Now that plus 24 can be found, I'm going to hold my nose and take Rutgers. Yes, I know how bad the Scarlet Knights are. But this is a value play based on the return of Rutgers' star freshman point guard Corey Sanders and a look-ahead spot for Michigan State, which hosts Ohio State on Sunday. That will be Senior Day and the Spartans' final regular-season game. 
Sanders has missed the last four games due to a team suspension. His return should give Rutgers a lift. He's one of the most talented players in the Big Ten. Sanders makes the rest of the Scarlet Knights better. Tom Izzo has no reason to run up a score. It's late in the season and if the Spartans jump out big Izzo would be wise to rest his starters. 

Yes, the Lakers are in tank mode. But eight losses in a row are enough for them. They don't want to be embarrassed at home by the Nets.
Brooklyn is 6-21 on the road. The Nets are playing in their fifth road game in eight days. The Lakers have been idle since Friday. Clearly, this is a good situational spot for the Lakers. 
The Lakers defeated the Nets in Brooklyn back in November. The Lakers hold a backcourt edge and have far more youthful talent than Brooklyn. D'Angelo Russell has been coming on for the Lakers, while the Nets' thin backcourt took a hit with last night's loss to the Clippers when Wayne Ellington may have suffered a concussion. He's likely to sit out. 

Orlando is averaging 111 points in its last eight games. Dallas is averaging 117 points in its last seven games. Both teams are mediocre on defense ranking 14th and 15th, respectively, in points allowed per game.

The over has cashed in six of Orlando's last eight road games. The Mavericks have gone over the total in eight straight games. 

Kentucky has much to prove on the road. I see the Wildcats bouncing back following a 12-point road loss to Vanderbilt by solidly defeating fading Florida, which has dropped three in a row and is 0-4 in its last four home games. 
I expect a much stronger defensive effort from Kentucky after John Calipari lit into his team about giving the Commodores too many layups and dunks. Star Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis also is in back bounce mode after a rare terrible performance. 
Florida is 2-8 against top 50 RIP ranked teams. The Gators are surrendering an average of 85 points during their last three games and are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games. 
The Wildcats rolled past the Gators, 80-61, nearly a month ago in the first meeting despite not having third-leading scoring Alex Poythress. The senior forward is healthy for this game. 

Memphis is 10 games above .500 and 4-2 since losing its best player, Marc Gasol, to a broken right foot. The Grizzlies are still a borderline playoff team without Gasol, at their best versus lower tier opponents such as the Nuggets. The Grizzlies have defeated Denver four straight times and are in a great spot to continue that streak.
The Grizzlies should be primed for a strong, concentrated effort after an embarrassing, 111-106, road loss to the Suns on Saturday. This is what Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley was quoted as saying following that loss: "We still feel like we are rolling right now and playing good basketball. For us to come out and not play our best, I think our focus level wasn't where it need to be." 
Denver is 13 games below .500. The Nuggets are headed for worse, too, after losing their best player, Danilo Gallinari. He suffered a severe ankle injury in the Nuggets' last game, a 122-116 overtime loss to the Mavericks. 
Gallinari is the key to the Nuggets. He leads the team in scoring at 19.5 points and also is the man when the offense breaks down -which it often does - by his ability to get to the free throw line when nothing is going on. Gallinari connects on 86.8 percent of his free throws. Even with Gallinari's great free throw percentage, the Nuggets rank 16th in the NBA in free throw percentage at 76.5 percent. Now that mediocre percentage is headed lower with Gallinari sidelined. Denver went 1-5 in December when Gallinari missed six games with another ankle injury. 
The Grizzlies still have the veteran savvy, huge point guard edge with Conley and bench to cover this short road number against a Denver team that could be reduced to a starting lineup of D.J. Augustin, Gary Harris, Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur and JaKarr Sampson. Faried is the only legitimate starter of that bunch. 

The Heat have dominated the Knicks, winning eight of the past nine times, including going 4-0 SU and ATS at Madison Square Garden.
Miami is the superior team, but the oddsmaker has downgraded the Heat because they have injuries and played on Saturday. 
Chris Bosh, second-string point guard Beno Udrih and third-string point guard Tyler Johnson are all out for the Miami. But the Heat just signed veteran Joe Johnson, who may be able to play, and are 3-2 since the All-Streak break minus Bosh beating three decent Eastern Conference teams - Hawks, Wizards and Pacers. The Heat's lone defeats since break have come against the Warriors by six points and on the road against the Celtics, who have won 10 in a row at home. 
Miami is 8-1 ATS in its last nine Eastern Conference games and steps way down in class. Fatigue shouldn't be that much of a problem because the Heat played a day game yesterday. Miami has a winning record when playing without rest. They've adjusted to the loss of Bosh with veteran Luol Deng stepping up. Johnson isn't a big loss. 
The Knicks are lottery-bound again. They are a bit fat and happy after beating Orlando, 108-95, this past Friday. Before that game, though, the Knicks had dropped nine of 10. They are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games. New York also isn't entirely healthy. Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo and Kristaps Porzingis all missed practice on Saturday with assorted injuries. 

Colorado State defeated Nevada Reno, 76-67, as three-point home favorites three weeks ago. Nevada Reno's star point guard Marquez Coleman played 33 minutes in that game. Colorado State, which often lives and dies with the 3-pointer, missed 24 of 32 from 3-point range in that game. The Rams did get 26 more rebounds than the Wolf Pack.
Now it's rematch time and the Wolf Pack are likely to be missing Coleman, their leading scorer. He has a severely sprained ankle. It would be a surprise if he played. The Wolf Pack are not a deep team. Colorado State is not a good matchup for them. The Rams are an up-tempo, high scoring team that draws the seventh most fouls in the country. They rank 31st in the country averaging 79.9 points a game. 
The Wolf Pack have struggled with the higher scoring teams in the Mountain West Conference while faring better versus the grind-out type teams. This is the wrong opponent at the wrong time for Nevada-Reno. 

Montana is in position to grab its first regular-season win at Weber State since 2004. Weber State heavily relies on guard Jeremy Senglin and big man Joel Bolomboy. The duo has  accounted for 46 percent of the Wildcats' scoring. However, the 6-foot-9 inch Bolomboy suffered a knee injury in the Wildcats' last game and the senior power forward is not expected to play. 
This is a huge loss for the Wildcats, who don't have anyone averaging double figures in scoring aside from Senglin and Bolomboy. Losing Bolomboy also hurts the Wildcats defensively as he is their leading rebounder and shot blocker. He also averages 17.6 points a game. 
Montana ranks among the top 40 in defensive rebounding. The Grizzlies have won seven of their past eight games, including the last five. This is the first time they've been an underdog in a Big Sky Conference game all season. Martin Breunig, the Grizzlies' 6-8 senior forward, should be in line for a big game without Bolomboy to hinder him. Breunig leads the Grizzlies in scoring at 19 points a game. 
Weber State has failed to cover in its last six games, including the past three at home. The Wildcats are overrated and vulnerable missing Bolomboy. 

Even a well-coached, veteran team such as the Spurs can be excused if they are anxious to finally get home. This marks the final game of the Spurs' annual "Rodeo Road Trip." They are 6-1 in their last seven games, all on the road. 
The Rockets have covered the past six times at home versus San Antonio. Houston should have its confidence up, too, after overcoming a 21-point second-half deficit to defeat red-hot Portland on the road this past Thursday. The Spurs are just 4-9 ATS the past 13 times facing Houston. 
Both James Harden and Dwight Howard are playing well. Harden is averaging 34.4 points in five games following All-Star break. Howard has posted five double-doubles in his last six games. 

New Orleans could be in for a letdown facing the lowly Timberwolves after upsetting the Thunder at home on Thursday. The Pelicans are 7-13 ATS as chalk while the Timberwolves have covered 13 of their last 18 on the road when facing a foe with a winning home mark.
The Timberwolves are getting excellent play from big men Karl Anthony Towns, the likely Rookie of the Year, and Gorgui Dieng, who has hit 15 of 19 shots from the floor during the last two games. They can counter some of Anthony Davis' dominance. I like the Timberwolves' edge at point guard, too, with Ricky Rubio. 

Oklahoma State has multiple injuries. That's always tough on a team, but it is made especially worse when taking on West Virginia. The Mountaineers have excellent depth and play tough, pressing defense. 

West Virginia won 77-60 at home when Oklahoma State was healthy. The Mountaineers should be focused, too, having last played on Monday. 

The Mountaineers are 5-0 ATS during the past five meetings between the two teams. 

I'm far from convinced Kentucky even has better talent than Vanderbilt. We know the Wildcats struggle on the road where they have lost to Auburn, Tennessee, Kansas, Texas A&M, Ohio State and UCLA.

Kentucky isn't that big this season. Vanderbilt is with three 7-footers. That's a reason why the Commodores have the best defense in the SEC while leading the league in blocks. They also rank No. 2 in 3-point defense. 

Vanderbilt is 7-1-1 ATS in its last nine games versus Kentucky. The Wildcats lack great depth and might be without Derek Willis, who has an ankle injury. 

This is a big revenge spot for Indiana. The Hornets whipped the Pacers by 23 points on Feb. 10. That was the game, though, where the Hornets lost Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, their best defender, for the season. 

Despite that injury the Hornets were riding high winning five in a row until falling 114-103 on the road to the Cavaliers two nights ago. I could envision the Hornets letting down after their streak was snapped.
Paul George is having a huge season for the Pacers. George had 22 points in the Feb. 10 loss, but rookie forward Myles Turner contributed only 10 points. Turner is playing much better now averaging 17 points since the All-Star break. 
Indiana is at its point spread best versus Eastern Conference opponents going 21-10-1 ATS for 68 percent. 

San Antonio is a very good team without Kawhi Leonard. But when they have Leonard, the Spurs rank with the Warriors as the top team in the NBA. Leonard came back last night after missing three games with a calf injury and helped spark the Spurs to an easy 16-point win against the Kings. Leonard will be less rusty now that he's had a game.
Yes, the Spurs played last night. But they were idle the previous two days. So there shouldn't be a fatigue factor. The Spurs are at least several tiers higher than Utah. The Spurs have a huge coaching, guard and bench edge. 
San Antonio gives up the fewest points per game in the NBA and has the highest margin of victory. When Leonard is in the lineup, the Spurs allowed just 92 points a game. The Jazz average 98.4 a game, which ranks 26th. 

Considering the class difference and matchup - the Spurs are 2-0 versus the Jazz this season winning by 25 and 37 points - San Antonio should easily be able to cover this number. 

Texas State upset Louisiana-Lafayette, 61-57, at home in its last game. The Bobcats, though, are 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13 games following a spread cover and 0-4 ATS following a victory. They also are 1-4 ATS in their last five Sun Belt games. 
Arkansas State should be pumped returning home and getting to face a weaker opponent. The Red Wolves are 4-0 ATS at home following three or more straight road games. 

The Spurs haven't been real sharp coming out of the All-Star break. The Clippers destroyed them by 19 points and they only beat the Lakers by six points and Suns by seven points. San Antonio failed to cover any of these three road games. Up until the All-Star break the Spurs had never gone more than two straight games without covering the spread. They still have a winning road spread mark and have had two full days off to regroup and get motivated for this matchup. 
It's a nice plus if defensive stopper and team leading scorer Kawhi Leonard can play tonight. He's missed the last three games with a calf injury. I understand that Leonard's absence has had a lot to do with the Spurs failing to cover in their last three games following the break. But I still like them in this spot as Sacramento is coming off a narrow victory against the Nuggets in Denver last night. 
Since Jan. 26, the Kings have played without rest twice. They lost and failed to cover in those games against Portland and Cleveland by a combined 35 points. They also are 0-4 in their last four meetings against the Spurs losing the last one, 106-88, at home on Nov. 9. 
The Spurs rank No. 1 defensively, while the Kings are the worst defensive team in the NBA. 

South Carolina is a dominant 14-1 at home this season. The Gamecocks have covered 14 of their last 17 at home, including going 9-3 ATS this season. 
Tennessee is coming off an impressive 81-65 home victory against LSU. However, the Volunteers haven't won back-to-back SEC games all season and are 0-6-1 ATS following a straight-up victory. They also aren't likely to have have leading scorer, Kevin Punter. He missed the victory against the Tigers because of a stress fracture in his foot. Teams often play well the first time without their star player with the rest of the team stepping up wanting to prove something. It's more difficult the second time without a star especially following a victory. 
Punter scored 36 points when Tennessee defeated South Carolina, 78-69, at home on Jan. 23. So this is a huge revenge spot for the Gamecocks, who lead the SEC in rebounding and have a substantial frontcourt height advantage. 

Discount a 95-point performance against the Knicks two games ago and Minnesota is scoring an average of 111.7 points per game during its last seven games. The over is 12-3-1 in the Timberwolves' last 16 games. 

Toronto has scored at least 101 points in 15 of its last 17 games. The over is 6-2-1 in the Raptors' last nine games.

First off, UNLV isn't very good on the road. The Rebels are 2-8 in true away contests this season. They've failed to cover in their last four road matchups.
Second, the Rebels are near depleted. Already down big men Stephen Zimmerman and Ben Carter, their two leading rebounders, the Rebels now won't have key reserve Dwayne Morgan, who had been averaging close to 20 minutes. He's out with a shoulder injury. That leaves the Rebels down to six scholarship players.
The third key factor here is the situation. UNLV is off a crazy overtime victory against in-state rival Nevada this past Saturday at home. The Rebels tied the game on a 3-pointer by Patrick Macaw right before the buzzer sending the game into overtime. 
The spot is a double edge sword because not only do the Rebels have to come down from that high, pulling out a game against their most hated rival, but Boise State is rested, ready and has revenge. The Broncos last played on Wednesday. They blew a 76-61 lead to lose on the road to New Mexico in their last game. 
So not only are the Broncos itching to erase that stench, but have payback for a 10-point road loss to the Rebels. UNLV had Zimmerman and Carter in that matchup. The two combined for 28 points and 19 rebounds in that game. 
Boise State is up-tempo. The Rebels are going to be hard-pressed to keep up with the Broncos being short-handed and at a tough road venue. 

OK, at this high of a total I'll hold my nose and go under with these two teams. They just met Friday and the final score totaled 226. But I see the Nuggets holding the Kings to fewer than 116 points unlike in the last meeting. 
Nuggets coach Michael Malone knows the Kings well from having coached them and he was very unhappy with Denver's defense. He's astute enough to make proper adjustments especially against star center DeMarcus Cousins. 
The Kings are the worst defensive team in the NBA. Denver, though, ranks 20th in scoring averaging 100.7 points per game and is 26th in field goal percentage. The Kings have been idle for the last three days so they could be rusty. 

Only four teams score more points than the Rockets. But the Rockets rank 27th defensively. Houston has yielded triple digits in 10 of its last 11 games. The over has cashed in 15 of Houston's last 18 Western Conference games. James Harden is on a hot streak averaging better than 32 points during his last four games. 

Utah's scoring is up. The Jazz have scored 111 points in each of their last two games. Rodney Hood has emerged as a scoring force, Raul Netto has improved at point guard and Derrick Favors' return gives the Jazz improved offense up front. 

Adding veteran Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings while getting rid of Channing Frye has made Orlando a better team. The Magic came back from All-Star break by defeating Dallas after falling 21 points behind. The Magic then lost a close game to Indiana, 105-102.
Now the Magic step way, way down in class. Scott Skiles has the Magic fighting for a playoff spot. Orlando can't take a loss here. The Magic's next games are against Golden State at home on Thursday followed by a road matchup versus the Knicks on Friday. 
Orlando also has revenge for a 96-87 home loss to the 76ers on Jan. 20. The Magic were at low ebb back then. They are better now.  
The 76ers have gotten better, but they still are a bottom four team. Philadelphia has failed to cover in 20 of its last 27 Eastern Conference games while the Magic are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games against foes with a winning percentage of less than .400.

This is going to be a tough number for Kentucky to cover. Alabama is very strong as underdogs under Avery Johnson and the Wildcats have injuries and a fatigue factor working against them playing for the third time in six days. 
The Crimson Tide is 11-3 ATS the last 14 times they've been underdogs. They've won straight-up as 'dogs of at least seven points against LSU, Florida, Wichita State, Notre Dame and Clemson. Alabama is 7-1 ATS the past eight times taking on a foe with a winning mark.  
One key factor why the Crimson Tide are so tough as a big underdog is their slow pace. No SEC team plays slower or more deliberate. Kentucky actually is second next to Alabama in slowest offensive tempo in the SEC. The Wildcats are further hamstrung likely missing their third and fifth-leading scorers, Alex Poythress and Derek Willis. 

The Warriors aren't just great at home. They also are an NBA-best 25-5 on the road, including 18-11-1 (62 percent) ATS on the road. The Warriors also are 12-5 following a non-spread cover. 
Atlanta already has lost six more games than it did all of last season. The Hawks aren't in good form either losing and failing to cover in four of their last five. Both teams are playing for the third time in four days, but the Warriors have the stronger bench. 
Hawks point guard Jeff Teague is dealing with a wrist injury. The Warriors have a couple of their big men out, but the Hawks are not a good rebounding team. Atlanta also is missing backup big man Tiago Splitter, out for the year after hip surgery. 

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been a bad point spread team at home all season. The Panthers are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home contests. They are 0-6 ATS following a point spread cover, which came for the first time at home this past Saturday, 88-54, over Cleveland State.
The Panthers brought their "A" game to that matchup. They have Horizon League leader Valparaiso up next at home on Friday. 
So look for the Panthers to overlook Youngstown State in this flat spot. The Penguins have some talent, but are extremely young. They have a winning spread road mark, though, and have enough to cover this number if the Panthers don't play well. 

Charlotte is more of an over team after losing Michael Kidd- Gilchrist for the season with another shoulder injury. The Hornets have inside scoring with Al Jefferson back from injury to complement Kemba Walker from the perimeter. Walker is having a big season and is hot averaging nearly 25 points per game during his last five games. New pick-up Courtney Lee is more offensive-minded than Gilchrist. 
The Nets have reached triple digits in six of their last eight games. 

The Pistons have covered 64 percent of their home games this season and have revenge for an embarrassing 115-99 road loss to New Orleans from last month. 
While Detroit is a top home team, New Orleans is a terrible road team. The Pelicans are 6-21 away from home, 11-16 ATS. The Pistons have covered nine of the last 11 times against opponents with a losing road mark. New Orleans also is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games versus Eastern Conference opponents.
The Pistons upgraded themselves at the trade deadline. Their main pickup, Tobias Harris, scored 21 points off the bench this past Friday against the Wizards in his Detroit debut. 
New Orleans is the longest of shots to get a playoff berth. Detroit, on the other hand, is very much in playoff contention. The Pistons can't afford to be flat here at home with a road game against the Cavaliers on Monday. 
I see the Pistons going all out to halt their four-game losing streak. Anthony Davis is an outstanding big man, but Detroit's Andre Drummond is having as good as any season a big man is having. He is leading the league in rebounding and has a higher field goal percentage than Davis. 

This is a battle for first place in the Big West Conference and one of Irvine's biggest home games ever. A rare sellout crowd is expected. 
The Anteaters have revenge for a road loss to Hawaii. Before that loss, Cal Irivne had covered four in a row versus the Rainbow Warriors. The Anteaters are 10-1 at home this season and have covered 10 of their last 14 Big West games.
Cal Irvine ranks 42nd in the country in defense holding foes to less than 66 points a game. The Anteaters have a big rebound/shot blocking edge at center with 7-foot-6 Mamedou Ndiaye. 
Hawaii also could be without guard Aaron Valdes, its second-leading scorer. He's been sick with the flu so even if he plays he may still be under the weather.

Golden State is the best team in basketball. The Warriors haven't dropped two in a row all season - and I don't see it happening here. The Warriors should be extremely focused and fired-up following a shocking 137-105 road loss to Portland Friday night. The Trail Blazers are tough at home and brought their "A" game. The Warriors were rusty and not as focused as they should have been coming off All-Star break. 
The Clippers are off a hugely-satisfying 19-point home win versus San Antonio two nights ago. The Clippers are more bullies than elite. I question their mental makeup and heart. The Clippers are 5-12-1 ATS against foes who have a winning percentage above .600. They are 6-13 ATS at home versus opponents who sport a winning road mark. I don't see the Clippers being able to beat the Spurs and Warriors in a row even at home. 
Golden State has covered 64 percent of its road games this season and is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 Pacific Division games. The Warriors still will be fresh, too. This is just the Warriors' second game in 10 days and none of their players logged more than 30 minutes last night. 
There are plenty of All-Stars in this matchup, but none the caliber of Stephen Curry, who is having one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. No one can guard Curry certainly none of the Clippers' weak backcourt defenders. Golden State has defeated the Clippers four consecutive times, including winning both meetings this season. 

These teams are very close. Each is 21-7 overall and 10-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. It's also a conference rivalry matchup so taking this many points looms large. Evansville pulled out an overtime victory against Southern Illinois on Jan. 28 after forcing overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The Salukis want revenge. 
Evansville could have matchup problems with Sean O'Brien, who is becoming a force for Southern Illinois. O'Brien is coming off a 24-point performance in Southern Illinois' last game and had 16 points and seven rebounds against the Purple Aces in the first meeting.
The Salukis have been more than solid away from home covering eight of their last 10 road games. The Purple Aces, on the other hand, are just 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 home contests. 

Butler played Villanova tough in their first meeting losing 60-55 after leading by seven points early in the second half. The Bulldogs catch Villanova in a tough scheduling spot.

The Wildcats defeated Temple in a rivalry matchup and play at Xavier in a key Big East battle in their next game. Villanova is 12-1 in the Big East while Xavier is in second place at 11-3. 

Villanova has failed to cover five of the past six times it has laid double-digits and is 1-4 ATS at home when taking on an opponent with a winning road record. 

The oddsmaker has to set a high total like this because Sacramento gives up the most points per game in the NBA at 109.1. Denver is a below average defensive team, too, surrendering 103.4 points a game. 
So on the surface this high total makes sense. However, there are several key factors below the surface that point to these teams not reaching this high number. 
Denver entered the All-Star break playing better defense. If you discount a 115-110 Denver victory against Chicago, the Nuggets are giving up an average of 95 points during their last six games. Much of this has to do with Michael Malone, who is an excellent defensive coach and is in his first season with the Nuggets after getting letting go at Sacramento. He'll be fired up to coach against the Kings, who he obviously knows well. Neither team wants to show too much since they play each other again on Tuesday. 
This is a crucial game for the Kings, who can't take a loss here if they are serious about making the playoffs. Sacramento should be primed for an all-out effort since their next game isn't until they play the Nuggets again on Tuesday at Denver. That's followed by home games against the Spurs, Clippers and Thunder.  
The Kings nearly fired coach George Karl during All-Star break. A major reason for this is the Kings' lackadaisical approach to defense. If it doesn't improve - and fast - Karl is likely gone. The Kings have had more than a week to clean this up. They have to be tired of constantly hearing about how bad their defense is. The Nuggets have a weak scoring backcourt. Point guard Emmanuel Mudiay shoots 34 percent from the floor and veteran Randy Foye got dealt on Thursday. So it's not too much to expect the Kings to slow down Denver's attack. 
Both teams figure to be rusty, too, after the long layoff. In the first NBA action following All-Star break, each of the three Thursday games went under the total. 
The Kings also may be missing their fourth and sixth-leading scorers as both Omri Casspi and Marco Belinelli are questionable after each had wisdom teeth pulled. 

Harvard is down this season. The Crimson have failed to cover an Ivy League game all season. But this still is a lot of points for this series. It's too many in my view because the linemaker has shaded Columbia too much and the marketplace has nudged the line even higher.
The teams met at the end of last month and Columbia nipped Harvard, 55-54, after the Crimson blew a big lead. The Lions were just 1 1/2-point favorites in that game. Harvard is primed for revenge. 
Last year, Harvard was favored by five and nine points in the two meetings. Harvard won both of those games, including beating Columbia on the road by 10 points. Columbia has covered only one of its last five home games. 

Florida Atlantic has improved its outside shooting and catches Rice in a letdown spot following the Owls' road upset victory against Old Dominion. The Owls are 1-6-1 ATS versus foes with a losing record. They also are 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight Conference USA games. 
Rice ranks 335th in defense yielding 80.7 points a game. The Owls also rate a lowly 344th in defensive field goal percentage and 347th in 3-point defense. Florida Atlantic is averaging 80.5 points in its last two games.

We know Utah is strong defensively. The Jazz rank No. 3 in scoring defense holding foes to 96.4 points a game. The Jazz are particularly tough on Eastern Conference foes who rarely see them. That's born out in the under cashing 21 of the past 30 times the Jazz have met an Eastern Conference opponent. 
But what about the Wizards? They ranked fifth in defensive efficiency last season, but have dropped all the way to 21st this season. Wizards coach Randy Wittman has been stressing defense all week. The Wizards can get burned by great athletes. The Jazz, though, don't have a dynamic offense, nor big-time scorers. 
Utah ranks 26th in scoring at 97.8 points per game. The Wizards have held the Jazz to an average of 86 points during the past three meetings. The under has cashed in five of the past six meetings between the two clubs. 
The under also has won in 11 of Washington's last 15 home contests. There's the chance, too, that veteran swingman Alan Anderson makes his season debut for the Wizards after being out all season following ankle surgery. He's a high-energy, stalwart defender who would be a plus to the under. 
The offenses aren't likely to be in rhythm either due to the week-long All-Star break. There's also a possibility of the teams being involved in a trade today, which could leave them short-handed, or affect their offenses if an important cog is missing. 

The Wizards started slow last season, but ended up finishing 10 games above .500, earned the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and swept the Raptors in the first round. 
Now, though, at the All-Star break the Wizards find themselves in 10th place, three games away from the playoffs. Basically the Wizards have nearly the same roster. I expect them to make a move now that Bradley Beal is healthy and John Wall is having a superstar-type season. Wall suffered a bruised knee in the Wizards' final game before the break, but showed he was OK scoring 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the All-Star Game. 
Utah is 26-26. The line is priced too low in my opinion because the Jazz entered break winning seven of their last eight games. But those victories came on the road against the Mavericks in overtime, at the Suns and the rest were at home versus the struggling Bulls, Bucks, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Hornets. That's not exactly Murder's Row. The Jazz have failed to cover in nine of their last 13 away games. 
This matchup could be a season-defining moment for the Wizards. They can't waste any time getting things turned around especially taking a home loss to this mediocre opponent with their trumped-up recent record. 
This game was supposed to be played last month, but a massive snowstorm caused a postponement. Because of that, Washington has to play Detroit at Verizon Center on Friday and then at Miami on Saturday. That's three games in three days. 

Tennessee State is the better team. The Tigers are 9-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference just one-half game behind Belmont and Tennessee Tech. The Tigers have momentum having won three in a row and 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games. 
The Tigers last played on Saturday. while Morehead State had to play on Tuesday although it was an easy victory, 105-66, over NAIA foe St. Catharine.
Tennessee State defeated Morehead State in the first meeting this season, 77-76, just 12 days ago. The Tigers led by double-digits with two minutes left before Morehead State made the final look closer than it was by hitting a late number of 3-pointers. The Tigers won that game despite playing without their leading scorer and rebounder. 

Tulane is coming off a 94-87 overtime home win against Memphis as seven-point 'dogs. Does this suddenly make the Green Wave a good team? No. Tulane is six games under .500 on the season and just 3-10 in the Atlantic Athletic Conference despite that victory. The Green Wave are 1-6-1 ATS the past eight times they have gone against an opponent with a winning record. 
Houston is much the superior team. The Cougars proved that when they routed the Green Wave, 63-45, as 10 1/2-point home favorites on Jan. 5. Tulane's previous two home games before upsetting Memphis were against Central Florida and South Florida. The Green Wave lost both of those games straight-up as a home favorite. They lost by eight to Central Florida and by 13 to South Florida. 
Houston averages 78.6 points per game. The Cougars hold foes to less than 70 points a game while compiling an 18-7 record. They are 5-1 in their last six games. 
Tulane holds foes to 70 points a game, but doesn't have the offense to keep up with Houston ranking 304th in scoring at 66.7 points a game and 327th in shooting percentage at 40.3 percent. Houston is the better team and also peaking while Tulane is a letdown mode after its biggest win of the season.  

Providence has revenge for a 75-68 home loss to Xavier on Jan. 26. Xavier shot 50 percent from the floor in that game. The Friars were getting 1 1/2 points for that matchup. Now they are getting much more and catch Xavier in a letdown spot.
Xavier is off a 17-point road upset win of Butler this past Saturday. The Musketeers have their own revenge game up next against Georgetown and then host Big East Conference leader Villanova next Wednesday in a game that may determine first place in the league. Xavier is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Providence needs this victory for its tournament resume. 
The Friars went 12-1 in nonconference. They've found things more difficult in the competitive Big East, but still have covered 75 percent of their road games this season and own straight-up road victories against Villanova, Georgetown, Creighton and Butler. The Friars were underdogs in each of those games. Going back to last season, Providence has covered 10 its past 12 away matchups. The Friars are as good a road team as any in the country. 

Ball State is favored on the road for the first time since its opening away matchup back on Nov. 13 against Bradley, who beat the Cardinals, 54-53. 
Since then the Cardinals have been road 'dogs eight straight times. The last being this past Saturday when they upset Central Michigan - the team picked to capture the Mid-American West Division - 75-63 as eight-point 'dogs. 
Ball State is 0-5 ATS the past five times following a victory. The Cardinals have a bigger game on deck hosting Northern Illinois on Friday. So this is a potential trap spot for the Cardinals, who have lacked consistency all season. Since the beginning of MAC play, the Cardinals haven't won more than two consecutive games. 
Ball State is 9-19 ATS in its last 28 MAC matchups and 1-4 ATS the past five times when playing at Miami of Ohio. The Red Hawks should have defeated Ball State in the first meeting as 6 1/2-road 'dogs on Jan. 16. Ball State came back from 14 points down to win, 48-46. 

The Red Hawks not only have revenge motivation but focus shouldn't be a problem either after they were embarrassed, 93-49, on the road against Toledo this past Saturday. Prior to that the Red Hawks had won and covered three of four, including the past two two. 

At stake here is sole possession of second place in the Horizon League, which means a lot because the top two seeds in this conference tournament draw double byes. 
If you go by the Pomeroy ratings, you'll find Oakland ranked 101st and Wright State rated 138th. Oakland is the superior team and Wright State's home-court isn't enough to offset that edge even acknowledging that the Raiders have won 10 in a row at Nutter Center. 
Wright State last played at home nine days ago. The Raiders are off a huge road win against Horizon League leader Valparaiso this past Saturday, The Raiders, 13-point underdogs in that game, won on a last-second putback basket by Biggie Minnis. 
It may take a while for the Raiders to come down after that victory. They are 4-10 ATS following a cover and have failed to cover in five of their last six games played on Monday. 
Oakland is the highest scoring team in the league averaging 87.1 points a game, which ranks second nationally. The Golden Grizzlies are No. 1 in the conference in free throw percentage and 3-point percentage. Oakland guard Kay Felder leads the league in scoring at 24.7 per game. He had 33 points when the Grizzlies buried the Raiders, 89-63, on Jan. 22. Wright State failed to slow the tempo down in that matchup. 
The Golden Grizzlies are the only team in the Horizon League without a conference road loss. They've won their past six away games and are 21-4-1 ATS following a victory. They have too much offense for Wright State, averaging nearly 20 points more per game than the Raiders. 

Normally I don't get involved with All-Star games, but this game is an exception.

The West roster isn't just better than the East roster - it's vastly superior. LeBron James is the only player on the East I would rate as among the top 10 players in the game. The West has Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden and Chris Paul. 

The East can't come close to matching that talent and depth. The West also has a huge coaching edge with Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches of all time, against novice Tyronn Lue, who shouldn't even be coaching in this game. 

The West has multiple teammates playing - Durant, Westbrook from the Thunder, Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge from the Spurs and Curry, Green and Klay Thompson from the Warriors. These guys are all used to playing with each other. 

These huge edges are more than enough to overcome the randomness factor that can pop up in exhibition games. 

Illinois State is coming off three wins and covers, the last two as double-digit 'dog winners against MIssouri Valley Conference leader Wichita State at home -  coming from 18 points down to do it - and winning at Evansville this past Thursday. The victory against Evansville moved Illinois State into second place in the league. Now the Redbirds get a well deserved home rest stop against Bradley, which is second-to-last in the conference.
The Redbirds are laying a huge number- an opening 18 to 18 1/2 points - in this rivalry matchup. The Redbirds haven't been favored by more than 8 1/2 points all season. Their largest victory margin versus a board foe is 13 points. 
The two teams met on Jan. 20 and Illinois State won, 55-52, as an 11-point favorite. Bradley shot 31.2 percent from the floor. The Braves shoot 36.7 percent on the season. 
The Missouri Valley is a conference known for well-coached, disciplined teams that play strong defense. Illinois State certainly fits that mold giving up less than 67 points per game. But the Redbirds also only score 67 points a game. Bradley doesn't score much, but the Braves surrender less than 70 points a game. The Braves are giving up an average of just 56 points during their last two games. 
Bradley is going to play at a slow, deliberate pace. The total is low. So taking this many points in a rivalry matchup is huge especially against a foe in a letdown spot. 

Cal-Northridge can't match Cal-Irvine's defense, but the Matadors average more points, shoot better from the floor and have a far better free throw percentage than Irvine.
The Anteaters are 8-1 at home, but the Matadors have covered the last five times they've been on the road versus opponents with a home winning percentage above .600. Northridge has covered four of its five Big West road contests.
The Matadors last played on Wednesday defeating Cal-State Fullerton, 75-67, at home. Irvine had to play on Thursday in Honolulu losing a Big West showdown battle with host Hawaii, 74-52. The Anteaters have a quick rematch with Hawaii hosting them next Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Anteaters have to get their sea legs back under them, along with their mental focus, returning back to California for this matchup. It's not a great spot for the Anteaters and Northridge has enough going to keep it close. 

This is the game where Kentucky proves itself on the road. 
Yes, Frank Martin has South Carolina on the upswing. But the Wildcats have beaten the Gamecocks in eight of the last nine meetings, including sweeping them two games last season winning by an average of 19.5 points a game. 
The Wildcats are coming off blowout home victories versus Florida and Georgia. Kentucky's leading scorer, Jamal Murray, is expected to play after sitting out Thursday's practice with a sore knee. 
Kentucky is 14-0 at home, but is 2-6 in its last eight road games. The Wildcats should be super focused hearing about their road woes and with upcoming away matchups against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Florida on the schedule. Those three teams are a combined 36-4 at home this season. 
Talent certainly isn't a problem for the Wildcats. They nearly beat then ranked No. 4 Kansas on the road losing in overtime on Jan. 30. If Kentucky would have won that game you would be hearing far less about its so-called road problems.
The Wildcats can hurt South Carolina inside and take advantage of the weak Gamecocks' 3-point defense. 

Now that this game has nudged up to five, I'm going to get involved with road underdog Loyola-Marymount. This has been a 'dog series with the underdog covering the past five times.
The Lions have revenge for a narrow 60-58 loss to Pacific in the team's first meeting this season. The Lions have a good coach, Mike Dunlap, and their young talent has gotten more needed seasoning as we move near the middle of February. 
But the main handicap is a fade on Pacific. The Tigers are off one of the biggest upsets of the season, snapping BYU's 17-game home win streak, 77-72, this past Saturday as 17-point underdogs. 
So this is a natural letdown spot for the Tigers, who won't be going to any postseason tournament due to a self-imposed ban for academic misconduct violations. The Lions can be pesky defensively and the Tigers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games versus foes with a losing road record. 

New Orleans doesn't have the defense to control the Thunder. The Pelicans rank 24th both in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage. Oklahoma City ranks No. 2 in the NBA in scoring at 109.9 points a game and has been averaging 112.4 points during its last 15 games. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are each playing at high levels and the Thunder have the big bodies in Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams to slow down Anthony Davis. Durant is averaging 36.3 points during his last three games.
The spot is ripe, too, for Oklahoma City. New Orleans has won two in a row. Those victories were against Minnesota and Utah. Now the Pelicans jump way up in class following a narrow 100-96 home win against the Jazz last night. New Orleans is 5-11 ATS following a cover. This is the Pelicans' third game in four nights. Their depth is down with Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans out. 
The Thunder are 13-2 in their last 15 games with their lone loss during their last seven games coming on the road to Golden State. 

San Jose State is much improved. That improvement has shown up well on the road where the Spartans have covered eight of the last nine times. They also are 8-2 in their last 10 Mountain West Conference games and should be fresh for this matchup having been idle the past week. The Spartans have double revenge motivation from losing twice last season to the Rebels. 

UNLV has key injuries, which has left the inconsistent Rebels with a short rotation. They are not strong enough to cover a margin this high against this underrated opponent down their two best big men. The Rebels have allowed an average of 87.5 points during regulation in their last two games and are 1-4 ATS in their last five conference games. 

The Spartans didn't win a conference game last season, but are 3-8 so far this year in the Mountain West. That record becomes 8-3 when a pointspread is attached. 

If the Warriors ever are going to have a letdown this is the game. This is Golden State's final game before All-Star break. During the past four days, the Warriors beat the Thunder and Rockets last night in a rematch of the Western Conference finals. Three Golden State players will be heading out to play in the All-Star Game. At 47-4, the Warriors have set the record for best 51-game record in NBA history. This is a fun spot and a well-deserved rest stop for the Warriors. 
The Suns can't defend or match Golden State's firepower. But there is far less of a chance of the Suns mailing this one in than Golden State. This is the Suns' opportunity at home to test themselves against the best. Before the coaching change from Jeff Hornacek to Earl Watson, I wouldn't have gotten near the Suns in this matchup. 
But morale in Phoenix is much improved under Watson. So is the effort. The Suns have played four good-to-respectable teams under Watson - Raptors, Rockets, Jazz and Thunder. They are 2-2 ATS in those games with only one loss being by more than nine points. That came against the Thunder this past Monday. The Suns were hanging in - actually leading by six in the third quarter - before coming undone victim of a late Kevin Durant hot streak. 
Watson has turned around Markieff Morris, who is averaging 11 more points under Watson than he did Hornacek, and has helped unheralded Archie Goodwin show signs of becoming a respectable point guard. Goodwin is averaging 18.5 points and 7.3 assists under Watson, a former point guard. 

 

Missouri Valley Conference teams are known for defense and good coaching. But the oddsmaker has set too low of a total in this matchup. Yes, Bradley nipped Loyola, 54-53, during the team's first meeting. That was just a combined 107 points.
But each team has picked up its scoring since then. Heck, Loyola is averaging 74.6 points during regulation in its last three games. 

Bradley is averaging 68 points a game during its last three games as Braves coach Brian Wardle has finally found the right rotation to bring more punch to his team's lineup. The Braves were averaging only 53.9 points during their first 22 games. Things have changed now. 

OK, no Marc Gasol. Out with a broken bone in his right foot following Monday's overtime loss to Portland, which was the Grizzlies' second consecutive home overtime loss having also fallen to Dallas this past Saturday. This is the first time the Grizzlies have lost consecutive games in six weeks. 
Gasol is Memphis' best player. His absence hurts the Grizzlies' interior defense and inside scoring. Memphis probably can kiss goodbye any hopes of drawing the fourth or fifth seed in the Western Conference playoff chase with Gasol sidelined indefinitely. 
But the oddsmaker has made too much of an adjustment for Gasol's loss in this matchup. The prideful, veteran-laden Grizzlies aren't going into All-Star break riding a three-game losing with a loss to the lowly Nets. 
Until these back-to-back home overtime losses, the Grizzlies had been playing their best ball going 11-2. They will take care of business being extra pumped to prove themselves in their first game without Gasol. It helps drawing such a weak opponent. 
The Grizzlies bring a tougher mindset than the Nets - especially with this being each team's final game before the week-long All-Star break - play far superior defense, have a much stronger bench and need this game far more than the apathetic Nets. Gasol is out, but the Grizzlies still hold numerous edges, including a major one at point guard with Mike Conley. Memphis has covered in its last seven games against Eastern Conference foes. 
Brooklyn, for one of the rare times, actually is fat and happy. The Nets have won two of their last three games, nipping Denver by one point at home in their last game this past Monday. The last time Brooklyn won two straight was two months ago. I highly doubt the driftless Nets want to win as much as the Grizzlies do in this last game before vacation and with each team playing for the fourth time in six days. 
The Nets are 6-13-1 ATS in their last 20 games even though their pointspreads often are inflated. They also are 2-9-1 ATS the past 12 times going against foes with a winning record. 
Brooklyn ranks 28th in defensive field goal percentage. The Nets have surrendered 110 points per game during their last four games, a figure that would rank last in the league if taken for the entire season. The Grizzlies are averaging 104.9 points and 48.7 percent shooting during their last 12 games. Those figures would rank seventh and third, respectively, if computed for a full season. 

I like Brad Stevens a lot. But there exits a huge talent gap between Stevens' Celtics and the Clippers. LA has enough star power to go 18-4 despite not having Blake Griffin the last 22 games. The Clippers don't need Griffin to beat Boston on the road especially given the circumstances of the matchup. 
The Clippers have been on the East Coast the past three days after getting away with a lackluster performance in a 98-92 overtime win against the 76ers this past Monday. The Celtics, on the other hand, are crossing a time zone flying into Boston in the wee hours of the morning following a bizarre 112-111 road loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The Celtics clawed their way back from 18 points down in the final quarter to tie the game only to lose on a free throw by Khris Middleton with less than a second left after a deadball foul had been called.  
The Clippers have won 12 of their past 14 away contests. They feast on Eastern Conference foes going 11-3 in their last 14 games against them. They've covered 72 percent of their past 27 games versus Eastern Conference opponents.  LA received its wakeup call against the 76ers during its last game. The Clippers have covered each of the last eight times following a non-cover and also are 9-2 ATS when playing on one day's rest. 
Because of Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce, the Clippers get extra motivated when they play the Celtics especially in Boston. The Clippers are 5-1 ATS during their past six trips to Boston winning each of the four meetings since Rivers left the Celtics to become LA's coach. 
The Celtics have a strong bench. They are better than most teams when playing without rest. But Jamal Crawford - a streak shooter - has been the hottest reserve player in the NBA averaging 22 points during his last five games. 
The Clippers are at their best in these type of matchups, beating up a weaker Eastern Conference foe. The Clippers have the talent edge, are in a good spot already being in Boston before the Celtics arrive and have the motivation knowing they can't get away with being flat against this caliber of opponent especially when their first two games following All-Star break are against the two best teams in basketball - San Antonio and Golden State. 

The Knicks are broke and interim coach Kurt Rambis isn't going to fix them. Rambis was horrible when he coached the Timberwolves from 2009 to 2011 and he takes over a bad situation that isn't likely to get resolved until next season, certainly not during the brief period before All-Star break. 
The short Derek Fisher era was a disaster for the Knicks. New York was 40-96 during his reign. That's the worst percentage of any Knicks coach lasting longer than a season. Fisher was the Rich Kottie of New York basketball coaches. 
The Knicks are 1-9 in their last 10 games and have dropped five in a row failing to cover any of their last five. Yes, the Wizards are struggling, too. But they are a level above the Knicks, match up well to New York and catch the Knicks in a horrible transition spot. Not only is morale low with the Knicks, but there is dissension among the coaching ranks with the hiring of Rambis. 
New York is well deserving of its losing streak averaging fewer than 96 points during its last 10 games while surrendering more than 106 points per game during its last 15 contests. This the Knicks' final game before having 10 days off for All-Star break. I could very well see them mailing this one in. 
But what about the Wizards? The record shows they are 3-8 in their last 11 games. It also reveals Washington, though, to have played very tough opponents during this span including the Warriors, Thunder, Raptors, Celtics twice, Rockets, Heat and Trail Blazers. 
The Wizards have had three days to stew about blowing a 19-point road lead to the Hornets this past Saturday in a 108-104 loss. The good news is John Wall continues to play at a high level, Bradley Beal is out of his minutes limitation and Nene could return for this game. Unlike the Knicks, the Wizards hold realistic playoff hopes and should have a great deal of urgency for this game. 
Washington hasn't dropped three consecutive road games all season. The Wizards have covered seven of their last nine road matchups. They have played their best against Eastern Conference clubs going 14-6 ATS. They also have beaten the Knicks seven of the past eight times while winning four in a row at Madison Square Garden.

The revenge angle really factors here with Tennessee remembering an 83-77 road loss to Auburn to begin its SEC season back at the start of January. The Volunteers can really take advantage of the Tigers' backcourt shortage due to injuries and suspension of leading scorer and assist man Kareem Canty and Auburn being in a five-game losing streak.

Minus Canty, the Tigers lost 65-55 to Georgia this past Saturday. It was their worst shooting game of the season for the Tigers as they made just 25.9 percent from the floor. Tennessee is itching to go after suffering a blowout loss to Arkansas in its last game. That was a natural letdown after an upset win over Kentucky. The Volunteers will be much better prepared for this game.

Tennessee averages better than 77 points a game while Auburn yields more than 77 points a game. The Tigers aren't going to be able to keep up offensively with their depleted backcourt situation. 

The ACC is the best basketball conference in the country again. It's also a conference where teams fiercely protect their home-court and take advantage of great situations. That brings Clemson clearly into focus in this matchup. 
The Tigers are 11-2 at home, 5-0 ATS versus ACC opponents. Their last five home games have been victories against Pittsburgh by 13 points, Miami by 11, Duke by 5, Louisville by 4 and Florida State by 9. Clemson has been on the road in its last three games where it went 1-2. Now the Tigers are back home. They draw Notre Dame, fresh off an 80-76 home victory against then No. 2 ranked North Carolina just two days ago. 
That was a magical and memorable game for the Irish as they came from 15 points down to upset the Tar Heels. The student body stormed the court in celebration following the victory. 
Now Notre Dame takes to the road having lost its past two away games, falling to Syracuse by 15 and Miami by 9. The Irish are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games versus foes with a winning record. They also are 2-7 ATS following a victory. Notre Dame's leading scorer, Demetrius Jackson, is just 11-for-42 from the floor in his last three games since returning from a hamstring injury and played the entire game against North Carolina. 
Clemson has covered eight of the past 10 times versus opponents with winning records. The Tigers also are on a 9-2 covering run.


 

Just last week the Pelicans were talking playoffs three games out of the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Now New Orleans trails Utah by seven games for that final playoff seed having lost four in a row. Three of those defeats were to the Grizzlies, Spurs and Cavaliers, though.
Now the Pelicans step way down in class in a must-win spot against an opponent they have dominated. 
New Orleans has won the past six times against the Timberwolves, covering five of the six. The Pelicans defeated Minnesota, 114-99, in their previous meeting on Jan. 19. The Timberwolves couldn't handle Anthony Davis, who scored 35 points. 
Minnesota has one of the weakest home-courts in the NBA going 8-18 at Target Center. The Timberwolves have covered just 27 percent of their past 34 home contests. They are 8-21 ATS, too, versus foes with a losing record. 
The oddsmaker downgrades the Pelicans due to injuries to Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon. Both are out. But point guard Norris Cole is off his finest game of the season, scoring 26 points in the Pelicans' last game. Cole has scored double-digits in all but one of his last nine games. Minnesota has injuries, too. The Timberwolves could be down Kevin Martin and big men Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Garnett. 

The Bulls are in stop-the-pain mode going 2-4 heading into this their final matchup of a seven-game road trip. Chicago has tumbled all the way to being the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference. 
The Bulls are better than that. Yes, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah are out. But Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose are healthy and the Bulls have a talented reserve roster, which is made stronger with the return of Mike Dunleavy, who played his first game of the season this past Saturday.  
The Bulls are in desperation mode after blowing a lead to the Timberwolves in their last game, an embarrassing loss. There is no knock to the Hornets in this handicap. Charlotte finally is healthy except for Al Jefferson and has a strong home-court. The Hornets are 7-4 in their last 11 games. They are a decent team - but not strong enough to get away with laying this many points against this caliber of opponent, wounded or not.
I much prefer the Hornets when they are in an underdog role - not laying points. They are 3-10 ATS the past 13 times as chalk. 

The 76ers opened 1-30. They are not that team anymore. The 76ers are 7-13 in their last 20 games. It's not a coincidence the 76ers have picked up their game since veteran point guard Ish Smith joined the team. Philadelphia also has gotten healthier. That combination has made the 76ers semi-respectable, capable of springing upsets at home against a fat and happy opponent in a flat spot. 
Smith didn't play in the 76ers' last game, a 103-98 home win versus Brooklyn this past Saturday, because of a sprained ankle. The Nets were coming off their best game of the season when they lost to the 76ers. Smith is expected to play today. 
The 76ers catch the Clippers playing in their third road game in four days and without rest after a lackluster 100-93 victory against the Heat on Sunday. The Clippers are 2-6 ATS following a victory. They are thin in the backcourt having found out that Austin Rivers suffered a broken hand. The Clippers aren't immediately going to replace Rivers. The Clippers have a bigger game on deck against the Celtics on Wednesday. 
Western Conference teams have taken the 76ers for granted going just 4-13-1 ATS when playing Philadelphia. I see the Clippers falling into that same pattern in a game they are going to lack motivation. 

I see this as a venting, kill-spot for the Hoyas, who have lost three straight games. That means the Hoyas have to take St. John's seriously.

St. John's is terrible, worse than its spread record may indicate. Georgetown is the opposite - better than its record may show. The Hoyas have played a murderous schedule. Now they get a breather.The teams played Jan. 13 at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas built a 28-point lead and ended up winning by 20 points. This one should be even easier at home. 

Miami is playing well and is healthier than it has been. However, the Clippers are a level higher and have been in Florida since Friday when they defeated the Magic, 107-93. So the Clippers shouldn't be bothered by the early start and difference in time.
The Clippers have won 17 of their last 21 games and have covered in nine of their last 11 road games.
The Clippers beat the Heat at home, 104-90, on Jan. 13 despite missing Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, who was out with an illness. Jordan is back and playing well with 15 or more rebounds in his last six games. Miami's Hassan Whiteside isn't going to be dominant squaring off against Jordan.
The Clippers also have been getting excellent bench production from streaky Jamal Crawford, who has scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games, including the past three. 

The Suns are 2-0 ATS since Earl Watson replaced Jeff Hornacek as head coach. The Suns should provide a strong home effort here, too, in what shapes up to be a low-scoring game. 
This is the Suns' last realistic chance at winning a game before All-Star break as their final two games before the break are against Oklahoma City and Golden State. Archie Goodwin has stepped up nicely for the Suns during their last two games filling in for injured point guard Brandon Knight. Goodwin is settling into the role. 
The main factors, though, for this handicap are anti-Utah reasons. 
The Jazz just finished a 5-1 homestand with a tough 84-81 win against Milwaukee last night. Utah's starters logged big minutes. The Jazz are weak at point guard and may be without backup point guard Trey Burke, who played only three minutes versus the Bucks due to illness. 
The Jazz are limited offensively - ranking 26th in scoring - and a bad road team. The Jazz are averaging less than 85 points during their past two games. They are 7-15 away from Salt Lake City and have failed to cover in eight of their past 10 road contests. 

At plus 4 I'm going to get involved with the Bulls. Chicago is short-handed and playing without rest. But I like the Bulls' bench and don't see them losing by this big of a margin to the Timberwolves, who are 7-17-1 ATS at home. 

The Bulls have covered in six of their last seven visits to Target Center. 

The spot sets up well for the 76ers catching the Nets off their finest game of the season. Brooklyn just upset the Kings, 128-119, at home Friday night shooting a season-high 55.8 percent from the floor and a stunning 18 of 28 (64%) from 3-point range. 
Despite these numbers, the Nets rank 28th in scoring and are 22nd in 3-point shooting. The Nets' 43.7 field goal percentage on the road would rank 29th if it included all of their games. 
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU, 1-4 ATS in its last five road games. They are 3-15 in its last 18 games. The Nets have a better record than the 76ers, but I like Philadelphia's young talent much better. The 76ers also have a better bench for one of the rare times. Only twice all season have the Nets captured back-to-back games the last time coming nearly two months ago. 
The Nets are going to be fat and happy here. This is their lone road matchup during an eight-game span. They just were home for three games and then go back to Brooklyn for four more games following this matchup. 
The 76ers have covered four of the last five times when going against a sub .500 foe. The last time they played an opponent this bad was five games ago when they beat the Suns at home, 113-103. The 76ers then nearly upset the Warriors in their next home game losing at the buzzer. After that near miss they fell flat against the Hawks at Wells Fargo Center and didn't play well in a road loss to the Wizards last night. So Philly should be fired-up here. 

Kansas State has lost 7 of its last 10 and is off a hard-played loss to arch-rival Kansas. The Wildcats are in a bad spot to take on the Sooners. 

Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in scoring and has too much offense for Kansas State, which has failed to break 60 points in two of its last three games and lost by 10 to Oklahoma last month. 

Tennessee-Martin is one of the most improved teams in the Ohio Valley and is playing well. The Skyhawks have won their last two games to even their season record at 12-12. One of these wins was against Murray State, a team SIU lost to by 16 points. The Skyhawks are 6-1 ATS following a victory.
The Cougars are 1-11 in their last 12 games, including four straight losses with two of those defeats occurring as home favorites. 

Normally I wouldn't get involved with Boston College, but it's going to be very difficult for Louisville to be focused enough to cover this huge spread. The Cardinals may also not get many minutes out of leading scorer Damion Lee, who missed practice this week with a bruised knee. There is no reason for Lee to log much time in this matchup.
The Cardinals just knocked off No. 2 North Carolina. They play at Duke on Monday. So they don't care about this game. That is made even more clear following the news that the Cardinals have self-imposed a postseason ban in an attempt to lessen the blow of a potentially stiff NCAA penalty for rules violations. 
The players and coach Rick Pitino just found out about this. They were in meetings on Friday. They obviously are devastated by this news. I envision an obvious letdown with the Cardinals' emotions at its lowest ebb. Certainly their minds are not on this opponent and this game right now. 

As bad as the Nets are, the Kings can't be supported laying this many points on the road. 
Sacramento was playing well, but has cooled off dropping five of its last six games. The cause is a continuing Kings problem - terrible defense. The Kings rank last defensively surrendering 108.1 points a game. That number rises to 114.5 during the last six games. Sacramento also yields the most 3-pointers in the league. 
The Kings have lost and failed to cover in their last three games losing those games by an average of 9.3 points. Yes, those opponents were the Trail Blazers, Pelicans and Grizzlies. The Nets are worse than those teams. But it's still too big a leap of faith to believe the Kings can cover a mid-size road number like this. 
Sacramento has allowed more than 30 points in the opening quarter in each of its last five games. That's extremely difficult to come back from that especially away from home. The Kings have failed to cover in eight of their last 10 games versus opponents with a winning percentage below .400. They've also not covered during their last six road games against the Nets.
Brook Lopez is having a strong season for Brooklyn. He can get DeMarcus Cousins in foul trouble. The Nets should be motivated after getting embarrassed by Indiana at home in their last game two nights ago losing by 14. Prior to that, the Nets had been very competitive at Barclays Center upsetting the Thunder by 10 points, falling to the Heat by four and to the Pistons by five. 

The Hawks are playing better and their lineup is littered with All-Stars. But Indiana is a bad matchup for Atlanta because of the Hawks' rebounding problems. 
This is proven in the two matchups played this season. The Pacers won 93-87 on Dec. 28 as a 1 1/2-point home favorite and buried the Hawks, 111-92, just eight days ago as 3-point home chalk. Now look at the line. I think it's out of whack. 
Rookie center Myles Turner is showing big improvement for the Pacers, while the Hawks will be down one of their top big man reserves in Tiago Splitter, out with a hip injury. 
The Pacers are at their best versus Eastern Conference opponents covering 76 percent of their last 26 games against fellow conference foes. 

Fairfield is excellent value as a double digit 'dog in this spot against Monmouth being in a revenge spot. The Stags had won and covered three in a row prior to their last game. They are 5-1 against the spread following a defeat.

Fairfield averages just one point less per game than Monmouth. Until their last game, Fairfield was leading the MMAC in scoring. 

Monmouth is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five games versus Fairfield.

This is more than just a case of taking points in a matchup of two bad Sun Belt Conference teams. Both schools ranked in the top 25 in defense, but lack height and struggle to score while playing at a slow pace. 
So points should be at a premium like they were when they met for the first time this season on Jan. 2. Georgia State won that matchup, 58-46. It was the fourth straight time in the series that the road team covered as the line was pick'em. This gives Texas State revenge motivation. 
Now, a month later, Georgia State is nearly a double-digit favorite. Home-court certainly isn't worth that many points. Not only are the Panthers way down from last season, but they are in bad form. Georgia State is 1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS in its last five games with its lone victory during this span coming in overtime by three as an 11-point home favorite against Georgia Southern. That was the last time the Panthers were home, which was back on Jan. 19.
Texas State averages only 67.1 points a game. But that's still higher than Georgia State, which averages just 65.7 points a game. 

Detroit is very underrated at home where it is 22-8-1 ATS the past 31 times for 73 percent. The Pistons are particularly strong at home when going against weak opponents covering eight of the past nine times versus foes with a losing road mark. 
New York has lost 16 of its 25 road contests and is 1-6 in its last seven overall games. The Knicks' morale and confidence is at low ebb. New York is hitting the wall nearing All-Star break having lost four times by double digits during their current 1-6 swoon and have been short-handed in the backcourt with Jose Calderon missing the last four games due to a groin injury.
Yet early money has been on the Knicks. Calderon could return for this game and the Pistons won't have shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who injured his groin in the Pistons' road loss last night against the Celtics.
Expect Detroit to bounce back, though, even minus Caldwell-Pope. The Pistons should be super motivated as this is the first time they are playing in a game televised by TNT since 2009. Detroit also has revenge for a 108-96 road loss to the Knicks on Dec. 29.  

I see this game going under the total mainly due to Kansas State. The Wildcats are strong enough size-wise and defensively to stay within this double-digit spread in this heated in-state rivalry matchup. However, they lack scoring especially with point guard Kamau Stokes unlikely to play after suffering a knee injury this past Saturday. 

Away from home, the Wildcats are averaging less than 62 points a game during Big 12 Conference action. The under has cashed six of the last seven times the Jayhawks have hosted a foe with a losing road record. 

The apathetic Nets are limping toward the All-Star break having lost 14 of their last 16. They also have dropped 15 of their last 17 at home. Brooklyn is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games.  
Indiana is a far better team and will be fired-up after suffering a tough overtime loss to the Cavaliers this past Monday that halted their two-game win streak. The Pacers have gotten more physical on their front line and Paul George and Monta Ellis are due for big scoring games. 
Indiana is 18-7-1 ATS in its last 26 games versus Eastern Conference foes while the Nets are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games against Eastern Conference foes. The Pacers defeated the Nets, 104-97, at home in their last meeting on Dec. 18 despite not being pleased with the officiating, shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and missing 21 of 28 shots from 3-point range. 

The over has cashed four of the last five times these teams have met, including in the first meeting this season when UNLV won 86-74. That went over the total by 14 points despite neither teams shooting better than 40 percent from the floor and missing 30 of 43 3-point shots.

That game was played at a fast pace. This one should, too, especially with UNLV rebound and blocked shots leader Ben Carter out making New Mexico more of a threat to score inside. 

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowery are studs and Toronto is an underrated offensive team. This line is another example of that.

The Raptors have reached triple digits in each of their last nine games. The over has cashed in seven of Toronto's last nine road contests.

The Nuggets aren't playing good defense during this span surrendering an average of 111.4 points during their last eight games. Denver, though, has scored 100 or more points during its last eight games. The over has cashed in six of Denver's past seven home games. 

The Bulls are due to play better and Utah hasn't won three games in a row all season. 
Chicago should be fired-up after giving up an embarrassing 69 points in the second half during its 120-93 road loss to the Clippers on Sunday. That was a day game giving the Bulls a few extra hours in this second of consecutive games. The Bulls should be accustomed to the time difference as this is their third consecutive West Coast game. Chicago opened its road trip with a 114-91 victory against the Lakers this past Thursday. 
The Jazz are healthier than they have been, but I like the Bulls' talent better especially in the backcourt with Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. The Jazz have played a very weak recent schedule - having faced the Timberwolves this past Friday in their last game, Hornets twice, Pistons, Nets, Knicks, Lakers and Kings. Detroit is the only one of those teams above .500.
Utah is 1-5 ATS the past six times when playing on two days rest. The Bulls have beaten Utah in seven of the past nine meetings.

Neither team is in good offensive form. Dallas hasn't broken the 92-point barrier in three of its last four games. The Hawks are averaging 87.3 points during their last three games.
If you discount their game against the Warriors, the Mavericks are giving up 82.3 points per game during their last three games.
The under has cashed in seven of Atlanta's last nine games. The under has cashed in eight of Dallas' past 10 road games. The under also has won the past four times these teams have met.
Expect a slow pace with each team having played yesterday and trying to work out their offensive problems. The Hawks are in action for the fourth time in six days. Dallas is playing for the fifth time in seven days. So the tempo does not figure to be fast. 

I see a kill spot here for the Warriors after they narrowly escaped the 76ers last night, winning 108-105. The Warriors almost blew a 24-point lead. Look for a more focused effort after that scare especially now that they've settled into East Coast time playing their second of three road games in a row. 
Stephen Curry and Co. would like to prove themselves in the media center of the country with a big performance. The Warriors could be at full strength, too, with center Festus Ezeli possibly returning after missing two games with an injured knee and Andre Iguodala back after being rested for the first time this season in last night's game. 
Golden State is 10-1 when playing without rest. The Warriors also are 18-8-1 ATS in their last 27 road games and 11-2 ATS following a non-cover. 
The Warriors lead the league in scoring and have been at their offensive-best averaging a staggering 122.3 points in their last seven games. The Knicks are much improved this season, but they have only managed to defeat the hapless Suns during their last five games.  

Memphis is coming on winning six of its last seven. The Grizzlies have covered 10 of their last 12 home games and have scored at least 101 points in each of their past seven games. 
Since December, the Grizzlies' defensive statistics would rank among the top three. Sacramento ranks last defensively surrendering an NBA-worst 107.9 points per contest. That's nine more points per game than Memphis allows. The Kings are in terrible form, too, yielding an average of 118.3 points in their last three games. 
This marks the Kings' third consecutive road game. They've lost their last two by an average of 12 points falling to the Pelicans - who were missing three starters - and to the Trail Blazers. Sacramento returns home to face the Bucks on Monday so focus may be an issue for a team that has a history of being weak on the road and lacking maturity. 
The Kings have dropped their last 10 games at Memphis. Sacramento has been minus its second-leading scorer, Rudy Gay, for the last two games because of an eye injury. Gay, however, is likely to play against the Grizzlies. Kings coach George Karl also wasn't at practice on Friday because of gastroenteritis.

Golden State has failed to cover in nine of the last 12 times it has played an opponent with a losing home record. 

The 76ers are better than perceived with the additions of Ish Smith at point guard and Mike D'Antoni to the assistant coaching ranks. Since Smith came on board, the 76ers have gone 6-10 straight-up and 10-6 against the spread. Two of the 76ers' losses during this time came in overtime. 

Philly has had two days off to gear up for this ultimate home challenge. The 76ers are idle then until Wednesday so a full effort should be forthcoming while the Warriors play at the Knicks on Sunday.

Boise State is 10-1 at home. New Mexico is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 road contests, 2-8 ATS when playing against a home opponent with a winning record. 
The Broncos may just have the best player in the Mountain West Conference in James Webb III. He scored 23 points when the Broncos beat New Mexico, 69-59, on the road last season. The Lobos held Webb in check in last season's rematch at Boise State. However, the Broncos still won, 76-65, because Nick Duncan connected on eight 3-pointers.
Don't expect anything to change now that we've turned the calendar year. Boise State remains a bad matchup for New Mexico because of the style of the two teams. Boise State is an up-tempo team that likes to fire up 3-pointers. The Broncos are especially dangerous at home. Discounting their game against San Diego State, which ranks first in the country in defensive field goal percentage, the Broncos are averaging 86.3 points during their last home contests. 
New Mexico can run, too, but often prefers to set up their big men with inside touches. The Lobos lack Boise State's scoring depth and explosiveness. 
Just two weeks ago, New Mexico lost to Wyoming at home. By contrast, Boise State just beat Wyoming by 10 points on the road a week ago. 

Minnesota is giving up an average of 113.6 points in its last three games and isn't trustworthy defensively on the road where the over has cashed in all but one of the last eight times when the Timberwolves have played a foe with a winning home record. The Timberwolves are getting major scoring contributions from their young players and Ricky Rubio is doing a good job setting up his teammates. 

Utah has picked up its offense scoring 101 or more points in six of its last seven games. The over has cashed 12 of the last 15 times the Jazz have hosted the Timberwolves. 

The last time these two teams met was Dec. 23. Dallas nipped Brooklyn, 119-118. While I don't expect that many points to be scored, I do believe this game will go over 200 points. 
The Nets aren't winning, but they are playing at a faster pace under interim coach Tony Brown, who spent three seasons as an assistant coach to Mavericks head man Rick Carlisle. Dallas is surrendering an average of 110.3 points during their last four games. This has coincided with underrated center Zaza Pachulia missing the past four games because of a sore Achilles. Brook Lopez should be line for a big game if Pachulia remains out. 
Dallas is averaging 105.5 points in its last six games. Chandler Parsons is playing his best ball during this stretch averaging 25.4 points on 58.7 percent shooting during his last five games. Dirk Nowitzki should have more energy having been rested in Dallas' last game this past Wednesday and Deron Williams is due to face his former teammates for the first time having missed the earlier meeting. Williams certainly won't lack incentive. 
The Nets haven't been playing any defense lately allowing 107 points and 51.5 percent shooting from the floor during their last seven games. 

It's not that I think Houston and Oklahoma City aren't going to score a lot of points. But a lot has to go right offensively for these teams to combine to reach a total this high. It didn't happen when they first met this season with the Rockets winning, 110-105, on Nov. 2.
In fact, rarely have these teams gone over when meeting. The under has cashed 10 of the past 14 times in the series, including six of the last seven times in Oklahoma City. 
Houston's defense should be better with Dwight Howard patrolling the middle again after returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for three games. The Thunder's offense may be off playing for the fourth time in six days and being home for the first time in a week following a four-game road trip.
Oklahoma City should have great defensive motivation after giving up 120 points or more in back-to-back games for the first time since 2009. The Thunder are justifiably getting ripped for this - and it's also a factor in the oddsmaker assigning such a high total. The Thunder's interior defense is better with big man Steven Adams back healthy and prepared to log big minutes again. 

No knock here on Boston. The Celtics are playing well winning seven of their last nine. But this line is inflated. 
Yes, the record shows the Magic are 1-7 during their past eight games with just a victory against the lowly Nets during this span. But a closer look shows the Magic having lost their last game to the Bucks, 107-100, this past Tuesday. That score is misleading as the Magic trailed by just one point with 30 seconds left. 
Only two of Orlando's recent seven defeats have been by a lopsided margin. The Magic fell to the Wizards - a team they never beat - by six points and lost in overtime to the Raptors, Hornets and Grizzlies on the road. 
The Magic have excellent young talent. Their talent is too good to keep losing. Orlando has a strong recent history against Atlantic Division foes covering eight of the last 10 times against them. Nobody has a higher percentage from 3-point range since Jan. 1 than the Magic's Victor Oladipo.
The Magic have been idle the past two days so there should be no excuses. Boston is playing well offensively, but giving up an average of 102.4 points in regulation during its last seven games. It's going to be difficult for the Celtics to cover this big of a margin when allowing that many points per game.
Note that the teams turn right around and meet again on Sunday in Orlando. So there shouldn't be any running up a score and showing off. The Celtics would be happy to just come away with a victory. 

Mercer is frustrated after two straight road overtime losses. The Bears can take advantage of their angry mood being in a kill spot at home against overmatched VMI, which is 6-12 SU and 2-9 ATS. The Keydets have failed to cover during their last seven road games and nine of their past 10 away matchups. VMI's last four road losses have been by an average of 25.5 points.  
Mercer leads the Southern Conference in rebounding, has a very strong defense and can take advantage of VMI's weak defense and short lineup. The Bears are yielding an average of only 56 points per game at home holding opponents to 37 percent shooting from the floor. The Bears' average home victory this season has been by more than 17 points. 

Zaza Pachulia, Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris aren't going to play for Dallas, which is playing without rest. Golden State is awesome. But c'mon this kind of point spread is reserved for dregs like the Suns and 76ers.
The Mavericks are a borderline playoff team with prideful veterans and a deep backcourt. They actually beat the Warriors, 114-91, in Dallas back on Dec. 30. The Warriors have to feel good crushing the Spurs, 120-90, in their last game. They can't be as high for this matchup. The Warriors have their own big man injury, too, as center Festus Ezeli is doubtful with a knee injury. 

Spot, situation and double revenge motivation factor heavily in this matchup for the Timberwolves. 
Minnesota is home where it has beaten the Suns and Grizzlies in its last two games, rested after being idle on Tuesday and psyched to beat the Thunder after losing to them twice already this month and nine times in a row. 
Oklahoma City is playing its fourth away game in six days. The Thunder had to go overtime to get past the Knicks, 128-122, at Madison Square Garden last night. All but one of the Thunder's starters played at least 42 minutes. Center Steven Adams returned from a two-game absence and logged more than 35 minutes. He might not be able to play nearly that many minutes in this short turnaround. The Thunder are without guard Andre Roberson. He was replaced by Dion Waiters, who played a season-high 42:31 minutes. 
The Thunder's defense is down without Robertson and it will be weakened even more if Adams is limited. The Timberwolves like to compare themselves to the Thunder with their promising second-year players Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns. The hope for the Timberwolves is these players can become stars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Now here Wiggins, LaVine and Towns have a chance to compete against their benchmark right at home. All three are playing well with Towns averaging 21.8 points and 12.5 rebounds in his last four games, Wiggins is scoring at a 23.5 per game clip in his last four contests and LaVine is averaging 17 points during his last four games. 
Focus, along with fatigue, could be a problem for the Thunder. They return home after being gone for nearly a week following the game and host the Rockets, a far tougher challenge, on Friday. 

This is a big game for both teams with the Kings ahead of the Trail Blazers by one game for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Kings rely onDeMarcus Cousins as their main offensive cog. Cousins is coming off an NBA season-high 56 points. That occurred last night in double overtime. Cousins isn't going to be able to log major minutes and his offensive figures to be off because of the fatigue factor. 

The teams last met on Dec. 27 and there were just 192 points scored between the two teams. The under has cashed 14 of the last 16 times the teams have met in Portland. 

The Knicks should bring plenty of offensive energy into tonight's game having been idle for two days. Those two days off are huge, too, for Carmelo Anthony, who has had a chance to rest his sore knees. The Knicks have gone over 57 percent of the time at home this season, including 10 of their last 12.
Before having an off-game against the Clippers during their last home games, the Knicks had averaged 112.7 points during their previous six games at Madison Square Garden. 
The Thunder rank No. 2 in scoring. In their last four games, they have allowed 110, 109, 109 and 106 points. Part of why the Thunder's defense hasn't been very good lately is injuries to big man Steven Adams and backcourt defensive specialist Andre Roberson. Neither is expected to play today. Their replacements are more offensive-minded. The over has cashed in five of Oklahoma City's past six road games. 

Class difference is bigger than the spread making Central Michigan worthy of an investment. Miami of Ohio has lost 10 in a row and is 0-6 in the Mid-American Conference.

Central Michigan averages nearly 14 points more per game than the Redhawks, who are showing signs of giving up on the season. 

The Wizards are well rested having last played on Wednesday and are in triple revenge mode with the latest defeat to the Celtics coming nine days ago at home, 119-117, in a physical and intense matchup. 
Washington lost that game minus Bradley Beal and Otto Porter. Beal is back now and there's a chance Porter returns, too. The Wizards are playing better winning five of their last seven. Their last three victories have been against the Bulls, Pacers and Heat. 
The Celtics carry a fatigue rating playing for the third time in four days and second straight day. Boston beat the hapless 76ers on Sunday. That marked just the Celtics' second win during their last seven road matchups. This also marks Boston's sixth game in nine days. 

Oddsmakers were influenced in making this line so high because of the team's last meeting, which the Celtics won, 119-117, just nine days ago. The dynamics are different this time around with different players in the lineup and injured players returning. 
That last game left a lot of lingering resentment so both teams should produce focused defensive efforts. Washington has gone under in nine of its last 11 at Verizon Center. 
Boston ranks No. 3 in defensive 3-point percentage. The Wizards rely on their perimeter shooting. The under has cashed seven of the last 10 times the Celtics have played on zero rest. 
There's a chance the Wizards get back Drew Gooden. That would be good for the under as he's a plodding big man, who likes to hog the ball. 

Both teams are playing well - winning with offense. The Clippers are averaging 110.2 points during their last 14 games while the Raptors are putting up an average of 108.4 points in their last five games.
Chris Paul is back playing at a high level for the Clippers. DeMar DeRozan has been hot for the Raptors scoring 30 or more points in his last three games. 

Detroit's defense has been slipping lately. The Pistons are giving up an average of 113.3 points during their last three games. The Nuggets are averaging 111.3 points in their last three games.

Some corrections are in order, but not drastic enough to keep this game under. The Nuggets are much stronger offensively now that Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried are healthy. The over has cashed in Denver's last five home games and also has cashed five of the last six times Denver has hosted Detroit. 

San Diego State has won and covered the past five in this series. Look for that string to continue. The Aztecs have won by an average of 17.5 points the past two times hosting Utah State - and that was when the Aggies had Stew Morrill coaching them. 
Not only are the Aztecs - who are undefeated in the Mountain West - taller, but they have the better athletes, too. They are leading the Mountain West Conference in rebounding and also are No. 1 defensively. 
San Diego State beat Utah State, 70-67, in Logan earlier this season and that was with the Aggies getting some homecooking. Utah State made 24 of 29 free throws in that game compared to the Aztecs making 10 of 20.

Utah State was hurt by big man David Collette transferring to Utah. The Aggies' rebounding hasn't been the same. There also is a fatigue factor working against the Aggies this being their eighth game in 22 days. 

The Nets aren't playing better, but they are playing at a faster pace under interim coach Tony Brown, who replaced fired Lionel Hollins. The Nets have surpassed 100 points in three of their last five games. 
The Nets, though, remain bad defensively giving up 103 or more points in all but one of their last seven games. They rank third from last in the league in defensive field goal percentage. 
The Jazz have picked up their offense averaging 101 points in regulation during their last four games. 

The Knicks are in a vulnerable spot for this matchup. New York got past the 76ers, 119-113, in double overtime at home this past Monday and then escaped Utah in overtime at home two nights ago, 118-111. 
Now the Knicks host the Clippers. New York isn't close to being as good as the Clippers. Yet the line is around pick because the Clippers played and lost last night at the Cavaliers, 115-102. There shouldn't be a fatigue factor, though. None of the Clippers played more than 34 minutes and the team had been idle the previous two days. 
Chris Paul is playing at a high level giving the Clippers a huge edge at point guard. Expect a strong defensive effort, too, from the Clippers after Paul expressed his displeasure with LA's defense last night. 
The Clippers have a history of taking care of business versus sub .500 teams going 10-4-1 ATS the past 15 times against them. The Clippers have beaten the Knicks six times in a row, covering the past four. 
LA also is 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight Eastern Conference games and 9-3 ATS following a non-cover. 

Power ratings-wise this game should prove very close. St. Peters is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven Metro Atlantic Athletic games and have covered in 4 of their last 5 road matchups. The Gaels, meanwhile, have failed to cover in their last six home games. They also have not covered during their last 5 conference games. 

Picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference, Saint Mary's has been one of the surprise teams going 15-2 despite losing its five senior starters and 80 percent of its scoring and rebounding from last season's 21-10 team. 
The Gaels are No. 2 in the nation in scoring margin winning by an average of 20.5 points a game while ranking third in fewest points allowed per game at 58. Impressive, yes. But a soft home schedule has contributed to Saint Mary's dominance. I believe it's a mistake to make the Gaels a favorite against Gonzaga even though they are 13-0 at home. 
We've been down this road before with these two teams. Gonzaga was an underdog in 2013 and 2014 to Saint Mary's. The Zags won those games by 28 and 17 points, respectively. Simply put, Saint Mary's doesn't beat Gonzaga. The Zags have been the class of this conference since the late 1990s and still are the class of this conference. They have defeated the Gaels eight consecutive times, covering the past seven times. 
Gonzaga is very strong again at 14-4 with its four losses coming by a combined 12 points. The Zags lead the WCC in scoring and rank No. 2 in the league in scoring defense. They have two of the top six scorers in the conference with Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis, who also leads the WCC in rebounding. 
The Zags have won the past three meetings at McKeon Pavilion. Their 13-game road win streak is the longest in the NCAA. Saint Mary's is going to feel the pressure of being the favorite. The Gaels have been involved in two games decided by single-digits and lost both - blowing a late lead to California in a 63-59 road loss and falling to Pepperdine, 67-64, two games ago as an 8 1/2-point road favorite. 
The Gaels blew a 17-point lead at home to Gonzaga when the teams last played on Feb. 21 of 215. The Zags won that game, 70-60. Bottom line: Saint Mary's isn't ready to beat Gonzaga. Getting points is a bonus.