I'm laying the points with Oklahoma on Saturday. The Sooners looked well on their way to an easy cover in last year's November meeting in Omaha. OU jumped out to a 35-24 halftime lead and looked to be an undervalued 4-point favorite. In fact, Lon Kruger's troops led by as much as 18 points in the second half, but then the collapse happened. OU fell asleep at the wheel and the Blue Jays got hot from the deep perimeter, closing the contest on a 42-21 run, winning the game 65-63. OU is undefeated this season and they get the Jays in Norman. Creighton is 0-2 SU/ATS in true road games this season, including an 86-65 loss at Indiana. The Jays, who count so heavily on perimeter shooting, have made just 9 of 38 3-pointers and just 17 of 32 FTA on the road. We know what OU can do when they get rolling and stay focused, having beaten Wisconsin 65-48 and Villanova 78-55. And after what happened in Omaha last year, I fully expect Oklahoma to stay focused throughout. The Sooners enter on a 5-0 ATS run and we'll back them here. I'm laying the points with Oklahoma, my Tapout release on Saturday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Friday night. The last time the Spurs faced the Clippers, L.A. was putting the finishing touches on a best-of-seven series with a 111-109 win in Los Angeles. It was an unbelievable shooting night for the Clips and they garnered the win. LAC has found success of late on this floor, but this Spurs' team might be Coach Pop's best yet and so far, they're taking no prisoners, not taking nights off. SAS is 22-5 SU and 18-9 ATS. The Spurs are a perfect 14-0 SU at home this season, winning by an average margin of nearly 17 ppg, while covering 10 times. San Antone has been a home favorite of eight or less just two times this season and covered both. The Clippers have not shot well from the deep perimeter and have not hit the glass too well so far this season and they're not likely to find the sweet elixir in this one with the way the Spurs' play defense and hit the boards. LAC has played better of late, but they're 0-7 ATS off a cover, while the Spurs enter on a 4-0 ATS run. I'm laying the points with San Antonio, my NBA Friday Night Slam Dunk. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. These teams met on this floor in late November and it was a virtual wire-to-wire blowout win by the Utah Jazz. Despite getting outscored 24-16 at the FT line, Utah won the contest 101-87, which included a 49-35 advantage on the glass. The Jazz will look to right the ship over the next few games against beatable opposition, including tonight. Utah lost back-to-back games to OKC, including an OT loss on December 13. The Jazz were gassed the following night and got crushed 118-81 by San Antonio. But they've now had a couple of days to stew about that one and they'll take on a New Orleans' team that's 1-12 SU on the road. The struggling Pelicans are just 6-18 SU, overall, and Utah is on a 5-0-1 ATS run against teams playing less than .400 basketball. They're also 6-1-2 ATS in their last nine against the Pelicans. The Jazz are outstanding from the deep perimeter and should shine tonight facing a team that allows over 108 ppg, while ranked 27th & 29th in FG percentage defense and 3-point defense. Utah gets back in the win column. I'm laying the points with the Utah Jazz, my Wednesday night SLAM DUNK! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Monmouth on Tuesday night, the third time I've been involved in Monmouth games this season (2-0 ATS). The Hawks have certainly faced a tough and difficult slate so far in 2015-16, having already played UCLA, USC (twice), Dayton, and Notre Dame. And the thing is, Monmouth went 3-2 in those five games, including wins over UCLA, USC (split), and Notre Dame. The Hawks' two losses came by three points to Dayton and by 11 to USC. However, it should be noted that in the 101-90 loss to the Trojans, the Hawks led midway through the second half and trailed by only two points with just over three minutes to go in the game. Monmouth employs five guards as the leaders on this team and Justin Johnson is the go-to-guy on the offensive end. Johnson averaged 26.3 ppg and 4 rpg in the five step-up games mentioned above. He made 29 of 58, or 50% of his FGA, including 14 of 24, 58% of his 3-point attempts. The Hawks aren't a one-man team, though. Micah Seaborn averages 15 ppg on 50% shooting and Deon Jones is a beast on the glass. Georgetown is tonight's opponent and while the Hoyas are right there in the same class as UCLA & Notre Dame, they have lost three games this season, including one to Radford. Georgetown was 1-3 SU before their current win streak against UNCW, Brown, Syracuse, Maryland-Eatern Shore, and Bryant. I'd back Monmouth over that list. The MAAC entry is on a 4-0 ATS non-conference run and they're 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games. Meanwhile, the Hoyas are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 off a SU win. I'm grabbing the points with Monmouth, my Tuesday DogPound release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sunday. Shavon Shields lit-up Rhode Island for 25 points and 9 rebounds in last year's meeting, but UNL lost 66-62 in OT in Kingston, RI. Former Husker star Terran Petteway had a horrible night, making just 5 of 18 shots, including 1 of 7 treys. But Petteway is gone, Nebraska is one of the youngest teams in the nation, and yet the Huskers are a more cohesive unit with Shields and Kansas transfer Austin White-III (17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) leading the way. Nebraska is just 6-4 SU, but the losses came to Creighton, Miami, Cincinnati, and Villanova. Those four teams own a combined record of 30-7, and two of the losses (Cincy & Miami) were just a couple of plays from landing in the win column. No E.C. Matthews (knee - out for the season) to carry the Rams to a win like he did in last year's meeting, and this is URI's first true road game of the season. The Rams won last time out, but they're on a 0-6 ATS slide off a SU win, while Nebraska is on a 27-13-1 ATS run at home. I'm backing Nebraska, my Wipeout release on Sunday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon.  The Nets have won their last two games and four of six, while covering 12 of their last 15 games.  The Clips are playing their fourth road game of a five game road trip and are off a loss to Chicago last time out.  LA allows 101 ppg and will have to be on their defensive game against a Nets' squad that ranks 10th in two-point FG accuracy.  The Clippers are actually just 4-5 SU on the road this season and Brooklyn, besides their 12-3 ATS overall run, are on a 6-2-1 ATS run at home against teams with a losing record and they're on a 14-1 ATS run against the Clippers.  I'm grabbing the points with the Brooklyn Nets, my Saturday Slam Dunk.  Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Penn State on Saturday. This number would be just about right if all hands were on deck for UL-Monroe, but that's not the case. Majok Deng is expected to miss his second straight game, while recovering from a leg injury. Deng miss the last contest, an 11-point loss at Kent State. The Warhawks were "game" for the first half of action, but without their only go-to-guy sidelined, they were unable to hang in the second half. Deng (18.3 ppg; 7.3 rpg) is the only player averaging over 10.4 ppg for the Warhawks and he's the team's leading rebounder. He'll be sorely missed against a Penn State team off of their best performance of the season and playing in their old gym where the joint will be jumping. ULM is on a 0-4 ATS slide on the road, while Penn State enters on a 10-3 ATS run off a SU win. Without Deng to get in the way, I expect PSU to roll for the second straight outing. I'm laying the points with Penn State, my Afternoon Annihilator. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kentucky on Wednesday night.  John Calipari has reportedly put the Wildcats through the ringer off the loss to UCLA.  You'll remember the way he scolded his team's performance following the 87-77 loss, questioning their toughness and fortitude.  I would suspect the 'Cats will be looking to take out almost a week of rigorous practice on Eastern Kentucky tonight.  The Ohio Valley entry is in the wrong place at the wrong time and obviously, like all but about 10 teams in the nation, don't match-up well with Kentucky.  EKU enters on a 0-6 ATS slide against teams with a winning record.  Kentucky won the last meeting, 82-49 as a 25.5-point favorite.  More of the same tonight.  I'm laying the points with the Kentucky Wildcats, my Main Event. Thanks & GL!  Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Cleveland may not be at full strength yet and LeBron sitting out in their most recent game against Miami had them completely out-manned, but James will be in the lineup on Tuesday and he'll be looking to end a 3-game losing streak. The Cavs will face a Portland team playing their third road game in four nights and second in back-to-back nights after playing in and losing to Milwaukee on Monday. Portland has covered just one of their last six when playing without rest and they're 5-16-1 ATS on the road against teams with a winning home record. No, Cleveland hasn't been a money-maker in 2015-16, but I expect a supreme effort tonight looking to snap the skid. I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers my Slam Dunk on Tuesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Chicago Bulls. I don't have a problem backing teams playing in the second of back-to-back nights if the side fits. But in the case of the Phoenix Suns, not only will they be playing without rest after losing in Memphis yesterday, but this will mark their sixth road game in nine days. They're 1-4 SU through the first five and just 2-8 on the road this season. Phoenix already doesn't matchup well with the Bulls and the lack of rest is likely to catch up to them over the final quarter or so. Chicago beat the Suns 103-97 in Phoenix earlier this season, without Derrick Rose and despite turning the ball over 19 times. Chicago and their outstanding play on the defensive end will look to bounce back from just their second home loss this season. The Bulls bounced back from their first with a 23-point win next time out on November 9. I expect another wide margin win tonight. Chicago is 4-0 ATS off a SU loss, overall, while the Suns are on a 1-6 ATS slide against the Eastern Conference. I'm laying the points with the Bulls, my Monday night Mismatch. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Butler on Wednesday. We have a couple of teams with serious offensive numbers through the first few weeks of the season. But we have seen Cincy's wins get a little closer once the level of competition stepped up. The Bearcats are 7-0 SU, beating up on creampuffs early on, but their last two games have gone to the wire in five point wins over George Washington and Nebraska, failing to cover both games. Butler will be Cincy's toughest test to date. The Bulldogs average 95 ppg on better than 52% shooting and they also clamp down on the defensive end. Six players are averaging between 21.2 ppg and 10 ppg and Roosevelt Jones & Tyler Lewis have combined to dish out 46 assists in five games with just 15 turnovers. The Bearcats have not fared well against Big East squads, covering just five of their last 21. They're also 5-16 ATS in their last 21 home games when laying 3 1/2 to 6 points. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have covered four of their last five on the road. Step up time for both teams and a definite resume builder. We'll grab the points with the dog, the Butler Bulldogs, my DogPound release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Orlando rides into Minneapolis with a three game SU/ATS win streak in tow, facing a Minnesota team, that outside of two games, has struggled in front of the home folks. The T-Wolves had their three-game win streak snapped at the LA Clippers last time out and enter tonight's game just 2-6 SU at home this season and 2-14 ATS in their last 16 at home, overall. The Magic received good news late Monday night when Evan Fournier was upgraded to probable for Tuesday's tilt. Fournier leads the team in scoring, but even if he sits out for big chunks of game time, we like the Magic to circle the wagons and gain the victory. Orlando has played well since taking Victor Oladipo out of the starting lineup and bringing him off the bench. Both team and player have reacted well to the change. Orlando enters on a 9-3 ATS run off a SU win and they're on a 7-1 ATS run in Minnesota. I'm betting they make it 2-0 SU against the T-Wolves this season. I'm backing the Orlando Magic, my Tuesday Shocker. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. The Bucks hung around yesterday afternoon, eventually covering by a bucket in an 87-82 loss to Charlotte. Tonight, the Bucks are back home facing a team they can handle in the Denver Nuggets. Denver has dropped six in a row SU and five in a row ATS and the losses have come by nearly 12 ppg. Denver beat Milwaukee 103-102 a couple weeks ago. The Bucks led by 11 points at the half, but couldn't overcome a tough free throw discrepancy. Denver was afforded 24 FTA to just nine for the Bucks, outscoring Milwaukee 17-8 from the stripe. Denver's likely to be without its best perimeter shooter with Gary Harris listed as doubtful (concussion). The Nuggets are ranked in the bottom-third in the league from behind the arc as it is. As mentioned, the Nuggets have dropped five straight ATS, while the Bucks are on a 4-0 ATS run when playing in the second of back-to-back nights. I'm betting Milwaukee exacts a little revenge. I'm laying the points with the Bucks, my Monday Beatdown. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Maryland on Saturday night. Cleveland State can't shoot and can't score with just two players averaging in double figures, and those two average just 10.2 ppg and 10 ppg. Turnovers have been a problem in a couple of their step-up games and they were clocked 73-45 by Rhode Island, the same URI team that the Terps whipped 86-63. Maryland has four players averaging in double digits in scoring. Former Duke player Rashad Sulaimon is getting hot from behind the arc and Melo Trimble is a matchup nightmare for the Vikings on the offensive end. There's no doubt CSU wants to keep this one in the 50s, but I don't believe they have the horses to hold the Terps down. CBB teams with two or more returning starters than their opponents are on a 43-11 ATS run if they're favorite by at least 20 points and are in the first 10 games of the season. Maryland fits the bill. I'm laying the big points with Maryland, my CBB Mismatch. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Loyola-Chicago on Wednesday night/Thursday morning (2 AM ET tip Thurs). The Ramblers are not the doormat they were when they first entered the Mo-Valley two years ago. In fact, they won last year's postseason CBI and made a major jump in the RPI. Virtually everyone is back, including four starters. And those four starters are averaging a combined 50 ppg & 17 rpg. But the team is deep with its top seven players back from last year. Loyola is 3-1 on the season and that one glaring loss to an underrated New Mexico team gives us some value here. San Diego is off to a horrible start, losing all four games and ranked 329th or worse in 3-point accuracy, FG percentage, ppg, and even FT shooting where they make just 51% of their attempts. It's bad all over and new coach Lamont Smith understood he had his work cutout for him when he took the gig. The Ramblers enter on a 9-3 ATS run in non-conference outings, going back to last season and they have covered four straight against teams with a losing record. I'm laying the points with Loyola-Chicago, my Wednesday Wipeout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Louisiana (UL-Lafayette) on Friday night. I went against Alabama on these pages on Tuesday and we cashed with Dayton in an 80-48 win as a 10-point favorite. I understand why Alabama opened the favorite in this one, but despite playing at home, I believe they're in trouble again. Alabama has a new coach, a familiar name in Avery Johnson. I do believe the former NBA guard & coach will turn recruiting around at Alabama, but right now, the Tide are a little void of talent and those in uniform must get used to Johnson's style. Gone are their top three scorers, who combined for nearly 40 points per night a season ago. Alabama beat Kennesaw State 77-64 to open the season, but struggled at the stripe and on the glass, finishing with 36 rebounds, the same amount they allowed. And that came against a KSU squad with very few returning players and a new coach. Bama was crushed on the glass against Dayton and finished with 20 turnovers and just 8 assists. They're also struggling with their shot, making just 9 of 37 3-pointers thus far, while missing 20 of their 44 FT attempts. Following the loss to Dayton, Avery Johnson said, "We have a long way to go. People talk about Rome wasn't built in a day, well our basketball team isn't going to be built in a game or two." Louisiana returns their starting lineup from last season and are aiming for their third straight 20-win season. They are the team to beat in the SBC. UL-L loves to push the tempo, scores a lot of points, and finished last season in the top-10 in the nation in rebounds. The team is deep, led by 6'11 forward Shawn Long, who enters this game with 53 career double-doubles, including a 21 points, 13 rebounds night against a strong Miami-Fla., team last time out. The Cajuns are on a 5-1-1 ATS run on the road and I'm backing them here. I'm taking the points with UL-Lafayette, my next MISMATCH release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Detroit is in a tough spot tonight. They're in their first home game following a six game, 10 day, west coast road trip where the team really wore down at the end. Even Stan Van Gundy made mention of a couple of players who were giving it their all, but just didn't have their legs at the end of the trip. Van Gundy also said, "Offense is a bit of a mess right now and we just are not making any shots." The Cavaliers are also coming off a road loss, losing in double OT to Milwaukee on Saturday. And while the Cavs have dropped a bunch of games ATS (we have stayed away from the Cavs), I believe this is the spot to jump in. LeBron James scored 37 points, had 12 rebounds, and dished out five assists in the loss, but he also turned the ball over seven times. The team finished with 21 turnovers, overall. James was noticeably unhappy and he was vocal with his frustration with himself and his team, saying, "we give a half-ass effort and expect that we can just make a run at the end." I'm betting LeBron is focused (he always is) and his teammates get the message. Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert are still out, but I expect the rest of the troops take it to the Pistons on Tuesday. I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers, my NBA Tapout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with USC on Monday night. Monmouth shocked UCLA on Friday night at Pauley, beating the Bruins 84-81 in OT. UCLA crushed Monmouth on the glass, but it was easy to see the Bruins weren't focused. The Hawks benefited from 23 UCLA turnovers. The win will serve notice to an undervalued USC squad. The Trojans are extremely deep with its top nine scorers back from last year's squad and the improved style of play showed in an 83-45 win as a 12 1/2 point favorite over San Diego on Friday night. No less than 10 players saw at least 12 minutes of action in the opener. Coach Andy Enfield is in his third season in L.A., and it's his most important after each of his first two teams finished in last place in the Pac-12. But this is also, by far, his most talented squad...and it's finally "his" team. We should note that teams returning at least two more starters than their current opponent are on a 29-7 ATS run in the first five games of the season, provided they won their previous game by more than 14 points. USC fits the bill and returns two more starters than Monmouth. The Hawks are a middle of the pack MAAC entry and beating UCLA serves notice to keep USC focused. I'm laying the points with USC, my Monday Night Mismatch! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with CS-Northridge on Friday night. There's a lot of pressure on NIU coach Mark Montgomery to churn out a winning season, which would be his first in his five seasons in Dekalb. There is good news for the Huskies in that everyone who averaged at least 1 assist per game returns. The bad news, the returning players couldn't hit the broadside of the barn at times last season when it came to shooting the rock. CSUN returns just two starters but they will have Landon Drew on the floor and he may be the best player, as far as a leader is concerned, on the floor tonight. CSUN lost some ammunition from last year's squad, but return enough firepower in coach Reggie Theus' style of play, to hang this big number. NIU has been a slow ATS starter under Montgomery, cashing just four of their last 16 November contests. They're laying too many points in my betting opinion and I'm backing the dog. I'm grabbing the points with CS-Northridge, my DogPound release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Raptors on Tuesday night. "This is one of our stinkers of the year," - Raptors coach Dwane Casey stated after losing 96-76 to Miami last time out. Casey said his team will be focused on Tuesday after a bad third quarter and a rough stretch during the fourth quarter in the loss to the Heat. Toronto was only down by three points at the half, and pulled within seven points in the fourth quarter, but that's as close as it got. The team struggled, allowing a 19-4 Miami advantage in second chance points, and that was that. Good teams can turn that around in a hurry, simply with a little more hustle and focus. The Raptors may not have DeMarre Carroll (questionable) on Tuesday. Carroll is suffering from plantar fasciitis and will likely be a gametime decision. But this is a play for us whether Carroll suits up or not. The Knicks snapped a 3-game skid with a 99-95 win (ATS loss) over the Lakers on Sunday. But New York doesn't shoot well most nights, ranked 27th in FG percentage and 24th from behind the arc. Toronto is one of the best teams in the league on the defensive end of the floor and they'll be a fired up team tonight. The Knicks enter on a 1-7 ATS slide off a SU win, while NBA favorites of more than three points but less than 10 points, are on a 41-14 ATS run, provided their offensive average and their opponent's defensive average are both 98-102 ppg. The favorite must be off a loss by at least 20 points. I'm laying the points with the Raptors, my TKO release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Chicago Bulls minus the points on Monday night. Chicago is looking for more consistency on the offensive end as they look to grasp onto the style of play desired by the new coaching staff. The Bulls will also look to bounce back from a 102-93 OT loss to Minnesota last time out. The Bulls didn't shoot well in the loss, but they are the league's 2nd best 3-point shooting team on the season. That's an important note because the Sixers are 27th defending the trey and 22nd in FG percentage defense. They look to be "just what the doctor ordered" for the Bulls to get back on track. Philadelphia owns potential with young stars Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. But there's not a lot of dependable support around them. The Sixers enter Monday on a 0-6 ATS slide at home against teams with a losing road record. I expect that slide to continue. I'm laying the points with the Bulls, my Monday Mismatch. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the OKC Thunder on Thursday night. Oklahoma City has been inconsistent, losing back-to-back games after winning their first three of the season. Last night took the cake. The Thunder led 81-73 after three quarters and 91-83 with 5:30 to go in the game, but collapsed, getting outscored 20-7 over the final 5+ minutes in a 103-98 home loss to Toronto. The Thunder finished with just 12 made FTs on 14 attempts, while the Raptors made 32 of 39. I expect more of an attack style of offense tonight as OKC looks to draw more whistles. I also expect full focus for the entire four quarters. OKC will fact a Chicago squad that's waiting for the "arrival" of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. Neither is playing up to expectations and I don't believe they'll turn things around against a hungry OKC squad. Going back to last season, the Bulls have dropped four straight ATS when playing with one day of rest, while the Thunder are on a 9-4 ATS run with no rest and they have covered 10 of the last 14 trips to the Windy City. I'm backing the Thunder, my Thursday night Slam Dunk. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. Memphis couldn't have played any worse than they did last night in their season opening, 106-76 loss to Cleveland. The Grizzlies were horrible right from the opening tip, trailing 26-10 after the first quarter of play. But I expect a bounce back tonight from the western conference entry laying a reasonable number on the road. The normally reliable Mike Conley and Courtney Lee couldn't hit the broadside of a barn last night, while the Cavaliers nailed nearly 50% of their shots, including 13 of 29 from behind the arc. Look for a much better outing from the Grizzlies' backcourt and for domination in the paint by Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, facing a beatable Indiana front-line. The Grizzlies have covered 11 of the last 14 meetings with the Pacers, while Indiana dropped their final five in a row ATS when playing in the second of back-to-back night's last season. I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies, my Thursday night Slam Dunk! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Cavaliers in Sunday's Game four clash. Cleveland was in a tough spot last time out. Matthew Dellavedova was coming off a case of dehydration and when you consider the other injuries this team has faced, LeBron didn't have a lot of healthy teammates along side him. Steve Kerr made adjustments - we saw more of David Lee, and more importantly, Andre Iguodala answered the bell and then some. It's now the Cavs turn to adjust - they're healthier after a couple days off and I expect a game that goes right to the wire, giving us plenty of line value with the underdog. Cleveland enters on an 8-2 ATS run when playing with two days rest. They're 15-4 ATS against Western Conf competition, while the Warriors have covered just four of their last 13 home games. Finally, LeBron led teams have won 16 of their last 18 SU off a playoff loss. I'm grabbing the points with the Cavaliers, my Tapout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm playing the Under between the Warriors & Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Cleveland has controlled the tempo in this series thus far and I expect the Cavs to force a deliberate pace again on Tuesday. The Cavs have clamped down on the defensive end and have forced a slower pace. They have also relied on one scorer. Golden State has been off from the deep perimeter and part of that is the tempo Cleveland is forcing. Golden State is 12-4 to the Under in this year's playoff action and Cleveland home games are 13-3 to the Under when facing very good teams, those that average at least six more points per game than they allow. I'm playing the Under between the Warriors & Cavs, my NBA Finals Total GOY. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Cavs looked primed to win Game-1, but ran out of steam in OT and lost Kyrie Irving, who's out for the remainder of the series. This means everyone on the Cavs picks up the slack for at least one game, including LeBron James. JR Smith will get more time with the Irving injury. The Cavs will still make the Warriors work on the offensive end and there's nothing wrong with Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov, who'll look to continue to work the offensive glass. At this point, with the Irving injury, Cleveland is not going to win this series. But I expect an all-out effort that I believe will lead to a very close game and a Cavs cover on Sunday. Despite the tough loss in Game-1, the Cavs are still on a 13-3 ATS run against Western Conf teams. You're 40-14 ATS playing against favorites who're leading in a playoff series, provided they're playing .750 or better basketball, against an opponent playing .600 to .750 basketball. I'm grabbing the points with the Cavaliers, my Smackdown release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. This could be a lengthy series and we may look to play the other side in future games, but I do believe there will be a bit of an adjustment in store for the Cavs in Game-1. Cleveland has faced Atlanta, Chicago, and Boston to get to the Finals and none of those teams even come close to the efficiency of Golden State at both ends of the floor. The Warriors efficiency marks put them in the class of past elite level NBA teams. Klay Thompson is expected to be cleared to play and he finally began to find his shot in the late stages of the series with Houston. GST can play bigger than Atlanta, which means less second chances for the Cavs, but they will also go small at times and do so better than anyone in the league with Draymond Green at the "five." I truly believe Game-1 will be a night of adjustments for the Cavaliers. I'm laying the points with Golden State, my Thursday Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Golden State on Wednesday night. I had the Rockets on these pages in Game 4 and we cashed an easy one. I expect another wide-margin decision tonight, but this time with the Warriors ending on top. James Harden had a huge night leading his team last time out, but it was a case of a team that got on a roll right out of the blocks and never letting up. Houston nailed 57% of their FGA, including 17-of-32, 53% of their 3-pointers. And if that wasn't enough, the Rockets outscored the Warriors 25-7 at the FT line. It could have been worse if not for Houston missing 18-of-43 FTA, thanks to horrible results from Josh Smith and Dwight Howard. The Warriors have bounced back well off of bad defensive performances, entering this one on a 24-9-1 ATS run after allowing more than 125 points. And NBA favorites are on a 26-9 ATS run if they lost their previous game as road chalk, provided their opponent won by double digits as an underdog in their most recent game. Steph Curry is probable tonight and I expect the league MVP to lead his team to a win and in the process, a cover for us. The Warriors are my Tapout on Wednesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The first item to note is that Kyrie Irving says he won't miss a playoff game despite his injuries. Irving at 80-90% is better than most guards in the league...we'll take it. A couple of the main reasons we're backing the Cavs, Tristan Thompson has made a huge difference filling-in for Kevin Love. Once Thompson was moved into the starting five, his presence freed-up LeBron to play the "3" which means he starts the offense from the deep perimeter, a big advantage for the Cavaliers. Atlanta's DeMarre Carroll draws the defensive assignment of guarding LeBron and that's a positive for the Cavs. The more Carroll has to worry about his defensive game, the more it could draw away from his work at the other end and Carroll has been Atlanta's leading scorer in the postseason. Another problem for the Hawks, everyone outside of Carroll & Al Horford are struggling with their shot, including Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, who're both making less than 40% of their FGA. I also like the way Timofey Mozgov has "perfected" the offensive tipout on the glass. He's facing a smallish frontline and should be able to give his offense second and third chances at times, giving Cleveland a new shot-clock on occasion, wearing on the Hawks. Atlanta has covered just two of their last seven at home. Cleveland is a short dog tonight and underdogs are on a 49-26 ATS run if they outscore their opponents by at least three ppg and are facing a team off a win by three or less. I expect a Cavalier win and Cleveland is my Game 1 Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Cleveland is a different team since starting Tristan Thompson...at least on the offensive end. LeBron is able to start the offense from the "3" spot, which means he's able to handle the ball on the deep perimeter rather than playing the "4." The shift allows the Cavs to open things up a bit more and nothing wrong with James handling the basketball as much as possible. Defensively, the Cavs will face a Bulls' team that's a bit banged-up. Pau Gasol (hamstring) is listed as doubtful and if he plays he's much less than 100 percent healthy. Taj Gibson is listed as questionable with a sore knee. The Bulls were already limited with Joakim Noah doing little on the offensive end. This puts the onus of the offense even more on the shoulders of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. This also plays into an advantage for the Cavaliers. The last two games have been decided in the closing seconds, but I believe tonight's will resemble Cleveland's 15-point win in Game 2. I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers, my Tapout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. We're 2-1 in this series thus far, including one of our biggest releases in the playoffs on Memphis in their Game 2 win at Golden State. Games 2 & 3 have been rather close and the contest could have been closer a couple nights ago if Klay Thompson doesn't come up short at the FT line at a key moment in the game. The Splash Brothers have been unable to control the tempo in the last two games, thanks to the return of Mike Conley. And the Warriors have not been able to solve Tony Allen's defense. Toss in the interior offensive games of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and winning by margin on the road is going to be a tough task for the Warriors. I believe this one goes to the wire, which makes more than two baskets worth taking. Golden State has covered just 2 of their last 10 games, overall. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11, and 5-0-1 ATS in their last six at home. I'm grabbing the points with the Memphis Grizzlies, my Monday Blockbuster. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Cavaliers on Sunday. The Cavs trail two games to one after Derrick Rose banked a winning buzzer beater last time out. Cleveland has yet to drop two straight in the playoffs and in fact, the last time they lost two in a row when it mattered was the first week of March. We saw LeBron take offensive matters into his own hands in Game 2 after falling down one game to none. James began running the offense from the deep perimeter and everything fell together in a 106-91 win. I expect more of the same in this one. And when LeBron creates, the Bulls tended to get back on their heels, which also effects them on the offensive end. Kyrie Irving is listed as probable. If he plays - great. If he doesn't play, it means we get more of LeBron. Either way, I'm fine with the situation. The Cavs are on a 4-0 ATS run after failing to cover a game. I'm backing the Cavaliers, my Sunday NBA Slam Dunk! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Warriors on Saturday night. Golden State was caught flat-footed when Mike Conley returned for Memphis in Game 2. We were not flat-footed as we released Memphis...a Tapout, one of our biggest plays so far this postseason. Having to pay attention on the defensive end, the Splash Brothers simply couldn't find their shot on the offensive end. I expect a bounce back in this one. The Warriors have dropped two straight just four times this season and I expect a return to form with their perimeter shooting. The teams haven't played since Tuesday and the Warriors are on a 6-0 ATS run when playing with at least three days off between games. We should also note that NBA teams in revenge of an upset loss as a double digit favorite are on a 62-32 ATS run. Most importantly, the Warriors have now had a decent amount of time to adjust to Conley being back at the point and to shore things up in the paint. I'm laying the points with Golden State, my NBA Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Houston Rockets on Friday. Chris Paul is listed as questionable at the time of this release. While I'm backing Houston whether the star guard plays or not, at least late Thursday evening, reports are coming in that Paul has not yet begun to run, which has led some on the scene to state that he's more doubtful for Game 3 than he is questionable. Home floor has meant little to the Clippers and their first two playoff opponents this postseason and I expect more of the same tonight. The Clips are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games and they're on a 0-9 ATS slide in postseason Game 3 matchups. Changing venues has not agreed with them, at least at the book. The Clips must contend with Dwight Howard, who's playing his best basketball since his days in Orlando. Trevor Ariza hit his stride last time out and the Clippers are having to rely too much on Austin Rivers. Add in a poor shooting Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin is being asked to carry this team all by himself if Paul doesn't play or plays with limited minutes. All this and I haven't even mentioned James Harden! The number is high in my opinion and I'm grabbing the points with the Rockets, my Friday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. We had Golden State on Sunday and we cashed the ticket. Memphis didn't have Mike Conley and it looks like he will be sidelined again tonight. But changes are being made in his absence. Nick Calathes will likely watch Courtney Lee run the point for the Grizzlies tonight. Calathes filled-in for Conley on Sunday, but he was simply out-classed. Calathes finished the game with no points and three turnovers in about 20 minutes of running the point. Lee should provide an instant upgrade directing the offensive attack. Plus, the opposing defender will also have to worry about Lee's shot, which is something Golden State did not have to think about two nights ago when facing Calathes. As good as the Warriors have been, they have not been covering at home where they have cashed just one time in their last six games. And NBA underdogs are on a 37-12 ATS run when trailing in a playoff series, provided they're playing between .600 & .750 basketball on the entire season and the favorite is playing at least .750 basketball. I'm taking the points with the Grizzlies, my Tapout on Tuesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer. 

I'm playing the Over between the Bulls & Cavs on Monday night. No J.R. Smith and no Kevin Love tonight for the Cavaliers. Instead of slowing this team down on the offensive end, I expect the short-handed situation to light the fire under LeBron James. Every game matters so much that James will understand he must take over on the offensive end. At the other end of the floor, I don't believe Cleveland will be able to hold the backcourt tandem of Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose in-check. I also expect Chicago's "bigs" to do damage against the short-handed Cavaliers. The total originally came down a tad and we're going the other way. I'm playing the Over between the Bulls & Cavaliers, my Total Dominator on Monday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Golden State on Sunday. Mike Conley will be in attendance on Sunday, but likely won't play in Game 1. Whether he plays or not, this is a tough task at hand for the Grizzlies. You must be able to defend the deep perimeter when you face Golden State and Memphis is below average defending the 3-point shot, ranked 18th in the league. Some will expect rustiness to be on display because the Warriors have been off for several days. But well rested teams normally play well in the postseason. Golden State is a perfect 5-0, 100% ATS when playing with at least three days rest. In fact, they're a perfect 7-0, 100% ATS at home this season when playing no more than six games over a 14 day span, outscoring their opponents by an average of 118-97. I'm laying the points with the Warriors, my Sunday Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Hawks' offensive efficiency ratings have dropped off from where they were not all that long ago. The Hawks never made a move before the trade deadline to get a "big," to help out at both ends of the floor. We thought it would hurt their chances for a deep playoff run and shortly before the postseason began we thought they may have some trouble against a Nets' team that does have a big body inside in Brook Lopez. It's a matchup problem for Atlanta, especially when you consider their bumps and bruises and the loss of Thabo Sefalosha. Atlanta won Game 5 by a 107-97 final score, but the final hardly told the story. The Hawks led by a 97-95 score with 1:40 to go in the game and their bench was outscored 41-16. Yes, the Nets had a chance to win despite Brook Lopez playing his worst basketball of the series down the stretch and despite just two players scoring over the final 9+ minutes of game time. I expect a bounce back tonight, leading to a Game 7. The Nets enter on a 7-1-1 ATS run off a SU loss, while the Hawks are on a 1-6-1 ATS slide in their last eight games. I'm taking the points with Brooklyn, my Friday night KNOCKOUT. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Clippers on Thursday. While San Antonio holds the 3-2 lead, this series has been about as close as it gets. Both teams won a game by a comfortable margin, but the other three have been close. In fact, the Clippers could have won last time out if not for a correctly called offensive goal-tending call on DeAndre Jordan. If the shot goes in, the Clippers would have held the lead with less than five seconds to go in the contest. That's how close LAC came to winning Game-5, despite getting outscored 33-3 from the 3-point line. The Clippers will look to do what they did in Game-4, which is to play at a faster tempo, giving Chris Paul his best chance at a big game. The Clips enter on a 12-3-1 ATS run on the road, while the underdog has cashed 13 of the last 17 meetings. And for what it's worth, the average margin in more than 240 playoff games coached by Gregg Popovich is less than 4 ppg. I'm doing what I did last time the teams met at this venue, I'm taking the points with the Clippers, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies on Wednesday. This one could resemble last night's Houston win over Dallas. Portland staved off elimination last time out, but now Memphis has a chance to wrap things up on their home court. Memphis won't have Mike Conley and that's a concern moving forward, but they should not miss him tonight. Even with the Portland win the other night, the Grizzlies are still 7-1 SU against the Blazers this season. And we should note they actually led Portland by 10 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Marc Gasol took his teammates to task for "blowing" a chance at the series sweep. But the fact is, despite not having Conley, the Blazers don't match up well with Gasol or Courtney Lee. The Blazers are on a 0-6 ATS slide on the road, while the Grizzlies are on a 15-5 ATS run as a home favorite of less than 6 1/2 points. Memphis has covered five straight at home against Portland. I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Spurs on Tuesday. The Clippers evened the series with a 114-105 win on Sunday in San Antonio. The series moves back to Los Angeles on Tuesday, but as I thought before the series began, home court isn't going to mean a lot in this matchup. Blake Griffin has even stated that Staples Center does not provide the Clippers a strong home advantage. His team is just 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games. And after outplaying the Spurs in Game-4, I doubt the Clippers will enjoy another huge night out of Austin Rivers. Look for the Spurs to capture the road underdog win -- San Antonio is my Tuesday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Houston as the Rockets look to close out their series in four games. After losing by 10 points and 12 points in Houston, Dallas looked to save their series chances and played their tails off on Friday, even shooting better than 50 percent from the field, but still fell two-points short in a 130-128 loss at home. The Rockets have now scored 130, 111, and 118 points in the first three games, averaging nearly 90 FGA per game, completely controlling the tempo. I expect Dallas to be "game" when the contest tips off, but I also expect Houston to take care of business down the stretch. James Harden made just 9-of-28 shots and scored just 48 points combined through the first two games. But when needed in Game 3, Harden kicked it up a notch, scoring 42 points. Dwight Howard has been a man-possessed in this series, grabbing 26 rebounds last game, after scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds in Game 2. The Mavs simply don't have an answer for either player. Houston enters on a 7-0 ATS run in opening round NBA playoff action, while the Mavs have failed to cover four straight. The Rockets are also on a 4-0 ATS run in the last four meetings, for a combined 15-0 ATS mark. I'm laying the points with the Rockets on Sunday, my NBA Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Clippers on Friday. I have nothing but respect for one of the greatest franchises of all time. But I'm not quite "buying" the Spurs based off of one fortunate win. Tim Duncan and Patty Mills brought their "A" game to be sure. But the bottom line - if DeAndre Jordan was even a mediocre FT shooter or if Blake Griffin takes care of the basketball with less than one minute to go in the fourth quarter, the Clippers are up 2-0 as the series shifts to San Antonio. The Spurs have more problems with Tony Parker's latest injury and he is questionable on Friday. Knowing Parker, he'll likely give it his best shot, but he's far from 100 percent healthy. The better starting five belongs to the Clippers and tonight I expect them to take care of business. The Clippers are on a 12-3-1 ATS run on the road, while the Spurs have covered just two of their last nine quarterfinal games. I'm grabbing the points with the LA Clippers, my Tapout G.O.M. on Friday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Nets on Wednesday night. The Brooklyn Nets have had a couple of days to work on a couple of issues and I expect a supreme effort tonight. The Nets know a couple of tweaks to the system and they could have won Game 1 in Atlanta. Despite a subpar game from Joe Johnson the Nets were within four points of the Hawks with just over a minute to go in the game. The rest of the starting five shot well and played well for the most part. Tonight, the Nets will take the ball inside against a banged-up Al Horford (probable) and I expect more success on the interior. I also expect more chances for Brook Lopez on the offensive end after making 6-of-7 shots in Game 1. Lopez and Thaddeus Young both finished with double-doubles, but the Nets couldn't overcome a 5-of-20 night from beyond the arc. The Nets enter on a 12-3 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball and the road team is on a 6-1 ATS run between these teams. I'm taking the points with the Nets, my DogPound release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Raptors on Tuesday. The Wizards threw a wrench into the system in Game-1, playing Paul Pierce at the "4" and it disrupted the Raptors for most of the game, including the decisive OT period. But the element of surprise is gone and while Washington says they'll continue to play Pierce at the "4" - the Raptors have now seen it and can make adjustments. Playing with just one "big" on the floor, Pierce was able to draw defenders and spread the court a bit for Bradley Beal and John Wall. I don't believe this will work two games in a row. Washington is just 4-13-1 ATS when playing with two days rest. They're also on a 5-16 ATS slide against uptempo teams, those that average at least 83 FGA per game. Look for Toronto to bounce back on Tuesday. I'm laying the points with the Raptors, my Tuesday KO. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with the Pelicans on Monday night. Tyreke Evans only played 12 minutes in Game-1 and may not play tonight (knee) but the Pelicans have two players to fill the void. Eric Gordon will get more playing time as will Jrue Holiday. Anthony Davis proved once again that he's one of the top players in the league and he also proved that Golden State doesn't own the defender to slow him down, scoring 35 points in the Game-1 loss. New Orleans enters on a 17-8 ATS run against teams playing better than .600 basketball, while the Warriors enter on a 0-4 ATS slide, always laying a premium. We'll grab the big points with the Pelicans on Monday, my Slam Dunk release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers on Sunday. A rarity took place yesterday when a double digit dog, (Pelicans), covered a playoff spread. Before that double digit dogs in opening round action had covered just 29 of the last 70+ chances. I expect things to return to normal after Golden State saw much of their 20+ point third quarter lead fade away. Celtics coach Brad Stevens has done a tremendous job with mediocre talent - and his team has no Anthony Davis to single-handedly cover a point-spread when his team is over-matched. I expect Cleveland to take care of business, reestablishing their superiority in game-1. I say "reestablish" because Boston whipped the Cavaliers twice down the stretch to solidify their playoff spot. But the Cavs had many of their key players sitting the bench in the fourth quarter of the first meeting and four starters, including LeBron James didn't play in the second late-season meeting. Much different results this time and I'm laying the points with the Cavaliers, my Sunday Slam Dunk. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday afternoon. New Orleans beat out OKC for the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Their reward is a date with the best team in the NBA. While New Orleans spoke about a goal of making the postseason, the Warriors' goal is to win an NBA title. In fact, after wrapping up the final spot, Anthony Davis said, "we've reached our goal." I expect it to take a game for the Pelicans to adjust to postseason play. They don't have solid defenders on the deep perimeter and that spells doom against the Warriors. Golden State enters on a 26-13 ATS run at home, averaging 113 ppg in the 39 outings. Meanwhile the Pelicans have dropped five straight ATS on the road. I'm laying the points with the Warriors, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm playing the Under between the Suns & Spurs on Sunday. These teams have met three times this season and all three meetings finished easily below today's total. The Spurs have been sound on the defensive end during their current run, holding their last 10 opponents to 90.2 ppg. Take their two games against high scoring Houston out of the mix and that number drops to 87.6 ppg in their other eight outings. The Suns have hit a rough patch on the offensive end, averaging just 88.1 ppg in their last eight games and they have failed to top 75 points in two of their last three. San Antone enters on an 18-6 Under run against Western Conference teams and we expect more of the same tonight. I'm playing the Under between the Suns & Spurs on Sunday night, my Total Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. The Hawks received bad news when it was revealed that Thabo Sefalosha has been lost for the season with a broken leg suffered during the scuffle in New York when he and Pero Antic were arrested the other night. While that may be cause for concern in the postseason, the Hawks are all about the team, with several contributors, and even if they rest a couple of plays...or limit minutes, they have more than enough to get over this number against a struggling Charlotte squad. The Hornets are now 3 games out of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 4 games to go...they're all but done. Charlotte is a banged-up basketball team and they're running into a Hawks' team that has won and covered 3 straight games. In fact, 5 of the Hawks' last 6 wins have come by double digits. I expect more of the same tonight. Atlanta is 5-0 ATS at home against teams with a losing road record. They're on a 41-20-1 ATS run, overall, and the home team is on a 4-0 ATS run in this series. I'm laying the points with the Hawks, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Golden State on Thursday night. The Warriors rode a 12-game winning streak into San Antonio on April 5, but not only got blown out by the Spurs, but then lost a second straight game when New Orleans beat them 103-100. We had the Spurs and won in rather easy fashion. That loss could very well put a seed of doubt in the minds of the Warriors. Add in the so-so second half in the loss to the Pelicans and I believe the Warriors will be ready and focused for tonight's contest...a get back on track type of approach. Coach Steve Kerr mentioned his team was sluggish over the final two quarters on Tuesday. Steph Curry talked about the fact they weren't ready for New Orleans' desperation over the final 24 minutes. While the Warriors are looking to stay healthy, their top six players are still getting a decent amount of minutes. Curry, Green, and Thompson all topped 30 minutes on Tuesday and Andrew Bogut even played 28 minutes. And now off of back-to-back losses, I expect GST to play with a bit of urgency as they look to regain a bit of that season-long swagger, which makes this game more important than it would have been if they had at least split the last two games. Portland will "bring it" as they are playing for home floor in early round postseason action. But the Warriors are on a 13-3 ATS run as home chalk of 6 1/2 to 12 points this season, winning by an average margin of 14 ppg. And when backing teams with a winning record, you're 33-10 ATS going against NBA road dogs of 3 1/2 to 9 1/2 points, provided those teams are playing between .600-.750 basketball and are off a divisional win by at least 20 points (Portland is off a 25 point win over Minnesota). I'm laying the points with the Warriors as they look to extend their ATS dominance to 15-4 at home over the Blazers. Golden State is my Western Conf Tapout GOM. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Big win for the Pelicans last night and they have pulled ahead of OKC by 1/2 a game for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I suspect that lead will be short-lived. Memphis is off a loss to Washington and they lost in their most recent matchup with New Orleans. The home loss to the Wizards last time out was especially ugly as they made just 6.7 percent of their 3-pointers. Yes, Memphis made just 1 of 15 treys in the nine-point loss. Grizzlies' coach Dave Joerger told media his team is treating tonight's game with great importance. Joerger said they'll approach this like a "mini-playoff prep, to get us in our mindset as we are getting ready for the playoffs." I expect a big bounce back for Memphis whether Zach Randolph (questionable) plays or not. Memphis is on a 34-19 ATS run as home chalk of 6 or less. I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm playing the Under between the Spurs & Thunder on Tuesday night. We had San Antonio on Sunday and cashed an easy one when they sent a clear message to the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs were on-fire throughout, making 53 percent of their FGA. The red-hot shooting was a carry-over from their previous game when they made 55 percent of their FGA, including 14 made 3-pointers. Some may feel the Thunder will be hard-pressed to slow down the Spurs. After all, OKC has left something to be desired on the defensive end. But if they want to land a spot in the postseason, attempting to outscore their opponents is not the way to go. The Thunder are barely holding onto the final spot in the Western Conference, leading New Orleans by just 1/2 a game. Playing fast-paced basketball and forgetting to play defense has led to recent losses. I expect the Thunder to focus on the defensive end tonight. Meanwhile, the Spurs have taken care of business against good offenses, those scoring at least 103 ppg, allowing just 96 ppg, while scoring 101 ppg the last 21 times. San Antone has played 37 road games this season and they and their "hosts" have combined to average just 194 ppg. The Spurs are also on an 11-2 Under run on the road following three straight wins by more than 10 points, the situation they're in tonight. Finally, OKC is on a 14-2 Under run as a home dog 3 1/2 to 6 points, combining their "guests" to score 180 ppg. Those spots combine for a 25-4 mark. I'm playing the Under between the Spurs & Thunder, my Situational Total of the Month! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Wisconsin on Monday night. Wisconsin not only is coming off another tremendous performance on offense against one of the best defensive teams in the country, but the Badgers also outrebounded Kentucky and beat the Wildcats even though Kentucky shot 48 percent from the field. The Badgers have a veteran crew by today's standards and except for senior Quinn Cook, will match up with a youthful Duke squad. Wisconsin lost to Duke, 80-70, way back on Dec. 3 when the Blue Devils shot 65 percent and one of the three Duke players that scored in double figures in that game, Rasheed Sulaimon, no longer is on the team. Michigan State made it easy for Duke on Saturday by missing layups and free throws while taking bad shots and turning the ball over. The Badgers have one of the lowest turnovers rates in the country and seldom take a bad shot and are deadly from the perimeter. For what it's worth, the Badgers are on a 14-3 ATS run against teams from the ACC. I'm backing Wisconsin to win the national championship on Monday night, my Championship Blockbuster. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Sunday. Golden State may be leading the Western Conference, but they have not won in San Antonio in over 18 years. The thing is, I don't believe their motivation is as strong as the Spurs in this one. Golden State owns the top spot in the West as we inch to the postseason and now lead the Hawks by 6 games with 6 to go for overall best record. One more win or an Atlanta loss and the Warriors wrap it up, so it's just a matter of when. Golden State hasn't been resting players for an entire game much, but they have been watching minutes and I expect more of that tonight. The Spurs have won and covered 6 straight games. They're 9-1 SU/ATS in their last 10 and they have won 16 of their last 19 since late February. San Antone has made no secret that they'd like to continue to move up in the West. They're currently in 6th, but just a 1/2 game behind the 5th place Clippers. And finishing in 5th could mean a date with the Blazers in the playoffs, rather than the Grizzlies. San Antone will be motivated tonight and had last night off, while the Warriors played on Saturday. Besides their 6-0 ATS run, the Spurs are 16-7 ATS in their last 23 at home against Golden State. While these Warriors are much better than most of the editions that have lost in San Antone, we still believe it's a great spot for the Spurs. I'm laying the points with San Antonio on Sunday, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Kentucky. Wisconsin allowed Arizona to shoot 55.8 percent from the field and still won the game, however, the Badgers will be in big trouble if Kentucky shoots anywhere near that mark. Wisconsin has relied on hot shooting, especially 3-pointers where they're hitting at a 48.4 percent rate their last five games, but the Wildcats will have one of the best defenders in the country in Willie Cauley-Stein trying to stop Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. Kentucky's opponent field goal percentage is just 35.1 percent overall and even lower, 32.5 percent, on neutral courts. And when you adjust for pace and strength of schedule, according to Ken Pom's numbers, Wisconsin doesn't even have one of the best 50 defenses in college basketball on a points per possession basis. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Wildcats with 25 points in last week's win against Notre Dame but Kentucky obviously has plenty of other options with the most NBA-caliber talent in the country. We should note that when Kentucky is off a win by no more than six points, they bounce back with focus. They're 22-10 ATS off a close win under Calipari, winning those 32 games by an average margin of more than 10 ppg. Look for the Badgers to cool off and for Kentucky to remain undefeated. I'm laying the points with Kentucky, my Final Four Tapout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies on Friday night. After facing three title contenders in a row, (losing all three), the Memphis Grizzlies bounced back with a 14-point win over Sacramento last time out. Tonight, the Grizzlies get a chance at revenge for a 16-point loss to OKC. Memphis lost 105-89 in their most recent meeting with the Thunder, a night when Kevin Durant scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Obviously, Durant has since been lost for the season and OKC has been struggling of late, dropping three of their last four games. The Thunder have been leaving a lot to be desired on the defensive end where they have allowed 115 points or more in six of their last nine games. Serge Ibaka's absence has certainly added to their woes and he remains sidelined with a knee injury. The Thunder have covered just 6 of their last 20 on the road against teams playing better than .600 basketball at home. The home team has covered four straight in this series. One final note: Zach Randolph (elbow) is expected to play tonight. I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies, my Friday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Miami on Thursday. Both teams used horrific shooting performances by their opponents to manage wins in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday. Stanford blew an early lead and played a sloppy game but was fortunate that Old Dominion shot 34.4 percent and made just three of 19 three-point attempts. Miami Florida held Temple to 30.2 percent from the field and 2 of 19 from beyond the arc. Sheldon McClellan led Miami with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Hurricanes lost their center, Tonye Jekiri, to a concussion and he'll be out for this game. Guard Angel Rodriguez also has missed the last three games with a wrist injury. Chasson Randle led the Cardinal with 24 points but the rest of the team didn't do much and Stanford had 14 turnovers. The Monarchs defense stymied the Cardinal players at times which allowed Old Dominion to get back in the game. The Miami defense is capable of doing the same thing. Stanford got away with a subpar performance against Old Dominion but playing that way against an ACC team will be a different story even with the Hurricanes injuries. The Cardinal have covered just 5 of their last 16, overall, and they're on a 0-4 ATS slide against teams from the ACC, while Miami is on a 4-1 ATS non-conference run. I'm taking the points with Miami, my NIT Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Thunder on Wednesday night. OKC is battling to hang onto the final spot in the Western Conference playoff standings, 2 1/2 games ahead of New Orleans. There's little room for slippage and the Thunder can also gain another game on Dallas, pulling within 2 games of 7th with a win tonight. Dallas has dropped four of five games and continues to look sluggish, while winning just 6 of their last 15 games. Monta Ellis may return, but if he does he's still not expected to be 100 percent healthy, suffering from a calf injury. OKC enters on a healthy 17-7 SU run, despite not having Kevin Durant on the floor. Durant will miss the rest of the season, but Russell Westbrook has taken the lead role and should thrive in tonight's matchup situation. OKC is on a 5-1 ATS run at home, while the Mavericks enter on a 0-8 ATS slide on the road. In fact, Dallas has covered just 9 of their last 36 games against Western Conference opposition. I'm laying the points with the Thunder, my Wednesday night KNOCKOUT. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Stanford on Tuesday night. Stanford won three home games against UC Davis, Rhode Island and Vanderbilt to earn a trip to Madison Square Garden. Old Dominion also won three home contests but against lesser competition in Charleston Southern, Illinois State and Murray State. The Monarchs escaped with a one-point win against Illinois State and then beat Murray State on a 30-foot, 3-point bank shot by Trey Freeman at the buzzer. The Cardinal is led by guards Chasson Randle, who averages 19.3 points per game, and Anthony Brown (15.0 ppg). Randle is on the verge of becoming the third leading scorer in Pac-12 history and was on the Stanford team that won the 2012 NIT on this court. The Cardinal averaged 76.3 points in its previous three games while holding opponents to 39.9 percent from the floor. Stanford has the best player on the court and has played the tougher schedule. I'm laying the points with Stanford, my NIT Tuesday Tapout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Jeff Teague is likely to miss his third straight game (ankle) and the Hawks are 1-1 without him. I don't believe his absence will be a problem against an out-manned Milwaukee squad. The Hawks are off a 115-100 loss to Charlotte, a night where they played little defense. But Atlanta has been "money" in this spot, going 10-3 ATS following their last 13 SU losses, including a 6-1 ATS mark if the loss came by more than 10 points. Milwaukee has won just two of their last nine games and have allowed 109 ppg in their last six outings. The Bucks should provide the Hawks with "just what the doctor ordered." I'm laying the points with Atlanta, my Monday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Duke on Sunday. This is a matchup with two teams that shoot at least 50 percent from the field which is a rarity in college basketball these days. Duke is on a 7-1 ATS run and has held its last three opponents to just a 34.8 percent field goal percentage. Gonzaga had an uncharacteristic off shooting night on Friday as the Bulldogs were just 3 of 19 with 3-point shot attempts. Fortunately for them, UCLA was just as bad hitting just 38.8 percent overall. The Bulldogs won't be able to get away with that offensive performance against the Blue Devils who beat Utah even though Jahlil Okafor was double-teamed and held to six points. Przemek Karnowski had 18 points and nine rebounds for Gonzaga and Justin Winslow had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Duke as they took up the slack for the usual top scorers. Mike Krzyzewski appears to have made the necessary adjustments to allow his team to travel deeper in the tournament and I don't believe the Zags will be able to keep up. The lack of quality in the WCC may catch up to them here as it has in the past, with Gonzaga covering just one of their last six (1-4-1) against teams from the ACC. Duke is on a 5-0 ATS run outside of conference play and I'm backing them here. I'm laying the points with Duke, my Blockbuster release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Arizona on Saturday. Arizona overcame a bad shooting night with a late run to beat Xavier on Thursday while Wisconsin took advantage of a North Carolina team that once again ran out of gas and blew a late lead as the Badgers won and covered. It's less likely that Arizona will fade down the stretch and the Wildcats have a frontline to compete with Wisconsin's big trio of Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes. Arizona has one of the best point guards in the country in T.J. McConnell (233 assists) and it's unlikely that forwards Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who combined to make only four shots on Thursday, will have another off night. The Wildcats are 23-14 ATS and Wisconsin is 19-17-1 ATS. The teams had a common opponent in Oregon and the Wildcats blew out the Ducks three times while the Badgers struggled to a seven-point win last Sunday. Also, the Wildcats remember an excruciating loss to Wisconsin in last year's NCAA tournament. Arizona enters on a 15-5 ATS run, while the Badgers are on a 3-7 ATS slide off a cover. I'm backing Arizona on Saturday, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Louisville on Friday. Rick Pitino showed why it's difficult to go against him in the NCAA tournament as Louisville beat a very good Northern Iowa team by 13 points on Sunday. Terry Rozier scored 25 points and Montrezl Harrell had two big dunks to put the game away. It took awhile, but the Cardinals appear to have come together after losing starting point guard Chris Jones in February; in fact, they look as though the chemistry has improved with Jones off the team. Rozier leads the team with 17.2 points per game followed by Harrell who averages 15.4 with a 56 percent field goal percentage. Trevor Lacey scored 17 points as N.C. State held Villanova to just 31 percent from the floor on Saturday, but that will be difficult to duplicate. We weren't too high on Villanova this season and expressed on our show on ESPN radio that the Wildcats should not have been a #1 seed. Louisville lost at home to the Wolfpack in February and Pitino in revenge in this tournament is too much to ignore. And again, the clincher - the Cardinals have bonded together even stronger since Jones was dismissed from the team. I'm laying the points with Louisville, my Tapout GOY. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Murray State on Wednesday. Murray State continues to get no respect even after a blowout road win at Tulsa on Monday and after winning 12 road games in a row (8-3-1 ATS). The Racers are slight underdogs in this game even though Old Dominion is coming off a one-point home win against Illinois State and its leading scorer, Trey Freeman, is playing on a bum ankle. Freeman scored zero points in 12 minutes in Monday's game. Meanwhile, Murray State shot 56 percent from the 3-point line against Tulsa and held the Golden Hurricane to just 32.6 percent from the floor. Old Dominion plays a similar grind-it-out offense as Tulsa but won't be able to keep up with the Racers' firepower. The Monarchs are 3-8 ATS vs teams with winning records. I'm taking the points with Murray State, my Wednesday Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Tuesday. San Antonio has overtaken the Mavericks for 6th in the Western Conference standings and now they can begin to solidify the position. The Spurs have won three straight games and 10 of their last 12 (9-3 ATS) since a 4-game losing streak came to an end on February 27. We had the Spurs that night and cashed the ticket when the beat Sacramento and we believe they're in for another relatively wide-margin win against Dallas. San Antone has made a habit of winning in March. In fact, they're on a 20-6 ATS March run this year and last combined, outscoring the 26 opponents by an average of 113-98. They'll face a Mavericks' squad that's once again struggling, losing two in a row heading into Tuesday. Dallas has had their troubles on the defensive end where they have allowed over 108 ppg in their last six outings. The Mavs are on an 8-24-2 ATS slide against Western Conference opposition and they're on a 0-5 ATS slide when playing on one day of rest. They have also covered just 5 of the last 19 against teams with a winning record, allowing over 105 ppg. I'm laying the points with the Spurs, my Tuesday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Murray State on Monday. Murray State did not suffer a letdown after being snubbed by the NCAA tournament committee and blew out UTEP 81-66 as Jarvis Williams scored 25 points. However, it was the Racers' defense that was the story as they held the Miners to just a 35 percent field goal percentage which was a big improvement compared to the loss to Belmont which cost the Racers an NCAA bid. Tulsa held off William & Mary but the Golden Hurricane 0-4 ATS its last four home games. Murray State has won 11 road games in a row (7-3-1 ATS) and will have the best player on the floor in guard Cameron Payne, who averages 20.1 points per game. The Racers also have a huge advantage on offense as they average 78 points per game compared to 64 for Tulsa. Finally, Murray State enters on a 5-0-1 ATS run in non-conference action. I'm taking the points with Murray State, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Houston is coming off an ugly 15-point home loss to Phoenix last time out. Houston has been "money" this season following a double-digit loss, going 10-2 SU & ATS. They out-scored the opposition by an average of 108-99 in those 12 games. Tonight, they'll face a struggling Indiana team that's dropped five straight games outright and have covered just one of their last six games. Paul George may return tonight, the rumor mill has been busy saying George may return sometime this week. We don't care whether he plays or not in this one. James Harden scored 45 points in a 110-98 win over Indiana in January and he's likely to be unstoppable again tonight, especially with Rockets off the loss to Phoenix. Indiana enters on a 0-4 ATS slide at home and we'll go against them again tonight. I'm backing the Houston Rockets, my Road Warrior on Monday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Wichita State on Sunday. There's a lot on the line in this one. Obviously, a shot at an appearance in the Sweet-16 is the most important, but also, Wichita gets a chance to face their in-state opponent...finally. The Shockers have tried to get Kansas to accept a series for years, but the Jayhawks have avoided it. They can't this time. Wichita State owns a pair of outstanding guards that could play just about anywhere they please. Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker will give Kansas' guard-heavy squad troubles at both ends. Meanwhile, Kansas forward Perry Ellis is still not 100 percent healthy and the Jayhawks are still playing without Cliff Alexander. Kansas doesn't force turnovers and that plays into one of the Shockers' strengths. WSU is 29-12 ATS the last two seasons when facing teams that force no more than 14 turnovers per game, outscoring those 41 teams by an average of 72-57. The Shockers enter on a 46-21-2 ATS run, overall, while KU is on a 1-6 ATS slide in non-conference action. For those reasons and more, we're grabbing the points with Wichita State, my Sunday Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Notre Dame on Saturday. The Irish almost blew it in their win / non-cover against Northeastern on Thursday. There were times in the second half when Notre Dame led by double-digits and looked prime to run away with things, but they couldn't put the Huskies away. Part of the problem was that Notre Dame was one of a couple of teams in what I like to call the, "Opening Thursday Hangover Club." This involves power conference teams who won their conference tourney as underdogs going in, and are now playing a much lessor opponent in the early Thursday games. Not only do these teams have a quick and tough turnaround to get refocused, but it's also tough for the power team to take their first round opponent as a serious threat. It's hard to blame Notre Dame for not being as focused on Northeastern after upsetting Duke & North Carolina in back-to-back days over the weekend. Iowa State was in the same boat out of the Big-12 and got caught. The Irish found a way to at least advance. Now, with that behind them, I expect Mike Brey's team to get back on track on Saturday. Butler shot poorly on Thursday, but got passed a poorly-coached Texas squad. The Irish are anything but poorly coached. They're 5-1 ATS in their last six games, overall, while Butler is 1-5 ATS off a SU win. And Mike Brey's Irish teams are 50-29 ATS off a win by 6 or fewer points. I'm laying the spot with Notre Dame on Saturday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Xavier on Saturday. Xavier is playing with a chip on its shoulder playing its best basketball of the season winning four of its last five games after going three months without winning more than two in a row. The Musketeers held opponents to less than 40 percent from the floor in those games including against Mississippi, which shot just 32.9 percent. Matt Stainbrook scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds while Dee Davis scored 17 on Thursday. James Farr had 13 rebounds in 23 minutes. Georgia State shocked everyone by beating Baylor but seldom do the big upset winners in the first round win two in a row. The Panthers capitalized on 21 Baylor turnovers and even trailed the Bears by 12 points with less than three minutes to go in the game but look for Xavier to be more disciplined than Baylor. Xavier is continuing its traditional success in the NCAA tournament where it is 19-6-2 ATS. Also, Big Dance favorites of 3 1/2 to 9 1/2 points are on a 46-18 ATS run when facing a team on a winning streak of at least four straight games and is seeded in the 13 to 16 range. I'm laying the points with Xavier, my Tapout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Maryland. The Terps have won eight of its last nine games and they're on a current 6-0 ATS run. They're also 13-3 ATS in their last 16 neutral site games. Valparaiso is 28-5 but has only one impressive non-conference win and that was against Murray State. The Crusaders also have injury problems with guards Keith Carter, Darien Walker and Tevonn Walker all probable or questionable for this game and none feeling 100 percent healthy. Alec Peters leads Valpo with 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Maryland has a talented trio of Melo Trimble (16.3 ppg), Dezmine Wells (15.4) and Jake Layman (12.8) and I expect the triumvirate to present out-manned Valpo with serious matchup problems. Valparaiso is 0-4 ATS its last four games in the NCAA tournament. This is a pedigree call as the Terrapins have played much better competition. I'm laying the points with Maryland, my Second Round Smackdown. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Virginia on Friday. Full analysis soon. UVA loves playing against trey-heavy teams and Belmont is certainly that. No less than 48 percent of Belmont's shots are taken from behind the arc. UVA is 6-0 ATS away from home the last three seasons against teams that take at least 21 3-point shots per game. They're also a strong bounce-back squad under Tony Bennett, going 6-0 ATS the last two seasons following a loss by 6 points or less, holding the next opponent to just 54 ppg. And while UVA doesn't score a ton of points, it's not because they don't shoot well. They're hitting over 46 percent of their shots. With Belmont being virtually treys on offense and little defense, I expect UVA to not only slam the door on the defensive end, but to also score the ball at the other end of the floor. The line is big, but not big enough in my opinion and I'm laying the points with Virginia, my Tapout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with NC State on Thursday. The teams have similar records: LSU is 22-10 and 17-12-2 ATS and N.C. State is 20-13 and 16-12-2 ATS. Solid and experienced guards always have been a plus in tournament play and the Wolfpack have them with Trevor Lacy, Anthony Barber (probable) and Ralston Turner. Lacey (110) and Barber (122) combine for 232 assists. N.C. State has won six of its last eight games and on a current 7-2 ATS run. N.C. State got blown out against Duke in its last game but the Wolfpack is 10-0, 100% off a double-digit loss the last two seasons, including 4-0 ATS after losing by 20-plus points. LSU has lost two of its last three and they were against Tennessee and Auburn, two of the weaker teams in the SEC. The Tigers are 1-4 ATS their last five against ACC teams and I'm betting they'll be on the wrong end of things again. I'm laying the points with NC State, my Thursday night KNOCKOUT! Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Illinois State on Wednesday night. Illinois State had won six in a row before blowing an 18-point lead against Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and losing 69-60. It's understandable the Redbirds ran out of gas because they had just upset Wichita State the day before. Green Bay shot 30 percent in a 54-44 loss at Valparaiso in the Horizon League championship game. Guard Keifer Sykes, the Phoenix leading scorer with 18.8 points per game, scored 14 points and was the only player in double digits in the loss to the Crusaders. Guard Daishon Knight leads the Redbirds with 14.3 points per game and makes nearly 86 percent of his free throws. Green Bay enters on a 3-12 ATS slide against good defensive opponents, those that hold teams to no more than 64 ppg. Meanwhile, ISU is on an 11-2 ATS run at home against teams that make at least 45 percent of their shots, outscoring the 13 teams by an average of 70-57. Illinois State finished tied for third in a tougher conference and has the home court advantage here. I'm laying the points with Illinois State, my Mismatch release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with William & Mary on Tuesday night. William & Mary came close again to making the NCAA tournament for the first time in its history but all indications are the Tribe is excited to be in the NIT. William & Mary lost against Northeastern in the Colonial Conference tournament but that was a day after the Tribe had to endure a double overtime win against Hofstra. UWM has the edge on offense averaging 48.6 percent from the field compared to 42.1 percent for Tulsa. It figures to be difficult for the Golden Hurricane to get up for this one after a monumental collapse against Connecticut on Saturday and blowing a chance to face SMU for the AAC championship. Tulsa has lost three of its last four games while CWM has won four of its last six (4-2 ATS) and has the best player on the court in Marcus Thornton who averages 19.9 points per game. The Tribe enter on a 13-3-1 ATS run off a SU loss, while the Golden Hurricane are 0-4-1 ATS at home against teams with a losing road record, normally overpriced. I'm grabbing the points with William & Mary, my Tuesday NIT Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. After a 33-point loss to Cleveland, their fifth loss in seven games, Amare Stroudemire took on a bit of a leadership role. The newest member of the Mavericks basically told his new teammates it was time to get it together and right the ship. Stoudemire challenged his team saying there was too much goofing around in practice and even in games. The team responded with a focused effort on Friday night leading to a 129-99 win over the Clippers. I'm betting the newly found focus lasts more than one game. Dallas will be well rested with a feeling of getting back on track tonight when they host short-handed Oklahoma City, fresh off a game last night against Chicago. Kevin Durant is still out and Serge Ibaka is listed as questionable. While Ibaka may play, he is suffering from a sore knee. OKC has also been a solid go-against in tonight's spot, covering just five of their last 20 road games against teams with a winning home record. Meanwhile, Dallas has been a momentum team, covering four of their last five after winning a game by more than 10 points. I expect another win and cover for the Mavs tonight. I'm laying the points with Dallas, my Monday Night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with UConn on Sunday. Connecticut was playing one of its worst offensive games of the season for 36 minutes on Saturday and then went on a miraculous run to win and cover against Tulsa. The Huskies held Tulsa to a 29.3 percent field goal percentage and none of the Tulsa players scored in double digits. Ryan Boatwright again was the catalyst for UConn scoring 21 points and the Huskies now are 9-1 at the XL Center this season. One of those wins was 81-73 against SMU on March 1 which avenged an earlier 73-55 loss at SMU. UConn has to win this game to gain a berth in the NCAA tournament while the Mustangs know they're likely in. Getting points on what is essentially a home court for UConn along with its recent history of going on spectacular runs in the conference tournament makes it tough to go against the Huskies. They have been "money" at neutral sites with a 40-17 ATS run, while the Mustangs have covered just 6 of 27 on neutral floors. We'll grab the points with Connecticut, my DogPound Shocker. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Last night we jumped on a struggling Toronto Raptors squad in need of a win and they got it, covering the number for us along the way. Brooklyn is also struggling, having dropped five straight games, both SU & ATS. There probably won't be a ton of public takers at the books in Las Vegas today, but we will. Yes, Philadelphia won last night, a 114-107 victory over Sacramento, and yes, they have won two of their last three games. But the 76ers exerted a lot of energy, coming back from an 18 point third quarter deficit in the Friday night win. I expect them to be ripe for the picking tonight. The road has been kind to Nets' backers. Brooklyn enters on a 24-7 ATS run on the road following at least two straight ATS losses and they're on a 30-17 ATS run on the road following a road loss over the last two seasons. Big game for the Nets as their playoff chances are in need of a shot in the arm. I'm laying the points with the Nets, my Tapout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Michigan State. The Spartans are heating up at the right time. They have won three straight games, including yesterday's win over Ohio State. In fact, Tom Izzo's squad is two close losses away from a 9-game winning streak. The Spartans lost both meetings with the Terps this season, including an overtime loss. But the Spartans are playing much better basketball at this point of the season and I expect them to exact some revenge. Before making this play, even if MSU would have beaten OSU yesterday without his return to form, we needed to see a big game out of Branden Dawson. And after missing recent action with a facial injury, along with being caught-up in a bit of a slump, Dawson came up big and looked like the player we had grown used to. With Dawson back on his game, I expect the Spartans to win and advance on Saturday. Michigan State is 32-16 ATS in revenge of a same season loss and they have not lost three games to the same team in a season since the 2003-04 campaign. I'm laying the points with Michigan State, my Main Event GOY on Saturday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Raptors as they look to snap a personal 16-game losing streak to the Miami Heat. A big chunk of that came against Heat teams with LeBron James and a healthy Chris Bosh. And yes, the Raptors have been mired in a slump. But we should note that Toronto has not had the luxury of playing in the same venue two games in a row since before the all-star break. Some of their recent road games came at San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Dallas, New Orleans, Houston, and Atlanta. It certainly has not been an easy slate since the break. They have played just two home games in their last 11 outings, and the two homers came against Cleveland and Golden State. Tonight marks a drop in level of competition and I believe Toronto will snap the skid. The Heat head into this one on a 17-35-2 ATS slide off a SU win. And we should note that Dwane Casey teams are 12-2 ATS at home off of at least four straight losses. I'm laying the points with the Raptors on Friday, my Knockout release. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Davidson on Friday. Davidson has been a money-making machine this season with an incredible 22-4 ATS record and the Wildcats are on nine-game winning streak while covering the spread in every one of them. La Salle has been a money burner in A-10 play, currently on a 9-23-2 ATS slide (45-13 combined spots). Davidson won the first meeting 77-69 at La Salle on Feb. 14. The Explorers beat Massachusetts on Thursday as sophomore guard Jordan Price scored 28 points and La Salle made 25 of 33 free throw attempts. That scenario is unlikely to happen two days in a row especially against the Wildcats whose four leading scorers are guards led by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Tyler Kalinoski. Davidson is one of the better shooting teams in the country with a 47.5 percent field goal percentage as opposed to 41.7 for La Salle. The Wildcats will not take anything for granted as far as getting a berth in the NCAA tournament. I'm laying the points with Davidson on Friday, my Morning Massacre. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the short number with Butler on Thursday. Butler won the first meeting 88-76 but then was blown out 73-56 in an uninspired performance at Xavier. Forward Andrew Chrabascz missed that game with a broken hand but the whole team inexplicably came out flat for that game. All of which makes this a true revenge game for the Bulldogs. Chrabascz is back and the Bulldogs have won and covered three of their last four games. Meanwhile, Xavier has lost two of its last three and barely edged Creighton 74-73 on Saturday. Forward Trevon Bluiett leads the Musketeers with 12.2 points per game. Guard Kellen Dunham is the leading scorer for Butler with 16.6 points per game, but Dunham would like to atone for that earlier loss at Xavier as he got in early foul trouble and scored only nine points. The Bulldogs enter on a 37-14-2 ATS neutral court run and the fave is on a 4-0 ATS run in this series. I'm backing Butler to avenge that loss with the win on Thursday, my Revenge Game of the Month. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm backing Baylor on Thursday. Baylor was picked to be in the middle of the pack in many preseason Big 12 forecasts but the Bears, with the exception of Kentucky, are playing about as well as any team in the country. They've won five of their last six games (4-2 ATS) with the only loss being at Texas in overtime. Taurean Prince (14.0) leads four players averaging double digits and despite their offensive prowess, the Bears hold opponents to just a 40.2 field goal percentage. West Virginia has injury concerns with guards Juwan Staten and Gary Browne both doubtful for this game. Without Staten, Devin Williams is the only other player who averages double digits for the Mountaineers. Baylor has the motivation to stay hot and possibly get a better seed and they won both of this season's meetings by double digits. Baylor is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings and under Coach Drew, they're 9-1 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 3 or less, winning those games by an average of 11 ppg. I'm laying the small number with Baylor on Thursday, my Morning Massacre. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Creighton on Wednesday night. Both teams have had disappointing seasons, however, at least Creighton has shown signs of life with a 5-0-1 ATS record its last six games. The last four losses for the Bluejays have been by a total of eight points and they almost upset Villanova. The Jays are a handful of minutes and baskets from six more wins and six fewer losses, being in virtually 50-50 games with less than two minutes to go in half-a-dozen losses this season. They're "this close" to a record as good as 19-12, which would have them in Big Dance contention. DePaul, meanwhile, has lost seven in a row may replace coach Oliver Purnell who hasn't been able to turn the program around. The Blue Demons have shot nust 38 percent the last five games and they have lost 10 of their last 11 games, eight of which were by 10 or more points. They ended the regular season with a 10-point loss against lowly Marquette. DePaul is 1-10 ATS in neutral site games, while the Jays are on a 6-0 ATS run off a SU loss. I'm laying the points with Creighton, my Wednesday Smackdown. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Spurs on Tuesday night. Tim Duncan failed to make a FG in Sunday's win over Chicago. It marked the first time Duncan has failed to do so in his entire career. Having said that, the Spurs won 116-105 anyway, and Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard have both broken out of their slumps. Toronto, meanwhile, have not played two straight games in the same venue since February 11. Eight of their 10 post-all-star break games have been played on the road and they're just 1-8 SU (2-7 ATS) since breating Atlanta on February 20. But the Raptors have dealt with some bumps and bruises and they have allowed over 108 ppg over their last six contests. Now throw in a chance for the Spurs to gain a measure of revenge for an 87-82 loss in early February, and we have a play on the home chalk. The Spurs have won five straight (covering four) with three of the wins coming in March. San Antonio is now on a 15-4 ATS run this March and last, out-scoring their 19 opponents by an average of 112-95. San Antone is heating up. I'm laying the points with the Spurs, my Tuesday night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm taking the points with Pepperdine on Monday night. Gonzaga is only 3-6 ATS its last nine games mainly because of some high spread numbers and also the fact that it's playing teams for the second and now third time this season. Pepperdine already has covered both meetings including a two-point home loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 15. Gonzaga has the clear advantage on offense but defensively the teams have similar statistics. In fact, in their last five games, the Waves have held opponents to less than 36 percent from the floor. Also, Gonzaga's leading scorer, Kyle Wiltjer, suffered a hip injury in Saturday's game and probably won't be near 100 percent healthy. Pepperdine has been a well-kept secret, currently on a 37-18-2 ATS run, overall. They're also on a 7-1-1 ATS run against teams with a winning record. The Bulldogs are playing like a team that can't wait to end the conference season so they can begin to do some damage in the NCAA tournament. I'm grabbing the points with Pepperdine, my Monday Tourney Slam Dunk Shocker. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies on Monday night. The Chicago Bulls return home off a 0-2 road trip. Losing Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler is truly hamstringing this team. Last night, in a 116-105 loss at San Antonio, the Bulls committed 22 turnovers. The task will remain tough even though they're back home tonight. Memphis enters with a 20-11 SU road record on th e season and will look to atone for a poor performance in a loss to New Orleans on Saturday. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph had a rare bad night on the offensive end, but I expect a bounce back against an out-manned Bulls' team. Memphis is on a 5-0-1 ATS run against teams that have won more than 60 percent of their games, while the road team has covered four straight in the series. More of the same. I'm laying the points with the Grizzlies, my Monday Night Knockout. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Maryland on Sunday night. Maryland is coming off a 60-50 win at Rutgers on Tuesday even though the Terrapins shot only 38.6 percent from the floor and just 5-of-22 from beyond the arc. Melo Trimble made only three shots in 13 attempts but that could be a good sign for this game as Trimble invariably has bounced back with great performances following a bad one. The trio of Trimble, Delmine Wells and Jake Layman average between 13.2 and 16 points per game. Nebraska is 8-17-1 ATS and on a seven-game losing streak. They look about as focused on the task at hand as the Denver Nuggets did before firing Brian Shaw. While I'm a Tim Miles fan, there's definitely something causing a disconnect between players and coaches and the Huskers have been a mess. Maryland heads into this one with an 8-2-1 ATS vs teams with losing records. The Terps won the first meeting at home by only four points and they already have second place locked up in the Big 10. However, current form leads me to believing there's serious value on the visitor. I'm laying the points with Maryland, my Matchup Mismatch on Sunday night. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

I'm laying the points with Northern Iowa on Sunday. Illinois State shocked the Shockers on Saturday with a 65-62 win but it is probably asking too much for the Redbirds to produce another big upset the following day. And we saw Wichita go through the motions in their Friday tourney game, also. Northern Iowa will not go through the motions. They're 29-3 SU and 18-9-3 ATS, including 5-0 ATS on neutral courts this season. In fact, the Panthers have won more road/neutral games (14) than any other team this season. Northern Iowa won both meetings during the regular season including a 19-point home win on Feb. 11. Illinois State has won six in a row but mostly against weak to mediocre competition except for Saturday's game. The Redbirds are 5-11 ATS their last 16 games. Look for ISU to have their hopes dashed in this one. I'm laying the points with Northern Iowa, my Tourney Slam Dunk on Sunday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.