The Suns don't need Kevin Durant to cover this small home point spread.

Phoenix is 5-1 in its last six games. The Suns' lone loss during this span came to the Bucks by three points on the road. Phoenix's average winning margin during this time frame is 15.8 points.

The Suns are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 home games. Devin Booker is on fire averaging 38 points during his last four games.

The Kings are much improved. Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox are having superstar-type seasons. But the Kings are not an elite team. They are off a 122-117 home win against the Knicks two days ago where they were outrebounded, 58-42.

The Suns defeated the Kings, 120-109, in the team's last meeting on Feb. 14. Phoenix also beat the Kings on the road by five points in the first meeting this season.

Utah State averages nearly 80 points a game. But the Aggies are heavily reliant on their 3-point shooting.

San Diego State has an elite defense, especially when it comes to defending 3-pointers. The Aztecs rank 15th in the country in 3-point defense.

The Aztecs are in top defensive form, too. They just held San Jose State to 49 points. San Diego State is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games and 8-2-1 ATS versus above .500 opponents.

San Diego State beat Utah State in the last meeting. Look for the Aztecs to do it again here.

The Raptors hung in against the Nuggets this past Monday taking it to the final minute before losing. Toronto then was homered in a 108-100 loss to the Clippers two days ago. The Raptors shot just 38.5 percent from the floor in that game and the Clippers got to shoot 17 more free throws. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George played for the Clippers in that matchup.

Now the hungry Raptors step down in class to face the Lakers, who remain without LeBron James.

The Lakers are fat and happy having won their last two games, both at home beating the Warriors and Grizzlies. D'Angelo Russell is expected back for LA. However, he figures to be rusty having missed the last six games.

The Raptors beat the Lakers earlier this season and have covered 13 of the last 16 times on the road against LA.

I find this line to be way short given how well Sam Houston State has been playing. 

Not only does Sam Houston State outscore Grand Canyon on the season, but the Bearkats are the fifth-best defensive team in the nation both in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage.

The 25-6 Bearkats are peaking at the perfect time. They've won eight in a row going 7-1 ATS. 

Sam Houston State has held their last seven opponents to an average of 53.7 points in regulation. None of these foes was able to reach 60 points. 
Grand Canyon was three games worse than Sam Houston State during the Western Athletic Conference regular season. The Lopes are 22-11 on the season. 

Sam Houston State is 9-1-1 ATS the past 11 times when playing an opponent with a winning record.  

There were 123 points scored when these teams last met. That was no fluke. These teams play slow and points are at a premium.

That's especially so during the Big West Conference Tournament, which is played at the neutral site of the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.

All four Big West Tourney games went Under on Thursday, including Fullerton-Hawaii, which went to overtime. All together, the Under has cashed in five of the six Big West Tourney games.

Fullerton has not scored more than 62 points in regulation during its last four games. Irvine is averaging 53.3 points in its last three games.

The Knicks are tied for the best road record in the NBA at 20-12.

New York just suffered its first loss since Feb. 10, ambushed by the Hornets at home this past Tuesday. That ended the Knicks' nine-game win streak. The Knicks had just beaten the Celtics in double-overtime at Boston prior to meeting the Knicks.

The Knicks ran out of gas against the Hornets after leading by 16 points at halftime.

Now the Knicks have regrouped and gotten their focus back. This is the first of four games on the West Coast for the Knicks. I'm expecting a strong effort following that surprising loss to the double-digit underdog Hornets.

The Kings are expected to get De'Aaron Fox back from a hamstring injury. But the Knicks could get back their star point guard, Jalen Brunson, from a foot injury. He made the trip to Sacramento.

The Knicks are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games. They also have covered 74 percent of their last 43 away games.

Nevada had little trouble handling San Jose State during the regular season. The Wolf Pack beat the Spartans, 66-51, at home and 67-40 on the road.

I don't see the Wolf Pack encountering problems in this Mountain West Conference Tournament matchup at neutral site Las Vegas.

Nevada has covered 13 of its last 18 neutral site games.

San Jose State is a one-man show when it comes to scoring. Omari Moore is the Spartans' only player averaging double-figures in scoring. The Spartans will need to hit their 3-pointers to stay in the game. They are not a good long-range shooting team.

Nevada is the deeper and superior team with two excellent defenders, Tre Coleman and Kenan Blackhshear, to limit Moore and clamp down on the Spartans inside.

Washington State is peaking at the right time. The Cougars have won their last seven games. I like their chances against Oregon, which hasn't played in five days, in this Pac-12 Conference Tournament matchup.

Oregon has failed to cover in eight of its last 10 neutral site games.

The teams just met on Feb. 19 at Washington State and the Cougars won, 68-65.

The Raptors rank seventh defensively giving up 112.1 points per game. That average shrinks to 108.1 points going by their last six games.

However, we have a high total here because the Clippers have been getting torched on the defensive end.

I see a renewed defensive commitment from the Clippers starting with this game.

This is the first time in nine games the Clippers are playing an Eastern Conference foe. Their last eight games have all been against Western Conference opponents, including the high-scoring Kings twice, Nuggets and Warriors.

Toronto ranks 23rd in scoring at 112.6 points. The Raptors don't play fast like many Western Conference teams.

The Clippers still rank 13th in the league defensively. The Under has cashed in 26 of their last 35 home games for 74 percent.

The Under also has cashed six of the past eight times these two teams have met.

Georgetown has failed to break 70 points during its last five games. The Hoyas managed only 59 points against Creighton in their last game.

Villanova gives up fewer than 68 points per game on the season. The Hoyas are going to have to earn their points the hard way as they are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country.

This should be a very slow-paced game. Villanova plays at the slowest tempo of any Big East team.

Note, too, the venue: Madison Square Garden. This is a spacious arena with a history of Unders. The Under has cashed 69 percent of the time during the past 39 instances when there has been a total of 136 or higher at this arena in postseason college games.

I get that it's been a very disappointing season for Wisconsin, who are 17-13 and went 9-11 in the Big Ten. But the Badgers underdogs to Ohio State? No way.

The Buckeyes are 13-18, 5-15 in the Big Ten. They had a prolonged stretch where they went 1-14 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes aren't winning five games in five days through the Big Ten Conference Tournament gauntlet to make the NCAA Tournament - and they know it.

Wisconsin is capable of beating any team, something Ohio State isn't. The Badgers defeated sixth-ranked Marquette and took third-ranked Kansas to overtime. The Badgers are a bubble team. They know they must win at least the next three games to stay in realistic contention for an NCAA Tournament bid.

The Badgers have an elite defense, giving up 63.8 points. That ranks them 33rd in the nation and is six points fewer per game than Ohio State allows.

Wisconsin holds a big coaching edge, too, with Greg Gard against Chris Holtmann.

The teams met once during the regular season. The Badgers beat the Buckeyes, 65-60, at Ohio State. Now they're playing at a neutral site.

This is a cheap price to get Stephen F. Austin in this first round Western Athletic Conference Tournament matchup. The Lumberjacks are 19-12 and the No. 6 seed in the tournament. They are a darkhorse to win the tourney.

Utah Tech is 13-18. The Trailblazers won just five of 18 conference games. They are 2-5 in their last seven games. 

Stephen F. Austin had no problem handling the Trailblazers when they played in Utah during the regular season, winning 85-72. 

This isn't the St. Peter's team of last season. The Peacocks haven't been awful as some might have thought they'd be in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, but they are far from good after losing so much from last year. 

I don't see the Peacocks getting past Fairfield in this MAAC Tournament. 

St. Peter's has the worst offense in the conference. Nationally, the Peacocks rank 352nd in scoring, 361th in field goal percentage and 357th in 3-point percentage. 

Fairfield isn't much better offensively, but the Staggs play tough defense and just scored 92 points against Quinnipiac. St. Peter's is averaging 58.5 points in regulation during its last six years. 

The Stags defeated St. Peter's in both regular season meetings, winning 56-52 on the road on Jan. 15 and 67-55 at home on Dec. 3. 

The 12-17 Peacocks nipped Siena, 73-72, in overtime during their last game. St. Peter's, however, is 0-11 ATS after covering in their previous game. 

Fairfield is 19-7 ATS the past 26 times against below .500 foes.

The Knicks are generating headlines with nine wins in a row, the last coming in double-overtime on the road against the Celtics two days ago.

No one is talking about the Hornets. Not that they should be. Charlotte doesn't have injured star point guard LaMelo Ball and has dropped three in a row.

However, this situation lays out well for the Hornets to keep within double-digits of New York.

The Knicks are playing for the seventh time in 12 days. Their last four games have been against four long-time rivals - Celtics, Nets, Heat and Celtics again. They nipped the Heat and Celtics on the road by two points each in their last two games.

Now the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden fat and happy. They will go on a four-game West Coast trip that begins Thursday following this matchup.

This is a real flat spot for the Knicks, who could be without their own star point guard, Jalen Brunson. He's questionable with an ankle injury.

Despite not having Ball, the Hornets are capable. Charlotte usually plays with effort and energy for Steve Clifford. The Hornets have held four of their last five opponents to 106 points or fewer. Ball was their leading scorer. But Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terry Rozier both average more than 20 points a game. Dennis Smith is a capable veteran point guard. He's also a former Knick.

The Hornets have covered five of the last seven times when playing the Knicks on the road.

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton may have said it best when asked about the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, which begins today. ''We have our work cut out for us with who we are this particular year,'' Hamilton said.

That's certainly true. Florida State is 9-22. The Seminoles are 2-9 in their last 11 games. They have failed to cover in eight of their last nine games. I don't see them upsetting Georgia Tech in this ACC tournament opener.

The Yellow Jackets have gotten hot, winning five of the last six games. They have covered in each of their last eight games.

Georgia Tech has momentum and its confidence up. Skidding Florida State just lost by 22 points to Virginia Tech as a 10-point road 'dog this past Saturday.

Backing the Yellow Jackets on the money line should be a safe play.

The Raptors are a mediocre Eastern Conference club that has a losing record on the season, mainly because of a 12-20 road mark.

Only once have the Raptors played an above .500 team during their last 10 games. That was a road game against the Cavaliers. Cleveland buried the Raptors, 118-93.

Denver is 29-4 at home. The Nuggets have lost once at home since Dec. 6. Denver has won each of its last seven home games by nine or more points.

So why should this home matchup be any different?

It shouldn't. The Raptors are 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games and that includes covering against the Wizards in overtime this past Saturday.

The Raptors have failed to cover on the road against the Nuggets in six of their last seven visits. Playing in Denver's thin mountain air isn't going to help them coming off a Saturday night overtime game that was played on the East Coast.

The Nuggets have covered each of the last six times they've hosted an opponent with a below .500 road record.

Idaho State is 11-20. I'm surprised the Bengals even have that many wins because they are terrible.

Montana has underachieved in going 16-13, 10-7 in the Big Sky. But the Grizzlies have a huge talent edge here along with momentum. The fourth-seeded Grizzlies are very live to capture the Big Sky Conference Tournament.

Montana is 7-1 in its last eight games. Idaho State is 2-5 in its last seven games. Josh Bannan and Aanen Moody give the Grizzlies the two best players on the court.

The Grizzlies were 2-0 against Idaho State during the regular season winning 84-55 at home and 69-61 on the road.

Don't overthink this one. Louisiana Lafayette is 25-7 and 13-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. South Alabama is 19-15 and 9-9 in the Sun Belt. Lafayette has the superior record and is the better team.

So I like the Ragin' Cajuns to win this game. That's why I'm going with them on the money line.

Lafayette won both regular season meetings against South Alabama beating the Jaguars, 79-76 and 74-64. The Ragin Cajuns average nearly eight more points per game than the Jaguars.

The Avalanche are back scoring. They've produced three or more goals in each of their last 10 games.

But until Colorado solves its recent defensive woes, the team can't be backed and the Over is an inviting way to go.

The Avalanche have surrendered seven goals each to the Stars and Devils during their last two games. Goalie is a concern for Colorado with Pavel Francouz out and Alexandar Georgiev not playing well. This could mean a start for third-stringer Keith Kinkaid.

Seattle has scored at least four goals in six of its last eight games.

Barring the unlikely possibility of winning the Big Ten Conference Tournament, Wisconsin better win this game if it has any chance of earning an NCAA Tourney bid.

The Badgers are 16-13 with a lot of close losses, including a 63-61 home loss to fifth-ranked Purdue this past Thursday.

Wisconsin should take care of business against Minnesota, a team it has defeated 14 of the last 16 times, including the past five. The Badgers are 5-0 ATS following a loss.

Minnesota, 2-16 in the Big Ten, is in a rare fat-and-happy mood having ended a 12-game losing streak with a 75-74 home upset win against Rutgers this past Thursday.

After missing the past 11 games with a knee injury, Stephen Curry is set to return here against the Lakers. Aside from Curry likely to be rusty, the Lakers are in must-win mode and catch the Warriors fat and happy after Golden State just swept its five-game homestand.

So this spot sets up for the underdog Lakers especially given the Warriors' Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde home/road performances. Golden State is 27-7 at home and 7-23 on the road.

The Lakers can't afford to lose home games like they did to the Timberwolves this past Friday. They did get Anthony Davis back for that. I'm expecting a much more focused and intense effort from the Lakers.

The Warriors are playing for the seventh time in 11 days. Every one of their five victories during their recent homestand were come-from-behind wins with four of those games involving double-digit comebacks.

Golden State isn't going to be able to turn the switch on and off like that being on the road, where it has lost the past five times going 0-4-1 ATS.

After missing the past 11 games with a knee injury, Stephen Curry is set to return here against the Lakers. Aside from Curry likely to be rusty, the Lakers are in must-win mode and catch the Warriors fat and happy after Golden State just swept its five-game homestand.

So this spot sets up for the underdog Lakers especially given the Warriors' Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde home/road performances. Golden State is 27-7 at home and 7-23 on the road.

The Lakers can't afford to lose home games like they did to the Timberwolves this past Friday. They did get Anthony Davis back for that. I'm expecting a much more focused and intense effort from the Lakers.

The Warriors are playing for the seventh time in 11 days. Every one of their five victories during their recent homestand were come-from-behind wins with four of those games involving double-digit comebacks.

Golden State isn't going to be able to turn the switch on and off like that being on the road, where it has lost the past five times going 0-4-1 ATS.

Surprised the Raptors opened an away favorite against the Wizards after just losing to Washington, 119-108, on the road this past Thursday?

Don't be.

The oddsmaker knows what he is doing. I see Toronto bouncing back in this shortest of revenge spots.

The Raptors were flat against the Wizards. They played terribly and Toronto coach Nick Nurse let them know about that. He questioned his team's energy and competitive juices.

Nurse is a good coach. He knows how to make proper adjustments and to motivate his team. I'm looking for the Raptors to put forth a strong effort this time around.

The Raptors have covered the past four times after losing by double-digits.

Back when UNLV was playing much better, the Rebels defeated Nevada, 68-62, at home on Jan. 28. Since then UNLV only has managed to beat three of the four worst teams in the Mountain West Conference. The Rebels were a no-show in their last game, a 91-66 home loss to Utah State this past Wednesday.

If it wasn't for a last-second tip-in in a 54-53 home win against Air Force, the Rebels would be 0-5 in their last five games.

So I don't see the Rebels staying with revenge-minded Nevada.

The 22-8 Wolf Pack need this game to have a good chance of landing an NCAA Tournament berth. Nevada is a perfect 15-0 at home. The Wolf Pack will have a sellout crowd at home on senior night playing their arch-rival. They are the superior team catching a downtrodden UNLV team. Expect a double-digit Wolf Pack victory.

The handicap here is very straightforward. Denver is extremely tough at home and in short revenge. The Grizzlies are terrible on the road.

The Nuggets are 28-4 at home. Their last loss at Ball Arena came on Dec. 6. They've been idle since Tuesday and have revenge for an 18-point road loss to the Grizzlies suffered six days ago.

The Grizzlies are 12-18 on the road. Until they beat the bottom-feeding Rockets in Houston two days ago, the Grizzlies had lost eight consecutive away games going 1-7 ATS in those matchups.

I'm very surprised Kansas City opened as a 'dog to Nebraska Omaha in this Summit League Tournament matchup.

UMKC is 11-20. Nebraska Omaha is 8-22. The Mavericks have lost 10 of their last 11 games. UMKC beat them in both meetings during the regular season, 64-61, on Jan. 26 and 75-59 on the road Dec. 31.

The Kangaroos give up nearly nine points fewer per game than Nebraska Omaha. They also are a much stronger rebounding team than the Mavericks.

UMKC has the best player on the court, too, in Rayquawndis Mitchell.

Mercer has become much improved defensively. So this is a good matchup for the Bears because The Citadel is very bad offensively and not good either on defense giving up nearly 75 points a game.

The teams just met on Feb. 25. Mercer held the Bulldogs to 50 points in a 22-point victory. Mercer also defeated The Citadel in the first meeting, 74-65, on the road.

It's clear who the better team is here.

Cal Irvine is 36 teams above UC Riverside in the KenPom rankings. I agree with that assessment. I have the Anteaters as the better team, too. They destroyed the Highlanders, 83-64, as 6 1/2-point home favorites on Feb. 11. 

Cal Irvine has the second-best offense in the Big West and surrenders fewer points per game than UC Riverside. 

The Anteaters also have dominated the Highlanders winning and covering during the past five meetings. They've also gone 7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS the last eight times when playing at UC Riverside. 

These two teams met twice during the regulation season. There were 127 and 122 points scored during those two games.

Now Illinois-Chicago and Missouri State are meeting again with the stakes much higher - the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. So the defensive intensity is going to be even greater.

The game is being played at a neutral site, Enterprise Arena in St. Louis. This venue is set up for hockey not basketball. Historically there have been a lot of Unders because of the tough shooting background.

Illinois Chicago ranks 289th in scoring, 315th in field goal percentage and 336th in free throw percentage. Missouri State has the 32nd best defense in the country holding foes to 63.7 points a game.

The Bears, though, average only 65.8 points per game and are even worse from the foul line than Illinois-Chicago. No Missouri Valley team plays at a slower tempo either than Missouri State.

The Spurs are playing their first home game since Feb. 3. Their season-long nine-game road trip finally has finished.

So I'm looking for a loosely-played, up-tempo game.

The Pacers certainly should produce their share of points. They rank 12th in scoring without the benefit of getting to play too many games against weak defensive opponents from the Western Conference.

Indiana is averaging 123.3 points in regulation during its last three games against much stronger defenses than the Spurs, while getting high level play from Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. San Antonio is the worst defensive team in the NBA ranking in the bottom in scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense.

The Pacers, though, have a bottom-10 defense. The Spurs should be motivated to put on a show being back home and having just ended their 16-game losing streak.

There were 271 points scored in the first meeting, won by the Spurs, 137-134. It won't take nearly that many to get this total Over.

Rider is a much better team than St. Peter's. Rider is 12-6 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference while St. Peter's is 6-12 in league.

It's not just the conference records either. The Broncos buried the Peacocks, 82-61, at home on Feb. 3.

Both teams are tough defensively. But St. Peter's can't score. The Peacocks average 61.3 points a game, which ranks 354th. They also are 362nd in field goal percentage and 358th in 3-point shooting percentage in addition to being well below average in free throw shooting.

I'm not putting any stock in St. Peter's being home either. The Peacocks are 1-4 ATS in their last five home contests while Rider has covered its last five away games.

After winning three in a row, the Lakers lost LeBron James and then lost to the Grizzlies, 121-109, last night in their first game without James.

James remains out. But I believe the Lakers bounce back in this revenge spot against the Thunder. The Lakers have had a game to adjust to James' absence. Oklahoma City also is without its own LeBron James with All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined. He's missed the Thunder's past three games due to an abdominal strain and a right ankle injury. Oklahoma City is 0-3 in those games losing by nine points to the Suns and suffering losses to the Kings by nine and six points.

The Thunder have allowed 123, 124 and 124 points in their past three games. LA is the better defensive team.

The teams met on Feb. 7. James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record in that game, but the Thunder won. The Lakers haven't forgotten. They are a better all-around team following the trade deadline minus Russell Westbrook and with the addition of several good rotation players. 

If you're into bad Atlantic 10 Conference games then this is a good matchup. I'm involved because I don't believe St. Joe's should be a home 'dog to Richmond.

The Spiders could have the worst offense in the A-10. They also are terrible on the road failing to cover in 10 of their last 11 away games. Overall, Richmond is 2-10 ATS in its past dozen games. 

St. Joe's, by contrast, is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 home games. The Hawks outscore the Spiders and do a good job of not turning the ball over. They often are undervalued, like this time, going 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games. 

The Big South Conference Tournament isn't exactly a big deal. But good spots can be found. This is one of them as High Point is playing much better than Charleston Southern and is the superior team so the price certainly is right to back the Panthers.

High Point brings momentum into the tournament winning four of its last five games while going 5-0 ATS.

That's not the case for Charleston Southern. The Buccaneers are 2-11 SU, 3-10 ATS in their last 13 games.

Charleston Southern is the worst defensive team in the Big South. How bad defensively are the Buccaneers? They rank 304th in scoring defense nationally, 328th in defensive field goal percentage and 330th in 3-point defense.

The Panthers are 9-2 ATS the past 11 times when facing a below .400 opponent, which the 9-20 Buccaneers are. High Point beat Charleston Southern, 81-73, at home when the teams last played on Feb. 6.

The total has dropped but it still is worth going Under. 

Much has changed since the Lakers nipped the Grizzlies, 122-121, last month. Memphis is playing much stronger defense now. The Lakers have altered their roster. Russell Westbrook and his fast-tempo style have departed. LeBron James is out with a foot injury. D'Angelo Russell isn't likely to play either due to an ankle sprain. 

Memphis is giving up an average of 105.1 points during its last seven games. That low figure shrinks even more to 102.8 if you toss out the 119 points the Grizzlies surrendered to the Celtics, the fourth-highest scoring team in the NBA, four games ago. Memphis held the powerful Nuggets to 94 points in its last game this past Saturday. That was 23 points below the Nuggets' season average. 

The Lakers have held their last three opponents to an average of 107 points. Those foes were the Pelicans, Warriors and Mavericks, three pretty good offenses. 

Both teams have games on Wednesday. So if the game were to get out of hand star players such as Ja Morant and Anthony Davis could see reduced minutes. 

This line is out of whack. Both teams are 20-9 and battling for third place in the Mid-American Conference. Ball State State was a three-point home favorite against Akron on Jan. 6 and won, 70-63.

Now look at the line.

This should be a very close game. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Cardinals win again. They are in better current form although they got a jolt in their last game losing as road chalk to Eastern Michigan this past Saturday. Before that defeat, though, Ball State had won seven of its past eight games.

The Cardinals should be highly-focused following that wake-up call. They are 16-5 ATS (76 percent) the past 21 times following a loss. Ball State also has covered four of the last five times against opponents with a winning percentage above .600.

Akron, by contrast, is 1-7 ATS the past eight times when it has met a foe with a winning percentage above .600. The Zips' 14-1 home record looks impressive, but they have a losing ATS mark on the season and are 3-3 during their last six games.

The teams have similar statistics. Ball State, however, ranks 43rd nationally in 3-point percentage. That's nearly 100 teams better than Akron in that key category.

It's easy to envision each team producing at least 3 goals in this game of bottom feeders. Chicago ranks 26th defensively. The Ducks are last defensively.

The Blackhawks have been playing well. They are averaging four goals a game during their last five games against better defenses than the Ducks.

Chicago, though, has allowed 3 or more goals in 10 of its last 11 games.

The Ducks have produced at least 3 goals in seven of their last nine games, including scoring 3 goals on the road against the Hurricanes in their last game.

The Over has cashed in seven of the Ducks' last eight home games.

It's only late February. But this matchup has the makings of a playoff game with all the defensive intensity that comes with that.

New York has won five in a row. Boston is 9-2 in its last 11 games since losing, 120-117 in overtime, to the Knicks on the road a month ago. There were 220 points scored in regulation during that game.

Both teams are underrated defensively and have been playing well on the defensive end.

The Celtics are giving up an average of 104.3 points during their last nine games if you discount their overtime games. Boston ranks in the top-eight in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage.

The Knicks have held their last seven opponents to an average of 105.1 points, not including their 126-120 win against the Jazz. New York ranks ninth in scoring defense and are in the top four in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense.

A hidden key to this Under is center Mitchell Robinson being back healthy for New York.

Robinson is a premier shot-blocker - the only shot-blocking threat the Knicks have - and New York's second-best rebounder. His presence strongly fortifies the Knicks' front-court defense.

Robinson has been back for two games now. In those two games, the Knicks held the Wizards to 109 points - which is four points below Washington's season scoring average - and the Pelicans to 106 points, which is eight points under New Orleans' season scoring average.

This is an opening round game of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Both teams are each 17-14. But sources tell me Queens is the right side. Early money has come on Queens, too. Queens defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 84-82, when the teams met late last month. Queens outscored Florida Gulf Coast by seven points in the second half. 

The Warriors are 23-7 at home. They are without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins. They didn't need those two in their last home game, a 116-101, win against the Rockets this past Friday.

The Timberwolves are a step up from the lowly Rockets. But Minnesota isn't good enough on the road to pull off the upset here. The Timberwolves are 11-17 on the road. They have a key injury themselves with Karl-Anthony Towns out.

Golden State has won six of its past seven home games. The Warriors are primed to make a move down the stretch. I don't expect them to lose at home to a mediocre Timberwolves team.

Even given home-court advantage, I don't think Stanford should even be favored against Washington let alone laying mid-sized points like this.

So I'm on the Huskies. Washington is 16-13 and 8-10 in the Pac-12. Stanford is 11-17 and 5-12 in the Pac 12.

Washington is playing much better than the Cardinal, too. The Huskies have won three in a row. They are 6-0 ATS in their last six games. Stanford has lost five of its last six games, including the past three.

The teams met on Jan. 12 in Seattle and the Huskies easily won, 86-69. The Cardinal could connect on just nine of 29 3-point attempts. It wasn't a fluke. The Huskies rate seventh in the country in 3-point defense while Stanford is 306th in 3-point defense.

The Heat are in stop-the-pain mode having lost three in a row. They were embarrassed by the Bucks, 128-99, last night in Milwaukee.

Charlotte, on the other hand, is fat and happy having won three straight after beating the Timberwolves, 121-113, on the road last night.

Miami is the No. 2 defensive team in the NBA. Minnesota ranks 28th defensively allowing 10 more points per game than the Heat.

The Hornets usually fail to step up against better teams, too, with a 12-25 record versus above .500 opponents.

I find this line to be way off. Utah Valley is the best team in the Western Athletic Conference at 12-3. Abilene Christian, by contrast, is 7-9 in league.

The Wolverines shouldn't lack motivation after getting upset on the road by Tarleton State in their last game. Utah Valley had won five in a row until that defeat. The Wolverines are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 away games.

The 21-7 Wolverines are a better rebounding team than Abilene Christian and much better in defensive field goal percentage. Utah Valley ranks fifth in the country in defensive field goal percentage. Abilene Christian ranks 353rd.

The Wildcats are 4-8 in their last 12 games.

It's not too much to ask of Utah Valley just to win the game straight-up so I'm backing the Wolverines on the money line.

Just three games ago, Nevada handled Fresno State winning, 77-66, as a nine-point home favorite. Fresno State is playing better and is home. But the point spread is still too short.

Fresno State only averages 61.7 points. That's 351st. Nevada should reach 70 points just like it did two weeks ago against the Bulldogs. Fresno State is 1-6 when giving up 70-plus points.

The Bulldogs' key is their pressure defense. They rank second in the Mountain West Conference in creating takeaways. Nevada, however, ranks 27th in the nation in fewest turnover percentage. They turned the ball over just 10 times in the first meeting against the Bulldogs.

I want the Warriors going for me after they lost on the road to the Lakers last night in their first game back from All-Star break. Golden State is home where it has played far better with a 22-7 mark.

The Warriors also have the advantage of having had a game following All-Star break. Houston's last game was nine days ago.

The Rockets entered the break having lost seven in a row. Their last two games - both on the road - were a 19-point loss to the 76ers and a 37-point defeat to the Thunder.

Golden State is the No. 2 scoring team in the NBA at 118.5 points a game. The Rockets rank 26th defensively and 29th in scoring.

Stephen Curry remains out, but Houston is minus its two leading scorers, Kevin Porter Jr. (foot) and Jalen Green (groin).

Defense and a 7-23 road record have been the killers for Golden State. But the Warriors are home here and have made a commitment and priority to playing stronger defense having had ample time during the All-Star break. It's not like the Warriors aren't capable. They had the No. 2 defense last season.

Look for the Jets to play well in this spot back home from a 1-3 road trip. Winnipeg is 20-8 at Canada Life Centre, including winning the past three times there. 

The Jets have won three in a row against the Avalanche, too, including twice this season. 

Colorado has won three consecutive games, but won't have star defenseman Cale Makar. He's out due to post-concussion symptoms. The Avalanche also hasn't played in four days. That's too much time off this late in the season. So their momentum could be derailed. 

Winnipeg is 7-1 at home versus Central Division foes. I'm expecting Connor Hellebuyck to be in net. He stopped 40 shots when the Jets shut out the Avalanche, 5-0, when they last met on Nov. 29. 

The Bruins have a seven-point lead over the Hurricanes for the best record in the NHL. It could prove difficult for Boston to be up for every one of its games. But the Bruins are sure to be heavily motivated for this matchup. 

It was the Kraken who dealt the Bruins their first home loss of the season with a stunning, 3-0, victory on Jan. 12. It also was the only time this season Boston failed to score. 

The Bruins have had this rematch circled ever since. It's their only chance to get revenge unless the teams happen to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Seattle lost to the Sharks, 4-0, in its last game this past Monday. The Bruins last played on Monday, too, beating the Senators, 3-1, for their fourth straight victory. 

Boston is 19-6-2 on the road. The Bruins have won their last three away games beating the Predators, Stars and Maple Leafs by a combined margin of 13-4. 

Linus Ullmark is expected to be in net for the Bruins. He's 29-4-1 with a 1.88 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. Those are Vezina Trophy numbers. Ullmark has surrendered just seven goals in his last four games. The Bruins rank No. 1 in scoring defense and penalty killing. They also are the second-highest scoring team in the league.

I would be very surprised if the Bruins lose a second time to Seattle. 

These teams just met three games ago. The final in that one was Lakers, 109-103, for a total of 212 points.

I'm expecting another low-scoring game this time around, too.

The Warriors were the No. 2 ranked defense last season. Now they rank 27th defensively. They are due to start playing much defense. I see that starting now, following All-Star break, where intensity increases.

The Lakers are breaking in five new rotation players and no longer have Russell Westbrook, who was good for the Over. So they are in transition. They also draw the Warriors minus Stephen Curry.

Neither team has played in more than a week so there could be a rust factor, too.

The Mavericks are an auto-fade when laying these kinds of points. Dallas is a mind-boggling 4-20-1 ATS (17 percent) when favored by more than five points this season.

San Antonio nearly upset Dallas in the first meeting. The Spurs lost, 126-125, at home on Dec. 31.

The Spurs are on their rodeo trip, but will be rested following the week-long All-Star break. Gregg Popovich should have his team well prepared for this in-state, division rivalry matchup.

This will be just the third time Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will be playing together. So the Mavericks aren't fully in sync yet with their new lineup.

I can easily envision each team scoring at least three goals here. The Flames enter this matchup desperate for a victory after a 4-3 home loss to the Flyers this past Monday.

The Coyotes are tough at home with a 13-8-2 record.

The Flames have scored 3 or more goals in eight of their last 11 games. They take the second-most shots in the NHL. Arizona gives up the second-most shots.

Arizona has produced at least 3 goals in six of its last seven games. The Flames have surrendered 3 or more goals in each of their last four games.

After two close calls in their last two games, look for Virginia to cover this point spread margin with a double-digit victory.

Boston College is in a letdown spot after an upset road win against Florida State.

The Cavaliers have dominated this series winning 10 of the last 11 times, including 76-57 on Jan. 28.

This is the most points Iowa State has gotten all season. T.J. Otzelberger could be the best coach in the country. So I'm going to accept this many points.

Texas is a top-25 offense. Iowa State is a top 15-defense. I trust Otzelberger and the Cyclones' defense to keep this close.

Texas was fortunate to get past Oklahoma, 85-83 in overtime, this past Saturday as a 10 1/2-point home favorite. The Longhorns are 7-21 (25 percent) ATS the last 28 times following a victory.

Iowa State handled the Longhorns at home. The Cyclones beat them, 78-67, on Jan. 17. They can hang here.

I'm expecting a much higher-scoring game than the first meeting, which Marquette won, 69-58, back on Dec. 16. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton's leading scorer, missed that game. The total on that matchup was 153 1/2.

Early money on this total has been to the Under, knocking it down to where I see value going Over.

Marquette is the 19th-highest scoring team in the nation averaging 80.7 points. The Golden Eagles rank fifth in the country in field goal percentage.

Creighton averages 76.3 points a game, which ranks in the top 70.

Going to ride the Canucks and their Over streak. Vancouver is 8-0-2 to the Over in its last 10 games.

The Canucks rank second-to-last defensively and have the worst penalty kill unit in the NHL. Vancouver, though, ranks 12th in scoring. The Canucks are averaging five goals during their last two games.

Nashville also is averaging five goals during its past two games. The Predators, though, are having defensive issues, too. They've allowed three goals or more in eight of their last 10 games.

The Over has cashed 11 of the last 14 times these teams have met.

Since upsetting Tennessee, Missouri has lost and failed to cover its last two games. Mississippi State is just as good - if not better - than the Tigers. So I'll take the Bulldogs getting this many points.

The Bulldogs have come on after a slow SEC start to go 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven league games, including posting road victories against South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi during their last three SEC away games. The Bulldogs are 5-0 ATS in their past five road contests.

The teams met on Feb. 4 and Mississippi State held Missouri to a season-low in points in a 63-52 home victory. Take away their victory against Tennessee and the Tigers would be 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games.

There is one team in the Big Ten Conference who is an autofade - Minnesota. The Gophers are 1-13 in the league. They haven't been competitively on the road lately.

The Gophers lost by 35 points to Rutgers and by 20 points to Northwestern in their last two away games. Minnesota is 4-9-1 ATS in their past 14 road contests. 

I see this as a kill spot for the host Illini. Minnesota has lost nine in a row. It's also a difficult situational spot for the Gophers as because of previous postponements this will be just their third game in 16 days. 

Delaware State defeated South Carolina State, 88-85, in overtime on the road in the first meeting on Jan. 23. Now the Bulldogs have to travel to Dover to play the Hornets.

I like Delaware State's chances at this number considering South Carolina State has lost 11 consecutive road games. The Bulldogs have lost their past three away contests by an average of 18.6 points.

The Hornets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games. They give up nine fewer points per game than South Carolina State.

I find this line short so I'm backing Howard, which has won nine in a row. The Bison have covered all but one of these games during their win streak.

Morgan State is 11-25 ATS in its last 36 home games. The Bears have failed to cover in five of their last six games.

This has been a road team series with the visitor cashing seven of the last eight times.

First off, this is a very early start time. That's especially bad for the Senators, who played on Sunday beating the Blues at home, 7-2. Ottawa will be playing for the third time in four days and second time in less than 24 hours. So don't expect a fast-paced game from the Senators.

The Bruins should have their full intensity having gone 0-2 against Ottawa this season with the latest loss coming, 3-2, in a shootout on Dec. 27. Both of those games were played in Ottawa.

Oh, yes, the Bruins are the No. 1 defensive team in the NHL giving up 2.1 goals per game. Boston is in stellar defensive form, too, allowing just 1.6 goals per game during their last five games.

The Senators have a below average offense. They have a below average defense also, but haven't permitted more than three goals during any of their last four games.

Boise State is very tough at home. UNLV is a sliding team with a bad recent history against the Broncos.

So I find this a simple choice: Lay the points with Boise State.

The 20-6 Broncos have won their last 11 home games with all but one of those victories coming by nine or more points. They are 10-3 in the Mountain West Conference.

UNLV is 16-10 with a 5-9 Mountain West record. The Rebels have lost three of their past four games, including home losses to San Jose State and Fresno State as mid-sized favorites. They are 5-9 SU, 6-8 ATS in their last 14 games.

Boise State is 5-1 in its last six games. The Broncos have held opponents to fewer than 60 points a game when playing at home, while averaging more than 74 points shooting 49 percent from the floor and 77 percent from the foul line.

The Broncos have dominated the Rebels winning the past six meetings. This includes an 84-66 road win on Jan. 11.

It's not often the Coyotes are favored. But it's justified in this matchup.

Arizona is tough at home playing on the Arizona State campus in a small arena. The Coyotes are 12-8-2 at home this season.

Columbus is 6-17-2 on the road. The Blue Jackets just upset the Stars, 4-1, as a heavy road underdog on Saturday. They were 1-5 in their previous six games. This marks their fourth game in six days.

The Coyotes also played Saturday nearly pulling out a win against the Kings after trailing, 5-1. They should ride that momentum given the poor opponent and being home.

The Golden Knights are 4-0 this month. But the oddsmaker has it right making the Lightning road chalk.

Las Vegas barely edged the lowly Sharks, 2-1, at home two days ago. The Golden Knights' other wins were also against unimpressive foes - the Ducks, slumping Wild and Predators. Las Vegas is not a strong home team.

Tampa Bay should come in highly motivated after being upset by the Coyotes, 1-0, in a shootout this past Wednesday. The Lightning played their backup goalie in that game and also outshot Arizona, 47-26.

Until that loss, Tampa Bay had won three in a row. The Lightning have won the past six times they've faced an above .500 opponent.

Going to the added board for this one. 

The Over has cashed in 13 of Anaheim's last 16 games. Surprised? Not really since the Ducks are the worst defensive team in the NHL. They are in terrible form, too, giving up 20 goals during their last three games.

The Kings are in strong form offensively scoring four or more goals in five of their last six games. LA should have their skating legs, too, having last played on Monday when they beat the visiting Sabres, 5-2. The Kings have gone Over the past eight times following a victory.

The Ducks should contribute to this total going Over. The Kings have permitted at least three goals in nine of their last 12 games. LA ranks 22nd defensively.

Both teams are playing well. But I see Penn having the greater urgency being in revenge mode and trailing Yale by one game in the Ivy League standing.

The Quakers have won their last five games. They are 4-1-1 ATS during their past six games and have the best player on the court, Jordan Dingle. He leads the Ivy League in scoring by a wide margin at 24 points per game.

Penn has revenge for a 70-63 loss to Yale earlier this season. I make the game pick, so getting this many points is a bonus and puts me in play.

Maybe it's because Southeast Missouri State has lost three in a row. But I find this line to be well short of my power rankings for these two teams.

The Redhawks are at least a dozen points better than Eastern Illinois given home-court advantage. SE Missouri State has won the last five in the series, including defeating the Panthers, 79-68, on the road Jan. 28.

SE Missouri State is in a five-way tie for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference at 8-6. Eastern Illinois is 9-18 overall and 5-9 in the OVC.

The Redhawks lead the conference in scoring, field goal percentage and have the best turnover margin. They have the best player on the court in Phillip Russell, who leads the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring at 19 points per game while also dishing off 5.2 assists per game.

I don't see Eastern Illinois staying with SE Missouri State. The Panthers average fewer than 70 points per game. They rank last in the OVC in free throw percentage, rebounding margin and 3-pointers made.

The Bucks have won 11 in a row. The Bulls, by contrast, are reeling, losing and failing to cover in their last five games.

Milwaukee didn't play well in its last game, having to go to overtime at home to dispatch a short-handed Celtics squad. This is the Bucks' final game before the All-Star break. They won't play again in eight days. So expect a strong, focused effort from the Bucks, especially in revenge mode. The Bulls won the last meeting, 119-113 in overtime, on Dec. 29

That should ensure a double-digit Milwaukee victory. The Bulls also won't have their leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan. He's out with a quad injury.

The Coyotes are not a good team. But they are respectable at home going 11-8-2 at their new temporary home, Mullett Arena. They have won four of their last six home games and are capable of beating any team at Mullett Arena having proven that with victories against the Bruins, Maple Leafs and Avalanche.

Mullett Arena is a 5,000-seat arena on the Arizona State campus. It is not a normal NHL arena because of its small size. Fans are right on top of the players. Opponents of the Coyotes are not used to this, especially when playing there for the first time. Tampa Bay fits that category. The Lightning probably won't take to the ice until pre-game warmups because they aren't likely to have a morning skate after playing Tuesday night.

And what a game the Lightning had last night in Colorado.

Tampa Bay edged the Avalanche, 4-3, in a shootout. The game had the intensity of a playoff matchup. I doubt the Lightning will go with star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the second of back-to-back games. Tampa Bay's next game is much bigger on the road against the Golden Knights. There's a monster drop off from Vasilevskiy to backup goalie Brian Elliott. So that would be another plus for the Coyotes.

I would recommend taking the Coyotes to win the first period, too, at around a nice plus $1.50 price. The Coyotes have yet to be outscored during the first period in five previous situations where an opponent was playing at Mullett Arena for the first time after playing the day before.

Brooklyn is ahead of Miami in the standings. But the Heat are the better team right now.

The Nets are going through a transformation with a retooled roster. Brooklyn won 27 of its first 40 games. Then Durant got hurt. Since then, the Net are 6-11.

Brooklyn has four new people in its rotation learning life without Durant and Kyrie Irving. while also finding out Ben Simmons is nearly worthless.

The Nets are averaging just 102 points in their last two games. Miami is the No. 2 defensive team in the NBA.

I am getting behind New Mexico. The Lobos are in stop-the-pain mode having dropped three in a row. This is their time to get right hosting 7-17 Wyoming, the worst team in the Mountain West Conference.

Wyoming has lost and failed to cover in its last three games suffering double-digit defeats to San Jose State, UNLV and Boise State during this span. The Cowboys are 1-5 ATS in their past six road games. New Mexico is 5-1 ATS the last six times hosting opponents with a road percentage of less than .400.

The Cowboys rank 249th in scoring defense and 311th in defensive field goal percentage. That's bad news going against the high-scoring Lobos. New Mexico averages 81.6 points a game, which ranks 16th in the nation. The Lobos also are 11th in the country in field goal percentage.

Expect a playoff type atmosphere - and playoff-like defense - when the Bucks host the Celtics. These are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference with the Celtics ahead of the Bucks by 1 1/2 games.

It's easy to think offense with these teams that feature superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. Both teams, though, are very strong defensively and are in good defensive form.

Boston ranks sixth in scoring defense, seventh in defensive field goal percentage and ninth in 3-point defense. The Celtics have held their last six opponents to an average of 104.1 points. The Under has cashed 10 of the last 11 times the Celtics have been on the road taking on a foe with a home winning percentage greater than .600. The Celtics have consistently gone Under away from home - 20-8-1 (71 percent) - during their past 29 away contests.

The Bucks rank seventh in scoring defense, second in defensive field goal percentage and fifth in 3-point defense. They have permitted just 106.6 points during their last three games. Milwaukee draws the Celtics when Boston is missing injured Jaylen Brown, its second-leading scorer at 26.5 points. The Celtics also could be down Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart leaving them thin in the backcourt.

Milwaukee hasn't played since beating the Clippers, 119-106, at LA this past Friday. So the Bucks could be rusty. They will be prepared, though, with this extended rest. Note that the Under has cashed the past six times the Bucks have played on three or more days of rest.

Illinois is stepping up, winning eight of its last 10 games. But Penn State is tough at home and this is a circle-the-wagons game for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State has dropped four in a row. The latest being a loss - but a cover - in a road loss to Maryland this past Saturday. The Nittany Lions have won seven of their last eight home games. During this span, the Nittany Lions have defeated Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. Their lone home defeat during this time frame was to Wisconsin in overtime.

The Nittany Lions are 11-4 ATS following a loss.

Penn State should play the Illini with confidence. The Nittany Lions won the first matchup, winning by 15 points on the road in mid-December.

Kyrie Irving teaming up with Luka Doncic to make his Dallas home debut is the major storyline here.

What's not in the headlines is this being a dangerous spot for Dallas. The Mavericks last played at home 11 days ago. This marks their fourth game in six days and third game in four days. Irving is going to be a distraction. So the Mavericks' concentration level could be off.

Minnesota just got blown out, 128-107, by the Grizzlies this past Friday. This is the conclusion of the Timberwolves' four-game road trip. Minnesota had the weekend to rest up and prepare for this matchup. I'm expecting a much better performance from the Timberwolves, who are 6-0 ATS following a loss.

The Timberwolves upgraded themselves, too, at the trade deadline picking up veteran point guard Mike Conley.

Dallas has the worst point spread mark in the NBA at 22-34-2. The Mavericks are 3-8 ATS the past 11 times when laying seven or more points.

The Hawks want to make a mark before All-Star break hits. The Hornets can't wait until the All-Star break. 

It's strange to see a total this low on a Spurs game. You have to go back to Dec. 29 to find the last time there was this low of a total on a San Antonio game.

It's understandable, though, because the Spurs' opponent is Cleveland. The Cavaliers have the best defense in the league.

The Spurs have the worst defense in the NBA ranking last in scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage. San Antonio gives up an average of 122.8 points per game.

So why get involved in a total where you have the top defensive club versus the worst defensive team?

Because I see this matchup having garbage time written all over it. The Cavaliers are averaging 119 points in their last five games, discounting their last game against the Bulls.

Cleveland has a much bigger game on deck, playing at the 76ers on Wednesday before heading into the All-Star break. So the Cavaliers' starters could see reduced minutes, especially in a projected blowout.

The Spurs could take advantage of Cleveland's bench players to help this total go Over. The Over has cashed in 13 of San Antonio's past 17 road games.

Given how bad SMU is on the road, I find this line to be short. Wichita State is the superior team and home. That's huge because SMU is 1-8 SU, 1-7-1 ATS away from home this season.

The Mustangs average fewer than 70 points per game. They rank among the bottom 50 teams in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and 3-point shooting.

Wichita State is 14th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage.

The Shockers have defeated the Mustangs six consecutive times, including 73-65 on the road last month.

This may be the only time I write this but the Pistons are fat and happy. Detroit won its battle of terrible teams defeating the Spurs, 138-131 in double overtime, at home two days ago.

Prior to that victory, the Pistons had lost 12 of the previous 15 games. I made the mistake of actually backing the Pistons two games ago when they were receiving 13 points against the Cavaliers, who were missing their star backcourt players, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Cleveland rolled past Detroit, 113-85, at home.

The Pistons are 0-7 ATS the past seven times following a win.

Toronto is the flip side. The Raptors blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead at home to the Jazz this past Friday. Toronto had won three in a row prior to that defeat.

The Raptors are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 home contests when facing a foe with a road winning percentage of less than .400.

This spot sets up for a Toronto blowout.

Much respect to Northwestern for its 17-7 season. But I don't see the Wildcats keeping this one close against top-ranked 23-2 Purdue. 
The Boilermakers haven't lost to Northwestern in nine years, winning the past 11 games. 

Purdue has too much balance and depth for the Wildcats. Led by 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, the Boilermakers are serious contenders to win the national championship. Northwestern is nowhere near that level. 

Beating disappointing Wisconsin and Ohio State, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games, during the past week on the road does not elevate the Wildcats into elite atmosphere. 

Hawaii has the better record. Hawaii is the better team. The key question is can the Rainbow Warriors cover this number?

I say they can. Home-court is huge here. Hawaii is 15-3 at home. Cal State-Fullerton is 3-10 on the road. The Rainbow Warriors have won their home games by an average of nearly eight points per game. This has been a home team series with the host covering five of the past six times.

Cal-State Fullerton doesn't have enough scoring to stay within this number. Hawaii ranks 19th in the country defensively allowing 62 points a game. The Titans average fewer than 69 points per game.

The Rainbow Warriors also have revenge motivation. The Titans beat them, 79-72 in overtime, when they hosted them on Jan. 7. Hawaii plays much better at home.

This spot sets up for the home Knicks catching the Jazz playing for the fourth time in six days and without rest.

Utah upset the Raptors in Toronto last night. The Knicks also played last night - and blew a 12-point third-quarter lead in a 119-108 loss to the 76ers.

New York is 20-7-1 ATS the past 28 times when playing the second of back-to-back games.

Russell Westbrook may or may not make his debut for the retooled Jazz. It's a major transition for the Jazz if ball hog Westbrook is in the lineup.

The Knicks have a huge historical edge, too, when hosting Utah covering 13 of the last 17 times at home in the series.

Nevada is extremely tough at home. I know first hand having covered games at Lawlor Events Center on the Reno campus during my sportswriting days. I don't see Fresno State staying within double-digits on the road against the Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack average nearly 79 points at home, outscoring  opponents by an average of 14 points. They are 11-2-1 ATS in their last 14 games at Lawlor. 

Fresno State doesn't have the scoring to keep up. The Bulldogs average just 62 points a game, which ranks 353rd in the country. They are terrible at making 3-pointers and bad at defending against 3-pointers. 

The Bulldogs are 3-10 on the road. They have failed to cover in nine of their past 13 away contests. I'm not fooled by Fresno State's two game win streak, upsetting UNLV and defeating San Jose State. During their previous three games before those wins, the Bulldogs lost to Wyoming on the road, fell to Utah State at home and lost to Boise State on the road. They averaged just 56 points during those three matchups. 

Nevada has won and covered three in a row. In their last four home games, the Wolf Pack beat Utah State by 15 points, defeated New Mexico by three in overtime, knocked off San Diego State by nine and rolled past Air Force by 20 despite being in a letdown spot. Utah State, New Mexico and San Diego State are far superior to Fresno State. 

The Wolf Pack are 20-8 ATS the past 28 times at home when going against a foe with a losing road record. 

Kyrie Irving is with the Mavericks now. I doubt Luka Doncic plays, though. He's been out with a bruised heel. But even if Doncic suits up, I still like the Kings to beat Dallas at home here. There's going to be a transition period for Irving and Doncic. I'm not convinced the two can effectively co-exist. 

The Kings have their own two stars - De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, who leads the NBA in double/doubles. 

Dallas is playing its fourth road game in six days. The Mavericks are off consecutive upset victories against the Jazz and Clippers, both achieved minus Doncic. 

The Mavericks, however, are 8-20-1 ATS following a victory. They also have the worst ATS mark in the NBA despite those two wins at 21-33-2 and are six games below .500 on the road.

The Kings are 16-11 at home. They have the sixth-best ATS record in the league at 29-24-1 and are 4-1-1 ATS the past six times hosting Dallas. 

Even with key players out, you can't fault the Celtics if they overlook Charlotte. The Hornets have lost five in a row. The Celtics are off a highly-satisfying home victory against the 76ers this past Wednesday, beating Philadelphia while playing shorthanded. After this game, the Celtics host the Grizzlies on Sunday and then play at the Bucks on Tuesday.

So it's not an ideal situational spot for the Celtics to be highly motivated for this weak opponent.

The Hornets, though, have triple revenge. The Celtics are 1-5 ATS the last six times they've hosted a foe with a road winning percentage of less than .400.

Boston also is going to be without All-Star Jaylen Brown and ace defender Marcus Smart. The Celtics also could be minus Jayson Tatum. He's questionable with a non-COVID illness.

The 76ers are in stop-the-pain mode, losers of two in a row. Both of those losses came on the road - to the Knicks this past Sunday and to the Celtics two days ago. The 76ers blew an early 21-point lead against New York and did not play well versus Boston.

Now, though, the 76ers are back home where they are 20-8. Philadelphia has covered 17 of its past 23 (74 percent) home contests.

I trust the 76ers to get the job down at home against a foe they are at least one level higher than.

The Lakers have had some great teams. This isn't one of them. Acquiring D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while getting rid of Russell Westbrook should help the Lakers. Just not right now for this matchup.

The Bucks have won 10 of their last 11 games, including the past eight, in compiling the third-best record in the NBA at 37-17. The Bucks also have the fourth-best mark against the spread mark (ATS) at 29-23-2. They rank No. 2 in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. Milwaukee's Big Three of Giannis Antetokounmpo - solidly in the MVP running - Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are all healthy. The Bucks are well-rested, too, following their 127-108 road victory against the Trail Blazers this past Monday.

The Lakers are always going to get respect from the oddsmaker because they are such a public team and have superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record two days ago at home. That drew the headlines. Oh, yeah, the Lakers lost that game to the Thunder as a 6 1/2-point favorite.

LA surrendered 133 points to the Thunder. Lack of defense has been a problem all season for the Lakers, who rank 28th in scoring defense permitting 118.6 points a game.

Davis has returned from a foot injury. But he hasn't sparked anything while playing second fiddle to James. LA is 3-4 in seven games since Davis has been back.

I find this another case of the Lakers getting too much respect on the line. They didn't make the playoffs last season. They aren't on track to make the postseason this season with a 25-30 record that puts them 13th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.

The Lakers' ATS mark is similar to their won-lost record at 25-29-1. They are merely a .500 team at home.

LA doesn't have a good record either when stepping up in competition going 8-18-1 ATS the past 27 times versus above .500 opponents.

Milwaukee has revenge motivation for a 133-129 home loss to the Lakers on Dec. 2. The Bucks have covered in four of their last five road games against the Lakers.

Maybe I should drink some sake because I feel like a kamikaze pilot attacking a Kings-Rockets total by going Under. 

Sacramento just beat Houston, 140-120, on the road this past Monday. Now the Rockets host the Kings again in the rematch. 

The Kings lead the NBA in scoring at 119.3 points per game. So why go Under? 

I see the Rockets going all out defensively following that embarrassment and with Houston coach Stephen Silas ripping his team and questioning their defensive effort and intensity. Silas was understandably livid after that humiliation. 

The Kings shot 58.4 percent from the floor in that 20-point victory. The Rockets aren't that bad ranking 19th in defensive field goal percentage. Sacramento also made 21 of 41 3-pointers in that game for 51 percent. Sacramento shoots 36.8 percent from 3-point range.

Believe it or not, the Under has cashed in 20 of the Kings' last 28 away games. 

Sacramento is below average defensively ranking 21st, which isn't horrible. But keep in mind the Rockets rank 29th in scoring and last in field goal percentage. They have gone Under six of the past eight times following a double-digit home loss. 

No surprise that Memphis ranks 25th in scoring averaging 80.2 points. The Tigers have Kendric Davis, play fast and feature a deep bench. They are averaging 86 points in regulation during their past three games.

It's South Florida who has caught the oddsmaker off guard with its up-tempo style. The Bulls don't play slow anymore. It's not a fluke that the Over has cashed in 17 of their last 21 games. The Over also has cashed in nine of South Florida's past 12 home games.

There is a blueprint for this matchup. It came on Dec. 29 in Memphis when the Tigers hosted South Florida. There were 179 points scored in Memphis' 93-86 victory. Neither team could stop the other especially on the defensive glass.

The Bulls aren't going to back down from Memphis especially in revenge mode and playing at home. The Tigers should be pumped for a big scoring performance, too, after having their five-game win streak snapped by underdog Tulane at home this past Saturday in an overtime loss.

Due to playing the Timberwolves at Minnesota on less than 24 hours rest this past Sunday, the Nuggets held out a number of key players, including Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.

The result was a 128-98 Timberwolves' victory. Welcome to today's NBA where teams combat unfair schedule spots by resting their best players, thus conceding the game before it even begins. The Nuggets had just beaten the Hawks this past Saturday night for their third straight win before deciding to give up against Minnesota the following day.

This sets up a day of reckoning for the Timberwolves here. And I like the Nuggets, who will be back to full strength, to exact vengeance.

Denver is 7-1 ATS the past eight times following a loss.

The Timberwolves now are facing a fatigue factor - playing for the seven time in 12 days and third in five days - while missing players. Minnesota is minus injured Karl-Anthony Towns and suspended Austin Rivers. Kyle Anderson could be out, too, with a back injury. He's missed the last two games.

Now that they are healthy, the Avalanche are superior to the Penguins. They also went into the All-Star break playing much better than Pittsburgh.

Colorado is 7-1 in its last eight games. Pittsburgh is 1-3 in its last four and 5-12 in its last 17 games.

The Avalanche get a boost to their defense with Bowem Byram expected to play after missing three months with a lower body injury. The Penguins aren't likely to have back their No. 1 goalie, Tristan Jarry.

Colorado has won 39 of its last 58 road games. I give the Avalanche edges in all three areas - offensive, defense and goaltending. So they are an easy choice at this price.

The Lightning entered All-Streak break on a 3-game win streak. They had that streak end very rudely falling, 7-1, to the Panthers on the road Monday night.

Now Tampa Bay returns home where it has won 51 of the past 68 times to face San Jose, who is 16-39 in its last 55 road contests.

I see this as a kill spot for the Lightning following their embarrassing loss. It helps that they got the rust off by playing on Monday. San Jose hasn't played since Jan. 28.

The Sharks have dropped 15 of their last 20 games. They are giving up an average of 4.3 goals during their last nine games.

Tampa Bay is 6-0 the past six times playing the Sharks.

I don't like laying points with the Mavericks. I do like them as an underdog, though, even when they don't have superstar Luka Doncic.

That's the case again in this matchup.

The teams just met on Jan. 28 in Salt Lake City. The Mavericks didn't have Doncic and lost, 108-100, in that game. The Mavericks were plus 7 1/12 in that matchup. So they just missed covering. Dallas had covered the previous five times on the road against the Jazz.

Now the Mavericks are getting close to double-digits. They won't have Kyrie Irving yet, but their rotation players should be highly motivated to produce knowing their roles could change with the expected arrival of Irving. 

Dallas has had good success versus Utah covering 10 of the last 13 times.