Campbell is the better team. Power rating-wise, I have the Fighting Camels as a mid-size favorite at a neutral site in this Big South Tournament matchup.

Presbyterian is 12-19. Campbell is 15-12.

The Fighting Camels have a far superior defense giving up fewer than 62 points per game. They rank 22nd in the nation defensively. Presbyterian is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country.

Minnesota is much improved this season. That's evident by the oddsmaker opening this game in the pick range. 

But I really want Golden State in this situation. The Warriors are coming off a frustrating, 107-101, home loss to the Mavericks from Sunday. Golden State let a 21-point lead slip in that game. Needless to say, Steve Kerr was not happy. 

The Timberwolves are off a satisfying, 127-122, road win against the Cavaliers last night. Minnesota is 0-5 ATS the past five times when playing without rest. 

This is a kill spot for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are looking for redemption after getting upset this past Sunday at Maryland.

Ohio State still has much to play for trying to secure a top-four seed into the Big Ten Tournament and the bye into the quarterfinals that goes with it. The Buckeyes are 12-1 at home this season, including 8-1 in the Big Ten. They also are 8-2 ATS following a point spread loss.

Nebraska has been bad again this season going 8-21 with a 2-16 Big Ten record. The Cornhuskers, though, are in a rare flat spot having stunned Penn State as a 10 1/2-point road 'dog, 93-70, this past Sunday.

The oddsmaker knows how bad Green Bay is. But he might be a little behind the curve recognizing the improvement with Detroit Mercy.

The Titans have won and covered three of their last four games beating Northern Kentucky, Wright State and Cleveland State during this time span. Those are three of the top four teams in the Horizon League.

Green Bay is 5-24. The Phoenix play their worst on the road, too, going 1-12. They are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games. Detroit is 8-1 at home.

Detroit won't be showing any mercy as Green Bay beat the Titans, 70-63, at home in the first meeting. Detroit's star player, Antoine Davis, had a rare terrible shooting game in that loss.

The Titans are 18-7-1 ATS the past 26 times versus sub .500 foes.

San Diego State has the No. 2 defense in the country. I have great respect for the Aztecs. But I'm not buying Wyoming as a home underdog.

The Cowboys have won all 14 of their home games this season. They have the two best players on the court in Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado. Wyoming averages nearly 10 more points per game than San Diego State and also has a respectable defense giving up 65.6 points, which ranks 74th, and is 24th in 3-point defense.

Wyoming is 23-5 overall and 12-3 in the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State is 18-7 overall and 10-4 in the Mountain West.

The Cowboys are proven, too, against good competition going 22-8-1 ATS versus opponents with a winning record.

Toronto is off two ugly losses to the Hornets and Hawks. The Raptors haven't lost three in a row since late November.

The Nets return home after a huge 126-123 road win against the Bucks two days ago with Kyrie Irving scoring a season-high 38 points in that victory.

I have to believe the Raptors are going to up for this game while the Nets come home fat and happy.

Irving won't play because of local mandates against unvaccinated players being unvaccinated. The Nets have been below par at home all season with a 13-16 record. Toronto has a winning road mark.

The Lakers, especially LeBron James, are angry after losing a controversial, 105-102, game to the Clippers this past Friday. The Lakers are angry about how their season is going so far.

I want an angry James going for me at home against New Orleans. The Pelicans are an up-and-coming team, but they enter this matchup fat-and-happy after ending the Suns' eight-game win streak with a 117-102 upset win this past Friday.

The Lakers are 8-2 ATS following a loss. The Pelicans are 0-4-1 ATS the last five times playing the Lakers in LA.

The Jazz are a much stronger defensive club with Rudy Gobbert back in the lineup. He's the top defensive center in the NBA. Gobbert has missed many games this season so Utah's defensive numbers are misleading. Utah plays at an extremely slow pace with Gobbert on the court.

The Suns rank sixth in scoring defense. They are No. 3 in defensive field goal percentage and first in 3-point defense.

Phoenix's intensity should be way up after an embarrassing 15-point loss to the Pelicans two days ago. Keep in mind, too, the Suns are minus injured Chris Paul. This puts a lot of pressure on Devin Booker to distribute the ball and he's not a point guard.

Illinois is the better team. Says who? Respected rankings and statistics. 

The Illini are ranked 15th in the BPI ratings and 16th according to KenPom ratings. Illinois is 20th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and 27th in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

Michigan ranks 27th in the BPI ratings and 30th in the KenPom rankings. The Wolverines are 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 68th in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

Illinois has the best player on the court if not the entire Big Ten Conference in center Kofi Cockburn, who averages 21.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. 
The Illini have defeated Michigan the past four times, including a 68-53 win on Jan. 14. 

Michigan is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games against opponents with a winning road record. 

The Kings have upgraded their depth and have motivation for this matchup after losing, 128-110, at home to the Nuggets two days ago. Denver is 2-6 ATS in its last eight home games.

Sacramento played Denver tough last season winning all three games.

The Kings have better coaching with Alvin Gentry replacing Luke Walton. They also have a better rotation after being very active at the trade deadline. The key for the Kings is Domantas Sabonis, who is not outclassed by Nikola Jokic.

The new Kings players are getting more acclimated and morale is up in Sacramento. So I'm expecting a competitive effort from the Kings. The Nuggets have to be careful about their rotation since they are in action at Portland on Sunday.

Barring winning the Pac-12 Conference Tournament, Colorado won't be going to the NCAA Tournament. So this revenge spot is the Buffaloes' game of the year.
It didn't show in the first meeting because the Buffaloes missed 15 of their 20 3-point shots in a 21-point loss, but Colorado can hang within single digits of Arizona based on their size and home situation. 

The Wildcats have a bigger game on deck playing at USC. 

Colorado has been playing well with five victories in its last six games. This is the Buffaloes' final home game of the season so it's senior night. This has been a home team series with the host covering six of the last seven times.
 
The Buffaloes normally shoot much better from beyond the arch than they did during the first meeting. Arizona is just average defending against the 3-pointer. 

Tempo is the key here. Texas A&M Corpus Christi plays at the second-fastest pace in the Southland Conference. Houston Baptist ranks 312th defensively giving up an average of 74.5 points per game. 

The Islanders have gone Over the total in 21 of their last 28 road games. 

The Huskies are pushing pace, too. They've had each of their last six games hit 145 points or more on the combined score. Houston Baptist is averaging 82 points in its last six games. The Huskies have gone Over in seven of their last nine home games. 

North Texas has won 13 in a row. A fact the oddsmaker is well aware of. So there is line inflation with the Mean Green.

Louisiana Tech has won four of its last five games. The Bulldogs were favored in the first meeting this season between these teams and should have won the game. They blew a 17-point second-half lead and lost, 63-62. So there is strong revenge motivation.

The Bulldogs might have the Conference USA Player of the Year in big man Kenneth Lofton Jr., who averages 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. North Texas likes to pound inside. That's a big part of the Mean Green offense. Lofton, a huge wide body at 275 pounds, can make that difficult.

Discounting a 63-60 loss to UTEP, the Bulldogs are averaging 86.5 points in their last four games.

Louisiana Tech has been strong on the road covering 16 of its last 22 away contests.

No team plays at a slower pace than North Texas. So it's not a fluke the Under has cashed in 16 of the Mean Green's last 23 games.

North Texas is patient looking to work inside. Louisiana Tech has a defensive stopper in big man Kenneth Loften Jr.

There were 125 points scored in the first meeting, which was won by North Texas, 63-62. Only once has the number of points exceeded 125 points during North Texas' last 11 games.

Louisiana Tech has scored 82 or more points in four of its last five games. However, the Bulldogs haven't faced a defense near the caliber of North Texas. The Mean Green give up the fewest points in the nation at 55.6. They rank third in defensive rebounding and fifth in 3-point defense.

Xavier is in a slump. Seton Hall has stepped up its game. I see the wrong team being favored here.

The Musketeers may not be fully recovered from their triple overtime loss to Providence this past Wednesday night.

That loss was Xavier's fifth in its last six games. The Musketeers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight home games.

Seton Hall has won five of its past seven games. The Pirates' only two losses during this stretch occurred on the road to Connecticut and Villanova. Seton Hall covered both of those games. The Pirates are 4-0 ATS in their last four away games.

San Diego State is in fourth place in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs just lost to first-place Boise State by one point this past Tuesday. The Aztecs have second-place Wyoming on deck following this opponent - San Jose State.

San Jose State is last in the conference.

So San Diego State can't be blamed if they take the Spartans for granted while in the middle of a conference sandwich.

The Aztecs haven't been good lately in this role. They've been favored by 14 points or more three times in their past six games. They are 0-3 ATS in those games.

The Aztecs' 0-3 ATS mark laying big points isn't a fluke. San Diego State plays great defense, but only averages 65.1 points a game. That ranks 306th.

San Jose State hung in during the first meeting between the two teams losing, 72-62, on Feb. 9 as a 17-point home 'dog.

The Spartans should be loose and confident having upset New Mexico, 71-55, as a 5 1/2-point home 'dog during their previous game. That snapped a 14-game losing streak. The Spartans are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games and have covered in five of their past six road contests.

I trust the 76ers more on the road than at home. Philly is a top away club with a 19-10 road record. The 76ers have covered seven of their past nine away games.
The Timberwolves are off a highly-satisfying, 119-114, victory against the Grizzlies last night. I don't see them beating both the Grizzlies and 76ers on back-to-back nights.

Minnesota is 1-5 ATS the past six times as a 'dog. The Timberwolves are 1-6 ATS the last seven times hosting the 76ers, too.

Philly is sure to have plenty of energy coming off the long All-Star break. James Harden is expected to make his 76ers debut. That's sure to pump up the 76ers, too. 
The Timberwolves have some talented players. But Joel Embiid, a serious MVP candidate, and Harden give the 76ers the two best players on the court. 

Clearly a tale of two teams here. The Heat have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 38-21. They come out of All-Star break 6-1. Their big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry are once again healthy.

The Knicks have lost 33 of their last 53 games, losers of seven of their last eight games. Kemba Walker is out for the season and morale is low. Tom Thibodeau may be out as head coach.

So I'm going to ride the Heat here.

Talk about train wrecks. That's Oregon State. The Beavers have gone from Elite Eight of last season to 3-22 this season. They've lost 12 in a row with 10 of the past 11 defeats occurring by double-digits. They are a team that can't even be trusted to put forth a full effort. They have yet to post a victory in 2022.

Making things worse for the Beavers is a number of their players are hurt.

The Trojans, on the other hand, are healthy and strong on the road covering seven of their last nine away contests.

UC Davis has had several cancellations this season. The Aggies have played just 18 games going 11-7. However, the Aggies are beginning to make a move having won three in a row. 

UC Santa Barbara is a fade on the road. The Gauchos have failed to cover in eight of their last 10 away matchups. 

I don't see the Aggies having a problem handling the Gauchos at home. Getting points is a nice bonus. 

Northern Arizona isn't very good at 9-18. But 6-20 Idaho State is downright terrible. I find this a short number to lay with the Lumberjacks at home.

Idaho State ranks 326th in scoring at 64.2 points a game. The Bengals are just as bad defensively ranking 340th in defensive field goal percentage.

The Lumberjacks have covered six of their last eight games.

After a slow start, Tulane has come on to cover 11 of its last 14 games. The Green Wave draw Houston at home after the Cougars just scored a 76-74 double overtime road win against Wichita State this past Sunday. The Cougars' next game is a home revenge matchup against SMU. So it's not a great spot for the Cougars. 

Tulane, meanwhile, hasn't played in eight days. So the Green Wave should be rested and ready. They average barely two points fewer per game than the 14th-ranked Cougars. 

Chattanooga rolled past East Tennessee State, 82-52, as a 7 1/2-point home favorite on Dec. 31.

The Mocs may not win by 30 points again, but they still should easily win this game.

Chattanooga is the top team in the Southern Conference with a 22-7 overall record and 12-4 league mark. East Tennessee State ranks eighth out of 10 teams in the Southern Conference with a 6-10 league mark. The Buccaneers are under .500 on the season overall.

The Mocs are 21-5-1 ATS the past 27 times playing a below .500 opponent. They also have covered 67 percent of their last 55 road games. The Mocs are 5-1 in their last six road contests.

Chattanooga clearly is superior to the Buccaneers outscoring them per game while giving up an average of eight fewer points a game.

The Buccaneers have revenge and senior night playing in their final home game of the season. But Chattanooga isn't going to lack motivation. The Mocs are on a rare two-game losing skid falling twice at home as big favorites during their past two games. They haven't lost three in a row all season. Chattanooga is 20-7-1 ATS after not covering the spread in its previous game.

East Tennessee State defeated The Citadel in its last game. The Buccaneers have failed to cover the spread six of the past seven times following a victory.

Considering the lopsided money lines in hockey this season, this seems like a reasonable lay price to fade San Jose.

Villanova nearly got caught peeking ahead to this game before dispatching Georgetown, 74-66, at home this past Saturday. Look for the Wildcats to be far more focused against UConn.

I consider Villanova to be the superior team. The Wildcats are 21-6 and 14-3 in the Big East. UConn is 19-7 and 10-5 in the Big East.

The teams met at Villanova on Feb. 5 and the Wildcats won, 85-74. I see a similar scenario for Villanova so catching points is an added bonus.

This line came much lower than I expected given the class difference between these two teams. 

Miami is 19-8 and tied for third in the ACC with an 11-5 conference mark. The Hurricanes currently are ranked 65th in the NET rankings. They are firmly in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Hurricanes shouldn't lack for motivation after letting a 10-point second-half lead slip in a 74-71 home loss to Virginia this past Saturday. 
Now Miami takes to the road where it has covered six of its past seven away contests.

Pittsburgh is ranked 169th in the NET rankings. The Panthers average 12 points fewer per game than the Hurricanes. Pittsburgh ranks 341st in scoring at 62.5 points per game. The Panthers are not going to the Big Dance with an 11-17 record and 6-11 ACC mark. 

I'll willingly accept this many points with a desperate Michigan State and Tom Izzo. The Spartans are 1-4 in their last five games. They are 8-3 ATS following a loss.

Iowa, in contrast to Michigan State, has won four of its last five. The Hawkeyes are averaging 90.5 points in their last five games.

This has contributed to an inflated line, though.

Points and possessions matter in the rugged Big Ten. The Spartans haven't been an underdog of more than three points in any of their 15 Big Ten games. The Hawkeyes aren't that much better than the Spartans - if they are even better at all.

I don't trust Penn State's weak offense, nor do I trust the Nittany Lions on the road.

Penn State ranks 306th in scoring. Maryland averages five more points per game than the Nittany Lions.

The Terrapins hold a backcourt edge with Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell, both of whom average more points than any player on Penn State.

The Nittany Lions are 1-6 in their Big Ten Conference road games. They have lost their last five away Big Ten matchups.

Maryland has looked good recently. The Terrapins nearly upset Purdue on the road two games ago falling by one point. Maryland then buried Nebraska, 90-74, in its last game hitting 52 percent from the floor while turning the ball over just four times.

The Terrapins have proven themselves at home knocking off Illinois there and losing to Wisconsin by only one point.

Creighton is coming on winning four in a row. Marquette is falling back, winning one of its last three with that victory occurring against weak Georgetown.
The Blue Jays won the first meeting, 75-69, in double overtime on the road. Now they get Marquette at home where they have won five of their last six, including burying Villanova. 

Look for the Blue Jays to continue their momentum with a victory. 

Can the Wolverines win road games against Iowa and Wisconsin in a span of four days? I say no.

Michigan upset the Hawkeyes this past Thursday, 84-79. Now, though, the Wolverines draw the 15th-ranked Badgers also on the road.

Wisconsin gives up the fewest turnovers in the nation at 8.6. The Badgers' traditionally strong defense is coming on, too, giving up an average of 63.2 points during the last four games.

Michigan has faced five ranked teams this season - and lost four of those five games.

There's a class difference here not reflected in the number. Maine has only two Division I wins. New Jersey Tech has taken care of teams that have easily defeated Maine. The Highlanders are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.

Maine also has had some internal problems that came to a boil this past week with its head coach being replaced.

The Black Bears aren't even going to qualify for the league playoffs so motivation could be an issue even with a coaching change.

There were a combined 123 points scored in the first meeting between these two teams with Long Beach State winning, 65-58. Don't expect many points to be scored either in this second go-around.

Long Beach State has surrendered fewer than 70 points during its last 11 games. The Beach have held their last seven foes under 67 points. They easily rank No. 1 in the Big West in defensive efficiency. 

Santa Barbara gives up just 64.5 points. The Gauchos haven't permitted more than 67 points during their last seven games. They play at an extremely slow pace, which is great for the Under. 

These are a pair of middle-of-the-road Ohio Valley Conference teams. But Austin Peay is a step above Tennessee Tech.

Tennessee Tech is 3-7 in its last 10 games with two of those victories occurring versus Eastern Illinois, which is in last place in the Ohio Valley and is the third-lowest scoring team in the nation.

Austin Peay can't beat Murray State, Morehead State and Belmont. But the Governors can take out all the other Ohio Valley teams especially at home. That includes Tennessee Tech. Austin Peay defeated the Golden Eagles, 58-55, on the road when the teams met on Jan. 29.

The Governors now get the rematch at home where they have won four of their last five.

Maryland is better than Nebraska. The oddsmaker knows that opening the Terrapins a road favorite. Still, this line is short because the Terrapins have lost five straight. Those defeats, though, came to Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue in their last game this past Sunday. Maryland led Purdue by 12 points with 11 minutes left before losing, 62-61. 

Nebraska is 7-18 with its only victory during the past five games occurring against sagging Minnesota. Maryland has four more victories and four fewer losses than the Cornhuskers. 

The Cornhuskers can't match Maryland's strong backcourt duo of Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell.

I don't see Wright State slowing down Oakland with the Golden Grizzlies playing at home. Wright State ranks 256th in scoring defense and 268th in defensive field goal percentage. Oakland ranks 66th in the nation in points averaging 75.9. 

The Golden Grizzlies average 87,5 points at home. Wright State just surrendered 75 points at home to Northern Kentucky in its last game, that's four points more than Northern Kentucky averages on the season. 

Oakland is 15-3 ATS the past 18 times as a home favorite. 

Wright State is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 road games. 

Kent State is an upper level Mid-American Conference team. But Ohio leads the MAC and is better than the Golden Flashes. So I'm not buying Kent State opening as the favorite.

The Bobcats are 22-4, including 8-3 on the road. They have a better road mark than Kent State's home record. The Golden Flashes are 16-9, 8-4 at home.

Ohio took care of Kent State, 80-72, back on Jan. 7. Bobcats star Mark Sears had a big game with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor while grabbing six rebounds and dishing off three assists.

Sears averages 20.1 points, which ranks in the top 20 in the country. He's a tremendous shooter. Ohio ranks 15th in the country in turnover margin and first in the MAC at plus 4.23.

Kent State can't match Sears, nor Ohio's ball protection.

Ohio is ranked 87th in the latest NET rankings. Kent State is ranked 140th.

After suffering their worst loss in seven years losing by 48 points to the Celtics this past Tuesday, I see the 76ers coming out super intense against Milwaukee.

There's a class difference here not fully reflected in this point spread.

UMKC is 16-10. North Dakota is 6-21. Kansas City should be motivated despite the Fighting Hawks' poor record. The Roos had their four-game win streak snapped this past Saturday by Oral Roberts after blowing a 10-point halftime lead. 

The Roos surrender 12 fewer points per game than North Dakota. They also shoot much better from the floor. 

UMKC has covered five of its last six road contests.

I can envision Elon pulling the outright upset here.

The teams met on Jan. 22 in Delaware. The Blue Hens won, 80-77. Delaware shot 52 percent from the floor and had 11 more free throw opportunities than Elon. Yet the Blue Hens still just won by three points at home.

Delaware last played a road game back on Jan. 29.

I don't see another Fresno State loss happening here with the Bulldogs home to the Rebels, who are 3-8 ATS during their past 11 road contests. Fresno State has covered nine of its last 11 home games. 

UNLV has been hot from beyond the arc lately. Don't look for that to continue, though, against a Fresno State defense that ranks fifth in the nation allowing only 57.9 points. 

The Bulldogs shoot better from the floor than the Rebels and also are the superior free throw shooting team. Fresno State beat UNLV, 73-68, at UNLV on Jan. 14. That was the seventh time in the last 10 meetings the Bulldogs have defeated the Rebels. 

Toronto has dropped two in a row following an embarrassing, 120-90, road loss to the Pelicans this past Monday. I'm seeing a motivated Raptors team getting back on track taking advantage of a good situational spot here.

Previous to losing two straight, the Raptors had won and covered eight in a row playing their finest ball. 

The Timberwolves are in action for the sixth time in nine days and third time in four days. Minnesota also is playing without rest. The Timberwolves exerted a lot of energy in rallying from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Hornets in overtime last night. Minnesota had four players log more than 37 minutes in that game. Karl-Anthony Towns played nearly 42 minutes. 

Slow tempo and great defense. That's a winning Under combination and should work for this long-standing division rivalry matchup.

Boston is first in defensive efficiency during its last 10 games. The Celtics have held 6 of their last 8 opponents under 98 points.

The 76ers also have been in the top five in defensive efficiency during the last 10 games. Their offense is in transition and James Harden is out.

Only two teams play at a slower tempo than the 76ers.

The Raptors are a top 10 defensive team. They should have their intensity for this matchup after their eight-game win streak was snapped by the Nuggets, 110-109, two days ago.

Toronto has surrendered fewer than 102 points in three of its last four road games.

The Pelicans are better defensively than perceived ranking 16th. They have allowed 107 or fewer points in six of their last eight games.

The teams met last month in Toronto and the Raptors won, 105-101, for a combined total of 206 points.

Southern Utah has the better record, but I find Northern Colorado to be the superior team.

The Bears defeated the Thunderbirds, 91-81, on the road early last month. After playing just three times from Jan. 8 to Jan. 31, the Bears are back in sync. They are averaging 82.2 points during their last 10 games, shooting 49.9 percent from the field during this span, and have won three in a row.

The Thunderbirds are a high-scoring team, but they rank 280th defensively. So the Bears should continue their high-scoring ways.

Southern Utah has been terrible against the spread failing to cover in 11 of its last 15 games.

Given the high quality of quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive coaching acumen and aggressiveness of Sean McVay and Zac Taylor, I easily envision at least 50 points being scored in this Super Bowl just like eight of the last 13 Super Bowls.

Defenses don't have a chance anymore against great offenses in today's modern game. The NFL has manipulated the rules so much that quarterbacks and wide receivers get way too much protection.

Teamed up for the first time under offensive guru McVay, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp produced their finest seasons. The Bengals ranked 26th in pass defense. The Rams are going to get their points here. LA is back to being balanced with the return of Cam Akers to go with inside runner Sony MIchel.

Only Tom Brady threw more TD passes than Stafford. Kupp had one of the greatest receiving years in NFL history leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving TD's. Kupp hasn't been contained all season.

Burrow and his trio of outstanding receivers plus Joe Mixon, the NFL's third-leading rusher, trump LA's defense. The Rams have a pair of defensive studs in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. However, the Rams are below par at linebacker and safety. This is where they are really going to miss underrated injured safety Jordan Fuller, who was the Rams' captain, defensive signal-caller and leading tackler.

The Rams are most vulnerable in the middle of the field. This is where Burrow likes to attack with short passes to his trio of star wideouts Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, who has come on to produce five 100-yard receiving games in his last nine games. The threat of Mixon helps keep LA's strong pass rush neutralized.

Neither McVay nor Taylor coach scared. They aren't afraid to go for it on fourth down. This is the right way to coach when both team's have outstanding offenses and the rules are skewed almost completely in favor of the offense.

Here are my Super Bowl props: 

I'm not convinced UNC Greensboro is the better team. The Spartans certainly weren't when they met Mercer on Jan. 15. The Bears won, 58-49, as a 3-point home favorite.

The Bears have covered three of their last four games. They are the 16th-best free throw shooting team in the nation.

Greensboro is 3-7 ATS the past 10 times when favored.

Perhaps the Spartans deserve to be a slight favorite being home. But I find this to be too many points.

In no way is this a fade on Gonzaga. Instead it's taking what I perceive to be value on a very strong defensive team in Saint Mary's.

The 22nd-ranked Gaels give up 59.1 points per game. Only 10 teams surrender fewer points per game.

Gonzaga has won 20 games for 25 consecutive seasons. St. Mary's has a very proud tradition, too, having reached that milestone during 14 of the last 15 seasons.

I'm backing Drake in revenge mode and stop-the-pain mode having lost two in a row after winning its previous four.

Bradley may lack Drake's intensity following its huge, 68-61, home win against Loyola, who was in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference this past Wednesday.

The Bulldogs are aiming for payback after losing, 83-71, as a 7-point home favorite against Bradley on Jan. 19.

Drake is 6-2 in road games. The Bulldogs outscored their opponents by nearly eight points a game and have a better conference record than Bradley.

This is a high total that may be an overreaction to the Spurs' last game, which was a 136-121 victory against the Hawks last night. The Spurs aren't likely to go so up-tempo playing without rest. Their previous game before last night was a 105-92 loss to the Cavaliers this past Wednesday. The Under is 7-0 the past seven times following a San Antonio victory.

The Pelicans have quietly been playing good defense. They've held their last six foes to an average of 102.5 points. The Under is 13-3-1 in New Orleans' last 17 games.

New Orleans is in transition following the trade deadline changing their rotation with the addition of CJ McCollum from Portland. The Pelicans were out of rhythm in their last game two days ago scoring only 97 points in a 15-point loss to the Heat.

The Spurs defeated the Pelicans, 112-97, on Dec. 12 during the first meeting. That was the fifth straight time the teams have gone Under in their series.

Tennessee State hasn't scored more than 65 pts in six of its last eight games.

Austin Peay is averaging 57 points in regulation during its last seven games discounting its previous game versus Southeast Missouri State, which ranks 338th defensively.

Just 126 points were scored during the first meeting between these two teams.

Both teams play at a very slow tempo.

So all the makings are here for another low-scoring Under game.

Little Rock isn't good. But Troy isn't this many points better than Little Rock.

Troy hasn't won by more than nine points during any of its past nine games.

Troy also has a terrible track record when playing below .500 teams covering only 30 percent of the time during the past 62 instances.

Florida has won four in a row and has 6-foot-10 star big man Colin Castleton back in its lineup. Castleton averages 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game. He can keep the Gators close in this matchup.

The key for Florida is knocking down its perimeter shots to free Castleton inside. The Gators have a better chance of doing that with Castleton returning to the court.

Florida has covered five of the last six times against above .500 opponents. The Wildcats could be looking ahead since their next game is against Tennessee.

After racing off to a 16-5 start, Edmonton is just 7-13-3 in its last 23 games.

The bottom fell out for the Oilers in their last game, a 4-1 home loss to the Blackhawks this past Wednesday. The Oilers were minus $1.78 in that game. That loss was so bad the Oilers fired coach Dave Tippett following the game.

This will be Edmonton's first game under new coach Jay Woodcroft. You have to believe the Oilers are going to be super fired-up. It's also must-win time for the Oilers trailing the Flames by five points for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

So the timing is right for the Oilers to beat the Islanders.

The Islanders have endured a rough season themselves. They played for the first time in a week and beat the Canucks, 6-3, this past Wednesday. The Islanders were shut out by Seattle, 3-0, at home in their previous game.

The Islanders are 1-7 the past eight times as a road 'dog. They also are 6-13 the last 19 times following a victory.

Edmonton has dominated the Islanders at home winning eight of the last nine times, although the last time the Oilers hosted the Islanders was nearly three years ago.

After a tough 78-76 overtime road loss to Wyoming, I think Utah State has a bit of a hangover. That loss halted a five-game Aggies' win streak. The Aggies are coming on, but this line is inflated.

Nevada has lost six in a row. But the Wolf Pack are capable of hanging in against good conference opponents as evidenced by a two-point road loss to San Diego State five days ago.

The Wolf Pack rank fifth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring. They are the only Mountain West team with three players in the top 20 in scoring.

Utah State is just 10-8 at home and has a bigger game on deck when it meets San Diego State.

Excitement is in the air in Philadelphia following yesterday's trade deadline with the 76ers acquiring James Harden. The 76ers dealt Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond and Seth Curry along with two first-round picks to get Harden.

Long Beach State took over first place in the Big West Conference with an upset home win against Cal State-Fullerton two days ago. Obviously a monster win for the Beach.

Now, however, Long Beach State has to travel to Hawaii just 48 hours later to play the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii beat Long Beach, 72-67, as a 2-point road 'dog on Jan. 8.

Hawaii last played five days ago. The Rainbow Warriors are rested and catch Long Beach State in a huge letdown spot with a fatigue factor, too.

These teams met on Jan. 17. Hofstra was an eight-point home favorite and beat Drexel, 71-68. Hofstra is the fourth-best free throw shooting team in the nation at 80 percent. The Pride shot just 10 free throws in that game and also made only 4 of 16 3-pointers.

Hofstra is 14-9 and in third place in the Colonial Athletic Association at 7-4. Drexel is 11-10 and 6-5 in the CAA.

There is a point spread difference of around 10 points in this game compared to the earlier meeting. Hofstra is the better team so I'm attracted to taking this many points.

The Pride just defeated UNC-Wilmington in its last game three days ago. Drexel went against Wilmington on Jan. 31 and lost, 70-63.

Cleveland may appear to be in better current form than the Spurs. But the Spurs have played a much more difficult schedule recently and are in an excellent situational spot here.

San Antonio defeated Houston in its last game. That was this past Friday. The Spurs were 1-4 entering that matchup. But their previous five opponents were the Heat, Warriors, Suns, Bulls and Grizzlies.

Cleveland is 6-2 in its last eight games. The Cavaliers' last five games, though, have come against weak opponents - Pacers, Hornets, Rockets, Pelicans and Pistons.

The Cavaliers acquired Caris LeVert, but still may be without underrated Darius Garland, who has missed the last four games because of a sore back.

The Spurs will be playing for the first time in five days. That's more than ample time for Gregg Popovich to come up with a strong game plan for this specific opponent not to mention ensure a lot of energy from the Spurs. San Antonio is 18-8 ATS the past 26 times when playing on 3 or more days rest for a long-term mark of 69 percent.

San Antonio also has covered nine of the last 13 times it has been a road 'dog. Cleveland is 1-6 ATS the last seven times it has been favored.

The record shows Portland to be 11-12. But the Pilots have been much better against the spread covering 14 of 22 games for 64 percent. They are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. San Francisco, on the other hand, is 19-5 but terrible against the spread with a 7-15-1 ATS mark for 32 percent.

The teams just met this past Saturday and San Francisco only won, 74-71, as a 15-point road favorite. The Dons also outshot Portland from the floor making 50 percent. The Pilots hit 47 percent of their field goals yet still only lost by three points. Portland actually led at halftime.

Now we have even a larger point spread. San Francisco's home-court isn't worth that much of an edge. The Dons are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.

The Pilots have covered six of their last seven away contests.

Both Utah State and Wyoming are playing well. But the Cowboys are the superior team and are at home with a short point spread.

Wyoming is a perfect 10-0 at home. The Cowboys have outscored opponents by an average of 20.3 points at home.

The Cowboys average 84.1 points at home. That's 12 points higher than what Utah State averages on the road.

The Aggies have won five in a row so perhaps that's why the spread is shorter than I anticipated. However, four of those victories were achieved at home. The Aggies also played some weak competition during this time frame posting wins against UNLV, San Jose State and Air Force.

Utah State has a losing road mark.

Wyoming is 10-1 in its last 11 games and 19-3 overall. The Cowboys trail Boise State by one-half game for the top spot in the Mountain West Conference. They can't afford a loss here especially following their tremendous, 61-59, road upset win against Fresno State this past Sunday night.

The Cowboys feature two of the best players in the conference, Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado.

The Pelicans are playing their best ball winning three in a row - all on the road. The result is they are now laying the most points they have all season.

I'm not a big fan of the Rockets. I'm not sure who is. But the circumstances are right for the Rockets to keep this one close.

New Orleans definitely is fat and happy returning home for the first time since Jan. 29. So concentration could be an issue. This marks the Pelicans' fifth different venue in nine days. The Pelicans aren't nearly good enough to cover a spread this high if they aren't playing well.

Houston has short revenge. The Rockets fell at home to the Pelicans, 120-107, this past Sunday. The game was close for three quarters. Houston even had the halftime lead. The Rockets defeated New Orleans, 118-108, at home in the team's first meeting this season on Dec. 5.

The Jazz are getting healthier. They've posted consecutive home victories against the Nuggets and Nets in their last two games. But they still are missing some key players, including center Rudy Gobert.

Utah has a bigger home game on deck meeting the Warriors on Wednesday.

The Knicks are off a 122-115 overtime loss to the Lakers from Saturday. The Knicks played well in building a 21-point lead. It was a heartbreaking loss, but there were many positive signs for the Knicks.

The Jazz have been terrible as a home favorite going 3-12-1 ATS the past 16 times in that role.

The Knicks are a gritty bunch with a top-seven defense. Now that the line has climbed to 8 I'm going to back the Knicks.

James Madison won nine of its first 11 games, before having to pause for nearly a month starting on Dec. 11 due to COVID. Since resuming play on Jan. 9 the Dukes have yet to regain their earlier form going 4-6.

Drexel also lost three weeks of its season due to a COVID pause. The Dragons are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Dragons are looking to post consecutive victories for just the second time this season after beating Delaware, 76-68, on the road this past Thursday.

James Madison has covered in 11 of its last 15 road contests.

I don't see why Drexel should be favored by this many points? The teams met on Jan. 27. James Madison was a 3 1/2-point home favorite. The Dukes were upset by Drexel, 88-82. The Dragons were red-hot making nearly 56 percent of their shots from the floor. James Madison shot 48 percent.

The Dukes are the better shooting team, though. They rank 30th in the nation in field goal percentage at 47.7 percent. Drexel shoots 46.9 percent from the floor.

These are two of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference. Fresno State has the sixth-best defense in the country.

But Wyoming is the more complete team. Fresno State also is coming off two easy matchups.

The Cowboys have won nine of their last 10 games. They are 26-9 ATS in their last 35 road games, including covering the past four. This has been a road team series with the visitor going 6-1-1 ATS the past eight times.

Wyoming averages nearly 10 more points pre game than Fresno State. The Bulldogs have one of the best players in the conference, Orlando Robinson. But Wyoming has two of the three best players on the court in Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado.

Talk about short revenge. Miami of Ohio sure has it here hosting Akron after losing, 66-55, on the road to the Zips this past Friday.

Akron may have gotten some home cooking in that one getting to shoot 10 more free throws than the RedHawks.

But Miami of Ohio was done in by its poor shooting from the floor. The RedHawks made just 36 percent of their shots and were 5-of-17 from 3-point range. Akron, on the other hand, made 50 percent of its field goal attempts.

I'm looking for a strong bounce back effort from the RedHawks at home and for Akron not to shoot as well as it did on Friday. Akron is 2-5 ATS in its last seven road games and 1-5 ATS following a victory.

The Zips also may be without Bryan Trimble, who missed the second half of Friday's game with an injury. The Zips have four players who average between 11 and 13 points. Trimble is one of those players.

Already short-handed in the backcourt with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso out, the Bulls may not have star shooting guard Zach LaVine and Coby White. Both are questionable due to injuries. 

I find this to be a buy-low spot on the Trail Blazers following Portland's, 96-93, home loss to the lowly Thunder last night. 

This has been an underdog series with the 'dog covering the spread the past five times. I see that trend continuing here.

Neither team has been playing well. Louisiana Tech shouldn't be laying this many points on the road. The Bulldogs' average road win this season is by a mere two points.
Florida International has covered six of its nine lined home games.

Florida International plays much better at home. So I'll ride with the Panthers here. 

Northern Illinois scored the most points it has scored in regulation all season when the teams met for the first time this season. Bowling Green still won, 92-83, covering as a 6 1/2-point road favorite. The price is cheap to back the Falcons again this time at home.

Bowling Green averages nearly 20 points more per game than Northern Illinois. The Huskies, 6-13 overall, rank 326th in scoring at 63.4 points a game.

The Huskies, though, are off a 75-56 road upset win against Western Michigan while Bowling Green lost 78-74 as small road chalk to Central Michigan in its last game.

Look for the Falcons, 11-11 on the season, to bounce back against this inferior foe. The Falcons have defeated the Huskies five straight times.

There aren't many easy games in the Big 12 Conference. And this one isn't going to be easy for Texas Tech especially after the Red Raiders won an emotional, 77-64, home game against 23rd-ranked Texas this past Tuesday.

West Virginia is in a desperate situation with six straight losses and possibly missing its best player, point guard Taz Sherman. He's in concussion protocol and questionable for this game.

With or without Sherman, though, I like West Virginia in this spot.

The Mountaineers played well in their last game, an 81-77 road loss to Baylor this past Monday. They shot a season-best 54.2 percent from the field. Look for the Mountaineers to give Texas Tech their best punch. I doubt the Red Raiders can produce another ''A'' game after beating Texas.

Kevin Durant is out and the Nets have lost six in a row. I didn't expect the Nets to lose their last game to the Kings in the middle game of their five-game road trip after previously losing to the Warriors and Suns. The defeats to Golden State and Phoenix weren't a surprise. The one to the Kings was shocking as James Harden had a rare off game scoring only four points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Still, the Nets are 17-9 on the road this season. I expect a much better performance from them here.

Utah is off a victory against the Nuggets and isn't at full strength either. Out for the Jazz are Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Danuel House Jr. with Hassan Whiteside and Jordan Clarkson questionable. The Jazz get sharpshooter Donovan Mitchell back. MItchell, however, could be rusty having been out since Jan. 17.

The Jazz have been terrible in this role going 5-16-1 ATS the last 22 times as a home favorite.

Should be a great game: Ohio at Toledo to decide the Mid-American Conference and No. 1 conference tournament seed.

That game, though, is Tuesday. Before that Toledo is being asked to cover what I see as an inflated road number against Ball State.

The Rockets have won nine in a row. But this definitely is a look-ahead spot for them, which could produce a flat effort.

Ball State had won and covered three in a row until getting buried by Ohio in its last game. The Cardinals average a healthy 74 points a game.

The Cardinals have covered eight of their last 11 games. The Rockets have allowed 173 3-point field goals. Ball State has made 180 3-pointers, ranking 69th in 3-point accuracy.

The combination of their 3-point shooting, home-court and catching Toledo in a flat spot should mean a cover for the Cardinals.

I really hope Dejounte Murray plays. But even if he doesn't the Spurs have enough depth and a huge edge in coaching to cover this short number against the Rockets. San Antonio is in stop-the-pain mode losers of three in a row.

The Rockets enter San Antonio fat and happy after a 115-104 home victory against Cleveland this past Wednesday. Houston has lost its previous four games.

The Rockets are 6-17 ATS the past 23 times as a 'dog. They are 2-6-1 ATS during their past nine meetings against the Spurs.

Houston was no match for San Antonio when the teams just met on Jan. 25. The Spurs buried the Rockets, 134-104, dominating the paint with 82 points.

I'm not buying Stanford being a home 'dog to Washington State. The teams met on Jan. 13 and Stanford won, 62-57, as a 7-point road 'dog.

Washington State has won three in a row since that loss to Stanford. All of those victories, though, were at home.

The Cardinal played a tough non-conference schedule and they've proved themselves in Pac-12 play sweeping USC.

Stanford is 9-1 at home. Among the teams Stanford has beaten at home are Oregon, USC and California.

This is a potential flat spot for the Suns playing in just their second road game since Jan. 20. It's also their first Eastern time zone start time in more than two weeks.

The Hawks aren't known for their defense. But their defense has been under-the-radar good recently. If you discount giving up 121 points to the Lakers, the Hawks have given up an average of just 100.2 points during their last five games.

Atlanta has been idle since Monday. So the Hawks should be energized with a strong defensive game plan.

The Suns have held their last 10 opponents to an average of 103.5 points if you throw out their game against the Timberwolves where they surrendered 124 points. Phoenix ranks seventh in the league defensively. The Suns are in the top four in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. Big man Deandre Ayton just returned from missing seven games with an ankle injury. That's a plus for the Under because of Ayton's rebounding shot blocking. He's rusty on offense.

The Hawks lost, 106-100, to the Raptors in their last game. Atlanta was bothered by Toronto's defensive pressure. The Suns are a better defensive team than the Raptors.

Trae Young did not play against Toronto. He's questionable here with a shoulder bruise. It's a nice bonus for the Under if Young doesn't play again, but it doesn't change my handicap if he does see action.

The Nets have been strong on the road all season with a 17-8 away record. This is the middle game of Brooklyn's five-game West Coast trip and the easiest of the matchups. The Nets already have lost to Western powers Golden State and Phoenix. The Nets face the Jazz and Nuggets following this game. So a loss to the lowly Kings would be unacceptable. 

There's no Kevin Durant. But James Harden is back in the lineup and Kyrie Irving is there for road games. 

The Nets draw the Kings at a good time. Sacramento has dropped seven in a row. The Kings returned home this past Monday night following an 0-5 road trip that took them to the East, Midwest and South. Sacramento is not at full strength either. Big man Marvin Bagley III is out with an ankle injury. De'Aaron Fox is questionable with an ankle injury that kept him from playing during the recently concluded road trip. 

Sacramento is 3-9 ATS the past dozen times at home when facing an opponent with a winning road record. 

The Kings lost to the lowly Pistons and Rockets during their previous two home contests. 

The 76ers are flying high. They just won their fifth straight beating the hot Grizzlies, 122-119, in overtime two days ago. Philly achieved this feat resting Joel Embiid.

This is the final game of a five-game homestand for the 76ers. They are 0-4 ATS following a point spread cover and are in letdown mode here against a slumping Wizards team that is without its best player, guard Bradley Beal.

The Wizards should produce a better effort than they did last night when they fell, 112-98, on the road to the Bucks. Wizards Coach Wes Unseld Jr. expressed optimism his team would step up with Beal out.

I believe the Wizards will do that here and the 76ers will be flat allowing Washington to stay within single digits.

Every point figures to matter in this matchup of elite defenses. Texas has the No. 1 defense in the nation holding foes to 54.5 points. Defense is a Chris Beard trademark as Texas Tech well knows about its former coach. The Red Raiders allow the 19th-fewest points in the country. 

So I'm attracted to the road 'dog receiving this many points. This has been an underdog series with the 'dog covering eight of the last 11 times. 

I trust Beard's defense and the Longhorns' motion offense to find some open looks from 3-point range. I also trust the Longhorns to control their turnover count facing Texas Tech's full-court pressure. 

It comes down to what should be a low-scoring matchup, as the oddsmaker anticipates, where Texas definitely can stay within two possessions. 

The Spurs are expected to be at full strength against the Warriors. That's fine because it keeps the spread down while making the money line an option.

There's a class difference here. Golden State is an elite team riding a six-game win streak. The Spurs are just a playoff contender.

The Warriors are the No. 1 defensive team in the league. They rank 12th in scoring. Stephen Curry is off a hot performance.

The Spurs surrender nearly nine more points per game than the Warriors. San Antonio shoots much worse from the field and free throw line than Golden State.

The Warriors are averaging 121.5 points in their past four games.

The Bulls are coming off a 130-116 home win against Portland this past Sunday. So maybe this total looks right on the surface. But I find it too high.

The Trail Blazers are well below average defensively with the worst perimeter defense in the league.

The Magic rank 28th in scoring and shooting percentage. But the Magic are 3-1 in their last four games because they are playing good defense. Orlando has held its last four foes to an average of 104.2 points.

The Bulls are going to be up for this matchup after losing 114-93 on the road to the Magic nine days ago. Billy Donovan has been pushing the Bulls to play stronger defense. This is their opportunity against a weak offense.

The Magic know the Bulls well since this already is the fourth meeting between the two teams. The Bulls also are short-handed in the backcourt with point guard Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso out with injuries.

Note, too, the Under has cashed eight of the last nine times the teams have played in Chicago.

The teams just met 10 days ago in Golden State. The Rockets nearly pulled the upset losing, 105-103.

That victory was the start of a five-game win streak for the Warriors. Golden State has won three of those games by a total of eight points.

The Warriors are off a big emotional win against the Nets from two days ago. They are at the Spurs on Tuesday in a revenge spot.

So this looms as a potential flat spot for the Warriors, who remain without Draymond Green.

Houston only has played twice since losing to the Warriors 10 days ago. The Rockets' last game was this past Friday. That should ensure a rested, full effort and an added bonus if Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood are able to return to the lineup.

I'm not in love with the Pacers. They've lost four of their last five games and really miss rim protector Myles Turner.

But I want to fade the Clippers in this spot. This is the final game of the Clippers' eight-game road trip that started back on Jan. 19. It's also the Clippers' fifth game in seven days. They remain without their two best players, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Pacers should be fired-up after an embarrassing, 132-105, road loss to the Mavericks this past Saturday.

This is a battle for third place in the Southern League. I see a wrong favorite.

Neither team is in good current form. The underdog has cashed the past five times in the series. So taking points is attractive.

Mercer knocked off Wofford in the conference tournament last season during the previous meeting. The Bears are 9-3 at home.

Mercer is 1-3 in its last four games. Wofford, though, is 1-2 in its last three games and 1-3 ATS during its past four games. The Terriers are off a victory against UNC Greensboro. Before that game, however, the Terriers only averaged 55 points in losses to Chattanooga and Furman.

Those are the two best teams in the Southern. The Bears can play slow, similar to those teams, which would frustrate the Terriers.

The Suns have won nine in a row. It seems, though, with each of their victories their betting line gets more and more inflated.

None of Phoenix's last five victories have been by more than 10 points. The Suns should have only beaten the Timberwolves by eight points instead of 10 in their last game two days ago. A late meaningless Minnesota foul resulted in two free throws by the Suns to account for a final 10-point margin.

The Suns have been playing short-handed with Deandre Ayton (ankle), Jae Crowder (wrist) and reserves Cameron Payne (wrist) and JaVale McGee (knee) all missing in action. Ayton is out. The other three are questionable.

San Antonio has been up and down. But the Spurs rank in the top 10 in scoring and are perhaps off their best game of the season, a 131-122 home win against the Bulls this past Friday. San Antonio had 35 assists in that win. The Spurs have covered seven of the last eight times on the road versus opponents with a winning home mark.

This already is the fourth meeting between these two teams. The Spurs have kept two of the three close, losing by four points twice. They are 3-0-1 ATS the past four times in Phoenix.

I don't trust the Rams' offense against the 49ers. San Francisco held LA to an average of 17 points and 271.5 yards in the team's two meetings this season. The Rams have been held to an average of 17.5 points during their last four games against San Francisco.

Matthew Stafford had a great season with 41 TD passes. But Stafford also tied Trevor Lawrence for the most interceptions with 17. The 49ers can generate a strong pass rush without having to blitz. This is huge because Stafford is strong against blitzes. Nick Bosa can be just as disruptive to an offense as Aaron Donald is for the Rams.

Keep an eye on the status of each team's starting offensive left tackles. The 49ers' Trent Williams was on crutches following the 49ers' win against the Packers last week, while the Rams' Andrew Whitworth missed his team's victory against the Buccaneers because of an ankle injury.

The 49ers ranked No. 3 in defensive total yards. They were in the top seven against both the run and pass.

The Rams' pass rush has come on strong with Von Miller making an impact. Jalen Ramsey gives the Rams the best defensive back. The 49ers are heavily ground-oriented so that is going to eat clock.

I don't trust Jimmy Garoppolo. He's an extremely limited quarterback.

So Under is the best course of action.

Joe Burrow has elevated the Bengals. Cincinnati is going to be a serious playoff contender for years if Burrow stays in one piece. But this isn't Cincinnati's time. Kansas City is the elite team in the NFL and the Chiefs are peaking at the right time. They also are home.

The Bengals have too many holes, including a 26th-ranked secondary, to keep Patrick Mahomes and his bevy of weapons from scoring touchdowns. Mahomes has regained his status as the best QB in football. The Chiefs have scored at least 28 points in each of their last seven games. During their two playoff games against the Steelers and Bills, the Chiefs averaged 42 points and 515 yards.

The Bengals' defense isn't nearly at the level of Buffalo's top-ranked unit.

This puts tremendous pressure on Burrow to keep up with Mahomes. Burrow has the talent, poise and athleticism to do this. He doesn't have the offensive line, though. The Bengals surrendered nine sacks to the Titans yet still came away with a playoff victory last week because of Ryan Tannehill's three interceptions. Mahomes has committed one turnover during his last five games.

Until giving up 36 points to the Bills in last week's overtime shootout, the Chiefs had permitted the fewest points per game since Week 8 allowing 16.1 points.

Kansas City has won 10 of its last 11 games with the lone defeat occurring to the Bengals in Cincinnati. Kansas City is 9-2 at home this season with an average winning margin of 14.2 points.

I'm not going to step in against the Chiefs.

I don't profess to be an expert on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. But this line sure looks out of whack to me with Marist opening as a road favorite.

The Red Foxes are 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six games. They've dropped three in a row, including a seven-point home loss to Sienna a couple of weeks ago.

Manhattan has a winning ATS mark in its last eight games. The Jaspers are 5-2 on their home court. They have taken care of business at home in MAAC play, beating Sienna and Canisius.

Both teams are 12-8. But given the home/road splits, the wrong team is favored.

Cal-Baptist is 11-3 at home this season. The Lancers lead the Western Athletic Conference in assists at 17.6 per game.

Stephen F. Austin is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games and 2-5 ATS during its past seven road contests. The Lumberjacks have lost and failed to cover during their last three road games.

The Raptors are rested, have short revenge and are likely to get Fred VanVleet back in their lineup.

The Heat are playing without rest, are minus Kyle Lowery and Markieff Morris and Jimmy Butler is dealing with a toe injury.

Toronto fell to Miami, 104-99, on the road 12 days ago. The Raptors have been idle since Wednesday when they lost, 111-105, to the Bulls on the road. Toronto came back to take the lead with 3:11 left after trailing by 19 points in the second half. 

The Raptors have covered the past seven times when failing to cover the spread during their previous game. I like their resiliency, toughness and coach, Nick Nurse. 
The Heat ended up having a tough time with the road weary Clippers last night after opening a 23-point lead. Miami ended up winning by seven, 121-114. 

Lowry and Morris remain out. It would not surprise me if Butler sat out, too. He played more than 37 minutes against the Clippers despite dealing with a sore big toe. 
VanVleet, who leads Toronto in scoring and assists, has missed the past two games. But he practiced on Friday. So there's a good chance he plays. 

The belief here is Tarleton State is the superior team. The Texans have the better record and are off a victory. Rio Grande Valley has just one victory in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vaqueros are 1-7 in their last eight games. The Vaqueros have given up 84 or more points in six of their last eight games.  

Notre Dame is hot, winning nine of its last 10 games. But Virginia is just the team to beat the Irish.

The Cavaliers are a bad matchup for Notre Dame as evidenced by Virginia defeating the Irish 16 of 18 times in the series, including the past six times.

Notre Dame relies on its perimeter shooting especially from long range. The Irish rank 27th in 3-point percentage. Notre Dame is very much a rhythm team.

Virginia disrupts that rhythm. No team plays slower than the Cavaliers. Virginia's defense is at its best clamping down on open shots, especially catch-and-shoot 3-point shots like Notre Dame likes to launch.

On the flip side, Virginia guards Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman are adept at patiently beating half-court sets. Given four days to prepare, Virginia's elite coach Tony Bennett should have an excellent game plan.

Virginia is 5-3 SU and ATS in its last eight road/neutral site games. Notre Dame is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 home games versus foes who have an above .500 road mark.

If you're looking for a lot of scoring this certainly isn't the game for you.

Tennessee State hasn't scored more than 65 points in three of its last four games.

Eastern Illinois is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation averaging 55.8 points. The Panthers have failed to break the 58-point barrier during any of their last 11 games. They also play at the slowest tempo of any team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

As low as this total is, it should have opened even lower.