The Raptors are just starting to experience life without Scottie Barnes, who is their key player leading them in scoring and assists. Barnes suffered a broken hand two games ago against the Warriors.

Barnes played fewer than 16 minutes against the Warriors before sustaining the injury. The Raptors scored only 105 points vs Golden State. Toronto then scored 111 points against a bad defensive team, the Hornets, in their last game. Charlotte gives up an average of 118 points a game.

Now the Barnes-less Raptors go against a rested New Orleans team that has been idle the past three days. The Pelicans are a huge step up in defensive class. New Orleans ranks eighth defensively and is No. 2 in 3-point defense. Opponents have scored fewer than 107 points in six of the last nine games against the Pelicans. The Under has cashed the past five times in Pelicans' games.

If you discount two games against the Pacers and one against the Wizards - teams who are third from the bottom and last in defense - the Pelicans are averaging 105.3 points in their last six games.

Howard is in excellent form winning five of its last six games, including three in a row.The Bison average four more points per game than Delaware State and can exploit the Hornets' porous 3-point defense, which ranks 338th.

The teams met a month ago at Delaware State and the Hornets lost to the Bison, 75-71, despite getting to shoot 10 more free throws.

It wasn't just the Pacers losing on the road to the Pelicans this past Friday. It was how they lost. New Orleans thoroughly embarrassed the Pacers beating them, 129-102. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, an emerging superstar, was held scoreless.

The Pacers and Haliburton desperately want to redeem themselves. They are in a great position here to do just that.

Indiana is stepping way down in class meeting the 12-48 Spurs, who have the worst record in the Western Conference. San Antonio also is fat and happy, after stunning the Thunder, 132-118, as a double-digit 'dog this past Thursday in their first home game since Feb. 3. The Spurs had lost their previous five games by an average of 12.2 points.

The Pacers are 34-27 and have the fifth-best ATS mark in the NBA. They are the No. 1 scoring and field goal percentage team in the league. Indiana took full advantage of the Spurs' bottom-five defense in the first meeting, rolling past San Antonio, 152-111.

I don't get this line. Yeah the Celtics have won 10 in a row and own the best home record in the NBA at 28-3. But the Warriors are much improved from earlier in the season and playing their best ball.

Golden State has won eight consecutive road games. The Warriors are 6-1 in their past seven overall games. Only once in their last 20 games have the Warriors been defeated by more than nine points.

The Warriors are used to being on center stage and they won't be intimidated by the Celtics, who they beat in overtime when they played them earlier this season at home.

"...We've just gotten healthy and found a groove," Warriors coach Steve Kerr was quoted as saying. "... It took us a while, frankly, just to figure out our team. We were leaning on what we were two years ago when we won the championship early in the season and that wasn't working. ... We've got a good bit of momentum going and we're just going to try and keep it going.''

This is a nationally televised game (ABC) and should have playoff-type intensity.

Maryland ranks 332nd in field goal percentage, is the worst 3-point shooting team in the Big Ten Conference and its home mystique has been shattered with losses to Rutgers and Northwestern. 

So Indiana isn't getting enough respect here.

Kel'el Ware, the Hooisers' 7-foot center, is coming on strong and Indiana is off a confidence-building home win against Wisconsin this past Tuesday. Ware is averaging 20.5 points in his last four games. He made 11 of 12 shots from the floor against the Badgers. 

Indiana defeated Maryland, 65-53, at home when the teams first met this season.

Both teams are dealing with injuries that have derailed their offenses.

UT Rio Grande Valley is averaging only 52.6 points in its last three games. The Vaqueros are a bottom-15 3-point shooting defense and facing a Cal Baptist defense that ranks 41st. They could manage just 54 points in a 63-54 loss to Cal Baptist in the first meeting.

The Lancers' offense is down without Dominique Daniels, who is far and away their scoring leader averaging 19.2 points. The Lancers are averaging 59 points during their past three games.

Kansas State is coming on and Cincinnati is reeling. So this is a generous amount of points to back the Wildcats in an important game for both teams that should feature lots of intensity.

The 17-11 Wildcats are off victories against ranked BYU and West Virginia. They remain alive for an NCAA Tournament bid given how tough the Big 12 is this season.

Cincinnati has likely played itself out of the NCAA Tournament going 1-5 in its last six games. The Bearcats are 16-12 overall and 5-10 in the Big 12. Cincinnati's lone win during its last six games was against Central Florida by two points. If you take away their two victories vs Central Florida, the Bearcats would be 1-8 in their last nine games.

Even without injured Trae Young, the Hawks are better than the Nets. So I want Atlanta in rapid revenge after the Nets embarrassed the Hawks, 124-97, at home this past Thursday.

That was Atlanta's third game without their superstar Young. The Hawks had beaten the Magic and Jazz minus Young before stumbling in a flat, listless performance against the Nets.

The Hawks should be far more motivated for this short turnaround rematch. If the Nets win they would cut the Hawks' lead to two games over them for the final play-in spot.

It has been more than a month since Brooklyn won consecutive games. The Nets are 4-9 in their last 13 games and have their own injuries. Cam Thomas, the Nets' second-leading scorer at 20.9 points, is out with a sprained ankle and point guard Ben Simmons is questionable with a sore knee.

Lafayette is home, in a revenge spot and in stop-the-pain mode having lost four in a row. It says a lot that the oddsmaker has opened the Ragin' Cajuns such a strong favorite against Southern Mississippi. I agree with their assessment. I see the Ragin' Cajuns winning by double-digits as three of their past four four losses have come on the road.

The Ragin' Cajuns average six more points per game than the Golden Eagles. They also rank third nationally in 3-point defense. Southern Mississippi is 220th in 3-point shooting and 249th in 3-point defense. 

There also is a key injury. Southern Mississippi will be without Donovan Ivory, who is its third-leading scorer at 13.1 points and most accurate free throw shooter. He's out with a foot injury.

First off, Toronto is more than capable of beating Golden State straight-up. The Raptors did just that in convincing style, 133-118, at Golden State on Jan. 7.

Golden State has picked up its game. But the Warriors' last three victories have been against the injury-wracked Knicks and Wizards and Hornets, who have a combined record of 24-94. Golden State also has a monster look-ahead game. The Warriors meet the Celtics in Boston in a nationally televised Sunday afternoon game.

The Warriors are carrying a high fatigue rating into this matchup. This marks their sixth game in nine days and second in two nights. Golden State isn't expected to have Andrew Wiggins, their fourth-leading scorer, and one of their better defenders.

Stephen Curry generates all the buzz. But Toronto's Scottie Barnes has been playing at a very high level averaging 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and making 50 percent of his field goals during the past five games.

Toronto has been playing well lately, too. The Raptors are 3-1 in their last four games with two of those victories coming on the road against the Hawks and Pacers. The Raptors were bigger underdogs in those games than they are here.

Marist opened the smallest of favorites. Still, The Red Foxes opened as a favorite - and that's wrong. Fairfield is the superior team.

Fairfield leads the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a 12-5 mark. Marist is in fourth place with a 10-6 mark. The Red Foxes have three fewer overall victories than Fairfield.

Marist lost, 69-60, to Saint Peter's as 3 1/2-point road 'dogs in its last game this past Sunday. Fairfield defeated Saint Peter's, 64-62, on the road and whipped them, 76-67, at home.

The Staggs also rolled past Marist, 82-61, as short home favorites back on Jan. 7. Fairfield has the healthier frontcourt and holds a strong backcourt edge on the Red Foxes. The Staggs have the top guard depth in the MAAC. They forced 18 turnovers against Marist in the first game. That wasn't unusual. Marist has a turnover problem and the Staggs' guards are excellent defenders.

Marist has a stingy defense that is aided by its offense's half-court slow, deliberate style. However, Fairfield averages 12 points more per game and ranks 10th in the nation in 3-point accuracy. Caleb Fields, one of four good guards Fairfield has, burned the Red Foxes for 33 points while hitting 10-of-18 3-pointers in the first meeting.

The Staggs are in excellent current form, too, winning six of their last seven games, including going 3-0 SU and ATS in their past three games. The Staggs have won outright five of the last six times they've been underdogs. Marist has a losing ATS record the past nine times it has been favored.

Fairfield has defeated Marist each of the previous five seasons on the road. This includes a 70-61 away win last year.

Gonzaga is back in the Associated Press Top 25 ranking 23rd. But this isn't the elite Gonzaga team of previous years. They are overpriced against San Francisco, which is 7-1 in its last eight games and 13-1 at home.

The Bulldogs beat the Dons on their home-court, but the game was close. Gonzaga won, 77-72, as a 9 1/2-point favorite on Jan. 25.

While this is a huge game in the West Coast Conference, the Bulldogs have even a bigger game on deck when they play at 17th-ranked Saint Mary's on Saturday night.

The good news for the Lakers is they are off their best comeback win of the season. They came from 21 points down in the fourth quarter to upset their in-city, division rival the Clippers, 116-112, last night. LeBron James led the rally scoring 19 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter.

The bad news for the Lakers is they have a game today. Yes, the opponent is the Wizards, who have lost 11 of 13 games since replacing Wes Unseld Jr. with interim coach Bran Keefe.

But the Wizards are rested, play at the fastest tempo in the NBA and are 5-4 ATS in their last nine games.

The Lakers are 1-3 ATS in their last four games and have failed to cover three of the past four times when favored. The Lakers are down several big men on their rotation with Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood both out. James played 37 minutes last night. Anthony Davis logged 36 minutes. It wouldn't shock if either was rested, or had their minutes reduced tonight.

This is a huge spot for former Laker Kyle Kuzman, who has emerged as arguably the best player on the Wizards. Backed by Kuzman, look for the Wizards to be motivated for this matchup after being idle yesterday. The spot sets up nicely for Washington.

You wouldn't know it from their last game, a bad 18-point loss to Nebraska this past Sunday. But the Minnesota Gophers own the best point spread mark in college basketball at 23-4 (85 percent).

The 17-10 Gophers have been a huge surprise. I expect Minnesota to play hard with tremendous effort after laying an egg against Nebraska. Gophers coach Ben Johnson called into question the passion of his players following that 73-55 road loss to the Cornhuskers.

It was just the third time in 27 games the Gophers had lost by more than 11 points. Minnesota has covered 11 of 14 times as an underdog and had covered nine in a row until the dreadful loss to Nebraska.

Illinois has a losing ATS record in its last nine games. The Illini have won 14 of their 16 home games, but are only 8-7-1 ATS in those games.

Butler is home, has revenge and is in circle-the-wagons mode. The Bulldogs have lost four in a row putting them on the NCAA Tournament bubble. This is a huge game for the Bulldogs and I believe they will come through given St. John's recent road conference struggles.

St. John's is off a huge, 80-66, upset of then 15th-ranked Creighton this past Sunday. That was at home, though. The Red Storm are 1-5 SU, 2-4 ATS in their last six Big East road contests. Their lone victory during this span was against Georgetown, which is 2-15 in the Big East. 

Despite the win against Creighton, the Red Storm have not been doing that well going 4-8 in their last 12 games. 

It's easy to see why this total is as high as it is. The Pacers are the No. 1 scoring team in the league and have a bottom-three defense. The Pelicans have an above average offense and several big-time scorers.

But I'm going Under based on several factors.

The Pelicans have even a better defense than offense ranking in the top eight. They also are the No. 1 defensive team when it comes to guarding the 3-pointer. That's huge against the Pacers. If you toss out their game against the Wizards, the Pelicans have allowed an average of only 98 points in their last six games.

The Pacers, for all of their high-scoring, have gone Under in five of their past seven games. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is really going to be stressing transition defense to his team after Indiana lost, 130-122, at home to the Raptors two days ago.

Indiana may catch a break if CJ McCollum has to miss his third straight game because of a sprained left ankle. He's New Orleans' third-leading scorer at 18.8 points a game.

Both teams carry a fatigue factor. The Pelicans are playing without rest after beating the Knicks last night, while this is Indiana's third game in four days. The Under has cashed three of the past four times when the Pelicans have played without rest.

Note, too, the same two teams meet Friday in New Orleans. So neither team may want to show all of their tricks.

Colorado State has yet to lose at home in seven Mountain West Conference games this season. But it wouldn't shock me if the Rams lost straight-up to Nevada.

The Wolf Pack are a tough matchup for Colorado State. That was proven in the first game between these teams on Jan. 24. The Wolf Pack won, 77-64, as 4 1/2-point home favorites. That was the most points the Rams allowed in regulation during their last 19 games. 

Nevada took advantage of its height advantage to make 56.8 percent of its shots inside the paint. 

The Rams are heavily reliant upon point guard Isaiah Stevens. But Stevens had trouble against the Wolf Pack's 38th-ranked defense making only four-of-16 shots from the field. Nevada held Colorado State to just 26.1 percent from 3-point range as the Rams missed 17 of 23 shots from beyond the arc. This wasn't a fluke as the Wolf Pack have some of the Mountain West Conference best perimeter defenders in Tre Coleman, Daniel Foster and Kenan Blackshear. They are a big reason why the Wolf Pack give up just 66.3 points a game. 

The Wolf Pack have held six of their last seven opponents to 66 or fewer points. Discount an 83-82 loss to New Mexico and Nevada is surrendering an average of only 61.6 points in its last six games.

I always think defense first when it comes to the Missouri Valley Conference. This quick rematch between Valparaiso and Northern Iowa should result in a lower-scoring game than the oddsmaker perceives.

Valparaiso has been playing better defense with the exception of its Feb. 14 game against Northern Iowa. The Panthers beat Valparaiso, 86-67, by shooting a phenomenal 67 percent from the floor.

Northern Iowa has held five of its last seven opponents to 71 or fewer points. Valparaiso has been held to 70 or fewer points in eight of its last 10 games.

Below the radar, the Heat have been playing outstanding defense. They've allowed an average of only 101.7 points in their last nine games. The Under has cashed in nine of Miami's last 10 games.

But the biggest news surrounding the Heat is about the suspension of three players, including Jimmy Butler, after a skirmish occurred in Miami's last game, a 106-95 road win against the Pelicans this past Friday.

So Miami will be down three rotation players, including superstar Butler. The Heat also could be without Tyler Herro. He suffered a knee injury against the Pelicans and is questionable. Butler and Herro are Miami's top two scorers. Terry Rozier is Miami's third-leading scorer and he's questionable, too, with a knee injury. Rozier has missed the past two games.

The Heat rank in the bottom three in terms of pace. Eric Spoelstra is an elite defensive coach. The Heat will be stressing defense here down players.

The Kings rank seventh offensively and are 10th in tempo. They are not known for their defense. However, the Kings have held three of their last six opponents to 107 or fewer points. Sacramento just beat the Clippers, 123-107, on the road last night. So this is a back-to-back spot for the Kings. They aren't likely to push pace because of that.

Howard is a mediocre MEAC team. But the Bison are vastly superior to Coppin State, which is 2-22 and has lost 15 of its last 16 games.

The Eagles average 57.6 points a game. That's the second-lowest mark in the country! Howard averages 18 points more per game than Coppin State.

The Bison played at Coppin State on Jan. 29 and won, 81-66. It's not too much to ask of them to cover this number at home against a punchless and dead opponent.

Yes, the Hawks are a high-scoring bad defensive team. So, why go Under? Because the dynamics are not usual for the Hawks in this matchup.

Trae Young is out. The superstar guard leads the Hawks in scoring and assists by a wide margin. He has a finger injury. Center Clint Capela is back. He had missed six games until returning for Atlanta's last game. Capela is rounding into shape. He gives Atlanta strong rebounding and shot-blocking, averaging 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Orlando is the opposite of Atlanta. The Magic rank sixth defensively, but 25th in scoring.

The Magic are playing for the third time in four days and second in two nights. They endured a much tougher game than expected last night. Orlando was able to edge Detroit, 112-109, on Saturday night in a hard-fought game. So don't look for the tired Magic to push pace. The Hawks' tempo could be slowed, too, with Young not playing.

Never count out Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Golden State is making its move winning 10 of its last 12 games. This includes a 2-0 mark since the All-Star break with double-digit home victories against the Lakers and Hornets.

Look for the Warriors to continue their momentum against the defending world champion Nuggets.

Denver also is 2-0 coming out of All-Star break. However, the Nuggets' victories were against two patsies - the Wizards and Trail Blazers. Denver had gone 0-3 in its three previous games with a pair of losses to the Kings and one to the Bucks.

Now the Nuggets face another real opponent. The Warriors should be extremely motivated. Not just because they have triple revenge having gone 0-3 to the Nuggets this season losing those games by an average of four points. But because they are playing their best ball, are home and need to prove they can beat the Nuggets.

Jamal Murray is questionable for the Nuggets. Murray, Denver's second-leading scorer, missed the Nuggets' last game because of shin splints.

Siena has been an easy fade as the Saints are one of the worst teams in college basketball with a 4-22 record, including 3-12 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

But I'm going to be on the Saints today getting this many points because Fairfield is in a major letdown spot. The Stags moved into second place in the MAAC after upsetting conference leader Quinnipiac, 85-81, as a road underdog just two days ago.

That was a great victory for Fairfield. The Stags, though, are not some great power. They have a losing ATS mark and have dropped four games at home.

Siena does have one good player, Sean Durugordon. He's averaging 19.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

The Saints were only three-point 'dogs when they lost at home to Fairfield, 93-69, on Jan. 5. Now look at how high the point spread is.

Pepperdine has gone Over in five of its last six games. The Waves are averaging 90 points in their last two games, but their defense remains awful.

Pepperdine ranks 269th in scoring defense, 357th in defensive field goal percentage and 356th in 3-point defense. Just three games ago they yielded 103 points to St. Mary's, which is 27 points above the Gaels' season average. 

San Francisco certainly can exploit such a weak defense, especially at home. The Dons average 78.6 points. They rank 12th in field goal percentage. The Dons have scored at least 90 points in four of their last seven home games. 

Defensively, though, the Dons have surrendered 70 or more points in eight of their last 10 games.

Even though Cal-State Fullerton is playing at home, it's a surprise the Titans are favored. Cal-Northridge is the superior team. 

The Matadors average nine more points per game than Fullerton and defeated the Titans by five points at home on Jan. 13 as a four-point favorite. 

Northridge has proven itself on the road, too, winning eight times. This includes an eight-point upset win against Santa Barbara four games ago. 

Fullerton has lost five times already at home. The Titans are 1-5 in their last six overall games.

Orlando is one of the more improved teams this season. The Magic came out of All-Star break with an impressive, 116-109, road win against the Cavaliers two days ago. 

The Magic are young, though. I don't trust their mentality to bury the Pistons in what is a letdown and look-ahead spot for them. The Magic have a bigger game on tap Sunday when they play the Hawks in Atlanta. 

Detroit lost, 129-115, on the road to the Pacers this past Thursday in its first game following All-Star break. The Pistons were rusty in the first half, but scored 45 points in the third quarter. They outscored the Pacers by 15 points in the second half. 

Now the Pistons get to play their first home game since Feb. 4 when they lost, 111-99, to the Magic. Detroit is a better team with a healthy Cade Cunningham, who had 30 points and eight assists against the Pacers. 

The Pistons have quietly been effective point spread-wise at home covering seven of their last nine home contests.

This is only the second time Duke is an underdog this season. The first came against North Carolina on the road. The Blue Devils lost to North Carolina. Since that defeat, though, Duke has won and covered five in a row.

Wake Forest is 14-0 at home, the only ACC team without a home loss. But the 17-9 Demon Deacons aren't as good as the 21-5 Blue Devils, who are 12-3 in the ACC compared to Wake Forest's 9-6 league mark.

I was far more impressed with Duke's 84-55 road victory against Miami this past Wednesday than Wake Forest's, 91-58, home victory against Pittsburgh, which shot just 29 percent from the field vs the Demon Deacons.

Duke handled Wake Forest, 77-69, as seven-point home favorites on Feb. 12. So I find plenty of line value on the Blue Devils as an underdog.

Quinnipiac is 10-2 in its last dozen games, but coming off an embarrassing home to Niagara. The Bobcats are superior to Fairfield, which is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games, and the price is low enough to back them.

The Bobcats rank 13th in the country in free throw percentage. Their free throw shooting and defensive field goal percentage is far better than Fairfield.

Quinnipiac didn't play that well in its first meeting with Fairfield this season committing 16 turnovers. The Stags made more free throws than the Bobcats, too. Yet the Bobcats still won. I expect them to play much better at home especially off a bad loss.

These are two excellent defensive teams, who both rank in the bottom 10 in terms of pace. 

The Clippers are off an embarrassing, 129-107, road loss to the Thunder on Thursday night. LA has a top-10 defense. So I see the Clippers really clamping down defensively after surrendering 129 points last night. 

Memphis is the lowest scoring team in the NBA at 107.1 points a game. The injury-decimated Grizzlies rank second-to-last in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. 

But the Grizzlies give up the 11th-fewest points in the league. They've been especially strong defensively during their last three home games holding the Bucks, Rockets and Pelicans to an average of 106.3 points. 

The Clippers are big favorites. This could mean a reduction in minutes for the Clippers superstars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden, all of whom played last night.

Troy is 7-1 in its last eight games. However, that one defeat came at home to Arkansas State, 82-71, last Thursday. 

The Trojans were 6 1/2-point favorites in that matchup. Now, a week later, they opened as underdogs to Arkansas State. 

I'm not buying that. It's not just rapid revenge for Troy. The Trojans are the superior team. Troy is 18-9 and 11-3 in the Sun Belt Conference, tied for second one game behind Appalachian State. Arkansas State is 13-4 overall and 8-6 in the Sun Belt. 

Both teams average 79 points. The difference comes on defense. Troy gives up 69.4 points a game. Arkansas State permits 78.4 points per game, which ranks 334th. The Red Wolves also are 300th in defensive field goal percentage. 

Don't expect Troy to have a second straight off-shooting game against Arkansas State. So I'll take the points with the superior team.

There's a certain randomness factor when NBA teams haven't played in eight days like these two teams. Randomness is good when backing an underdog in this high of a point range.

All-Star weekend took place in Indianapolis for the first time since 1985. It was a good showcase for the city and state of Indiana. Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton represented the Pacers well during the All-Star Game scoring 32 points.

It's heady stuff for the Pacers, who may come out sluggish against a Pistons squad that has the worst record in the NBA at 8-46.

The Pistons, though, often are undervalued on the road where they have covered six of the past eight times. Detroit added seven new players at the trade deadline. The Pistons have had ample time during the break to get their newcomers in sync with each other. The time off also gave Cade Cunningham, Detroit's emerging star, time to recover from left knee soreness.

The Pacers will be minus Aaron Nesmith, their fifth leading scorer at 12.6 points a game. Nesmith also is the Pacers' second-most accurate 3-point shooter. He's out with an ankle injury.

College of Charleston has a better record than Delaware, but I don't see the Cougars winning this game.

The Cougars are 1-5 ATS in their last six games and surrender more than 76 points on the road. The Blue Hens are 5-1 in their last six games.

Delaware surrenders fewer than 70 points a game and ranks 38th in 3-point defense. The Blue Hens are giving up an average of 61.7 points in their last four games. College of Charleston is heavily reliant on hitting 3-pointers. The combination of being on the road and facing a strong 3-point defense will prove the undoing of College of Charleston in this one.

Air Force is the worst team in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons are 1-11 in the conference and have lost 14 of their past 15 games. Guess who that one victory came against? Yep, it was against UNLV.

The Falcons stunned the Rebels, 90-58, as 10 1/2-point road 'dogs on Jan. 23. Air Force is 0-6 SU and ATS since then. Air Force made 14 of 28 3-pointers against the Rebels. 

Not only do the Rebels have revenge, but they also are in a kill mood after blowing an 11-point second-half lead in a 69-66 home loss to arch-rival Nevada this past Saturday. That loss snapped a five-game UNLV win streak. 

The Rebels are 14-10 on the season, 7-5 in the Mountain West Conference. They are a much better team than Air Force and should have huge motivation. Air Force ranks 315th in scoring at 67.9 points per game. The Falcons rank 337th in defensive field goal percentage and 354th in 3-point defense. 

Oh, yes, the Falcons also are 0-8 SU and ATS in their last eight home games.

Richmond is a couple of levels higher than Rhode Island, much closer to the elite of the Atlantic 10 Conference - Dayton and Loyola of Chicago - than below .500 where Rhode Island resides.

The Spiders are 13-2 in their last 15 games, riding a lot of momentum. Rhode Island has been going the opposite direction, losing seven of its past nine games. Richmond is 18-7 overall and 10-2 in the Atlantic 10. The Rams, by contrast, are 11-14 and have a losing conference record.

Richmond ranks 32nd defensively and ninth in defensive field goal percentage. The Rams are mediocre offensively and are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the nation making only 63.8 percent.

The Spiders have won five of the last six times on the road and have defeated Rhode Island five consecutive times.

There is no team Nevada gets more motivated to play then its in-state rival, UNLV. The Wolf Pack had lost four in a row to UNLV - until this past Saturday night.

Nevada rallied from nine points down to nip the Rebels, 69-66, as two-point road 'dogs. It was a very satisfying victory for the Wolf Pack. But it also puts the Wolf Pack in a letdown spot for this matchup against Wyoming.

The Cowboys are a respectable .500 Mountain West Conference team that has a winning overall record and a winning league road mark. They are not an easy opponent for Nevada. The Cowboys proved that back on Jan. 20 when they upset the Wolf Pack, 98-93, as seven-point home 'dogs. Now the line has doubled, which I find way too high.

UCF is 1-5 in its last six games and shouldn't be laying points on the road to West Virginia. The Mountaineers are finally healthy and have proven themselves at home having knocked off then No. 3 Kansas.

Just a couple of days after upsetting Kansas, West Virginia had to play at Central Florida and lost in that flat spot. RaeQuan Battle, the Mountaineers' leading scorer, was ejected with nearly 11 minutes left in that game.

Battle and the rest of the Mountaineers will be seeking revenge. Central Florida has been far less effective offensively when playing on the road, averaging 10 points fewer per 100 possessions.

I find this line to be off. Bowling Green was a whooping nine-point home favorite against Central Michigan on Feb. 3. Central Michigan upset Bowling Green, 77-76 in overtime. The Chippewas shot 51 percent from the floor in that game. Bowling Green had a terrible shooting game making only 33 percent of their field goals, 66 percent of their free throws and missing 33 of 40 shots from beyond the arc.

These teams are third and fourth in the MAC. Bowling Green has the better overall record. 

Central Michigan ranks 328th in scoring at 66.1 points a game. Bowling Green averages 75.8 points a game. I expect the Falcons to shoot much better and for Central Michigan to shoot much worse in this short revenge spot for Bowling Green.

Maybe it's because Houston dominated Texas this past Saturday holding the Longhorns to their lowest point total of the season in an 82-61 victory. But I find this line way too high on the Cougars.

So I'm on the Cyclones.

Yes, Houston has a 19-game home win streak and is ranked first in the country defensively. Iowa State, however, ranks seventh defensively in the nation, averages more points per game than the Cougars and is a better free throw shooting team.

The Cyclones have had the Cougars' number, too, winning seven of the past eight times. This includes a 57-53 home victory against Texas on Jan. 9 when the Cyclones were a much shorter underdog.    

Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger is one of the top-five coaches in the country, in my view. The Cyclones are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games. Texas had failed to cover in its past four games before its victory against Texas.

Canisius is nothing great. But Siena is the Washington Generals of college basketball. Canisius is 9-15. Siena is 3-21 in its last 24 games. The Saints very well could be the worst offensive team in the country.

The Golden Griffins average 71.8 points a game. That's nearly 12 points more per game than the Saints.

Siena is averaging 60.1 points. That miniscule average shrinks even more to 54.2 points in its last eight games.

The Saints rank 360th in scoring, 354th in free throw accuracy, 348th in field goal percentage and 358th in 3-point percent.

Siena's below-average defense can't make up for its lack of offense. The Saints rank 278th defensively allowing 75.2 points a game.
Canisius defeated Siena, 67-63, on Jan. 12. The Saints have gotten worse since then losing eight of their last nine games.

The ACC has a tendency to bring down teams that are riding high. It's that competitive and prideful of a conference loaded with quality teams.

North Carolina State is one of those quality teams. But the Wolfpack find themselves in must-win mode if they hope to be considered for an NCAA Tournament berth after a four-point loss to Wake Forest and a three-point loss to Pittsburgh during their last two games.

Clemson is looking strong, winners of three in a row.

North Carolina State, though, has had a week to prepare and rest up for this specific matchup. The Wolfpack also have triple revenge for two regular season losses to the Tigers last season and a defeat in the ACC Tournament.

There hadn't been this much excitement about Indiana State since Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. Unfortunately for the 23rd-ranked Sycamores they are coming off a stunning home upset loss to 12-14 Illinois State this past Tuesday.

Indiana State coach Josh Schertz ripped his team following that defeat calling them soft and lacking toughness.

I'm expecting the Sycamores to be fired-up and to bury Southern Illinois even if Jayson Kent, their leading rebounder, can't play.

Southern Illinois was no match for Indiana State when the teams met earlier this season on Nov. 28. The Sycamores buried the Salukis, 77-48. Southern Illinois ranks 239th in defensive field goal percentage. The Salukis have allowed their past three opponents to shoot at least 50 percent from the field. Indiana State is the third-best shooting team in the country and ranks eighth in points per game at 84.9.

Despite their Top 25 ranking, Indiana State is not a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. The Sycamores lead Drake by just one game in the Missouri Valley Conference.

I don't see top-ranked Connecticut losing to Marquette at home. The Huskies have won 13 in a row and haven't forgotten how Marquette knocked them out of the Big East Conference Tournament last season.

There's not much to nit-pick about Marquette. I just don't trust the Golden Eagles on the road where they have lost to Seton Hall, Providence and Wisconsin.

St. Peter's is an 11-11 average team that is in circle-the-wagons mode with a four-game losing streak following a 64-62 home loss to Fairfield, the second-best team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Peacocks did cover that game, though, as 3 1/2-point 'dogs.
 
Look for the Peacocks to take out their frustrations out at home against a terrible Siena team that is 4-20 overall and 2-15 in its last 17 games. 

The Saints hosted St. Peter's on Jan. 28 and lost, 63-52. Siena turned the ball over 19 times in that game. That wasn't anything new. The Saints have the second-worst turnover rate in the nation, average just 60.4 points and shoot 39.9 percent from the floor. St. Peter's ranks 23rd defensively in turnover rate. The Peacocks rank 20th defensively holding foes to 64.6 points per game.

Going by the KenPom rankings, the Peacocks rank 233rd compared to Siena's 358th placement.

Queens is 9-3 at home. Jacksonville is 2-12 in true road games.

The teams met in Jacksonville on Jan. 18 with the home team winning, 79-77. The Dolphins shot 72.6 from the foul line in that game. Queens, by contrast, could make only 21 of 43 free throws for 49 percent. Queens shoots 70.6 percent from the foul line.

So I see Queens getting its revenge in this rematch.

Princeton has the best overall record of any team in the Ivy League at 17-3. Brown has one of the worst records at 6-16 with a 3-9 road mark.

The teams met two games ago on Feb. 3. Princeton beat the Bears, 70-60, covering as seven-point road favorites. The Tigers accomplished that despite a bad shooting game. They shot 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range. The Tigers' season average is 46.3 shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Brown then lost as a 4 1/2-point home favorite to Columbia, 83-69, in its last game. I don't see Brown staying within this number on the road to Princeton. The Bears lost by double-digits to the Tigers at home when Princeton wasn't shooting well.

Princeton is 8-0 at home. The Tigers permit only 64.7 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the nation. The Tigers also are the second-best free throw shooting team in the country making 79.9 percent.

Brown is below par on both sides of the ball. The Bears average just 70 points and could be the worst free throw shooting team in the land making only 64.7 percent.

I don't find it too much to ask the Warriors to beat the reeling Jazz in Utah for the second time in four days. Golden State hammered Utah, 129-107, this past Monday.

The Jazz are using the buildup to All-Star break to experiment and work on different rotation combinations. The result has been three straight losses and non-covers by a losing margin of 17.3 points.

Golden State is 7-2 in its last nine games. However, the Warriors are coming off a 12-point blown lead in the fourth quarter in a 130-125 loss to the Clippers last night. Utah also played last night, losing to the Lakers by 16 points at home. So neither team has a rest advantage.

The Warriors are in better form and are the superior team.

Big Ten Conference basketball is all about defense and protecting your home floor. Both of these key factors are in play for Rutgers in this matchup.

The Scarlet Knights have won their last three games posting upset victories against Wisconsin at home and road wins against Michigan and Maryland. It's not a coincidence that these three victories have all come since Iowa State transfer Jeremiah Williams became eligible and played in his first three games for Rutgers. Williams sparked the Scarlet Knights to their, 78-56, upset of 11th-ranked Wisconsin this past Saturday by scoring 18 points, dishing off seven assists and grabbing five rebounds.

Williams provides offense and all-around play to the Scarlet Knights, who give up the 28th-fewest points in the nation and rank 13th in defensive field goal percentage.

Northwestern is much better at home than on the road. The Wildcats are 1-5 in their Big Ten away contests.

I'm going to use the Zig-Zag method on this total. Both the Wizards and Pelicans are off strong defensive performances where their offenses were held in check. 

Look for the opposite to happen in this matchup, the team's final game before the All-Star break. 

Before holding the Mavericks to 112 points in their last game, the Wizards had allowed an average of 126.5 points in their past four contests.
Washington is the second-worst defensive team in the NBA giving up 123.7 points a game.

New Orleans ranks in the top-nine in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. If you discount a 107-83 loss to the Thunder, the Pelicans are averaging 133 points during their past four home games. 

This is just the Pelicans' second home game since Jan. 26. The Pelicans want to provide a show to their fans entering All-Star break. The Wizards are likely to accommodate them since they play at the fastest pace in the NBA. 

This is enough line value for me to take the Trail Blazers given the probable return of Anfernee Simons and the favorable spot Portland is in.

Minnesota is fat and happy off an impressive, 121-100, road victory against the Clippers last night. The Timberwolves can't be faulted if they take the lowly Trail Blazers, a team they buried, 116-93, at home on Jan. 12, not very seriously.

Portland, though, is well-rested and off a tremendous defensive performance. The Trail Blazers held New Orleans to 93 points in their last game this past Saturday. That was 23 points below the Pelicans' season average. However, the Trail Blazers didn't have Simons, their top player and leading scorer, so they couldn't muster up enough offense to win.

Simons is expected to return today from his left ankle sprain. That's huge. It's an extra bonus if Scott Henderson also can play for Portland. He's questionable with a foot sprain.

Portland has been home for eight days, idle for the past two full days. Minnesota is playing its fourth consecutive road game. The Timberwolves have a losing ATS mark when playing in the second of back-to-back days.

The Trail Blazers are 4-3 in their last seven home games with straight-up upset victories against the Bucks, 76ers, Pacers and Nets during this span.

When the Timberwolves rolled past the Trail Blazers in the team's first meeting, Portland was at the tail end of a seven-game road trip and had just played the Thunder the previous night. Now it's the Timberwolves who have a fatigue rating.

Note, too, the teams meet again in Portland on Thursday. So the Timberwolves may hold back some things knowing they have to play this same opponent in their next game.

Pittsburgh upset Virginia when these teams last met last season. The Cavaliers won't let it happen again, especially at home where they are 13-0.

Virginia, in fact, has the longest home winning streak in NCAA Division I with 23 straight victories. 

Pittsburgh is fat and happy riding a three-game win streak. Two of those wins were in a favorite's role against Notre Dame and Wake Forest.

The Panthers' 3-point defense is showing signs of regression. That could prove crucial as the Cavaliers' strengths are their third-ranked defense and 15th-ranked 3-point shooting percentage. During the past four weeks, the Cavaliers are the fifth-hottest shooting 3-point team. 

You have to go back 12 years to find the last time Duquesne won at Dayton. I don't see the Dukes ending their long road losing streak here against the Flyers.

Dayton is ranked 16th, but coming off an ugly, 49-47, road loss to VCU this past Friday. The Flyers held VCU scoreless during the final 5:57, but still couldn't win because of their cold shooting. This was highly unusual since the Flyers rank seventh in 3-point shooting percentage.

That loss has put Dayton in a bounce back spot, while Duquesne is fat-and-happy after upsetting St. Bonaventure this past Saturday.

The Flyers' DaRon Holmes II leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 19.4 points per game. Holmes, though, is off a terrible performance against VCU. I expect the Flyers and Holmes to bounce back strong against Duquesne, which is a well below average shooting team. Dayton gives up the seventh-fewest points in the country at 64.3.

Prior to losing to VCU, the Flyers had gone 16-1 with one of those victories during this span coming against Duquesne, 72-62, on the road on Jan. 12.

This is an important game for playoff seeding in the East. The Bulls rank ninth while the Hawks are 10th, one game behind Chicago. The Bulls are the superior defensive team and have a winning point spread mark. They are 7-4 ATS in their past 11 games.

The Hawks give up 123.7 points a game. That ranks second-to-last in the NBA. The Bulls rate 11th defensively, allowing 11 fewer points per game than Atlanta.

Atlanta has the worst point spread mark in the NBA at 17-36 (32 percent) ATS. The Hawks are very bad in this role going 6-16 ATS when favored by more than 1 1/2 points. It's also Atlanta's third game in four days.

Northwestern is laying too many points here against a hot Penn State team that has won and covered its last three games, beating Rutgers and Indiana on the road and Iowa at home. The Nittany Lions are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games.

Penn State averages more points per game than Northwestern and has revenge for a 76-72 home loss to the Wildcats from Jan. 10. The Nittany Lions led Northwestern by eight points at halftime during that first meeting. But they finished just 3-of-17 from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank 321st in 3-point defense. Penn State should shoot better from 3-point range against this opponent this time around while it's highly unlikely the Wildcats hit 61 percent of their shots from the floor like they did in the first meeting.

Northwestern could be without guard Ty Berry, who is the Wildcats' fourth-leading scorer and best free throw shooter. He suffered a knee injury in the Wildcats' last game, an 80-68 victory against Nebraska this past Wednesday.

Providence defeated Butler, 85-75, in overtime on Dec. 23. Much has changed since then. Butler is the better team.

The Bulldogs are 4-1 in their last five games with their only defeat in this time frame coming on the road to top-ranked Connecticut. Butler covered as a 14 1/2-point road 'dog in that game, losing, 71-62. The Bulldogs have covered in their last four games.

Providence lost Bryce Hopkins, its third-leading scorer, shortly after beating Butler. The Friars are 4-5 since losing Hopkins. They are off a 91-87 overtime victory against Creighton at home this past Wednesday. But that could cause a letdown in this spot.

Before the season, the SEC media picked Vanderbilt to finish 11th in the conference and South Carolina to place last. Vanderbilt has held true to that prediction with a 1-8 SEC mark.

But not South Carolina. The 15th-ranked Gamecocks are tied for first in the conference thanks to a six-game winning streak.

I don't see South Carolina having any trouble hosting Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks hold huge edges on the frontcourt and depth-wise. Vanderbilt is 1-8 in its last nine games with its last six defeats all occurring by 13 or more points.

Xavier is playing well and in revenge mode for an 85-78 road loss to Creighton on Jan. 23.

The Musketeers are 6-2 in their last eight games, including winning three in a row. Xavier is 7-1 in its last eight home games with its lone loss during this span coming to top-ranked Connecticut.

Creighton has to get over a tough, 91-87, overtime road loss to Providence this past Wednesday. The Bluejays are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games, including 0-4 ATS during their past four games.

The Pelicans are playing well, riding a four-game win streak. They rested in Los Angeles on Thursday after upsetting the Clippers on Wednesday. The Lakers, meanwhile, played hard but not smart in losing to the Nuggets, 114-106, on Thursday night.

That was a highly-emotional game for the Lakers as the organization honored the late Kobe Bryant before the game. Anthony Davis logged more than 38 minutes and LeBron James had more than 35 minutes of game time. It wouldn't be shocking if one of them was held out since this is a back-to-back spot for LA. It's also the Lakers' eighth game in 12 days.

The Pelicans are younger and faster than the aged Lakers, who are 2-6 SU, 1-7 ATS when playing without rest.

As bad as the Hornets are, the Bucks are in no position to lay this many points to them. Milwaukee is 1-5 SU and 1-5 ATS in its last six games. The Bucks carry a high fatigue rating, have key injuries and Doc Rivers has been a near-disaster so far as the Bucks' coach. 

This is the Bucks' fifth game in seven days and second in two days after they were buried, 129-105, by the Timberwolves at home last night. Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, the Bucks' second and third-best players, missed that game because of ankle injuries. 

The Hornets have lost nine in a row, although they've covered in their last two games. Charlotte also has injuries, but have Cody Martin back. 
Clearly, though, my handicap is a fade on the Bucks, who have failed to cover 17 of 21 times against sub .500 opponents this season.

Dayton is 18th-ranked in the country, leads the Atlantic 10 Conference and has won 16 of its last 17 games. But this matchup against VCU holds special meaning for the Flyers.

It's their revenge game of the year. VCU defeated Dayton, 68-56, in the Atlantic 10 title game last season.

VCU is good again this season at 15-8, 7-3 in conference. But 19-3 Dayton is better. The Flyers are a better offensive team than they were when they lost to VCU last season. The Flyers average three points more per game than the Rams and rank fifth in the nation in 3-point accuracy. Dayton's DaRon Holmes II leads the A-10 in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

The oddsmaker agrees that Dayton is the superior team, opening the Flyers a road favorite. I'm going to back Dayton on the money line with the line as short as it is.

The Pistons are 3-20 on the road this season. Their latest road victory came last night in a 133-120 upset of the Kings. The Pistons achieved this unlikely victory without injured Cade Cunningham and Bojan Bogdanovic leaving them with only nine players.

I don't see the Pistons, losers of 43 of 50 games, pulling off another upset on consecutive nights even if Cunningham, the team's leading scorer, returns to their lineup. Bogdanovic was traded to the Knicks today leaving the Pistons short-handed again.

Portland is 15-35, but playing better. The Trail Blazers upset both the Bucks and 76ers at home before traveling to Denver to play two straight road games against the Nuggets. They lost both of those games to the defending world champions, but covered each game. Portland is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games.

Now the Trail Blazers return home, while stepping way down in class. They have had ample rest and preparation time, too, having last played this past Sunday.

The Lakers have picked up their pace winning eight of their last 12 games. This includes three straight victories to close out a six-game road trip. 
Sometimes it's dangerous to back a team playing their first home game following a lengthy road trip. That certainly was the case with the Clippers last night. They lost to the Pelicans by 11 points as a 6 1/2-point home favorite. The Clippers had been playing well, too.

But this is a different case and much different situation. The Clippers only had one day of rest after returning to Los Angeles. The Lakers concluded their road swing this past Monday giving them two full days of rest and preparation. 

This also is the Lakers' biggest game of the season and it isn't just because they're playing the defending world champion Nuggets. 

It's a special night because the Lakers organization will be honoring the late Kobe Bryant before the game unveiling a statue of him. The game is going to be heavily attended with many dignitaries. It is being shown nationally on TNT. 

"Win one for Kobe,'' will be the Lakers' motto. So I'm expecting maximum motivation and effort. 

The Nuggets are off back-to-back home victories against the 15-35 Trail Blazers. Not exactly a worthy opponent. Denver has lost in its two previous road games, falling to the Thunder and getting blown out by the Knicks.

Forget Oregon State being just 3-8 in the Pac-12 Conference and 11-11 overall. The Beavers are much stronger when playing at home. They are 11-2 at Gill Coliseum. One of the victories was an 83-80 win against then ninth-ranked Arizona on Jan. 25. The Beavers were 18 1/2-point 'dogs in that game.
 
As home underdogs this season, the Beavers are 3-2 SU, 4-1 ATS. Washington is mediocre on the road with a 3-3 SU and ATS mark. 

Oregon State gave Washington State a battle in Pullman, Wash., on Jan. 4 losing, 65-58. The Beavers were missing their third-leading scorer, Dexter Akanno, in that game. 

The Pelicans are in prime position to ambush the Clippers.

The Clippers returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday after finishing a seven-game, 11-day road trip with a victory against the Hawks in Atlanta this past Monday night. There were 293 points scored in the Clippers' crazy, 149-144, victory against the Hawks. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden each played more than 37 minutes in that game. 

Now the Clippers have to get used to being home having played in a different arena for the past seven games. LA has to be feeling good having gone 6-1 on its road trip. The Clippers are not only in a letdown spot, but their concentration could be off having been gone for so long. They also might be dealing with dead legs in action for the third time in four days and fourth time in six days. 

New Orleans is playing well, too, riding a three-game win streak. The Pelicans don't have nearly the fatigue factor LA does. This is just the Pelicans' second game in five days.  

The teams are meeting for the third time this season. The road team has won each of the first two games. Attendance could be less than normal for the Clippers because of the heavy rains that hit southern California. 

Miami hasn't gotten going this season, losing eight of its last 11 games. But the Heat did win a satisfying game beating in-state rival Orlando, 121-95, last night.

The Heat are 1-3-1 ATS the past five times when playing without rest. They also have been terrible in the role of a large home favorite failing to cover 17 of the past 22 times when laying five or more points.

This is the start of the Spurs' nine-game rodeo trip so they'll want to get off to a good start.

Prior to their win against the Magic, the Heat were averaging 101.7 points in their previous 13 games. The Spurs are averaging 114.6 points in regulation during their last 15 games.

Furman is in better form than Mercer and has too much offense for the Bears to stay close.

The Paladins rank 33rd in the nation in scoring averaging 81.3 points a game. They have scored 82 or more points in five of their past eight games.

Mercer averages 11 points fewer per game than Furman. The Bears also are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country making only 65.6 percent. They are 2-6 in their last eight games.

Saint Mary's probably could name its score. The Gaels did that when these two teams met on Jan. 25. The Gaels embarrassed Pacific, 76-28.

So why back Pacific in the rematch besides the Tigers being at home this time?

The timing. Not only can the Gaels be forgiven if they enter this matchup overconfident, but it's also a huge flat spot for them.

Saint Mary's is off a monster, 64-62, road upset victory against its major rival, Gonzaga, this past Saturday night. It's going to be extremely difficult for the Gaels to get motivated for this matchup.

The Gaels are 18-6 and lead the West Coast Conference with a 9-0 mark. However, they are just mediocre point spread-wise with an 11-11 ATS record.

It's asking a lot for Saint Mary's to cover this large number given the situation and that its offense averages just 72.5 points. The Gaels rank 254th in field goal percentage and 289th in free throw percentage.

Milwaukee is concluding its five-game road trip here. The Bucks are 1-3 on their road swing. This is a good time to buy low on the Bucks coming off a 123-108 Sunday loss to the Jazz.

The Bucks had wide open shots in that loss to Utah. But they blew a 19-point lead, collapsing in the fourth quarter. The high mountain altitude in Utah might have had something to do with that.

Milwaukee is the second-highest scoring team in the NBA and fourth-best shooting team. The Bucks should fare much better with a full day rest and getting out of the mountain air. Phoenix is just an average defensive team.

The Bucks have won the past three times they've faced the Suns in the regular season. Milwaukee also draws Phoenix with the Suns in a vulnerable spot.

The Suns concluded a seven-game, 12-day road trip this past Sunday blowing out Washington. That was a huge, motivational game for the Suns because of Bradley Beal's return to face his former Wizards team.

Now the Suns are playing at home for the first time since Jan. 22. Before they had embarked on their seven-game road trip, their longest road swing had been three away games in a row. The Suns did that three times. Phoenix failed to cover in their first home game back during each of those three road games in a row going 0-3 ATS. Look for that pattern to continue here.

I want Houston going for me at home after it was smashed, 78-65, by Kansas on the road this past Saturday. That was the Cougars' worst regular-season defeat in two years.

Even giving up 78 points in that game, the Cougars still rank first in the country in fewest points allowed per game at 54 and in defensive efficiency. Oklahoma State is the worst team in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys only average 71.1 points, which ranks 259th. They also rank 314th in free throw percentage.

The Cowboys are actually a little fat and happy, though, after upsetting Kansas State at home this past Saturday. That was just their second win in their past nine games.

Texas has a strong record as a big favorite covering 62 percent of the past 104 times when they've been chalk of more than 10 points.

Fresh off a 78-65 home victory against fourth-ranked Houston, Kansas is looking good. But now the Jayhawks find themselves in a difficult scheduling spot. They have to travel to Kansas State for this in-state, Big 12 Conference rivalry matchup.

Kansas State is at low ebb with four consecutive losses. The Wildcats, though, have played tough competition during this span - road games against Iowa State and Houston and home games vs Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Kansas State is capable of winning outright. The Wildcats bet LSU and Baylor while losing to Texas Tech on the road by one point.

The Wildcats are 10-2 at home. This is their biggest home game of the season - their Super Bowl.

"The atmosphere we'll play in on Monday will be very comparable to the atmosphere Houston played in today," Kansas coach Bill Self was quoted as saying on Saturday following the Jayhawks' upset win against the Cougars. "We'll have to go over there and play well ..."

Toronto is 2-11 in its last 13 games, 1-7 in its last eight games and playing its fifth straight road game.
 
But on closer inspection, I find the Raptors to be a good value play here. 

Toronto hasn't been healthy. Now the Raptors are after getting back RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Immanuel Quickley. They all played in the Raptors' last game two days ago. That was against Oklahoma City. The Raptors were 8 1/2-point underdogs. Toronto took the Thunder to double overtime before losing but covering. 

The Raptors have had a day to rest and recuperate. They haven't played in back-to-back games since Jan. 17-18. So the fatigue factor isn't that bad. 
New Orleans is laying double-digits despite being in an awkward scheduling spot. This is the Pelicans' sixth game in 11 days. They just concluded a four-game road trip with a one-point victory against the 10-40 Spurs this past Friday. The Pelicans pulled that game out when Zion Williamson scored with 3.8 seconds left. 

After this matchup, the Pelicans go back on the road for four more games. So their concentration level could be off. 

Both the Warriors and Nets are coming off high-scoring games. The Warriors lost 141-134 in overtime to the Hawks this past Saturday. Brooklyn rolled past the 76ers, 136-121, also this past Saturday.

Those games may have influenced the oddsmaker to open what I consider an artificially high total for this matchup.

Golden State had held its previous two opponents to an average of 104 points before losing to the Hawks. Atlanta is the third-highest scoring team in the NBA and plays at the fifth-fasted pace. The Nets are an entirely different opponent.

Brooklyn is average defensively, but below par offensively ranking 25th in field goal percentage. The Nets also are the fifth-worst free throwing shooting team in the league. More importantly, the Nets play at the second-slowest tempo in the NBA. Golden State ranks 12th in tempo. The Warriors' interior defense is improved with the return of Draymond Green from suspension.

I know it's difficult to get behind the Pistons. But they are in an excellent situational spot here. 

Orlando is playing for the fifth time in eight days. It's the Magic's fourth consecutive road contest. They just rallied from 17 points down to upset the Timberwolves this past Friday. Orlando has a bigger matchup up next - on the road against in-state division rival Miami in a battle for first place in the Southeast Division. That game goes Tuesday. 

The Pistons have revenge motivation for an embarrassing, 123-91, loss to the Magic on Dec. 8. Following this matchup, the Pistons go on the road for a five-game West Coast trip. They won't play at home again until Feb. 24. 

So, yes, the spot is ripe for Detroit. But are the Pistons good enough to cover this number? They have been in their last three games. During this span, the Pistons upset the Thunder by 16 points as a 12-point home 'dog, lost by seven to the hot Cavaliers as a 13 1/2-point road 'dog and covered in their last game at home to the Clippers. Now the Pistons are dropping down in class after facing those three strong opponents.

I'm not convinced Gonzaga is better than Saint Mary's so I'm taking these many points. The Bulldogs have fewer wins than Saint Mary's and have battled inconsistency. Saint Mary's is in top form winning 14 of its last 15 games, including nine in a row.

Gonzaga is 0-4 against Quadrant 1 opponents. The Bulldogs are ranked 26th in the NCAA Net Rankings. The Gaels are ranked 21st in the NCAA Net Rankings.

The Gaels give up the third-fewest points in the country at 58.4. Their offense has picked up where they are averaging 78.8 points per game during their last six games.

This is Kentucky's game to win and I see the Wildcats doing just that. Getting any points with the Wildcats is just a bonus.

Kentucky defeated Tennessee in both meetings last season. Kentucky won those games by a combined 19 points. The Wildcats close their regular season at Tennessee. So it is paramount they beat the Volunteers in Lexington, Ky.

Both teams got caught peeking ahead to this marquee matchup in their last game. Kentucky blew a four-point home lead with 20 seconds and lost in overtime to Florida this past Wednesday. That was just the Wildcats' second home loss in 12 home contests. Tennessee looked far worse, though. The Volunteers lost, 63-59, to South Carolina as a 14-point home favorite this past Tuesday. Tennessee is going to have to play far, far better than that to stay competitive against the Wildcats.

The Wildcats own the deeper bench and have a highly-underrated shooting guard in Antonio Reeves. Not only is he an elite defensive player, but he's scored 19 or more points in eight of the last 10 games.

This is a power ratings play. These teams have similar records, but I have Weber State as the superior team. So I will back the underdog. 

Weber State ranks 65th in the nation defensively holding foes to 65.2 points per game. That's remarkable for a Big Sky Conference team. 

Northern Colorado has had some high-scoring games in its last few games, but the Bears have played weak competition during this span. They rank 326th defensively allowing 78.2 points per game. 

Maybe it's a sucker's play. But I'm not going to turn down Kansas as a home underdog to Houston. The last time the Jayhawks were an underdog in Allen Fieldhouse was 2021 when they rolled past future national champion Baylor, 71-58.

Kansas is 11-0 at home this season. This includes a win and cover against third-ranked Connecticut.

Houston has the top defense in the country, but is 2-2 in its Big 12 road games, 1-3 ATS. One of those conference victories came in overtime against Texas this past Monday. The Cougars are 3-6 ATS in road/neutral site games.

Texas is a terrible free throw shooting team and scores five fewer points per game than Kansas.

East Tennessee State has only been favored once in its last eight games. That was against VMI. The Buccaneers were 10 1/2-point chalk and ended up winning by one point.

The Buccaneers are a mediocre team with a 3-6 record in the Southern Conference. They are one of the worst perimeter shooting teams in the country.

I liked what The Citadel did in its last game. The Bulldogs nearly upset Furman, losing by three points in overtime as a 7-point 'dog.

Points are going to be hard to come by in this matchup between the Magic, who ranked fifth in the NBA defensively, and the Timberwolves, who give up the fewest points per game. That's why the oddsmaker has set a low total. So I find this to be a lot of points to get.

The Timberwolves are a bit fat and happy after a blowout victory against the Mavericks two days ago.

Orlando has the best point spread mark in the NBA at 31-17, which is 64.5 percent. The Magic have held two of their last three opponents to 98 points, the Spurs and Suns. That was 18 points below the Suns' season average.

Siena is 3-17 and tied for last in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 2-7 mark. However, one of the Saints' victories came against Rider.

Rider is having a disappointing season, but still is a much superior team to Siena. The Broncos have had this matchup circled since that, 67-65, early December road loss.

The Broncos are playing better. They are off consecutive road upset victories against St. Peter's and Mount St. Mary's. They held those two opponents to an average of 59.5 points.

Siena has dropped four in a row. The Saints have injuries and trouble scoring, averaging only 50.3 points in their last three games.

Manhattan is one of the worst teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Jaspers don't have much of a home-court edge and are weak both offensively and defensively where they have permitted at least 81 points in three of their last four games.

Quinnipiac is the best team in the MAAC with an 8-1 league mark and 16-4 overall record. The Bobcats average more than 78 points a game and are the ninth-best free throw shooting team in the nation. Manhattan averaged 12 fewer points per game than the Bobcats.

Quinnipiac had no problem handling Manhattan at home on Jan. 7 winning, 76-59.  

So I find this number short.

I'm going to buy low on Georgia State. The Panthers have lost four in a row to drop below .500 on the season. Those four defeats, though, all came on the road. Georgia State is 6-1 at home, including winning its last six home games. 

The Panthers should really be motivated for this matchup against the top team in the Sun Belt. The Panthers also are off a frustrating overtime loss to Coastal Carolina in their last game. 

The Mountaineers rank 26th in the country defensively. Georgia State, however, averages 78.9 points a game and is a very good free throw shooting team.

Albany is a high-scoring, up-tempo team with a weak defense. Vermont is just the opposite. The Catamounts rank 23rd in the nation defensively. They've held their last four foes to an average of 58.5 points.

Based on history, situation and statistical breakdowns, I strongly look for Vermont to control tempo, slow down Albany and have this total go Under.

Only once during the past seven meetings between these America East Conference rivals has Albany reached 68 points. The Great Danes have been held to an average of fewer than 64 points during this span.

I don't look for that to change. Albany is playing its third straight road game. Vermont has the best defense in the conference. The Catamounts also play at one of the slowest paces in the country ranking 346th. They rarely foul or turn the ball over. They should control the tempo being home and with Albany once again on the road.

Vermont is the best team right now in the league. The Catamounts aren't a top-50 caliber team, but they do rank 103rd in net rankings. Albany is averaging 64.6 points in its three games against top-104 teams Seton Hall, UMass and Drexel.

Furman is a high-scoring team, but this is too many points for the Paladins to lay on the road.

The Paladins are 1-7 in their true road games this season and 2-7-1 ATS in road/neutral site games.

The Citadel gives up seven fewer points per game than Furman and is more accurate from the field and 3-point range than the Paladins.

It's gut check time for Colorado State after consecutive road losses to Wyoming and Nevada. The Rams are in the NCAA Tournament hunt with a 15-5 record, but blew an 11-point lead with 1:11 left to fall to Wyoming in overtime this past Saturday in their last game. 

The Rams are home now where they are 10-1, including 3-0 in Mountain West Conference games and with a victory against 19th-ranked New Mexico. San Diego State has been idle for a week. The Aztecs are 0-5-1 ATS in true road games and have been known to struggle when playing in high altitude venues, which Moby Arena is. 

The Aztecs are 16-4, but have feasted on weak competition going 14-0 vs Quad 2 or lower opponents and 2-4 against Quad 1 foes. 
Colorado State is the seventh-best shooting team in the country. San Diego State is the second-worst shooting team in the Mountain West ahead of only Boise State. The Aztecs are the worst 3-point shooting team in the conference. 

San Diego State could be rusty, too, having been idle for a week. The Aztecs have a bigger game up next when they host 17th-ranked and Mountain West leader Utah State.

I tried to step in against the Knicks with the Hornets on Monday. It was a mistake. The Hornets are an immature, gutless team. The Jazz aren't. They are well-coached, have a deep rotation and are below-the-radar with a 10-5 record this month. 

Both teams carry high fatigue ratings having been in action last night. Utah is finishing its six-game road trip with this game. New York is in action for the fourth time in six days.

The Knicks have won a season-high seven in a row. They were in a flat spot against the Hornets on the road after satisfying home victories against the Heat and Nuggets. The Hornets, though, were too pathetic to even hang close. Now the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden for this matchup. The Jazz actually had the shorter distance to travel having lost to the Nets in Brooklyn last night. 

The Nets humiliated the Jazz, 147-114. That was Utah's second most lopsided loss of the season. I trust Will Hardy to have his Jazz motivated and ready to play much better against the Knicks, who played their first game of the season without Julius Randle last night. Randle is out with a dislocated right shoulder. New York center Mitchell Robinson is out for the season. Randle and Robinson are the Knicks' two top rebounders. 

The Knicks also didn't have OG Anunoby against the Hornets. He sat out with elbow inflammation. Randle and Anunoby are New York's second and third-leading scorers.
 
The Knicks are fat, happy and saddled with key injuries. That's a combination for a letdown.