Creighton is coming on winning four in a row. Marquette is falling back, winning one of its last three with that victory occurring against weak Georgetown.
The Blue Jays won the first meeting, 75-69, in double overtime on the road. Now they get Marquette at home where they have won five of their last six, including burying Villanova. 

Look for the Blue Jays to continue their momentum with a victory. 

There's a class difference here not reflected in the number. Maine has only two Division I wins. New Jersey Tech has taken care of teams that have easily defeated Maine. The Highlanders are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games.

Maine also has had some internal problems that came to a boil this past week with its head coach being replaced.

The Black Bears aren't even going to qualify for the league playoffs so motivation could be an issue even with a coaching change.

Can the Wolverines win road games against Iowa and Wisconsin in a span of four days? I say no.

Michigan upset the Hawkeyes this past Thursday, 84-79. Now, though, the Wolverines draw the 15th-ranked Badgers also on the road.

Wisconsin gives up the fewest turnovers in the nation at 8.6. The Badgers' traditionally strong defense is coming on, too, giving up an average of 63.2 points during the last four games.

Michigan has faced five ranked teams this season - and lost four of those five games.

There were a combined 123 points scored in the first meeting between these two teams with Long Beach State winning, 65-58. Don't expect many points to be scored either in this second go-around.

Long Beach State has surrendered fewer than 70 points during its last 11 games. The Beach have held their last seven foes under 67 points. They easily rank No. 1 in the Big West in defensive efficiency. 

Santa Barbara gives up just 64.5 points. The Gauchos haven't permitted more than 67 points during their last seven games. They play at an extremely slow pace, which is great for the Under. 

These are a pair of middle-of-the-road Ohio Valley Conference teams. But Austin Peay is a step above Tennessee Tech.

Tennessee Tech is 3-7 in its last 10 games with two of those victories occurring versus Eastern Illinois, which is in last place in the Ohio Valley and is the third-lowest scoring team in the nation.

Austin Peay can't beat Murray State, Morehead State and Belmont. But the Governors can take out all the other Ohio Valley teams especially at home. That includes Tennessee Tech. Austin Peay defeated the Golden Eagles, 58-55, on the road when the teams met on Jan. 29.

The Governors now get the rematch at home where they have won four of their last five.

Maryland is better than Nebraska. The oddsmaker knows that opening the Terrapins a road favorite. Still, this line is short because the Terrapins have lost five straight. Those defeats, though, came to Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue in their last game this past Sunday. Maryland led Purdue by 12 points with 11 minutes left before losing, 62-61. 

Nebraska is 7-18 with its only victory during the past five games occurring against sagging Minnesota. Maryland has four more victories and four fewer losses than the Cornhuskers. 

The Cornhuskers can't match Maryland's strong backcourt duo of Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell.

I don't see Wright State slowing down Oakland with the Golden Grizzlies playing at home. Wright State ranks 256th in scoring defense and 268th in defensive field goal percentage. Oakland ranks 66th in the nation in points averaging 75.9. 

The Golden Grizzlies average 87,5 points at home. Wright State just surrendered 75 points at home to Northern Kentucky in its last game, that's four points more than Northern Kentucky averages on the season. 

Oakland is 15-3 ATS the past 18 times as a home favorite. 

Wright State is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 road games. 

Kent State is an upper level Mid-American Conference team. But Ohio leads the MAC and is better than the Golden Flashes. So I'm not buying Kent State opening as the favorite.

The Bobcats are 22-4, including 8-3 on the road. They have a better road mark than Kent State's home record. The Golden Flashes are 16-9, 8-4 at home.

Ohio took care of Kent State, 80-72, back on Jan. 7. Bobcats star Mark Sears had a big game with 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor while grabbing six rebounds and dishing off three assists.

Sears averages 20.1 points, which ranks in the top 20 in the country. He's a tremendous shooter. Ohio ranks 15th in the country in turnover margin and first in the MAC at plus 4.23.

Kent State can't match Sears, nor Ohio's ball protection.

Ohio is ranked 87th in the latest NET rankings. Kent State is ranked 140th.

There's a class difference here not fully reflected in this point spread.

UMKC is 16-10. North Dakota is 6-21. Kansas City should be motivated despite the Fighting Hawks' poor record. The Roos had their four-game win streak snapped this past Saturday by Oral Roberts after blowing a 10-point halftime lead. 

The Roos surrender 12 fewer points per game than North Dakota. They also shoot much better from the floor. 

UMKC has covered five of its last six road contests.

I can envision Elon pulling the outright upset here.

The teams met on Jan. 22 in Delaware. The Blue Hens won, 80-77. Delaware shot 52 percent from the floor and had 11 more free throw opportunities than Elon. Yet the Blue Hens still just won by three points at home.

Delaware last played a road game back on Jan. 29.

I don't see another Fresno State loss happening here with the Bulldogs home to the Rebels, who are 3-8 ATS during their past 11 road contests. Fresno State has covered nine of its last 11 home games. 

UNLV has been hot from beyond the arc lately. Don't look for that to continue, though, against a Fresno State defense that ranks fifth in the nation allowing only 57.9 points. 

The Bulldogs shoot better from the floor than the Rebels and also are the superior free throw shooting team. Fresno State beat UNLV, 73-68, at UNLV on Jan. 14. That was the seventh time in the last 10 meetings the Bulldogs have defeated the Rebels. 

Southern Utah has the better record, but I find Northern Colorado to be the superior team.

The Bears defeated the Thunderbirds, 91-81, on the road early last month. After playing just three times from Jan. 8 to Jan. 31, the Bears are back in sync. They are averaging 82.2 points during their last 10 games, shooting 49.9 percent from the field during this span, and have won three in a row.

The Thunderbirds are a high-scoring team, but they rank 280th defensively. So the Bears should continue their high-scoring ways.

Southern Utah has been terrible against the spread failing to cover in 11 of its last 15 games.

I'm not convinced UNC Greensboro is the better team. The Spartans certainly weren't when they met Mercer on Jan. 15. The Bears won, 58-49, as a 3-point home favorite.

The Bears have covered three of their last four games. They are the 16th-best free throw shooting team in the nation.

Greensboro is 3-7 ATS the past 10 times when favored.

Perhaps the Spartans deserve to be a slight favorite being home. But I find this to be too many points.

In no way is this a fade on Gonzaga. Instead it's taking what I perceive to be value on a very strong defensive team in Saint Mary's.

The 22nd-ranked Gaels give up 59.1 points per game. Only 10 teams surrender fewer points per game.

Gonzaga has won 20 games for 25 consecutive seasons. St. Mary's has a very proud tradition, too, having reached that milestone during 14 of the last 15 seasons.

I'm backing Drake in revenge mode and stop-the-pain mode having lost two in a row after winning its previous four.

Bradley may lack Drake's intensity following its huge, 68-61, home win against Loyola, who was in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference this past Wednesday.

The Bulldogs are aiming for payback after losing, 83-71, as a 7-point home favorite against Bradley on Jan. 19.

Drake is 6-2 in road games. The Bulldogs outscored their opponents by nearly eight points a game and have a better conference record than Bradley.

Little Rock isn't good. But Troy isn't this many points better than Little Rock.

Troy hasn't won by more than nine points during any of its past nine games.

Troy also has a terrible track record when playing below .500 teams covering only 30 percent of the time during the past 62 instances.

Tennessee State hasn't scored more than 65 pts in six of its last eight games.

Austin Peay is averaging 57 points in regulation during its last seven games discounting its previous game versus Southeast Missouri State, which ranks 338th defensively.

Just 126 points were scored during the first meeting between these two teams.

Both teams play at a very slow tempo.

So all the makings are here for another low-scoring Under game.

Florida has won four in a row and has 6-foot-10 star big man Colin Castleton back in its lineup. Castleton averages 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game. He can keep the Gators close in this matchup.

The key for Florida is knocking down its perimeter shots to free Castleton inside. The Gators have a better chance of doing that with Castleton returning to the court.

Florida has covered five of the last six times against above .500 opponents. The Wildcats could be looking ahead since their next game is against Tennessee.

After a tough 78-76 overtime road loss to Wyoming, I think Utah State has a bit of a hangover. That loss halted a five-game Aggies' win streak. The Aggies are coming on, but this line is inflated.

Nevada has lost six in a row. But the Wolf Pack are capable of hanging in against good conference opponents as evidenced by a two-point road loss to San Diego State five days ago.

The Wolf Pack rank fifth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring. They are the only Mountain West team with three players in the top 20 in scoring.

Utah State is just 10-8 at home and has a bigger game on deck when it meets San Diego State.

Long Beach State took over first place in the Big West Conference with an upset home win against Cal State-Fullerton two days ago. Obviously a monster win for the Beach.

Now, however, Long Beach State has to travel to Hawaii just 48 hours later to play the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii beat Long Beach, 72-67, as a 2-point road 'dog on Jan. 8.

Hawaii last played five days ago. The Rainbow Warriors are rested and catch Long Beach State in a huge letdown spot with a fatigue factor, too.

These teams met on Jan. 17. Hofstra was an eight-point home favorite and beat Drexel, 71-68. Hofstra is the fourth-best free throw shooting team in the nation at 80 percent. The Pride shot just 10 free throws in that game and also made only 4 of 16 3-pointers.

Hofstra is 14-9 and in third place in the Colonial Athletic Association at 7-4. Drexel is 11-10 and 6-5 in the CAA.

There is a point spread difference of around 10 points in this game compared to the earlier meeting. Hofstra is the better team so I'm attracted to taking this many points.

The Pride just defeated UNC-Wilmington in its last game three days ago. Drexel went against Wilmington on Jan. 31 and lost, 70-63.

The record shows Portland to be 11-12. But the Pilots have been much better against the spread covering 14 of 22 games for 64 percent. They are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. San Francisco, on the other hand, is 19-5 but terrible against the spread with a 7-15-1 ATS mark for 32 percent.

The teams just met this past Saturday and San Francisco only won, 74-71, as a 15-point road favorite. The Dons also outshot Portland from the floor making 50 percent. The Pilots hit 47 percent of their field goals yet still only lost by three points. Portland actually led at halftime.

Now we have even a larger point spread. San Francisco's home-court isn't worth that much of an edge. The Dons are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.

The Pilots have covered six of their last seven away contests.

Both Utah State and Wyoming are playing well. But the Cowboys are the superior team and are at home with a short point spread.

Wyoming is a perfect 10-0 at home. The Cowboys have outscored opponents by an average of 20.3 points at home.

The Cowboys average 84.1 points at home. That's 12 points higher than what Utah State averages on the road.

The Aggies have won five in a row so perhaps that's why the spread is shorter than I anticipated. However, four of those victories were achieved at home. The Aggies also played some weak competition during this time frame posting wins against UNLV, San Jose State and Air Force.

Utah State has a losing road mark.

Wyoming is 10-1 in its last 11 games and 19-3 overall. The Cowboys trail Boise State by one-half game for the top spot in the Mountain West Conference. They can't afford a loss here especially following their tremendous, 61-59, road upset win against Fresno State this past Sunday night.

The Cowboys feature two of the best players in the conference, Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado.

James Madison won nine of its first 11 games, before having to pause for nearly a month starting on Dec. 11 due to COVID. Since resuming play on Jan. 9 the Dukes have yet to regain their earlier form going 4-6.

Drexel also lost three weeks of its season due to a COVID pause. The Dragons are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Dragons are looking to post consecutive victories for just the second time this season after beating Delaware, 76-68, on the road this past Thursday.

James Madison has covered in 11 of its last 15 road contests.

I don't see why Drexel should be favored by this many points? The teams met on Jan. 27. James Madison was a 3 1/2-point home favorite. The Dukes were upset by Drexel, 88-82. The Dragons were red-hot making nearly 56 percent of their shots from the floor. James Madison shot 48 percent.

The Dukes are the better shooting team, though. They rank 30th in the nation in field goal percentage at 47.7 percent. Drexel shoots 46.9 percent from the floor.

These are two of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference. Fresno State has the sixth-best defense in the country.

But Wyoming is the more complete team. Fresno State also is coming off two easy matchups.

The Cowboys have won nine of their last 10 games. They are 26-9 ATS in their last 35 road games, including covering the past four. This has been a road team series with the visitor going 6-1-1 ATS the past eight times.

Wyoming averages nearly 10 more points pre game than Fresno State. The Bulldogs have one of the best players in the conference, Orlando Robinson. But Wyoming has two of the three best players on the court in Graham Ike and Hunter Maldonado.

Talk about short revenge. Miami of Ohio sure has it here hosting Akron after losing, 66-55, on the road to the Zips this past Friday.

Akron may have gotten some home cooking in that one getting to shoot 10 more free throws than the RedHawks.

But Miami of Ohio was done in by its poor shooting from the floor. The RedHawks made just 36 percent of their shots and were 5-of-17 from 3-point range. Akron, on the other hand, made 50 percent of its field goal attempts.

I'm looking for a strong bounce back effort from the RedHawks at home and for Akron not to shoot as well as it did on Friday. Akron is 2-5 ATS in its last seven road games and 1-5 ATS following a victory.

The Zips also may be without Bryan Trimble, who missed the second half of Friday's game with an injury. The Zips have four players who average between 11 and 13 points. Trimble is one of those players.

This has been an underdog series with the 'dog covering the spread the past five times. I see that trend continuing here.

Neither team has been playing well. Louisiana Tech shouldn't be laying this many points on the road. The Bulldogs' average road win this season is by a mere two points.
Florida International has covered six of its nine lined home games.

Florida International plays much better at home. So I'll ride with the Panthers here. 

Northern Illinois scored the most points it has scored in regulation all season when the teams met for the first time this season. Bowling Green still won, 92-83, covering as a 6 1/2-point road favorite. The price is cheap to back the Falcons again this time at home.

Bowling Green averages nearly 20 points more per game than Northern Illinois. The Huskies, 6-13 overall, rank 326th in scoring at 63.4 points a game.

The Huskies, though, are off a 75-56 road upset win against Western Michigan while Bowling Green lost 78-74 as small road chalk to Central Michigan in its last game.

Look for the Falcons, 11-11 on the season, to bounce back against this inferior foe. The Falcons have defeated the Huskies five straight times.

There aren't many easy games in the Big 12 Conference. And this one isn't going to be easy for Texas Tech especially after the Red Raiders won an emotional, 77-64, home game against 23rd-ranked Texas this past Tuesday.

West Virginia is in a desperate situation with six straight losses and possibly missing its best player, point guard Taz Sherman. He's in concussion protocol and questionable for this game.

With or without Sherman, though, I like West Virginia in this spot.

The Mountaineers played well in their last game, an 81-77 road loss to Baylor this past Monday. They shot a season-best 54.2 percent from the field. Look for the Mountaineers to give Texas Tech their best punch. I doubt the Red Raiders can produce another ''A'' game after beating Texas.

Should be a great game: Ohio at Toledo to decide the Mid-American Conference and No. 1 conference tournament seed.

That game, though, is Tuesday. Before that Toledo is being asked to cover what I see as an inflated road number against Ball State.

The Rockets have won nine in a row. But this definitely is a look-ahead spot for them, which could produce a flat effort.

Ball State had won and covered three in a row until getting buried by Ohio in its last game. The Cardinals average a healthy 74 points a game.

The Cardinals have covered eight of their last 11 games. The Rockets have allowed 173 3-point field goals. Ball State has made 180 3-pointers, ranking 69th in 3-point accuracy.

The combination of their 3-point shooting, home-court and catching Toledo in a flat spot should mean a cover for the Cardinals.

I'm not buying Stanford being a home 'dog to Washington State. The teams met on Jan. 13 and Stanford won, 62-57, as a 7-point road 'dog.

Washington State has won three in a row since that loss to Stanford. All of those victories, though, were at home.

The Cardinal played a tough non-conference schedule and they've proved themselves in Pac-12 play sweeping USC.

Stanford is 9-1 at home. Among the teams Stanford has beaten at home are Oregon, USC and California.

Every point figures to matter in this matchup of elite defenses. Texas has the No. 1 defense in the nation holding foes to 54.5 points. Defense is a Chris Beard trademark as Texas Tech well knows about its former coach. The Red Raiders allow the 19th-fewest points in the country. 

So I'm attracted to the road 'dog receiving this many points. This has been an underdog series with the 'dog covering eight of the last 11 times. 

I trust Beard's defense and the Longhorns' motion offense to find some open looks from 3-point range. I also trust the Longhorns to control their turnover count facing Texas Tech's full-court pressure. 

It comes down to what should be a low-scoring matchup, as the oddsmaker anticipates, where Texas definitely can stay within two possessions. 

This is a battle for third place in the Southern League. I see a wrong favorite.

Neither team is in good current form. The underdog has cashed the past five times in the series. So taking points is attractive.

Mercer knocked off Wofford in the conference tournament last season during the previous meeting. The Bears are 9-3 at home.

Mercer is 1-3 in its last four games. Wofford, though, is 1-2 in its last three games and 1-3 ATS during its past four games. The Terriers are off a victory against UNC Greensboro. Before that game, however, the Terriers only averaged 55 points in losses to Chattanooga and Furman.

Those are the two best teams in the Southern. The Bears can play slow, similar to those teams, which would frustrate the Terriers.

I don't profess to be an expert on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. But this line sure looks out of whack to me with Marist opening as a road favorite.

The Red Foxes are 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six games. They've dropped three in a row, including a seven-point home loss to Sienna a couple of weeks ago.

Manhattan has a winning ATS mark in its last eight games. The Jaspers are 5-2 on their home court. They have taken care of business at home in MAAC play, beating Sienna and Canisius.

Both teams are 12-8. But given the home/road splits, the wrong team is favored.

Cal-Baptist is 11-3 at home this season. The Lancers lead the Western Athletic Conference in assists at 17.6 per game.

Stephen F. Austin is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games and 2-5 ATS during its past seven road contests. The Lumberjacks have lost and failed to cover during their last three road games.

The belief here is Tarleton State is the superior team. The Texans have the better record and are off a victory. Rio Grande Valley has just one victory in the Western Athletic Conference. The Vaqueros are 1-7 in their last eight games. The Vaqueros have given up 84 or more points in six of their last eight games.  

Notre Dame is hot, winning nine of its last 10 games. But Virginia is just the team to beat the Irish.

The Cavaliers are a bad matchup for Notre Dame as evidenced by Virginia defeating the Irish 16 of 18 times in the series, including the past six times.

Notre Dame relies on its perimeter shooting especially from long range. The Irish rank 27th in 3-point percentage. Notre Dame is very much a rhythm team.

Virginia disrupts that rhythm. No team plays slower than the Cavaliers. Virginia's defense is at its best clamping down on open shots, especially catch-and-shoot 3-point shots like Notre Dame likes to launch.

On the flip side, Virginia guards Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman are adept at patiently beating half-court sets. Given four days to prepare, Virginia's elite coach Tony Bennett should have an excellent game plan.

Virginia is 5-3 SU and ATS in its last eight road/neutral site games. Notre Dame is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 home games versus foes who have an above .500 road mark.

If you're looking for a lot of scoring this certainly isn't the game for you.

Tennessee State hasn't scored more than 65 points in three of its last four games.

Eastern Illinois is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation averaging 55.8 points. The Panthers have failed to break the 58-point barrier during any of their last 11 games. They also play at the slowest tempo of any team in the Ohio Valley Conference.

As low as this total is, it should have opened even lower.

Cleveland State is largely unproven on the road, but I'm not buying the Vikings as a road 'dog to Wright State. The defending Horizon League champions met Wright State last month and won, 85-75, as a 2 1/2-point home favorite.

The Vikings are leading the Horizon at 9-1. Wright State is 8-3 in league, but coming off a 73-63 road loss as a short favorite against Northern Kentucky. Cleveland State rolled past Northern Kentucky, 72-58, at home when the teams met in early December.

Wright State has failed to cover in 13 of its 19 line games this season.

Cal-State Fullerton has gone Over the total in four of its last five games. It's not a fluke. The Titans rank No. 1 in the Big West Conference in offensive efficiency and they play at a fast pace. 

UC Davis is an above average shooting team. The Aggies have reached at least 71 points in five of their last seven games. They have the shooters to take advantage of Fullerton's 3-point defense, which ranks 348th.

Penny Hardaway was one of my favorite NBA players when he played for the Orlando Magic. But as a head college basketball coach, Hardaway has to rank among the bottom 10. He actually could be in the argument as the worst coach.

Yes Hardaway's Memphis team has had injuries. But the Tigers have underachieved so much they may not even make the NCAA Tournament. Memphis 5-12-1 ATS on the season. The Tigers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven home games.

Until beating Tulsa in their last game, the Tigers had lost three in a row.

East Carolina is off an embarrassing, 79-36, road loss to Houston this past Saturday. I find this line inflated because of that loss.

Before that defeat to the Cougars, East Carolina had lost in overtime as an underdog to Central Florida and upset Memphis, 72-71, as a 7-point home 'dog. That was less than two weeks ago. Memphis shot 50 percent from the floor in that game while East Carolina made 40 percent of its field goals. Yet the Pirates still pulled it out.

The Pirates may be without third-leading scorer Brandon Suggs, who scored the game-winner against Memphis in the first meeting. The Tigers, though, are far more banged-up. They will be without their leading scorer, Deandre Williams, and likely NBA lottery pick and leading team rebounder Jalen Duren. He is questionable with a hand injury. Also out are Landers Nolley II and Jayden Hardaway. Nolley leads the Tigers in assists.

I'm going to fade Radford. The Highlanders have lost and failed to cover in their last five games. They are averaging just 58.6 points in regulation during their last three games.

High Point averages five more points per game on the season than Radford. The Panthers have won and covered their past three home games. This includes an upset win against Winthrop during their last game.

The spread certainly is low enough to back the better team at home.

Rutgers is very tough at home as evidenced by a 10-1 record. The Scarlet Knights haven't been nearly as good on the road at 1-6. However, that lone victory occurred against Maryland, 70-59, 10 days ago.

Now the Scarlet Knights host Maryland drawing the Terrapins fat and happy after they upset 17th-ranked Illinois four days ago. The Illini, though, were short-handed minus superstar big man Kofi Cockburn.

Maryland is 5-16 ATS the last 21 times following a point spread cover.

Rutgers should be fired up after losing, 68-65, to Minnesota on the road three days ago. The Gophers shot 54.2 percent from the field. Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell ripped his team following that loss as the Gophers were missing three of their top four scorers. So I'm expecting an all-out effort from Rutgers.

Never mind Kansas revenge. The Jayhawks are laying too many points against a tough Texas Tech team after enduring a very hard struggle against in-state rival Kansas State just two days ago.

The Jayhawks came from 17 points down in the second half to nip the Wildcats, 78-75.

Texas Tech is 15-4 and now has a healthy Terrence Shannon, its leading scorer. The Red Raiders are 7-1 ATS versus opponents with a winning record. Kansas has failed to cover four of the last five times it has been favored.

Xavier is playing well. But Marquette is playing great, is home and has revenge. So I'm going to grab the Golden Eagles as a home 'dog.

Marquette has won five in a row - and they haven't come against cupcakes with three of the victories occurring versus ranked opponents. The Golden Eagles are outscoring their foes by an average of 15 points during this span.

The Golden Eagles have revenge for an 80-71 road loss to Xavier last month.

Louisville has been anything but reliable, but I believe the Cardinals win this game. They got on the right path with a 67-54 home win against Boston College this past Wednesday that ended a three-game losing streak.

Notre Dame is playing well going 7-1 in its last eight games, but the Irish have struggled against Louisville. The Cardinals have defeated the Irish six straight times, including 69-57, last February. Notre Dame has lost during its last four visits to Louisville.

Notre Dame is heavily reliant on its long-range shooting. It's going to be tough for the Irish to get hot on the road dealing with the Cardinals' end line-to-end line pressure and tough home crowd. The Cardinals have the depth to fully pressure Notre Dame the entire game and take advantage of the Irish's inside weaknesses.

Texas Tech is in a sandwich spot having just scored an impressive revenge victory against Iowa State this past Tuesday and with a monster road game at Kansas looming on Monday. 

It would be a mistake for the Red Raiders to overlook West Virginia. 

The Mountaineers fell to fifth-ranked Baylor this past Tuesday, 77-68. The Mountaineers had their chances, though, missing multiple layups. Baylor also hit 12 of 27 3-pointers. 

West Virginia forces the 11th-most turnovers in the country. Texas Tech is vulnerable to that. The Mountaineers also are 4-1 in their last five games against Texas Tech, including winning, 82-71, last February in Lubbock. West Virginia accomplished that without Taz Sherman, who was out with a groin injury. Sherman leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 18.8 points, but is just rounding into shape after dealing with a bout of COVID-19. 

These are two of the top 14 teams in the nation, according to the latest The Associated Press rankings. But we're getting a buy-low spot on Michigan State since the Spartans were upset by Northwestern at home in their last game this past Saturday, while the Badgers just defeated Northwestern, 82-76, three days ago.

Michigan State had won nine in a row prior to losing to the Wildcats. Wisconsin is riding a seven-game win streak.

The Badgers are playing extremely well. But the Spartans should never be underestimated. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games against Wisconsin. The Badgers nipped the Spartans, 64-63, at home last season. Michigan State is 7-3-1 ATS versus foes that have a winning percentage above .600.

Both teams give up less than 66 points a game. The Spartans rank 30th in defensive field goal percentage, though, while Wisconsin is 217th.

I see Michigan State winning this game so getting this many points is a nice bonus.

This is a good spot for San Diego to hang close to BYU. The Toreros have won three in a row and are 6-2 in their last eight games. They have hopes to make a run for an NCAA Tournament berth. So they should be giving an all-out effort here.

BYU, on the other hand, is in letdown mode having just faced the three top teams in the West Coast Conference - Gonzaga, St. Mary's and San Francisco.

The Toreros have the necessary 3-point defense to keep BYU from blowing them out. San Diego ranks 21st in 3-point defense.

You can look at this SEC battle two ways:

The first way is that Kentucky is the sixth-highest scoring team in the country after burying Tennessee, 107-79, this past Saturday at home. The Wildcats shot a season-best 67.9 percent from the floor and made 20 of 21 free throws.

Then there's the second way you can approach this game, which is to realize Texas A&M gives up 62.9 points a game, which ranks 40th in the country. Kentucky also ranks in the top 50 in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage. The Wildcats have held 14 of their last 16 foes to 69 or fewer points.

I'm going with the second way especially with this game at Texas A&M. The Aggies have won eight in a row. They held their last two opponents - Mississippi and Missouri - to a combined average of 57.5 points.

I find this total inflated due to the Wildcats putting up 107 points on the Volunteers.

Can we just say it: Georgia Tech isn't very good this season. The Yellow Jackets have a losing record and are 1-5 in the ACC. They just were blown out by North Carolina on the road this past Saturday. 

Utah State has gone Under in four of its last five games. Now the Aggies take on Fresno State, which gives up the fifth-fewest points in the nation at 56.6. The Bulldogs also rank 39th in defensive field goal percentage. The Aggies remain without Brock Miller, their fourth-leading scorer. 

Fresno State, though, ranks 286th in scoring. Utah State is a strong defensive rebounding team and a top-100 team in defensive efficiency. The tempo should be slow here. The Under has cashed in six of Fresno State's last eight home contests.

The Rebels under first-year head coach Kevin Kruger aren't strong enough to lay this mid-range number on the road against a San Jose State that is better than perceived.

The Spartans are much improved at 7-7 than they were last season when they went 5-16, including 2-12 in the Mountain West Conference. The Rebels are a middle-of-the-road Mountain West Conference team hoping to get an NIT berth. 

San Jose State is 8-5 ATS in its lined games. The Spartans have played their best ball at home going 5-2 ATS. 

The Rebels are an unimpressive 5-10 ATS. They have been inconsistent all season and are 0-2 SU and ATS in their two true road games losing to SMU and San Francisco by an average of 20 points. This is UNLV's first away game since Dec. 4. 

It's a limited Sunday slate of college basketball games. But there is one play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference that merits an investment.

Manhattan is better on both sides of the ball against Canisius. The Golden Griffins could be the worst team in the MAAC. They are 5-10 overall and have lost seven straight road games. The Golden Griffins are 0-7 away from home this season with an average loss of 12.2 points. The closest they've come on the road is seven points. 

The Jaspers are 8-4. They have the better offensive and defensive statistics. I look for them to cover a number that I believe opened too short. 

As the Big Ten season winds into mid-January defenses start getting more intense. Teams make that extra pass. Play slows down. That's the vision I have in this marquee Big Ten battle between 13th-ranked Wisconsin and 16th-ranked Ohio State. I don't see either team reaching 70 points. Therefore I believe this total has been set too high. 

Ohio State beat the Badgers, 73-55, at home on Dec. 11. That game fell six points below the closing total of 134. Since then, Wisconsin has put together its best basketball winning five in a row. 

The Badgers have momentum and revenge. That's a tough combination. Wisconsin won't have a minus 21 rebounding line against the Buckeyes this time around either. Ohio State managed only 51 points against Indiana in its last road game a week ago. 

But Wisconsin's offense can't be trusted. Aside from Johnny Davis, the Badgers don't have many reliable scorers. The Badgers have major offensive inconsistencies. They are at their best scoring inside. Ohio State, though, protects the rim well. The Buckeyes average 5.2 blocks. The Badgers are a terrible 3-point shooting team ranking 322nd making fewer than 30 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. 

Discounting their last game against Northwestern, the Buckeyes have held their last four Big Ten opponents to an average of 64.5 points. 

Georgia Tech is in stop-the-pain mode losers of seven of its last eight games. Scoring has been a problem for the Yellow Jackets, but their defense has been solid. Georgia Tech is giving up an average of 65.5 points in their last six games. No opponent has reached 70 points against the Yellow Jackets during this span. 

Boston College is a slow-paced, defensive-minded team under new coach Earl Grant. The Eagles have to win with defense, too, as they rank 288th in scoring and 267th in field goal shooting. 

I was impressed with Oklahoma State beating then ranked No. 14 Texas, 64-51, against Texas this past Saturday. I don't see a letdown. Instead I'm going to ride the Cowboys, who have momentum and are playing well now.

Oklahoma State is 9-3 ATS the past 12 times it has been a road 'dog.

West Virginia came back from a 40-27 halftime deficit to defeat Kansas State, 71-68, at home this past Saturday failing to cover as 8 1/2-point favorites. The Mountaineers had lost to Texas, 74-59, in their previous game.

Marquette isn't as bad as it looked early in the Big East Conference, but the Golden Eagles aren't as good as their recent performances - blowout victories against Georgetown and Providence - may indicate.

On the flip side, DePaul isn't as bad as its four-game losing streak may appear. The Blue Demons have lost their last two games to Villanova and St. John's. Certainly no shame in that.

Overall, DePaul is 9-5 while Marquette is 10-6.

So there's line value with DePaul. The Blue Demons also match up well to Marquette because of their height and superior rebounding. The Golden Eagles give up a lot of easy inside shots. The Blue Demons are the 17th-best offensive rebounding team in the nation.

The Golden Eagles can't get anything going in transition without controlling the boards.

Marquette hasn't been good as chalk either, failing to cover 13 of the last 18 times when favored.

Northern Iowa has looked good in its last two games, blowout victories against Evansville and Valparaiso.

The Panthers have the outside shooting, especially from 3-point range, to hang tight with high-scoring Missouri State, which has a below average 3-point defense.

Northern Iowa has dominated the series winning eight of the last 10 meetings, including six of the past seven.

The Panthers have the frontcourt size to win the rebounding battle, which would prove pivotal.

Nebraska is far from being a Big Ten power, but the Cornhuskers have been hanging in against elite Big Ten opponents. The Cornhuskers took Ohio State to overtime and they also covered against Michigan State this past Wednesday. 

Now the Cornhuskers drop down in class to face Rutgers - and they catch the Scarlet Knights in a letdown spot. Rutgers is coming off a 75-67 home win against Michigan. It was the first time the Scarlet Knights have defeated the Wolverines. 

Nebraska had no problem with Rutgers last season winning, 72-51. 

Texas is 11-2, but the Longhorns have been fortunate to face Big 12 opponents that have been dealing with COVID-19 problems. 

Oklahoma State is battle tested having just played Kansas and Houston. The Cowboys have the size, right tempo and talent to spring the upset. 

This has been an underdog series lately, too, with the 'dog covering four the last five times. 

Butler is being too undervalued here after looking bad during the second half of its, 71-56, home loss to Seton Hall this past Tuesday.

The 'dog has covered four of the past five times in this series.

Xavier has to deal with a rust factor having not played since Dec. 21. Butler is the 31st-ranked defensive team in the country.

This figures to be a low-possession type game where every point matters. That's evident by the low total. I can't see Xavier producing an ''A'' game, which will be needed to cover this mispriced point spread.

The dynamics are in place for Indiana to beat Ohio State in this marquee Big Ten matchup.

The Hooisers are home following a 61-58 road loss to Penn State this past Sunday. Indiana is 9-0 at Assembly Hall with seven of those victories occurring by double-digits.

Ohio State got past Nebraska, 87-79, in overtime this past Sunday. That was the Buckeyes' first game since Dec. 11 because of COVID-19 issues. Indiana is a bad matchup for Ohio State at this stage of the Buckeyes' season as they try to round back into shape.

Indiana has a size advantage and should control the boards especially if Kyle Young, the Buckeyes' top defensive rebounder, can't play after missing the Nebraska game due to illness not related to COVID.

The season-long defensive statistics are bad for these two teams. But there is more than meets the eye. 

Eastern Michigan is averaging just 57.5 points in its last two games decided in regulation. The Eagles are playing at a much slower tempo than they were at the beginning of the season. 

Western Michigan is averaging only 57.6 points during its past six games. The Broncos' defensive numbers are artificially high because of the number of top offenses they have played, including Iowa, Michigan State and Notre Dame. A slow pace game here is fine by the Broncos. 

Cal State Northridge has gone Under in seven of its nine board games this season. It's not a fluke. The Matadors play at a very slow tempo and are inept on offense ranking 343th in scoring at 60.5 points a game and 345th in field goal percentage at 38.7. Much of this has to do with Trent Johnson, who is in his first season as the Matadors coach. 

San Diego is an above average defensive team. But the Tritons aren't anything great offensively averaging 72 points. They are well below average on the offensive glass. 

Note this game is being played in Spokane, Wash., so it's a neutral site game. That's a plus for the Under. So is the defense of these teams.

Boise State gives up the 29th fewest points in the country. Washington State ranks in the top 50 in defensive field goal percentage. Both teams are strong on the defensive glass.

The Broncos have gone Under in nine of their last 12 games, while the Under is 6-1 in Washington State's last seven games.

Keegan Murray is back to full strength scoring 35 points against Utah State in the Hawkeyes' last game this past Saturday. That's bad news for Southeastern Louisiana and good news for the Over. Murray had been slowed by an ankle injury, which hampered his performance in a loss to Iowa State. 

Strength of schedule is huge here. Charlotte's last three games have been against Arkansas, Valparaiso and Wake Forest.  Maryland Eastern Shore has played far easier opponents. So the 49ers are stepping way down in class. The 49ers are a far better shooting team than Maryland Eastern Shore both from the field and foul line.  

Wake Forest is a surprising 10-1. The Demon Deacons are strong favorites here. Wake Forest has been playing strong defense holding its last four opponents to an average of 62 points during regulation.

Charlotte is a great free throw shooting team. The 49ers, though, are a mediocre scoring team ranking 277th averaging 70 points.

This isn't a home game for Charlotte. The site is the Spectrum Center in Uptown, Charlotte. This is the home of the Charlotte Hornets. So neither team is familiar with the court, which is a plus for the Under.

Jackson State is one of the lowest-scoring basketball teams in Division I. Drake, though, averages nearly 76 points per game. Contrasts like this are tough for an oddsmaker to make a total on. I believe they've made this total too low.

The Bulldogs average 81.2 points in five home games. Their offense is much better than their defense. Drake ranks 310th in defensive field goal percentage.

The Over has cashed 68 percent of the time the past 57 times Drake has been a home favorite. I'm going to ride that strong trend.

Northwestern State certainly is going to take this in-state non-conference game more seriously than LSU. 

The Tigers are 9-0 and riding high. But they've been a little too sloppy with taking care of the ball to lay this huge of a number. 

The Demons are not good, but they should not be dominated on the boards. They also have better backcourt depth with Carvell Teasett back in the lineup. He played for the first time in the Demons' last game and scored nine points with five assists.

Note this game is being played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., a neutral court for both of these teams. This is a 1,200-mile trip for Miami and it's a very early start time. These are all pluses for the Under.

So is Fordham being one of the participants. The Rams are a terrible shooting team both from the floor and free throw line despite playing a number of bad defenses. The Rams are defensive-minded and play at a slow tempo.

Miami has been better on offense than defense, but the Hurricanes should be able to clamp down on this poor-shooting foe. The Hurricanes have held two of their last three foes to fewer than 60 points.

Michigan is good, but was overrated to begin the season.

Minnesota is just the opposite. The Gophers entered the season with no expectations, but are 7-1 winning their first seven games. They hung in against 19th-ranked Michigan State in its Big Ten opener, losing 75-67.

The Gophers split against Michigan last season.

This is a huge in-state rivalry game. Iowa State is competitive now thanks to T.J. Otzelberger. He's done a fantastic coaching job. Iowa State is 9-0 after being 2-22 last season before Otzeleberger took over.

The Cyclones have passed every test so far this season, including beating Creighton, 64-58, on the road this past Saturday. That halted a 25-game Iowa State road losing streak.

Iowa is good. No doubt. But the Hawkeyes aren't elite as Big Ten losses to Purdue and Illinois show. The Hawkeyes were outrebounded, 52-23, by the Illini. That's a potential red flag.

I like TCU's current form. The Horned Frogs are one of the best rebounding teams in the nation and have cut down on their turnovers committing 10 or fewer during their last two games.

TCU has held six of its seven opponents to fewer than 65 points.

Utah isn't playing well. The Utes have failed to cover in their last three games as they continue to tinker with their rotation. They are averaging 68.6 points during their past five games.

These are two excellent defenses. The total is this high because Texas Tech ranks 12th in the nation in scoring at 85.4. That is misleading, though, because the Red Raiders have played bad defenses, none of which ranked in the top 75 defensive-wise. Now they take on Tennessee, which allows just 62 points a game and ranks in the top five in defensive efficiency just like last season.

The Red Raiders rank in the top 20 in defensive efficiency, too. This game is part of the Jimmy V. Classic tournament held at Madison Square Garden, which is a notorious venue to college players for its tough scoring backdrop.

I don't think the oddsmaker quite realizes what an intense in-state rivalry this matchup is because this total is much higher than what I believe it should be.

Wisconsin has a long tradition of being a great defensive team. That's true again so far this season. The Badgers rank 11th defensively holding opponents to 56.7 points a game.

Shaka Smart is off to a great start in his first season as coach of Marquette. The Golden Eagles are 7-1. They've held their past two foes to an average of 60 points. The Badgers don't figure to score much from beyond the arc ranking 283rd in 3-point shooting at 30.1 percent. Marquette has struggled, too, with its long-range shooting ranking 218th in 3-point shooting.

These teams are going to have to work hard to get clean shots. I made this total 10 points lower than what the oddsmaker did. So I'm on the Under.

Rutgers has never won during its five all-time road games against Illinois. Don't expect that string to be broken here.

Illinois has won nine straight home contests, including going 4-0 this season. All of the Illini's home wins have come by at least nine points, including an impressive 10-point victory against Notre Dame in their last game this past Monday.

The Illini showed a lot of team cohesion in that victory. I don't believe Rutgers can stay within single digits of Illinois. The Scarlet Knights have a tough matchup dealing with Illini center Kofi Cockburn, who is in the argument for best player in the nation.

A battle of two mediocre Big Sky Conference teams isn't going to excite too many people. I rate Idaho State the better team plus the Bengals are home. So I find value in backing Idaho State at this short number. That makes this game worthwhile, at least, for me. 

Idaho State was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky. Portland State was chosen to finish seven in conference by the coaches and eighth by the media. This helps reinforce my belief that Idaho State is the superior team. 

The Bengals went 8-6 in the Big Sky last season. Portland State went 6-8. Idaho State won the lone matchup last season beating the Vikings, 64-57, on the road. 
The Vikings are in transition with a new coach, Jase Coburn, and only one returning starter from last season. The Vikings are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country ranking 356h. 

Miami ranks 340th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 27.1 percent. The Hurricanes are going to have problems going against Penn State's physical defense especially if they can't hit from long range to loosen that pressure.

Penn State doesn't score that much - ranking 250th - because the Nittany Lions like to milk the clock. That's been a noticeable trademark of new coach Micah Shrewsberry. Only six teams play at a slower tempo than Penn State.

The Nittany Lions held LSU to 58 points in regulation during their last game. That was 23 points under the Tigers' season scoring average.