I'm backing the NY Knicks on Tuesday. Orlando has been a disaster on the road winning just seven of 38 games SU and while they're actually a game above .500 ATS on the road, they don't normally cover a spread like tonight's.  The Magic are 2-8 ATS when getting no more than five points and just 1-5 ATS when the line is four or less.  The Knicks are actually one win away from a 19-19 SU mark at home and they've covered four of their last five at MSG.  Enes Kanter is doubtful tonight for the Knicks and Michael Beasley is questionable, but the line takes care of those issues. Finally, the Magic are on a 0-6 ATS slide when playing with one day off between games.  I'm backing the NY Knicks on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Villanova on Monday night.  Villanova is overwhelming every opponent that comes its way with incredible 3-point shooting, great defense and experience gained from when it won it all two years ago.  The Wildcats are the highest-scoring team in the country with 86.8 points per game and they have held opponents to 38.5 percent from the floor.  As well as they have played all season, the Wildcats are peaking at the perfect time and have won all five NCAA Tournament games by double digits.  Eric Paschall led Villanova with 24 points, including 10 of 11 shooting against Kansas and Omari Spellman added 15 points and 13 rebounds.  The Wildcats hit 18 of 40 from beyond the arc and Kansas, which was coming off an impressive win over Duke was never in the game.  Michigan struggled against Loyola-Chicago for a half, but the Ramblers eventually couldn't overcome their 1 for 10 shooting from 3-point range and their 17 turnovers.  Michigan can't count on the Wildcats having trouble in those two categories, which is where experience becomes a factor and the Wolverines shot only 7 of 28 from long range themselves. Villanova is 10-1 ATS its last 11 games against the Big 10 and 22-8 ATS its last 30 neutral site games and 53-21-1 ATS its last 75 non-conference games.  Look for Villanova to get the win and cover. Thanks and GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the 76ers on Sunday.  Joel Embiid is sidelined, but the issue is baked into the number and giving us value on the road team. Charlotte's 4-game winning streak has come to an end with back-to-back losses. Once the level of competition stepped up, the Hornets fell right back in the loss column.  They're 3-8 ATS when playing in the second of back-to-back days and 2-8 ATS following a SU loss of more 11 or more points.  Meanwhile, the Sixers have covered seven in a row overall, and they're on a 5-0 ATS run in the series.  When asked about Embiid's absence, Ben Simmons said, "Without Joel, it means we run more, we shoot the ball more from 3, and it's a quicker game."  This is bad news for a Charlotte team struggling on the defensive end. We'll lay the points with the 76ers on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Kansas on Saturday.  It's a rare occasion when KU fails from the deep perimeter or turns the ball over too much.  They're also strong against the 3-pointer, holding opponents to less than 33 percent shooting.  That's obviously an important number taking on a Villanova squad that can be heavily reliant on the trey.  The Wildcats take virtually half of all their shots from behind the 3-point line.  They had a horrible 3-point shooting game against Texas Tech, but were able to pull away down the stretch because at this level, the Red Raiders are not as difficult to defend, running almost all isolation on the offensive end.  Kansas is not so easy to defend and will prove too much for Nova in our opinion.  We like the trio in the backcourt for KU and the fact they can go big inside with Udoka Azubuike and even Silvio De Sousa.  Both teams will play small ball at times, but Kansas has the advantage with both interior players coming up big against Duke.  And while Villanova relies more on the trey than the Jayhawks, Kansas is actually more accurate from behind the arc over the last five games.  Kansas is on a 9-2-1 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball.  They also went 12-5 ATS this season and outscored the 17 opponents by an average of 86-72 against 3-point-reliant teams, those that averaged making at least eight treys per game.  I'm backing Kansas plus the points on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Loyola-Chicago on Saturday.  Loyola-Chicago is 23-9-1 ATS and has won and covered its last six games and hasn't lost since Jan. 31 and it's still getting five points against Michigan.  The Ramblers have shot 52.5 percent in the NCAA Tournament and destroyed a very good defensive team in Kansas State while holding the Wildcats to 34.8 percent from the field.  Michigan could be in trouble if its shots aren't falling. The Wolverines escaped with a 58-54 win over Florida State while shooting only 38.8 percent, but they were fortunate that the Seminoles were even worse at 32.0 percent.  Loyola's offense will be a tougher challenge as the Ramblers use quick passes while constantly moving on offense and they can score inside and out.  Loyola is 19-6-1 ATS its last 26 games against teams with .600 or better winning percentages and the Ramblers are being underestimated again.  And if this one is close at the end, Michigan is not a strong shooting team from the free throw line.  We're taking the points with Loyola-Chicago, our Slam Dunk on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Penn State on Thursday.  Penn State has won six of its last seven games overall and comes off three impressive wins and covers over Notre Dame, Marquette and Mississippi State in the NIT.  The Nittany Lions manhandled Mississippi State 75-60 on Tuesday and led by 24 points after three quarters and the Bulldogs were held to 39.6 percent from the field and 3 of 15 from 3-point range.  Tony Carr led the Lions with 21 points and Lamar Stevens added 17 points with eight rebounds. Penn State is 20-13-1 ATS, including 4-2 ATS on neutral courts.  Utah has had an easier road to the title game as far as opposition and didn't put away Western Kentucky until the final seconds.  The Hilltoppers had a terrible shooting game with a .348 percentage while Penn State has shot 51.3 percent its last two games.  The Nittany Lions have covered seven in a row following a win.  I'm laying the points with Penn State on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with North Texas on Wednesday.  San Francisco hit 14 shots from 3-point range and had a 22-2 run at one point in its 72-62 win in Game 1 of the CBI's best-of-three final. North Texas went just 4 of 21 from beyond the arc after making at least 12 shots from long range in each of its first three games of the tournament. The Dons shoot only 42.2 percent overall on the season and 33.8 percent from 3-point range and figure to cool off here on the road.  Also, North Texas had shot 58.6 percent from the field its two previous games, which were both at home and the Mean Green has a .471 field goal percentage at home this season.  The Dons are 7-17 ATS their last 24 games after a win and 2-5 ATS their last seven games overall.  North Texas is 8-2 ATS its last 10 non-conference games and 8-3 ATS following an ATS loss.  I'm laying the points with North Texas on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Western Kentucky on Tuesday night.  Western Kentucky has had three impressive games in the NIT with wins against Boston College at home and then USC and Oklahoma State on the road.  The Hilltoppers have won and covered four of their last five with the only loss being by one point to Marshall in the Conference USA Tournament.  WKU has shot 53.8 percent in its NIT games while allowing opponents only 41.2 percent. Tavelon Hollingsworth led five double-figure scorers with 30 points against Oklahoma State and Dwight Coleby added 16 points with 13 rebounds.  Utah easily dispatched UC Davis and LSU at home, but then had to go overtime to beat Saint Mary's on the road.  Western Kentucky shoots 49.9 percent on the season and has similar defensive statistics as the Utes.  And while the Utes rely on the 3-pointer with nearly half their shots taken from behind the 3-point line, Western Kentucky is more "old school" driving the paint, scoring at the basket and drawing fouls.  Advantage WKU!  Utah is 1-5-1 ATS its last seven neutral site games and the Hilltoppers have covered seven of their last nine after a win. I'm backing Western Kentucky on Tuesday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Utah Jazz on Sunday.  The Jazz crushed the Warriors by 30 points a couple months ago, but we don't expect revenge to be a factor.  Instead, the Warriors continue to nurse numerous injuries with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson, all listed as out and a couple more players are listed as questionable and probable.  Utah lost last time out, a 4-point OT defeat in San Antonio.  But the Jazz are on a 9-1 ATS run on the road against teams with a winning home record.  Meanwhile, the Warriors continue on cruise control until the postseason begins and enter 0-7 ATS off a SU win and 0-6 ATS with one day off between games.  Look for Utah to win and cover again.  I'm laying the points with the Jazz on Sunday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Texas Tech on Sunday.  Villanova comes off a physically draining win over West Virginia and it took 13 3-pointers to finally put away the Mountaineers.  Now the Wildcats have to come back two days later against another tough defensive squad in Texas Tech that forced 17 turnovers in its 78-65 win and cover against Purdue.  Keenan Evans led the Red Raiders with 16 points and Justin Gray added 12 points and four rebounds against the Boilermakers.  The Red Raiders allow only 64.6 points per game with an opponent field goal percentage of .404 overall and .328 from 3-point range.  Texas Tech leads the remaining NCAA Tournament teams with 15.1 forced turnovers per game and Villanova turned it over 16 times on Friday.  They'll see different schemes in this one and I expect the Wildcats to have their issues.  I also expect this game to go right to the wire making the points the way to go.  I'm taking the points with Texas Tech on Sunday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Loyola-Chicago on Saturday. Kansas State played great defense on Thursday, but that didn't have much to do with Kentucky blowing several layups and missing 14 free throw attempts. Loyola-Chicago has won 13 games in a row and 20 of its last 21 and shoots 50.7 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from 3-point range and 72.0 percent from the foul line.  Needless to say, Kansas State will have a tougher task defending the Ramblers even if they are perceived to be from an inferior conference than the Big 12 or SEC.  Loyola also can match the Wildcats defensively as it allows opponents a .417 field goal percentage and 62.2 points per game. The Wildcats shot only 19 of 54 against Kentucky and they are hitting only 37.8 percent of their shots their last two games.  Loyola is 5-1 ATS its last six games against Big 12 teams and 39-19-1 ATS its last 59 games overall dating to last season.  I'm backing Loyola-Chicago on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kansas on Friday.  Kansas has won five in a row and now has power forward Udoka Azubuike available after he missed a few games with a knee injury.  Azubuike played 22 minutes in the win over Seton Hall and finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.  Malik Newman scored 28 points and Svi Mykhailiuk added 16 points for the Jayhawks, who shot 50 percent from the field and 9 of 21 from 3-point range.  Clemson destroyed Auburn, which shot a microscopic 25.8 percent, but the Tigers obviously will have a much tougher test against the Jayhawks, who have a .496 field goal percentage on the season and .403 from beyond the arc. Kansas is 5-1 ATS its last six games against ACC schools, 7-3 ATS its last 10 NCAA Tournament games, and they're on an 8-1-1 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball.  It took some time for the Jayhawks to come together as a team, but they're peaking at the right time.  I'm laying the points with Kansas on Friday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Gonzaga on Thursday.  Not that it matters a lot at this point, but we felt Gonzaga was under-seeded.  As far as this game is concerned, Josh Perkins is a terrific disher who won't fade under Florida State pressure.  And while Rui Hachimura has drawn a lot of attention over the last few days for his 25 point effort against Ohio State, this is a team with six players averaging more than 9 points per game.  And if Zach Norvell turns in another big game like he did against the Buckeyes it's likely going to be a tough night on the Seminoles.  As far as the coaching is concerned we give Mark Few a full bucket of value over Leonard Hamilton.  Gonzaga is 30-17 ATS as a neutral court favorite of six or less with Few as coach.  They've covered four of their last five against teams with a winning record.  Meanwhile, FSU has covered just three of their last 10 games overall.  I'm backing Gonzaga minus the points on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kentucky on Thursday.  It took a while, but the Kentucky freshmen finally appear to have come together as a team and are producing the way that was expected of them and the Wildcats have won nine of their last 10 games.  Kentucky shot 56.2 percent against Buffalo while outrebounding the Bulls 39-27 and holding them to 38.8 percent from the field.  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-leading 27 points and Hamidou Diallo added 22 points and eight rebounds.  Kansas State needed only 18 field goals to beat UMBC, but that won't work against Kentucky and leading scorer, Dean Wade, still is only probable with a foot injury and is likely far short of 100 percent healthy if he plays.  Kentucky allows only a .405 shooting percentage overall and .298 from 3-point range and Kansas State is not an offensive powerhouse to begin with.  Kansas State is 1-5 ATS its last six non-conference games.  Meanwhile, Kentucky is 7-1 ATS in neutral site games this season, winning by nearly 10 points per game and they're 14-5 ATS in their last 19 March contests, winning by double digits on average.  I'm laying the points with Kentucky on Thursday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.  The Nets whipped the struggling Hornets, 125-111 on March 8, a night when Allen Crabbe scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.  I mention Crabbe because after missing a couple of games, he returned to the court on Monday and made 7 of 10 shots, scoring 22 points and Charlotte had no answer for him in the most recent meeting.  The Hornets are in a world of hurt on the defensive end allowing an average of more than 118 points per game in their last 10 outings.  This is music to Brooklyn's ears.  The Nets have been trying different lineups and they've found a good one on the offensive end. The Nets have scored 116, 114, and 118 points in their last three games and topped 110 points in seven of their last 10 contests.  The Nets are 8-3 ATS off a SU win, which is the situation tonight. Charlotte enters on a 2-9 ATS slide off a loss and they're 1-5 ATS in their last six when playing on one day rest.  The Hornets are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 against teams that force at least 14 turnovers per game.  I'm backing the Nets as they look to extend their head-to-head spread run to 8-1!  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Louisville on Tuesday.  Louisville comes off an 84-68 win over a good Middle Tennessee team while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and hitting 11 of 21 from 3-point range.  Ray Spalding led four double-figure scorers with 18 points and Jordan Nwora added 17 points.  Mississippi State won a thriller over Baylor 78-77 and the Bulldogs shot an uncharacteristic 53.8 percent overall and a mind-boggling 59.1 percent from beyond the arc.  Ben Howland's teams never have been known for their offense and it's unlikely the Bulldogs will come close to shooting that well again as they average only 31.5 percent from 3-point range on the season.  Also, the Cardinals hold opponents to just 32.7 percent from long distance and Middle Tennessee made only 5 of 15 3-pointers. The Cardinals have covered four of their last five home games, they're 9-2 ATS at home off a home win, and they're on a 6-1 ATS run against teams with a road win percentage of less than .400.  I'm laying the points with Louisville on Tuesday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Monday night.  San Antonio has won three in a row and could use every win they can get with just a 2-game cushion on the 9th place Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference playoff standings. The Spurs nearly beat Golden State just 11 days ago on the road, but a poor fourth quarter was the difference in a 110-107 loss.  The Warriors got 37 and 11 from Kevin Durant and another 13 points with 6 assists from Klay Thompson.  Both players are out tonight as is Steph Curry who continues to nurse an injured ankle.  Golden State enters on a 0-6 ATS slide on the road against teams winning more than 60 percent of their home games on the season and they've dropped five in a row ATS when playing with just one day off between games.  The Spurs are 11-3 ATS as home chalk of more than six points and up to 12 points this season, averaging 111 points per game, while allowing just 96. The Spurs have lost eight in a row to Golden State since a 107-85 win here almost a year ago to the date.  Tonight they catch a bruised and battered Warriors' version and we'll lay the points with the Spurs.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Utah on Monday night.  LSU is 0-6-2 ATS its last eight road games and the Tigers had lost three of four games outright before beating UL Lafayette on Wednesday.  Utah is 11-4-2 ATS its last 17 home games. Tremont Waters (15.8 points per game) and Skylar Mays (11.2 ppg) are two of the three top scorers for LSU, but both are listed as probable for this game. Waters (nose) and Mays (thumb) are not 100 percent and the Tigers have had little depth all season to begin with. Utah comes off a 69-59 win over UC Davis, which was held to 39.7 percent from the field.  The Utes were led by Justin Bibbins, who scored 21 points, and Tyler Rawson and Donnie Tillman added 11 points apiece.  The Utes allow only a .417 field goal percentage and 68.4 points per game.  And while the extended 3-point line being used in the NIT has hurt some teams, it has hurt road teams more.  LSU and Utah take nearly the same amount of 3-point attempts per game and we'll give that advantage to the Utes.  I'm laying the points with Utah on Monday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Bucks on Monday.  Cleveland is back home after a 6 game, 11 day road trip, where they're 0-5 ATS following a road trip of at least seven days.  The Cavs are also banged-up with Larry Nance, Jr., Kyle Korver, and Rodney Hood all listed as questionable.  Even if all three play, they're reportedly far from 100 percent healthy.  The Cavaliers are already in a bad way with injuries and at home, sporting a terrible 13-37-2 ATS, including a 4-23 spread record when hosting teams with a losing road record. Milwaukee is the NBA's 4th most accurate team on the offensive end and as the "Greek Freak" and Bucks' coaches recently stated, they'd like to see more consistent play on the defensive end. LeBron will likely bring out the best of the Bucks tonight and they're already on a 7-2 ATS run on the road against teams playing better than .600 basketball. We'll grab the points with the Bucks on Monday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm recommending a play on West Virginia minus the points over Marshall on Sunday. Nice rivalry matchup in a second round game, but while the Thundering Herd would like nothing better than to upset their in-state rival in such a meaningful game, they just don't match up well with the Mountaineers.  We always talk about the "speed factor" when assessing a college football player on his way to the NFL.  Well, the "speed factor" from Friday's opponent Wichita State to West Virginia on Sunday is night and day.  The Mountaineers will get after Marshall on the defensive end, likely turning the Herd over to the point where they won't be able to find a rhythm for decent stretches of game time.  Bob Huggins' troops average over 8 steals per game and they have forced their opponents into a 0.76 assists/turnovers ratio.  WVU also likes playing at a quicker pace, posting a 30-13 ATS mark under Huggins against teams that average at least 62 shots per contest.  WVU has averaged over 82 points per game in those 43 games.  I'm recommending a play on West Virginia minus the points on Sunday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Cincinnati on Sunday.  Nevada came back from a 14-point second-half deficit to beat Texas in overtime, but the Wolf Pack have a much tougher test against Cincinnati, which routed Georgia State for its eighth win in a row.  The Bearcats allow just a .371 shooting percentage and 57.0 points per game.  Georgia State was held to 39.6 percent from the field and Jarron Cumberland led the Bearcats with 27 points and 11 rebounds.  Cincy covered the number even while blowing a 10-point lead in the second half. Nevada is basically playing a six-man rotation due to injuries, which will be a factor coming off overtime.  Nevada is 1-4 ATS its last five games after a win and the Bearcats have held their last five opponents to a .379 field goal percentage and just .289 from 3-point range.  I'm laying the points with Cincinnati on Sunday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with North Carolina on Sunday.  North Carolina rolled past Lipscomb for the 12th win in its last 13 NCAA Tournament games and fourth win in its last five games overall.  The Bison was held to 35.9 percent shooting and Kenny Williams led five scorers in double figures with 18 points and Theo Pinson added 15 points and 10 rebounds.  The Tarheels outrebounded Lipscomb 46-28 with Luke Maye and freshman Sterling Manley combining for 19 boards.  UNC's biggest question mark coming into the season was in the frontcourt, but the Tarheels seemed to have solved that problem. Texas A&M squeaked by Providence as Tyler Davis had 14 points and 15 rebounds.  The Tarheels are averaging 82.0 points and a .461 field goal percentage.  The Aggies shoot only 66.4 percent from the free throw line on the season and just 61.6 percent their last five games.  They missed 11 foul shots against the Friars.  The Aggies have covered just 6 of their last 21 off a cover and they're 14-25 ATS the last two seasons against teams that handle the ball, committing no more than 14 turnovers per game.  They're also 4-12 ATS as a neutral court dog or PK. Value lies with the Tar Heels.  We're laying the points with North Carolina.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Gonzaga on Saturday.  Ohio State was fortunate to get by South Dakota State while shooting just 37.5 percent, but the Buckeyes will have a much tougher test against Gonzaga which has won 15 games in a row and beat Ohio State by 27 points in November. The Zags had a tougher game than expected against NC Greensboro while shooting only 42.3 percent, but they're shooting 50.1 percent overall and 37 percent from 3-point range on the season and likely will bounce back with a better offensive showing in this matchup.  Greensboro was held to 3 of 22 from beyond the arc and a .418 field goal percentage overall. Johnathan Williams led the Zags with 19 points and 13 rebounds.  Ohio State is 1-5 ATS its last six games and 0-7 ATS its last seven NCAA Tournament games. In addition, the Buckeyes are 0-5 ATS their last five non-conference games.  I'm laying the points with Gonzaga on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Duke on Saturday afternoon.  Duke destroyed Iona on Thursday and the Blue Devils are healthy now with Marvin Bagley back after missing some games in February. Bagley has averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds since his return to the lineup and scored a team-leading 22 points against the Gaels.  Grayson Allen added 16 points and nine assists and the Blue Devils shot 53.7 percent from the field and held Iona to 5 of 24 from 3-point range.  Rhode Island had to go overtime to beat Oklahoma, a team that shouldn't have even made the tournament after losing 11 of its last 15 games.  The Rams won despite making only 30 of 77 shots, which won't cut it against Duke. Rhode Island has lost three of its last six games outright and are 1-4 ATS in that span, including a 30-point home loss to St. Joseph's.  Duke has covered eight of its last 10 games and the Blue Devils are 9-3 ATS their last 12 NCAA Tournament games.  I'm laying the points with Duke on Saturday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Charleston on Friday.  Auburn has lost four of its last six games and got routed by Alabama 81-63 in the SEC Tournament.  The Tigers miss 6-7 forward Anfernee McLemore, who is out for the season with an ankle injury he suffered in mid-February. McLemore averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds and leads the team with 73 blocks.  Auburn's three leading scorers are guards and led by Mustapha Heron with 16.6 points per game and Bryce Brown (16.2 ppg).  They combined for only 10 of 27 against Alabama though as the Tigers shot just 32.3 percent as a team in that game.  Charleston has an experienced team that returned all five starters and the Cougars are lead by Grant Riller (18.7 ppg), Joe Chealey (18.5 ppg) and Jarrell Brantley (17.0 ppg; 7.1 rebounds per game).  Charleston has won 14 of its last 15 games, including winning the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament. Auburn is 0-4 ATS its last four games. I'm taking the points with Charleston on Friday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Murray State on Friday afternoon.  Murray State has won 13 games in a row and covered its last four and features Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Jonathan Stark, who averages 21.8 points while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range also has 42 steals.  Terrell Miller Jr. averages 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds and Temetrius Morant scores 12.6 points per game.  The Racers outscored Belmont by 20 points in the second half of the OVC Championship game and Stark finished with 24 points and the Bruins were held to a .364 shooting percentage.  West Virginia shoots only 43.4 percent from the field and just 39.2 percent at neutral sites.  The Mountaineers are 1-4 ATS their last five non-conference games and 1-3-1 ATS their last five NCAA Tournament games.  The Racers are 5-2 ATS their last seven non-conference games and their 3-point defense holds opponents to just 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.  I'm taking the points with Murray State on Friday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with North Carolina on Friday.  The Tar Heels draw the perfect opening round opponent for their style of play, now they just need to take care of business.  Lipscomb loves to attempt to pressure ball-handlers on the defensive end and takes little time off the clock on the offensive end.  We've seen them give up 102 points in a loss to North Florida. They got bombed 98-66 by Purdue this season, along with 23 and 22 point losses to Texas & Alabama.  So, while they've played a few quality opponents, they've been no match on the defensive end.  I expect similar defensive issues against UNC.  Kenny Cooper is a decent "disher" for the Bison, but he has 91 turnovers to go with his 119 assists. The Heels put five players in double figures in scoring per game and I expect all five to flourish against Lipscomb. I also expect UNC to be just fine if Cameron Johnson (questionable) is unable to suit-up.  We note that Lipscomb allows 77.5 points per game.  While this isn't a road game, (in fact, it's almost a home game), Roy Williams' teams average 97 points per game away from Chapel Hill against teams that allow at least 77 per contest.  His teams are 17-6 ATS in neutral court games when the total is at least 160, playing outstanding basketball in uptempo games. UNC is 13-4-1 ATS off a spread loss and they're 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 NCAA tournament tilts.  I'm laying the points with North Carolina on Friday afternoon.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Arizona on Thursday night.  Arizona is one of the most dangerous teams to play as the Wildcats are on a mission after their beleaguered coach, Sean Miller, has been accused of major recruiting violations and Allonzo Trier was briefly suspended for PED use.  But it looks as though some mis-reporting took place regarding the Miller situation.  And instead of causing a distraction, the adversity appears to have brought the team together as the Wildcats have won five in a row, including winning the Pac-12 Tournament and covering the spread in all three games.  DeAndre Ayton, who is likely to be the No. 1 draft pick, poured in 32 points against USC in Saturday's championship game and pulled down 18 rebounds.  Dusan Ristic added 16 points and Arizona shot 51.7 percent and won despite making just 4 of 17 from 3-point range.  Buffalo is a long way from home and Arizona has covered four of its last five versus teams with winning percentages of .600 or better.  The Wildcats have too much talent for the Bulls to overcome.  As far as Big Dance teams in Buffalo's situation, teams seeded 13 to 16 have covered just 16 of the last 60 when they're getting 3 1/2 to 9 1/2 points, provided they head to the tourney on a winning streak of at least five games (Buffalo sports a 6-game win streak). We're laying the points with Arizona on Thursday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Stephen F. Austin on Thursday.  SFA has won 10 of its last 11 games and beat LSU while losing close games at Mississippi State and Missouri in its non-conference schedule.  The Lumberjacks are led by Shannon Bogues, who averages 15.4 points while shooting 51.0 percent from the field.  Kevon Harris adds 14.6 points per game while hitting 43.2 percent from 3-point range.  T.J. Holyfield averages 13.0 points and has 44 blocked shots. The Lumberjacks have experience as they returned eight of their top nine players from a year ago in addition to Bogues. Texas Tech has lost five of its last seven games and the Red Raiders are 0-6-1 ATS in that span and 0-4-1 ATS their last five against teams with .600 or better winning percentages.  The game is being played in Dallas so there should be equal crowd support and there's little difference statistically between the two squads.  Obviously, the Big 12 is the much stronger conference, but double digits are too many to lay against the Lumberjacks.  We're taking the points with Stephen F. Austin on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Seton Hall. The Pirates are loaded with experienced upperclassmen who are looking to extend their season past the first round after a couple of early exits during their time in South Orange.  The Pirates have the guard to handle NC State on Hall's offensive end in Khadeen Carrington. And they have the kind of "big" we like underneath in Angel Delgado.  Desi Rodriguez is expected to play, listed as probable and that gives them a forward, their leading scorer, who can shoot down low or take an opposing "big" out deep. There's a lot to like about this team and we believe the line has been set too low against one of the worst defensive teams in the nation.  NC State is absolutely horrible defending the "2," and they're on a 5-15 ATS slide against teams that make at least 45 percent of their shots on the season.  The Pirates enter on a 5-0 ATS run and they're 42-26 ATS under Coach Willard when the line is in the +3/-3 range, proving our point, that Seton Hall is quite often the best coached team on the floor.  I'm laying the points with Seton Hall on Thursday afternoon.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon.  Ohio State will not have played for 13 days and the Buckeyes faltered down the stretch losing three of their last five games and they couldn't beat Penn State in three tries this season even though the Nittany Lions were no better than an NIT team.  The Buckeyes couldn't capitalize on 37.9 percent shooting by Penn State and made eight fewer free throws.  Keita Bates-Diop scored 25 points in a losing cause.  South Dakota State has won 16 of its last 17 games, including the last eight in a row, and has a dominant force in Mike Daum, who averages 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range.  Guards David Jenkins Jr. and Reed Tellinghuisen average 16.1 and 12.0 points, respectively.  The Jackrabbits are 29-11 ATS their last 40 games dating to last season and 3-0-1 ATS their last four against the Big 10.  Ohio State is 0-6 ATS its last six NCAA Tournament games and 5-21 ATS its last 26 neutral site games.  I'm taking the points with South Dakota State on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Stanford on Wednesday night.  Stanford has won five of its last seven games and has covered eight of its last nine home games and 13 of 19 overall.  Reid Travis leads four double figure scorers with 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and Dorian Pickens averages 14.6 points while shooting 42.2 percent from 3-point range.  Daejon Davis has 149 assists while scoring 10.7 points per game.  BYU comes off a 20-point loss to Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament for its third loss of the season to the Zags and BYU also has suffered losses at Pacific and Loyola Marymount.  Stanford finished tied for third in the Pac-12 with an 11-7 record and the Cardinal will look to duplicate the school's 2015 team that won the NIT.  Stanford is 10-2 ATS its last 12 games against .600 or better teams and should be favored on a neutral floor let alone home at Maples Pavilion.  I'm laying the points with Stanford on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with New Orleans on Tuesday.  The Pelicans have dropped two in a row after winning 10 straight games and covering nine (now 9-3 ATS last 12).  They simply looked worn out coming home off the four game road trip.  But they've had enough time to get their legs back under them and they get "just what the doctor ordered," to start a new winning streak tonight.  The Hornets have won and covered just one of their last six games and the lone outright win came over hapless Phoenix.  Charlotte is playing with little intensity and little success on the defensive end and we're betting New Orleans will take full advantage. The Hornets have failed to cover eight straight games against Western Conference opposition, while the Pelicans will look to make it seven straight covers against teams with a losing record.  We believe they'll get it done and we're laying the points with New Orleans on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.  It's no secret Louisville players don't want to be here.  In fact, according to a report in the Louisville Courier-Journal, the players voted against accepting a bid to the NIT and part of the reason is that they're exhausted after a tough ACC tourney, not to mention the disappointment in being left out of the Big Dance.  Northern Kentucky had bigger aspirations also, but they have the motivation of a chance to knock-off one of the two "big boys" in the state of Kentucky.  This wasn't a good tourney for disappointed teams like Louisville last season and it showed when 2-seeds went 1-3 SU in the opening round and not a single top-4 seed made it to New York for the NIT's version of the Final Four. The NIT will offer a few rules changes.  The teams will shoot 3's from a longer distance and the paint will be wider, to name a couple differences.  Neither team shoots an overabundance of 3-pointers, so I don't expect this to be too much of an issue and the teams are pretty even when it comes to their work on the boards.  Northern Kentucky is a road warrior, going 10-4-1 ATS on the road against teams with a home win percentage better than .600.  And the Norse have covered 14 of their last 17 non-conference games.  Meanwhile, the Cardinals have covered just one of their last seven at home after playing at least three straight away from home. I'm grabbing the points with Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.  The Cavs allowed 116 points two nights ago to the LA Clippers.  But since the big trade before the break the Cavs have been a much better defensive basketball team. After being mired in the bottom five in defensive efficiency all season, Cleveland is tied for 13th best since the trade (11 games) and they're just 1.4 points outside of the top-10.  The Lakers, meanwhile, are bottom six in the league during the same amount of games and will face a LeBron-led offense that's been top five all season.  The Cavs have been a decent road investment of late winning and covering five of their last six away from home. Cleveland is a little banged-up, but former Laker Larry Nance, Jr., it hot with three straight double doubles and we expect Nance to feel extra motivated for his return.  The number is short and we'll lay it.  The Cavaliers on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Houston on Sunday afternoon.  The teams have split the two meetings this season and Houston is one of the few teams that have the offense and shooting ability to stay with the Bearcats, who mainly depend on defense to win games.  Cincinnati shot just 38.6 percent in its 67-62 loss at Houston while the Cougars shot 48.0 percent and hit 7 of 17 from 3-point range.  Houston has won 10 of its last 11 games (8-2-1 ATS), including Saturday's impressive 77-74 victory over Wichita State.  The Cougars also are underrated defensively as they only allow 65.2 points per game and a .395 field goal percentage.  They held the Shockers to a .411 shooting percentage and Rob Gray poured in 33 points while Corey Davis added 19 points for the Cougars.  Cincy came back from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat Memphis and the Bearcats made just 24 of 59 from the field overall and 7 of 27 from 3-point range.  We made this number shorter and we'll grab the points with Houston on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Virginia on Saturday.  North Carolina accomplished its main goal by beating Duke for the first time in the ACC Tournament since 1998 and also not losing to the Blue Devils twice in one week.  Now the Tar Heels have to face the top defensive team in the nation while playing their fourth game in four days and they lost the first meeting while scoring only 49 points.  Virginia lost to the Tarheels in the 2016 ACC championship game and the Cavaliers are seeking their third ACC tourney title in their history. Virginia held Clemson to 34.7 percent from the field on Friday and the Tigers made just 5 of 25 from 3-point range. Kyle Guy led the Cavaliers with 15 points and Devon Hall and Mamadi Diakite added 10 apiece, but they fell a bucket short of the cover.  Virginia is 7-1 ATS off a spread loss and they're on a 19-8-1 ATS run overall.  UNC won't have much left after the last three days, including the emotional win over Duke. The chalk has covered eight of the last ten in this series.  We're laying the points with Virginia on Saturday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Villanova on Saturday.  Villanova annihilated Butler 87-68 and Mikal Bridges scored 18 points and led a balanced attack with five double-figure scorers, including Jalen Brunson, who added 17 points and Omari Spellman, who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.  The Wildcats have won four in a row and have some extra motivation as they lost at Providence 76-71 on Feb. 14 after beating the Friars by 20 in the first meeting. Providence is playing its third game in three days and the first two went into overtime, which makes this an even tougher scheduling situation for the Friars.  Rodney Bullock and Alpha Diallo scored 17 points each in the win over cold-shooting Xavier.  The Musketeers managed just a .368 field goal percentage and made only 5 of 22 3-point attempts.  Villanova is one of the top shooting teams in the country with a .506 percentage overall and .399 from beyond the arc.  Villanova enters on a 6-0 ATS run on neutral courts and they're 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games against teams with a winning record.  We played on and won with Providence last night, but we'll back Villanova on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with UL-Lafayette on Saturday.  The Rajin' Cajuns aim for the 3-0 season sweep of UT-Arlington when the teams tip-off in New Orleans. And after a rough first 20 minutes in this season's initial meeting, UL-L outscored UT-A, 145-100 over the final game-and-a-half, or 60 minutes of basketball.  That's an average of 48.3 to 33.3 per half.  The Cajuns won by scores of 77-65 and 100-79 most recently.  They've absolutely dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Mavericks by a 76-54 margin, and the Cajuns made 58 of 120, 48.3 percent of their FGA.  UL-L puts four players in double figures in scoring and own a monster rebounder in Bryce Washington, averaging over 10 1/2 rebounds per game this season. Marcus Stroman is an excellent disher and while UT-A has Erick Neal to hand out assists, he also turns the ball over quite a bit (118 on the season).  We believe the Rajin' Cajuns will control this one in the second half and we're laying the points with UL-Lafayette on Saturday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Houston Rockets on Friday night.  Tough to go against Houston until they give us a reason to do so.  There have been four winning streaks of at least 12 games in the NBA this season and two of them belong to the Rockets, including their current 17-game win streak.  Ten of the 17 wins have come on the road where they're 9-1 ATS.  Even more amazing, the Rockets are a 2-point loss to New Orleans from winning 22 in a row.  It's been a while, but Houston will remember having a 6-game win streak snapped by Toronto in November.  The Rockets were missing a couple players that night, including Chris Paul.  And according to Basketball Reference when Paul and James Harden both play in the same game, Houston has a ridiculously strong offensive efficiency rating close to 116, nearly 10 percentage points ahead of league average, which puts them in rarefied air in the NBA history.  Toss in their play on the defensive end and we believe they'll gain their revenge.  Besides the 9-1 ATS spot mentioned above, the Rockets are on a 14-3 ATS run against teams with a winning record.  Meanwhile, the Raptors have covered just 3 of their last 10 against teams with a winning record.  I'm backing the Houston Rockets on Friday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kansas on Friday night.  Kansas got revenge against Oklahoma State, which had won both meetings this season, and the Jayhawks now have won six of their last seven games and will go for a sweep of Kansas State.  Kansas beat the Wildcats 73-72 at home and then 70-56 on the road and Kansas State is just 6-5 its last 11 games, which included a 38-point loss at West Virginia, a 19-point loss at home to Texas Tech along with road losses to Oklahoma and Texas Christian.  Kansas will be without center Udoka Azubuike for the tournament due to an injury, but it could be a blessing in disguise as Silvio De Sousa and Mitch Lightfoot filled in admirably with Lightfoot finishing with eight points and six rebounds in 23 minutes and De Sousa added six points and eight boards. Malik Newman scored 30 points and the Jayhawks shot 56.1 percent and held the Cowboys to 40.9 percent.  Kansas suddenly has more depth than it thought it would have and Kansas State is coming off an overtime game.  The Jayhawks take care of business.  We're laying the points with Kansas on Friday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Providence on Friday.  We, along with many others, expected this season to be a big one for the Friars who were returning all five starters.  But the team suffered several bumps and bruises from the start and PC took its share of unforeseen lumps.  But Ed Cooley, one of our favorite coaches, is putting things together at the right time with their only loss in their last four games coming against this Xavier team.  It was a competitive matchup until the later stages of the second half before Xavier pulled out the 10-point win at home thanks in part to a big advantage at the FT line.  But PC knows what it takes to beat the Musketeers, owning an 81-72 win in this season's first meeting.  Providence is 16-5 ATS the last two years in the second half of the season against teams that force no more than 14 turnovers per game.  They're 11-1 ATS in revenge of a loss when the opponent scored at least 75 points, and they're 11-3 ATS off an outright underdog win, which is the case here.  I'm grabbing the points with Providence on Friday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on East Carolina + the points.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Boise State on Thursday night.  Utah State got a win over a dysfunctional Colorado State team, (USU was our GOM winner), but now the Aggies face Boise State, which figures that it needs to win the MWC Tournament to gain an NCAA Tournament berth.  The Broncos avenged an earlier loss to Wyoming 95-87 on Senior Night and now they get a chance to do the same versus the Aggies, who won the last meeting on Feb. 10.  Christian Sengfelder led the Broncos with 24 points and seven rebounds against the Cowboys and Lexus Williams added 22 points.  The Broncos shot 50.0 percent from the field and held off a barrage of 3-pointers by Wyoming for the win.  Utah State has lost four of its last six games, including against bottom feeders Air Force and San Jose State and it is 4-9 ATS its last 13 games after an ATS win.  The Broncos are the better team and have the edge in motivation.  After riding USU to the win yesterday, we'll go against them here.  I'm laying the points with Boise State on Thursday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Boston Celtics on Thursday.  Kyrie Irving is listed as probable, but we were ready to play the Celtics whether he plays or not.  Boston played a decent brand of basketball when he was sidelined. The Celtics are 5-1 SU/ATS since the all-star break with the only SU loss coming by three points in Houston.  They'll face a Minnesota team that truly struggles on the defensive end, ranked 29th in FG percentage allowed, and they don't own the ability to hang around quite as easily with Jimmy Butler sidelined.  Boston is nailing half their shots over the last five games, including making more than 41 percent of their 3-pointers.  They've been strong on the glass and the bench has contributed 52 points per game, (44.1 percent of their points per night), while Minnesota's bench has averaged just 21.4 points per game in their last five outings.  Boston is on a 25-9 ATS run on the road and they're on a 17-5-1 ATS run off a win by more than 10 points.  Minnesota has covered just two of their last ten games and they're 0-5 ATS against teams with a winning SU record.  I'm laying the points with the Celtics on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.  Charlotte has lost their way a bit and at the wrong time. Their work on the defensive end has hurt them, allowing 118.75 points per game on 53.3 percent shooting (180 of 338), including allowing a 41.5 percent success rate from beyond the 3-point line.  Charlotte has been out-worked badly on the glass during the streak, out-rebounded by 36 for a minus-9 rebound margin per game.  I'm betting these issues won't be resolved quickly and the number is too high as it is. The Nets may not be winning games outright, but they're covering once again, entering on a 4-1 ATS run.  They've also covered 19 of their last 28 road games and six of their last seven meetings with Charlotte.  We're grabbing the points with the Nets on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Adding a Late Release on Mississippi State minus the points.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on Kansas minus the points.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer

NOTE: This is a top play up to -7.  I'm laying the points with Nevada on Thursday.  UNLV barely advanced past out-manned Air Force, winning in OT on Wednesday.  I don't get too worked up about a team's energy off an OT game in conference tourneys - they're well conditioned young men and are fired-up, after all.  But what I do play against are short lines - numbers that are at least a bucket or more short of current power ratings.  UNLV played zero defense for most of the second half against AFA. They even attempted to play a 2-3 zone and got consistently burned by dribble drives.  They need better ball-handling from Jordan Johnson on the offensive end after making poor decisions in crunch time again yesterday.  Nevada took apart UNLV in late February, beating the Rebels 101-75 and we note the final margin of 26 points didn't give a true indication of much of a blowout it actually turned out to be.  Four Wolf Pack players finished with 14 to 26 points and the Rebels had and have no answer for the Martin's, Caleb or Cody. Add in a huge coaching advantage in favor of Nevada's Eric Musselman over UNLV's Marvin Menzies and I'm betting we're in for another wide margin Reno win.  UNLV enters on a 5-16-1 ATS slide overall, and they've covered just 12 of their last 52 MWC games (3 pushes).  The Pack lost last time out, 79-74 at San Diego State.  Musselman has had little trouble getting his team's attention off a loss and they're 17-4 ATS in this spot.  We're backing Nevada minus the points on Thursday afternoon.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Memphis on Thursday afternoon.  Memphis gets an opportunity for payback after being humiliated by South Florida last week at home by a 75-51 score.  Memphis players admitted that they took the Bulls for granted even though coach Tubby Smith said his team isn't good enough to take anyone lightly.  The Tigers learned their lesson and blew out East Carolina 90-70 on Sunday in a game that wasn't even as close as the score indicated. Memphis shot 53.1 percent against the Pirates with Kareem Brewton Jr. scoring 22 points and Mike Parks Jr. adding 20 points with eight rebounds.  The Bulls average only 62.9 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting and they recently had an eight-game losing streak and they've covered just three of their last 11 neutral site games.  The Tigers have won and covered five of their last six games, including 91-85 over Houston. Look for revenge to work in a big way. Memphis won this season's first meeting by a dozen points and I expect another double digit win for the Tigers in this one.  I'm laying the points with Memphis on Thursday afternoon.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.  Utah is smoking-hot and they're going to have to continue to play well and win games as they try to climb their way into the postseason in the ultra-tough Western Conference.  The Jazz are 15-2 SU in their last 17 games and while they haven't fattened wallets as a decent-sized favorite, they're on a money-making 6-1 ATS run when laying 2 or less, or as a PK, or an underdog.  Their only two outright losses during the run came against the red-hot Houston Rockets and the streaking Portland Trail Blazers.  The Jazz are also on a 7-0 ATS run on the road against teams with a winning home record.  And under Quin Snyder, Utah is 22-10 ATS in revenge of a SU loss as home chalk.  Utah lost to Indiana as a 4 1/2 point home favorite in mid-January.  The Jazz didn't have the services of Rudy Gobert for that one and we're talking about 13.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per night and an even better 18 & 12 over his last half-dozen games.  The Jazz are playing much better basketball now and we'll back them here.  We're on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with California on Wednesday.  Cal has covered four of the last five meetings in the Bay Area rivalry and I'm betting they do so again.  We fully understand which of these two teams has been playing the better brand of basketball and Cal HC Wyking Jones certainly hasn't endeared himself to Golden Bear faithful in this his first season.  But Jones couldn't ask for a better set-up than drawing Stanford.  In fact, we could say he gets "just what the doctor ordered," to keep his players not only focused, but with extra motivation.  They'll also bring confidence to the floor having taken Stanford to the wire in both meetings this season, losing by three points on the road (despite making just 10 of 20 FTs), and by four points at home.  Not only has Cal covered four of the last five meetings, but Stanford is 1-7 ATS against teams with a losing SU record and they've dropped four straight neutral site games ATS.  I'm betting Cal keeps this one close.  I'm taking the points with California on Wednesday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Utah State on Wednesday.  Our thoughts on Colorado State's basketball program are well chronicled both on radio and in writing. We've gone against them more than once since the wheels started coming off the Larry Eustachy regime.  Gone for weeks is Eustachy.  The brass tried to make his top assistant the interim coach and he was removed from the job shortly thereafter.  There isn't a lot of coaching going on at this point, both from a preparation standpoint or in-game adjustments.  USU isn't the best team in the MWC, but they're the better team here and actually have shown that they care how they finish the season as evidenced by their 12 point win over UNLV in the regular season finale, while CSU looks like they just want to finish the season.  USU is also in revenge.  The Rams won the January 10 meeting, two games before they packed it in.  Since then, CSU is 1-11 SU (3-8-1 ATS).  They play zero defense and shoot from everywhere on the floor...which isn't a wise idea for a team rannked 312th in FG percentage and 299th in 3-point shooting.  Finally, Utah State normally takes care of business when they're supposed to, currently on a 26-8 ATS run against teams playing less than .400 basketball.  I'm laying the points with Utah State on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with BYU on Tuesday.  The Cougars dismantled a St. Mary's team that was playing for their Big Dance lives.  Tonight, BYU takes on a Gonzaga team that has already sewn up an invitation.  It's not that we think the Bulldogs won't bring it, but even at 24-9, the Cougars most likely need to win this game to receive a bid.  BYU lost by 14 to Gonzaga on February 24. It was close at the half but the Bulldogs couldn't miss, making over 55 percent of their FGA for the night.  But Gonzaga is a tad overvalued tonight, nothing new for Mark Few's team.  They're 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games and just 3-9-1 ATS off a win by more than 20 points. Look for this one to be much closer than the most recent meeting and for BYU to hang the number.  I'm taking the points with BYU.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Orlando Magic on Monday.  Not a lot to say about this one other than the fact Orlando continues to be undervalued on the road and Utah continues to be overvalued in general.  The Magic are playing better basketball right now than they were a few weeks ago, winners of two straight. But they're a profitable 9-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.  Utah is the better team, no doubt about it.  But the Jazz began landing in the win column on a regular basis on January 24 and you're now paying a premium if/when you wish to back them.  The Jazz enter Monday on a 1-6 ATS slide and the lone cover came by just one point.  The Jazz are also 0-5 ATS off a SU win.  This one is all about line value and that key factor lies with Orlando.  We're taking the points with the Magic on Monday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on NC-Wilmington plus the points on Monday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Hofstra on Sunday.  The teams have split the first two meetings with each winning by 20 points, but Hofstra is clearly in better current form having won and covered its last four games.  NC Wilmington won at Drexel on Feb. 24, but the Seahawks have lost six of their last nine games and they are 10-20 on the season and just 10-16 ATS.  Wilmington is 2-15 away from home, including 0-4 on neutral courts. This is the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Association in Charleston, South Carolina and the Seahawks are shooting 38.5 percent overall and 28.4 percent from 3-point range at neutral sites.  That's noteworthy because Hofstra is not a great defensive squad (helped out here), but on offense the Pride is shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from long range.  NC Wilmington is 2-7 ATS its last nine after a win and the Pride has covered four of its last five against teams with losing records. We expect Hofstra to extend the lead in the second half and head onto the next round with a spread-covering win.  I'm laying the points with Hofstra on Sunday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the short points with Wichita State on Sunday.  Big matchup in the AAC today with top seed in the upcoming conference tourney on the line.  The Shockers found out this season things are a lot tougher in the AAC than it was in the MVC.  You don't just show up after a rare loss and gain an automatic win.  The AAC has made them tougher. They've now won seven in a row, including a 76-72 win at Cincy in the first meeting.  Both teams shot well and the game was pretty even, but the Shockers shot a little bit better.  The Bearcats enter on a 4-11 ATS slide on the road against teams playing better than .600 basketball at home.  They've covered just 17 of their last 46 under Cronin in revenge of a home loss.  But most importantly, Wichita State has been on fire on the offensive end over their last several games and even if he plays, Cincy's best player, Jacob Evans is reportedly less than 100 percent healthy with an injured ankle.  I'm backing Wichita State on Sunday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Idaho State on Saturday.  Montana heads into their home finale having already wrapped up the Big Sky regular season title and will now shift their focus on gaining an automatic NCAA Big Dance bid by winning the Big Sky tournament, which begins on Tuesday.  We won't be shocked if the intensity isn't on high for the entire 40 and that should help an already quality shooting Idaho State team.  The Bengals are one of the more accurate teams in college basketball, making 47.6 percent of their shots this season, including a 15th best 40.6 percent from behind the arc.  Their offensive numbers have been even better over the last five games, making more than half their shots, including a blistering 52.7 percent from behind the 3-point line, nailing an average of 13.6 of 25.8 attempts per game.  ISU have won four of their last six games and covered five of seven.  The last win was quite impressive, crushing Montana State 101-78 on the road.  We note that double digit underdogs are on a 24-4 ATS run if they're off a road win by 20 or more and are playing their second road game in three days.  ISU is also on 4-1 ATS run when getting double digits.  We're grabbing the points with Idaho State on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Miami on Saturday.  After a quick start upon Blake Griffin's arrival, the Pistons have fizzled out.  They lost against last night in OT at Orlando.  The Pistons have won just two of their last nine games and they're on a bankroll crushing 4-18 ATS slide, including 1-9 ATS in their last 10.  Griffin's first game with the Pistons was February 1st and Detroit had won their previous three games, went on to win their first four with Griffin and then the wheels came off.  The Pistons have allowed 111 points per game in their last nine contests and they haven't been able to keep up on the offensive end. Miami enters on an 8-4 SU run at home but will look to bounce back from a poor defensive effort last time out, losing 131-113 as a 5 point favorite to the Lakers in Miami (the Heat are 11-2 ATS off a loss as home chalk the last two seasons).  Players and coaches alike were not too happy with their defensive effort.  Goran Dragic spoke about the way the Lakers, "ran us out of the gym." But expect an intense defensive effort here, while Dwyane Wade is on fire on the offensive end of late.  The Heat are on a 5-1-1 ATS run in their last seven games and they're 29-15 ATS the last two seasons in revenge of a same season loss.  We're laying the points with the Miami Heat on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with NC State on Saturday.  Louisville suffered one of the worst last-second collapses in history on Thursday against Virginia and now two days later the Cardinals have to go on the road and play N.C. State, which is 15-3 at home.  Louisville shot only 41.3 percent against the Cavaliers and the Cardinals have just a .431 field goal percentage on the road. N.C. State had a four-game winning streak snapped at Georgia Tech, but the Wolfpack has covered the spread six of its last eight home games.  They're also 28-13 ATS off a conference loss as a favorite. Allerik Freeman leads the Wolfpack with a 15.2 scoring average and Omer Yurtseven contributes 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.  Guard Markell Johnson has a team-leading 175 assists and 40 steals.  The Wolfpack has won its last two home games by an average of 18 points over Boston College and Florida State and we expect another spread covering win in their home finale.  The Pack are 21-10-2 ATS at home against teams with a losing road record   I'm laying the points with NC State on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Irish on Saturday.  Bonzie Colson is back on the floor for Mike Brey and he looked good in 21 minutes of action.  We expect close to normal minutes tonight.  The Irish will face a Virginia team fresh off an incredible comeback at Louisville, overcoming a 10 point deficit with 4:28 to go in the game, making a buzzer beater, and winning by a point.  The come from behind win completed the ACC's first ever 9-0 road season.  Take away a win over hapless Pittsburgh and three of Virginia's last five games have been decided by four points or less with two decided by one point, including a 61-60 loss to Va Tech.  It's not that Tony Bennett's team is slipping, they're not.  It's instead attributed to their style of play, which of course starts on the defensive end. Notre Dame is 12-3 SU when Colson plays and while they're not yet in Big Dance at-large territory yet, you can imagine how big it would be if they could shock the Cavaliers.  That may not happen in an outright manner, but I'm betting they hang the number.  I'm taking the points with Notre Dame on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Toronto on Friday night.  We give the Wizards all the credit in the world for actually advancing their situation since John Wall has been sidelined.  But the schedule has been a tough one and it gets even tougher tonight.  Washington is playing its third game in four nights and their sixth in nine, but it's mainly the level of competition over that time frame that makes this a difficult spot. The Wizards are off a home game with Golden State two nights ago and have also faced hard-charging Charlotte, the 76ers, and the Cavaliers, along with a road game at Milwaukee before the game against the Warriors.  We actually had the Wizards in the win over the Bucks. We have the Raptors power rated as the best team in the east, even ahead of the Cavaliers.  Toronto has covered eight of their last 10 games and they're a momentum team, having covered eight of their last nine on the road after scoring at least 105 points in three straight games.  I'm laying the points with the Raptors on Friday night. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Rhode Island on Friday night.  Rhode Island was embarrassed on Tuesday night losing by 30 points as a 14-point favorite to St. Joseph's as the Rams came out flat after celebrating their first Atlantic 10 title and being honored on Senior Night. Coach Dan Hurley said he'll watch the film of the game with his players, who obviously have learned a valuable lesson and it will show tonight as they play Davidson, which suffered an even worse loss in some ways.  The Wildcats lost in three overtimes at St. Bonaventure, which may be more difficult to recover from than being blown out.  Davidson wasted two great performances by Peyton Aldridge (45 points) and Kellan Grady (39 points) and it will be hard to come close to duplicating those feats tonight.  The Rams have won the last four meetings, including 72-59 on Feb. 9.  Rhode Island is 17-7 ATS its last 24 conference games and the Wildcats are 1-4 ATS their last five after scoring at least 90 points their previous game. I'm taking the points with Rhode Island on Friday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Ohio State on Friday.  I don't often play conference teams in double revenge because in many cases the team that won the two regular season meetings is simply the better squad.  That's not the case in this matchup.  Ohio State is in double revenge and has an opportunity to avenge a pathetic performance in a 79-56 loss at Penn State in the last meeting.  The Buckeyes lost their next game at Michigan, but recovered to blow out Rutgers and then had a confidence-building road win at Indiana with a winning shot in overtime at the buzzer. Meanwhile, Penn State lost its next three games before beating Northwestern in the second round of the Big 10 Conference tournament on Thursday.  Now the Nittany Lions have to play a back-to-back against the Buckeyes, who have had six days off.  Penn State is playing without forward Mike Watkins, who scored a double-double in the blowout win over the Buckeyes, averages 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.  He's also thee defender when it comes to denying teams in the paint.  The Nittany Lions hit 13 3-pointers against Northwestern and figure to cool off for this matchup.  In fact, they were cool from everywhere on the floor with the exception of the 3-point line last night, making just 36 percent of their total shots taken.  We believe the Buckeyes will gain a measure of revenge and we'll back them here.  Ohio State minus the points on Friday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Bradley on Friday afternoon.  Bradley lost a close one to Indiana State in the regular season finale, but I like them to bounce back here.  The Braves had a tough night from behind the arc making just 4 of 13 attempts, while ISU canned 8 treys, despite being held to 32 percent from area code 3.  Drake lost their last two games, shooting poorly in both while getting crushed on the glass.  They almost got lucky with the possibility of facing BU without Darrell Brown (ankle) on the court.  But Bradley's best player has been give the A-OK to suit-up and play his normal minutes in this one. The record says Drake ended one game in front of Bradley in conference play, but statistically speaking the Braves were the better team when it comes to the defensive end and rebounding, and we don't like the fact Drake has allowed conference opponents over 15 assists per game, while forcing less than 12 turnovers.  Bradley has covered six of the last eight meetings and they're on a 5-1 ATS run against teams with a winning record.  Bradley is on a 13-5 ATS run as a favorite, while Drake has covered just six of their last 25 off two straight conference losses.  I'm backing Bradley on Friday afternoon.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Washington on Thursday night.  The season's almost over and Oregon State still hasn't won a true road game and Washington is going for its 20th win and in revenge after an overtime loss to the Beavers in the first meeting.  The Huskies are 7-1 ATS the last eight meetings and have won two of their last three, including Saturday's 68-51 victory at California as a three-point favorite.  Jaylen Nowell led the Huskies with 23 points and Noah Dickerson added 16 points and nine rebounds against the Golden Bears, who were held to 34.6 percent shooting.  Oregon State is 2-8 ATS its last eight games and 0-5 ATS its last five road games.  Washington is 7-3-1 ATS its last 11 games and has covered four of its last five home contests.  The Beavers are shooting 43.8 percent on the road and only 32.2 percent from 3-point range.  Washington shoots 47.6 percent at home overall and 38.1 percent from long range.  Add it up, along with an undervalued home fave and we have a play on Washington minus the points.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Virginia on Thursday.  Virginia will be the first team in ACC history to go 9-0 in the conference on the road with a win at Louisville and the Cavaliers have won the last five meetings (4-0-1 ATS), including 74-64 at home on Jan. 31.  The Cardinals are one of the few teams that had some success offensively against Virginia as they shot 50 percent from the field for the game and 60 percent in the second half with eight 3-pointers. They still lost by 10 though and the chances of the Cardinals doing that again against the best defense in the country are slim.  The Cavaliers allow only 52.1 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting and they are 18-6-1 ATS overall this season and 20-8 ATS their last 28 road games dating to last season.  Also, Virginia is 7-1-1 ATS its last nine against teams with winning records while Louisville is 1-4-1 ATS its last six games versus winning teams. I'm laying the points with Virginia on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Houston Cougars on Wednesday night.  Houston is 14-9-1 ATS and shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range and the Cougars come off a 109-58 rout of East Carolina when they made 42 of 63 shots.  In contrast, SMU has averaged 62.0 points while shooting 37.8 percent its last five games and the Mustangs have lost six of their last seven games and their last two wins were against hapless East Carolina.  SMU's leading scorer, Shake Milton, is out indefinitely with a hand injury and they earlier lost third-leading scorer, Jarrey Foster, to a knee injury.  Houston is the only team in the country with two players in the top-20 in 3-point shooting percentage in Corey Davis Jr. and Armoni Brooks.  The Cougars defense is underrated as they allow only a .394 field goal percentage and just .329 from 3-point range. Houston is 5-1-1 ATS its last seven games and the Mustangs are 1-6-1 ATS after a cover.  I'm laying the points with Houston on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on Georgia minus a point.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kentucky on Wednesday night.  Kentucky appeared to be one of the most underachieving teams in the country, but the Wildcats seem to finally have turned the corner with three straight wins and covers, including an impressive 87-72 road victory against  Arkansas.  This normally would be Senior Night, but Kentucky has no seniors so we don't have to worry about a Senior Night letdown. The Wildcats shot 54.9 percent and held Missouri to 36.2 percent on Saturday with Kevin Knox scoring a team-leading 21 points and Jarred Vanderbilt added 11 points and 15 rebounds.  Mississippi has lost eight of its last nine games (1-8 ATS) and coach Andy Kennedy resigned effective immediately on Feb. 19 and assistant Tony Madlock is filling in. The Rebels are 1-4 ATS their last five road games and have seemingly packed it in for the season.  Kentucky has taken care of business of also-rans rather than taking the night off and cruising which shows in their 11-5 ATS run at home against teams playing less than .400 basketball on the road.  We'll back Kentucky minus the points as they extend their run to 6-1 ATS the last seven meetings.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on Illinois minus a point.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Baylor Bears on Tuesday.  Oklahoma is 9-18 ATS and has won only two of eight road games and Baylor is in revenge after losing 98-96 in the first meeting this season. The Sooners snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over Kansas State with Trae Young scoring 28 points, but he managed only 11 points in the previous loss at Kansas and the Sooners can't depend on him to carry them.  Baylor had won five straight before losing to West Virginia and at TCU, but the Bears have a big edge defensively in this matchup allowing only 69.0 points per game compared to 82.6 for Oklahoma, which allows 39.6 percent shooting from 3-point range on the road.  Baylor has covered six of its last eight games and the Sooners are 1-8 ATS their last nine games overall and 0-8 ATS their last eight road contests.  I'm laying the points with Baylor on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.  The Bucks are 10-4 SU since firing Jason Kidd, but they're just 7-7 ATS. Milwaukee has played a lot of bad teams along the way.  In fact, eight of their 10 wins came against teams outside the playoff standings...way outside.  The Bucks beat the five worst teams in the East, including the Knicks and Nets twice each, and beat the Phoenix Suns, the worst team in the West.  Milwaukee has played a poor brand of defense in their last three games and will face a Washington team on a 9-3 SU run and ranked 9th in offensive efficiency. The Wizards are on a 6-1 ATS run on the road and I'm betting they even the season series at two games apiece.  I'm grabbing the points with the Wizards on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Mississippi State on Tuesday night.  Mississippi State is 18-1 at home and has covered the spread eight of its last nine games overall.  It took awhile but Ben Howland has rebuilt this program into one of the top teams in the SEC and the Bulldogs are led by Quinndary Weatherspoon, who averages 14.7 points and six rebounds per game. The Bulldogs have won three in a row, including Saturday's 72-68 overtime win against South Carolina.  Lamar Peters led MSU with 19 points and Weatherspoon added 13 points with seven rebounds. Mississippi State holds opponents to a .401 field goal percentage at home, which is typical for a Howland-coached team, but the Bulldogs also average 74.6 points overall while shooting at a .469 clip.  Tennessee has had a couple ugly losses on the road recently, including a 73-62 loss at Georgia and a 28-point loss at Alabama.  We expect another one here.  Finally, MSU is 6-0 ATS when facing teams playing better than .600 basketball on the season.  I'm backing Mississippi State on Tuesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with West Virginia on Monday night.  Texas Tech is all but out of the race for the Big-12 regular season title after losing to Kansas on Saturday.  In fact, KU can wrap-up yet another Big-12 title tonight with a win over Texas.  Tech trailed by as many as 8 points in the second half on Saturday, but rallied back to tie the game with 1:40 to go before the Jayhawks wrapped it up.  The Red Raiders put everything into winning that game, which would have meant tying the Jayhawks in the conference standings and owning the tiebreaker with what would have been a season sweep.  Instead, they suffered their third straight loss.  West Virginia had a tough stretch to close January, but have won five of their last seven.  The Mountaineers are in revenge for a one-point loss to Tech in Lubbock, a night when they were outscored by 10 at the FT line, easily the difference in the game's outcome.  Tech also nailed 50 percent of their shots that night, but only won 72-71.  I expect the key categories to fall in WVU's favor tonight.  They nail half their shots at home, while Tech makes just 43 percent of their shots on the road and WVU owns a big average advantage at the charity stripe, also.  Texas Tech has dropped five in a row ATS off a SU loss and they're 4-9 ATS in their last 13 Big-12 games.  Meanwhile, WVU enters on an 8-2 ATS run off a spread loss and they're 33-15 ATS (outscoring opponents by 20 ppg) at home off a double digit home win.  I'm laying the points with West Virginia on Monday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on NJIT minus the points on Monday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Nebraska on Sunday.  The Cornhuskers need a win to secure the 4th place spot in the Big-10 and a double-bye in the upcoming conference tourney. Doing so would also go a long way in securing an at-large Big Dance bid. Michigan won on Saturday to lead the Huskers by half a game for the 4-seed, but Nebraska owns the tiebreaker since they beat the Wolverines earlier this season.  Nebraska lost at Penn State 76-74 in OT in January and outside of rebounding the game was as close as the final score would indicate.  But since that game Nebraska has won 9 of 11 with the only losses coming on the road at Illinois and Ohio State.  Nebraska is 14-1 SU at home this season with the lone loss coming by a point to Kansas. The Huskers have held their guests to 41.2 percent shooting, including allowing just 5.7 made 3-pointers per game, an important note with Penn State averaging roughly 20 3-point attempts per road game.  Another important factor could rear its head at the free throw line where Nebraska averages 26.2 attempts per home game, while the Nittany Lions average less than 14 free throw attempts on the road.  Nebraska has covered 10 of their last 11 home games and they're 14-2 ATS in their last 16 conference games.  Penn State won't have the services of Mike Watkins who is out due to a knee injury he suffered earlier this week.  Watkins averages 8.9 rebounds per game and 12.7 points. Nebraska had no answer for Watkins in the January meeting and the 6'9, 255-lb forward scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.  Look for the Huskers to make it 15-1 SU at home and extend their run to 5-1 ATS when facing Penn State.  I'm backing Nebraska on Sunday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with The Citadel on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Furman on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Oregon on Saturday night.  Arizona HC Sean Miller has gone from Final Four contender to a likely spot in the unemployment line in a matter of months.  The Wildcats are a mess off the court.  Allonzo Trier was suspended on Thursday and won't likely be reinstated for Saturday's game.  Even worse is the situation with Miller who is now in the hottest of waters and DeAndre Ayton, who might be forced to miss this game, also. Whether or not Arizona is short-handed, the in-season distractions are virtually unparalleled. We had Oregon and cashed the ticket in their most recent game on Thursday.  The Ducks are 14-3 at home, where they're holding opponents to 39 percent shooting, while making 50 percent of their own shots. The Ducks have 18 wins on the season and have three more chances to reach 20 and this is the home finale.  Arizona escaped Corvallis with an OT win over Oregon State on Thursday, but I'm betting the Oregon trip doesn't end well.  Arizona is 4-14 ATS in their last 18 against teams with a winning record.  Meanwhile, the Ducks are on a 4-0 ATS run at home and they've covered four of the last five meetings.  They're also 8-1 ATS in revenge if their opponent scored at least 75 points. Oregon outscored those teams by an average margin of 10 points per game. I'm laying the points with Oregon on Saturday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Elon on Saturday night.  The Colonial Conference rewards the top six teams in the standings with a bye in round one of the postseason tournament.  It's obviously an important advantage to a possible deep conference tourney run and Elon is looking to stay in the sixth spot, leading two teams by half a game. There's no denying the Phoenix have struggled, but while they have the bye to play for, Northeastern has nowhere to go, locked into their position.  The Huskies have won six in a row to get to 20 wins on the season, but have covered just one of their last eight games overall, and have dropped seven in a row ATS as chalk.  They're once again overvalued in our opinion and with nothing to play for we expect the upset to take place.  Elon shot over 50 percent in this season's first meeting, but lost by 12 due to 19 turnovers. We expect the Phoenix to take care of "the rock" in the rematch at home where they average 17.7 assists per game and just 10.4 turnovers, for a spectacular 1.7 ratio.  And finally, under HC Matt Matheny, the Phoenix are 16-7 ATS at home in revenge of a double digit loss. I'm taking the points with Elon on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

Late release on Texas Tech minus the short number.  No analysis provided on Late Release plays. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Bradley on Saturday.  Bradley is 23-4-2 ATS its last 29 home games, including 10-1-2 this season, and going after its first 20-win season since 2006-07.  The Braves have the best home-court field goal percentage defense in the country and fifth-best in scoring defense.  Bradley won the first meeting 81-73 on the road and it comes off an 82-78 win at Missouri State on Wednesday.  Nate Kennell led five players in double figures with 20 points and the Braves won it at the free throw line making 25 of 31.  Indiana State managed a win at home over Evansville, but it still has lost seven of its last nine games. The Sycamores are 0-7 ATS their last seven games against teams with winning records and 0-5 ATS their last five overall. The Braves have covered eight of their last 11 games versus teams with losing records.  I'm laying the points with Bradley in their home finale.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Virginia Tech on Saturday.  Louisville is just 3-6 on the road and appears to be a worse team than the version that won the first meeting on Jan. 13.  The Cardinals have lost five of their last seven games overall, including a blowout loss at Duke on Wednesday while shooting only 35.9 percent from the field.  That followed a 93-76 loss at home to North Carolina and now the Cardinals have to face Virginia Tech, which shoots 52.7 percent at home.  The Hokies come off a win and cover over Clemson and what made it impressive is they had a terrible 20 of 58 shooting night and still managed to pull out the victory while holding the Tigers to 38.6 percent.  Virginia Tech figures not to have a second straight off-shooting game and it is 27-11-1 ATS its last 39 home contests.  The Hokies have covered four of their last five overall and are 15-7 ATS their last 22 following a win.  I'm laying the points with Virginia Tech on Saturday. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.  Game two post-break for the Cavs who played their worst game since the trades in last night's loss to the Wizards.  Playing the second of back-to-back nights should be no big deal after the time off. Memphis will make their first post all-star appearance after winning just 18 of their first 56 games.  Teams without much to play for tend to struggle out of the blocks on the defensive end when the season resumes -- and we're talking about a Memphis team that was in the bottom-third in the league in defensive efficiency heading into the break, while ranking 27th on offense.  Memphis has lost seven in a row SU, losing the last five by an average margin of 14 points per game.  They're 1-9-1 ATS against teams playing better than .600 basketball.  The Cavs won the earlier matchup in December and Memphis has covered just 13 of their last 40 in revenge of a loss when the opponent scored at least 110 points.  More importantly, we expect the new-look Cavs to end the losing streak at one.  We'll back Cleveland to cover for the 9th time in their last 12  trips to Memphis. The Cavaliers minus the points on Friday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.  Detroit is 5-3 SU since Blake Griffin donned a Pistons uniform and now they've had a little more time to get everyone on the same page, holding live practices both Wednesday and Thursday.  I expect a strong effort tonight against a Celtics' squad that has had serious issues on the offensive end where they rank 21st in offensive efficiency.  Boston lost their final three games before the break both SU & ATS and it was on the defensive end, (their strength), where the Celtics struggled.  In fact, Boston has watched their last five opponents nail 47.4 percent of their FGA, including 43.3 percent of their 3-pointers, while averaging over 112 points per game.  The Pistons are on a 10-1 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball.  We expect the Pistons to capture their first game out of the break.  I'm backing Detroit on Friday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Princeton Tigers on Friday night.  Princeton stood 3-1 in league play and 11-8 overall following their 76-73 win over Yale on February 2. Over the course of the last 21 days, the Tigers have dropped six in a row SU & ATS.  However, the Tigers couldn't be catching the Crimson at a more opportune time.  Harvard is 9-1 in league play and have a date for first place with Penn on Saturday.  They've won five in a row, but the last four all came in Boston (more on that in a bit).  They'll face a hungry Princeton squad with a chance to play spoiler in their own gym.  The Tigers average five more made FGs per game at home than Harvard does on the road and the FGs allowed in this spot are almost equal.  Harvard attempts 44.4 percent of their overall shot total on the road from behind the 3-point line, yet make just 31 percent of those shots. In fact, the Crimson may be 9-1 SU in the Ivy League, but they're one of the worst shooting teams in America. Harvard enters on a 2-11 ATS slide on the road as a PK or a dog of 3 or less and they're 2-10 ATS in their first game on the road after playing at least three straight at home.  Princeton had won the previous two meetings before losing earlier this season but we expect the Tigers to gain a measure of revenge. I'm backing Princeton on Friday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Oregon on Thursday night.  Arizona State has tapered off after a strong start to the season and is 3-10-2 ATS its last 15 conference games.  Oregon won the first meeting on the road 76-72 on Jan. 11 and the Ducks have won the last seven times the teams have met.  The Sun Devils lost at home to Arizona last Thursday while shooting only 42.4 percent and just 7 of 25 from 3-point range.  Also, the Sun Devils shot only 12 free throws compared to 27 for Arizona even though it was a home game for them.  Oregon suffered two tough road losses to USC and UCLA, but the Ducks are 13-3 at home and laying a small number in this matchup.  The Ducks hold opponents to a .418 field goal percentage overall and just .393 at home where they are shooting 49.8 percent on offense.  Arizona State is 1-4-2 ATS its last seven road games and the Ducks have covered four of their last five after an ATS loss.  I'm laying the points with Oregon on Thursday night.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the 76ers on Thursday night.  Mark Cuban revealed what we all assumed about many teams over the last several years when he admitted that he told a few of his players that tanking would be best for the team (paraphrasing).  Chicago Bulls' brass may not be quite so candid, but their actions spoke volumes when they moved Nikola Mirotic while getting virtually nothing in return.  The Bulls were a different team when Mirotic was on the floor this season.  But he's gone and Chicago went into the break on a 2-9 SU & 1-9 ATS slide, allowing 108 or more points in eight of 11 games. Philadelphia got hot before the break and while a few days off can sometimes cause a break in momentum, we don't feel it'll be the case by the time this one is all said and done.  Philly covered five of the last six following a rest of at least three days and they're 16-6 ATS as a favorite of 3 1/2 to 9 points, outscoring their opponents by an average of 113-101.  The Sixers won the most recent meeting by 14 and that was with Mirotic on the Bulls' roster.  I expect another spread covering win tonight. I'm laying the points with the 76ers on Thursday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Virginia Tech on Wednesday.  Virginia Tech is seeking its 20th win and is 14-9 ATS on the season and comes off a 20-point win at Georgia Tech.  The Hokies have won six of their last eight games and one of the losses was to Duke in a letdown situation after beating Virginia in overtime.  The Hokies are shooting 51.1 percent from the field overall and 53.9 percent at home.  Also, Clemson's 3-point defense on the road is not good as it allows 41.7 percent from long range. The Tigers have lost two in a row, including 66-57 at home to Duke on Sunday when they made just 21 of 61 shots and failed down the stretch.  I believe the way they lost causes a bit of a hangover in this one.  Virginia Tech shot 52.8 percent against Georgia Tech, which was held to 36.4 percent and 4 of 25 from 3-point range.  Justin Robinson leads a balanced attack with 13.7 points per game, followed by Justin Bibbs (13.5 ppg) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (12.7 ppg).  Clemson is 2-6-1 ATS the last nine meetings and 2-5 ATS its last seven road games.  Virginia Tech is 26-11-1 ATS its last 38 home games.  I'm laying the points with Va Tech on Wednesday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Arkansas on Tuesday, our Hammer release.  Kentucky is one of the most underachieving teams in recent memory and the Wildcats are 11-16 ATS this season and have lost four of their last five games.  Also, the Wildcats are 1-5 ATS their last six games overall and have lost their last three road games by an average of 9.3 points.  Arkansas has won four in a row, including 94-75 over Texas A&M on Saturday as a 3-point favorite and the Razorbacks are 14-1 at home.  Jaylen Barford scored a team-leading 21 points against the Aggies and Daryl Macon added 20 points as the Razorbacks shot 49.3 percent from the field and held A&M to 4 of 17 from 3-point range.  Arkansas is shooting 50 percent at home while holding opponents to 41.6 percent. Kentucky is 1-5 ATS its last six games following an ATS win and Arkansas is 7-2 ATS its last nine after a cover.  I'm laying the points with Arkansas, our Top Hammer.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Valparaiso on Tuesday night.  Northern Iowa still hasn't won a true road game in nine tries even against some weak competition and the Panthers are 7-15-2 ATS overall this season.  Valparaiso looks to avenge a road loss to Northern Iowa in the first meeting and the Crusaders are 8-3 at home.  Valpo won a revenge match with Bradley on Saturday using a late run to win 77-64 as a two-point favorite. Bradley was held to 37.5 percent from the field while the Crusaders shot a blistering 57.5 percent led by Markus Golder with 16 points and seven rebounds.  Northern Iowa is shooting only 38.6 percent on the road and has only one player, Bennett Koch, averaging double figures.  The Panthers are 4-17-1 ATS their last 22 road games and 4-15-2 ATS their last 21 conference games. Valpo is 4-1-1 ATS its last six games. I'm laying the points with Valpo, our Revenge Wipeout.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Wisconsin on Monday.  Minnesota's third leading scorer, Amir Coffey, is out for the season and it's just the latest blow in a disastrous season as the Golden Gophers are 10-17 ATS and have lost eight games in a row, including by 30 points at home to Michigan State on Tuesday.  That followed a 24-point loss at Indiana and the Gophers have lost their last seven meetings with Wisconsin.  The Badgers have won two of their last three games, including 57-53 over Purdue on Thursday as a 10.5-point underdog.  They did it with defense as the Boilermakers were held to 39.6 percent shooting.  Ethan Happ led Wisconsin with 21 points and 12 rebounds and Brad Davison added 16 points. Minnesota is 5-16 ATS its last 21 games overall and 2-6 ATS its last eight road games. The Gophers haven't beaten Wisconsin on the road since 2009, including a 66-49 loss on this court last March.  I'm laying the points with Wisconsin on Monday.  Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Cincinnati on Sunday.  The Bearcats were knocked off at Houston last time out and I like the reaction of HC Mick Cronin who said his team wasn't tough enough.  I highly doubt we'll see the Bearcats get pushed around a second game in a row since they own both the physical style of play and better quickness than their opponent in this one.  Cincy enters on a 9-1 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball and they've covered five in a row off a spread loss.  Wichita State has found that the AAC is a big step-up from their old stomping grounds in the MVC and they're lack of quickness should cost them here.  I'm backing Cincy minus the points on Sunday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Temple Owls on Sunday. Houston won its biggest game of the season 67-62 over Cincinnati on Thursday, which puts the Cougars in a classic letdown situation going on the road against Temple, which has won five of its last six games.  The Owls nearly won at Houston in the first meeting and they are much improved since as they responded to a humiliating loss at Cincinnati on Jan. 24 by by covering the spread their next six games.  Temple is shooting much better than earlier in the season with a .473 field goal percentage its last six games.  Quinton Rose leads the Owls with a 14.9 scoring average and Shizz Alston Jr. adds 13.5 points per game while Obi Enechionyia averages 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. Temple is 4-1 ATS its last five games against teams with .600 or better winning percentages, including a home win over Wichita State. The Cougars are 1-4 ATS their last five road contests.  We're backing Temple our Daytime Dominator.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Oregon State on Saturday night.  You could argue Beavers are playing the better overall basketball over the last five games, including making 49.8 percent of their FGA, and we're getting a decent amount of points.  USC won the first meeting 74-67.  Oregon State crushed the Trojans on the glass but weak shooting did the Beavers in.  USC narrowly escaped Oregon with a 72-70 win last time out - a close affair despite the fact USC made 52 percent of their shots.  They're in a tough spot tonight having lost Bennie Boatwright for the season to a knee injury.  Boatwright was USC's second leading scorer and rebounder and his absence negatively affects leading scorer and fellow forward Chimezie Metu, who is forced to take on more of a burden against opposing "bigs."  We expect Oregon State to take full advantage.  The underdog in the series is on a 9-4-1 ATS run and we'll back the undervalued underdog.  I'm taking the points with Oregon State on Saturday night.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer

I'm taking the points with NC-Wilmington on Saturday, our Shocker.  UNCW doesn't own a shiny record, just 9-18 SU on the season, while Charleston is 21-6 SU.  But the Cougars record catches up with them when taking on teams with losing records and they've covered just one of their last seven in this situation, including 0-5 ATS against teams winning less than 40 percent of their games.  We feel they're overvalued on the road again.  The Seahawks have won four of their last eight games outright, while covering four in a row.  UNCW lost the first meeting this season, but only by an 80-76 final score.  After a bad first half the Seahawks put the pressure on and fought back well, falling just short. They had little trouble on the offensive end after halftime adjustments were made and owned the glass finishing with a 35-27 advantage.  UNCW has four players averaging from 17.4 to 11.5 point per game.  Jordan Talley will be the best "disher" on the floor and the Seahawks will have confidence after the way they took care of business over the final 20 minutes in the earlier meeting.  We expect them to own the glass again and cover for the 11th time in the last 13 meetings.  I'm taking the points with UNC-Wilmington on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm playing 570 Xavier; 614 NC Wilmington; and 668 North Dakota State.

I'm backing Xavier on Saturday. Villanova crushed the Musketeers in the season's first meeting, but there was no doubt who was playing the best college basketball in the country at the time and that was the Wildcats.  Meanwhile, Xavier was winning games, but they were squeaking by with close wins over East Tennessee State, Marshall, Marquette, and DePaul in the mix.  Xavier was expected to be a "player" before the season began and they've arrived, especially on the offensive end where they've averaged 88.2 points per game in their last five, making virtually half their shots.  But I expect this one to be decided on the defensive end where Xavier has held their guests to 40 percent FG shooting, including 31.3 percent from behind the 3-point line, which is an important note because over half of Villanova's shots taken on the road come from beyond the arc.  The Muskies get to the FT line 27 times per game at home, driving and drawing fouls, to just 15 FTA per game for Villanova in road games.  Villanova is still without the services of Phil Booth (hand) and he was a big thorn in the side of Xavier in the first meeting, scoring 21 points on 8 of 11 shooting, including making 5 of 8 3-point attempts.  The 'Cats have played two road games since losing Booth and they've made just 11 of 44, 25 percent of their 3-pointers.  They also totaled just 17 assists with 39 turnovers.  Xavier enters on a 26-9 ATS run in their last 35 games.  They're 6-1 ATS in their last seven Big East games, and on a 4-0 ATS run at home against teams with winning records.  I'm backing Xavier on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with North Dakota State on Saturday, our Revenge Wipeout. Last home game of the season for the Bison and we expect a quality home finale while they exact some revenge. The chalk has covered five of the last six in the series, including by a point in IPFW's 92-88 win earlier this season. NDSU led 51-40 at the half but couldn't overcome a minus-12 made free throw disadvantage.  The Mastodons were afforded 26 free throw attempts to 16 for the Bison.  Also, IPFW made 55.8 percent of their FGA, yet again, had to claw from behind to win by four on their home floor.  We expect different results with IPFW making just 41.1 percent of their FGA on the road, while allowing their hosts to nail 47.7 percent.  The Mastodons have allowed their last five opponents to make half their shots and they've covered just five of their last 23 road games.  NDSU has shot well most of the season and we expect a quality performance here.  I'm laying the points with North Dakota State on Saturday.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.