Wisconsin remains the lone unbeaten team in Big Ten play. But no team goes unbeaten through the conference schedule in this rugged league. So the Badgers are on borrowed time. That time could be up in this matchup.

Penn State is 4-2 ATS in its Big Ten games. The Nittany Lions upset Michigan at a neutral site three games ago. Since then, however, the Nittany Lions have lost to second-ranked Purdue and Northwestern. So this becomes a circle-the-wagons home game for Penn State, which upset Ohio State at home and nearly upset Maryland on the road losing in overtime.

This is just the Badgers' fifth true road game. They are 2-2 in those away contests with their defeats coming to Providence by 13 and to Arizona by 25.

The teams played two close games last season with Wisconsin edging Penn State, 63-60 and 79-74.

The focus will be on superstars Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. But I am thinking defense here in this high-profile matchup between the defending champion Nuggets and 76ers, who are anxious to make a statement with a win.  

Only three teams allow fewer points per game than Denver. The Nuggets just held the Pacers, the No. 1 scoring team in the NBA, to 16 points under their season average and their fifth-lowest score of the season. 

Philadelphia has a top-eight defense and rates No. 1 in defensive 3-point shooting percentage. Just two games ago, the 76ers held the Kings 18 points below their season average. 

Indiana has gone Under the total in its last three games. The Pacers haven't had emerging superstar Tyrese Haliburton during those three games. So it's not a coincidence those games have all gone Under. I find it directly related. Haliburton suffered a groin injury four games ago. Haliburton, who leads the NBA in assists and also is the Pacers' leading scorer, isn't expected back until later this month.

The Pacers have slowed their tempo and stressed defense more minus Haliburton.

The oddsmaker hasn't caught on yet. He is looking at Indiana's league-leading 126.1 scoring average. However, minus Haliburton the Pacers have held their last three opponents to an average of 109.6 points. Those foes were good offensive teams, too - Nuggets (13th in scoring), Hawks (fourth in scoring) and Wizards (16th in scoring).

During these past three games, the Pacers are averaging 115.6 points. That's down nearly 11 points from their season average. The Under in Indiana's last three games has cashed by an average winning margin of 21.6 points.

The Pacers certainly aren't going to push tempo traveling into Utah's high altitude while playing for the third time in four days and second in two days.

The Jazz are a slightly below average defensive team. But they've held their last five opponents to an average of 114.8 points, which is four points below their season average of what they give up.

The Eagles catch two major breaks here. This game is on Monday night so they get extra rest. They also draw the Buccaneers.

The Eagles are at low ebb right now dropping five of their last six games. They certainly won't lack motivation now that the playoffs are here. Tampa Bay, winner of the weak NFC South Division, is one of the worst teams in the postseason. 

The Bucs are last in rushing and Baker Mayfield is banged-up. Tampa Bay has produced a combined 22 points in its last two games going against the Panthers and Saints. 

Philadelphia played a much more difficult schedule than Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers only went 1-5 in games vs playoff teams. The one victory came against the Packers. 

The Buccaneers hosted the Eagles back in Week 3. It didn't go well for Tampa Bay. The Eagles won, 25-11. The Buccaneers could only manage 12 first downs and 41 yards rushing. 

Losers of eight of their last 11 games and thin at center without injured leading scorer Jack Eichel, the Golden Knights can not be favored. Certainly not here against Nashville.

The Predators are 5-2 in their last seven games. They are 6-1 in their last seven road games and have scored 3 or more goals in each of their last eight games. 

The Golden Knights are averaging only 1.7 goals in their last nine games. 

Dartmouth is below the radar and justifiably so with three straight losses and non-covers. But the Big Green has had injuries. Now they finally are healthy.

Princeton is the best team in the Ivy League. Still, this is a lot of points for the Tigers to be laying in a slow-paced Ivy League matchup. Dartmouth is respectable on defense holding foes to an average of 68.7 points a game.

There could be a rust factor, too, since neither team has played in nine days. That adds some randomness and randomness is good when backing a large underdog.

The Tigers have been overpriced. They are 2-4 ATS in their last six lined games. I find them overpriced again in this spot given the circumstances.

The total has been bet up in anticipation of a Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff shootout. I'm not buying into that storyline.

Yes, there are some very good skill position players involved. But this is a high total and these defenses are not as bad as some perceive. I also believe there will be more running plays than expected. 

Raheem Morris is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. He's done a fine job with the Rams this season. Aaron Donald still is in his dominant prime. Morris has the Rams playing a lot of soft coverage. This invites the run and prevents big plays from happening. It's good for the Under. 

Lions coach Dan Campbell isn't afraid to feature a lot of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the ground. The Rams held seven of their last nine opponents to 22 or fewer points. Just once did the Rams allow an opposing runner to gain 100 rushing yards.

Goff's top red zone target is tight end Sam LaPorta, who set a rookie record with 86 catches and ranked No. 1 in red zone touchdowns for tight ends. LaPorta suffered a knee injury in the Lions' Week 18 victory against the Vikings. He'll be limited if he plays. Also hurt in that game was Kalif Raymond, a dangerous return man for the Lions. 

The Rams use Kyren Williams to set up their passing attack. Detroit's defense strength is its run defense. The Lions finished third in yards per carry allowed and No. 2 in run defense limiting opposing runners to 88.8 yards per game.

UCLA covered against Marquette and Gonzaga in narrow losses to those schools earlier this season. Few, though, are rushing to the window to bet the Bruins these days. UCLA is 1-8 in its last nine games and off an embarrassing, 90-44, road loss to Utah this past Thursday.

But now the Bruins are returning home and I'm buying low on them as home underdogs to mediocre Washington, which ranks 277th defensively.

Clearly this is a circle-the-wagons game for UCLA. The Bruins have owned the Huskies winning the past nine times.

UCLA is way overdue. The Bruins are going to have tremendous motivation. This is the spot to back them.

The Packers surprised many people sneaking into the playoffs as the final wild-card team. But that is their ceiling.

Dallas could be the best team in the NFL when playing at home. The Cowboys have won 16 games in a row at AT&T Stadium. That includes an 8-0 mark this season with the average winning margin being 21.5 points.

Green Bay is the youngest team in the NFL. The Packers had no Pro Bowl players. None. They are 28th in run defense. Star cornerback Jaire Alexander is questionable with an ankle injury. Joe Barry is one of the worst defensive coordinators in the league. He will not have answers, nor innovations, to slow down Dallas' high-powered attack.

The Cowboys were the top-scoring team in the NFL. Dak Prescott was first in touchdown passes. He has a 22-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio at home. CeeDee Lamb is right there with Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyreek Hill as the best wide receiver in football.

Before closing out their regular season facing the Vikings' rookie fourth-string quarterback and the Bears, the Packers surrendered 34 points to the Buccaneers at home. They made Baker Mayfield look like Joe Montana. Then Green Bay gave up 30 points to the Panthers. Carolina ranked last in yards gained and second-to-last in points. The Panthers were shut out in their final two games after playing Green Bay.

The Packers, Jordan Love and their many young receivers are in the development stage. The Cowboys have gone 12-5 each of the last three seasons making the playoffs each year. They are far ahead of the Packers at this juncture.

The Pelicans are fully healthy. The Mavericks are not. Luka Doncic is out with an ankle injury. Dante Exum, the Mavericks' fifth-leading scorer, is out, too. Rotation player Dereck Lively II is questionable. 

The Pelicans are coming off a 125-113 road loss to Denver. New Orleans had won seven consecutive road games until that defeat.

The Mavericks are off a highly-satisfying and hard-fought, 128-124, home win against the Knicks two days ago. That game had huge motivation for the Mavericks because Jalen Brunson was returning to Dallas. The Mavericks also wanted to show they could win without superstar Doncic, who sat out that contest. 

I'm willing to take a healthy and hot Pelicans team - 6-2 in their last eight games - against the Mavericks, who may not be quite as up for this game as they were Thursday and won't have their best player.

I find this total too high for a pair of inexperienced playoff teams. C.J. Stroud is an extraordinary rookie. But he's going against a Cleveland defense that gave up the fewest yards per game and finished No. 2 in the metric DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). Stroud also has to deal with maybe the best pass rusher in the league, Myles Garrett.

Joe Flacco has been a remarkable story saving the Browns' season. But what's been overlooked about Flacco, who turns 39 in a matter of days, is he has thrown eight interceptions in his five starts with Cleveland.

I envision the Browns being heavily run-oriented against the Texans. The Colts had great success on the ground vs the Texans. But they had Jonathan Taylor. The Browns don't have an above average runner with Nick Chubb sidelined.

Houston's defense is going to get reinforced, too, this week with the return of star pass rushing rookie Will Anderson Jr. and linebacker Blake Cashman, an underrated player who racks up tackles. The Texans also might get back defensive lineman Jonathan Greenard.

San Diego State isn't the same on the road. The Aztecs are 2-6 ATS in away and neutral site games this season. 

New Mexico has one of the top home floor edges. That's held true again this season as the Lobos are 8-0 SU at home. They've covered six of their seven lined home games.

The Lobos should be up for this matchup after losing, 83-73, on the road to Las Vegas this past Tuesday.

Dayton has won nine in a row. The Flyers shouldn't be an underdog to Duquesne.

The Flyers are road-tested playing Houston and LSU on neutral courts and winning at SMU, Cincinnati and Davidson.

Duquesne's 6-1 home record is misleading. The Dukes have played extremely easy competition at home. The best team they hosted was Princeton and they lost straight-up to the Tigers as a six-point favorite.

Dayton ranks fourth in the country in 3-point shooting hitting 40.5 percent. Duquesne's biggest defensive weakness is 3-point defense.

I'm selling high on the Gophers right now. 

Picked to finish last in the Big Ten Conference by the media, Minnesota is a surprising 12-3 and tied for second in the Big Ten with a 3-1 league mark. The Gophers are off narrow victories against Michigan and Maryland. They've won seven in a row.

But I see reality closing in on Minnesota. The Gophers' next four games are this one at Indiana, then Iowa followed by a road game at Michigan State and then Wisconsin. 

Minnesota only has played two true road games. Indiana is 8-1 at home this season.

The Hooisers should be highly motivated for this matchup after losing, 66-57, on the road to Rutgers this past Tuesday. Indiana was an embarrassing 4-of-15 from the foul line in that loss. 

The 11-5 Hooisers are not a good free throw shooting team, but they do connect on 48.4 percent of their field goal attempts. That rates 35th in the country.

Portland is going through another tough period with four blowout losses and a victory during its last five games. So why back the Trail Blazers here? The complex answer is when things don't seem to make sense in the NBA, that's usually the right side to be on.

Then there's this: Oklahoma City just beat Miami, 128-120, on Wednesday night. Playing the physical, usually ultra-competitive Heat rarely is easy. The last three teams who played the Heat failed to cover in their next game. Oklahoma City will be playing without rest and is in action for the third time in four days. The Thunder have a more challenging matchup on deck when they host the much-improved Magic on Sunday.

The Trail Blazers should be up for this contest after getting buried by the Knicks at New York this past Tuesday. Prior to that game, Portland upset Brooklyn on the road as a 9 1/2-point 'dog. By comparison, the Thunder played at the Nets this past Friday and lost.

Portland has a winning ATS mark on the road this season. The Trail Blazers own outright away victories against the Raptors, Pacers and Cavaliers. They've lost road games by six or fewer points to the Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, Jazz and Kings. I look for them to hang in during this one.

Only once all season have the Celtics been an underdog. But there are good reasons why Boston is getting so many points in this matchup.
This spot sets up entirely for the Bucks. The oddsmaker knows it, making Milwaukee a strong favorite. But the Bucks should be favored by even more. That's how favorable this situation is for Milwaukee. 

The Bucks are in circle-the-wagons mode after losing two in a row and four of their last five with a pair of those defeats occurring to the Pacers, who they've had problems matching up to this season. 

The Bucks by no means are conceding that the Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference. This is their chance to make a statement. Milwaukee has revenge for a 119-116 road loss to Boston on Nov. 22. This time the Bucks draw Boston at home and they are rested having been idle since Monday. 

Milwaukee will have all hands on deck, including Damian Lillard, who missed the last game. Boston, on the other hand, may have to rest some of its players, or at least reduce their minutes following last night's 127-120 overtime win against the Timberwolves that kept the Celtics' home record perfect at 18-0. Boston had to rally from nine points down late in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. 

The cost was heavy minutes for Boston's key players. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday all logged at least 40 minutes. Ancient Al Horford played 38 minutes. Not only is this a back-to-back game for the Celtics, but it's their fifth game in seven days.

I find this line short. Towson is 6-0 at home. Stony Brook hosted Towson last year and lost, 67-55. Towson is superior to the Seawolves again this season.

Towson has huge edges defensively and on the boards. The Tigers rank 34th defensively. They have given up an average of only 54 points in their last four games. They rank fifth in the nation in defensive rebounding. The Tigers had 11 more rebounds than Stony Brook in last year's game.

Stony Brook ranks 306th in defensive rebounding and is 340th in the nation in 3-point defense.

I'm looking for a strong bounce back effort from Davidson at home after the Wildcats lost its Atlantic-10 opener six days ago to Dayton, 72-59. That was the Wildcats' first home defeat in seven games and also halted a seven-game win streak. Davidson had a bad shooting night, while Dayton was hot making 50 percent of its shots from the floor.

Davidson matches up much better against Rhode Island.  

The Wildcats are the stronger defensive team, has a much better turnover ratio than the Rams and has a deeper bench. The Rams give up six more points per game than Davidson and rank 283rd in 3-point defense. The Rams also rate 284th in turnovers.

Getting even a basket with Iowa State is huge in this matchup of defensive giants.

The Cyclones had their six-game win streak halted on the road by 11th-ranked Oklahoma State this past Saturday. I like the Cyclones to get back on the winning track at home. Iowa State ranks fifth in the country in defensive efficiency.

Houston is unbeaten. But five of the Cougars' last six games have been against extremely easy foes.

It's time. Michigan has the superior defense, ground attack and big-game experience having been in three straight college football playoffs to beat Washington by more than a field goal. 

Washington hasn't faced a defense this good. The Wolverines give up the fewest points per game in the nation. They rank No. 2 in fewest yards allowed, too, and in pass defense.

Those who like Washington in this title game say Michigan hasn't faced a quarterback the caliber of Michael Penix Jr. The Wolverines, though, beat their share of talented quarterbacks - Jalen Milroe, Taulia Tagovailoa, Kyle McCord and Drew Allar. Michigan also is familiar with Penix having gone against him when he played for Indiana before transferring to Washington. 

The Huskies have good wide receivers. But Michigan has seen better having knocked off Ohio State, who had Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming. 

Michigan is stronger than Washington in the trenches. The Wolverines sacked Alabama's Milroe six times in holding the Crimson Tide to 20 points. Penix isn't as mobile as Milroe. 

Something overlooked in this matchup is penalty yardage. The well-coached Wolverines had the second-fewest penalties in the nation. Washington had more than 70 yards in penalties called against them per game, a difference of about 51 yards compared to Michigan. 

Washington ranked 122nd in pass defense and 41st in run defense. Michigan's star running back Blake Corum ran for 177 yards and three touchdowns when the teams met two seasons ago at Michigan. The Wolverines won that game, 31-10. 

Michigan's ground edge will be even more significant if Dillon Johnson, the Huskies' 1,000-yard rusher, is compromised, or unable to play, because of a lower body injury suffered against Texas in Washington's Super Bowl victory.

The Eagles don't need to beat the Giants unless the Cowboys happen to lose to the Commanders. That's not going to happen. The Cowboys are two-touchdown favorites in that game. So the Eagles will be the NFC's No. 5 seed.

Both the Dallas and Philadelphia Sunday games go later in the afternoon. The Eagles will be monitoring the Cowboys-Commanders matchup. If that game goes as expected with Dallas winning, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is going to want to pull Jalen Hurts and other starters not wanting to risk injury.

But even if the Eagles starters play the entire game - which I don't anticipate - the Giants are capable of beating Philadelphia straight-up.

New York would be 4-3 in its last seven games if not for a one-point loss to the Rams this past Sunday. Tyrod Taylor is the right quarterback choice. The Giants' offensive line has gotten healthier. Darren Waller has returned at tight end.

The Eagles' defense is gassed. They are giving up 31.5 points a game during their last six games. They miss Jonathan Gannon, their defensive coordinator from last season who now coaches the Cardinals. Gannon's Cardinals ran for 221 yards and never punted in beating the Eagles, 35-31, this past Sunday at Philadelphia. Saquon Barkley is better than James Conner or any runner Arizona has.

This is an NFL regular season game masquerading as an exhibition game with an exhibition type total.

No Patrick Mahomes. No Justin Herbert nor Keenan Allen.

The Chiefs are locked into the No. 3 playoff seed in the AFC. The Chargers are rudderless awaiting a new coach. Andy Reid has told his Chiefs to go out and have fun. The Chiefs won't have Mahomes, but their quarterback-friendly offensive system is in place.

So I see a loosely, played game with each team not afraid to take chances.

The headline is Mahomes not playing. But many key defensive players won't be in action either. The Chargers already have ruled out Joey Bosa and Kenneth Murray. The Chiefs could sit out their best defensive player, star pass rusher Chris Jones. He's dealing with a groin injury.

Blaine Gabbert will fill-in for Mahomes. He's one of the better backup QB's in the league. He's backed by an above average offense. The Chiefs don't have any stars at wide receiver, but they do have good wide receiving depth. The bar is set low for Kansas City's offense. The Chargers rank 29th in total defense and 30th in pass defense. They just surrendered 63 points to the Raiders three weeks ago.

Easton Stick will be making his fifth straight QB start for the Chargers. He has command of the offense. The Chargers, like the Chiefs, are a passing offense. Unlike other Week 18 games, weather won't factor here with clear skies, temperatures in the high 50's and little wind.

This very well could be Bill Belichick's final game as head coach of the Patriots after 24 seasons. I don't see Belichick losing at home to the Jets, a rivalry opponent his Patriots have beaten 15 times in a row! 

New England has kept its poise under Belichick despite skill position deficiencies. The Patriots are 4-0 ATS in their last four games with straight-up upset victories against the Steelers and Broncos.
 
The Jets have collapsed under the weight of horrendous quarterback play going 2-7 SU, 1-8 ATS. Defense had been New York's strength. But the Jets defense has worn down from being on the field so much this season. New York has allowed an average of 31.6 points in its last three games. The Jets just were lit up by 38-year-old Joe Flacco this past Thursday losing, 37-20. 

Bailey Zappe has completed 70.3 percent of his passes during the last four games for 885 yards and six touchdowns. The Jets can't match that through the air with a quarterback choice of either Trevor Siemian or Zach Wilson if he's healthy. The Patriots have held the Jets to an average of 9.8 points during the last five meetings, including a 15-10 win earlier this season.

BYU is 12-1 SU, 11-2 ATS, ranks fourth in the nation in scoring, 12th in the country defensively and has a winning margin of 28.9 points, which leads all Division I teams.

And the Cougars haven't even been 100 percent - until now. Expected to play is defensive ace Fousseyni Traore, who is the Cougars' sixth-leading scorer. He had missed December because of a hamstring injury.

The 12th-ranked Cougars are ready to make their Big 12 debut against Cincinnati, another newcomer to the esteemed Big 12 Conference.

BYU is a legitimate 12-1. All of its victories have been by at least nine points. The Cougars average 90.4 points and hold their foes to an average of 61.5 points.

Cincinnati is 11-2, but that record is bogus given the soft schedule the Bearcats have played. This is just the Bearcats' third true road game of the season.

Cincinnati failed to cover as 12 1/2-point road favorites against Howard needing overtime to win, 86-81. The Bearcats lost on the road to Xavier, 84-79, as one-point underdogs. Cincinnati also has played one neutral site game. That was against Dayton. The Bearcats were 5 1/2-point favorites and lost, 82-68.

Given their road woes and soft schedule, I don't see the Bearcats staying within double-digits of the powerful Cougars.

The Knicks are 3-0 since acquiring three players from the Raptors, including OG Anunoby. They are off their most lopsided win of the season, a 128-92 rout of the 76ers last night.

That has to be highly satisfying for the Knicks. It also makes them fat and happy for this road matchup against the hapless Wizards.

Washington is terrible defensively. However, the Wizards are an above average scoring and shooting team. The Knicks' interior defense is down since center Mitchell Robinson was injured.

The situational spot highly favors Washington. The Wizards were idle on Friday, unlike the Knicks, and off two embarrassing road losses to the Cavaliers. Previous to those games, the Wizards had lost by four points at home to the Hawks and upset the Nets at home, covering both games.

The Knicks carry a heavy fatigue rating. Not only are they playing without rest, but this is their third game in four days and sixth game in nine days.

Just because the Steelers are in a must-win spot to keep their playoff hopes alive, doesn't mean they will win. Yes, I understand the Ravens have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will be sitting out multiple starters, including Lamar Jackson.

But John Harbaugh doesn't like losing, especially to Baltimore's bitter rival, which is Pittsburgh.

The Ravens have excellent depth and revenge for a frustrating 17-10 Week 5 loss to the Steelers when Baltimore turned the ball over three times.

Harbaugh has shown how much he hates losing as the Ravens are 24-2 in their last 26 preseason games. Baltimore also has covered 77 percent of the time the past 31 instances it has been an underdog going 24-7 ATS.

Tyler Huntley will be starting instead of Jackson. But he's no worse, if not better, than Pittsburgh's QB, immobile Mason Rudolph, who was Mike Tomlin's third choice at quarterback after Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.

The Steelers have injuries at linebacker and in the secondary so they also will have reserves in their lineup.

The Timberwolves are off consecutive losses to the Knicks and Pelicans at home. They have not lost three in a row all season.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch called out his team for not playing harder and with not enough purpose. I believe the Timberwolves show up here with a lot of determination and motivation.

Houston is No. 2 in the NBA in defense. The one team ahead of the Rockets is Minnesota. The Timberwolves give up the fewest points per game and rank first, too, in fewest points allowed per 100 possessions.

The Rockets are 2-0 in their last two games. Those victories have been against the Pistons, the worst team in the NBA, and to the sagging Nets, who have lost five in a row. The Rockets had lost their previous three games - all when stepping up in class with losses to the 76ers, Suns and Pacers. This is a step-up-in-class game for Houston.

Carolina is riding a four-game winning streak. But I'm going to step in against the Hurricanes based on the spot.

This is the Hurricanes' final game of a three-game road swing in which they secured victories against the Rangers in an underdog role and Maple Leafs. Carolina returns home following this matchup only to meet the Blues there for a Saturday game.

Carolina has a right to feel fat and happy, while also anxious to get home for the first time in a week.

The Capitals are in a more desperate state, having lost five of their past six games. This includes a 6-3 loss to the Devils in the first of a five-game homestand two days ago. Washington had upset the Penguins on the road in its previous game. The Capitals also beat Carolina on the road in the team's lone meeting this season.

Butler has never beaten Connecticut in seven tries. Butler has never kept the final score below double-digits either in any of its losses to Connecticut. Maybe the Bulldogs can keep this game in single digits, but I don't see them pulling the upset.

There are reasons why Butler has never defeated the Huskies. The Bulldogs can't match that talent level, size and athletic ability.

Connecticut is fourth-ranked in the country. The Huskies are playing well going 5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS in their past six games.

Butler is not in good form having lost its past two games. Those losses were to St. John's by 16 points and to Providence in overtime. The Bulldogs are 0-5 ATS in their last five board games.

I'm going to ride Calgary, which is 5-2 in its last seven games and getting excellent net play from Jacob Markstrom, who has a .936 save percentage in his last six games. The Flames have given up two or fewer goals in five of their last seven games.

Nashville is 2-3 in its past five games. The Predators have permitted five goals in four of their last nine games. They've been without defenseman Tyson Barrie during their past four games.

Texas Arlington is underpriced here. The Mavericks have played a tougher schedule than Tarleton State. They are 5-1 ATS in their last six lined games. This includes the Mavericks covering against Texas, Texas Tech and Grand Canyon, who they led in the second half against. 

Tarleton State has been favored twice in the last four weeks and failed to cover each time. The Texans nearly lost to Texas Rio Grande Valley as a 10 1/2-point home favorite.

The Bucks and Pacers just scored a combined 272 points in Indiana's, 142-130, Wednesday home victory.

But let's not get carried away with the total like the oddsmaker has. The Bucks' last two games have been against the Pacers, who lead the NBA in scoring and field goal percentage.

Now the Bucks are dropping way down in class to play the Spurs. San Antonio ranks 25th in scoring and 27th in shooting percentage. The Spurs are averaging 99.5 points in their last two games.

Yet the oddsmaker opened this with the highest total of any Spurs game this season.

Sooner or later, the Bucks have to get motivated to play strong defense, which they did under Mike Budenholzer. There's no better time than now coming off a loss to the Pacers.

Since this is Milwaukee's second game in as many days there's the possibility of the Bucks sitting out any of their star players, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard or Khris Middleton, who is dealing with a right wrist injury and sore knee.

This is the biggest margin the Kings have been favored all season. It's justified considering the opponent is Charlotte. But the spot isn't good for the Kings. So I'll accept this many points with the Hornets.

The Kings haven't played at home since Dec. 23. They've been on the road for three straight games. Sacramento won the last two of those away games, beating the Hawks and Grizzlies on New Year's Eve. So the Kings didn't get back to Sacramento until New Year's Day. That gave them little time to celebrate the holidays.

It's going to be difficult for the Kings to have their full concentration and motivation for this matchup. The Kings also have a much bigger game on deck when they host Orlando on Wednesday.

This is the fifth of a six-game road trip for the Hornets and ends the West Coast portion of their journey. Their previous four games have been against the Clippers, Lakers, Suns and Nuggets. The Hornets are hoping to get Terry Rozier back from illness. That would be an added plus.

The Hornets shored up their backcourt recently signing veteran Ish Smith, who was with the world champion Nuggets last season.

The teams met earlier this season. Colorado won, 7-4. While I'm not expecting 11 goals again, I do believe there will be more than six goals scored.

Colorado is the No. 2 scoring team in the NHL with one of the top lines in the league led by Nathan MacKinnon, who has scored at least one point in 19 straight home games.

The Islanders are 29th on the penalty kill. The Avalanche has a top-eight power play.

I expect the Islanders to contribute to this total going Over, too. They've scored three or more goals in 18 of their last 22 games.

Top-ranked Purdue has one loss this season. That defeat occurred to Northwestern on the road. It happened to be the Boilermakers' lone true road game this season.

Now Purdue travels to Maryland to face the Terps, who have a powerful home court edge. Maryland has won 19 consecutive home contests, the fourth-longest streak in Division I.

The Boilermakers didn't fare well at Maryland last season losing, 68-54.

The Terrapins have the interior defense to control Zach Edey.

Wrong favorite here. The 18-14 Cavaliers are the superior team, in a better situational spot and in much better form than the 12-20 Raptors.

Cleveland is 5-2 SU and ATS in its last seven games. The Cavaliers just got back their superstar, Donovan Mitchell, too, in their last game after he had missed the previous four contests due to illness.

Toronto is 1-5 in its last six games, 2-4 ATS.

The Cavaliers are the more rested team having last played this past Friday. The Raptors played on Saturday and suffered a 129-127 road loss to Detroit. The Pistons halted their 28-game losing streak with that victory.

The Raptors are in transition having just made a major trade with the Knicks acquiring RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. It could take time for the new players to adjust and for the Raptors to reshuffle their rotation.

The Vikings' defense has improved under ace defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Minnesota has held four of its last six opponents to 21 or fewer points.

Kevin O'Connell did the Packers a big favor by having rookie Jaren Hall start. Hall has passed for a total of 101 yards in the NFL. This signals the Vikings are going to be extra cautious and conservative in this matchup.

Jaire Alexander is suspended. But he's missed most of the season and hasn't played up to his elite level when he has been on the field. The Vikings also are without star tight end T.J. Hockenson.

The Chiefs are not an elite team right now. But the Bengals aren't even a playoff team without Joe Burrow and D.J. Reader to fortify the team's run defense. So I'm going to buy low on the Chiefs to beat the Bengals by more than a touchdown at home.

This feels like an overdue blowout victory for the Chiefs off one of their worst losses of the Patrick Mahomes era.

The Bengals have faced backup quarterbacks each of the last three games. Now they get Mahomes after just surrendering 34 points to the Steelers and Mason Rudolph.

Just like Joshua Dobbs and Tommy DeVito, the magic is wearing off on backup QB Jake Browning. These reserve quarterbacks become exposed once opponents see enough of them and fully realize their many limitations.

The Chiefs rank No. 2 in the NFL in fewest points and yards. I don't see Browning doing much against this strong of a defense on the road, especially if he doesn't get Ja'Marr Chase back.

The demoralized Broncos aren't making the playoffs for the eighth straight season. Because of that and financial considerations, they could sit out Russell Wilson. Jarrett Stidham is Denver's backup QB. That's a huge dropoff.

The Chargers showed new life in their first game without fired coach Brandon Staley nearly upsetting the Bills. Staley was holding the Chargers back with his terrible on-field decisions and hurting team morale.

Denver already has lost four times as a home favorite. The last coming to the Patriots in gut-punching fashion this past Sunday night.

The Chargers usually keep games close. They have lost six games by three or fewer points. The Chargers have had a chance to adjust to new QB Easton Stick and want to keep sticking it to the unpopular Staley by playing hard for popular interim coach Giff Smith.

Since returning from a finger injury, Matthew Stafford has been one of the best QB's in the NFL throwing for 1,578 yards with a 15-to-two touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last six games. 

Setting up Stafford has been the emergence of Kyren Williams as an elite running back. The second-year running back tops the NFL averaging 96.1 yards rushing a game. The Giants rank 29th in run defense. So an effective Williams should mean another big performance for Stafford and his stud wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. 

Making it worse for the Giants is they are banged-up in their defensive line. 

The buy sign is on the Giants offense with Brian Daboll going with veteran Tyrod Taylor at quarterback instead of Tommy DeVito. 

Weather won't be a factor with temperatures in the 40's, clear skies and only a slight wind.

This is both a play on Dallas and fade on Detroit. The spot intersects perfectly.

The Cowboys return home following a close road loss to the Dolphins. Dallas has been absolutely dominant at home and very strong, too, off a loss.
Dallas is 7-0 at home. The Cowboys' average winning margin at home is 24.4 points. Dallas also is 8-1 SU and ATS the past two seasons following a defeat.

The Lions are in a major letdown spot after capturing their first division crown in 30 years.

Dallas is second in the NFL in scoring at 30.1 points a game. Detroit also has a good offense. The difference is defense. The Cowboys give up the fifth-fewest points per game at 19.1. The Lions have permitted an average of 26.8 points during their last nine games. Detroit ranks 24th in scoring defense and 23rd in pass defense.

Dak Prescott has a 122.5 passer rating at home and a home mark of 20 touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

There's also a 10-figure gap in turnover ratio. Dallas is plus 8 in takeaways/giveaways while the Lions are minus-2.

It's obvious the Knicks are missing underrated defensive center Mitchell Robinson. New York has surrendered an average of 124.5 points in its last four games. Now the Knicks have to face the Pacers on the road. Indiana leads the NBA in scoring at 126.1 points.

The spot isn't good either for the Knicks. They are playing for the fourth time in six days and on back-to-back days after losing, 117-108, to the Magic in Orlando on Friday. The Knicks' best players - Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson - all logged heavy minutes in that loss. 

The Pacers were idle on Friday after beating the Bulls, 120-104, on Thursday. The Pacers are playing better defense, holding their last five opponents to an average of 113.4 points, down from their season average of 124.8 points.

Portland State is a road favorite because the Vikings are the superior team and have played the tougher schedule. The Vikings also hold a rebounding edge on Idaho ranking 126th in rebounds per game compared to the Vandals, who rank 283rd in that category. 

The Vikings won't lack motivation either after losing in embarrassing fashion to Eastern Washington, 91-57, as 3-point road 'dogs this past Thursday. 
The Vandals are a bit fat and happy after they halted a two-game losing streak with a 61-58 home win against Sacramento State as 3-point favorites. Idaho is averaging only 56.6 points in its last three games vs board teams. 

Arizona has earned its No. 4 seed playing an extremely tough schedule. But the Wildcats are laying too many points on the road here in this Pac-12 opener.

The Golden Bears are going to slow down the pace under first-year coach Mark Madsen. This is a plus in getting this many points. So is the Golden Bears getting Devin Askew back from injury. He averaged 15.5 points last season. Cal has three other good players in Jaylon Tyson, Fardaws Aimaq and Jalen Cone. Those three are averaging a combined 52 points a game.

Well the Celtics didn't lose to the Pistons last night. But they sure got a scare trailing by 21 points. Boston won, but the game went into overtime and the Celtics had to dig deep and exert tremendous effort.

That could cost them against a rested, revenge-seeking Raptors squad.

The Raptors are off perhaps their best game of the season. They buried the Wizards on the road, 132-102, this past Wednesday. Before that, Toronto had last played this past Saturday. So the Raptors are rested and ready. They also have double revenge for 117-94 and 108-105 losses to Boston.

The Celtics may not be playing with a full deck. Jayson Tatum is questionable with a sore ankle after playing 43 minutes last night. Jaylen Brown didn't play Thursday night. He's questionable. Tatum wasn't the only player who logged huge minutes Thursday. Jrue Holiday played 44 minutes. Al Horford and Derrick White each went 37 minutes and fragile Kristaps Porzingis logged nearly 36 minutes.

Toronto has a number of good, but underrated players in Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr.

I find this a short number to lay backing Texas-San Antonio at home against Prairie View A&M, which is 1-4 in its last five games and has failed to cover in its past four lined games.

UTSA nearly upset Oregon State as a 10 1/2-point road 'dog two games ago. The Roadrunners suffered a one-point, last-second defeat. Now they're home and dropping well down in class.

Prairie View A&M is one of the worst shooting teams in the country with a field goal percentage of 39.5 percent. The Panthers are bad defensively, too, giving up 76.9 points per game.

UTSA averages nearly 77 points a game and has Christian Tucker, who leads the American Athletic Conference in assists and averages 13 points.

North Carolina State has plenty of momentum entering this bowl game. I'm going to ride that here as Kansas State was hit hard by players transferring and opting out. I see a wrong favorite here.

The Wolfpack won and covered their last five games. They won four of those games as underdogs beating Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Kansas State, on the flip side, lost three times as a favorite falling to Missouri, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The Wildcats are 2-2, 1-2-1 ATS in their last four games.

I'm not a huge fan of North Carolina State QB Brennan Armstrong. But he's an experienced, dual threat who played well against North Carolina in the Wolfpack's last game passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns helping North Carolina State pile up 504 yards in a 39-20 victory.

Now the Wolfpack drop down from facing Drake Maye, maybe the best quarterback in college, to drawing freshman Avery Johnson. He's replacing the Wildcats' starting QB Will Howard, who was one of around 15 Kansas State players leaving. The Wildcats also lost All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott and star safety Kobe Savage. They also won't have offensive coordinator and play-caller Collin Klein. He left for Texas A&M to be the Aggies' offensive coordinator after coaching at Kansas State for seven years.

Only 16 teams ranked ahead of North Carolina State on run defense. The Wolfpack also ranked third in the country in takeaways with 17.

Tampa Bay has been inconsistent, but coming out of the Christmas break this is a good spot for the Lightning. The price is right to back them. Tampa Bay has been better at home and Andrei Vasilevskiy is coming around to his superstar form in his return from back surgery.

The Lightning have won four consecutive home games, including defeating Dallas and Las Vegas. Tampa Bay is on a three-game win streak after edging the Capitals on the road this past Saturday and has won four of its last five overall games.

Vasilevskiy is playing much better. He's 7-2 with a .925 save percentage in his last nine games.

The Lightning are a top-10 scoring team and have an elite goalie. Florida ranks 24th in scoring.

The Panthers are off a highly-satisfying, 4-2, victory against the Golden Knights this past Saturday. The game was played in Sunrise, Fla. The Golden Knights had defeated the Panthers in the Stanley Cup finals. Before that victory, though, the Panthers had lost four of their previous five games.

Orlando is much improved. Washington remains a bottom-feeder. The Magic are 2-0 vs Washington this season with an average victory margin of 12 points. Both games were in Orlando. But this isn't a good home spot for the Wizards.

Washington hasn't played a home game in 11 days. The Wizards recently returned from a four-game West Coast trip. Washington is 3-18 in its last 21 games and 2-9 in its past 11 games with one of those wins being by one point against the 7-21 Trail Blazers.  

Orlando just halted a four-game losing streak with an impressive road victory against the Pacers this past Saturday. The Magic's four losses were to the Bucks, Heat and Celtics twice. So this is a tremendous drop in class.

The Magic have a height advantage and give up 16.6 fewer points per game than the Wizards, who are the worst defensive team in the league. The Magic also can be trusted to give a full effort. That's not always a given in today's NBA.

Since 2021, Baltimore is 9-2-1 ATS as an underdog. Lamar Jackson is having an MVP-type season. Jackson is 19-1 against NFC opponents. The Ravens are one rushing touchdown shy of their franchise-best of 24 running TD's.

So as good as San Francisco is, I'm not turning down this many points with Baltimore.

This may be the game of the year. But as strange as it may sound, this is not a crucial game for the 49ers. San Francisco can lose to Baltimore and still earn the No. 1 NFC seed in the playoffs by winning its final two games. Those games are against the 4-11 Commanders and Rams at home.

My handicap is based almost entirely on being pro-Ravens rather than anti-49ers. But San Francisco did give up 234 rushing yards to the Cardinals last week. The 49ers hadn't allowed that many yards on the ground in six seasons. Perhaps a possible red flag? The Ravens are the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL. They've run for at least 100 yards in 30 straight games.

Both teams have Super Bowl-caliber defenses. The Ravens have surrendered 20 touchdowns, which is the fewest in the league. Baltimore has permitted one touchdown or fewer in nine games. That's by far the best mark in the NFL.

Brock Purdy is a pocket passer. He has outstanding weapons that he utilizes well. Jackson is his own weapon. He's the most mobile quarterback the 49ers have faced and by far the best dual-threat they've seen.

The big news here is Joel Embiid is out with a sprained ankle. Embiid is a strong rebounder and rim protector, but his absence is going to be felt more on Philadelphia's offense. Embiid leads the NBA in scoring at 35 points a game. He also averages six assists.

The Heat may be without their superstar, too. Jimmy Butler has missed the last two games with a strained left calf. He's questionable.

These already are two strong defenses and now they might dodge each team's best player. The 76ers rank sixth in scoring defense. Miami is right below them, giving up the seventh-fewest points per game.

The 76ers have held their seven opponents to an average of 102.5 points. The Heat last played on Friday giving their coach, defensive whiz Erik Spoelstra, ample planning time for this matchup.

This is the supreme fade spot on the Raiders' offense after they put up 63 points against the hapless Chargers at home last week. Despite that result, Las Vegas' offense isn't very good, quarterbacked by Aidan O'Connell. The Raiders averaged just 11.5 points in their previous four games before hosting the Chargers.

The Chiefs entered this week surrendering the third-fewest points per game at 17.5. Their defense is strong and is even better with linebacker Nick Bolton back from injury.

Kansas City's offense is way down from past Patrick Mahomes seasons. The Chiefs are outside of the top-10 in scoring. This is the weakest wide receiver group Mahomes has had.

Weather is going to factor, too. The forecast is for showers, possibly snow, with temperatures dipping below 32. The Raiders are an indoors team that hasn't played in a bad weather game all season.

Geno Smith has missed Seattle's last two games. When Smith last played it was against the Cowboys. He accounted for four touchdowns and threw for 334 yards leading the Seahawks to 35 points in a 41-35 road loss. Smith is capable of games like that aided by having three excellent wide receivers and two good running backs. Smith will be back in action for this matchup.

Smith's task will be made easier by the Titans' cluster injury problem on defense. Among those out for Tennessee is lineman Jeffery Simmons. He's the Titans best defensive player. The Titans' secondary is decimated by injuries. Among those out are cornerbacks Kristian Fulton and Sean Murphy-Bunting along with safeties Amani Hooker and K'Von Wallace. Defensive backs Shyheim Carter and Tae Gowan have been called up from the practice squad.

The Titans are eliminated from playoff contention. That should ensure a loose game from them with nothing to lose. Ryan Tannehill is back at quarterback with Will Levis unable to go. Tannehill is playing for his NFL future. Derrick Henry also is in rebound mode coming off one of his worst performances.

Seattle has its own injuries in the secondary. Safety Jamal Adams has been ruled out and cornerback Devon Witherspoon is out, too, with a hip injury.

The last three games in this series have gone Over. There have been at least 52 points scored during each of those past three games. I see that pattern continuing.

The Lions have tremendous firepower with Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and explosive Jamison Williams. The Vikings are heavy blitzers. But Jared Goff will be well-protected with the Lions' excellent offensive line healthy again.

Goff usually is at his finest playing on a fast track in a dome setting like in this matchup. Detroit ranks in the top-five in many of the major offensive categories, including points, yards, passing and rushing.  

Detroit's defense has been exposed as fraudulent. The Lions are giving up an average of 27.2 points in their last eight games.

The Vikings have the right backup quarterback in place now with veteran Nick Mullens. He's a much better distributor than Joshua Dobbs or rookie Jaren Hall. Justin Jefferson is healthy, giving Mullens a great wideout to go with star tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Look for a lot of back and forth scoring with this one getting into the 50's just like in their three previous head-to-head matchups.

There are a number of odd circumstances that work against this total going Over. 

First off is this is an extreme early start time. That's often a plus for the Under. Then you have the Bucks playing in their first true road game - not being home or at a neutral site - this month. It's the Bucks' first game away from Milwaukee in more than two weeks. 

The Knicks also are in a weird scheduling spot. They are coming home after five consecutive road games. It's New York's first home game in 11 days. 

Defensive-minded center Mitchell Robinson is out for the Knicks. He was a great player for the Under. But the Knicks always are going to stress defense under Tom Thibodeau. They give up the seventh-fewest points per game and are the top defensive rebounding team in the NBA.
 
The Bucks have been a scoring machine. However, they scored 118 points against Orlando in their last game at home this past Thursday. That was their lowest scoring output in their last dozen games. The Magic slowed the pace and lost by only four points. The Knicks should follow the same pattern.

These two teams have changed positions as the season comes to a close. Duke opened 5-1 with just a loss to Notre Dame. But the Blue Devils lost their star QB, Riley Leonard, to injury and went 2-4 the rest of the way falling way out of the top-25. 

Troy opened 1-2 and then won 10 in a row, including defeating Appalachian State, 49-23, in the Sun Belt Conference championship game. The Trojans are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games. 

This is the first time a Sun Belt team is facing a foe from a Power 5 Conference in a bowl game. Troy has more than sufficient motivation. Not so for Duke. The Trojans also will have strong in-state crowd support with this game in Birmingham, Ala. 

I had great respect for Duke coach Mike Elko. But he left for Texas A&M. The Blue Devils not only won't have Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame, but won't have star defensive linemen Aeneas Peebles and RJ Oben. They each entered the transfer portal. 

Troy averaged 36.5 points in its last six games. The Trojans are also strong defensively ranking sixth in sacks and 15th in total defense. Duke's offense was well below average without Leonard. The Blue Devils ended up ranking 96th in total yards.

OK, no Jimmy Butler for the Heat. I'll accept that in order to get the Heat at a near pick price against the Hawks.

Miami does have Bam Adebeyo, Tyler Herro and coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat does have a much superior defense. Miami surrenders 11 fewer points per game than Atlanta.

The 12-15 Hawks have earned no trust. They are getting too much respect in the marketplace because they've won two in a row. One of those wins was against the Pistons, an all-time record bad team. The other victory was impressive, a 134-127 comeback road win against the Rockets two days ago.

I don't see the Hawks beating two strong defensive teams, Rockets and Heat, on the road in consecutive games.

Miami is playing well itself off a 115-106 road victory against the much-improved Magic. The Heat won that game minus Butler. This is an easier game for them.

The Rangers are hot and in an excellent situational spot here. New York is riding a three-game winning streak, including scoring impressive consecutive road victories against the Maple Leafs and Bruins. New York last played on Tuesday. So the Rangers have had ample time to get home and be ready for this matchup.

Edmonton beat the Devils on the road, 6-3, Thursday night. This will be the Oilers' third game in four nights and second in two days.

The Oilers are potent offensively, but have holes defensively. They are giving up an average of 4.5 goals in their last four games. The Oilers rank 26th defensively compared to the Rangers, who allow the eighth-fewest goals per game.

Central Florida is making its third Gasparilla Bowl appearance in five seasons. That can't be too exciting for the Knights. I question their motivation and their being favored by more than a field goal in this bowl game.

Georgia Tech is up for this game. It's the Yellow Jackets' first bowl appearance since 2018. Nice coaching job by Brent Key in his second season with Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were inconsistent, but dangerous as underdogs. 

Georgia Tech was 6-2 ATS as underdogs. The Yellow Jackets lost to Louisville by five points and to Georgia by eight points, two teams better than Central Florida. They beat Miami and North Carolina straight-up as double-digit 'dogs.

Both Central Florida QB John Rhys Plumlee and Georgia Tech's Haynes King are dual threats. Plumlee, though, is not 100 percent because of a lingering knee injury. 

Central Florida ranks 121st in run defense and 85th in defensive total yards. The Knights will be without their top defensive back, Corey Thornton. 

There's going to be lots of scoring in this one - and Georgia Tech will be right there if not on top at the end.

This is bad on bad considering Siena is 2-9 and Brown is 3-9. Usually I prefer the underdog in matchups like this. But there's a reason why Brown is a double-digit favorite and it's not just because the Bears are home.

Siena is terrible. The Saints also happen to be 2-9 ATS. They are 0-4 SU and ATS in their last four games losing by an average of 25.5 points in their past four games. Siena just lost, 95-74, to Cornell as a 12 1/2-point home 'dog. This is significant. Because we have a similar point spread here with the Saints being on the road against Brown, another Ivy League school.

Brown was right behind Cornell as the fourth-best team in the Ivy League preseason poll. The Bears may have the best player in the Ivy League, Kino Lilly. The guard averages nearly 19 points. He's supported by an experienced and deep frontcourt.

I have Brown winning this game by 16-to-18 points.

Look for the Rockets to take care of business at home against the Hawks. Houston is 2-10 on the road, but has won 11 in a row at home.

The Rockets are the far superior defensive team, ranking in the top-three in a number of major categories, including scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense.

The Hawks give up an average of 15 more points per game than Houston.

Atlanta has failed to cover in seven of its last eight road games, losing those games by an average of 11 points. The Hawks also are banged-up with Jalen Johnson out and Bogdan Bogdanovic questionable with an ankle injury.

Chicago is one of the hottest point spread teams covering eight of its last nine games. The Bulls have been achieving this going against strong competition, too. They've played the 76ers, Heat twice, Nuggets and Bucks during their last five games.

The Lakers, by contrast, are 1-3 SU and 0-4 ATS since capturing the NBA's in-season tournament. The Lakers' lone victory during this span was by three points against the 4-22 Spurs.

One of the keys to the Bulls' surge is the return of underrated, ace defensive guard Alex Caruso.

There's the chance the Lakers could be without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Both are questionable due to injuries. I still like the Bulls if those two play, but it would be a nice bonus if they didn't.

Texas-San Antonio's defense improved starting in Week 4. The Roadrunners held their last seven opponents to an average of 21.4 points. Marshall's offense is very unimposing. The Thundering Herd ranked 93rd in scoring and 89th in total yards.

And that was with their regular QB, Cam Fancher. Now Marshall won't have Fancher, who entered the transfer portal. Next man up for Marshall is Cole Pennington. He's a redshirt freshman and the son of Chad Pennington, the former Jets quarterback. Pennington saw action in three games. He threw six interceptions and had no TD passes.

UTSA's offense was decent, but not as good as some expected. The Roadrunners could manage only 16 points against Tulane in their last game.

This is a circle-the-wagons game for the Hurricanes. They've been pointing to this marquee matchup and I believe they get it done.

Carolina has dropped the first two games of its homestand losing in a shootout and in overtime.

Both of Las Vegas' goalies, Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, are nursing injuries.

This also is the Golden Knights' first road game in 10 days.

The Nets are a team I like to get behind. This is a spot to back them. Only the 76ers have a better point spread record than Brooklyn. The Nets are 17-7-1 (71 percent) ATS.

Brooklyn is superior to Utah in all facets. The Nets are looking to conclude their five-game West Coast trip with a victory after consecutive losses to the Warriors and Nuggets. No shame in losing to those two opponents on the road. There would be shame, though, if they lost to the Jazz.

The Jazz are 5-10 in their last 15 games. Two of Utah's past three victories have occurred against the Trail Blazers, one in overtime. Portland is 6-19.

Utah is down some of its firepower with Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and John Collins all sidelined. Clarkson and George are out while Collins is questionable due to illness.

The Bucks have scored 146 and 140 points, respectively, in their last two games. Milwaukee is the second-highest scoring team in the league.

But it takes two teams to make a total to go Over. I don't see the Rockets cooperating here.

Houston surrenders the fewest points per game in the NBA and also ranks No. 2 in defensive efficiency. The Rockets have held their past five opponents to an average of 97.8 points.

The Bucks' last two games were against the Pistons and Pacers. Detroit ranks 25th defensively, while the Pacers are second-to-last defensively. This is a major step in defensive class and tempo for the Bucks.

There is one thing the Commanders have excelled at this season, covering as a road underdog. They are 5-1 ATS in that role.

The Rams left nothing on the field in taking a tough road overtime loss to the Ravens last Sunday. It was an extremely physical game. The Rams looked like the superior team. But now the Rams are in the favorite's role against a rested Washington team that finally had its bye week. The Commanders desperately needed to rest and regroup having lost four in a row. It's one of many unfair things about the NFL that some teams had to wait until Week 14 to get their bye.

The Commanders are horrible on defense especially in pass coverage. However, they have skill position talent and quarterback Sam Howell is resilient and resourceful. He can keep the Commanders in this contest against a below-average Los Angeles defense that has just 11 takeaways, third-lowest in the league.

The Rams host the Saints this coming Thursday in what shapes up to be a tougher game and more meaningful in their playoff chase. So this matchup looms as a letdown spot.

I'm selling high on the Bears, who have won three of their last four games but haven't faced an elite defense like this on the road all season.

Chicago is in a fat-and-happy mood having won two straight NFC North Division games upsetting the Vikings on the road and Lions at home this past Sunday.

Cleveland gives up the fewest yards in the NFL. The Browns also are a far stronger defensive team at home. Toss out the Ravens game and the Browns have held their other six home opponents to an average of 10 points a game.

Joe Flacco has solidified the Browns' quarterback spot with his veteran presence and threat of a deep pass. He's 38, but his arm is still there.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are pissed. It's not a good time to be playing the Chiefs especially if you have a punchless offense like the Patriots do.

The Chiefs are still mad and fired-up about the way they lost to the Bills last week. They are going to be up for this game. Kansas City has too much offense for New England.

The Patriots and Bailey Zappe didn't suddenly get good by virtue of their 21-18 victory against the Steelers last week. Pittsburgh is terrible going 1-4 in its last five games averaging 13.4 points during this span.

New England's defense is sound, but it's going to break under the weight of the Chiefs' well-designed attack and the ineptitude of the Patriot offense. The Patriots had scored a combined 13 points during their previous three games before beating the Steelers. New England is the lowest-scoring team in the NFL averaging 13 points a game. Zappe is not a starting-caliber quarterback and the Patriots remain without their one decent skill position player, injured Rhamondre Stevenson.

This also was the week where news broke about this possibly being Bill Belichick's last season in New England. Belichick hasn't had the locker room all season. So this distracting news is going to be more of a negative than a motivational factor.

Now that Tahj Brooks is set to play, I like Texas Tech to beat California in the Independence Bowl. The Red Raiders are better than Cal on both sides of the ball and Brooks is the best player on the field. 

Brooks rushed for 1,443 yards, fourth-best in the nation. California finished the regular season ranked 113th in scoring defense and 109th in total defense. The Golden Bears didn't face that many outstanding runners in the Pac-12 because the conference was such a great passing league. 

Texas Tech had an up-and-down season, but is anxious to prove itself again after getting blasted, 57-7, on the road by then seventh-ranked Texas in its final regular season game. The Red Raiders had beaten TCU, then 16th-ranked Kansas and Central Florida during a 17-day span before falling to the Longhorns. 

The Red Raiders also had held eight of their last nine foes to 28 or fewer points before meeting Texas. 

I don't see many points being scored in this LA Bowl matchup of UCLA vs Boise State. UCLA has one of the best defenses in the country despite playing in the pass-happy Pac-12, which had the best quarterbacks of any conference.

The Bruins rank 15th in scoring defense giving up 18.1 points. They also ranked third in the nation in run defense and 11th in total defense.

Boise State QB Taylen Green was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately for the Broncos, Green transferred to Arkansas following the end of the regular season. So true freshman CJ Tiller will start against the Bruins. Tiller has yet to throw his first college pass. The Broncos also lose Green's rushing threat. He was second on the team in rushing touchdowns with nine. Tiller faces a UCLA pass rush that had the sixth-most sacks in the country with 41.

The Broncos peaked defensively down the stretch holding their last four foes - New Mexico, Utah State, Air Force and UNLV - to an average of 15.7 points.

UCLA has quarterback problems. The Bruins' highly-touted freshman QB, Dante Moore, entered the transfer portal. That leaves Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee. Both are banged-up and neither has been overly effective. The Bruins could manage just a combined 24 points against California, Arizona and Arizona State during three of the last four games.

UNLV is in action for the first time since upsetting No. 8 ranked Creighton this past Wednesday. It was the Rebels' highest-ranked win since 2020. I'm looking for a Rebel letdown against this elite defensive foe in this neutral site tournament matchup in Phoenix.

Saint Mary's had a tough November, but has looked much better this month. The Gaels give up the eighth-fewest points in the country. They just defeated 13th-ranked Colorado State, 64-61, as 3 1/2-point road 'dogs. The Rams averaged 83.3 points. So the Gaels held them to 22 points below their season average. 

Saint Mary's has held four of its last five foes to 63 or fewer points. The Rebels can't come close to matching that quality of defense. 
UNLV is ranked 101st in the KenPom rankings. Saint Mary's is rated 62nd. 

The gap is large enough and the situation ripe enough to lay this number with the Gaels.

These two teams have gone in opposite directions. New Mexico State is 8-1 SU and ATS in its last nine games. Fresno State fell apart after a promising 8-1 start, losing and failing to cover its final three regular-season games in bad form to San Jose State, New Mexico and San Diego State. The Bulldogs were favored against the Lobos and Aztecs.

New Mexico State is excited to play in this bowl game, which is in its home state. The Lobos should have a strong home crowd. Fresno State can't help but be disappointed to land a minor bowl bid for a game in Albuquerque, N.M.  

The Lobos hold a strong coaching edge, too, with Jerry Kill. He's done a fantastic job turning New Mexico State into a good team. The Lobos won six times straight-up in an underdog role. Fresno State is being coached by Jeff Skipper, who's filling in for Jeff Tedford as Tedford is stepping away due to health concerns.

This is a low total for a Colts home game. Indy has gone Over in 69 percent of its games under innovative and aggressive Shane Steichen.

The Colts are the eighth-highest scoring team in the NFL at 24.2 points per game. They have scored 27 or more points in five of their last seven games.

I expect the Steelers to keep up. They gained more than 400 yards for the first time this season three weeks ago against the Bengals. It was not a coincidence it was their first game since firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. There was a big buzz then about Pittsburgh's improved offense.

The Steelers are more explosive and use better schemes since getting rid of Canada, who seemed to think the only pass worth throwing was an out-of-bounds sideline pass to George Pickens. But the offensive improvement didn't show the past two games because the Steelers had to play in horrible weather conditions against the Cardinals and then went up against New England's upper-tier defense, although still managing 21 points against the Patriots.

Now the Steelers are dropping way down in defensive class facing the Colts, who rank 29th in scoring defense giving up 25.4 points a game. The Colts are 27th in run defense and 25th in total defense.

Mitch Trubisky is just as good as Kenny Pickett. Yes I know that's a low bar. But Trubisky is far more mobile and he has three quality receivers and two reliable running backs to help him out against a bad defense on Indy's fast dome track.

These in-state rivals just played 13 days ago in The Pit at New Mexico. It was no contest. New Mexico buried the Aggies, 106-62. The Lobos made 14 of 25 shots from 3-point range for 56 percent. New Mexico State missed 15 of its 18 3-point shots for 17 percent.

I don't expect that kind of shooting discrepancy, nor do I believe the Lobos will blow out the Aggies again especially with this rematch being in Las Cruces.

That blowout in the first game was unusual for this Rio Grande Rivalry. New Mexico State is 6-4 during the past 10 games against New Mexico. The Aggies hadn't lost by double-digits during this span until that defeat.

So I'm to ride with the Aggies in this rapid revenge spot.

These teams are closely matched. Nashville is the better defensive team. But Carolina is a solid favorite because of being the home team.

Yet that home ice is negated by this being just a brutal spot for the Hurricanes.

It's Carolina's first game back from a six-game road trip that consisted of around 6,000 miles and culminated with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against the Red Wings on Thursday night. The Hurricanes get no rest. They haven't been home in nearly two weeks and immediately have to play this game against the rested Predators, who last were in action three days ago. It's also Carolina's third game in four days. The Hurricanes come back fat and happy, too, having closed their road swing with consecutive victories.

The Predators are going to have fresh legs and be fully prepared. The same can't be said for Carolina. The Hurricanes carry a high fatigue rating plus their concentration is likely to be altered arriving home early in the morning and trying to catch up on personal things having been gone for nearly two weeks.

Nashville is playing well also, winning five of its last six games. The Predators are 4-1, too, during their past five away contests. Expect Juuse Saros to be in net. The Predators have won nine of Saros' last 10 starts, including the past five.

Can the Pistons avoid setting a team record for most consecutive losses in a season by upsetting the 76ers on the road tonight? Probably not. But Detroit can stay within this large point spread given the circumstances.

This is one of the highest spreads of the season. It's easily the most points the 76ers have laid all season.

Philadelphia just beat the Pistons in Detroit, 129-111, two days ago. That was Detroit's 21st loss in a row. The Pistons were booed off the court. Less pressure now for the Pistons being the road team and with nothing to lose since they are expected to get buried.

The 76ers might be able to name their score, but this isn't a kill spot for them. The 76ers can't help but feel overconfident. This marks Philadelphia's third game in five days. The 76ers play again on Saturday, going to Charlotte to meet the Hornets. The 76ers host the Bulls on Monday. So there is no reason for the 76ers to go all out here. Reduced minutes are likely for the 76ers' starters, especially fragile Joel Embiid.

Three things hurt the Pistons in their Wednesday loss to the 76ers: Embiid, lack of rebounding and 10 of 33 (30.3 percent) shooting from 3-point range. Embiid figures to play fewer than 30 minutes unless it's a close game. Maybe the 76ers will even give him a rest day. Who knows, it's today's NBA where superstars unexpectedly are ruled out right before post. The Pistons are a better rebounding team than they showed in the last game and their season 3-point shooting percentage is 33.8 percent, bad but better than 30.3 percent.  

Before Wednesday's game, the Pistons and 76ers met on Nov. 10 in Detroit. The 76ers won, 114-106, for just an 8-point victory.