Wisconsin scores more this season, but its defense has slipped. The Badgers have been hurt more than most teams by the new rule that limits physical play. That's the style Bo Ryan has taught his Badgers, who lost three of their best defenders last year.

The Badgers are vulnerable against fast-paced teams, who can knock down the 3-pointer plus get to the hoops and hit their free throws. Oregon has those traits. The Ducks ranked No. 8 in scoring, 31st in 3-point percentage and sixth in free throw percentage.

The Ducks have three good guards - Joseph Young, Johnathan Loyd and Jason Calliste. I don't see the Badgers slowing all three down. The Badgers are not fast enough or athletic enough to keep up with Oregon, whose run-and-shoot style produces layups and open 3-pointers.

The line is a bit inflated because of Wisconsin's 75-35 first-round blowout win against American. The Badgers are 2-6 ATS the past eight times following a point spread cover.

Oregon is 8-1-1 ATS the past 10 times when playing at a neutral site.

I'm not impressed with Dayton. Who have they really beaten this season? I don't consider defeating Ohio State a big achievement.

Syracuse is laying in the weeds. The Orangemen were huge for much of the year, then slipped toward the home stretch, but are now back up and dangerous. I can't see the Flyers doing much against the taller Orangemen and their vaunted 2-3 zone defense.

Dayton doesn't play zone defense. This is significance because the Flyers couldn't really practice going against a zone in practice.

The Orange are a top-10 defensive club holding foes to under 60 points a game. Dayton is respectable, too, defensively but gives up eight more points per game than the Orange.

Coastal Carolina is better than a normal 16th seed with three good guards. The Chanticleers average close to 73 points a game and are 27th in the country in defensive field goal percentage. They will get good fan support playing in Raleigh, N.C., which is 2 1/2 hours from their campus in Conway, S.C.

Virginia enters this tournament with very high expectations after winning the ACC title and conference tournament. The Cavaliers have the No. 1 defense in the land. They are a grinder on offense, though. This is going to be a very slow paced game, the kind of style that favors a big underdog such as Coastal Carolina. The over/under indicates the oddsmaker is anticipating a low-scoring game. So a correlated parlay to the 'dog and under makes sense if you're parlay-minded.

Virginia has a shot to win the tournament. The Cavaliers are looking at this tournament in a long term way. They don't care how much they win this game by - they just want to win, conserve as much energy as they can and move on.

The defensive-minded Cavaliers are not built to score a lot of points and cover huge margins like this. They average fewer than 66 points a game. Only once in their past 21 games have the Cavaliers beaten an opponent by more than 21 points.

Coastal Carolina is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. Its players obviously are very excited. The Chanticleers have nothing to lose. They can play loose. They will do all they can to not get embarrassed, nor is Virginia looking to embarrass this opponent.

The Chanticleers are coached by Cliff Ellis, who knows the ACC having coaching Clemson for 10 years during the 1980s and '90s.

This is a case of fading an untested team at a short price. Oklahoma is in the bargain range with tremendous line value.

The Big 12 very well may have been the best conference in the country. North Dakota State barely got past Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne in the Summit League Tournament title game. The best team the Bisons beat all season was Notre Dame, which had the third-worst record in the ACC.

Both teams can score, but I trust the Sooners' scorers more. They have four players who average double figures and are excellent free throw shooters.

Oklahoma is 8-1 ATS the past nine times versus opponents with a winning percentage above .600 while North Dakota State is 5-13 ATS when it has met a foe with a winning percentage above .600.

Current form means a lot here in this opening NCAA Tournament game. Tennessee has won five of its last six games. The Volunteers' only loss during this span was against top-ranked Florida - and they nearly upset the Gators.

Contrast this with Iowa. The Hawkeyes would be one of the worst teams in the Big 10 if you counted just the past 3 1/2 weeks. Iowa is 1-6 in its last seven games, 0-7 ATS.

The Hawkeyes' defense is down. Their rebounding is off and they're struggling to make shots. Iowa did outrebound Northwestern during its last game this past Thursday in the Big Ten Conference Tournament - and still lost by five as a 13-point favorite.

Tennessee ranks 18th in the nation in offensive rebounding. The Vols are far more athletic than Northwestern. Tennessee is playing top-notch defense, too, down the stretch giving up an average of only 47.4 points per game during its last five contests. On the season, the Vols hold foes to an average of just 40.8 percent shooting from the floor.

This was a down year for the SEC. But the Big Ten really levels off after Michigan State, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes don't have a good track record in the NCAA either having last won a tournament game in 2001.

It's been a distracting week for Iowa coach Fran McCaffery because his 13-year-old son underwent surgery to remove a tumor on his thyroid.

This is the type of situation the Bobcats have excelled in. Charlotte is off a horrendous 97-83 home loss to the Hawks two nights ago.

The Bobcats have covered nine of the last 12 times following a loss. They are 8-0 ATS the past eight times when taking seven or fewer points.

Yes, Brooklyn is playing well with eight wins in its last 10 games. The Nets have won their last nine home games, too.

The veteran Nets, though, are far from a dominant team. This is a pivotal game for the Bobcats in their playoff quest. A victory here moves them to within 1 1/2 games of the Nets.

The Bobcats have other strong motivation factors, too. They are off their worst shooting game of 2014. The Bobcats still have won four of their last five so it's not like they're in a slump. They just had an off-night against Atlanta. It happens in the NBA.

Charlotte has a strong revenge motive. The Nets pasted the Bobcats, 105-89, in Brooklyn in the last game before All-Star break. The Bobcats should be far more focused this time around. Al Jefferson is one of the best big men in basketball. The Nets rank 29th in rebounding so Jefferson should be a huge factor.

It's not a fluke the Wizards are playing for home-court advantage in the playoffs just 1 1/2 games behind the Bulls for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Washington has five above average players, one of the more underrated starting backcourts and have upgraded their bench with the additions of grizzled veterans Drew Gooden and Andre Miller.

The Wizards have been money in the bank away from Verizon Center covering 17 of their last 23 away games for 74 percent. Washington begins a four-game road swing here. The Wizards are rested having been idle the last two days. They are 6-1 during their past seven road contests and have covered in six of their past seven visits to Sacramento.

The Kings are lottery-bound once again and in a dangerous situational spot. This is their first home game since March 3. Sacramento has had only one day of rest since returning home following a season-high seven-game road trip where it went 2-5.

Sacramento is 2-7 ATS the past nine times when going on one day's rest. Center DeMarcus Cousins is Sacramento's key player. He missed the Kings' last game because of tendinitis in his right knee. Cousins is a major talent, but has proven to be a head case who doesn't go all out all the time. He's likely to play, but it's not a given that he will perform at a high level.

The Wizards caused Cousins to have his worst shooting game of the season missing 13 of 16 shots from the field when the teams met for the first time with Washington winning, 93-84, at home on Feb. 9.

Let's get something straight right away. Atlanta isn't good anymore especially on the road where until eking out a 112-110 win against Utah it had dropped 10 straight.

This isn't the Hawks of years past. Gone are Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford, out for the season with an injury. Paul Millsap is their lone above average player.

Atlanta doesn't play defense on the road where it has given up triple-digits in each of its last 11 away matchups. The Hawks are surrendering an average of 109.8 points per game during this road span. This is a long-term problem for the Hawks, who are 7-18-1 ATS during their past 26 road contests.

Charlotte is much improved and is dead set on making the playoffs. The Bobcats are the seventh-seed in the East 2 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta. They have lost 10 in a row to the Hawks.

So the Bobcats should have plenty of motivation. Charlotte also is playing well having won four in a row. The Bobcats have won eight consecutive home contests. They are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 home matchups and 7-0-1 ATS when facing an opponent with a losing record.

The Hawks are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games versus Eastern Conference teams. Even with Millsap, the Hawks are going to have problems with their battered front line containing Al Jefferson.

The Clippers are a little banged-up but they are deep, playing tremendous basketball and have a strong revenge motive.

Cleveland stunned the Clippers, 88-82, at home back in December holding Los Angeles to its lowest-scoring effort of the season and worst shooting game of the season.

The Cavaliers are a low C level team taking on a club that has a legitimate chance of winning the NBA championship. Cleveland is a slightly below average defensive club and a bad offensive team ranking last in field goal percentage.

Cleveland is a surprising 2-0 in its West Coast trip pulling off upsets against the Suns and Warriors. The Clippers aren't going to take them lightly and have the strong bench to keep the backdoor closed.

Los Angeles has won 10 in a row while going 7-2-1 ATS. The Clippers were averaging 115 points during their first nine games of their win streak before encountering a flat spot in their last game, a 96-87 win against Utah. I don't see the Clippers being flat a second straight game.

The Clippers play at Denver on Monday, but after that are idle until Saturday. The Cavaliers are feeling fat and happy after pulling off two improbable straight-up victories. They return to Cleveland following this matchup and have Miami and old teammate LeBron James on Tuesday. That's always an emotional spot for the Cavaliers when they host James and the Heat.

After losing four in a row, the Pacers are getting back on track. In their last two games they defeated the Celtics by 11 points this past Tuesday and then defeated the 76ers by seven points last night after leading by 17 points.

I see the Pacers continuing to reach their earlier high standards taking on the disjointed Pistons, a team they won't take lightly and have a history of being motivated against.

The Pacers have covered five of their last six against the Pistons, but lost 101-96 at home on Dec. 16 to Detroit. That loss halted Indiana's franchise-best 11-0 start at home.

Indiana has a huge coaching edge, plays far stronger defense and has much better chemistry. The Pacers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games at Detroit.

Often it takes one outstanding player playing great to help carry a team to a conference tournament title. Pittsburgh is getting that from senior Talib Zanna, who has scored 36 points and pulled down 30 rebounds in helping the Panthers advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament with victories over Wake Forest and North Carolina.

In their last five games, the Panthers have scored 85 in overtime against Notre Dame, 67 versus North Carolina State, 83 in overtime against Clemson, 84 versus Wake Forest and 80 against the Tar Heels.

Of course I don't see Pittsburgh putting up that many points against Virginia, but the Panthers are playing well and have a very strong defense, too, ranking 28th.

Virginia nipped Pittsburgh, 48-45, when the teams last met on Feb. 2. The Cavaliers hit a last-second 3-pointer to win the game in a matchup that could have gone either way.

This is going to be a scrappy matchup where taking points really matter.

This not only is a stop-the-pain game for Phoenix, but a crucial one as well.

The Suns have lost three in a row to fall two games behind gaining the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Now the Suns begin a three-game road trip. After this game, the Suns play two far stronger Eastern Conference teams - Toronto and Brooklyn.

Despite the return of Eric Bledsoe, the Suns suffered a shocking 110-101 home loss to Cleveland this past Wednesday. That was only the second time since Jan. 5 that Phoenix had lost to a sub-.500 team.

Rajon Rondo is expected to play for Boston, but the Celtics are still one of the weakest teams in the league definitely committed to youth and playing for ping pong balls.

The Celtics have lost nine of their last 12 with their victories coming against the Pistons, Nets and Hawks during this span. Boston rarely has been competitive with the quicker more athletic teams from the West. The Celtics are 4-23 against Western Conference teams this season and have failed to cover in six of their last seven versus Western Conference opponents.

Boston is 0-4 in its last four games versus Western Conference foes since Feb. 21 losing by nine to the Lakers, by seven to the Kings, by 12 to the Jazz and by 20 to the Warriors at home.

Rondo isn't shooting well missing 21 of 30 shots from the floor in his last two games. The Celtics also don't have injured Avery Bradley in the backcourt.

The Suns are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 road contests and 7-3 ATS the past 10 times facing Eastern Conference foes. They also are 20-7 ATS following not covering the spread during their last game.

Bledsoe returned this past Wednesday after missing 33 games following knee surgery. He played 32 minutes against the Cavaliers and had 15 points and nine assists although his shot was rusty. Bledsoe, who averages 17.8 points and 6.0 assists, should get his shot back soon. He's a high energy player and a very good defender. The Suns are 16-9 when Bledsoe plays.

Bledsoe didn't play when the Suns defeated the Celtics, 100-94, at home on Feb. 19.

UNLV is well aware that it needs to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament. The tournament is on UNLV's home court, the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels are finally healthy with Bryce Dejean-Jones returning from suspension and Roscoe Smith back from a concussion.

Wyoming has been way down since losing its star leading scorer and rebounder, Larry Nance Jr. to a knee injury. The Cowboys have dropped four of five since.

UNLV has never lost three in a row under David Rice. The Rebels are healthy, motivated, have home-court and catch Wyoming unable to recover from losing Nance.

The veteran Mavericks know they need to focus for this matchup. A motivated Dallas club should cover this number against a bad Utah team playing the lottery game.

Utah has dropped six of its last seven with its lone win during this time coming versus 76ers, which should be noted with an asterisk considering how much Philadelphia is tanking.

The Jazz's latest defeat came two night ago at home, 112-110, to the Hawks, who had lost 14 of 15 entering that matchup.

Dallas has a top 10 offense and can definitely take advantage of Utah's lack of defense. The Jazz are giving up 106 points during their last five games allowing opponents to make better than 51 percent of their shots from the field.

The line is lower than normal because the Mavericks played last night and got hammered by Golden State, 108-85, on the road. The veteran Mavericks are in a dogfight for a playoff spot battling both Memphis and Phoenix. They know they have a much more difficult game on tap against Oklahoma City on the road. They can't take a loss here.

So I'm expecting a focused and professional effort from a professional group of veterans. Before losing to the Warriors, the Mavericks had defeated the Pacers and Trail Blazers at home winning those games by an average of seven points. Utah is a major step down from those teams.

The Mavericks have been solid money-makers on the road covering 21 of 34 for 62 percent. They have defeated Utah in 10 of the past 13 meetings, including going 2-0 this season winning by a combined margin of 32 points while sinking 17 of 35 shots from 3-point range.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been a great under-the-radar story this season meeting Wright State on the road for the Horizon League championship game with the winner securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

But the clock strikes midnight for the Panthers here in the title matchup.

Wright State has too much experience, balance and bench strong for UWM, which lost 24 of 32 games last season.

The Panthers achieved their high water mark knocking off No. 1 seed Green Bay in overtime this past Saturday as an 11 1/2-point 'dog.

It's way too much to expect the Panthers to hang in against another superior foe on the road on such short notice. Wright State certainly won't be taking UWM lightly either after losing 68-64 to the Panthers on the road.

The Raiders buried the Panthers, 73-57, at home earlier this season. Only 20 teams in the country have allowed fewer points per game than Wright State.

The Jazz are playing at home for the first time since Feb. 25 following a six-game road trip that ended two days ago with a win against hapless Philadelphia.

Utah is a young team that figures to have problems adjusting in its first home game following being away for so long.

The Hawks are on the flip side playing in their last of a six-game road trip. Atlanta is desperate for a win being 0-5 on their trip. The Hawks nearly upset the Clippers in their last game. Now they step way down in class. They are a much better team now that Paul Millsap has returned from an injury. Millsap will be especially motivated going against his former team.

The Jazz have failed to cover in their last five games versus the Hawks.

Both teams are playing well, but it's hard not to back the Raptors. Consider these trends about Toronto: 16-6-1 ATS on one day's rest. 20-7 ATS last 27 road contests. 11-4 ATS versus foes with a winning mark. Five consecutive victories against the Timberwolves.

The situation lays out well, too, for the Raptors as this is just their second game in a week and first road matchup since Feb. 25.

The Raptors have the stronger bench and superior defense. They've held their past nine opponents to an average of 92.7 points in regulation. Amir Johnson is one of the few defenders who has had past success containing Kevin Love. Only once during their past nine games have the Raptors allowed an opponent to score 100 points.

I like Toronto coach Dwane Casey much more than Rick Adelman. The Timberwolves lack discipline under Adelman. That's not the case with the Raptors, who have the second-best point spread mark in the NBA at 36-23-1.

The Nuggets are a much stronger team with point guard Ty Lawson back running the show. The Nuggets are healthy now for one of the rare times this season.

The Pelicans are missing Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday and key big man reserve Jason Smith. They are in tank mode as coach Monty Williams continues to provide minutes to his younger players.

New Orleans has won two in a row - but those victories were achieved against the Bucks and Lakers. Prior to that the Pelicans had dropped eight in a row. They are 0-6-1 ATS the past seven times when playing on one day rest.

Fresno State is healthy for one of the few teams this season and underrated. The Bulldogs are road proven having won their past three away contests. They are 21-8-1 ATS during their last 30 road contests and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 overall games.

The Bulldogs should have more motivation than hapless San Jose State knowing a victory would give them a winning season and help give them a better seed in the upcoming Mountain West Conference Tournament.

San Jose State is easily the worst team in the conference. The Spartans do not have a league win at home. They rank last in the Mountain West in field goal percentage at 36.4 and are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 overall games.

The teams met a month ago and Fresno State cruised to an 82-56 victory.

Revenge, senior day and a 15-game home win streak all help convince me to lay this semi-short number with Kansas State.

This isn't just a typical revenge spot for the Wildcats. No loss bothered them more than losing at Baylor in double overtime by 14 points after leading by 10 with fewer than nine minutes to go in regulation.

This also is the final home game for four Wildcat seniors, including Shane Southwell and Will Spradling. The Wildcats are 8-0 in Big 12 action at home. Among their victories were defeating Kansas by three, Iowa State by seven, Texas by 17 and Oklahoma State by 5 1/2.

Baylor has a losing road record in Big 12 action. The Bears have lost on the road to Texas, Iowa State and Kansas with the average losing margin in these games being by 10 points.

Have to ride the Nets here. Brooklyn is 20-8 since January, the best record in the Eastern Conference during this span. The Nets have won four in a row, holding foes to 90.3 points a game during this span.

The Nets are at their best when playing bad teams such as Boston going 15-1 the past 16 times when playing foes currently under .500.

Brooklyn just got done beating two hot teams - the Bulls by 16 on Monday and Grizzlies by nine on Wednesday - and now step way down in class.

Boston is 1-7 in its last eight and 2-23 the past 25 times when meeting an opponent with a winning record. The Celtics had a perfect situational spot in their last game this past Wednesday hosting a tired Warriors team playing without rest after having upset Indiana the night before on the road and lost by 20.

The Nets have covered seven of the last 10 in Boston, including beating the Celtics 85-79 in their last visit on Jan. 26.

You have to go back to 1993 to find the last time Iowa won at Michigan State. The Spartans have won the last 17 times hosting the Hawkeyes, 15 in a row under Tom Izzo.

The Spartans are on a two-game losing streak. They haven't lost three in a row all season and traditionally play their best ball under Izzo in March. When the Hawkeyes played at Breslin Center last season they lost by 34 points.

Michigan State has covered four of the last five times off a loss. Izzo drove his players hard with two-a-day practices this week following a home loss to Illinois this past Saturday. That game, though, was important for the Spartans even though they lost because they finally had all their injured players back. Now they've had close to a week of intense practices to get back in sync.

Michigan State has three home losses this season. The Spartans haven't lost four home games in a season since 1996-97. That was just Izzo's second season. Iowa is a decent, but far from great road club splitting eight of its Big Ten road games. The Hawkeyes haven't finished above .500 in Big Ten road games since 1997-98.

The Spartans prevailed, 71-69, in overtime in the team's first meeting this season on Jan. 28. The Spartans won despite shooting 23 fewer free throws than Iowa and being without their second-leading scorer, Adreian Payne, and their leading rebounder Branden Dawson.

The Bulls are a well-coached, veteran team that plays great defense and is focused on gaining the No. 3 playoff seed in the East. The Pistons are disjointed with a lame duck coach. They sit around on defense and on offense watch Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings hoist up bad shots.

The Bulls are 9-2 in their last 11 games, but off a bad 96-80 road loss to the Nets two nights ago. They should be primed for a strong effort after committing a season-high in turnovers versus Brooklyn. Chicago is 6-1 ATS following a loss. The Bulls have been solid on the road, too, covering 13 of their last 19 away matchups.

After this game, the Bulls return home. However, their next four opponents are the Grizzlies, Heat, Spurs and Rockets. So Chicago can't afford to slip in this matchup.

The Pistons are in just the opposite frame of mind after snapping a four-game losing streak with a 96-85 home win against the Knicks, another team in disarray. Despite that victory, Detroit has covered only 42 percent of its home contests. Only four times since Dec. 8 have the Pistons won in their next game following a victory that ended a losing streak.

Before beating the equally inept Knicks, the Pistons were giving up 112.3 points in their last seven games following All-Star break. They are last in the league in defensive field goal percentage.

The Bulls have revenge for a December 92-75 home loss to the Pistons in the last meeting. The Bulls have a strong history against Detroit winning 19 of the last 21 meetings while going 18-7-1 ATS during their past 26 games in the series.

The Hurricanes are proven road warriors and in need of a victory if they want to avoid playing during the first day of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Clemson locked up an opening day bye in the ACC tournament by getting past Maryland in double overtime this past Sunday. The Tigers exerted tremendous energy in going all out to achieve that victory with four of their starters playing 40 or more minutes. K.J. McDaniels logged 48 minutes while Landry Nnoko went 46 minutes.

The Tigers are going to be laboring and facing one of the toughest defensive clubs in the nation. The Hurricanes rank 11th defensively giving up less than 60 points per game. They also are 32nd in defensive field goal percentage.

Miami has covered six of its last eight road games and is 6-1 ATS versus opponents with a winning home mark. The Hurricanes are 5-1-1 ATS as conference road 'dogs.

The Wizards have won six in a row, but four of those victories have come against bad teams (76ers, Magic, Cavaliers and Pelicans) and a fifth was against the struggling Hawks.

Now Washington is stepping up in class to face the Grizzlies, who are hot, too, with six wins in their last eight games. Memphis usually does the job against Eastern Conference opponents going 14-6. The Grizzlies also are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games versus opponents with a winning record.

Washington hasn't been a good home team all season going 11-17-1 ATS, including 1-4-1 ATS during its past six at Verizon Center.

The Grizzlies nipped the Wizards, 92-89, at home on Feb. 11. The Wizards had Nene in that game while the Grizzlies were missing Mike Conley and Tony Allen. Conley and Allen are back now while the Wizards are missing Nene. Washington has a losing record this season when Nene hasn't play.

Xavier has the more talent of the two teams and catches Seton Hall lacking incentive and with losses in six of its last seven games. The Pirates haven't been a good home club. They are 8-19-1 ATS in their last 28 home contests.

Xavier is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games and has revenge as the Pirates upset the Musketeers on the road, 68-60, as 8-point 'dogs.

Fuquan Edwin, the Pirates' leading scorer, led Seton Hall with 18 points in that game. Edwin, though, is dealing with a thumb injury and may not play.

The Suns got back on track with a 116-104 win against New Orleans two days ago. Previously, the Suns had dropped three in a row. Phoenix has failed to cover five of the last seven times following a double-digit victory.

Phoenix certainly isn't sneaking up on opponents like it did during the first half of the season. The Suns are a legitimate contender for the last spot in the Western Conference. They are the most improved team in the league, but they are far from elite.

The Hawks are at low ebb, five games below .500 as they battle injuries. Paul Millsap, their All-Star big man, is out again. However, I see the Hawks turning things around in this matchup. Giving the situational circumstances and matchup makeup, Atlanta can definitely stay with in this number.

The Suns aren't a strong enough rebounding team to fully exploit Atlanta's front-court injuries. Atlanta will get its points off the Suns, who rank 23rd in scoring defense. The Hawks are averaging 105.2 points in their last four games. If they averaged that for the season they would rank as the fifth-highest scoring team in the NBA.

The Hawks also have been idle since Wednesday and won't play again until this Wednesday. They are rested and focused. Phoenix, though, is playing for the fourth time in six days.

Nevada is fading badly losing and failing to cover in five of its last six games. The last time the Wolf Pack played at home - two games ago - they lost as a 13-point favorite to San Jose State. That's the Spartans' lone Mountain West Conference win in 16 league games.

New Mexico holds a talent edge at every position except point guard and has a deeper bench. The Lobos rolled past the Wolf Pack, 90-72, on Feb. 15.

New Mexico is 13-2 in the Mountain West and 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games, including covering its past five away matchups.

The Wolf Pack, on the other hand, have failed to cover in 11 of their last 16 home contests.

Yes, I'm holding my nose way high taking the 76ers fully aware Philly has lost 12 in a row with an average loss of more than 20 points as they race to get their lottery ticket.

But this is a complete fade on the Wizards, who are off their most physically draining game of the year a triple overtime victory against the Raptors this past Thursday night. That was a huge road victory. The Wizards host the Grizzlies on Monday in what figures to be a much tougher matchup. So it's a big letdown spot for Washington.

A number of Wizards played huge minutes against Toronto. Marcin Gortat played 51 minutes. Bradley Beal also logged 51 minutes. Trevor Ariza went 50 minutes and John Wall clocked in at 49 minutes. I can't see these key players being in top shape for this letdown matchup.

The Wizards have failed to cover in five of their last six games in Philadelphia.

Kansas State has the best defense in the Big 12. Iowa State owns the best offense in the conference. But I see defense trumping offense in this matchup.

The Wildcats are 14-1 at home. They have covered nine of their last 11 at Bramlage Coliseum. Their star freshman guard Marcus Foster is playing well averaging 20.9 points and shooting 50 percent from the floor during his last seven games. Senior forward Shane Southwell is close to 100 percent from a foot injury.

Kansas State has a great home-court advantage, which is proven by a 23-6-1 ATS record in its last 30 home contests versus opponents with a winning road record, including a 10-3 ATS mark against foes with a winning percentage above .600. The Wildcats have covered 76 percent of the time in their last 17 games versus teams with a winning record.

Iowa State, by contrast, has failed to cover in 10 of its last 13 Big 12 games. The Cyclones are 0-7 ATS during their past Saturday games.

Kansas State has a strong revenge motive after losing 81-75 on Jan. 25 in Ames. In that six-point loss, the Wildcats made 42 percent of their shots from the floor compared to Iowa State hitting 48 percent. The Wildcats also shot 12 fewer free throws, which isn't likely to be the case at home.

The Bobcats are a legitimate playoff contender for the first time. They are playing their best ball with a four-game winning streak, including a victory against hot Memphis. Charlotte is well-rested and greatly anticipating this step-up game having had six days to prepare for this matchup.

The Bobcats are 23-12 ATS when taking three or more points. They hung in against the Spurs at home three weeks ago losing, 104-100. The Bobcats are 17-8-1 ATS during their past 26 road contests. Al Jefferson is playing as well as any big man in the league.

San Antonio is playing just its second home game since Feb. 1. The Spurs host Dallas on Saturday in a much bigger game for them.

Look for Yale to bounce back after Columbia ended the Bulldogs' seven-game winning streak. Yale is 22-8 ATS following a loss.

Princeton is 4-6 in its last 10 games, which includes home defeats to Harvard and Columbia. Yale is 8-2 in its last 10 games, including a win at home and a 66-65 home victory against Princeton on a putback by Justin Sears in overtime.

Princeton has been a big money-burner at home failing to cover in eight of its last nine home matchups.

Gonzaga needs this game to clinch the West Coast Conference title and also to stop the pain of a two-game losing streak. If the Bulldogs lose here, they'll have to beat Saint Mary's on the road Saturday to win the title. So I see a very focused effort from the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga is 7-2-1 ATS following a loss. The Bulldogs destroyed Pacific, 86-64, in the first meeting last month. Pacific doesn't have the needed perimeter defense to keep this close. The Tigers rank 346th in defending against 3-pointers.

Gonzaga is in no mood to screw around after consecutive road losses to San Diego and BYU. The Bulldogs average 77.5 points per game. Pacific surrenders just under 75 points a game. The Tigers have lost three in a row by an average margin of 13.3 points a game to competitor inferior to Gonzaga.

The line is purposely low because the oddsmaker is factoring a Michigan letdown after its big showdown victory this past Saturday at home against Michigan State.

But what's not being factor correctly is how bad the Boilermakers are playing and how low their mental state is.

The 15-12 Boilermakers aren't going anywhere especially after suffering a 76-57 thrashing at Nebraska that put an exclamation on their down season. Purdue is 1-7 ATS in its last eight home games. It's one cover was a huge in-state win against rival Indiana.

In their last home game, the Boilermakers lost 94-79 to Michigan State, a team the Wolverines just defeated by nine points. All together, the Boilermakers have dropped seven of their last nine. Morale is low and not helped by the news that senior guard Sterling Carter is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in the loss to Nebraska. Even before this, the Boilermakers had shown little heart.

Michigan is well-coached and knows a letdown loss to Purdue would negate its big win against Michigan State. Properly motivated, the Wolverines should bury the Boilermakers. They lead the Big Ten in free throw percentage while Purdue is last in the conference in free throw percentage.

Yes, I'm aware of Orlando losing AND failing to cover in its last 15 road games. But I see the Magic ending that streak with this high of a spread.

The Wizards are both 14-14 on the road and at home. They have been a far better ATS team on the road. At Verizon Center they are 11-17 ATS on the season. This includes a 1-9 ATS mark the past 10 times hosting a foe with a losing road mark.

The Magic will be without their leading scorer, Arron Affalo. However, the Wizards have a bigger injury loss with Nene out around six weeks after suffering a sprained MCL. Nene has been with the Wizards for the past three seasons. Washington is one game below .500 when Nene has played and 26 games below .500 when he's been out. The Wizards are 1-6 this season minus Nene.

Orlando has defeated the Thunder, Pacers, Knicks and Pistons while losing by five to the hot Grizzlies during their past eight games. That's not a sign of a team that has quit.

Home-court means a lot in this matchup of tough-nosed defensive clubs who have been struggling.

Kansas State has cooled off since a 10-game winning streak going 6-6 in their last 12 games. The Wildcats have dropped their past six road contests. The Wildcats play four freshmen who have yet to learn how to win on the road.

Texas Tech is stronger at home and is heavily promoting this matchup in hopes of drawing another sellout crowd. The Red Raiders have covered in 10 of their last 14 games in Lubbock. They also are 7-1 ATS following a point spread loss, which happened in their last game a blowout loss at Oklahoma State. The game before that, however, the Red Raiders nearly upset Kansas at home losing, 64-63.

The Red Raiders also have revenge. Kansas State won the first meeting, 66-58. The Wildcats shot 44 percent from the floor in that game while Texas Tech made less than 34 percent of its field goals.

Iowa enters this matchup angry coming off a 79-74 home loss to Wisconsin this past Saturday. The Hawkeyes are a perfect 6-0 following a loss.

The Hawkeyes are fifth in the Big Ten behind Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Iowa clearly is a notch above Minnesota, whose season has slipped away again. The Hawkeyes haven't lost to a team outside the RPI top 18. They destroyed the Gophers by 21 points in the first meeting this season.

Minnesota chances of making the NCAA Tournament took a serious hit with losses in its last two games to Illinois and Ohio State by a combined 31 points.

The Gophers have lost to unranked Illinois and Northwestern during two of their past three games at Williams Arena while losing six of their past eight overall games.

Iowa has been a big money-maker on the road covering seven of its last eight on the highway.

Boston is bad and banged-up. Not a good combination. The Celtics also are weary as this marks their third game in four days and the end of their four-game Western Conference trip. Making it worse is Utah is up in the mountains meaning the Celtics are playing in higher altitude. Boston is 1-6 ATS the past seven times when playing on one day's rest.

The Celtics have lost four in a row. All the defeats have been by six or more points. They are 3-14 in their last 17 road games. The Celtics' only victories during this span were against the Bucks, 76ers and Wizards in overtime. The Bucks and 76ers are the two worst teams in the NBA.

Boston especially has trouble with Western Conference opponents. They have failed to cover in seven of their last nine meetings versus Western foes, including losing their last two by seven points to the Kings and by nine points to the Lakers. Utah is right on par with those teams.

The Jazz have played better at home winning nine of their last 15 in Salt Lake City, including upsetting the Thunder and Heat during this span.

Utah still may be missing Derrick Favors, but the Celtics are in far worse injury shape even though Rajon Rondo is expected back tonight. The Celtics' backcourt is still down Avery Bradley and they will be without their best frontcourt player, Jared Sullinger. He's out with a concussion.

Like Boston, Utah played this past Saturday and was embarrassed at home by the Timberwolves losing, 121-104. So the Jazz should be pumped for this matchup. They are 13-6 ATS the last 19 times after suffering a double-digit home defeat.

Only once in its last five games has Michigan had a strong offensive performance. Take away a 79-point game against Nebraska and the Wolverines are averaging 62.7 points in their last four games.

Michigan State is getting healthier with team assists leader Keith Appling back and is playing better covering four of its last five. The Spartans also are 8-1 ATS during their last nine road contests and 7-3 ATS versus opponents with a win percentage above .600.

Michigan won the first meeting, 80-75. But the Spartans were missing senior center Adreian Payne due to a foot injury. Payne is averaging 18 points and 6.8 rebounds in five games since returning. I don't see Michigan matching up well inside against Michigan State with Payne back on the court plus the Spartans are sure to get better looks at the basket with Payne in the lineup.

Both teams are playing well but there is a clear class difference here. The Grizzlies are 16-4 in their last 20 games, back to playing great defense and finally are fully healthy. They have the big men to control Al Jefferson, the Bobcats' key player.

While Charlotte is thinking playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference, the Grizzlies trail Dallas by one game for the final playoff spot in the much stronger Western Conference. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers last night in impressive fashion, 102-96. They don't want to give that game back against a much weaker foe.

A noteworthy thing about that victory was the return of defensive whiz guard Tony Allen. He hadn't played since Jan. 3. Point guard Mike Conley, enjoying his finest season, has been back now for two games after being out with a sprained ankle. It has been 18 games since reigning defensive player of the year Marc Gasol returned from a knee injury. Memphis is 14-4 since Gasol returned.

Memphis ranks No. 3 defensively allowing 94.5 points a game. The Grizzlies have held 14 of their last 17 opponents to fewer than 94 points.

LSU is garbage on the road and faces a revenge-minded Kentucky team that plays far better at home and is in good form.

Kentucky has won five of six since losing 87-82 on the road to LSU. The Wildcats' only loss during this span was to second-ranked Florida.

The Wildcats are 5-1 ATS the past six times they've been double-digit home favorites this season. LSU is 0-6-2 ATS in its last eight road games versus opponents with a winning home mark.

The Tigers have lost and failed to cover in their last three away matchups falling to Arkansas, Texas A&M and Georgia during this span by an average losing margin of 10.6 points. Kentucky is much stronger than those teams.

The Wildcats hold a huge rebounding edge. I see a fast-paced Kentucky offense pouring in points and taking advantage of missed shots with second and third chances.

Marquette is playing better and knows it has to be focused down the stretch. DePaul, on the other hand, has quit on the season. The Blue Demons haven't been competitive since their leading scorer and rebounder, Cleveland Melvin, was dismissed from the team.

DePaul has lost nine in a row with the average losing margin being 17.7 points. The Blue Demons have covered only 27 percent of the time during their last 26 home contests. Marquette has won the past five in the series, including 66-56 in the first meeting on Jan. 4.

The Golden Eagles had won three in a row until being outclassed by 12th-ranked Creighton suffering a miserable day at the free throw line. That shouldn't happen here as Marquette is several notches above DePaul. The Golden Eagles are 18-7-2 ATS the past 27 times following a defeat.

Portland is 3-7 in its last 10 games yet stood pat at the trade deadline. The Trail Blazers obviously believe they have enough to be a serious title contender. This is a stop-the-pain game for them and they have the offense to put up a lot of points against a weak opponent.

Portland leads the NBA in scoring and free throw percentage. The Trail Blazers are likely to be missing leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge for a second straight game. Despite not having Aldridge in their last game, the Trail Blazers still scored 109 points versus San Antonio even though they had an average shooting game and below average free throw shooting performance.

The Spurs rank seventh in defense while Utah is 14th, giving up an average of more than 100 points per game. The Trail Blazers are averaging 117.5 points in two games against the Jazz this season.

The Jazz are getting excellent backcourt production from their now healthy guards. Portland is one of the four worst defensive clubs in the NBA allowing an average of 103.9 points per game. So Utah should be able to get its share of points.

The over has cashed 10 of the last 11 times the Trail Blazers have hosted Utah. Portland also has been an over machine at home going 30-14-1 above the total during its last 45 home contests.

Tom Izzo has been cracking the whip hard since the Spartans suffered a shocking home loss this past Sunday to Nebraska.

The Spartans have a huge game this Sunday against arch-rival Michigan, but that matchup will lose some of its luster if Michigan State loses this game to Purdue. It's something Izzo and his well-coached players are well aware of.

While Michigan State is off a bad loss, Purdue is off its best win of the season, an 18-point victory against Indiana.

The Boilermakers are fat and happy now. They aren't going to the NCAA Tournament. They are 5-7 in the Big Ten, 2-5 in their last seven games and have failed to cover in six of their past seven home contests.

The Spartans need this game to set up their showdown for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan. Izzo is too good of a coach to have his team overlook the Boilermakers, especially off a terrible loss. The 21-5 Spartans have won their following game after each of their first four losses.

Izzo has had to deal with injuries but expects to have senior guard Keith Appling available.

The Spartans have handled Purdue in the past winning the last five meetings. They are 4-1 ATS in their last five visits to Mackey Arena.

Michigan State has won 10 of its 12 road contests while covering seven of the past eight times away from East Lansing.

Colorado has gotten back on track after losing star guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The Buffaloes have won of their last five and catch Arizona State in a bad situational spot.

The Sun Devils are on the road after a thrilling 69-66 double-overtime home win against in-state rival and No. 4 ranked Arizona this past Friday.

Arizona State has lost and failed to cover in three of its last four road Pac-12 games. Colorado, firmly on the bubble, is at home where it is 15-1 this season.

Charlotte buried the Pistons 108-96 at Detroit last night and it wasn't a fluke.

The Bobcats may not have the better individual talent, but they play much better team basketball. They want a playoff berth. Detroit doesn't. Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings have been far more down than up for Detroit.

Charlotte has the stronger defense and the best scoring inside player of the two teams in Al Jefferson.

I don't see the Pistons responding well to their thrashing last night. They lack character and are 4-10 ATS following a loss.

It's post All-Star time. Time for the two-time world champion Heat to step things up trailing the Pacers by 2 1/2 games.

Miami wouldn't lack for motivation in this game anyways always remembering the Mavericks defeating them in six games during the 2011 NBA finals.

Miami has won the last five in the series. Both teams enter this matchup playing well. But I'll take Miami's best against Dallas' best especially since the Heat enter this matchup fully healthy for one of the rare times.

The Mavericks have a losing home spread record and are 2-8-1 ATS the past 11 times hosting Miami. Dallas also has failed to cover eight of the last 11 times when home against a foe with a winning road mark.

Yes, South Florida is terrible. But this is a real letdown spot for fifth-ranked Louisville and the line is inflated.

The Cardinals are off a couple of easy victories last week, including destroying Rutgers 102-54 this past Saturday.

Louisville has failed to cover the past eight times after scoring 100 points in its previous game.

The Cardinals have a far bigger game on deck this Saturday when they travel to Cincinnati to meet the AAC-leading Bearcats, who they trail by 1 1/2 games.

South Florida plays respectable defense, can slow the pace down and has revenge for an embarrassing 39-point home loss to Louisville.

There is a clear class difference here. William & Mary is one of the three best teams in the Colonial Athletic Association while North Carolina-Wilmington is the worst team in the league. The Seahawks are 2-15 in their last 17 CAA contests. They have been especially bad on the road losing 13 of 16 times.



But is William & Mary good enough to cover a double-digit point spread against the Seahawks? I believe the answer is yes. The Tribe is off a very disappointing 85-70 home loss to Towson two days ago. That was their first home game back after three consecutive road matchups, a difficult situational spot.



William & Mary has covered the past six times following a straight-up defeat. The Tribe also is 9-1 ATS when facing a below .500 opponent.



The Tribe shot 36 percent from 3-point range in the loss to Towson going 9-for-25. The Tribe' 3-point shooting also was off in their first meeting against North Carolina-Wilmington. William & Mary missed 23 of 30 shots from beyond the arch in that game for 30.4 percent. Yet it still won 54-50 on the road although the Seahawks had a chance to tie but missed an inside shot with 10 seconds left.



William & Mary ranks 19th in the country in 3-point shooting percentage at 39.6. They are 53rd in field goal percentage. The Tribe figures to shoot better this time around and won't lack for motivation after the stinging Towson loss from two days ago. The Seahawks aren't good enough to stay with the Tribe on the road if William & Mary plays well.

After a rough 1-5 patch, Wisconsin is turning things around winning three in a row. The last two victories by the Badgers have come against Michigan State and Minnesota at home.



I see the Badgers continuing to salvage their season as they take to the road. Wisconsin is playing much better than four weeks ago when it lost 77-70 to Michigan at home.



The Wolverines shot 54.7 percent from the floor in that win, including 53.8 percent from 3-point range. The Badgers have gone back to their tough, physical aggressive defensive approach that has been their trademark under Bo Ryan, a coach I regard as one of the best in the country.



The underdog has covered the past five times in this series. Michigan hasn't beaten Wisconsin twice during the regular season since 1998 and Wisconsin has covered five of its last seven road matchups.

Fresno State is much improved from when it last played Colorado State on Jan. 11. The Rams closed on a 14-1 run making the final score of 76-57 more lopsided than the game really was.



The Bulldogs' improvement began three weeks ago when they took UNLV to overtime on the road before losing by two. Following that game, the Bulldogs have rattled off four consecutive Mountain West victories, winning by an average margin of 14 points.



Fresno State is 5-0 ATS in its last five games, while Colorado State has covered only 29 percent of the time during its last 28 contests. The Rams are a weak road team, too. Their only away victories have been against San Jose State and Air Force, the two lowest ranked teams in the Mountain West Conference.



A key for the Bulldogs is much stronger rebounding. They have outrebounded their last five opponents.

Matchup-wise and situation-wise this one squarely lines up on the side of North Carolina.



Pittsburg is banged-up, weary and mentally down after nearly upsetting unbeaten Syracuse this past Wednesday. The Orangemen pulled out the two-point victory when Tyler Ennis hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.



That was in Pittsburgh. Now the Panthers face even a tougher assignment - cover a short number at North Carolina against the red-hot and well-rested Tar Heels.



North Carolina is 6-1 in its last seven games, playing its finest ball of the season. The Tar Heels have had ample time to rest and game plan, too, having been idle for a week. This is just their second game in 10 days as their matchup this past Wednesday against Duke was postponed due to weather conditions.



Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is in action for the fourth time in 10 days and could be missing two key players - Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna. They were both injured against Syracuse. Patterson, who leads the Panthers in scoring and assists, suffered a thumb injury. Zanna, who leads the Panthers in rebounding, blocks and shooting percentage, suffered an ankle injury.



Not having these two, or if they are limited, really would hurt the Panthers. The Tar Heels have an excellent point guard in Marcus Paige and they lead the ACC in rebounding margin. The Panthers outrebounded Syracuse, but prior to that had not been rebounding well in recent games.

Yale is far superior to Penn especially at home. The Quakers are 1-8 on the road, 3-5 ATS. They have lost their last two Ivy League road games by a combined 39 points and are 3-7 ATS during their past 10 visits to Yale.

Yale is playing its best ball of the season winning four in a row, including beating Harvard, 74-67, last weekend as a 12 1/2-point road 'dog.

The Bulldogs have covered seven of their last nine conference matchups.

The line is lower than I thought probably because Penn is off a home win against Columbia. The Quakers, though, are 5-17-1 ATS following a victory.

I can't see the Lakers being competitive at all against the Thunder in this last game before the All-Star break.



Decimated with injuries, including missing five of their top six scorers and point guards Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar, the Lakes are no match for a hot Oklahoma City squad. The Thunder have won 14 of their last 16 while covering 12 of the 16.



The Lakers just want to get to break and then hopefully get back some of their walking wounded, including Pau Gasol and maybe even Kobe Bryant. In the meantime, the overmatched Lakers have dropped 21 of 26. This includes losing in their last six home games.



The Thunder have always taken the Lakers seriously and usually don't let up when playing weaker competition. They are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road contests.



Kevin Durant has been on a shooting tear as he battles for Most Valuable Player honors. Durant is averaging 35.2 points while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor during the last 21 games. He shouldn't have any letup here since the Thunder won't play again until next week.

Yes, Colorado lost star point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The Buffaloes couldn't beat UCLA earlier this season losing by 13 points without him. That was Colorado's first full game without Dinwiddie.



But defense, coaching and resiliency have kept the Buffaloes competitive. They have won three in a row and Askia Booker, Dinwiddie's replacement, has settled down and actually would rank third in the Pac-12 in assists if his numbers were extrapolated over the entire season. He also is averaging 14.2 points a game.



Colorado also can do damage inside against UCLA, who has problems matching up against Josh Scott.



Colorado is 18-5 and has won three in a row. The Buffaloes are 24th in RPI power rankings and 26th in strength of schedule.

This is a pivotal game for both teams, but Missouri has a strong situational edge returning home after three consecutive road losses, the first time that's happened under Frank Haith.



Arkansas is strong at home, weak on the road. The Razorbacks are 1-9 away from home. They have covered less than 30 percent of their last 76 road matchups and are 2-7 ATS when going against foes with a winning percentage above .600.



The Razorbacks are 3-22 on the road and 3-19 versus SEC teams on the road. The only SEC teams the Razorbacks have beaten on the road during this span are Vanderbilt and Auburn.



Missouri beat the Razorbacks in Arkansas, 77-75, on Jan. 28. It was the fifth time in the last six meetings the Tigers have covered against Arkansas.



The Tigers are guard-oriented, but a key to their win was outrebounding the Razorbacks by 16. Arkansas' lack of rebounding is a real negative especially on the road.

Kentucky isn't the same on the road and has a huge look-ahead game on Saturday against fourth-ranked Florida.

The Wildcats have a losing straight-up record in true road matchups this season. They are 5-15-2 ATS during their past 22 road contests. Auburn has covered five of its past six home games. The Tigers also have covered five of the last six in the series.

Auburn is coming on after a slow start, due in part to a very strong schedule. The Tigers are playing much better now winning their past three games. Auburn does face a strong challenge in the frontcourt, but has a tremendous guard in senior Chris Denson, who leads the SEC in scoring at 20.2 points per game. He's been red-hot shooting 56.7 percent from the field during his last four games.

This is a cheap number. It doesn't matter that San Antonio is banged-up. The Spurs are deep and coming off a horrible 109-100 road loss against the Pistons two nights ago. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it might have been the worst defense his team has played all season.

The veteran and proud Spurs will come out fired up. The Celtics, on the other hand, have won of their past five. They are fat and happy heading into All-Star break. Their victories during this span have come against four of the worst teams in the league - the Kings, Magic, 76ers and Bucks.

The Spurs still are far superior to Boston. They won by double-digits in the first meetings and are likely to win by an easy margin this time, too.

Unbeaten Wichita State returns home after a tough two-game road swing having achieved victories against Indiana State and Northern Iowa. The Shockers hold a commanding three-game lead in the Missouri Valley Conference with six matchups remaining.



After this matchup the Shockers go back on the road for their next two games. The Shockers rolled past the Salukis, 82-67, in the first meeting. That was Southern Illinois' opening conference game of the season. I see Wichita State in a letdown spot and Southern Illinois being much improved since that first loss to the Shockers.



The Salukis have made several lineup changes since then. They are 5-2 during their past seven conference games. The Salukis have gotten a lift from freshmen Tyler Smithpeters and Bola Olaniyan. Those two logged a combined four minutes against Wichita State in the first meeting.



Southern Illinois enters this matchup playing its best ball having won four in a row -three of them coming by 16 or more points - while connecting on 16 of 30 3-pointers during its last two games.



The Salukis have covered in eight of their last 11 trips to Wichita State. They played the Shockers extremely tough last season winning at home by two as 10-point 'dogs and losing by six at Koch Arena last season.

Dallas is playing well and has dominated Charlotte winning 17 of the past 18 meetings, including the past five. The Mavericks have covered in six of their last seven road matchups versus the Bobcats.



Dallas has put together five solid efforts - all victories - the last four coming against the Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Jazz and Celtics by an average victory margin of 16 points.



Last season, Dallas was 17-24 at the halfway point. The Mavericks have made it a priority to play better during the first half and they've succeeded winning 31 of their first 52 games.



On tap for the Mavericks is a game tomorrow night at Indiana - a probable loss. So the Mavericks should be primed for an all-out effort in this very winnable game. Dallas has a strong road track record at 38-13 ATS and is 36-15 ATS when playing sub .500 teams.

Kansas State is a whole different team when playing at home capable of beating any team in the country. The Wildcats have proven that winning eight of the past 11 times against quality foes at Bramlage Coliseum.



The Wildcats not only were sharp two days ago in a 74-57 home win against Texas, but none of their starters were too taxed as nobody played more than 30 minutes.



Kansas has great talent, but is inexperienced and not used to playing in this type of road setting. Wildcats freshman guard Marcus Foster has been playing great scoring 57 points during the last two games. Kansas stopped him in the team's first meeting this season holding him to seven points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor. Look for Foster to have a much better game this time around.



Kansas State has the necessary guard pressure to force turnovers and hit their perimeter shots to avoid the Jayhawks' tall front line.

Chris Paul is expected to play for the first time since injuring his shoulder on Jan. 3. Paul isn't going to have his rhythm yet after being out for so long.



Yes, the Clippers can name their score - if they wanted. But I can't see their focus and concentration being there especially after they followed up their home loss to the Heat with a resounding home win against Toronto in their last game.



The Clippers have allowed an average of 112.3 points during their last three games. The 76ers are the worst defensive team in the league, but they are averaging a respectable 101 points a game. They have talent with Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and prime rookie of the year candidate Michael Carter-Williams.



The 76ers have played better on the road than at home. They are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road contests and have won their past three West Coast road matchups beating the Kings, Trail Blazers and Nuggets.



The teams met on Dec. 9 in Philadelphia and the Clippers won, 94-83. Paul played and had a big game. But the 76ers shot less than 36 percent from the floor - missing 18 of 21 shots from beyond the arc - and didn't have Carter-Williams for that game.



Surely they can shoot better in this game and having Carter-Williams play makes a difference for the 76ers.

Both of these teams are struggling, but the Cougars' last five losses have been against brutal competition - Louisville, at Memphis, SMU, at Rutgers and at UConn.



Now the Cougars step down in class and should get the job done against a Temple squad that lost too much from last season and is 1-10 in its last 11 games. The Owls also are 2-7 ATS the past nine times they've played a foe with a losing mark.

Denver is the superior team and is in a good spot despite being on the road.



The Pistons are fat and happy after beating Brooklyn at home last night. Even with that win, the dysfunctional and poorly-coached Pistons are just 5-10 ATS in their last 15 games at The Palace at Auburn Hills. The Pistons also might not have Josh Smith, who suffered an ankle injury against the Nets.



Denver is off a bad loss to the Knicks last night at Madison Square Garden. The Nuggets were held to under 101 points for just the third time in their last 18 games. The Nuggets have a winning spread record during their past seven away matchups.



The Nuggets have defeated Detroit in each of the last six meetings. They should be primed to do it again.

The Spurs should be highly motivated after suffering a blowout loss to Brooklyn in their last game.

They draw Charlotte in its first game back from a successful 3-1 West Coast trip. The Bobcats are 0-5 the past five times playing following a road win. Their average losing margin during this span is by 10 points.

The Spurs have beaten Charlotte four straight times by double digits. The Spurs aren't 100 percent, but they have most of their injured players back. Tim Duncan is expected to play today. That's huge.

Toronto plays more up-tempo when facing the athletic and quick Western Conference teams. The over has cashed 70 percent of the time during the Raptors' past 20 games versus Western Conference opponents. The over also has cashed six of the last seven times the Raptors have met Pacific Division foes.



The Raptors and Clippers recently met on Jan. 25 and there were a combined 244 points scored with the Clippers winning, 126-118. That was the game Terrence Ross came out of nowhere to tie a Toronto franchise record with 51 points. The Clippers will be paying more attention to him, which will open things up for Toronto's other players.



If you discount a 92-point performance against Golden State, an improved defensive club, the Clippers are averaging 113 points during their last seven games. The Clippers have gone above the total in 23 of their last 33 home contests.



The Raptors are coming off a 109-101 loss at Sacramento two nights ago when the Kings shot 39.5 percent from the floor and Toronto shot just 42.9 percent from the field. Yet the total still flew over.



There are numerous players from both teams playing at high levels. So it's doubtful those shooting percentages will be anywhere near that low in this matchup.

The Nuggets are the superior team and in better form than New York, which has dropped three in a row and is averaging only 93 points during this span.

Denver has scored at least 101 points in 15 of its last 17 games.

The Knicks have failed to step going 0-5 ATS in their last five games versus above .500 opponents. The Knicks' 11-17 home record also is far from intimidating.

Indiana is seeking revenge and has covered 25 of its last 34 games.

The Pacers rank first in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage. They catch Portland playing poorly.

The Trail Blazers rely on offense. However, they have failed to break the 94-point barrier in three of their last four games. They are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games.

UTEP is in good form. The Miners are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games and have covered in their past five away contests.

East Carolina started fast, but is just 1-6 in Conference USA and 1-8-1 ATS during its past 10 games.

UTEP is much stronger defensively surrendering eight fewer points per game in league play. The Miners are No. 1 in Conference USA in defensive field goal percentage.

IPFW of Fort Wayne Indiana is one of those under-the-radar teams that has been a solid money-maker. The Mastodons are leading the Summit League with a 6-1 mark and have covered 12 of their last 16 games.



The Mastodons are getting points at South Dakota State, a team they are better than. The Mastodons defeated the Jackrabbits by seven points at home last month.



South Dakota State is 12-10. IPFW Fort Wayne is 18-6. The Mastodons have covered 78 percent of their last 29 games. They are 10-4-1 ATS during their last 15 road contests.



The Jackrabbits outscore their opponents by only one point per game when playing at home. They are 1-7-1 ATS the last nine times when going against an opponent with a winning record.



Sometimes dealing with under-the-radar type matchups that look too good often can backfire. That shouldn't be the case here. Sources tell me the Mastodons are much better than South Dakota State. So taking this many points makes sense.

Cleveland State ranks with Green Bay as the two best teams in the Horizon League. Oakland is down this season, not in that class.

The Golden Grizzlies are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games, including 1-4 ATS during their past five home games. They have failed to cover in their past five conference matchups.

Cleveland State has a strong history of covering against weak competition going 11-2 ATS during the past 13 instances.

All games are big in the very competitive Pac-12, but Cal not only has to contend with a solid Stanford club but refocus after its historic upset of top-ranked Arizona this past Saturday.




Stanford is a blue-collar team that usually plays with a great deal of intelligence. The Cardinal has a solid starting five with Chasson Randle, Dwight Powell, Josh Huestis, Anthony Brown and much improved center Stefan Nastic.



The Cardinal lost 69-62 to Cal in its Pac-12 opener on Jan. 2. The Cardinal was hurt by Nastic and Powell, who leads the team in assists and steals, fouling out.



This would be a very close game anyways, but with Cal's focus under question it's enough to make Stanford a strong play.

The Suns have overachieved all season. But they could be hitting the wall heading into next week's All-Star break. Phoenix lost 101-92 at home to slumping Chicago last night.




This marks the Suns' seventh game in the last 11 days. The Suns, especially minus Eric Bledsoe, don't have the offense to keep up with the Rockets.




Houston is rested, too, having last played on Saturday. James Harden should be back to 100 percent, Jeremy Lin is off a triple-double and Dwight Howard has made 15 of his last 19 free throws during the past two games.

Chicago has lost two in a row. That hasn't happened to the Bulls since the week before Christmas.



The Bulls are well-coached under Tom Thibodeau. They are a gritty, determined team that has overcome adversity having lost Derrick Rose and given away Luol Deng.



It's rare for the Bulls to play three straight poor games. I see them bouncing back against Phoenix, which has been outstanding this season but hasn't laid this big of a number to a team as good as the Bulls all season.



The Bulls are 7-1 following a loss, 6-2 ATS.



Chicago also has covered in eight of its last 11 road games. The Bulls have matched up well against the Suns with their rugged front line winning eight of the past 10 meetings. Chicago has won and covered during its past four visits to Phoenix. The Bulls defeated Phoenix, 92-87, at home this season on Jan. 7.

On paper, the Kings don't look like the right side. They have lost seven in a row. But the Kings are home and the Bulls are dragging playing in their third consecutive road game.



During their losing streak the Kings have been beaten by the Rockets, Pacers in overtime, Nuggets, Jazz at Utah, Grizzlies and then road defeats to Dallas by four and to San Antonio by two this past Saturday after blowing a nine-point fourth quarter lead. Now the Kings finally step down in class.



Rudy Gay is playing well. He's the best player on the court. It's a plus if DeMarcus Cousins can play, but I still like the Kings in this spot even without their rising big man star.

This matchup was originally scheduled for last Thursday but was postponed until today because of bad weather conditions in the greater Atlanta area.



It's a break for the underdog Jaguars. They know Georgia State having lost to them a month ago by 10 points. They've had more time now to prepare. It's a bigger matchup for South Alabama, which needs to get its season turned around in order to be one of the eight teams to qualify for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.



South Alabama has yet to win on the road, but Georgia State is 1-6 in its last seven home games.



The Panthers are on cruise control having won 12 in a row, leading the Sun Belt with an 8-0 league mark. Georgia State has a much bigger game on deck traveling to Arkansas Little-Rock on Thursday.



South Alabama has the talent level to hang within double digits. The Jaguars rank first in the Sun Belt in defensive field goal percentage. They should have a good game plan in place. The key is playing hard, which the Jaguars should do with a revenge motive, catching Georgia State in a look-ahead spot and knowing that right now they would be one of two Sun Belt teams that wouldn't make the conference tournament.

There are a lot of trends going against Oregon State in this matchup and I think they make sense.

UCLA should play better than it did during a 70-68 Thursday victory against Oregon. Oregon State nipped Southern Cal in overtime on Thursday. The Beavers are 5-12-1 ATS following a victory.

I am not a fan of Oregon State coach Craig Robinson. The Bruins have owned the Beavers going 15-5-1 ATS in the series and are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight visits to Oregon State.

The Bruins also have covered during their past six games on Sunday.

The Bulls have regrouped following the loss of Derrick Rose and the trading of Luol Deng. They completed January going 11-4.



Chicago is playing outstanding defense and is well rested having last played on Wednesday. If you discount their game against the high-scoring Clippers, the Bulls are giving up an average of 87.6 points per game in regulation during their last six matchups.



The Bulls have revenge for a triple overtime home loss to the Pelicans. Chicago has defeated the Pelicans the past five times on the road.



Anthony Davis should return to New Orleans' lineup, but the Pelicans remain without Jrue Holiday, Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith.

DePaul is too short-handed to hang with Providence, which is in a revenge spot and off a bad game. The Blue Demons' leading scorer Cleveland Melvin still is under suspension and star rookie point guard Billy Garrett Jr. also is out. This should mean a big game for the Friars' star point guard Bryce Cotton.



DePaul knocked off the Friars in Providence last season. However, the Friars have won three of their last four at DePaul.



The Blue Demons are off losses to Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall by a combined 53 points. The Blue Demons also have failed to cover in 17 of their last 23 home contests and 5-11 ATS following a straight-up loss.

Golden State is off a highly-satisfying grudge match win against the Clippers last night.



Now the Warriors, playing for the third time in four days and without rest, have to travel into high altitude to catch the improved and well-rested Jazz.



Utah has been idle since Monday. The Jazz are finally healthy. Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter are providing good inside production and Utah has an underrated backcourt with Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke.



The Jazz have won seven of their last nine home contests. During this span, the Jazz have defeated the Nuggets by 15 and Thunder by 11. They are fully capable of defeating a tired Warriors squad that is in a letdown spot and despite their win last night are just 3-7 ATS during their past 10 games.

This is the revenge game of the year for Indiana after the Suns dealt them their worst loss of the season, 124-100, in the desert just eight days ago. The Pacers had never surrendered that many points in a game under defensive-minded Frank Vogel.



The Suns were unconscious in that game making 11 of 16 3-point shots while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor.



Now, though, the Pacers are back in Indiana where they have one of the toughest home-courts in the NBA and catch the Suns in a road weary situation and with their best player, Goran Dragic, banged-up.



The Pacers have won 21 of their 22 home contests, including the past 10. The key question, though, is can they cover a double-digit spread? The evidence says yes. None of their last 10 road opponents have put up more than 92 points on them. The Pacers' average win margin at home this season is by 15.8 points. They have covered 77 percent of their last 31 games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.



Phoenix just beat Milwaukee, 126-117, last night. Now the Suns are playing their fourth road game in five days. They also are going from playing the worst team in basketball to the best team in the Eastern Conference if not the entire NBA.



Dragic injured his elbow late in the victory against the Bucks. So his status is up in the air. Keep in mind, too, the Suns are without guard Eric Bledsoe.



The time to play this game is now as I can only see the line rising.

Northwestern has gotten a lot better since losing 76-49 to Wisconsin in its Big Ten opener on Jan. 2. The Wildcats have gone 3-4 since then, including knocking off Indiana.



Northwestern's four losses during this span have come to Michigan State, Michigan and Iowa twice - all teams ranked in the top 20.



The Wildcats are high-energy, smart and play strong defense. They are well-coached under first-year coach Chris Collins. Northwestern is allowing just 53.2 points per game in its last four games. That includes a 76-50 loss to Iowa in its last game.



The Wildcats got hammered in the second half because they wore down due to Iowa's superior depth. Wisconsin doesn't have a strong bench.



The Badgers are also in a look-ahead spot. Wisconsin just ended its three-game losing streak with an important road win against Purdue and hosts Ohio State on Saturday. Wisconsin is 5-12 ATS during its past 17 home games versus a foe with a losing road record.



The Wildcats play a very slow tempo. They can frustrate the Badgers while also killing large chunks of the clock, which is great for such a big underdog.

The Mavericks have won the past seven times when hosting the Rockets. Dallas has covered in their last five home games versus Houston.



The rested Mavericks have been home since Sunday when they played. Houston gutted out a 97-90 victory against San Antonio last night despite missing its leading scorer James Harden, who has a thumb injury. I like the Mavericks in this spot even if Harden suits up.



The Rockets are 5-11-1 ATS following a victory. Houston relies heavily on its high octane offense that ranks fifth averaging 104.4 points a game. However, the Rockets are averaging just 88.3 points on 40.4 percent shooting from the floor during their last three games.



I like Dallas' advantage on the free throw line, too. The Mavericks rank third in the NBA in free throw percentage while Houston is 29th.

Missouri has never won at Arkansas in six career tries. The Tigers are off a win against South Carolina, but have failed to cover the past six times following a win.



The Tigers don't generate enough ball movement to hang close against Arkansas in one of the toughest road venues in the country. The Tigers are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 road games and 3-10-1 ATS during their past 14 away matchups against foes with a winning home mark.



Arkansas leads the SEC in scoring and assists per game at 16.2. Bobby Portis can cause problems for Missouri inside. Arkansas also is the more balanced team.

The Nets have stepped up defensively this month. They held Boston to 79 points on the road Sunday.



Toronto plays more half-court against Eastern Conference foes especially on the road. The Raptors have gone under in seven of their last eight away matchups.



DeMar DeRozan's, Toronto's top offensive threat, is out with a foot injury.

The Raptors have been a great road value covering 10 of their last 13 away matchups. They are an underrated team even without breakout star DeMar DeRozan, who is out with a foot injury. Toronto is tough on the boards, getting a strong year from point guard Kyle Lowry and excellent bench play following their deal of Rudy Gay to Sacramento.



Unsung Terrance Ross more than made up for DeRozan's absence in Toronto's last game scoring 51 points this past Saturday in a 126-118 home loss to the Clippers.



The Nets are playing without rest and off an emotional road victory against the Celtics. Paul Pierce said it was the toughest game he ever had to play in.

Cleveland is on the upswing with Luol Deng while the Suns are regressing minus Eric Bledsoe and with opponents no longer taking them lightly.



Anderson Varejao, the Cavaliers' key man, is stepping up averaging 11.3 points, 14.1 rebounds and shooting 53.2 percent from the floor during this month.



Phoenix averages nearly 10 fewer points on the road per game than at home and is 1-4 in its last five away matchups. It's the Suns' first road game in two weeks.



Cleveland has covered six of its last eight home games while covering 57 percent of its home contests this season.

The oddsmaker has set this total way too low.



The Lakers' don't play defense under normal circumstances and now their legs are gone as this marks the final stop of a brutal seven-game road trip.



LA is giving up an average of 114.4 points in its last 11 games. The Lakers have surrendered at least 109 points in eight of these 11 matchups.



Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points in 38 minutes in his last game. That was against Charlotte, a team that gives up nine fewer points per game than the Lakers.



The Lakers are full of one-way players such as Pau Gasol who are just offensive-minded. The Knicks rank 22nd in defensive field goal percentage. They've allowed an average of 107.1 points in their last six games.



This is a nationally televised afternoon game at Madison Square Garden. You know these players are going to be thinking offense.

Washington is better on the road than at home. Understood. But I don't see the Wizards following up their impressive victory at Phoenix last night with another win against the rested Jazz, who are off embarrassing back-to-back losses to Minnesota.

Utah matches up better to Washington and hopes to have Derrick Favors in the lineup. He missed Utah's last game, this past Tuesday, with a hip injury.

The Jazz do have Gordon Hayward back. Hayward and Trey Burke give the Jazz an underrated backcourt.

The Wizards are 1-4 ATS following a victory.

Blake Griffin and DeMar DeRozan are producing monster offensive numbers. That bodes well for the over.

The Clippers haven't missed a beat minus Chris Paul. They have gone over in five of their last six and scored at least 109 points in six of their past eight.

Toronto plays far more up-tempo against Western Conference clubs. This is reflected in the total going over in 11 of Toronto's last 15 versus Western clubs.

The Grizzlies have been idle since Monday. They draw Houston fat and happy following three straight double-digit victories.



Houston, though, has a thin bench. Ronnie Brewer, Terrence Jones and Francisco Garcia are all injured.



The Grizzlies have had five days to stew about losing their last game, 95-92, to New Orleans. That snapped a five game winning streak.



Memphis is back playing tough defense holding their last four foes to an average of 87.2 points. On the season, the Grizzlies are allowing six fewer points per game than the Rockets.



Memphis has won nine of its last 13 road contests and is 7-3 ATS in its past 10 games.



Marc Gasol has been back for more than a week now after missing 23 games with a knee injury. Gasol is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA, if not the best, and can keep Dwight Howard in check.

Both of these are real bad, but the Magic are healthier and in a far better situational spot.



The Lakers played hard last night against Miami. This is their sixth of seven straight road games. They have covered six in a row. The Lakers were taking seven or more points in each of their last five games. A flat spot is due especially when they need to win to cover.



Los Angeles finishes its long road swing Sunday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, a team and place the Lakers are far more likely to be motivated for than Orlando.



The Lakers have lost nine of their last 12 are minus Kobe Bryant and have a cluster injury problem at point guard. Kendall Marshall is racking up major minutes with Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar all out. He could wear down as the Lakers' long trip nears a conclusion.



Orlando should be able to get its share of points. Rookie Victor Oladipo is beginning to live up to his hype coming off a 24-point scoring game and the Lakers were yielding an average of 114.5 points in their last 10 games. Opponents were connecting on 48.4 percent from the floor against the Lakers during this span.

Miami has been less than stellar surrendering more than 98 points per game. The Heat often are overpriced, as is the case again. Miami has failed to cover eight of the past 11 times when laying points at home.



The Heat have much bigger games on tap - facing San Antonio and Oklahoma City.



Dwayne Wade is expected to sit out again. Miami is merely 6-6 without Wade.



Sparked by unsung point Kendall Marshall, the Lakers have covered five in a row. In their last three games they have beaten Boston, Toronto and lost to Chicago in overtime by two.

The 76ers are the worst defensive team in the NBA giving up 109 points per game. They are the perfect patsy for the Knicks' offense to get back in gear.



The Knicks haven't been playing much defense either giving up an average of 109.3 points during their past four games.



The 76ers need Michael Carter-Williams to have a big game. He'd been in a slump, but broke out of it with 31 points this past Monday against Washington.

Brooklyn is playing its finest basketball winning and covering seven of its last eight, including blasting the Knicks, 103-80, on Monday. That was the Nets' first game back from their London trip when they buried the Hawks.



Now the Nets get Orlando, which is 3-17 on the road. A letdown is in order for the Nets.



The Magic rank a respectable 18th in defensive efficiency and their offense is much better with Arron Affalo back in the lineup. Affalo is Orlando's most consistent player and in the discussion for a berth in the All-Star Game.



Orlando can't beat Western Conference clubs on the road. The Magic's horrendous road mark is skewed by just having lost all five away matchups on their recently concluded West Coast trip.



However, Orlando can hold its own with the less athletic Eastern Conference clubs on the road. In their last eight road matchups versus Eastern Conference opponents, the Magic have posted victories against Atlanta, Chicago and Charlotte. They also lost by just two at Miami and in overtime at Cleveland.

Too many points for Villanova to be laying to such a quality opponent. The Blue Jays are underpriced after suffering an 81-68 road loss to Providence.



Prior to that, the Blue Jays had won 10 in a row. They lead the nation in 3-point shooting and are second in assists. They also have superstar big man Doug McDermott.

The Spurs have injuries, just played a tough game against Portland and have Oklahoma City on deck in a game far more meaningful than this one. The Spurs are 1-4 ATS the past five times versus foes with a losing record.



Tony Parker is out with a bruised shin. The Spurs also are without contributing reserves Tiago Splitter and Danny Green.



Milwaukee is healthier now and should beginning performing better because of it. John Henson and Larry Sanders, who is getting back untracked, provide the Bucks with two of the better shot blockers. Brandon Knight has been turning in some underrated performances at point guard.



The Bucks aren't in action until Wednesday so a full effort should be forthcoming.

Expect a much stronger effort from the Pistons after they were embarrassed, 110-89, at home last night by Utah. The Pistons had bee idle the previous four days and were rusty.

Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games. The Wizards have been better on the road. Detroit has a much better spread record on the road than when playing at home. Josh Smith had a bad game against the Jazz, but he's been playing much better.

The Wizards aren't as strong as Detroit in the paint and on the glass and are in a letdown spot after impressive victories against the Bulls and Heat.

UCLA's only loss in its last five games came to unbeaten No. 1 ranked Arizona by four points. The Bruins are off an impressive 15-point win against Arizona State this past Sunday and catch Colorado when the Buffaloes are in a vulnerable position.




Colorado was blown out at Washington in its last game. Worse, the Buffaloes lost star point guard Spencer Dimwiddie for the season with a knee injury. Without their leading scorer and assists leader, the Buffaloes committed 20 turnovers and none of their players had more than one assist against the Huskies once Dimwiddie went out of the game.




Colorado is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven Pac-12 games.