Philadelphia has been a big disappointment this season. But the 76ers still are a better team than Minnesota. The 76ers' winning percentage is .431. The Timberwolves' winning percentage is .380.

The 76ers still are in the fight for a playoff spot. Minnesota isn't. The Timberwolves' forlorn hopes were dashed when Kevin Love went down for the second time this season. The 76ers want to start the post-All-Star break with a victory. They know it's crucial especially with their next two games against Miami and the Knicks on the road.

Minnesota has lost 16 of its past 19 games. The Timberwolves have dropped 17 of 21 since Love broke his shooting hand for the second time. The 76ers have underachieved, but they have taken care of business against bad teams going 6-0 ATS the past six times when facing under .500 opponents.

The Rockets are too weak defensively and deficient on the boards to keep up with Oklahoma City.

That already has been proved during the previous two meetings this season won by the Thunder, 120-98 at in Oklahoma City and 124-94 at Toyota Center.

The Thunder have been itching to get back into action after going into the All-Star break with two consecutive losses. The Thunder lost those games to Utah on the road and to the world champion Heat at home, 110-100. There's no shame in losing to the Heat, or to Utah on the road. But the Thunder won't be happy with a third straight loss, this time to an inferior opponent. Oklahoma City is 16-5 ATS following a double-digit home loss.

Houston does play much better at home. But the Rockets rank second-to-last in defense surrendering 103.3 points a game. Oklahoma City is No. 2 in scoring at 106 per game. The Rockets are giving up an average of 109.3 points during their last six games. Their defensive problems are not going to get fixed under Kevin McHale.

So the Rockets are going to need to win by offense alone. James Harden, the former star bench player for Oklahoma City, is Houston's offensive key. The Thunder, though, have done the job on their former teammate knowing his tendencies. They've held Harden to a combined 9-for-33 shooting from the field in the two games this season. Oklahoma City has outshot the Rockets, 50.8 percent to 40.6 percent from the field in holding Houston to an average of 96 points. The Thunder is 30-2 when keeping their opponents under 100 points.

Oklahoma City is going to be well-prepared and highly motivated trying to put an end to its losing streak and facing Harden. The Thunder are 7-1-1 ATS the last nine times they've played when having had at least three days rest.

Sparked by newcomer Rudy Gay, Toronto has reeled off five straight wins. Memphis, though, is playing well, too, having won four in a row. It's clear now that the Grizzlies have adjusted to life without Gay.

I'm always attracted to a superior team getting points. And that's the case here with the early number.

Toronto does not match up well to Memphis even with Gay. The Grizzlies have a tall, physical frontcourt that piles up points in the paint. The Raptors are a weak rebounding team. Memphis ranks No. 2 in rebounding differential while Toronto is 24th. Winning the rebound battle has been a key in Memphis beating Toronto seven of the last eight times, including the past three in Toronto.

The Grizzlies have covered nine of the past 13 times when facing a sub .500 opponent. The Grizzlies will be highly motivated to show they can win without Gay by proving it first-hand to their former star.

Memphis is averaging 104.3 points while hitting 52.2 percent of its shots from the field during its last four games. Toronto ranks 22nd in defensive field goal percentage allowing foes to shoot better than 46 percent from the floor.

Point guard Mike Conley has been playing well for Memphis. While Toronto improved itself acquiring Gay, the Raptors did deal off Jose Calderon, their best all-around point guard.

There is nothing fancy to this handicap. Murray State is the better team and laying a short road number. The Racers lead the West Division of the Ohio Valley Conference with an 18-7 record. Morehead State is 13-14.

Morehead State has failed to cover in its last five league games. However, Murray State has lost straight-up in its last two games despite being heavy favorites.

I see the Racers coming in focused and ready in this matchup. The spread is low enough to back the superior team.

The Ohio Valley Conference is not a high priority conference for the oddsmaker. His power ratings for this game are skewed because of Murray State's unimpressive last two games. It's just a temporary bump in the road for the Racers. Their due to get back on track here.

Neither team is great. Yet BYU is laying double-digits. The well-coached Aggies haven't been double-digit 'dogs all season. BYU has been favored by more seven points in four of its last five games and is 0-4 ATS in those games.

This game was originally scheduled for Dec. 5, but was postponed when Utah State guard Danny Berger went into cardiac arrest the day before. The matchup falls right in the middle of conference season, but that's a plus for the underdog Aggies as this is an intense in-state rivalry.

Utah State has overcome injuries to get back on track winning four its last five games. Last year, Utah State beat BYU, 69-62. BYU may be the better team this year, but the Cougars are nothing special. They are laying too many points in this one.

The line is right to back the superior team. The Bulls have been pointing to this matchup not just because it's a revenge spot, but because they went into All-Star break losing four of their last five and two in a row.

The veteran Bulls are just one-half game out of fourth place and have the urgency to get a good playoff seed. The Bulls have Miami on deck so they can't afford a loss here. Look for All-Star Luol Deng to not only score well, but clamp down on the Hornets' long-range specialist Ryan Anderson.

New Orleans is better when Eric Gordon plays, but they are still at least a level lower than Chicago. The Hornets have dropped 13 of their last 20 home games.

Chicago has one of the better road spread marks at 15-10 ATS.

The Pistons don't match up well to Western Conference foes covering just twice against them in their last 10 games. Detroit has failed to cover the last six times it has met Memphis. The Grizzlies have won four in a row at Detroit.

The Grizzlies not only play in the stronger conference being in the West, but have a .647 winning percentage to Detroit's .389. The Grizzlies have a winning straight-up road record while Detroit is just .500 at home. The Pistons also are without Andre Drummond, a key contributor who is out with a stress fracture in his back.

Drummond's presence really is going to be missed in this matchup as the Grizzlies have a tall front line featuring stars Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

After an initial adjustment period following the trade of Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies have started to get it together. They come out of the All-Star break having won three in a row. They really want to win this game for Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye, who were acquired from the Pistons as part of the Gay deal.

The Grizzlies are the better team, are rested, have motivation and the price is short enough.

Only one team in the NBA has a worse record than Orlando and that's Charlotte. The Bobcats are three games behind Orlando. It actually would be advantageous for the Magic to lose to the Bobcats in order to better their chances of finishing with the worst record and thus increase their odds of landing the top overall draft pick.

I doubt either of these teams is going to be real interested in getting back on the court after the longest layoff of the season and with no playoff hope. Orlando's players face more distractions, though, being home and with trade rumors circulating that some of their key players, including J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson and Arron Affalo, could be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline.

I'm certainly not a fan of the Bobcats. Any handicap to Charlotte is based far more on fading the opponent. But the Bobcats did defeat the Magic, 106-100, at Orlando on Jan. 18. The Magic had Glen Davis for that game. The Magic don't have Davis or suspended Hedo Turkoglu for this matchup. Charlotte beat the Magic without big man Byron Mullens and lost Gerald Henderson to a back injury in the second half. It was the fourth consecutive time Charlotte had covered on the road versus the Magic.

As bad as Charlotte is, Orlando simply can't be favored by this margin. The Magic have lost 24 of their past 27 games. This includes a 2-12 record during their last 14 home contests. The Magic are 2-12 ATS in their last 14 overall games and have failed to cover the last NINE times as chalk.

Orlando has averaged less than 88 points during its past nine games while giving up an average of 110.3 points in its last three games.

I'll take whatever points I can get in this battle for first place in the Patriot League. Both teams were caught looking ahead to this league showdown with each losing this past Saturday.

Bucknell had a five-game winning streak snapped, losing 63-62 to Lafayette. Lehigh fell to Colgate, 64-60. Lehigh trailed 38-16 with 4:04 left in the first half before launching a comeback that fell short.

Bucknell should dominate inside thanks to 6-foot-11 Mike Muscala, one of the better big men in the country. This matchup comes down to Lehigh's outside shooting and Bucknell's superior inside game. Bucknell ranks 11th in the nation in defensive field goal percentage. I see Bucknell's perimeter defense, and inside dominance with Muscala, trumping Lehigh's long-range shooting.

On paper, the West has the better players. However, many of the West's stars are nicked up and not 100 percent.

Nobody is playing at a higher level right now than LeBron James. James will lead an East squad full of emerging stars who will be highly motivated having not participated in this national showcase like the West's old standbys.

I see a hungry young East lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, Paul George, Luol Deng and Brook Lopez going all out. The East also has a double revenge motive. The conference with double revenge has covered the last seven times in All-Star action when playing the third time.

The average victory margin during the last three games has been 3.3 points so things figure to be close.

After starting 0-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play, Illinois State has gone 7-1. I see the Redbirds, though, stumbling against Wichita State, which is facing a pivotal two-game road trip starting with this matchup.

The Shockers are the better team. They have a 38 RPI rating compared to Illinois State's 114 and defeated the Redbirds, 74-62, on Jan. 16. The Shockers accomplished that victory minus Carl Hall, their top rebounder and second-leading scorer.

Wichita State has won at Illinois State each of the past two seasons winning by 13 and 14 points, respectively. The Shockers are 15-7-1 ATS during their past 23 games versus a foe with a winning record.

There's been early movement in the marketplace on this matchup - and I agree with the move to Illinois.

Northwestern upset Illinois, 68-54, back on Jan. 17 when the Illini weren't playing well. The Illini have turned things around winning three in a row, including beating Indiana. This is a key game for Illinois if they hope to have an at-large shot.

Injuries have derailed Northwestern's hopes. Having lost swingman and second-leading scorer Drew Crawford for the season in December, the Wildcats suffered another recent crippling blow with Jared Shropshire, their top rebounder, done for the year with a knee injury.

Arkansas is 30-4 at home during the Mike Anderson era. The Razorbacks have lost just one game at home this season - and that was by nine points to sixth-ranked Syracuse. Missouri has won just once on the road.

Missouri has problems with teams that press. The Tigers lost to Florida and Louisville, two teams known for their all-out pressure, by a combined 54 points. Arkansas is much more effective with its press when playing at home.

Providence is playing well with three straight Big East victories, including knocking off Villanova and Cincinnati. The Friars are a respectable 5-7 in conference and have a winning record overall. Notre Dame is 2-6 ATS when playing a foe with a winning mark.

The Irish also have gone into overtime in three of their last four games - winning all three times. All together, Notre Dame has played seven overtime periods during this span. They are a tired team.

Now the Irish are traveling to the East Coast playing a hot team at a tough road venue. It's letdown time for Notre Da

Manhattan and Iona met back on Jan. 6. Manhattan covered as a 12 1/2-point underdog losing 78-70.

The spread is considerably smaller this time around. But I still like Manhattan. The Jaspers are playing much better since that first loss to Iona. They have won three in a row, while Iona is 1-3 in its last four games, 0-4 ATS. The Gaels also are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.

Manhattan also has covered six of the last seven times when getting points.

This is a big Atlantic 10 matchup that I believe will be much closer than what the oddsmakers figure.

VCU has a strong press, but the Minutemen have a quality guard in Chaz Williams to handle it plus big men Cady Lalanne and Terrell Vinson to control the boards and slow down the Rams.

The Rams are in first place in the Atlantic 10, but overrated by the oddsmaker. They have failed to cover in their last five league games.

UMASS is 6-0-1 the past seven times when playing foes that have a winning percentage of .600 or above. The Minutemen also are 4-0-1 in their past five conference games.

This is that rare February matchup that has a playoff atmosphere to it - and it's priced that way, too. It has a zig and zag feel.

Miami has won six in a row. LeBron James is playing his finest basketball, which of course is saying a lot. But James has scored more than 30 points during each of the last six games while shooting above 70 percent during the win streak. The Heat have beaten the Thunder during the past four meetings - three in a row in the NBA Championship Series and 103-97 at home on Christmas Day in a game that was closer than the final score shows.

So the value is with Miami. However, my handicap is to Oklahoma City. A money line option is too pricey. I'm going to go with the side I think wins the game and that's the Thunder.

Oklahoma City also is playing well winning a franchise-best four straight games by 20 or more points before losing big at Utah this past Tuesday. There's no shame losing in Salt Lake City as the Jazz are one of the best home teams. The Thunder also were caught looking ahead to this matchup. And why not? This is Oklahoma City's biggest game of the season.

The Thunder protect their home-court well. They are 23-3 straight-up at Chesapeake Energy Arena this season and have covered 72 percent of their last 32 home matchups.

This is the Heat's first road game since Feb. 3. They are going into a very tough road venue. The Heat are just one game above .500 on the road this season. They are 10-13 ATS away from home. The Thunder have something to prove to Miami. I say they seize the opportunity.

Boston has a cluster injury problem in its backcourt and has lost its edge after a road loss this past Monday to Charlotte, the worst team in the league.

The Bulls are off a bad loss to San Antonio, but are 8-2 ATS following a non-cover. Chicago is stronger defensively than Boston and a better rebounding team.

The Bulls have exploited these edges to defeat Boston in seven of the past nine meetings. Part of Chicago's dominance against the Celtics is because of its head coach, Tom Thibodeau. He knows the Celtics well having been their lead assistant coach before coming to Chicago.

Already without Rajon Rondo, the Celtics lost backup guard Leandro Barbosa to a torn left ACL. Thibodeau will know how to take advantage of those injuries.

The Bulls have covered 58 percent of their road games this season. They are 8-3 ATS the past 11 times they've been underdogs.

The Wizards are playing their best ball - but they still are the Wizards.

Washington has the worst road record in the NBA and has lost 12 of the past 14 times to the Pistons. The Wizards are 1-14 SU on the road versus Eastern Conference foes.

Detroit is not going to overlook Washington, especially after a brutal 105-86 home loss to bottom-feeding New Orleans this past Monday. The Pistons are 5-1 ATS the last six times they've faced foes with a losing record.

Orlando has lost 23 of its last 26 games. The Magic have failed to cover in 11 of their last 13 games. They are incapable of beating a solid playoff team such as the Hawks.

The Hawks have won their last eight regular-season games versus the Magic holding them to an average of less than 80 points per game during this span. The Hawks won the last meeting back on Dec. 12, 86-80, when the Magic had Glen Davis, who is out now.

Atlanta is better on the road when facing weak competition going 12-5-2 ATS when facing opponents with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Hawks have covered during seven of their past eight trips to Orlando.

The Magic have less urgency as they approach All-Star break having just ended their 12-game losing streak by defeating Portland at home this past Sunday.

The Huskies are running away with the Colonial Athletic Association, but are 4-6 ATS as favorites this season. Even though they are an impressive 12-1 in conference, eight of their victories have been by five points or less.

Northeastern is 7-18-1 ATS when playing a foe with a losing road record. Delaware's record, though, is deceiving.

The Blue Hens opened by losing eight of their first 11. But they've come on to go 10-4, including 5-1 since a three-game losing streak in mid-January. One of those defeats was to Northeastern by four points at home.

Delaware is playing better now, has revenge and Northeastern doesn't have as much motivation and is not strong in a favorite's role.

This has been a home team series with the host covering eight of the last 10 times. I see that trend holding up in this matchup.

The Warriors desperately need to get back on track before the All-Star break after a brutal winless four-game road trip. They lost 116-91 to Dallas this past Saturday in their last game. That was their fourth game in five days. The Warriors have had two days now to regroup.

Golden State has done the job at home winning 15 of its last 19, including the last four. The Warriors also have a strong revenge motive in this matchup as last Tuesday the Rockets rubbed things in trying to set an NBA mark for 3-pointers in a 140-109 rout of the Warriors. That humiliation is very much fresh in the Warriors' minds.

The Warriors didn't have center Andrew Bogut against the Mavericks as he rounds back into shape following a serious ankle injury. Bogut, though, is expected to play tonight having had amble rest.
Houston is one of those good home-bad road teams. The Rockets have failed to cover in nine of their last 12 away contests and are 2-7 ATS on the road when facing a foe with a winning home record.

OK, at plus 8 I'll bite. These teams are pretty close to even so I'm going to take the points. Villanova has proven itself on the road going 6-1-1 ATS in its last eight road games.

The Bearcats have slowed down since a 13-1 start going 5-5 in their past 10 games with their victories during this span occurring mainly against the Big East's weaker teams. The Bearcats have failed to cover during their last seven home contests.

Cincinnati is in a shooting slump averaging just 51 points in losing its past two games to Providence and Pittsburgh. Villanova has become one of the better defensive teams in the Big East limiting their last five foes to 60.4 points per game and 36.7 shooting from the floor.

The Wildcats have the necessary backcourt quickness to match up effectively against Cincinnati's four-guard lineup. This is what Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was quoted as saying about Villanova's defense:

The 76ers are home for the 12th time in their last 13 games. This wraps up their eight-game homestand. The Clippers are playing in their eighth consecutive road game.

Philadelphia entered its current homestand dropping 10 of 13. But being home has revived the 76ers. They've gone 5-2 in their last seven games and are just three games out of a playoff spot. After this matchup, the 76ers play three of their next four on the road with the lone home game during this span coming against the world champion Heat. So this is a big game for the 76ers.

The Clippers are healthy again, but this is a flat spot for them. Los Angeles is off an impressive 102-88 win against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden yesterday. Prior to that game, the Clippers lost to the Heat in Miami. Following this game, the Clippers return to sunny Los Angeles from the stormy East Coast to host Houston on Wednesday and then take on their most hated rival, the Lakers, on Thursday before All-Star break.So I don't see the Clippers having as much motivation as the 76ers for this matchup.

The 76ers aren't at 100 percent, but they've stepped up their defensive game holding their past four opponents to an average of 76.3 points a game and 35.3 percent field goal shooting.

I think this is a short number to lay with a much better team. Northeastern leads the Colonial Athletic Association with a 11-1 mark compared to Wiliam & Mary's 3-8 record. Overall, Northeastern is 16-8 compared to William & Mary's 9-13 mark.

The Huskies have covered five of their last six road games and are 11-1 in their last 12 overall games. This includes a narrow 95-91 overtime win at home against William & Mary on Jan. 23 and should ensure that Northeastern is fully focused for this rematch. William & Mary shot 53 percent from the field and still didn't win that game.

The Huskies were 10-point favorites in that matchup. Now the spread is far smaller. The Tribe is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games.

Kudos to Boston for playing hard and winning six in a row after losing star point guard Rajon Rondo. But all but one of those victories occurred at home and four were against foes who were at least four games under .500. They beat the Clippers by two and Lakers during this span. The Clippers, though, were missing Chris Paul and the Lakers were minus Pau Gasol.

The object of pointing this out isn't to disparage the Celtics, but illustrate that they are overvalued in this matchup. Denver is 15-2 in its last 17 games. The Nuggets are even hotter than Boston winning nine in a row.

The Nuggets beat the Cavaliers,who have been playing well, in Cleveland last night. Denver, though, is 10-3 ATS the past 13 times when playing without rest, including 7-3 ATS this season.

The Nuggets are playing with a chip on their shoulder after none of their players were chosen for the All-Star Game. Matchup-wise, the Nuggets have the point guards with Ty Lawson, who is playing at a high level averaging 19.1 points in his last 10 games, and veteran Andre Miller to take advantage of no Rajon and a deep frontcourt to take advantage of Boston's lack of rebounding.

The Nuggets outscored the Cavaliers, 62-32, in the paint on Friday night. Boston has been outrebounded in six of its last eight games.

The Celtics also have to deal with the mental distraction of a winter blizzard. The storm forced them to cancel practice on Saturday.

The Magic have lost 23 of their last 25, including 12 in a row. But they should be a very live home 'dog with leading scorer Arron Afflalo back in the lineup and facing a tired Portland squad that has a weak bench and is a bad road team.

The Trail Blazers have the lowest scoring bench in the league. That's a big factor because this marks Portland's fourth road game in six days. The Trail Blazers have dropped six of their last seven away contests. They are 8-17 SU away from Rose Garden, 10-15 ATS for 40 percent.

Portland has failed to cover 16 of the past 21 times when taking on a sub-.500 opponent. The teams met last month in Portland and the Magic took the Trail Blazers to overtime before losing.

Orlando is bad. There's no getting around that. But the Magic aren't Bobcats-bad. Now that Afflalo is back to join promising big man Nikola Vucevic and JJ Redick - who is probable to play after missing the last three games with a sore shoulder - the Magic are better. Afflalo and Redick are Orlando's two top scores and Vucevic had 25 points and 13 rebounds in Orlando's last game.

The Magic have held their own this season versus Western Conference foes going 8-10. This is the Magic's best chance to end their horrid losing streak before the All-Star break since their lone remaining matchup before then is against the Hawks.

Yes, it's always risky to ask the Kings to win straight up. But this certainly is a golden spot for them.

Sacramento took Utah to overtime this past Monday before losing. So there is the revenge factor. More important is the rest factor. The Kings haven't played since that game. The Jazz played a tough game at home last night and lost to Chicago. This is Utah's third game in four days.

The Jazz are 9-16-1 ATS on the road. They have failed to cover in seven of their past 10 overall games. Utah also is 0-5 ATS when facing a team with a losing record.

This is Sacramento's first home game since Jan. 25. It's one of the rare times when the Kings should be highly motivated as it looks more and more like they are headed to Seattle after this season.

The Kings have a big backcourt advantage with Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas. The Jazz could be missing three guards as Mo Williams and Gordon Hayward are out and Earl Watson might sit, too. That leaves Jamaal Tinsley and slow-footed Randy Foye.

Look for the Kings to run on the Jazz, a half-court team facing fatigue issues after playing last night. I see the Kings coming out with a lot of energy and desire. It's not often you can say that about this team, but this should be one instance where it does occur.

The Jayhawks haven't lost three in a row in nearly eight years. I don't see it happening here. Kansas is 12-4-1 ATS following a loss.

Oklahoma doesn't match up well to the Jayhawks. The Sooners have dropped their last 10 meetings to Kansas by an average of 13 points. The Sooners have failed to cover in five of their last six league games as Big 12 teams are figuring out the Sooners.

Kansas beat Oklahoma, 67-54, on Jan. 26. The Sooners' perimeter shooting has gotten worse since then.

I know it's tough to step in against the Pacers, who have won five in a row and 15 straight at home. But this line is inflated and Toronto is improved with Rudy Gay.

This marks the Pacers' fourth game in five nights. They finally had a break on Thursday after being the only team in the NBA this season to play on three consecutive days. The Pacers won all of those games by double-digits. Certainly that's impressive although the 76ers on Wednesday were missing Thadeus Young and Jason Richardson and for some reason never showed up scoring just 69 points.

The Pacers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They are not structured, though, to cover big numbers like this especially in a flat spot. Indiana averages less than 93 points a game. Only two teams average fewer points per game.

The Raptors are better than what they are perceived with talent and young legs. Gay has revived their spirit and shown that management is behind them. Andrea Bargnani also is back to boost Toronto's offense after missing 26 games with an elbow injury.

Toronto is 1-2 since Gay came on board beating the Clippers, but falling to the Heat and red-hot Celtics. The Raptors led Boston by double-digits entering the fourth quarter. The Raptors believe they can make the playoffs. They will be playing hard here, perhaps wanting the game more than the Pacers.

The Raptors have played the Pacers tough this season splitting a pair of two-point games. I see a similar scenario enfolding in this matchup.

This spread opened too short as Canisius is a much better team than Manhattan. The Golden Griffins are 8-4 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference while the Jaspers are 5-7 in league.

Canisius is in good form, too, winning five of its last six. The Golden Griffins are 10-4 ATS following a victory. Manhattan defeated St. Peter's in its last game, but has dropped 10 of its past 14 games. The Jaspers are 3-7 ATS following a victory.

Canisius won't be taking Manhattan lightly either as the Golden Griffins won by just four points at home in the first meeting between the two teams as 7 1/2-point favorite on Jan. 17.

This has been a road team series with the visitor covering the past eight times. Canisius is 5-1-1 ATS during its last seven visits to Manhattan.

My sources who pay attention to this conference rate Canisius nearly 10 points better than Manhattan on a neutral court based on overall talent and current form. So this is a very cheap price to lay.

The Bucks exerted a lot of energy in blowing a 17-point lead last night at Denver. Now the Bucks have to play for the fourth time in six days and second in two nights in high altitude facing Utah.

Milwaukee has failed to cover during 10 of its last 11 visits to Salt Lake City. I don't see that pattern changing here.

The Jazz have won nine of their last 10 home games. They traditionally have a huge home-court advantage and that hasn't changed this season. Utah has covered 61 percent of its games at EnergySolutions Arena.

The tired Bucks are going to have problems matching up against Utah's tall and physical front line, especially matching up against Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. The Bucks have lost 14 of 21 times when giving up at least 46 points in the paint.

Utah is holding foes to 89 points a game during its last three home contests. The Bucks have been held under 90 points 12 times this season. They are 0-12 straight-up and ATS in those games.

The Bucks have become more high energy since Jim Boylan replaced defensive-minded Scott Skiles. Milwaukee relies heavily on its backcourt tandem of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings for its offense. Those two, along with the rest of Milwaukee's players, though, figure to have tired legs. The Bucks are just 4-11 ATS when playing with no rest.

Phoenix is playing better since switching head coaches going to Lindsay Hunter. The Suns, though, are a terrible team and I don't see them playing well in back-to-back road games after upsetting Memphis, 96-90, last night on the road.

The Suns have a conference-low five road wins. They also are 6-17 in their last 23 games and catch the revenge-minded Hornets extremely well rested. The Hornets last played on Saturday. The Hornets are 12-3 ATS when they've had three or more days of rest. The Hornets just got through playing five straight games on the road. After this matchup, they go back on the road three more consecutive times.

The Hornets will have Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis in the lineup. They are a completely different team when Gordon plays, capable of beating any opponent. Gordon and Davis missed the team's first meeting when the Suns pulled out a 111-108 overtime win on Nov. 23. The Suns came back from 19 down in the third quarter to pull out the victory.

Finally healthy, the Wizards are very much under-the-radar screen covering 14 of their last 18 games.

New York is playing well, too, but now goes on the road for the first time since Jan. 26.

Lottery-bound, the Wizards pick and choose which games give them extra motivation. This is one such matchup. New York has defeated Washington 10 consecutive times the last coming this season when the Wizards were missing John Wall.

Wall has helped spark the Wizards into semi-respectability. Washington has won six of its last seven games at Verizon Center, including knocking off heavyweights Miami, Oklahoma City and the Clippers. The Wizards have covered seven of their last eight.

The Knicks haven't covered more than five in a row since mid-November. They have a history of playing down to the level of their competition. The Wizards are playing their best ball. The Wizards can deal with the rebounding of Tyson Chandler thanks to the tandem of Emeka Okafor and Nene.

Southern Mississippi is playing its third straight road game, having squeezed out close wins during the first two away games on their trip beating Tulsa and UAB.

The Golden Eagles are 7-0 in Conference USA, their best start ever in league action. They are tied for first with Memphis, also 7-0. Southern Mississippi hosts Memphis on Saturday so there is a look ahead angle in fading the Golden Eagles along with the third consecutive road game factor. The Golden Eagles also haven't played any of the tougher conference teams yet.

Central Florida is 5-2 in Conference USA. The Knights are a solid 15-6 overall, but ineligible for the C-USA Tournament and all other tournaments due to NCAA violations. Central Florida is off a close road loss at Marshall. That snapped a four-game winning streak. Now the Knights are back home and will be treating this as their biggest game since they have no postseason.

The Knights have covered in nine of their last 13 home games, while Southern Mississippi is 4-10 ATS when playing on the road versus foes with a winning home record.

Central Florida has forward Keith Clanton, who was selected as the conference's preseason player of the year. This is what Southern Mississippi forward Daveon Boardingham was quoted as saying about the matchup, "They've got the preseason MVP, so I think we're the underdogs."

Except Southern Mississippi isn't the underdog. They are the favorite. I disagree. Central Florida should win straight-up.

Indiana is playing outstanding basketball especially at home where it has won 14 in a row. The Pacers are 10-5 in their last 15 games. They would be 7-1 in their last 8 games if they didn't lose by one point at Denver and on the road to Utah when the Jazz made two free throws with one second left in overtime to win by four.

Contrast this with Atlanta, which has lost seven of its past eight road contests, has injuries and is off a bad 93-76 home loss to Chicago this past Saturday despite the Bulls missing four key players. The Hawks have failed to cover the past seven times when playing on two days rest.

The Pacers haven't lost at home since Dec. 7 in building a 19-3 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana has double revenge having lost twice in Atlanta this season.

The Hawks are averaging 84.5 points in their last two games, both at home. The Pacers rank either first or second in scoring defensive, defensive field goal percentage and defending against 3-pointers. The Pacers also are the superior rebounding team.

Atlanta figures to be short-handed, too, as center Zaza Pachulia and Devin Harris are not likely to play.

Purdue is a mediocre Big Ten team. Penn State, though, is a bottom tier Big Ten team losers of nine in a row and winless in conference.

The line is low, though, because Purdue is off two bad losses in a row. Boilermakers coach Matt Painter is trying hard to light a match under his team knowing that with upcoming games against Michigan State, Illinois and Indiana, Purdue needs to win this game to have any hope of a postseason berth.

The Boilermakers' season really is shot if they lose to Penn State. A win could potentially salvage their season.

The Nittany Lions have never recovered from losing star guard Tim Frazier in their fourth game. Frazier was the only player in Division I to average 17 points and six assists a season ago.

Seton Hall is having a down season and Pittsburgh is better than its conference record. Still, this is too many points for the Panthers to be laying against a Big East foe especially given their scheduling situation.

The Panthers got their signature win of the season. It came just two days ago at home when they defeated then sixth-ranked Syracuse, 65-55. The Panthers have another huge game on deck when they play Cincinnati on Saturday.

Seton Hall beat Pittsburgh, 73-66, at home in the team's lone meeting last season. The Pirates have a tall front line that can hang with Pittsburgh with Gene Teague, Fuguan Edwin and Brandon Moore. The trio combines to average nearly 40 points per game and pull down 20 rebounds a game.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon probably won't look to run up a score either on Seton Hall, which is coached by Kevin Willard. He's a former Panther point guard and son of ex-Panther head coach Ralph Willard.

The Knicks are playing well. Detroit isn't. The Knicks have owned the Pistons winning nine of the last 10 in the series.

Because of this we have an inflated line. The Knicks haven't covered four in a row since mid-November. The Knicks are 4-9 ATS following a pointspread cover. They are due for a letdown and I see it happening here.

The Pistons have covered five of their last seven road games. They have revenge for an embarrassing 102-87 loss to New York in London during their last matchup on Jan. 17.

Detroit's backcourt is bolstered with the expected debut of newly acquired Jose Calderon.

The Knicks have covered just three of the past 10 times at home when facing a foe with a losing road mark.

This is a rest stop for Miami. The Heat just concluded a four-game, 10-day road trip going hard in the fourth quarter to beat Toronto on Sunday. The Heat are 2-8 ATS following a victory. Their concentration and focus figures to be off after being away from home this long and going against such an easy opponent.

This marks Miami's third game in four days. The Heat actually delayed their flight home from Toronto on Sunday in order to watch the Super Bowl. The Heat host the Rockets on Wednesday, the Clippers on Friday and Lakers on Sunday. Those are all home marquee matchups for the Heat, who don't want to exert much energy in dispatching the Bobcats.

Charlotte does get decent production from its backcourt. The Bobcats are weak up front, but Miami's weakness is rebounding. The Bobcats aren't likely to have Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for this game, but power forward Byron Mullins is expected to play for the first time since spraining his ankle in late December.

Like most opponents, the Bobcats should be motivated to play against LeBron James and the defending world champions.

UNLV's road woes are overrated for this matchup. The Rebels have not only a talent and size advantage, but also a better bench. They should be much higher favorites than this.

Yes, the Rebels have covered only 23 percent of their last 21 road games, but just in the last month they've played a number of tough road foes, including North Carolina, New Mexico and San Diego State.

Boise State has slipped back into reality after a 13-2 start. The Broncos are 1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS in their last five games.

The wrong team is favored. The Hornets are superior to Minnesota, which has been sunk by multiple injuries, bad defense and low morale. The Timberwolves are 4-13-1 ATS in their last 18 games.

Minnesota has lost six in a row. This is a stop-the-pain game for the Timberwolves, but they don't have depth nor talent to beat New Orleans. The Timberwolves fell behind the Lakers by 29 points last night. They launched a great rally to cut the lead to four, but couldn't pull the game out losing, 111-100. The Timberwolves exerted a lot of energy in that loss.

The Hornets are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road contests. They've beaten the 76ers, Celtics and Grizzlies straight-up on the road during the past two weeks. The Hornets are an entirely different team when Eric Gordon is on the floor so their overall record is skewed. New Orleans has a winning record with Gordon. Without him, they are 7-25.

New Orleans also played last night losing at Denver. The Hornets, though, aren't in action again until Wednesday so they shouldn't be holding anything back in this very winnable game.

This is a huge revenge game for St. John's, which was humiliated by Georgetown, 67-51, at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 12.

The Red Storm has had this rematch circled ever since. The key, though, is that St. John's is playing much better since that defeat putting together a five game winning streak with four covers.

St. John's has improved in the last month and some of that has come from going to a three-guard starting lineup. The Red Storm has won three of its last four road games with their lone loss during this span coming in overtime to Villanova.

Georgetown is 3-11 ATS versus opponents who have a winning road mark.

The Lakers' troubles are well chronicled being such a high profile team. But the Timberwolves are far worse.

Plagued by multiple injuries - and not very good to begin with - the Timberwolves are 2-8-1 ATS in their last 11 games. They have dropped five in a row while being outscored by an average of nearly 10 points a game during their losing streak. Opponents are shooting 51 percent from the floor against the Timberwolves during this span.

The Lakers had shown signs of life sweeping a three-game home series while averaging 106 points. However, the Lakers suffered a bad loss in their last game this past Thursday losing on the road to the lowly Suns, 92-86.

The Lakers still are far more talented than the Timberwolves even without Dwight Howard. Minnesota, remember, doesn't have its best player, Kevin Love. The Lakers have covered in their last five visits to Minnesota.

Getting upset at home by Washington woke up the Nuggets. Denver hasn't lost since then going 5-0, 4-1 ATS.

The Nuggets are very tough at home with a 19-3 mark covering 63 percent of the time this season at Pepsi Center.

Denver is the fourth highest scoring team at 103.8. New Orleans has allowed an average of 103.6 points per game during its last seven matchups. The Hornets have dropped four of their last five games.

New Orleans is playing its fourth road game in six days, while the Nuggets are rested. The Hornets have a much more winnable game on Saturday when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves. So the Hornets might conserve their energy for that game if they fall behind early.

The Nuggets shouldn't lack for motivation since they don't play until Tuesday.

The Bucks showed little energy in an embarrassing 104-88 home loss to the Bulls this past Wednesday. The Bucks are a good bounce back team and they will be motivated, especially Brandon Jennings, to play well in Madison Square Garden.

The Bucks are 6-1 ATS following a double-digit defeat. They are a solid road team and have covered 13 of their last 18 versus Eastern Conference competition.

Jennings is a streaky shooter who has been hot. Jennings averages 20 points a game against the Knicks and wants to show the New York media that he was deserving of an All-Star selection after getting bypassed. Mike Dunleavy also usually plays well versus the Knicks.

Jennings and backcourt mate Monta Ellis should be able to take advantage of New York's point guard situation. Jason Kidd is 39 and saddled with a bad back. Raymond Felton is just getting his legs back in shape after being out with a broken finger.

Now that this line has reached double-digits, I'm going to get involved with the underdog.

The Grizzlies are a quality team with or without Rudy Gay. They eliminated the Spurs, if you recall, in the playoffs two seasons ago without Gray, who was out the entire series after undergoing shoulder surgery. Memphis has the fifth-best record in the NBA this season.

Teams often play hard in their first game without a star player. Their newcomers are anxious to show their worth. This isn't the greatest situational spot either for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder haven't been home in nearly two weeks having played six consecutive road games. The Thunder weren't real sharp in these contests either alternating wins and losses in going 3-3.
Oklahoma City is 3-10 ATS following a road trip of at least one week. Memphis has covered in six of its last eight road games. On the season, the Grizzlies have covered 60 percent of their road matchups.

I'm going to ride Oregon, which is 7-0 in Pac-12 play and owns road victories against Oregon State, USC and UCLA.

Until their last game, Stanford was averaging nearly 1 1/2 rebounds less than its opponent during league play. Oregon leads the conference in rebounding averaging nearly nine more boards per game than its opponents.

I see the Cardinal having problems with Oregon forwards Arsalan Kazemi and E.J. Singler, who is averaging nearly 20 points during his last two games. Stanford has failed to cover during six of its last eight matchups against opponents with a winning record.

Oregon has won its last two road games at Stanford. The Ducks have covered 11 of their last 13 road games overall.

Texas El-Paso is 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 games while Alabama-Birmingham is struggling with a six-game losing streak. The Blazers have yet to cover in any of their six Conference USA games.

The Blazers are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games versus foes with a winning straight-up record. The Miners have been on the road since beating East Carolina this past Saturday. But sources tell me this is good as the Miners are focused and have had good practices during the past three days.

The Raptors have hit a wall losing seven of their last nine. This is what Toronto coach Dwane Casey said about his team, "I see mental and physical fatigue."

Toronto is giving up 104 points per game in regulation during its last nine matchups. That would rank last in the league if it were computed over the entire season.

Injuries are a big part of Toronto's problem. The Raptors aren't expected to have Andrea Bargnani, Jonas Valanciunas and Linas Kleiza. Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields may not play either. Lowry is suffering from back spasms while Fields is dealing with illness. Reality has caught up to the Raptors as their young players aren't as effective as before no longer having the element of surprise going for them. The league is familiar with them now and has adjusted.

This isn't a great situational spot either for the Raptors. They just played two home games in a row. Now they have a single road game in Atlanta before returning to Toronto for three home games against marquee opponents.

The Hawks' arrow is pointing up after a 2-8 stretch. Atlanta had won three in a row until suffering a tough 106-104 road loss to the Knicks this past Sunday. The Hawks are averaging 102.5 points in their four games while shooting 52.1 percent from the field during this stretch.

Atlanta has been getting strong production lately from Al Horford, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver. The Hawks lack a strong inside game, but the Raptors don't have enough size to take advantage of the Hawks' weakness especially with Valanciunas out.

Washington is playing its best ball winning seven of its last 11. But the Wizards are off a 96-94 home loss to Sacramento when the Kings' Isaiah Thomas hit a floater with one second left. That loss has to be deflating to the young Wizards.

I don't see the Wizards coming back to play well in this matchup. They have a bad history against Philadelphia. The 76ers are poised to make a move. They won't be taking the Wizards lightly after Washington posted surprising victories against Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Denver, Portland and Chicago. Every one of those teams indicated after their loss that they didn't take the Wizards as seriously as they should have and weren't prepared.

The Wizards have too much inexperience and not enough talent to keep up that overachieving pace.

The 76ers have covered seven of the last eight in this series, including covering the past four times at home versus Washington.

Both Baylor and Oklahoma are improved, but I like the Bears at home. Baylor is 5-1 in the Big 12 with its lone loss coming to No. 2 Kansas.

The Bears have held their conference foes to a league-low 56.3 points a game on 36.2 percent shooting from the floor. They can pressure Oklahoma's young guards especially being at home in Waco.

Baylor is well-tested having played a non-conference schedule that featured Gonzaga, Kentucky, BYU and Colorado.

Detroit is not a good home team. The Pistons are 12-12 at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 10-13 ATS. Milwaukee is a solid road club. The Bucks have won more than they've lost on the road while covering 62 percent of their away contests.

This is Detroit's first game back from a three-game road trip that finished on Sunday with the Pistons nipping Orlando, 104-102. The Pistons are 4-9 ATS when playing on one days rest. They also are 5-11 ATS the past 16 times when taking on a foe with a winning record.

The Bucks have played their finest ball under interim coach Jim Boylan going 7-3 since Boylan replaced taskmaster Scott Skiles. The Bucks hold a backcourt edge on Detroit with Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings and their frontcourt players have played better under Boylan.

Milwaukee is at its strongest when going against fellow Eastern Conference clubs covering 12 of the last 16 times.

Just seven games ago, the Kings nipped the Wizards, 95-94,in Sacramento. Now the Kings are nearly double-digit road 'dogs to Washington. Yes, the Wizards are playing well and the Kings aren't since that game, but this is still an overreaction by the oddsmaker.

Sparked by the return of John Wall, the Wizards have won six of their last nine.

Still, the Wizards are far from being a playoff contender. They are a bottom level team same as Sacramento. This has been a 'dog series with the underdog covering eight of the last nine.

The Kings beat the Wizards in the first meeting by scoring 62 points in the paint and winning the rebounding battle. DeMarcus Cousins is an immature baby. But he's talented and off a bad game. I see him having a strong game after scoring 21 versus the Wizards in the first meeting.

Sacramento has allowed foes to shoot 49.4 percent from the floor in its last four games, all losses. The Wizards, however, rank last in points per game and field goal percentage. They are averaging just 91.4 points per contest. If you discount a 114-point performance against the Timberwolves, the Wizards are averaging 89.7 points during their past four games. They just don't have a strong enough offense to lay this many points.

The Suns have the second-worst record in the Western Conference. The Suns surrender nearly 100 points a game and rank second from the bottom in defensive field goal percentage and defending against 3-pointers. Their offense isn't nearly good enough to compensate for their defensive weaknesses.

The Suns need a supreme effort to stay competitive. They recently got a boost winning their first two games under new coach Lindsey Hunter. Phoenix played hard last night on the road against San Antonio, too, but fell 108-99. Now the Suns, in their fourth game under Hunter, have to play again on the road against a Dallas team that is playing better and has covered nine of the last 10 times in this series.

This is the Suns' fourth game in five days. The Suns don't have the talent, depth and the incentive to produce an "A" game in this matchup.

The Mavericks have stepped up their game. They have covered seven of their last eight. The Mavericks have won five of their last seven with their only defeats during their past seven games coming to the Spurs and Thunder in overtime. After this game, the Mavericks go on the road for games against the Trail Blazers, Warriors, Suns and Thunder.

Despite a horrible 2-15 mark in their last 17 games, the Magic still are in playoff contention being 5 1/2 games behind free-falling Boston.

The Magic have a lot of youth and a first-year coach. But their chemistry has remained good. Orlando stuck together and nearly beat much-improved Toronto in its last game this past Thursday coming from 11 points down before losing, 97-95. The Magic played one of their better defensive quarters holding the Raptors to 22 points in the fourth quarter.

This is a key game for Orlando. Not only do the Magic have recent revenge as Detroit beat them, 105-90, this past Tuesday in Detroit. But the Magic go on the road for five games starting on Monday following this matchup.

Orlando ranks last in forcing turnovers. However, this is negated by the Pistons ranking last in turning the ball over. Detroit has lost 16 of its 20 road games. This is the Pistons' third and final game on their three-game road swing.

Going to play the obvious letdown factor and fade Miami, which knocked off top-ranked Duke by 27 points at home this past Wednesday.


The Hurricanes are sitting on top of the ACC standings with a 5-0 league mark. Florida State is 3-2 in the ACC. The Seminoles certainly are capable of springing the upset even without this being a letdown spot for the Hurricanes.


Florida State is the fourth-tallest team in the country with three 7-footers. The Seminoles beat the Hurricanes, 82-71, the last time they played which was in the ACC Tournament last season.


The Seminoles are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games when facing a team with a winning record. They also have covered in seven of their past nine away contest and are 6-2-1 ATS against the Hurricanes in Miami.

Indiana is playing its third of four consecutive road games. The Pacers are 10-14 away from home and have a losing road spread record. Indiana averages less than 88 points on the road. Only one team averages less.

Utah is one of the top home-court teams. Utah is 14-2 in home games not involving the Clippers, surrendering less than 93 points per game in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz are particularly strong in their home high altitude versus Eastern Conference clubs winning 13 of the past 14 times. They are 5-0 at home versus Eastern teams this season with their average victory margin being 12 points. The Jazz are 4-1 ATS the last five times they've hosted Indiana.

Utah is playing well going 6-2 in its last eight games. The Jazz did lose to the Lakers on the road last night, one of the few times this season the Lakers actually showed up. But none of Utah's starters logged big minutes.

The Jazz have a big, physical frontline that won't be intimidated by the Pacers' pushing and shoving. The Jazz also have revenge for a 104-84 road loss to the Pacers on Dec. 19.

The 76ers are well-rested having last played on Tuesday. Philadelphia is 6-2-1 ATS when playing on three or more days rest.

The 76ers catch the Knicks in transition and off a big 89-86 win two nights ago in a division grudge matchup against the Celtics in Boston. New York has failed to cover seven of the last nine times following a victory.

Point guard Raymond Felton is expected to play after missing the last 12 games with a broken right pinky. Felton doesn't get nearly the attention Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire draw, but he's a key component for the Knicks.

It's going to take a game or two, though, for Felton to get back into the groove and for New York's shooters to get into the flow with Felton dishing off. The 76ers have one of the best point guards in the league, Jrue Holiday. He'll be primed for a big game.

St. Joe's has been overrated from the start. The Hawks have failed to cover in their last four lined home games with outright losses in their last two home contests to Butler and St. Bonaventure.

The Hawks also are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.

Xavier has the strong perimeter defense that can frustrate St. Joe's, which has been inconsistent all season. Xavier ranks No. 2 in the Atlantic 10 in defensive field goal percentage, 3-point defense and scoring defense giving up 60.8 points a game.

This is huge because St. Joe's heavily relies on its 3-point shooting. However, St. Joe

This has become a real rivalry matchup. The Lobos have beaten the Aztecs twice in a row, knocking them off in San Diego, 77-67 last year, and then in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

New Mexico has a higher RPI (No. 6) rating than San Diego State (which is 34th). The Lobos have covered eight of the last 10 times versus foes with a winning record. The Aztecs are 2-6 ATS in their past eight home games.

New Mexico has covered nine of the last 10 times on the road against the Aztecs. A key for the Lobos is they have a balanced attack with Kendall Williams and Tony Snell providing a good perimeter game to go with a strong frontcourt featuring 7-footer Alex Kirk, who didn't play last year due to back surgery, and 6-foot-9 Cameron Bairstow. The Mountain West is more of a perimeter league so the Lobos present unique matchup problems.

So much for being No. 1. Louisville is 0-2 since entering last weekend as the top-ranked team in the country falling to then No. 6 Syracuse and then at Villanova. Such is life in the Big East. Still, the Cardinals haven't lost three in a row since January of 2010.

Free throw shooting remains a concern for Louisville, but I see the Cardinals bouncing back in this matchup. Georgetown is 8-20 ATS the past 28 times when hosting an opponent with a winning road mark. Georgetown beat 24th-ranked Notre Dame by an impressive 16 points this past Monday, but is 1-7 ATS following a spread cover.

Louisville has covered in four of its last five road contests, while Georgetown is 2-5 ATS in last seven home games. Louisville also is 16-7 ATS the past 23 times when going against a foe with a winning mark. The Cardinals also have revenge for a 71-68 home loss to the Hoyas suffered last season.

Don't look for the Clippers to take the Suns lightly in this nationally televised matchup. The Clippers have lost two in a row and their next game is Saturday at Portland, which is always a tough place to play. The Clippers then host Portland on Sunday before embarking on an eight-game road trip. So this is a game the Clippers don't want to lose.

The Suns are 3-13 in their last 16 games and have dropped a season-high four in a row at home. They are off a rare road win last night against the Kings. The Suns were motivated for that matchup since it was the first game under Lindsay Hunter, who replaced fired Alvin Gentry. Phoenix is 5-13 ATS following a straight-up victory.

The Clippers have dominated the Suns in two meetings this season winning by an average of 22 points, including winning 103-77 at Phoenix on Dec. 23. The Suns had trouble matching up against Blake Griffin.

I'm not expecting Chris Paul to play. It would be an added, an unexpected bonus, if he did play. Eric Bledsoe, though, is a capable fill-in.

Have to look strong at the underdog in this series where the 'dog is 7-0-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

It's a real contrast in teams with the Cavaliers ranking No. 2 in scoring defense and rebuilt Virginia Tech going up-tempo and featuring the nation's top scorer, guard Erick Green.

Virginia Tech has played a far more difficult schedule than Virginia. The Hokies are 8-2 SU at home, while the Cavaliers are 1-4 SU on the road. This is the Cavaliers' third road matchup, too, in their last four games.

The Cavaliers have lost and failed to cover the past three times they haven't been home, including suffering a 63-61 loss to two-win Old Dominion.

The oddsmaker has set a low total because the pace figures to be slow between these two WAC teams. Nonetheless, Denver has been a great over team on the road covering seven of its nine away matchups.

The Pioneers launch the second most 3-point attempts in the country. They rank 44th, too, making better than 37 percent from beyond the arc. New Mexico State ranks 146th in defending against 3-pointers. Denver has done a great job of protecting the ball lately, too, committing just seven turnovers during the past two games.

Denver is averaging 67 points in its last five games.

New Mexico State is the opposite. The Aggies attack the rim. They will do this against the Pioneers because they have a huge height advantage. The Pioneers don't have a starter above 6-foo-7. The Aggies are hitting nearly 46 percent of their field goal attempts. They rank in the top 60 in field goal percentage. I expect they will hit a higher percentage against the smaller Pioneers.

The Aggies aren't a great free throw shooting team, but they do get to the line a lot. The Aggies are averaging 74.2 points during their past seven games.

As bad as Charlotte is, the Hawks are in no position to lay this many points on the road.

Atlanta is 3-8 in its last 11 games and has lost its last six away games. The Hawks have a cluster injury problem in their backcourt, will be missing big men Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia and have averaged only 78.2 points during their past four road contests.

Charlotte has lost 15 in a row at home. The Bobcats nearly beat Houston in their last home game, losing 100-94 after blowing a seven-point fourth quarter lead.

The Bobcats won't lack for motivation not only wanting to end their embarrassing home losing streak, but they also have triple revenge incentive.

Charlotte's strength is its guard plays. The Bobcats' top four scorers are all guards. The Hawks are short-handed in the backcourt with Lou Williams out for the season and Devin Harris, DeShawn Stevenson and Anthony Morrow all banged-up although Harris and Stevenson are expected to play.

The Celtics have dropped three in a row with the last being an embarrassing 103-88 road loss to the Pistons this past Sunday. It would be a second straight humiliating and embarrassing loss if the Celtics were to fall to the Cavaliers. It also would drop this proud team to under .500.

I don't see the Celtics being flat. Doc Rivers is mad as hell about the Celtics' poor showing at Detroit. The Celtics have the matchup edges and veteran experience to take care of the young and very bad Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers may not have their full focus returning from a 1-4 West Coast trip that finished up Saturday night. The Cavaliers are 9-27 (25 percent) during their past 36 home games. They have dropped 12 of their 16 home contests this season.

Cleveland is ranked last in defensive field goal percentage. The Celtics have made at least half of their shots from the floor in five of their last six games versus the Cavaliers, including hitting a season-high 59.7 percent in a 103-91 home victory on Dec. 19.

Cleveland not only is weak at small forward, but with Anderson Varejao out for the season they have to rely on youngsters Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson. Both players are young and inconsistent. I can see Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett coming up big in this matchup.

Boston has been terrible on the road going 6-12-1 ATS. But the Celtics have covered 67 percent of the time the last 38 times they've been on the road facing a home opponent with a winning percentage of less than .400.

Just too many points for Wisconsin to lay in what should be a very close game. The Spartans have won five in a row, are battled-test having faced a tough early-season schedule and have beaten the Badgers six of the last eight times, including the past three games.

Wisconsin is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games versus opponents with a winning percentage above .600. The Badgers will be without key reserve Frank Kaminsky and also may be minus point guard Georg Marshall, who scored 20 points this past Saturday against Iowa. Marshall is fighting an illness.

On paper, this appears to be a big mismatch. But the Spurs aren't playing that well and the 76ers could start turning things around now that they're home for a while. Philadelphia has been home since Jan. 10 and has just one road game until Feb. 13.

Philadelphia had dropped 13 of 16 while suffering through an eight-game road trip until winning two of its last three. The final game of that extended road swing came on Jan. 5 at San Antonio and the Spurs bashed the tired 76ers, 109-86.

Now the 76ers catch San Antonio playing for the third time in four days. The Spurs have lost seven of their last nine road games. They are minus Manu Ginobili.

Philadelphia is 9-3 in its last 12 home contests. They have covered four of the past five times when hosting the Spurs. The 76ers are looking to build on a big overtime victory against Toronto this past Friday when they rallied from 19 points down in the second half. It was Philadelphia's biggest comeback of the season.

The 76ers have a strong revenge motive for their embarrassing showing at San Antonio. I see the 76ers also playing extremely hard on this special Martin Luther King Day game.

The key for the 76ers is point guard Jrue Holiday and he's playing at a high level averaging 30.7 points, 11.3 assists and shooting 54.8 percent from the floor during the last three games. Sparked by Holiday, the 76ers have averaged 104.7 points in their last three games.

I'm taking the points with Georgia State, which has covered 66 percent of the time as a 'dog this season.

The Panthers are off a 69-54 road win against Old Dominion this past Saturday.

Towson has surprised people, but the Tigers' lines are starting to get inflated. The Tigers also have a bigger game on deck facing George Mason at home on Wednesday.

Georgia State averages just one point less per game than Towson and gives up only one point more per game. Georgia State has the nation's No. 72-rated defense on the road, allowing 64.5 points per game. I see the Panthers keeping it close.

The Nets have a double-revenge motive, urgently need this game to stay close to the Knicks in the Atlantic Division and have been playing better than New York.

Brooklyn is 10-2 since P.J. Carlesimo replaced Avery Johnson. The Nets have won eight of their last nine. The Knicks reached their peak early breaking out to an 18-5 record. But New York is 5-5 in its last 10 games and is 4-9 ATS when facing opponents with a winning record.

The Nets remember the taunts from the fans at Madison Square Garden during their last visit, a 100-86 loss on Dec. 19. That was before the hard-nosed Carlesimo took over and got the ship straight. The Nets are not going to lack for motivation.

The Knicks remain without point guard Raymond Felton, who started all three of the games against Brooklyn. The Knicks also are returning from a Thursday game in London. They could have trouble getting adjusted returning from England and with this being a day game in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.

Golden State came up with a gritty effort on Friday night but lost at San Antonio for the 28th straight time. To the Warriors' credit, they went all out. It was a physical game with playoff-like intensity.

Unfortunately for the Warriors they have to play again on the road tonight taking on a Hornets squad that is rested and playing their best ball with six wins and covers in their last seven games.

New Orleans has won its last three home games beating the Spurs by seven, Rockets by 9 and Timberwolves by 12. Getting Eric Gordon back has been huge for the Hornets. Point guard Greivis Vasquez has been playing extremely well, too.

The Hornets have been idle since Wednesday. Golden State is playing for the third time in four nights and second in two days. Stephen Curry, the Warriors' point guard and engine to their offense, is out with a sprained ankle. The Warriors aren't rushing him back anytime soon. Golden State is 10-32 when Curry doesn't play.

The Warriors had four of their starters log at least 38 minutes against the Spurs last night. These were hard minutes, too. Their bench is extremely short with Curry out. Jarrett Jack had to play a game-high 43 minutes. Jack isn't 100 percent either dealing with a sore elbow, but the Warriors don't have any other viable point guard options to reduce Jack's minutes.

Northeastern has covered in their last nine road games. A main reason why the Huskies are a strong road 'dog is their experienced and talented backcourt.

Jonathan Lee and Joe Smith could be the best guard tandem in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Huskies also have covered the past eight times following a non-spread cover.

The 'dog in this series has covered four of the past five times. I see this game as a toss-up so there's value in taking this many points.

I'll take double-digits with Harvard in this weird intersectional matchup against Memphis. The Tigers are 16-34-1 in their last 51 non-conference matchups. It will be hard for them to get highly motivated to play the Crimson.

Harvard is a tough foe, especially for teams that haven't faced or seen much of the Crimson. The well coached Crimson already have covered in road games versus Boston College, California, Connecticut and Saint Mary's. The Crimson upset Boston College and California straightup while losing by one to Saint Mary's. They can hang with a disinterested Memphis.

San Francisco has dropped nine of its last 11, including losing 74-69 at Santa Clara on Jan. 2. The Broncos won that game despite shooting 39 percent from the floor while San Francisco shot 47.3 percent.

The Broncos grabbed 22 more rebounds than the smaller, perimeter-oriented Dons. Neither team shot more than 13 free throws.

Santa Clara has covered in four of its five lined road games. The Broncos average 77.4 points a game, 29th-best in the nation. San Francisco averages seven points fewer per game. Each team gives up 68 points per matchup.

I believe Santa Clara is the better team. San Francisco's home-court isn't enough for the Dons to beat the Broncos.

The Bucks are bucking history in this matchup. Milwaukee has lost 24 straight times on the road against Phoenix. The Bucks have never won in 19 tries at US Airways Center, which opened in 1992. There are seven players on Milwaukee's roster who weren't even born when the Bucks last won in the desert.

The Bucks have fared well on the road versus Eastern Conference opponents going 9-4, but they are 0-5 when playing Western Conference opponents away from Bradley Center. This fits the Bucks' history. Milwaukee has covered just 32 percent of the time during the past 60 times it has played a foe from the Western Conference.

Milwaukee caught the Suns down in the dumps when the teams met nine days ago at Bradley Center. The Bucks won, 108-99. That was just the second time in the last 13 overall meetings the Bucks have defeated Phoenix.

The Suns are playing better now. They upset the Bulls on the road this past Saturday, 97-81, and in their last game trailed by just four points in the fourth quarter before losing to NBA-best Oklahoma City, 102-90. on Monday.

Phoenix was missing Jared Dudley in that loss to the Thunder. He's expected back for this matchup. The Suns are trying to avoid losing four in a row at home for the first time since 2004. They will be highly motivated. This is an instance, too, where history must be respected.

This is a matchup of the Mountain West Conference's two lowest-scoring teams. This, along with a key Wyoming suspension, makes the home 'dog Bulldogs attractive.

Wyoming is 5-0 on the road this season after going 5-9 in its true away matchups last season. I'm not convinced, though, the Cowboys can keep winning on the road especially now that it's conference time.

Fresno State is at full strength with Kevin Foster back from a family funeral and Tyler Johnson recovered from an ankle injury. Johnson has led the Bulldogs in scoring during the past eight games.

Wyoming will be missing senior guard Luke Martinez again. He's missed the last three games after being injured and suspended after being arrested this past Sunday and charged with assault for a fight that occurred last month. Martinez was Wyoming's second-leading scorer at 14.5 points a game. He also had made the most 3-pointers on the team and was No. 1 in steals.

The Cowboys are 2-1 minus Martinez winning in Dallas against SMU, in Reno against Nevada, but losing to Boise State at home as 6 1/2-point favorites.

The Bulls have the best road record in the Eastern Conference at 10-5. They've won eight of their last 10 away contests so I have no problem laying a short number with the Bulls against a banged-up Raptors squad playing for the third time in four days and second in two nights.

The Raptors were playing well winning 10 of 13. However, they are in bad form now with two consecutive losses, including a 113-106 road loss last night to the Nets.

Toronto is banged-up minus Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas. Now the Raptors might also be without Jose Calderon, who has a hip pointer, and Alan Anderson, who had dental work.

The Bulls are much stronger defensively than Toronto ranking third in fewest points allowed. Chicago surrenders seven fewer points per game than Toronto.

The Bulls have matched up well to Toronto in the past winning seven of the past eight time. Chicago also is 11-5 ATS at Toronto and has covered seven of its last 10 overall road games.

Chicago has its confidence back after blasting the Hawks, 97-58, at home on Monday. Atlanta had just 20 points at halftime.

Northern Iowa has the defense and ability to control tempo to stay within double digits of Creighton. The Panthers also have a quality big man, senior Jake Koch, who can defend Doug McDermott.

The Panthers and Koch held McDermott to fewer than 20 points in both meetings last season. Northern Iowa covered both games against Creighton last season winning by three at home and losing by three on the road. The Panthers held Creight to 60 and 65 points by mainly limiting the Blue Jays' possession.

Creighton ranks 10th in the nation in scoring at 79.8 points per game. Northern Iowa's strength always has been its transition defense, getting back to defend and not give up easy fast break points.

Creighton has had problems, too, with small quick guards. Northern Iowa has one of the fastest guard tandems in the conference with Anthony James and Deon Mitchell.

The situation also is good for Northern Iowa. Creighton has a one-game lead on Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Blue Jays and Shockers meet on Saturday in Wichita.

There are certain key home games throughout the season. This is one of those games at Wells Fargo Center for Philadelphia.

The 76ers are 3-8 in their last 11 games. They are six games below .500 and would not make the playoffs if the season ended today. Is Philadelphia this bad?

No. The 76ers had played nine of their past 11 games on the road. This game is the start of Philadelphia playing 11 of its next 12 games at home. It's a crucial homestand. The 76ers opened the homestand in impressive style beating Houston scoring a season-best 107 points in regulation. The 76ers don't play again until Friday. The 76ers are focusing heavily on this matchup. It's a winnable game and the 76ers know it.

New Orleans has lost and failed to cover in five of its last six versus Philadelphia. The Hornets had been playing their best ball winning four in a row until going on the road and getting blasted, 100-87, by the Knicks on Sunday. The Hornets have a road game on Wednesday against the Celtics. The Hornets have struggled versus Atlantic Division teams failing to cover in 21 of their last 28 meetings.

Yes, I realize the Jazz are strong at home and Miami is mediocre on the road.

But the Heat are energized and focused after crushing Sacramento by 29 points this past Saturday. A focused Heat can beat any team in the NBA at any location. Miami opened its road swing losing to the Pacers and Trail Blazers. After this matchup they are at Golden State on Wednesday and the Lakers on Thursday. Those are difficult matchups. The Heat can't afford a loss here.

The Heat crushed Utah, 105-89, at home without Chris Bosh on Dec. 22. This is Utah's first game back from a three-game road trip that ended Saturday night so the Jazz might not be fully ready mentally. The Jazz won't be hitting the road for another 11 days so that might be a factor in treating this matchup in a less urgent matter.

The Jazz have failed to cover six of the last eight times when playing an opponent with a winning record.

LeBron James usually plays well against Utah. He's averaging 30.4 points versus the Jazz. Utah is without starting point guard Mo Williams and has been missing Marvin Williams (knee) for the past three games.

This isn't a play against Louisville, maybe the best team in the country, but on Connecticut. The Huskies are 12-3 and unbeaten in their eight home games. Connecticut has won its home games by an average of 15.4 points. The Huskies have yet to be outclassed by any team.

The Huskies are 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games when meeting a foe with a winning road record. They are ineligible for postseason so this is one of their trophy games. The Huskies should be sky high for the nationally televised matchup. The Huskies are expecting their largest crowd.

Connecticut is playing well having just ended Notre Dame's 17-game home winning streak. The Huskies have a strong backcourt with Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright to counter Louisville's strong guard tandem of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. The Huskies have shown recently, too, improved scoring in the paint.

The Lakers aren't nearly the team most people thought they would be going into the season. But Los Angeles isn't as bad as its shown recently with six straight losses. Four of those defeats came on the road. The other two were at home to Denver and Oklahoma City. There certainly is no shame in losing to those two quality opponents at home.

Still, the Lakers are desperate for not only a victory but a lopsided one at that to restore their sagging confidence and pride. Into Staples Center comes the Cavaliers, one of the worst teams in the NBA.

Cleveland is playing in the second of five consecutive road games. The Cavaliers were very competitive against the Nuggets in their first game on the road trip before losing, 98-91. The Cavaliers play Sacramento on Monday. That's a winnable game for them. They know that, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavaliers tank when they start falling behind. Cleveland is 2-7 ATS the game after covering a spread.

The Lakers aren't likely to have Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. However, the Cavaliers are missing their best frontcourt player, Anderson Varejo.

Portland has won nine straight at Rose Garden. But the combination of a fatigue factor and very strong opponent are going to prove too much for the Trail Blazers.

Portland is playing its third game in four days. The Trail Blazers upset the Heat at home on Thursday and then came back hard in the second half in a loss Friday at Golden State. The Trail Blazers have a weak bench. That's going to hurt them in this matchup.


The Trail Blazers are 5-13 ATS when playing on one day rest. Oklahoma City is 16-5 ATS when playing on one day rest.

Oklahoma City has been highly reliable when facing quality foes on the road covering seven of the past nine times when taking on opponents with a winning home mark. The Thunder also are 8-1 ATS when laying four or more points on the road.


The Thunder has beaten Portland in seven of the past nine meetings, including the last four. Oklahoma City has yet to lose in 23 games when scoring in triple digits. The Thunder are averaging 110.7 points per game in their last four road contests. Kevin Durant is red-hot shooting 57.7 percent from the floor this month.

The Hornets are playing their best ball winning four in a row. They are energized by the return of Eric Gordon. The Knicks have lost three in a row.

So how does this line make sense? It doesn't, but the oddsmakers aren't stupid. They're anticipating a big game from the Knicks and so am I.

The Knicks have lost three in a row falling to the Celtics, Pacers and Bulls. They are treating this as a must-win game. New York is stepping down in class drawing a lottery club from the other conference.

The Hornets have been in New Orleans for the last eight days. Now they're flying into the East Coast from the Big Easy. The Knicks have dominated this series winning seven of the last eight.

However, the Hornets won the last meeting at Madison Square Garden last February when the Knicks didn't have Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has been going through a tough time. He'll be home here and poised for a huge performance.

The Pacers are averaging less than 91 points a game. That's second lowest in the league. The Pacers have the third-lowest field goal percentage and are not a good free throw shooting team. They just don't have enough offense to cover big margins despite their excellent defense.


Indiana is 1-4 ATS this season when laying eight or more points.



The Pacers are also in letdown and look ahead spots. Indiana has won its last three home games beating the Bucks, Heat and Knicks. The Pacers were sky-high for those games. They face the red-hot Nets, winners of five in a row, on Sunday in Brooklyn.


The Bobcats had won their last two road games, beating the Bulls and Pistons, until getting blown out Friday night by the Raptors. I look for Charlotte to put forth a much stronger effort as Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is talking about lineup changes.

Northeastern continues to be underrated by the linesmaker. The Huskies are 4-1 on the road, 3-0 in conference.

Towson is nothing special. The Tigers are 2-9 ATS the last 11 times they've played at home against a foe with a winning road mark.

The Trail Blazers are in a super letdown spot after upsetting Miami at home last night in perhaps their biggest win of the season. They aren't going to be ready physically or mentally for this matchup against a much-improved Warriors team.

Portland is 13-27-1 ATS following a victory. The Trail Blazers have only covered 38 percent of their road games this season while Golden State has covered in nine of its last 13 home contests.

Golden State is eager to get on track after successive losses to elite opponents the Clippers and Grizzlies. The Warriors are an up-tempo team that is going to take advantage of Portland's tired legs.

Wright State is hot winning seven of eight, going 5-1 ATS. Loyola has yet to win in conference, including losing as a 5 1/2-point home favorite to Youngstown State.

This should be around a pick'em type of matchup in my view so getting this many points is a solid investment.

This line is just too short. Maybe the oddsmaker has yet to catch up to the fact that the Hornets are on the upswing with Eric Gordon back. New Orleans is playing with revived energy and focus.

With Gordon and a much improved Greivis Vasquez running things, the Hornets just posted victories against the Spurs, Mavericks and Rockets. Now they're stepping down in class.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand, are short-handed minus Kevin Love, Brandon Roy, Jose Barea, Chase Budinger and Malcom Lee. In addition, coach Rick Adelman hasn't been with the team the last couple of games.

The Jazz are playing well winning four of their last five. Their lone defeat during this span came in a game at Denver without rest. The Nuggets are 12-2 at home.

Utah hasn't been a good road team, although it has won three of its last five on the highway. But the Hawks aren't a good home team going 5-13-1 ATS in their past 19 games in Atlanta. The Hawks are 3-10-1 ATS when hosting a foe with a losing road mark. Atlanta isn't playing well in general going 5-6 in its last 11 games. The Hawks have had a distinct lack of energy recently and there's no guarantee they break out of their funk in this matchup.

Hawks coach Larry Drew recently called his team soft. Drew wasn't just being sarcastic. The Hawks are soft and have maturity issues especially Josh Smith. The Hawks are going to encounter matchup problems because Utah has a tall, physical front line with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, who is returning to the city where he played college ball.

Indiana held Miami to a season-low 77 points in the Heat's last game this past Tuesday in an 87-77 victory. The Pacers give up the second-fewest points per game in the NBA and are ranked No. 1 in defensive field goal percentage, but the Heat have been out of sync for the past two weeks losing four of their last seven games. Of Miami's three wins during this span, two were in overtime and the other occurred against the lowly Wizards.

The Heat aren't getting steady production out of anyone not named LeBron James. Portland has one of the better defenders in the league to match up up against James or Dwayne Wade in Nicholas Batum.

Miami is just a .500 team on the road. The Heat are 5-9 ATS in their 14 road contests.They have failed to cover in their last four road contests. Portland has one of the stronger home-courts. The Trail Blazers have won 12 of their 16 games at Rose Garden, including the past eight. Portland has covered the past six times when meeting a foe with a winning record.

The Trail Blazers have an underrated starting lineup with Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge and center J.J. Hickson. Matthews is particularly hot making 23 of 40 shots from the floor in the last three games.

This is a rare marquee home matchup for Portland on national TV against the defending world champions. No doubt Rose Garden will be rocking. Portland's major weakness is a weak-scoring second unit. The Heat, though, don't exactly have a strong bench either.

South Dakota State is very strong at home. In fact, the Jackrabbits have the third longest winning home streak in the nation at 23.

This is South Dakota State's first home game since Dec. 9 following a season-long six-game road trip.

The Jackrabbits proved just how talented they are by knocking off then No. 16 ranked New Mexico on Dec. 22.

Oakland is just 2-7 ATS on the road. This is a revenge spot for the Jackrabbits. Things are in their favor. I see a double-digit victory for them.

UNLV has failed to cover in 13 of its last 16 road games. Now the Rebels are playing in one of the toughest road venues with a short spread. UNLV was 2-5 in Mountain West Conference road games last season with its only victories occurring in overtime against Air Force and Boise State.

New Mexico has had eight days to stew about a 60-46 road loss to Saint Louis. Both UNLV and New Mexico are 13-2, but the Lobos have played a very difficult schedule, 11th-hardest in the nation according to the Ratings Percentage Index.

The Hawks have lost three in a row. Don't look for them to drop a fourth consecutive game.

Atlanta coach Larry Drew called out his team after last night's disappointing road loss to Minnesota. Drew called his players soft, a huge insult. I'm expecting a strong effort from the Hawks, which would be enough to cover this number against a dreadful Cavaliers team that has dropped five of their last six and has multiple injuries.

The Cavaliers aren't expected to have Anderson Varejao, their best frontcourt player, for the 11th straight game. The Cavaliers are vulnerable on the boards to Al Horford and Josh Smith without Varejao. Cleveland could also be without C.J. Miles and Daniel Gibson.

The Hawks are 7-2 SU and ATS in the second of back-to-back games. The Cavaliers are 3-11 ATS when facing a foe off a loss.

Atlanta has dominated this series winning eight of the past nine. This includes four straight victories in Cleveland by an average winning margin of 13 points.

The 76ers couldn't be in a more difficult situational spot. Philadelpia is playing its worst ball losing 15 of its last 20. The 76ers just returned from a grueling 2-6 road trip to get buried at home by Brooklyn last night, 109-89. Now they have to fly to Toronto to face the rested Raptors.

76ers coach Doug Collilns admitted his team is incredibly tired. Philadelphia has failed to cover 17 of the past 21 times when playing on zero rest. The 76ers also have lost 11 of the past 13 times when playing away from home.

The Raptors had won eight of their last nine before losing to Sacramento and then Oklahoma City this past Sunday. The Raptors lost twice to the 76ers in November. Toronto is rested and highly motivated. The Raptors have a new rotation since losing those earlier games to Philadelphia. The Raptors have been getting outstanding play from a number of under-the-radar young players, including Alan Anderson, Ed Davis and Terrence Ross. The league - and 76ers - still don't have a very good idea of these players.

Toronto has covered in eight of its last 11 home contests.

St. Joe's was the preseason pick to win the Atlantic 10, but right now I'm siding with Butler as the better team.

The Bulldogs have won nine in a row. They are stronger rebounding team than the Hawks, who have failed to cover the past four times when playing an opponent with a winning record.

The Bulldogs were a little flat in their last performance. I think they're primed for a much better effort here, which should result in a straight-up victory.

Neither the Bucks nor Suns are playing well. Milwaukee just made a coaching change sacking Scott Skiles. Alvin Gentry probably is on borrowed time for Phoenix.

I see the Bucks playing with a lot of engergy and motivation for interim coach Jim Boyland. Milwaukee is home and taking on an easy opponent.

The Suns have lost eight of their last nine games. The Suns rank 25th defensively and second to last in defensive field goal percentage. They are the perfect antidote to the Bucks' struggling offense, which should be fortified with the expected return of Ersan Ilyasova.

The Suns need to have their offense going to make up for their lack of defense. But Phoenix's offense is in the tank. The Suns have averaged less than 19 points a quarter during the past seven quarters. Only once in their last nine games have the Suns reached triple digits. Phoenix's confidence is at a season low.

While the Bucks are a disppointing 16-16, they still are a borderline playoff team capable of winning their division. Phoenix, though, has the fifth-worst record in the NBA. The Bucks usually take care of business against such inferior competition covering five of the last six times verus a below .500 foe.

The Pacers are a good, but not great team. This is proven by their 2-7 ATS record versus opponets with a winning percentage of at least .600.

The Heat figured out the Pacers during the playoffs last season outscoring them by an aveage of 17.3 points a game during the last three matchups to win the series. Miami has covered in six of its last eight visits to Indiana.

This is Miami's first of six consecutive road games. The Heat want to start their trip out right as their next five games are on the West Coast.

Indiana has won seven straight at home, but nearly all of those victories came against sub-quality foes (Cavaliers, 76ers, Suns and Wizards), bad road teams (Jazz) or a slumping foe (Bucks).

I'm taking the points with visiting Northeastern against Drexel in this early-season Colonial Athletic Association matchup.

The Huskies have covered five of the past seven times on the road. They have a winning straight road record this year. Drexel is 1-4 at home.

The Dragons have failed to cover in 12 of their last 15 games and are 1-6 ATS during their past seven home contests.

Northeastern has played a stronger schedule than Drexel. The Huskies failed to cover as 10-point home favorites this past Saturday in beating NC Wilmington, 68-64. Northeastern, however, is 7-0 ATS following a non-spread cover.