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.

Villanova needs this game much more than Marquette. The Wildcats are in serious stop-the-pain mode having lost four in a row.

Marquette already has lost Big East Conference road games to Providence and Seton Hall. The Golden Eagles may be without their third-leading scorer, Kam Jones. He's questionable because of a sprained ankle.

The Wildcats are the No. 1 free throw shooting team in the nation.

The Knicks have won a season-high six straight games. But don't be shocked if the Knicks stumble here against the lowly Hornets, a team they have easily beaten in all three meetings this season.

How come?

Several key factors. The Knicks are going to be without their star power forward Julius Randle for the first time this season. Randle suffered a dislocated right shoulder in New York's Saturday victory against the Heat. This is a huge concern for the Knicks and a big distraction. Remember, the Knicks also don't have center Mitchell Robinson. He's out for the season. Robinson and Randle are the Knicks' two leading rebounders.

Another important factor is the timing of this matchup. The Knicks are coming off satisfying home victories against the Heat and Nuggets. This is just their second road game in 15 days. The Knicks return home for five games in a row following this matchup starting on Tuesday with a revenge game against the Jazz. So it's a very weird scheduling spot for New York.

The Hornets upset the Timberwolves as a 14-point road 'dog last Monday. Charlotte won't lack motivation being home in a triple-revenge spot against an opponent that has other things on their mind and is in a letdown situation.

Yes, the Raptors are going through a rocky stage now losing eight of their last nine games.

But Atlanta isn't playing well either having lost and failed to cover in its last four games. The Hawks are an auto-fade for me in this price range.

The Hawks have by far the worst point spread mark in the NBA at 11-34 for 24 percent. They are especially terrible in this role going 1-11 ATS when favored by more than one point.

The Raptors have enough offense to take advantage of the Hawks' porous defense, which ranks in the bottom-three in scoring defense, defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defensive percentage.

Denver is 5-2 in its last seven games. The Nuggets' losses during this span came to the Pacers this past Thursday on the final game of their five-game road trip and to the 76ers at the start of their road trip, which was 11 days ago.

The 76ers beat Denver, 126-121, in that game. Philadelphia hit 57 percent from the floor and 48 percent from 3-point range. The 76ers also shot nine more free throws than Denver. I don't see a repeat of that with the teams now meeting in Denver. This is rapid revenge for the prideful defending world champion Nuggets.

The Nuggets are 17-4 at home. The 76ers have failed to cover in four of their last five away games with straight-up losses to the Pacers, Hawks and Bulls during this time frame.

It's easy to cite revenge for Washington State when going with the Cougars to beat Colorado at home in this matchup. The Buffaloes beat the Cougars, 74-67, in Boulder on Dec. 31.

But it's more than that. Washington State has come together a lot more since that defeat going 5-2 in their last seven games. The Cougars are strong at home and Colorado is coming off a road win against Washington this past Wednesday. I don't see the Buffaloes knocking off both Washington and Washington State on the road. Prior to defeating Washington, Colorado had played four true road games. The Buffaloes lost and failed to cover in each of those contests.

Washington State is 9-2 at home. The Cougars won and covered against Utah and Arizona during their last two home games.

The Cougars are a better defensive team than Colorado and can take advantage of the Buffaloes' weak 3-point defense.

The Magic are finally healthy with Franz Wagner back in the lineup. The Grizzlies are so decimated with injuries that Scotty Pippen Jr. is now a key member of their rotation.

The spot is ripe, too, for Orlando. The Magic are off an embarrassing 27-point home loss to the Cavaliers this past Monday. They came into the matchup having beat the Heat the night before. Now they've had three full days to rest and prepare for this matchup.

Memphis is in a rare flat spot returning home after posting upset road wins against the Raptors this past Monday and Heat two days ago. The Grizzlies are a putrid 4-15 at home and not much better point spread wise at 5-14 (26 percent) ATS.

Kent State is far superior to Ohio in two key categories - 3-point shooting and free throw shooting. The Golden Flashes also are home for this Mid-American Conference matchup. That's a key, too. Ohio is 0-5 SU and ATS in its five true road games.

The Bobcats lost on the road this past Tuesday to Akron, 67-58, as an 8-point 'dog. The Bobcats remain a fade on the road until they prove they can cover a true away game.

Kent State has the better overall record, although both teams are 3-4 in the MAC. The Golden Flashes rank 54th in 3-point accuracy. Ohio is 199th in 3-point defense. Kent State also makes 76 percent of its free throws compared to Ohio, which ranks 221st in free throw percentage at 70.4 percent.

Mount St. Mary's beat Quinnipiac straight-up last season on the road as a bigger underdog than this. Quinnipiac is riding high on a five-game win streak after a home win against Iona.

But the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a competitive conference so I'm going to sell high on the Bobcats and take this many points with underdog Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers are respectable on defense and a good shooting team.

I understand Joel Embiid leads the NBA in scoring and is coming off a 70-point game this past Monday in Philadelphia's, 133-123, home win against the Spurs.

But that's not the lead story for me in this matchup. I see the top story being Indiana's emerging superstar, Tyrese Haliburton, is going to miss this game with a hamstring injury. Haliburton leads the Pacers in scoring at 23.6 points per game and tops the NBA in assists at 12.6 a game.

Haliburton's absence changes many things, including the total. He has missed seven of Indiana's last nine games. The Pacers have gone Under in six of their past seven games minus Haliburton, including a 114-109 home loss to the Nuggets this past Tuesday. That total went Under by 14 points.

It's not a coincidence the Pacers are an Under team without Haliburton. Not only do they miss his dynamic offense, but their tempo is slower without him. Indiana averages 124.6 points. The Pacers have averaged 108.2 points in their last four games minus Haliburton.

Embiid's scoring gets all the attention. But the 76ers are a strong defensive club. They give up the eighth-fewest points in the league and rank No. 1 in 3-point defense.

Indiana is in stop-the-pain mode, losers of three in a row. The Pacers are going to have to dig deep to beat the 76ers. They are home, though, and should provide a strong defensive effort to compensate for not having Haliburton.

SMU plays outstanding defense. But North Texas plays even better defense. The Mean Green rank third in the nation defensively holding foes to 58.3 points a game.

North Texas also is 8-0 at home, covering all but one of its lined home games.

I see the Mean Green really being up for this matchup after their six-game win streak was snapped by Charlotte on the road this past Saturday.

North Texas had held its last four opponents below 60 points. I don't feel the Mean Green should be a home 'dog to SMU.

A disappointing season turned tragic for Golden State when assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died of a heart attack last Wednesday. The Warriors haven't played since.

The Warriors will honor Milojevic, showing a video tribute of him before the game.

Look for the Warriors to treat this matchup as their Super Bowl. I'm expecting a highly-motivated home performance from Golden State in memory of Milojevic.

Golden State did hold a full practice on Tuesday. Draymond Green also has been getting better since coming back from suspension. This will be his first home game since his Dec. 14 suspension for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

Then there is the opponent. It's Atlanta, which has the worst point spread mark in the NBA by far at 11-32 ATS (25.5 percent).

The Hawks also are going to be without their best player, Trae Young. He missed the Hawks' last game, a 122-107 road loss to the Kings this past Monday, because of a concussion.

While the Warriors should be full of energy, the Hawks are playing for the fourth time in six days. It's also their fourth straight different venue.

After a pair of games against the Bucks, the second-highest scoring team in the NBA, the Pistons host the Hornets. Charlotte just upset the Timberwolves as a 14-point road 'dog two days ago despite Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 62 points.

Charlotte and Detroit are vastly different opponents for each other after its last game. The Hornets and Pistons have bottom-eight offenses.

The Hornets just dealt high-scoring gunner Terry Rozier so their offense will be going through an adjustment. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford says he likes to stress defense. Well here's his chance. The Pistons may have helped get Bucks coach Adrian Griffin fired because Milwaukee permitted Detroit to average 131.5 points in two games vs the Bucks.

The Pistons should be fired-up having a chance at a rare home win. The Hornets are in letdown mode after stunning Minnesota.

Charlotte and Detroit played once this season back on Oct. 27 and there were just 210 points scored in the Pistons' 111-99 road victory.

It's not a fluke the Under has cashed in seven of Richmond's last eight games. The Spiders have a top-30 defense and are one of the slowest-tempo teams in the country.

The Spiders are giving up only 57.8 points in regulation during their last eight games. They should be able to control pace being at home against George Washington, which has played slower since entering Atlantic 10 Conference play.

George Washington ranks 32nd in the country in defensive field goal percentage. The Revolutionaries' strength on offense is 3-point accuracy, where they rank 17th. Richmond, though, is rated in the top 30 both in defensive field goal percentage and 3-point defense. The Spiders are the top defensive team in the Atlantic 10 and playing at home. So look for defense to carry the day.

Portland is too weak defensively to lay this many points. San Diego is 0-5 in the West Coast Conference. But the Toreros are 10-10 overall. Their conference losses have been against the best teams in the league, Gonzaga twice, St. Mary's and San Francisco.

The Pilots played a very weak non-conference schedule and have one of the worst defenses in the country. They are giving up an average of 80.2 points on the season and 97.3 points during their last three games.

Houston is finding out the hard way that winning on the road in the Big 12 Conference is tough. The Cougars are ranked fourth in the country, but they are 0-2 SU and ATS on the road in the Big 12 losing to Iowa State and TCU.

BYU has one of the best home-courts in the country. The Cougars slaughtered Iowa State, 87-72, at home a week ago. BYU lost at Texas Tech in its previous game this past Saturday after blowing a 16-point halftime lead. But at home, BYU is 10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS, outscoring foes by an average of nearly 30 points a game.

The Cougars are the 11th-highest scoring team in the nation averaging 85.3 points. That's 11 points more per game than Houston averages. The Cougars also could be without J'Wan Roberts, a key defender and their leading rebounder.

Two healthy, high-scoring teams playing on extra rest. That's what we have in this matchup. Those factors should spell lots of points and the total going Over.

I'm expecting a lot of energy from both teams. Utah last played this past Saturday. New Orleans hasn't been in action since last Friday.

The Jazz are averaging 126.4 points in regulation during their last 11 games. If you discount a 126-97 road loss to the Celtics that average rises to 129.4 points. Utah is the 10th-highest scoring team in the NBA. The Pelicans have surrendered at least 123 points in three of their past five games.

New Orleans ranks 12th in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and third in 3-point shooting percentage. The Jazz are below average defensively. The Pelicans are averaging 123.7 points in their last seven games.

Who's the most underachieving team in the NBA? If you go by point spread records it's the Hawks. Atlanta has covered only 26 percent of its games going 11-31 ATS.

The Hawks carry a high fatigue rating here and won't have their superstar, Trae Young. He's out with a concussion. This marks the Hawks' fourth game in six days and seventh game in 11 days.

Sacramento has lost four in a row with three coming on the road. Look at those games, though. The Kings were blown out by the 76ers at Philadelphia. But in their last three games, they lost by one point in overtime at the Bucks, fell on the road to the Suns by two points and then lost at home to the Pacers by five points. That was last Thursday.

So the Kings have ample rest and motivation. This is a great spot for them.

When I get involved in a Big Sky Conference game, it's usually going Over the total. But I'm making an exception in this Big Sky matchup. I believe the oddsmaker has set too high of a total.

Weber State has the 18th best defense in the country. A big factor why the Wildcats are giving up just 63.8 points per game is they play at the 347th slowest tempo in the nation. 

Montana is giving up fewer than 70 points per game when at home. Weber State averages fewer than 70 points on the road.

Both teams are strong rebounding on the defensive side. So there should be few second-chance opportunities.

Cleveland is one of the hottest teams in the NBA riding a seven-game win streak. During this span, the Cavaliers have held their opponents to an average of 98.4 points. That figure would easily lead the NBA in defense if it were season-long. Orlando ranks 25th in scoring and has the second-worst 3-point shooting percentage.

The Magic got back Franz Wagner on Sunday. He scored 19 points in 28 minutes to help the Magic defeat the Heat in a Southeast Division showdown match between the first and second place teams in that division. Wagner had missed the previous eight games with an ankle injury. He's Orlando's second-leading scorer at 20.8 points. The Magic could choose to hold Wagner out of this matchup not wanting to risk him playing in a back-to-back situation so early in his recovery.

This also marks the Magic's seventh game in 11 days. Orlando is 2-5 in its last seven games even with the impressive victory against Miami.

The Cavaliers have defeated their last four opponents - Hawks, Bucks, Bulls and Nets - by an average of 22 points. It's not too much to ask them to just win against a tired, low-scoring Orlando team.

The Lakers are good enough - and the Trail Blazers are bad enough - for an LA blowout win here. The spot sets up for the Lakers.

After LA's impressive home wins and covers against the Thunder and Mavericks, two teams far better than Portland, the Lakers fell apart in an embarrassing, 130-112, home loss to the Nets this past Friday. 

The Lakers should be motivated to erase that frustration. They catch the Trail Blazers riding their first two-game win streak since late November. Portland nipped the Pacers and Nets at home by a combined five points. Those Portland victories are enough to catch the Lakers' attention. 

I understand the Lakers have been inconsistent all season. But Portland has the fourth-worst record in the NBA at 12-29. The Trail Blazers are last in scoring and in shooting percentage. So the bar is not high for the Lakers to get a needed blowout win.

Oregon wasn't expected to win as a six-point road 'dog to Colorado this past Thursday. But the Ducks' 86-70 loss to the Buffaloes shows some red flags concerning the team when playing away from Eugene. 

The Ducks are 4-4 in road/neutral site games. They looked dreadful against Colorado getting outrebounded by 12 and committing 13 turnovers. Now the Ducks have to go on to Utah where the Utes are 10-0 at home this season. 

Among the teams Utah has defeated at home are BYU, Washington State, Washington and UCLA, 90-44, 10 days ago. UCLA played at Oregon on Dec. 30 and lost by five points, 64-59. 

Utah buried Oregon State, 74-47, as a 15-point home favorite this past Thursday. The Utes did that without starting point guard Rollie Worster, who is questionable for this matchup with a leg injury. The Utes have another reliable point guard in Deivon Smith, whose statistics are similar to Worster's. So it's just a bonus if Worster is able to play. 

I thought the Cavaliers would be good going into the season and Cleveland is living up to that. The Cavaliers are 11-3 in their last 14 games and have won six in a row. Cleveland just buried the Bucks by 40 points. That was on Wednesday. The Cavaliers haven't played since. So they should be well rested and well prepared.

The Hawks are in a letdown mode after upsetting Miami on the road, 109-108, last night when Dejounte Murray hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left.

Atlanta beat the Heat despite not having Trae Young, who ranks in the top-10 in scoring and is second in the league in assists. Young is questionable today due to illness.

The Hawks are the worst point spread team in the NBA at 11-30 (27 percent) ATS. Atlanta not only also is playing without rest, but for the fourth time in six days.

Iowa is much improved since an 87-68 road loss to Purdue back on Dec. 4. The Hawkeyes are 6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS in their last seven games. They have won and covered three in a row beating Rutgers, Nebraska and Minnesota by an average of 12 points.

This is only Purdue's third true road game. The Boilermakers lost to Nebraska on the road, 88-72, three games ago. Iowa defeated Nebraska, 94-76, at home eight days ago.

Purdue is playing consecutive true road games for the first time this season. The Boilermakers are the 13th-highest scoring team in the nation. Iowa ranks fifth in scoring averaging two more points per game than Purdue at 87.1.

The Heat have had the sixth-best defensive rating during the last 10 games and they draw the Hawks without Trae Young. He's been ruled out due to illness. Young is the eighth-highest scorer in the NBA averaging 27.2 points. He's also No. 2 in the league in assists averaging 10.9 per game. 

Missing Franz Wagner, their second-leading scorer at 20.9 points a game, the Magic are averaging only 98 points during their past five games. 
Wagner is sidelined with an ankle injury. He's not expected to play here against the 76ers. Philadelphia ranks ninth defensively and first in 3-point defense. The Magic are the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA. So the Magic won't be earning many points from beyond the arc. 

Orlando is the sixth-best defensive team in the league. The Magic have lost four of their last five games. They just concluded a four-game road trip two days ago losing to the Hawks, 106-104. The Magic lost that game, but held the Hawks 15 points below their season average. The Magic have held each of their last four opponents well below their season average. 

The Magic aren't going to lack motivation here. It's their first home game in 10 days. They know they win by defense. Orlando also has revenge for a 112-92 home loss to the 76ers on Dec. 27. Joel Embiid sat out that game. 

Embiid is likely to play today, which is good and bad for the Under. Embiid leads the NBA in scoring at 35.1 points a game. But he's also a tremendous rebounder and rim protector.

Maybe I'm a sucker, but I can't turn down taking points with the better team. That's what I find in this Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup between Marist and Mount St. Mary's.

Marist is 8-6. The Red Foxes have a strong 10-4 ATS record. Mount St. Mary's is 6-10 and has a losing ATS mark.

The Red Foxes are a strong defensive team, holding foes to 62.6 points a game. That ranks 10th-best in the country. Mount St. Mary's is below average in scoring, rebounding, 3-point shooting and free throw percentage. The Mountaineers also surrender nearly 10 more points per game than Marist.

The Mountaineers are 2-4 in their last six games, including losing and failing to cover in their last two. The Red Foxes halted a four-game losing skid with a confidence-building, 83-60, victory against Rider.

If you discount an 82-61 loss to Fairfield, Marist is giving up an average of only 58.3 points in its last nine games. I don't see Mount St. Mary's scoring too many points. So receiving multiple points looms large.

Troy enters this matchup riding a lot of momentum and has significant edges on South Alabama in several key areas.

The Trojans are on a six-game winning and covering streak. They lead the Sun Belt Conference with a 5-0 mark. South Alabama is 2-3 in the Sun Belt. 

Troy averages 81.4 points a game. That's nearly seven points more per game than South Alabama. The Trojans also are the superior rebounding team and 3-point shooting team. Troy ranks 119th in 3-point accuracy. The Jaguars, by contrast, rank 298th in 3-point accuracy. Troy ranks 52nd in the nation in rebounding while the Jaguars are 252nd. 

Not only is Troy superior to South Alabama on paper, but also in the respected kenpom.com ratings where the Trojans are ranked 141st compared to the Jaguars being 205th. 

So I don't find it too much to ask of the Trojans to just win this game. 

Morehead State gives up the 11th-fewest points per game in the country at 62.6. The Eagles rank sixth in the nation in defensive field goal percentage and 11th in 3-point defense. They are the top defensive team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Tennessee-Martin is far better offensively than on defense. But the last four Skyhawks' games have gone Under. They do rank 91st in defensive field goal percentage.

The key is tempo - and it will be slow thanks to Morehead State. The Eagles will not get into a fast-paced game with the Skyhawks, especially at home.

There are enough factors going to support the home underdog Raptors.

Since an embarrassing road loss to the Pistons, the Raptors have played better. Their offense is improved with the additions of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. They were acquired in a trade with the Knicks and have now played eight games with Toronto.

Following the loss to Detroit, the Raptors beat the Cavaliers, who are on a five-game win streak, and then went 2-4 on a road trip with three of those defeats occurring in close fashion, including a controversial one-point loss to the Lakers. Toronto then hosted the Celtics, who have the best record in the NBA at 31-9, and played a strong defensive game in a 105-96 loss this past Monday.  

That makes this an important home game for the Raptors. It's also a revenge spot. The Heat downed the Raptors, 112-103, at Toronto on Dec. 6. Caleb Martin had a season-best 24 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in that game. I don't see Martin duplicating those numbers. 

Miami is in a fat-and-happy mood following a 96-95 overtime road win against the Nets two days ago. That was the Heat's third win in a row. Miami has Jimmy Butler back, but is down rotation players Jaime Jaquez and Kevin Love. 

The Raptors holding the Celtics 16 points below their season average is a strong positive and gives me confidence to back them here.

Rhode Island had a rough December. But sparked by David Green, the Rams are playing their best ball winning and covering their last four games.

Green has scored 15 or more points in three of the four games he's played. He had 24 points in the Rams' last game, an 89-77 upset victory against UMass.

The Rams are 3-0 in the Atlantic 10 winning all three games as underdogs. St. Bonaventure has failed to cover the last three times it has been favored.

I find Rhode Island to be undervalued again in this matchup.

The bar is set low for Holy Cross in this Patriot League matchup. Holy Cross is 4-13. Lafayette is 5-12, but leads the Patriot League with a 4-0 mark. The Crusaders are 1-3 in league making this a crucial home game for them.

Lafayette is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation. The Leopards average only 60.2 points per game on 39.3 percent shooting from the floor and 27.7 percent from 3-point range. Holy Cross averages five more points per game than Lafayette.

The Crusaders have the best player on the court in Joe Octave. He averages 15 points and 6.6 rebounds. The Crusaders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 69-66 overtime road win against Lehigh as a 10-point 'dog. So the Crusaders should bring in confidence for this key league game.

The Leopards are 2-8 in their 10 road/neutral site games.

I make Holy Cross the favorite in this matchup. So getting these many points is a bonus.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

I hold tremendous respect for the Nets. They have the best point spread record in the NBA at 16-5-1. So I don't like to fade them. But it's not asking too much of the Suns to simply win this game even if Kevin Durant isn't ready to play after missing the last two games because of an ankle sprain. That's why I have them on the money line instead of laying a short number.

It's just a bonus if Durant can suit up. The Suns still have scoring stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Suns aren't going to take the Nets lightly knowing they're going against former teammates Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson. They don't want to lose to those two players, who were part of the package Brooklyn received when it dealt Durant to the Suns.

The Nets opened their West Coast trip with a 131-118 loss to Sacramento. The Suns have beaten the Nets four straight times.

Since losing and failing to cover in their first three games, the Rockets have gone 14-2-1 (88 percent) ATS. Yet the marketplace still hasn't fully comprehended how improved the Rockets are defensively.

Memphis has drawn early money. It's a mistake.

The Grizzlies are 6-16. After a stretch of three wins in four games, the Grizzlies have lost and failed to cover in their past two games. They still have too many missing players to begin to turn the corner.

Houston has won 10 in a row at home. The Rockets give up the fewest points per game and rank second defensively in points per 100 possessions and defensive field goal percentage.

This line is shorter than it should be.

Behold this game has reached the highest total of the season. It's justified because these are the two highest-scoring teams in the NBA.

But Under is the right way to go with the total this large.

It's the third meeting between Indiana and Milwaukee. So the teams certainly know each other. They are the top two teams in the Central Division so there should be more than just the normal intensity.

The Bucks should be extremely motivated in a double-revenge spot. There were a combined 250 points scored in the first meeting and 247 points produced when the Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the semifinals of the NBA's in-season tournament six days ago.

Easy inside baskets should prove difficult to come by. Milwaukee's Brook Lopez is the NBA leader in blocked shots per game and Indiana's Myles Turner is a tremendous rim protector.

Everything has to go right for a total this large to go Over. The Bucks are a below average free throw shooting team. I don't see it happening. The teams couldn't reach this total in their earlier meetings and now they have even more familiarity with one another.

Florida Atlantic is going through a high profile stretch of games. The 15th-ranked Owls just competed in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden last week. They meet St. Bonaventure Saturday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass. and will take on top-ranked Arizona in the Las Vegas Desert Classic on Dec. 23.

But before those marquee matchups, the Owls have this game against Florida International. I don't see the Owls getting too motivated for the 3-7 Panthers.

I have this game power-rated much lower than this inflated point spread. Florida International is playing better, winning two of its last three games. The Panthers took the Owls to overtime when they previously met last Jan. 11.

The Panthers force the second-most turnovers in the nation and are second in steals led by guard Arturo Dean, who leads the country in steals per game at 4.5.

Here is another example of Boston being overpriced. The Cavaliers are being disrespected because they lost to the Magic last night. No shame in that. Orlando is greatly improved. The Cavaliers happen to be 6-1 following a loss.

This is just the fifth time Cleveland is getting more than four points. The Cavaliers are 4-0 both straight-up and of course against the spread in those instances.

The Celtics haven't beat the Cavaliers by more than 10 points during the past two seasons spanning seven games.

The Mavericks won't have Kyrie Irving and will want to slow pace having played last night. Dallas could be minus Tim Hardaway, too. He missed the Grizzlies' game due to back spasms. The Lakers are in a letdown spot after winning the NBA's in-season tournament.

There were only 205 points scored when the teams met on Nov. 22 in Los Angeles.

It's a short college basketball board today, but I'm getting involved in a game involving small conference West Coast teams. I like Cal State Northridge to win at home against Utah Tech.

My handicap is based on three main things: Cal State Northridge averages 75 points at home, is the much better free throw shooting team and stronger on the boards.

Utah Tech averages fewer than 70 points a game and shoots just 68 percent from the foul line. The Trailblazers just lost, 63-62, as 7 1/2-point favorites at home two days ago. That can't do much for their confidence.

Talk about your dead spots. This sure is one for the Pacers.

Indiana has been one of the top stories of the NBA this season reaching the finals of the inaugural in-season tournament. The Pacers got there by beating a number of elite teams, including the 76ers, Celtics and Bucks. The Pacers were the talk of the tournament before losing in the championship game to the Lakers in Las Vegas this past Saturday. Indiana players were rewarded $200,000 each for making it to the title game.

Now comes the letdown.

The Pacers had to fly to Detroit for today's game against the Pistons, a team that has lost 19 in a row. How excited and motivated can the Pacers be for this matchup? Not very.

Detroit, though, won't lack incentive. The Pistons are off a blowout road loss to the Magic this past Friday. They desperately want to end their hellish losing streak. The Magic are the sixth-best defensive team in the NBA. The Pacers are the second-worst defensive team in the league.

Only once have the Pistons failed to reach triple digits. The Pistons should score plenty of points here, maybe even enough to pull the outright upset against a foe whose players just got done participating in the biggest game of their pro careers.

These two teams met in Charlotte on Nov. 14. The Heat were 6 1/2-point road favorites and won, 111-105.

Now the Heat are much smaller favorites. I don't get it. But I am going to take advantage of it and lay the lower number.

Charlotte is 7-13. The Hornets have a losing home record. Miami has a winning road mark.

The Hornets shot a season-best 55.7 percent from the floor to beat the Raptors, 119-116, at home this past Friday in their previous game.

The Heat defeated the Raptors, 112-103, in Toronto this past Wednesday. That was two games ago. Miami lost, 111-99, at home to the Cavaliers in its past game three days ago. No shame in that. The Cavaliers are coming on winning nine of their last 12 games.

I like getting Heat coach Erik Spoelstra with three days to prepare coming off a blowout home loss. The Heat have a top-nine defense. I don't see the Hornets having another hot-shooting game like they did against the Raptors against a motivated, superior opponent.

Boston University has played six road games. The Terriers are 1-5 SU and ATS in those contests with their average away loss being by 16.8 points.

Wagner is 2-0 at home. The Seahawks have a top-40 defense, have played a tougher schedule and are in good current form winning three of their last four, including the past two.

So I find Wagner worth backing in this spot in this price range.

I don't see Tennessee losing at home to Illinois. The Volunteers are extremely battle tested having already played a number of strong teams, including Kansas, North Carolina, Syracuse and Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Purdue.

Illinois lost by seven points at home to Marquette. Wisconsin beat Marquette by nine points just two games ago. Tennessee defeated Wisconsin by 10 points on the road.

A key for Tennessee is getting inside production from big men Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka, which they've started to get.

An early start matchup at a neutral site doesn't bode well for as high as scoring game as the oddsmaker projects here. Tulane has shot better than 50 percent from the field in six of its seven games this season. However, the Green Wave have faced an easy schedule. Mississippi State is the toughest defense they have encountered so far.


Mississippi State has played four straight Unders. The Bulldogs play slow and are on a cold streak. They haven't reached 60 points in either of their last two games.

Oklahoma City ranked among the top three point spread teams last season. The Thunder are in the top-three again this season covering 14 of their 20 games for 70 percent. This includes a 3-0 ATS record against Golden State this season.

The Thunder have defeated the Warriors in two of those three meetings. They are in much better current form and hosting Golden State. I expect them to win by a solid margin.

Oklahoma City is 8-3 in its last 11 games. The Thunder won't lack motivation following a 110-101 road loss to the Rockets this past Wednesday.

Golden State snuck past Portland, 110-106, as a 12 1/2-point home favorite this past Wednesday. The Warriors have lost 10 of their past 15 games even with that victory against the 6-14 Trail Blazers.

The Warriors rank 19th defensively. The Thunder are averaging 128 points in regulation against Golden State.