I like Memphis much more as a 'dog rather than a favorite. I feel the same way about Dallas.

Now we have a matchup where the Grizzlies are favored against Dallas. The Mavericks have covered 73 percent during the past 27 times they've been an underdog.

The Grizzlies have failed to cover seven of the past eight times they've been chalk. Memphis just ended Miami's 17-game home win streak on Friday night in what could be its most satisfying win of the season. The Grizzlies now have to turn around fly home and play 24 hours later.

Memphis is 2-6 ATS following a straight-up victory. The Grizzlies are facing fatigue issues, too. This is their fourth game in five days and sixth game in nine days. They might be without starting guard and key defender Tony Allen a second straight night. He missed the win against the Heat due to facial lacerations suffered this past Wednesday.

Dallas can't afford not to be ready and focused for this game. The Mavericks lost at home to Portland on Friday night, dropping a game behind second-place Memphis in the Southwest Division. The Mavericks beat the Grizzlies at home, 95-85, this past Wednesday.

Golden State is under the radar when it comes to be a money-making road team. The Warriors have covered seven of their last eight away games and are in a good spot to get the money again.

Memphis is playing for the fourth time in five days. The Grizzlies are returning home following a huge upset road win against Oklahoma City on Monday night.

The Grizzlies are in a letdown spot now. This is their least important game of the week as they go right back on the road following this matchup taking on the Mavericks in Dallas Wednesday and then play at Miami on Friday.

It's tough to be on the road for three straight games and then return home for less than 24 hours to play another game before taking off again. It's difficult both from a physical and mental standpoint. That's what the Grizzlies face, though. Making matters harder for the Grizzlies is they have injuries.

Starting point guard Mike Conley (ankle) and reserve Dante Cunningham (ankle) have missed the last two games. Zach Randolph is back, but has averaged a mediocre 12.7 points since returning from a torn right MCL.

The Warriors have improved their defense on the road and cut down on their turnovers. They have held five of their last seven road foes to 93 points or less during regulation.

Golden State isn't going to the playoffs. But the Warriors won't lack for motivation in a triple revenge spot. Two of the Warriors' losses to Memphis this season have been by one point, including a game at home when they blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead.

The Warriors will be gunning hard in this matchup, while it's hard to believe the Grizzlies will produce an "A" type game in this letdown spot. The Grizzlies aren't nearly strong enough to cover this large of a number unless coming up with a strong performance.

Coming from the Big Ten, the perception is Ohio State doesn't play that fast. But away from Big Ten foes, the Buckeyes have shown they will play up-temp. It's a style they like and the results have proven it.

The Buckeyes put up 81 points on Cincinnati and 77 on Syracuse, two solid defensive clubs. Both of those games sailed over the total.

This isn't a case of going to the well too often as the Buckeyes have gone over in 10 of their last 11 games. They are playing their best basketball right now showing they relish getting out in transition and taking the quick shot if the good shot is there.

Deshaun Thomas is playing at a high level and Jared Sullinger is one of the best players in the country. These guys are going to get their points. Thomas and Sullinger have been killing opponents with second shots. This leads to putbacks and free throws which, of course, helps the total .

It takes two, though, to ensure an over and I see Kansas doing its part. The Jayhawks have the talent and flexibility to adapt to their opponent's style.

Against Purdue and North Carolina State, Kansas played a grinding style. Those two games went under. But against North Carolina, Kansas played more wide-open and the result was an 80-67 win and the combined 147 points going over the total.

The Jayhawks prefer this wide-open style. So does Ohio State. If both teams go this way - and I believe they will - each should have no problem reaching 70 points apiece, which puts this safely over the total. The Jayhawks were a top-40 scoring team averaging better than 74 points per game.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Miami win the championship this season. But right now the Heat don't deserve to be laying this big of a number to the defending world champions.

Dallas is 6-2 in its last eight games. The Mavericks have been up and down. Right now they are up and highly motivated. Yes, the Mavericks beat the Heat in the championship series last season.

But Miami embarrassed the Mavericks in their previous meeting this season beating Dallas, 105-94, on Christmas Day. It was championship banner day for the Mavericks and the Heat buried them building up a 35-point lead.

The prideful Mavericks haven't forgotten. They will be sky-high for this nationally televised matchup. A key for Dallas is the shooting of Dirk Nowitzki and right now he's hot averaging 25.6 points per game during his last nine games.

Historically, the Mavericks have been strong in this type of situation. They are 37-16-1 ATS versus foes with a winning home mark. Dallas is 13-3-1 ATS in its last 17 visits to Miami.

Every team experiences low points during the season. The Heat are going through theirs right now, losing by double-digits in their last two games falling to Oklahoma City and Indiana on the road.

The Heat are suffering from fatigue, boredom and a painful injury to LeBron James, who is playing with a dislocated ring finger on his non-shooting hand.

Miami has been held under 100 points in 11 of its last 13 games. The Heat are averaging just 89.8 points during their last six games. Since March 2, the Heat rank 25th in scoring.

Maybe the Heat turns things around in this matchup. But I'll take this many points with a quality, veteran, motivated underdog to find that out. Miami would just be happy to escape with a victory considering the way it has been playing.

Chicago isn't likely to have Derrick Rose again. But the Bulls are still 12-5 without Rose and in a favorable situation.

The Bulls are highly motivated following their most embarrassing loss of the season, a 108-91 defeat at home this past Monday to Denver.

If the Bulls play their normal strong defensive game, Atlanta is going to be in deep trouble. Chicago ranks second in the NBA in fewest points allowed at 89.1 per contest.

Chicago has covered 18 of its 26 road games. The Bulls are playing for just the third time in seven days.

Atlanta is in a much different situation. The Hawks are playing for the fifth time in six days. The Hawks had to go four overtimes to beat Utah this past Sunday and then lost on Tuesday night to the Bucks in Milwaukee.

If this were last year, or even earlier in the season, I probably would stay away from this game since I have great respect for Oklahoma City and for Portland - when the Trail Blazers are playing in the Rose Garden.

But things are different now in Portland. The Trail Blazers have blown up their season sacking Nate McMillan and dealing their two best defenders, Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby.

The Trail Blazers are in rebuilding mode and deficient at two key positions, point guard and center. Oklahoma City is the top team in the Western Conference right. The Thunder rank with the Heat, a team they just beat by 16 points this past Sunday, and the Bulls as the best in basketball.

Oklahoma City is playing at one of its highest levels averaging 122 points during the past three games, all victories. The Thunder are shooting 53.2 percent from the floor, averaging more than 10 steals per game and more than six blocks per game during this span.

The Thunder shouldn't lack for motivation. It has been two days since they knocked off the Heat and they are playing for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Portland isn't a good team anymore. The Trail Blazers are 14 games worse than the Thunder. They are 6-18 ATS the past 24 times they've been an underdog.

The Thunder, on the other hand, are 11-5 ATS versus opponents with a losing record.

Normally you won't find me laying points with New Jersey. But this is an exceptional situation.

The Nets are terrible at home. But Utah is no bargain on the road losing 17 of 24 away matchups.

New Jersey catches the Jazz after Utah just played the third-longest game in league history yesterday losing in quadruple-overtime to Atlanta on the road. Utah had five of its players log more than 49 minutes against the Hawks.

There is no rest for the weary, however. The Jazz now have to play for the fourth time in five days. Utah is 2-7 ATS on the road when facing an opponent with a losing home record. The Jazz also have failed to cover in six of their past eight visits to New Jersey.

The Nets aren't going anywhere except to the lottery following the season, but they do have a revenge motive. The Jazz beat them 107-94 in mid-January. Deron Williams, a former Jazz player, had a terrible game missing 12 of 15 shots from the floor and committing five turnovers.

Expect the prideful Williams, an elite point guard, and his teammates to be motivated and take advantage of an obviously worn down Jazz team.

Indiana hasn't been a good home team against the spread failing to cover 11 of the past 16 times at home. Now the Pacers catch an angry Heat team coming off a 103-87 loss on national television to Oklahoma City.

Miami ranks with the Thunder and Bulls among the upper elite. Indiana is at least two rungs below the Heat. The Pacers have played the Heat three times this season and lost all three times with only one of the matchups being close.

Miami won the other two games by 15 points at Indiana and by 35 at home. Prior to losing to Oklahoma City, the Heat had allowed an average of only 81.7 points in their last four games.

Miami is in a back-to-back situation, but Indiana is playing for the fourth time in five days. The Heat have covered in 11 of their last 15 Eastern Conference matchups and is 7-3 ATS the past 10 times when facing the Pacers.

The line is short here for two big reasons - the Spurs are playing their third game in three days and there is a strong possibility they could rest Tim Duncan.

Still, I like the Spurs to cover this short number.

Despite Gregg Popovich occasionally sitting out one of his star players, the Spurs still are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games. They got past New Orleans on the road last night despite resting Manu Ginobili. San Antonio is 10-0-1 ATS following a non-spread performance.

Philadelphia isn't playing nearly as well as it did early in the season, especially on the road where it is 3-8 ATS. They have failed to break triple digits in five of their last six games.

The 76ers have lost in their last seven visits to San Antonio. They are 2-7 ATS in their past nine games versus Western Conference foes.

Philadelphia has crushed weaker competition, but has failed repeatedly to step up versus elite teams. Since Feb. 29, the 76ers have played the Thunder, Bulls twice and the Heat. They lost to the Thunder by four at home. They lost to the Bulls by five at home. They lost to the Heat by six at home and they lost on the road to the Bulls by nine despite Chicago missing Derrick Rose.

Sick of seeing Christian Watford sink that 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Kentucky back in December?

So is Kentucky. The Wildcats are sure to be motivated defensively. Indiana is tough defensively, too, coming from the rugged Big Ten.

Indiana nipped Kentucky, 73-72, in Bloomington. That's a combined 145 points. The Wildcats and Hooisers reached that number by combining to shoot better than 49 percent from the floor and making 11 of 22 3-point shots. The pace wasn't fast in that game. I don't expect it to be fast in this matchup either. And I certainly don't expect that kind of accurate long-range shooting.

This game is in the Georgia Dome, which is not a good shooting venue. The Hoosiers know they aren't going to be able to keep up with Kentucky. So they are going to slow things down.

Anthony Davis led the nation in blocked shots averaging 4.6 per game. He was limited to 24 minutes in the first meeting due to foul trouble. Thanks in large part to Davis, the Wildcats led the nation in blocked shots and defensive field goal percentage.

Indiana has a big man presence, too, to clog the middle in Cody Zeller. The Hooisers have forced 112 more turnovers than they've given up assists this season. That pattern has held up in the NCAA Tournament so far where the Hooisers have forced 28 turnovers while yielding 15 assists.

These numbers have helped the Hooisers go under in seven of their past nine games. Kentucky has a number of factors in support of an under, too, including dipping below the number eight of the past 10 times when going against a Big Ten opponent and the under cashing eight of the last nine times when the Wildcats have squared off against a foe with a winning mark.

Unlike many Big Ten teams, Ohio State would prefer to play up-tempo. The Buckeyes are capable of scoring a lot of points, especially when not held back by grind-out, physical Big Ten opponents.

Cincinnati is the same way, but also has been held back having to face certain Big East schools such as South Florida. The Bearcats' 68.2 point scoring average is misleading because they had to face South Florida, Louisville and Seton Hall. They averaged just 53 points against those three foes.

Ohio State averages 75 points per game. So if the Buckeyes and Bearcats just maintain their averages, this total goes over by around 14 points. The Buckeyes have gone over in eight of their last nine games.

This matchup does figure to be physical so expect a lot of free throws. Ohio State shoots a respectable 70.3 percent from the foul line. Cincinnati is not a good free throw shooting team. However, the Bearcats made 19 of 23 from the free throw line in their last game against Florida State.

Golden State is at low ebb with four straight losses. Morale is at a season-low with the Warriors following the trade of Monta Ellis and Epke Udoh for two players - Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson - who won't play for the Warriors this season. Bogut is out for the year with a broken ankle and Jackson was immediately dealt away.

Golden State fans are down with team ownership and now the players are down knowing management has done nothing to help them make the playoffs.

Ellis was Golden State's most explosive player. The Warriors also are without Stephen Curry. He's sidelined with an ankle injury. In addition, big man Andris Biedrins may not play due to a groin injury.

This is a rare winnable home game for the Hornets. They should be primed for it having not played since Saturday when they beat New Jersey on the road. The Hornets are 9-1 ATS when playing on three days rest.

Golden State was idle on Tuesday, but is 1-5 ATS when playing on one day rest. This marks the Warriors' fourth game in six days and eighth game in 12 days. The loss of Ellis and Curry leaves them shorthanded in the backcourt.

There are reasons why Oklahoma City easily has the best record in the Western Conference. One primary factor is a 15-7 road mark, including a 13-9 ATS record.

The Thunder also know how to beat Utah. The Thunder are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings versus Utah, including 2-0 this season winning by 14 at Utah and by 26 at home. The Thunder have captured the past five meetings by an average of 15 points per game.

Utah is a good home team and off a shocking road win against the Lakers. But the Lakers didn't play well in that game. The Jazz aren't close to being in the Thunder's class and Oklahoma City won't be taking Utah lightly after seeing what the Jazz did to the Lakers.

New Jersey is one of the weakest home teams covering just seven of its past 28 home contests. Cleveland has covered in five of its last six visits to New Jersey.

The Nets are at their worst when playing weak opponents failing to cover in 10 of their last 12 matchups versus below .500 teams.

The Cavaliers are 8-2 ATS when taking up to 4 1/2 points.

Both teams are breaking in new players following this past Thursday's trade deadline. So there is a feeling out process going on both sides of the ball.

This is Cleveland's second game in two days, but only their second game in five days. New Jersey could be the more tired team since this marks the Nets' third game in four days.

It's a big game for the Cavaliers' prize rookie star Kyrie Irving, who starred in high school in New Jersey. He should have a good local following. The Cavaliers are still in the playoff hunt, 3 1/2 games out of the eighth position in the Eastern Conference.

The teams have met twice since January. Cleveland won 98-82 and lost 99-96. The Nets aren't strong enough to get away with laying this many points.

High morale. Added firepower and six straight covers. The Bucks have all that going for them as they take the court tonight against a very short-handed Warriors team still dealing with the fallout of their controversial and much-criticized deal with Milwaukee.

It's the Bucks now, not the Warriors, who have the far more dangerous backcourt with Monta Ellis joining Brandon Jennings. The Warriors not only don't have Ellis anymore, but also Stephen Curry isn't expected to play due to a sprained ankle.

So instead of Ellis and Curry, one of the better backcourt tandems in the NBA, the Warriors now go with well-traveled midget Nate Robinson and rookie Klay Thompson.

The Warriors are taking plenty of heat for not only dealing Ellis, but also promising Ekpe Udoh for injured Andrew Bogut and disgruntled Stephen Jackson. The Warriors immediately shipped Jackson to San Antonio for a washed-up Richard Jefferson.

Milwaukee has four straight victories. The Bucks' only defeat during their past six games was by two points to Chicago. Milwaukee is 22-4-1 ATS in their last 27 road games when facing a team with a losing home mark. The Warriors have a losing straight-up mark and ATS record at Oracle Arena.

Drew Gooden is playing well at center for Milwaukee. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is healthy and providing strong defense. Milwaukee's backcourt has been fortified. Swingman Mike Dunleavy has picked up his game.

Milwaukee, flying under the radar screen, is tied with the Knicks for the final playoff spot in the East. So this is an important game for the Bucks. Certainly Ellis and Udoh will be pumped. The Bucks have enjoyed good pointspread success at Golden State covering in eight of their past 11 visits.

The Lakers have yet to win three straight road games all season. I don't like their chances in this game either.

The Lakers knocked off Memphis, 116-111, in double overtime on Tuesday. Kobe Bryant played nearly 52 minutes. Andrew Bynum played nearly 49 and Pau Gasol logged more than 46 minutes.

A big key to the Lakers' victory against the Grizzlies was in free throw shooting. The Lakers made 28 of 34. The Grizzlies only got to shoot five free throws despite being at home. That discrepancy is sure to be on the mind's of the officials tonight.

Despite posting two consecutive road victories, the Lakers still are only 8-14 on the road. They are 8-20 ATS the past 28 times on the road when going against an opponent with a losing record.

New Orleans, on the other hand, is 7-2 ATS the last nine times it has faced a team with a winning mark. The Hornets also are 10-5 ATS in their past 15 contests.

This is the Lakers' third game in four nights. The Hornets were idle last night. They were embarrassed at home two nights ago losing to Charlotte, the worst team in the league. The Hornets should be highly motivated going against a marquee opponent and having had two days to suffer through that embarrassing Bobcats loss.

Charlotte is the worst team in the NBA. No argument there. Michael Jordan should be ashamed.

But the Bobcats are going to be golden in this spot and matchup.

Somehow Houston, an 11 1/2-point underdog, upset Oklahoma City straight-up on the road Tuesday night despite trailing by 11 during the final three minutes and missing both of its starting guards.

Out for Houston is Kyle Lowry, who has been their key player, and Kevin Martin. Lowry is out another couple of weeks with a bacterial infection while Martin was sidelined with a strained right shoulder.

The Rockets have played their last five games on the road. This is their first home game in 10 days and they've had no time to get adjusted to returning home since they played last night in Oklahoma City. This marks their fourth game in five days.

The injuries to Lowry and Martin rob the Rockets of one of their best strengths - their bench. No longer can Houston withstand such a grueling scheduling spot even against a weak opponent. The Rockets also are in a huge letdown spot and have a poor track record when stepping down in competition failing to cover the past seven times they've met a foe with a losing mark.

The Rockets have been playing terrible, too, since the All-Star break despite their great win against the Thunder compiling a 3-6 mark and 1-8 ATS record.

This atrocious spread record has occurred against terrible opponents. Just in the past week, the Rockets have lost by 18 to the Raptors and by 11 to the Cavaliers. Toronto scored the most point it has all season in regulation against the Rockets by 10 points and the Cavaliers also reached their season-high in points against the Rockets scoring 118. Just three games ago, the Nets put up 106 points on Houston despite missing Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.

Almost of this handicap is a fade on Houston, but Charlotte has covered four of its last six games and is off a road victory. The Bobcats are rested and have revenge for an embarrassing 82-70 home loss to the Rockets back on Jan. 10.

The Bobcats are as healthy as they've been the entire season. Part of their horrendous season has been due to a cluster injury problem that has now cleared up. Charlotte ranks last in scoring and is not a good rebounding team.

However, the Rockets are surrendering 108.2 points in their last eight games and have been outrebounded in 13 of their last 15 games. Given this and the scheduling spot, the Bobcats definitely can hang in if not pull the outright upset.

Give me a fair price and I have no problem fading the Trail Blazers on the road. That's what we have here.

Portland has lost 14 of 20 games on the road. The Trail Blazers are 7-13 ATS away from Rose Garden. They aren't playing particularly well either.

If it weren't for victories against two of the league's three worst teams - New Orleans and Washington - the Trail Blazers would be 0-7 in their last seven games. Portland is giving up more than 108 points per game in its last five losses.

This is Portland's fourth consecutive road game and third matchup in five days having last played on Saturday. The Trail Blazers have failed to cover the past seven times when playing on two day's rest. They also have failed to cover 15 of the past 21 times in an underdog role.

Indiana is 11-5 at home. The Pacers have dropped four in a row after winning six straight. Those defeats, however, occurred to four good-to-excellent teams - Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Chicago.

Now the Pacers drop down in class - way down considering Portland's road history - in a stop-the-pain game. The Trail Blazers are 8-20 ATS the last 28 times they've played a foe on the road who has a winning home mark.

Portland traditionally has struggled against the Pacers on the road failing to cover in six of its last eight visits to Indiana. The Pacers are 12-3 ATS during the last 15 overall meetings against Portland.

The Trail Blazers are a totally different team away from Portland. They are a distracted lot right now with trade rumors swirling, especially involving Jamal Crawford. There also are rumblings about Nate McMillan losing his head coaching position.

The Pacers have a rugged front line with a big edge at center with Roy Hibbert. The Pacers' backcourt also could get a boost as George Hill might return after missing the last two games with a sprained shoulder. Portland continues to hurt at the key point guard position with inconsistent play.

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin certainly are star players, but how good are the Clippers?

The answer is under .500 since losing Chauncey Billups going 8-9. The Clippers have failed to cover seven of the last eight times they've been favored.

Clearly, the Clippers are an overrated team right now. The Celtics still remain dangerous this season. Yes, this is their second consecutive game and third in four days. But the Clippers are in the same boat and have even more fatigue and injury issues.

The Celtics had an early Sunday game They played against the Lakers at Staples Center, site of tonight's game. The Clippers were home, too, to Golden State but played a late night game.

The Celtics have far more age on them than the Clippers, but it was the Clippers who suffered from fatigue issues on Sunday. They had concluded a six-game road trip this past Friday knocking off the Spurs. That was an impressive win, but it should be noted that Tony Parker didn't play in that game, which was a huge negative for San Antonio.

Previous to beating the Spurs, the Clippers had lost to the Nets, Timberwolves, beat the Rockets in overtime and lost to the Suns. The losses to Minnesota and Phoenix were in the second of consecutive games.

Kenyon Martin has missed the last two games for the Clippers due to sore ribs. Paul is playing with a protective facemask to protect a nasal fracture suffered against the Spurs. This could prove bothersome for Paul playing for the second time in 48 hours. Paul also has to worry about Rajon Rondo, who is playing better than any point guard right now.

The Kings are playing better and are at home, while the Hawks have dropped two in a row, including losing in their last game to the lowly Pistons.

So are the Kings deserving of being favored here? No, the Hawks are several notches above Sacramento.

First off, the Hawks could have beaten the Heat losing, 89-86, at Miami on Wednesday blowing a 10-point second-half lead against probably the best team in basketball. Then the Hawks lost by one point to the Pistons at Detroit on Friday.

Atlanta has been playing solid defense not allowing more than 99 points in 12 straight games. During the past seven games, the Hawks are giving up an average of 88.2 points per game. That would rank them second in the NBA if computed during the entire season.

Joe Johnson returned from his knee injury against the Pistons. He had missed the four previous games. He should be less rusty against Sacramento.

The Kings are off a big revenge win against defending world champion Dallas this past Friday. The Kings shot a blistering 50.6 percent from the floor in that victory. The Kings, though, have yet to show any consistency.

Atlanta has covered the past four times it has been a 'dog. The Hawks also have defeated Sacramento seven consecutive times, averaging 110.9 points during this span.

This is a clear case of the better team getting points.

Long Beach State is flat out a better team than Cal-Santa Barbara. The 49ers honed themselves by playing a tough non-conference schedule tangling with the likes of North Carolina, Kansas, San Diego State, Louisville, Creighton and Pittsburgh. They also took on Xavier and Kansas State on neutral courts.

The 49ers have a veteran lineup that has been in place for a long time. Casper Ware, Eugene Phelps, T. J. Robinson and Larry Anderson have made 431 starts career starts together. All are averaging more than nine points per game with Ware one of the best players in the Big West.

The 49ers have had problems with Santa Barbara in the Big West Tournament before, but was 2-0 against the Gauchos this season winning by 23 points and 12 points. Long Beach State is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games versus the 49ers.

That was in line with the 49ers' season-long dominance in the Big West going 15-1. The 49ers have been the best team all season in the Big West. They will prove it once again here covering this short number.

The 76ers were slumping, but are revived following an impressive home victory against Boston this past Wednesday.

Utah is playing its fourth consecutive road game. This marks the Jazz's seventh game in 11 days. Utah opened this road trip just 4-13 away from Salt Lake City.

The Jazz are 2-1 during this road swing, but their victories have been against the Cavaliers and Bobcats, two of the worst teams in the league with a combined record of 19-55.

The 76ers have been strong all season against weaker clubs, particularly at home where they are 13-6 ATS when favored.

Philadelphia has been very good when favored in this price range covering 11 of the past 13 times when laying between five and 10 1/2 points.

The 76ers also are 16-5 ATS when favored at home against a foe with a road winning percentage of less than .400.

It's taken a season and one-half, but Evan Turner had his coming out party against the Celtics. Turner is playing his finest ball, which is a huge plus to a deep 76ers squad that holds a huge guard advantage. Devin Harris hasn't come close to filling the shoes of Deron Williams at point guard for Utah.

Sure this is a huge mismatch on paper. But Long Beach State is going to be hard-pressed to come close to winning by this large spread, especially when there is no incentive for a huge blowout.

The 49ers have to win three games in three days beginning with this matchup in order to capture the Big West Conference Tournament. So even if they were to bolt to a big lead, the backdoor is wide open for UC Davis because the 49ers will be resting starters in anticipation of Friday's semifinal and Saturday's championship game.

The 49ers lost some of their swagger falling to Cal State-Fullerton in their last game, 77-74. That was their first conference defeat. The 49ers also suffered a key injury. Senior guard Larry Anderson went down with a knee injury in that game. He's doubtful for this matchup. Anderson not only averages 14 points a game, but is Long Beach State's top defender and a team leader. There's no reason for Long Beach State to risk playing Anderson in this matchup with more important tournament action looming.

Cal Davis is just 5-25, hence such a lopsided pointspread. The Aggies, however, are 4-4 in their last eight games.

The Bulls were flat against Milwaukee last night, happy to escape with a 106-104 road win. Tom Thibodeau wasn't happy at all with his team's defense against the Bucks. It was the first time Chicago had yielded more than 97 points in 10 games.

Now the Bulls are at United Center where they are 15-2 and giving up 84.6 points per game. That would lead the league in defense by three points.

Orlando is heavily reliant on its outside shooting since defenses pack it in against Dwight Howard. The Bulls rank fifth in the NBA in defensive field goal percentage. I see the Magic having problems scoring against a fired-up Bulls team at home. Chicago has won eight in a row and 10 of its last 11.

The Bulls are 39-19 ATS following an ATS loss.

Orlando remains inconsistent. The Magic's reliance on their up-and-down perimeter game was evident in their last game, a shocking loss this past Tuesday to the Bobcats. The Magic shot less than 39 percent from the floor and had 18 turnovers.

Orlando is weak in the backcourt, especially matching up against Derrick Rose with either Jameer Nelson or Chris Duhon. Those two can't stop Rose. The Magic have dropped four in a row to Chicago, the last one occurring on Jan. 6 when the Bulls beat Orlando, 97-83.

Memphis is playing better than any team going 9-1 in its last 10 games.

Despite this, the Grizzlies aren't getting any respect from the oddsmaker. They are a much better team than Golden State but opened as a 'dog to the Warriors.

The Grizzlies have a strong six-man rotation. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol are two of the more underrated players in the league. Memphis does have a short bench, but that won't be a factor here.

That's because the Grizzlies are very well-rested having last played on Saturday. Golden State, though, is playing for the sixth time in nine days.

The Warriors just returned from a six-game road swing that finished Monday night at Washington. They've had less than a day to recover after flying back cross-country on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies are 2-0 this season against the Warriors. They have seven more victories than Golden State does. The wrong team opened as the favorite.

The huge gap between these two teams doesn't justify this spread at all. Houston is a playoff team right now in the Western Conference at 21-18. Toronto is tied for the fourth-fewest wins in the NBA.

True, the Rockets played on Tuesday night. They blew a 10-point lead with 5 1/2 minutes left at Boston in a 97-92 overtime loss.

But that loss not only should make the Rockets more determined, but they are a tremendous money-maker when playing for the second time in 48 hours covering eight of the last 10 times in that role.

Toronto is 6-13 straight-up at home. The Rockets hold a backcourt edge and have far superior depth, which has been a big factor in Houston compiling such a strong spread mark when playing in the second of back-to-back games. Center Samuel Dalembert also has begun to play well again for the Rockets.

Houston is 5-0 ATS the last five times it has been a road favorite. The Raptors have beaten only two teams above .500 - Minnesota and Boston.

The 76ers have struggled at home versus elite foes, but have buried weaker opponents.

The key question here is just where do the Celtics fit in? The Celtics, to me, are closer to being a non-playoff team than an elite squad,, especially when on the road without rest.

Boston has won five in a row. Those wins were against Cleveland on the road and the others were at home versus the Bucks, Nets, Knicks in overtime this past Sunday and Rockets in overtime last night.

Impressive? I certainly wouldn't say so.

I see the aged Celtics highly vulnerable in this spot after nipping the Rockets in overtime. In the last two games, Rajon Rondo is averaging 46 minutes a game, Paul Pierce 43, Ray Allen 43 and Kevin Garnett nearly 40 minutes.

Boston is 3-7 ATS in the second of back-to-back games, including 0-4 during the past four times it has been in this spot. It's the third game in four days, too, for Philadelphia. But the 76ers are much deeper than Boston with the best combination of sixth, seventh and eighth men in the game.

Lou Williams is on track to become the first reserve to lead his team in scoring without starting a game since Dell Curry in 1993-94.

The Celtics would love to win this game, but they have a more realistic chance of winning on Friday when they host Portland. Following that game, the Celtics go on the road for eight straight games, including the first four on the West Coast.

The 76ers are in a stop-the-pain situation after a tough home loss to Chicago followed by a surprising road defeat to Milwaukee. The 76ers have covered 10 of the past 12 times they've been favored by five to 10 1/2 points. Boston is 3-8 ATS as a road 'dog of between five and 10 1/2 points.

Dallas has been in a slump losing six of its last eight. But I expect the Mavericks to get back on track at home against the Knicks.

Dirk Nowitzki is shooting better, Lamar Odom has returned to the lineup and the Mavericks will be highly motivated after the Knicks beat them, 104-97, two weeks ago at Madison Square Garden.

Jeremy Lin burned the Mavericks for 28 points and a career-high 14 assists. Lin, though, is in a shooting slump missing 20 of 27 shots from the floor during the past two games. The Mavericks also know how to play Lin better now that they've faced him.

Dallas is 17-3 in its last 20 games against the Knicks despite the previous meeting. The Mavericks hung tough against Oklahoma City, the best team in the Western Conference, on the road last night losing by four points despite the Thunder getting to shoot 23 more free throws.

Nowitzki is heating up scoring 67 points in the last two games, shooting 24-of-43 from the floor during this span. The Knicks are not in good form going 2-3 in their last five games, while surrendering an average of 106.6 points in their last three games. Lin has yet to show he can successfully mesh with Carmelo Anthony.

Princeton is an excellent home team so I can understand why the Tigers are favored.

But Penn has tremendous motivation and is an excellent road club. The Quakers need to win this game if they're going to finish in a first-place tie with Harvard in the Ivy League.

Penn certainly is good enough to win this game straight-up. The Quakers have covered in nine of their last 12 road contests.

As a road 'dog, the Quakers have covered 19 of the past 26 times. They are 5-0 ATS at Princeton.

Portland is 0-3 since the All-Star break. It's desperation time and a "Stop The Pain" game for Portland. The Trail Blazers have lost to Miami, high-scoring Minnesota and a rejuvenated Denver squad in their last three games.

Now the frustrated and mad Trail Blazers step way down in class and draw the weary and heavily banged-up Hornets.

New Orleans is making the long journey after hosting Indiana on Saturday, a 102-84 loss to Indiana. This marks the Hornets' fifth game in seven days.

The Hornets are missing Carl Landry (MCL sprain), Emeka Okafor (sore left knee), Jason Smith (concussion) and Eric Gordon (right knee injury). They also have been without Trevor Ariza (illness) for the last two games, suiting up just nine players.

The Hornets aren't going to cause Portland defensive problems like the fast-paced Heat, Timberwolves and Nuggets did. New Orleans ranks second to last in scoring averaging 88.4 points per game. Their slow style is much more suited for a half-court team such as Portland.

Despite their recent woes, the Trail Blazers are extremely tough at Rose Garden. They are 15-7-1 ATS the past 23 times they've faced a foe with a winning percentage below .400.

Toledo is one of the most improved teams in the country this season going 16-15 after back-to-back 4-28 seasons.

Perhaps the oddsmaker doesn't agree because he's set a very low line on this home matchup for the Rockets, who have covered seven of their past 10 home contests.

Toledo has been playing very well winning five of its last six games. The Rockets' only loss during this span came against lowly Northern Illinois when Toledo found out during the game that its chance to win the Western Division of the MAC had ended because Eastern Michigan had just beaten Western Michigan.

The Rockets closed the regular portion of their season by crushing Eastern Michigan, 76-51, this past Saturday. That game showed that not only could Toledo bounce back, but also win big games.

Miami of Ohio enters the MAC Tournament not playing nearly as well as the Rockets having lost five of six.

Toledo and Miami of Ohio met once this season and the Rockets won on the road, 63-61, Jan. 25.

Miami of Ohio has one of the best players in the MAC in senior forward Julian Mavunga. But Mavunga can't hide Miami of Ohio's many other weaknesses.

The Rockets unleashed a four guard offense in their rout of Eastern Michigan. Expect Miami of Ohio to have similar problems handling that especially being on the road.

Charlotte is one of the worst teams in NBA history. The Bobcats have dropped seven in a row at Charlotte Arena. Their average home loss during this span is by more than 17 points.

On the season, the Bobcats are a hideous 4-30, which includes a 2-12 home mark.

The Nets have been a bad team, but are starting to come on. They've recently beaten the Bulls, Knicks and Mavericks - all on the road. Bad teams don't accomplish that.

The Nets are eager to get back to winning after a 107-94 road loss to Boston this past Friday. New Jersey has huge edges at point guard with Deron Williams and at center with Brook Lopez, who has looked great since missing most of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. He's been back for three games and is averaging 33 points in his last two games.

Lopez averaged 31 points in his last two games against Charlotte. The Bobcats might be missing starting center Bismack Biyombo, who has a shoulder injury.

The Bobcats don't have the offense to keep up with New Jersey. They are averaging an NBA-low 86.3 points per game.

The Bobcats have struggled offensively all season, averaging an NBA-low 86.3 points. They are shooting less than 39 percent from the floor during their last seven home games. They put up just 72 points in their last game this past Friday at San Antonio. The Spurs are not as strong defensively as they have been.

D.J. Augustin is one of the worst starting shooting point guards in the league and rookie off-guard Kemba Walker could be hitting the wall as he's missed 20 of 30 shots from the field during the last three games.

This is the second meeting between the two clubs. The Nets won, 97-87, at home on Jan. 22. They achieved that win without Lopez.

Now that Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Richard Hamilton are all back healthy, the Bulls simply have too much depth and scoring for the Cavaliers to stay within single digits even at home.

The teams met in Cleveland on Jan. 20 and it wasn't close. Chicago won 114-75 despite not having Rose while the Cavaliers did have their best frontcourt player, Anderson Varejao. Now that situation is reversed with Rose playing and Varejao out.

Chicago is 7-0 ATS the past seven times it has given up five or more points on the road. Chicago also is 7-3 ATS on one day's rest and is 4-1 ATS during its last five visits to Cleveland.

Cleveland has failed to cover 14 of the past 20 times it has hosted a foe with a winning road mark. The Bulls are idle on Saturday while the Cavaliers travel to Washington to meet the Wizards in a much more realistic winning spot. Because of that, the Cavaliers very well could limit the minutes of their starters if they fall too far behind early.

San Diego is a better team than Pepperdine and the Toreros proved it during the regular season beating the Waves in both meetings.

The Toreros beat the Waves in San Diego, 65-56, and then smacked Pepperdine on the road, 70-57.

San Diego has more quickness and a more versatile offense than the Waves, which is reflected in its averaging seven points more per game than Pepperdine.

San Diego is playing well going into the West Coast Conference Tournament. In their last two games, the Toreros upset Loyola-Marymount as 9 1/2-point road 'dogs, 60-57. The Toreros then nearly knocked off perennial WCC power Gonzaga during their regular-season finale at home this past Saturday.

San Diego was tied with Gonzaga with two minutes left before the Bulldogs pulled out a 65-57 victory. The loss, though, left the Toreros feeling confident going into the tournament with the belief they can beat any WCC team.

Pepperdine is on a little up-tick, too, having won two in a row. Previous to that, though, the Waves had dropped 13 of their last 14 games.

No team had been playing as well as Miami before the All-Star break.

But the Heat hasn't played in a week. It's going to be difficult for Miami to put out an "A" performance with so much rust. It's going to take an "A" type of game, though, for Miami to beat an aroused and mad Trail Blazers team in Portland.

Portland didn't play well on Wednesday falling to Denver on the road, 104-95. The Trail Blazers are anxious to perform better, which they almost always do when playing at home.

Portland's Rose Garden is one of the toughest home venues in the league. The Trail Blazers are 13-5 there this season, 12-5-1 ATS.

The Trail Blazers also are 10-2 ATS following a straight-up loss. Portland has the versatility, home-court and motivation to keep this game extremely tight if not pull out the outright upset.

Dallas was very sloppy playing one of its worst games of the season in a 93-92 home loss to New Jersey Tuesday night. Some of the Mavericks' poor play can be blamed on the long All-Star break.

I see the Mavericks fired-up and bouncing back strong tonight against Memphis, which faces the same rust issues Dallas had last night. The Grizzlies last were in action back on Feb. 21.

The Grizzlies aren't in the Mavericks' class. The Grizzlies are a little better than a .500 team, especially minus Zach Randolph, while the defending champion Mavericks still are a serious contender to win the Western Conference again.

Dallas has a lot of favorable trends pointing in its direction such as an 18-7-1 ATS road mark, a 30-12-1 ATS record versus Western Conference opponents and a 10-3 ATS record following an ATS loss.

Memphis is just 1-6 ATS the last seven times it has faced Western Conference foes.

I'll ride the Hornets, who are playing their best ball. They've covered seven straight games.

New Orleans played Tuesday night and nearly upset Chicago on the road, losing 99-95 after the Bulls scored the final eight points.

That loss left the Hornets frustrated, but also confident feeling they definitely should have beaten the Bulls. New Orleans is 10-1 ATS following a cover.

The Raptors also played last night, hanging in but losing on the road to Houston, 88-85. It was Toronto's eighth loss in its last 10 games.

The Raptors have been a good spread team on the road. But this is a short line and Toronto is facing a tough defense minus its best offensive player, Andrea Bargnani.

Toronto has lost five of its last six road games straight-up. The Raptors' only road victory during this span was against the Nets.

The Hornets are getting healthier and playing their best ball. The Raptors desperately miss Bargnani's scoring.

The Wizards actually showed something on Tuesday night coming from 22 points down on the road in Milwaukee to nearly beat the Bucks, losing 119-118.

Orlando figures to be rusty having last been in action back this past Thursday. The Wizards won't have that rust problem. They should be fired-up playing at home for the first time since the All-Star break.

Washington is starting to get some mileage out of young, hungry players Chris Singleton, Jordan Crawford and Trevor Booker. They Wizards hold a big edge at point guard with John Wall against a shaky Jameer Nelson.

Orlando, of course, still has Dwight Howard. But the Wizards actually have a center who can defend well against Howard in shot-blocker JaVale McGree.

The Magic have had a tendency to play to the level of their competition particularly on the road where they are 1-5 ATS the last six times they've met a foe with a losing home mark.

The Magic also have a much bigger game on deck when they host Oklahoma City Thursday night on national television.

New Orleans entered All-Star break way under-the-radar screen having covering six straight games while going 4-2 straight-up. The Hornets, sparked by the return of point guard Jarrett Jack, were playing their best ball.

Scoff at Jack, but he's played better than some bigger name point guards
averaging 15.1 points and 6.4 assists per game.

The key is are the Hornets playing well enough to stay within this large point spread? Chicago buried the Hornets, 90-67, in New Orleans seven games ago.

The combination of the Hornets playing much better since then, possibly getting more injured players back and the Bulls with a major look-ahead game on Wednesday when they play at the Spurs should keep New Orleans within this large spread.

Certainly the backdoor is open. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau isn't going to dole out major minutes to Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, both of whom are less than 100 percent, with a nationally televised marquee game the next night.

The Hornets are respectable defensively ranking 11th surrendering 93.2 points per game. They have held four of their last six opponents to under 90 points a game.

Center Chris Kaman has stepped up his play for the Hornets averaging 17.8 points and nine rebounds during his past six games. Now Kaman may get help as the Hornets could get big men Emeka Okafor and Jason Smith back for this matchup.

It's too early to count out the Celtics yet even though they have lost five straight times and are under .500. The oddsmaker isn't giving Boston enough respect with such a short line.

Yes, there's a lot of age on Boston. But there's a lot of pride, too. The Celtics hold down the last playoff spot right now with Cleveland just below them by 1 1/2 games. So it's a key game.

The Celtics should be refreshed following All-Star break. The teams are 1-1 against each other having played in late January. The Cavaliers upset the Celtics in Boston, 88-87 and then two days later the Celtics beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 93-90. The Celtics built up huge early leads in both games - and let down. The Cavaliers scored the final 12 points to pull out the first game against Boston and the Celtics nearly blew a 22-point lead in the third quarter in the next meeting.

The Celtics were caught by surprise by Kyrie Irving, who averaged 22 points in the two games, and also had to deal with Anderson Varejao, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds in the second meeting. The Celtics will be primed to stop Irving and don't have to worry about the injured Varejao.

I don't see visiting Golden State keeping this one close against the rejuvenated Pacers, who have won four in a row.

There's a huge drop, but the Pacers are the third-best team in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Chicago. It's going to be especially tough for Golden State if star guard Stephen Curry is out with a foot injury.

Curry suffered a sprained ligament in his right foot in the Warriors' last game six days ago in a road win against the Suns. The undersized Warriors already face a matchup problem inside against All-Star Roy Hibbert. The Pacers went into break playing top-notch defense holding their last four opponents to an average of less than 90 points per game.

Indiana has beaten Golden State four straight times at home covering each game. Indiana is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings with the Warriorrs at home.

The Pacers should be fully focused coming off the All-Star break and not playing again until Saturday.

Making up a 19-point deficit, Kansas pulled off an 87-86 overtime victory against then third-ranked and bitter border rival Missouri this past Saturday.

That victory clinched at least a share of the Big 12 title for the eighth consecutive time for the Jayhawks and left them so proud and smug that they emerged from their locker room wearing T-shirts that read, "Mission Accomplished."

Now, just 48 hours later, the Jayhawks have to travel to Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks have had problems in Stillwater. Kansas coach Bill Self is 1-5 there. Just two years ago, Oklahoma State upset then No. 1 ranked Kansas at home.

Kansas is 2-6-1 ATS the last nine times following a straight-up victory. The Jayhawks may be minus center Jeff Withey, who leads the team in field goal percentage and blocks. Withey turned an ankle against Missouri and would be at less than 100 percent if he played.

Oklahoma State certainly isn't in Kansas' class at just 14-15. But the Cowboys are tough at home going 11-3. They have posted home victories against Missouri, Iowa State, Texas and Texas A&M since Jan. 25.

The Cowboys are going to be sky-high for this matchup for many reasons. This is a Big Monday game, which means national television on ESPN. It's also the final home game for senior and leading scorer Keiton Page.

Oklahoma State is 13-6-1 ATS in its last 20 home games versus foes with a winning road record. The Cowboys lost by 15 at Kansas just 16 days ago. Kansas out-shot the Cowboys from the floor 48.4 percent to 32.7 percent.

Expect a full effort and much better result from the Cowboys in the rematch as the situation and timing sets up perfect for them.

LeBron James is the best player in the NBA and Dwight Howard could be in line for a monster performance playing at home, but the underdog West has far more depth both in the frontcourt and backcourt.

The East certainly can't match the West's four-headed monster point guard roster of Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker and Chris Paul.

The West also has better players in the frontcourt with Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love, Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol. They are more than enough to combat Howard.

James is great in this game, but so is Kobe Bryant. He can match James point for point.

The East has several players who are good, but I don't consider real All-Stars such as Roy Hibbert, Andre Iguodala and Luol Deng. They also have players on the roster who aren't having good seasons, including Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

The coach for the East is Tom Thibodeau of Chicago. He may choose to limit the minutes of his star point guard Derrick Rose, who has battled injuries.

Obviously there's a lot of randomness that goes with an All-Star game. But the West has the stronger up-and-down lineup and is catching points. That's worth a small play.

Marquette is playing great ball winning 11 of its last 12. West Virginia has lost its last three home games. The Mountaineers haven't lost four in a row at home since 2002-03. The Mountaineers are off their worst loss of the season, 71-44 at Notre Dame this past Wednesday.

Yet some places opened West Virginia as the favorite. What does that tell you? It tells me the Mountaineers are the right side. Marquette has never won in four tries at Morgantown.

This not only is a stop-the-pain game for the Mountaineers, but is crucial for their hopes of gaining entry into the NCAA Tournament.

There's no NBA tonight. All eyes will be on West Virginia in this ESPN nationally televised matchup. The Mountaineers need this victory to ensure a shot at finishing with an above .500 record in the Big East.

West Virginia has double revenge having lost to Marquette twice last season, including in the conference tournament. The Mountaineers have had a lot of tough luck this season. They are far more dangerous than their conference record may indicate having faced one of the 10 toughest schedules in the nation.

Marquette has some talented players, but West Virginia has the best player on the court in Kevin Jones, who averages 20.3 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per contest.

Montana isn't strong enough to lay this many points. The Grizzlies figure to easily look past Northern Arizona.

Following this game, the Grizzlies host Montana State in a rivalry matchup. That game comes on Saturday. Northern Arizona is idle until Monday so the Lumberjacks should be primed for a full effort while Montana will ease off the gas pedal with a big lead knowing they have a short turnaround and playing its in-state rival.

The Grizzlies are off a 94-79 home victory against Hawaii. They are 2-10 ATS the past 12 times following a game in which they scored 90 or more points.

Northern Arizona is 18-7 ATS the past 25 times it has been on the road against a foe with a winning home mark. The Lumberjacks have also covered in four of their last five visits to Montana.

This has been a road series with the visitor covering six of the past eight times.

On the surface this seems like a big number for Miami to lay. The Knicks, after all, not only have superstars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire back, but point guard Jeremy Lin is the hottest thing going in the NBA.

The reality of the situation, though, is this is a kill spot for the Heat. LeBron James and Co. can destroy any foe at home when properly motivated and in the right situation. This is the right spot and the Heat have the incentive.

The Knicks are a weary team in transition heading into All-Star break. New York is playing for the fourth time in five days and second in two nights. This is just Anthony's second game back from injury. He and Lin are not on the same page yet. The Knicks also are breaking in newcomers J.R. Smith and Baron Davis, too.

The Heat are playing their best ball. They've won seven in a row, covering six. Their only non-cover during this span was a 12-point victory against Sacramento as 13 1/2-point favorites. The Heat have won all of their games during their winning streak by 12 or more points.

Miami doesn't want to lose this momentum entering the break. The Heat are sick about answering questions about Lin. James and Dwayne Wade have huge egos. They're used to being on the cover of Sports Illustrated not Lin. This is a nationally televised game with the whole country watching.

Unlike the Knicks, the Heat are rested with their past few games being spaced out. James and Wade will be going all out playing big minutes since Miami won't be in action again until a full week later.