce back spot here vs the Knicks. You know we aren't high on NY. Pacers are a decent team. Not a top East team, but, and this isn't saying much, a playoff team. Again. This is more fade spot of NY off their win over the Nets. Indiana better than that last showing. Pacers a team that I have high hopes for on the year - One of the better scoring defenses in the league right now, I think they grind out a 10pt win tonight. 4* Money Maker INDIANA PACERS

Taking the CAVS. Thought this team wouldn't be terrible - probably one of the only people who though that. And you know that I never liked their HC. So with him getting canned, that can only help these guys. Look- We know the Hawks are young. Have some exciting players. But they were going to a be a low end win team. Have to think Cleveland players come out strong at home. Win-less on the year. Included in those L's, a 22pt loss in Atlanta.  4* Money Maker CLEVELAND CAVS

Taking the PACERS tonight. So third straight road game for Portland. Big game on the road vs the Rockets. Maybe they mail it in after their big come back fell short at Miami. This Indiana team is pretty solid. Trail Blazers 1-5 ATS last 6 on the road while Pacers 8-2 ATS last 10 at home. 4* Money Maker INDIANA PACERS 

Taking the CLIPPERS. Oh, the Rockets are 1-3. They must win tonight. And the Clippers beat them already this year. Easy revenge spot for Houston. - Stop. Houston sluggish out the gate. First CP3 was out. Now Harden. They will get into the flow soon enough. But I will grab any points with this feisty bunch from LA. 4* Money Maker LA CLIPPERS 

Will lay the dozen with the WARRIORS. Look. First game of a road trip. GS will probably want to come out fast and bury NY at home. Knicks not a very good team. I think Warriors win this by like 20. I don't even see NYK getting to 100 points tonight. 112-95 or something along those lines is what I think. Or GS drops 130+ and run NY out of MSG. 4* Money Maker GS WARRIORS 

Taking the PISTONS. I gotta be honest. I look at this line say Ugh.. I had the Cavs opening night thinking, they can't be as bad as everyone says they are. They got us a miracle cover. But this team is bad. I already knew their HC was garbage. But man oh man - Give me the home team. Pistons get it done. Casey's first year after coming over from Raptors. So he couldn't get over the hump. But he piles up wins. His teams beat the teams they should. 4* Money Maker DETROIT PISTONS 

Taking the MAGIC. Grabbing this solely based on perception. Everyone can name the stars on Portland. Orlando a young team. Clearly building. Everything I see is pointing to money on the Trailblazers. Yet, the line has come down. Sign me up for the home dog. 4* Money Maker ORLANDO MAGIC 

Taking the WARRIORS. Will grab GS in this spot. Wizards, who I backed at home in b2b spots didn't help me at all. They did just win in OT at a pretty decent Portland team. But in this spot. I think the Warriors have too much for Washington. GS should get it done by about 15. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the JAZZ. Sluggish start for both clubs. No CP for the Rockets. I will take the better defensive team. Never sell short the Carmelo angle either. +120 ML should also be sprinkled in. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the NUGGETS. Big number, and to be honest, I am not a fan of laying big points with NBA faves. But something about this Denver team. We have seen some crazy scores, yet these guys have been playing some defense. I think they are a good team (31-10 at home LY) and the Kings are young and rebuilding. Can't under-estimate the Mile High air. Kings will want to push it, but I think that goes nowhere fast. 4* Money Maker DENVER NUGGETS 

Taking the WIZARDS. So we lost with these guys against the Heat. Will gladly grab them in this spot. We have the Raptors off the Celtics on Friday night. As I write this at about 845EST. I see the Boston up 25-18. This will be a tough game vs heated foe. Now they step down to the Wizards who lost against their home opener. Off a hard fought win, or a tough loss, have to fade Toronto. 4* Money Maker WASHINGTON WIZARDS 

Taking the CELTICS. Rolled with these guys Tuesday in Game 1, will back them nice and rested in their Game 2. Toronto is suppose to be a top team with Boston and Philly - But I am going to hold back a bit and wait to see how their new star gels. For Boston, they are deep. They clearly have a huge edge with their HC on the bench. He knows this team, and how to use his players. Celts get it done. 4* Money Maker BOSTON CELTICS 

Taking the MAGIC. So, I lost when I had the Heat opening night, and the Miami came back to bite me in the butt again as I had the Wizards. Note to self, stay off the Miami  Heat. Tonight though, we will back the home dog. Orlando rebuilding. We get that. But the kids are going to play hard. Charlotte not really one of the better teams in my rankings. I don't think they should be favored on the road. 4* Money Maker ORLANDO MAGIC 

Taking the WIZARDS. Heat in off b2b. They were a fave last night over the Magic. Rallied back after being down 11 in the 4th, but couldn't seal the win. Washington with Wall and Beal will want to jump out to a fast start. I think this guys can surprise this season. Boston, Philly and to a lesser extent Toronto, the top dogs in the east. But I think the Wizards could have a nice little season. 4* Money Maker WASHINGTON WIZARDS 

Taking the CELTICS. Everyone will be loving the Sixers and 'The Process.' They are a talented team. Not going to hear me argue that. I just think that Boston is the team to beat in the east. Boston 7-2 vs Sixers last year and 4 games they won by double digits. 4* Money Maker BOSTON CELTICS 

Taking the WARRIORS, again. Nothing to say. Have had them all series. Just not enough talent around LeBron to make things work. Does he join the Rockets? Has a meeting with the Celtics? Does he take a huge pay-cut to try to win a title in the weak east? Lakers with Paul George? That is the really the only questions to be answered. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Taking the WARRIORS. On them again. This line does look a tad low to me. But I will grab the low hanging fruit and hope it tastes well. Thought about Cavs ML in this spot. But I  just can't pull the trigger. As great as LeBron is, the guy is facing what? 2 future HOFers. And 4,5 all stars? Forget about the JR thing at the end of the game. Now it comes out about the remaining time out. Poor coaching. This guy had Blatt fired. Lue should be next. He will be after a season of LeBron-less Cavs basketball next year. Like I said in the first 2 games. Where is the other offense coming from? Are we getting Celtic series home games from the role players? Maybe. But we are laying 4.5 not 14.5 - 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the WARRIORS again. Well. The worse case played out for me as GS just toyed with the Cavs and then we get OT. Nearly covered there. But what I thought was true about Cleveland is. 50 from LeBron and 60 from the others. Not enough scoring. After lollygagging and nearly losing, GS should be more focused tonight. Might again come back on the Under tonight. For now. Warriors get it done. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the WARRIORS. I like the Cavs. LeBron is in uncharted lands now. 8 straight NBA Finals. Come on. I will say Jordan is better because we see that 6-0 Finals Record. But I can put this guy right up there next to him. As much as him leaving for Miami hurts, taking this team, and his 2007 team vs the Spurs erases that now in my eyes. But this GS team. Man. I thought the Rockets would catch them sleeping. And that is the only way LeBron steals a game here. Warriors sleepwalk through a half and come out and hit 10-12 3s and a 10pt is now a 15 deficit. Their defense is underrated. I will also be on the UNDER tonight. Not sure where the Cavs get their scoring after LeBron 30-40. They will need at least 2 guys pumping in 25 to make this a game, and a series. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the ROCKETS. So had GS in the first 2 games. Not sure why I backed off them in Game 3. But I expect a huge effort tonight from Houston. GS toyed with Rockets last game crushing their spirits in a huge 41pt win. Time to man up. Circle the wagons. Whatever you want to call it. Houston has their season on the line. Thought about the Over, and that or the Marlins will be my Free Video play today. But I think that the Rockets will come at GS with everything and the kitchen sink tonight. Maybe they steal the outright win. But I think they keep it within this number. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON ROCKETS 

Taking the CELTICS. Had them getting their butts handed to them in Game 3, and will come back for more tonight. Stevens is a pretty solid underdog coach. I can't see this team coming out as flat. They were out of it early and never recovered. This is the NBA, usually, every team makes a run. Those 20 pt leads disappear in minutes. So. We have Boston off a 30pt beat-down. Do we really think they are thinking. Oh, its OK if we play bad and lose both in Cleveland. This is totally an easy series. Come on. I know it is tough fading LeBron at home. Guy is a beast. I just have to believe that Stevens makes the adjustments. Celtics going to go 6-22 27% from 3? 39% from the field? Cavs hitting 17 of 34 from 3 again? Look for a closer battle tonight. 4* Money Maker BOSTON CELTICS 

Taking the CELTICS. Giving me this many points with Brad Stevens on the other bench? I know, I know. Cavs in a must-win mode. Circle the wagons. LeBron at home. I get it. But Boston is always a live dog with this coach. They embrace the underdog role. It is like Butler all over again. Maybe they don't win straight up. And maybe this line is begging you to take the points. But I have seen Cleveland lose by 15 just as easy as win by 15. I'll be backing Boston all series as we had them in the first 2 games already. 4* Money Maker BOSTON CELTICS 

Taking the WARRIORS. Cashed these guys last game, and I think we get a repeat performance tonight. Pelicans a nice story, but GS is just on a different level. Again, like the Rockets. Big number with the home team. But like Houston, they can really name their score. 4* Money Maker GS WARRIORS 

Taking the ROCKETS.  13 - 18 - 14 - 11- 21- 11 - 27.. Those are the margins of victory in Houston's last 7 wins over Utah. This is a big number as it really falls squarely into how they have beaten these guys. I just think, as much as I like the Jazz (we had them in Game 1 to start things off), that the Rockets will just come out strong and can really name their score. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON ROCKETS 

Taking the CAVS. So after the sweep, expect the Raptors roster to be blown up and an immediate coaching change in the near future. 4* Money Maker CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 

Taking the CELTICS. Up 3-0, part of me wants to hit the ML for +230. But the points will do. Maybe the Sixers show some heart after that OT loss. Maybe they are a bunch of sulking kids and pack it up when they are down 12 at the half. But I can't see a huge blow-out. 4* Money Maker BOSTON CELTICS 

Taking the JAZZ again. Think they show up here. Not really much to say. Rockets are a super team, but Utah must have some pride in themselves after a good season. Grabbing the points. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the WARRIORS. Lost last game and am expecting a huge turnaround. No way they want this series any longer than necessary. 4* Money Maker GS WARRIORS

Taking the CAVS. So we had Cleveland on the free pick video in Game 1. Lost on the Raptors in Game 2. But what I have seen, and, pretty much everyone, the Cavs just have Toronto's number. Not shocked by a sweep here after the way the first 2 games went. 4* Money Maker CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 

Taking the JAZZ. So, a little annoyed at myself for not taking Utah in Game 2 after having them in Game 1. I thought this would be a tough series for the Rockets. Not going to change that thinking now, especially with a small home dog. As good as Houston is, we have seen them play down to teams. And people forget like I said in Game 1 write up, how good this Jazz team has been since the start of the new year. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the WARRIORS. Anytime, or should I say, playoff time like this, I have to back GS. Even on this short number. If it's too good to be true, so be it. I know. Injuries. And the, flip the switch. And sleepwalking till finals. Just good enough to win, not cover. As good as Davis is, Durant, for me, is still one of the top players in the league. Pelicans totally over-performed after Cousins went down. But against a team like GS, they will be exposed. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the SIXERS. Part of me wants to sit out here in Game 1. But I have to wonder what Boston has in the tank after that tough series vs the Bucks. Short number, but we will lay it. 4* Money Maker PHILADELPHIA SIXERS 

Taking the JAZZ. Had the Jazz over the Thunder and will be on them in this series also. Look. Rockets a very good. Maybe this line is too good to be true. I think the Jazz are better than Wolves. Houston rolled these guys in every game winning by double digits. But the bad, bad losses came before Utah started to play well. I think this is a different team than the pre-2018 Jazz. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the PACERS. We have taken them with the points before here in Cleveland. And we played on the Cavs twice in Indy. 4-1 in this series with our picks. Not going to change my thinking that we had since Game 1. Pacers just play these guys tough. 4* Money Maker INDIANA PACERS 

Taking the PELICANS. I know I should probably get my head checked right? I mean, the Warriors are suppose to be the best team ever assembled. But you have to like what you saw out of NO in Round 1. Have to like teams with nothing to lose, and arguably one of the top couple players in the game on fire right now. Who knows what Curry brings if he plays? I can see Green getting frustrated by Davis and getting himself eject for a game in the series, putting 2 games in jeopardy. Rondo is just a feisty trouble maker, like Iguodala. Not in a bad way - A guy who will get in your face and harass you. This is a nice number to have in our pockets. Nearly double digits. Leaves the back-door open if things get a little dicey. 4* Money Maker NO PELICANS 

Taking the ROCKETS. Still waiting on a complete game from Houston. We have a seen a dominate quarter. But still waiting on a the full team showing. Up 3-1, if these guys have hopes of knocking out the Warriors, they need to close out teams when they are suppose to. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON ROCKETS 

Taking the JAZZ. Did you even need to click on this? Have had them all series. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the RAPTORS. Have been on these guys with mixed results this series. But think they take care of things on their home court tonight. 4* Money Maker TORONTO RAPTORS

Taking the PACERS. So we had the Cavs with their backs to the wall, but had cashed Indiana before. We will come right back on the road team. Numbers don't lie. And Indiana plays this Cavs bunch tough every time out. 4* Money Maker INDIANA PACERS 

Taking the WARRIORS. Tossed out the Spurs Sunday on the Free Pick video. And that was an easy call. Tonight. Send in the clowns. Changes-a-coming to San Antonio. I think Kawahi is out, and will be playing for the Lakers next year. Pop might rethink things with the loss of his wife. Spurs showed their pride Sunday. But Warriors should run them out here to close out the series. 21-15 margins in Games 1&2 . 13 in Game 3 on the road. GS takes this one going way. 4* Money Maker GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 

Taking the JAZZ. Backing Utah for the 4th straight game. Line has crept down a bit. That doesn't worry me since most people think . OKC.. Westbrook. Triple Double. Carmelo. PG13 - Nothing sexy about the Jazz. They just win for us. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the CAVS. Yeah. Been on the Pacers for the first 3 games. But I just think LeBron wins this one. And that is what I am backing. James being a monster to will his team to a 2-2 series tie. 4* Money Maker CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 

Taking the RAPTORS. Back on these guys. Nothing really more to say. I think they are the better team. They should win this one and get ready to wrap things up. 4* Money Maker TORONTO RAPTORS 

Taking the JAZZ. Back on Utah. Have them all series. Not changing things up at home. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the ROCKETS. Just the better team - in the series, and overall. Have pretty much dominated the Wolves in all games this season. Toss out that Game 1 and we have win margins of 20-9-18-18-18 this year. Doesn't look like a good match-up for the home team. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON ROCKETS 

Taking the ROCKETS. It was a close one in Game 1. I had the over there. Will be leaning that way again tonight. Think Houston will be clicking here in Game 2. Wolves hadn't played them tough all year. I'm calling fluke in last game. Lay it. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON ROCKETS 

Taking the JAZZ. Lost with them in Game 1, but will come back again. Just think this is a tough team. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the PACERS. Cavs have had problems with this team the last 2 years. Even in a sweep in last year's playoffs, Indiana was right there. They have proven they can beat them this year. I will grab the points. 4* Money Maker INDIANA PACERS 

Taking the JAZZ. Maybe a bit of a too good to be true line here. Utah just a different team winning 29 of 35 down the stretch. I had said earlier in the year about the Thunder. They don't cover. And they are just around .500 vs teams with winning records. Jazz really got going with Gobert's return. OKC hasn't faced them since before Christmas. Utah a totally different team right now. I think every game will be a battle. Grab the points. 4* Money Maker UTAH JAZZ

Taking the HEAT. Think this is an under-rated group. Sixers the sexy pick of the East. On a huge run entering the playoffs, 16 straight wins! But, no Embiid, though it seems they haven't missed him much. For me though, Spolestra does a great job for Miami. Won't be shocked if they steal a game or two here in Philly. 4* Money Maker MIAMI HEAT 

Taking the HAWKS. Celts playing down several key players. Not sure how things will play out for them. Atlanta already done as they the second worse record in the league. Getting a bunch of points today. I know they are trying to get ping pong balls. But I think even being as bad as they are, they don't get drubbed too badly. Boston isn't looking to lose any more guys to injury. 4* Money Maker ATLANTA HAWKS 

Taking MICHIGAN. So. A rough stretch in CBB in the Sweet 16- Final 8. On the flip side. A winning month of March, and a winning year of college hoops. Could end up anywhere from #1 to #5 in CBB Money on all the sites. Happy about that -  On to the WOLVERINES. Look. Had Kansas over Nova. I said it would be a close game unless Nova was 50% from 3. Well. They reigned from all over the court. Game over at 22-4. Michigan I have more faith in their defense and their coach. Nova the best team all season. Michigan impressive in Big 10/ NCAA play the last 2 years. 9-0 this year. 6-1 last year with a 69-68 loss to Oregon. Think their defense is a big edge here as their coach is great at in game adjustments. 4* Money Maker MICHIGAN 

Taking KANSAS here. Have had this group all tourney with a 2-2 ATS to show for it. Should be 4-0 with a pair of half-point losses. That being said. Nova has been the team to beat all year. For me though, the game will be decided inside. Azubuike, DeSousa and Mykhailiuk combined for28 rebounds against a Duke. They had 46 boards against a pretty good rebounding team. Totally dominated them on the glass. If this goes down in flames, it will be because Nova hit 45% of the 40 they will take. I think this one is going to be a nail-biter. 4* Money Maker KANSAS

Taking MICHIGAN. We had Loy-Chi to start Round 1 in game winning fashion. But the time has gone for Cinderella to go home from the dance. Looking back on huge runs like this (VCU + George Mason), I can't compare them to Butler who had an NBA head coach and NBA players Mack + Hayward. I can see this playing out ala G-Mason style, who Florida beat 73-58. Hoping Wolverines hit some FTs down the stretch and not cost us like they did vs Florida State. Might be close for a half. I just think the size and talent eventually make this a comfortable double digit game. 4* Money Maker MICHIGAN 

Going ILL-CHI. Just think this too many points. At this stage, not like Ill-Chi is saying, oh, I don't want to be playing in the CIT. This is still a 'Championship' game. Ill-Chi is going to want to slow things down. No Col can score putting up in the mid 80s. Again, at 4-6 I could see the home team having a bigger edge. But getting nearly double digits, I have to grab the points. 4* Money Maker ILLINOIS CHICAGO 

Taking WESTERN KENTUCKY. We had these guys over USC and we lost backing St Mary's over Utah. I just think the Hilltoppers are the play here. It is obvious from the line they are pretty equal teams. These guys beat the Boilermakers and lost by 8 to Nova on a neutral. They can play with anyone. They won't be scared of PAC 12 Utah. Utes themselves finally playing well. They come to MSG of their best win of the year, OT style at St Mary's. I can't see them hitting 48% from the field tonight. They were 3-6 from the line- 12-27 from 3! Western went to the line 30 times- On the ROAD against Oklahoma State. 17 times at USC. These guys will get Utah in some foul trouble. They attack the basket. In a close game, this will be the difference maker. 4* Money Maker WESTERN KENTUCKY 

Taking the TWOLVES. Hate laying a huge number like this. But Minny needs a big win. I see this being a 15-20 point game. They are off a loss. They are a game an a half ahead of Nuggets who are in 9th place in the playoff hunt. They are just 2 games behind OKC  who is in the 4 seed spot. They have things to play for. Wolves with Atlanta and Dallas up next, so they should be looking to grab these 3 games. Again, off a loss at Philly, they need to take care of business at home. Grizzlies 1-23 SU 8-16 ATS last 24 and 2-8 ATS last 10. 4* Money Maker MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 

Taking MICHIGAN here. Man on man. What an absolute crap run I have had the last 2 weeks. I can't catch a break. Faves collapse and can't hold on to covers. Dogs get rolled. I know there would have to be an adjust to the norm after the 71% run 2 weeks prior. But barely 40%. Not acceptable on any levels. Going to what we do and just grind it out with the remaining games across college basketball. - So the WOLVERINES. What do you want me to say here? Doesn't matter since my results have not been what I have wanted. Also liked Liberty and Loy-Chi, my free video pick today. But I will just play the one game as things are not where I want them. 4* Money Maker MICHIGAN 

Taking DUKE tonight. First. Just because we are having a GOM doesn't me bet the house. We rate the plays. So adding a Game of the Week, Month, Year to it just means to play it for an extra unit or 2. We aren't like some cappers who when they lose a few games in a row and are down 400 Dimes or whatever, we don't say. only time this year we put out a 1000 Dime play. It wins. Capper fake math has him up 600 dimes, but he's 1-7 or some crap. 

So we are on the BLUE DEVILS. What a crap game by Sparty and Izzo. Not what I wanted or hoped for playing on them Sunday. If anytime is going to exploit this zone and short bench, it will be Duke. Already with a 60-44 win under the belts over the Orange. Hats off to them for winning 3 games in 5 days. But the PAC 12 was garbage. I thought TCU would knock them off, but we didn't have an official play. As for that Michigan State game. Holy cow. Offensive rebounds 26-4! 8-37 from 3. Take it to the rack already! They had a walk-on play 6 minutes last game. Zero depth. 

I said it last game with MSU, and I will say it here. This should be a 15-20 point game. Duke isn't going to shoot 26% from the floor. Sparty may have been too young to take advantage of Syracuse. Blue Devils won't make that mistake. Duke was upended last year by 7 seed South Carolina who went an improbable Final Four run. 2012 lost to Lehigh in First Round, next year Elite 8. 2014 lost to Mercer First Round, next year National Champs.  So, off an early exit, I expect the Final Four run. They know this team. They know their zone defense. They will exploit the Orange weaknesses. 10* Money Bomb DUKE BLUE DEVILS 

Taking KANSAS. Lost a brutal beat with them over the Hall. I think the Hall is better than Clemson. They crushed Auburn, but that team had been playing over their heads a bit. Had lost 3 of 5 coming into SEC tourney. Lost in SEC Tourney. Had to battle Charleston. And were a no-show in Round 1. Clemson has struggled at times since Grantham has been out. I think this line is a bit short since the Tigers rolled and the final score in Kansas was a bit tight. Jayhawks can shoot. I've seen Clemson struggle to score 60. 4* Money Maker KANSAS JAYHAWKS 

Taking FLORIDA STATE tonight. Had the Zags in a miracle cover and FSU was a game that I liked, but didn't have a real strong opinion on. X had been in some close games and pulled the rabbit out of the hat many times, so I thought the Noles could pull it out. So here we are in the Sweet 16. This Zags team isn't 1999-2001. Where they were double digit seeds getting to 3 straight Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight. As a 1-4 seed, they have gotten past the Sweet 16 exactly twice - last years National Championship Game and Elite 8 in 2015. 7 previous times a 1-4 seed. Eliminated 3 times in the 2nd Round (1,2,3 seeds) Twice in this round (3,4 seed) , Elite 8 as a 8 in 2015, and last year 1 seed NC Game. What I see is a team that is more hunter than hunted. Noles role 10 deep and have guys who have size and can crash the glass. That is normally a big edge to the Zags. But I think they way that FSU stormed back, it shows the type of overall team this is. With no one true star, it is a true, blue-collar, grind it out team. That being said. I think this should be a back and forth type game. Getting enough points here that even if the Zags leads balloons to 10, the back-door is open enough for us to squeeze in. 4* Money Maker FLORIDA STATE 

Taking TEXAS A&M. I was going to take these guys last week, and like a dummy left them off my card. And they roll. I think they get the W again tonight. I would really like it if the team as a whole could make their FTs. But Michigan is in the same boat. Where I think this game is won is in the paint. Aggies crash the boards and that will be the difference maker tonight. 4* Money Maker TEXAS A&M

Taking NEVADA here. Yep. Last week I was all in on Cincy to crush these guys. Looked good for about 32 minutes. But for those who have followed all season, I said this Nevada squad could make a deep NCAA run. The loss of Drew hurts their depth. And I though that Cincy would really wear them down. But that shows the type of makeup these guys have. Love me some Loy-Chi. Had them in Round 1. Needed a miracle there, and another after that to get here. It is tough going against them simply because their defense is so good and, NEVER fouls. Go look this up. I don't think they had a guy foul out all year! So, Loy-Chi needs a pair of last second buckets to get here. Nevada needs a pair of double digit, the last one really epic, comebacks to get here. Should be a dandy as Nevada loves to push the tempo and Loy-Chi slows things down. 4* Money Maker NEVADA 

Taking ST MARYS. Had these guys in the first 2 rounds of the NIT. Not backing away now. Just couldn't pull away from Washington last game. Huskies shot 55% with 2 guys just on fire (14-21 FG). But new game, new foe. Utah another PAC 12 team. You know we are not high on the PAC 12. So they beat LSU who isn't a good team. Think this line is a bit low off the Utes 24pt win, and the Gaels playing the Huskies close. Mary's winning the NIT. Remember, as much as they are snubbed from the NCAAs. This is still a WCC Mid-Major team. Winning the NIT is a big deal. This isn't some CBB blue-blood, ala Louisville, getting snubbed and then laying an egg vs a tough small school. 4* Money Maker ST MARYS 

Taking JACKSONVILLE STATE. This is a pretty solid group. Good defense. Crash boards. 5-1 their last 6, with that loss to NCAA rep Murray State. This North Texas team is a nice story. 8-22 last year! Did a free pick last week and took them +12 and they won by 13 on the road over South Dakota. They had lost 7 of 8 heading into the CIT. It is very tough going against a team that has topped 90 in their last 2 games. But they faced a disinterested South Dakota team. Then got Mercer who traveled 1800 miles to Phoenix. Then another 1000 miles to NT. Yeah. That isn't a haul for a small school. This is basically a day trip drive from Central Arkansas where JSU put down the hammer on an offense averaging 80ppg (80-59). If this game is close, NT will have 1 guy on the court who has any shot at making FTs. Give me the road warriors here. 4* Money Maker JACKSONVILLE STATE 

Taking the MAGIC here. Oh no. Raptors just had their 11 game win streak snapped at home by the Rockets. They will want to really come out strong tonight. Absolutely. And they might. But what do we have here? A Game of the Week NBA date tomorrow night in Cleveland - Look. Raptors better than Orlando. But even if Toronto gets out to a comfortable lead, are they playing hard all game here? This is a prime 'back-door' opportunity for the home pups. 4* Money Maker ORLANDO MAGIC 

Taking MARQUETTE. These guys really thriving in the NIT. The cozy home court is a real advantage. They put up 101 against Oregon last game. This place is going to be crazy. It doesn't even hold 4 thousand fans. This is their practice court. They know every nook and cranny of the rim. Penn State a bit better on the defensive side of things. But I think the crowd will really make things difficult for PSU. 4* Money Maker MARQUETTE

Taking WESTERN KENTUCKY tonight. We faded away on USC in their opening game and nearly cashed a huge double digit dog as an out-right winner in double OT. What has changed? USC is without their 2 best players. Will there be a huge crowd tonight? I have no clue. What did they have for that Ashville game? 2 thousand people. WKU is a good team. They are highly motivated. Where is the motivation for SC? Best player sits out tournament so he doesn't hurt his NBA stock. 2nd place and in Conference Championship Game. But worse schools in conference play get the nod. WKU, fresh outta C-USA with 25 wins is looking for scalps to hang in their mid-major trophy room. These guys knocked off Purdue on a neutral. Lost a tough one to Nova 66-58. Beat a good, healthy SMU team on a neutral. Lost at Wiscy by point, a tough venue. Do we have to talk about the poor PAC 12. After SMU lost to WKU, a week later they belted this SC bunch 72-55. Will probably be grabbing +160 ML on the Hilltoppers also. 5* Best Bet WESTERN KENTUCKY 

Taking ST MARYS. We had these guys at home and they did exactly what I thought they would do. I said it would be an easy 20pt win. Well it was 44. Now they get Washington. What better way to get a new conference interested in you then destroying one of their teams. The talk is Zags and Mary's, maybe BYU to Mountain West. But the PAC 12 was a joke as they had 2 teams in the play-in round. Arizona was bounced by Buffalo, and USC went to double OT vs NC Asheville (another Winner for us)- Look Mary's is a Top 25 program playing win a chip the size of the Pacific Northwest on their shoulders. Washington scored a win as they got a lucky home game instead of traveling to Boise. Then Boise beat them in a practice game. You knew they were going to come out strong. Washington was trucked by Gonzaga 97-70, at home. Gaels going for their 30th win at home. I see another 20pt blowout in the making. 4* Money Maker ST MARYS GAELS 

Taking UTAH VALLEY. You know I am down on SF. Had Colgate in the first round of CBI action over the Dons. Cashed the cover there, but really wanted the outright win. Valley a good little WAC squad. They beat Grand Canyon twice. New Mexico State. They opened at Kentucky and Duke back to back on the road. They went 6-6 in their other road games. I don't where you play. Winning on the road is tough for college teams. Just think the Wolverines do everything just a bit better than San Fran does. 4* Money Maker UTAH VALLEY 

Taking CINCINNATI. I had Nevada last game. Sweated out an OT win. Have to say. Go look at that box-score. 4 guys with more than 40 minutes. 6 players used. If Wolf Pack had Drew, I think they are a different team. But we saw them get beat up by San Diego State in 2 of their last 3 games including a 17 pt mauling in the MWC Championship. That was 55-25 at the half for those keeping score at home - Cincy is a tough, defensive team. Better than the Aztecs. And better than Nevada. Not sure how the legs hold up during the second half in this one. 4* Money Maker CINCINNATI BEARCATS 

as a side note- we go 1-2 yesterday. Barely cashing the Zags, and just missing Kansas. Could have been 2-1, or 0-3. Should be at worse 8-6, maybe 9-6 with Davidson or even 10-6 if you caught So Dak State since Thursday. 

As much as I want to put out Miss St, Butler, A&M, Oregon, Herd, FSU and UMBC - I put out a 2-2 Friday ticket and missed this dog wagon. Looks like a solid NIT Monday and the Sweet 16 awaits. 

Let's close 2-0 and get ready for a new week. 

Taking MICHIGAN STATE. Alright. 3rd game in 5 days for the Orange. I expect Spartans to attack a bit more than TCU and Arizona State. Let's be honest. You combine those 2 teams and they aren't Michigan State. Syracuse with zero depth. I can't see how this doesn't turn into a 15pt win for Sparty. 78-59, 60-44, 76-60.. Losses to NC, Duke and Kansas this year by the Orange. At 30-4, that is who Michigan State is. That is where is expect this game to end up. 4* Money Maker MICHIGAN STATE

Taking GONZAGA. Zags blew a late 12pt lead to hold on in Round 1. OSU was tied at 70 before a couple 3s and fouls to pull away. But I can get behind the small faves here. Buckeyes took 40 3 point shots Thursday, 40! 86-59 was the final in the PK80 back in November. Zaga looked pretty good. I can see the, we'll get our revenge angle a bit. I just disagree. I had South Dak State vs these guys in Round 1. I though they over-achieved all year. Penn St beat them 3 times. I am sure that game film is floating around somewhere. Along with their own 27pt victory tape. 12pt road loss to Michigan - 14pt loss to NC on a neutral - 14pt loss to Clemson - 1pt OT loss to Butler on neutral. Not that high on Butler, but still a tournament team. 3 double digit losses to high caliber foes. Clemson healthy at the time. I had Nova over the Zags when they played in NY. Florida was playing insane when they won in OT. 2pt road loss at SD State. Not a bad loss. That is a tough foe. A 3pt loss to St Mary's who, while ranked in the Top 25, somehow didn't make the NCAAs. I just think that Gonzaga is the better team. 4* Money Maker GONZAGA 

Taking KANSAS. Ok. Maybe this is a huge square play. I know that Kansas has had some bad let-downs before. But they have been to the Elite 8 the last 2 years. They were knocked off by Wichita, who, at 30-4 was pretty good under-seeded team in 2015. The loss in 2014 to Stanford is bad, I get it. -But It isn't like we are laying a huge number here. I get you wanting to back the Hall. This line looks a bit short to me, but that is also based on the name on the uniforms. Seton Hall beat UL on the road, over Texas Tech at MSG. People remember them playing Nova to a 69-68 OT loss a couple weeks ago. Lost by 12 at Xavier. They lost to Butler in the Big East tournament, but had beaten them in the final game of the regular season a few days before. They had a nice game vs NC State. But I see some chinks in the armor. As I said. A 12 point road loss to X, 16pt loss at Nova. Lost by 17 at Creighton. Lost by 20 at Marquette. The lost by 6 at Rutgers! You can say. Hey they won 4 of 5 heading into the BE Tourney. Well, we move the bar and we see a 4 game losing streak before 3 wins and you have 5-6 heading into NC State, 6-6 now. Kansas had won 5 straight before dropping their regular season finale. Then they win by 14, 16 and 11 in the Big 12 tournament. I don't think they take half the first half off here like the Penn game. But they did manage to win by 16. If we get a full game of Azubuike, I think we win by double digits going away. But I like him sitting out the B12 Tourney and only playing 3 minutes in Round 1. Shows the other guys they can win without a key player. The last 2 years in Round 2, Kansas beat 9 seed Michigan State 90-70 and 9 seed Uconn 73-61. 5* Best Bet KANSAS JAYHAWKS 

Taking the VOLS today. So, I have these guys in my Final Four. I think they are that good. I will say that we got lucky cashing our Loy-Chi in Round 1. Not sure they get every break in this spot. We also cashed Tennessee on Thursday. Steady effort all around. The rough grind of the Miami game might wear down the Ramblers. Look. I like these guys. But I think that Tenn is going to just be too much for them. I get it is tough not to like a team shooting 50% from the field. And we look back at the win over the Gators fondly. A bad seed for them, probably should have been an 8. But they lack the sexy name. Vols should control the defensive glass. I think people forget that Tenn beat the Boilermakers early. Lost a tough to Nova, up 12 at half. Maybe the OT win over Purdue the day before caught up with them (Nassau). They lost a tough one at home to NC. I think this is the best team the Ramblers have faced. But this is not the best team Tennessee has faced. It's going to be close. But I think we pull away for the 10pt win. 8* Sure Shot TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 

Taking NEW MEXICO STATE. Came thisclose to just putting out the Aggies as a +180 ML play. This is a tough bunch. They beat Miami FLA and A10 Champ Davidson on neutral court in Hawaii. This is in San Diego. I think NMST will have more of a fan base than Clemson coming from the other side of the country. Tigers started 14-1 and finished on a 9-8 run. Some of that has to do with losing 2nd leading scorer Grantham who was a beast inside. Clemson has beaten BC, Wake and GT on the road since he went down. Aggies can get defensive boards. This is a tough spot. Late body clock game. Long travel. Give me the live dogs here. 4* Money Maker NEW MEXICO STATE 

4* Money Maker TORONTO RAPTORS

Taking NEVADA. Uh. Hate this short line. I do like the Wolf Pack. Had these guys throughout the season. Yeah, they have lost 2 of 3. Both those to San Diego State. Sometimes, a team knows you well. 27-7 is a good job. 2 of those losses though, Texas Tech in OT and TCU next game up, both on the road. So you say, oh. They can't beat Big 12 teams. Well. I disagree. They don't turn the ball over much. Texas, at 19-14. Do they really deserve a spot? They were 7-11 vs tournament teams this year. We shoot the ball better from everywhere on the court. That will be enough to get the job done. 4* Money Maker NEVADA 

Taking WICHITA STATE. I'll tell. Thought long about Marshall here. Shockers defense not what it once was. They didn't have a conference cake-walk either. Houston and Cincy are tough foes. Enter Marshall. I love the coach. Love how he says that a 3pt shot is better than a lay-up. 3 is more than 2 no matter how you cut it. Herd turned it on in February winning 6 of 8. Ended the year upsetting a good Mid Tenn State on the road. Then they caught some breaks winning the CUSA title. Facing So Miss instead of Mid Tenn again was huge. They they drilled 12-28 3s in the championship over WKU. They played Xavier tough on the road. We had them that game. But X is a team that has danced with danger all year long. Shockers worse loss was to Temple. On the road, in OT by a bucket. Lost to a then healthy SMU. Houston, Cincy. The good 'December' Oklahoma. And a full-strength ND team by a point on a neutral court. Wichita has been favored by 17 or more 10 times this year. 3 times by 23 or more, twice at 29! Just 11 times not favored by double digits. Once as dog, they won outright. The numbers show me a big edge here for Wichita. Defense boards will be important here. Huge experience edge to Shockers. Even with house money, I don't think they cash a ticket. Neither team with a boost playing in San Diego. 4* Money Maker WICHITA STATE 

Taking A&M. I think people forget how good this team was to start the year. Opened the year with that big win over West Va. I see their non-con littered with wins over March Tournament teams (NIT,CBI,CIT + NCAA) Oklahoma State - Penn State - Rio Grande Valley - Northern Kentucky - Buffalo. Bama, Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri. Not that I am a huge SEC fan. But I think as great as Providence was in the Big East tourney, knocking off Xavier, giving Villanova a good battle, I just think that A&M gets it done. 4* Money Maker TEXAS A&M 

Taking ST BONNIES. So. These guys played like absolute garbage and still won in the Play-In game for. That was a nice ML winner. I will say that I would be looking to fade Florida either way though. Bonnies a tough little squad. Florida. Man. They can look like the best team or one of the worse. If they are on from deep, it could be a long night. But I haven't seen often this year. Most times when taking dogs, I am thinking outright winners. This is a tougher spot though. The points give us each shot that even if Florida gets up 10, we are in position to steal a back-door cover. 4* Money Maker ST BONNIES

Taking SAN DIEGO STATE. Final Thursday NCAA add. Want to almost go ML here. Aztecs coming in as hot as any team in the land. I do like the Cougars. We cashed them against Cincy. And I hate that these 2 have to face each other. But what does Houston have left. Back to back against Wichita and Cincy. That 2nd half Championship game was an absolute slug-fest. Plus, how they went down with a bad pass trying to get the last shot off. Give me the live dog here. 4* Money Maker SAN DIEGO STATE 

Taking STEPHEN F AUSTIN. These guys have scored NCAA wins in 2014 and 2016. They lost at Miss State by 5 - Lost by 1 at Missouri - Won at LSU. They will have fans at this game. Texas Tech 2-5 SU down the stretch, 0 covers in those games. Think we are getting good value here. 4* Money Maker STEPHEN F AUSTIN 

Taking DAVIDSON tonight. These guys rained on some other teams NCAA parade by running the A-10 tournament. But don't sell them short. 11-2 SU their last 13 games have them playing well into March. Davidson also 15-4 ATS last 19. Solid defense. Kentucky is always young. This team has 10 losses this year. I like the dog. We don't turn it over much. 4* Money Maker DAVIDSON 

Taking SOUTH DAKOTA STATE. Had these guys several times through the year and in their big Summit Championship game. This is a tough team. Daum is a best. But he has help. These guys can ring up points in a hurry as they hit nearly 11 3s a game. This is the Jackrabbits 3rd straight tourney appearance. They lost by 20 to Gonzaga last year, but covered the covered the number. The year before, a 5pt loss covering the number against Maryland. Ohio State really over achieved this year. I really think we will know how this game plays out early. Buckeyes have been off for nearly 2 full weeks. If they come out with bricks, Jackrabbits might be able to really jump on them early. 4* Money Maker SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 

Taking KANSAS. Late add here for Thursday morning. The more I think of this, the more I think Kansas takes this one in the high teens. Opening at 15, I wasn't really interested. But drop it to this area and it gains my interest. The game is in Wichita. Expect a big Kansas crowd. Also. What I liked last week was Kansas didn't take off the Big 12 tourney after a long season. Bill Self is a pretty good coach. I know they don't have as many titles as everyone thinks they should. Even under Roy Williams. But I can't see Penn hanging around here. Jayhawks hear whispers every year about being overrated. I think they take care of things in easy fashion. Or as easy as winning by at least 15 can be. 4* Money Maker KANSAS

Taking TENNESSEE today. I have the Vols winning this thing from 15-20 points. Before we get giddy over Wright State and that 17-4 conference, 25-9 record. Let's do some digging shall we. Let's just forget they had a cake-walk of teams in the Horizon Tournament. 13-20 Green Bay, 16-17 Milwaukee and 12-23 Cleveland State. Let's look at some non-con results. Lost at Loy-Chi who is barely a dog to 6 seed Miami. Lost by 20 at home to Murray State. Lost by 18 to Western Kentucky. Vols with the exception of a bad loss to Georgia. Lost to all tournament teams. Vols defense will be too much and they should win this one going away. 4* Money Maker TENNESSEE

Taking UTAH. As much as I like playing the Big West in December and January, March tournaments is not an ideal spot for winning. Especially when their best player is out. Playing without Moneke (18/9) you can steal games in the Big West. A little bit different vs PAC 12. Utah lost in the NIT last year, on this court, to Boise. They won't be able to do that with the size inside for the Utes. Think that is a big difference maker tonight. 4* Money Maker UTAH 

Taking LAMAR. Not that I like to compare who teams have played. But in this case with smaller schools, I have to go with the same opponents. Lamar beat Tulsa, UTEP and Coastal Carolina twice. Lamar also took down Stephen F Austin twice. And I think those guys are a play +11.5 tomorrow in the NCAAs. UTSA lost to Coastal and Tulsa, but beat UTEP twice. UTSA played in a better conference. They are also down their best player, Jackson (18ppg). I'll take a flyer with these points. 4* Money Maker LAMAR CARDINALS 

4* Money Maker CAMPBELL 

Taking ULL. Seeing some +170 ML and I might sprinkle a little bit on that. I do like ULL. You should know this. We have had them a few times this season. We know that playing in-state Big Brother from the SEC that Laffy will be showing up big-time. They were upended in Sun Belt by the team who I thought was #1 and UL #1A or 2. So that isn't a bad loss in my eyes. They put up points. LSU, is a bit up and down for my liking. 27-6 is still 27 wins. And in this day an age of teams taking 30 3pts a game, you can get picked off by anyone if the right player gets hot. LSU 17-14 on the year, 8-11 in SEC Play. Maybe this is a great conference. I don't think so. I see a lot of mediocre. 5-5 their last 10. Not shocked at all with an outright win tonight. 4* Money Maker ULL 

Taking NC ASHEVILLE. So. Hoping that we don't get a big collapse like we suffered with Hartford tonight as the travel is a long haul from the east. I think is a big difference is that USC, not only much better than San Diego. You might say, yeah, they should win by 30. But the students are on spring break. How many fans will be there? The coach, in his speak, is fed up with the NCAA. The players didn't want to play this game. Like Louisville, the admin just signed off on the paperwork. NCA playing with a lot of house money out of the gate here, vs a team that is probably very uninterested. Have to grab the points here. 4* Money Maker NC ASHEVILLE 

Taking ST MARYS. Man. What a snub for these guys. Aren't these guys a ranked team? And are in the NIT. I know. You can say. Oh, they are mad and will mail it in here. I dunno about that. One. They can get to 30 wins. There will be a handful teams able to lay claim to that. Two. I think this is a proud program. 3. That will mean them winning getting to the Finals in New York. Because, in case you didn't realize it. The NCAA just sent a clear message for these guys, Gonzaga and probably BYU to run out of the WCC and find a home in the Mountain West. I think this is a 20pt win. SE Louisiana lost by 36 at Notre Dame. 4* Money Maker ST MARYS 

Taking NORTHERN KENTUCKY. An absolute 'no-brainer' play for me. We have the little brother ready to face one of his older siblings. The Norse upset in the Horizon. But oh what a prize they get in the NIT. They get Louisville, who, according to The Courier Journal voted before the ACC Tournament not to play if they missed the NCAAs. Problem is nobody relayed the message to the bosses who signed off on the paperwork. When told they have to forfeit, they said they will play. Oh, we get the, we have to play hard for the city and locals and fans. But these guys are done. We won't get into the off the court things. We all know what they are. Getting a TD in a game I think we are winning outright. Are we all of a sudden getting a focused UL team that is coming out to win the NIT Championship? This reminds me of Robert Morris coming into Kentucky 2013 and winning outright. Opened the season ranked 3 that year. 5* Best Bet NORTHERN KENTUCKY 

Taking HARTFORD tonight. Ok. Off a huge run of College Hoops (36-15 71% Since Mar 3), and 25-8 76% last 7 days of tournament action. Time for some CIT. I like the road team tonight. The Hawks went 9-5 on the road. Worse loss coming to Rider, who had a pretty good mid-major year themselves 89-53. We know that San Diego doesn't run like that.  Then went 6-1 on the road in conference. A couple close 1-2 road losses out of conference. Beat Rutgers on the road. San Diego was 10-6 at home. A close 5pt loss to the Zags the real high-light with a close lose to St Mary's behind that. I guess they are happy to be playing. But they have other coaching issues going on. Hartford isn't showing up to some PAC 12 school for a 400 grand pay-day. They are here to win. I think they hang close and really won't be shocked if they can get a couple breaks and pull out a close win. 4* Money Maker HARTFORD HAWKS 

Taking HOUSTON. Ok. Tough day as we go 1-3 with our plays. Favorite play of the day, Arizona Best Bet our only winner. Should I just stuck to my gut and only played them. Not making that mistake today and forcing games just because we had a good tournament of selections (28-8) since Monday. - So the COUGARS get the call. I do like Cincy. Think they are a very good team. But I just don't like what I have seen in tournament play so far. Dog-fights. Houston playing with as much swagger as anyone in the land after knocking off the Shockers. They have already defeated the Bearcats. Playing with house money and getting a couple points. Might even sprinkle some ML on them this afternoon. 4* Money Maker HOUSTON COUGARS 

Taking ARIZONA. Ok. So a lot going on here at the school. We won't get into the off-court stuff, but it appears they have circled the wagons. They had a brief hiccup in early February. But have no run off 4 straight Ws after going 11-0 in OT yesterday. USC just as hot winning 6 of their last 7. Probably played themselves into a spot or at least close to one in the NCAAs. But I think people forget how good this Arizona team is. Have to with them at this short price. 5* Best Bet ARIZONA 

Taking PINE BLUFF. Ok- Sorry for being so late. I had some earlier lined games up. My son's basketball team was in his Championship Game this morning. Not the outcome I would have wanted, but a good game none the less.

So ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF. I know that normally I would be on the fave as the 1 seed is a decent sized dog here. But looking at the season, APB won 62-61 and 74-72 over Texas Southern. Looks like a close battle on paper and getting points is good value. 4* Money Maker PINE BLUFF 

Taking LAFAYETTE. Had both of these winners yesterday. And as I said. Arlington is a good team that is playing good ball. But ULL is on another level. Outscoring Sun-Belt teams by nearly 2 touchdowns. 100-79 win at home. 77-65 on the road. My write ups are here from yesterday if you go back and look. I think this will be a close game. But in the end, ULL will pull away for a double digit win. 4* Money Maker UL LAFAYETTE 

Taking VERMONT. - Ok. Right off the bat let me say that a lot of these lines for these games don't come up till mid-morning. The late afternoon/early night games I will try to have posted sometime after lunch. So be sure to check back after our first games are loaded. 

So VERMONT. Not that I am a fan of laying double digits in a championship game. But we have a couple things working for us. One. We are playing on our home court looking for back to back America East Titles. Nice motivation there. Then we have UMBC. Sometimes teams just do not match-up well. Look at these numbers. A month ago, on their own home court, UMBC shot 36% from the field. 2 guys made more than 2 shots. Vermont shot 70% from the field and won 81-53. Then, on this court in early January, Vermont won 71-56. Again 36% shooting. But at least a couple players found the basket for UMBC. Vermont shot 46% from the floor then. Tough not taking double digits when you have a team hitting 38% of their 3s. That is a nice number and when they start heaving, they can catch a few. But the numbers tell me this is going to be another game where Vermont just grinds these guys down and wins by about 15. 4* Money Maker VERMONT