UEFA Europa League, Round of 16 Thursday 10* Top Play Manchester United -1.5 goals +120 vs Real Betis @ 3 ET - Manchester United beat Barcelona 2-1 to advance to this state. Barcelona's only goal in that match came on a penalty kick. The point is that Barcelona is at the top of La Liga and vastly superior to Real Betis. If Man U was able to knock off the top team 2-1 they can definitely beat Real Betis by a multi-goal margin here at home. Manchester United has scored at least 2 goals in 14 straight home matches and has a long unbeaten run here too. They also enter this match off a humiliating 7-0 loss to Liverpool so you know the hosts are going to bring a very strong effort to this match as they look to get right back on track by dominating on their home pitch. Considering the embarrassing outcome against Liverpool, the hosts will be relentless here and should win comfortably by a multi-goal margin. 10* MANCHESTER UNITED -1.5 goals +120 

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes -3 or -3.5 vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 2:30 ET - Iowa is off a loss and they have been great off a loss this season including a tightener that has them nearly perfect in this role this season. The Hawkeyes are 7-1 this season when off a loss by a margin of 14 or less points. They are rested here and taking on a Buckeyes team that had to battle it out with the Badgers yesterday. Keep in mind, Ohio State had lost 15 of 18 games before getting the win over Wisconsin yesterday. They take a big step up in level of opponent now as they face the high-scoring Hawkeyes after facing the slow-paced Badgers. Look for Iowa to be aggressive and look to run the Buckeyes right out of the arena as they catch them in the 2nd game of a B2B spot. Ohio State had a recent 9-game losing streak and then also had another loss in their regular season finale. All 10 of those losses by 4 or more points and I am confident this will be an 11th straight loss by 4 or more points. 10* IOWA -3 or -3.5 

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -3 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:10 ET - The Wizards are off a win yesterday but it was at Detroit. Not only are the Pistons a bad team, it was also a road game for Washington and then they had to travel back to DC for this game. Prior to that win, the Wizards had lost 8 of 14 games. Now they face a Hawks team in the first of B2B games here versus Atlanta. The set-up for this first game certainly favors the Hawks as they have the rest edge and I like the fact they are off B2B losses. Note that Atlanta is 5-0 SU the last 5 times they have entered a game on a losing streak and all 5 of those wins by at least 3 points and, in fact, the games averaged 13 point margin of victory. The Hawks also lost to the Wizards about a week ago in Snyder's first game as head coach and Atlanta blew a 4th quarter lead in that one. In other words, there is plenty of extra motivation in this revenge divisional game. 10* ATLANTA -3

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers +2.5 vs Ohio State Buckeyes @ 6:30 ET - The Buckeyes won 1 road game all season long! This is a neutral site game but the fact is that means both teams are traveling and it was the Badgers that were better on the road this season. In fact, Wisconsin won 3 of their last 5 road games this season and that included a win at Ohio State. Not only that, both losses were in OT and one of those was a loss at Michigan that only went to OT because of a 3-pointer at the buzzer of regulation. The fact is the Badgers did lose in regulation time of any of their final 5 road games and very easily could have a 5-game road winning streak heading into this one. Again, compare this to an Ohio State team that has ONE WIN on the road this ENTIRE SEASON. The Badgers are the better defensive team in this match-up. I feel Ohio State is getting some attention from the betting masses here because of the revenge angle and the fact the Buckeyes are the higher-scoring team. But this one sets up to be another grinder and the Buckeyes don't have a key inside player, Zed Key, like they did for the first meeting with the Badgers when they dominated the glass. That said, I feel we have exceptional line value here as this line was around a pick'em but now has Badgers getting 2.5 points here. 10* WISCONSIN +2.5

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm -6 vs Butler Bulldogs @ 3 ET - So this is the Big East tourney so it is a neutral site game yet it is really not neutral for the Red Storm as they split their home games each season between Carnesecca Arena and here at Madison Square Garden. That said, this is a significant edge here for St John's and they already beat the Bulldogs by double digits at Carnesecca Arena earlier this season. Also, 4 of the last 6 regular season home games for the Red Storm were here at Madison Square Garden so big edge here. Not only was St John's 11-6 at home and Butler 3-9 on the road this season, the Bulldogs were frequently blown out of games. This is just not a very good Butler team this season and their 3 wins in their season-ending 3-9 run were all by a margin of 2 or less points. Conversely, their 17 losses this season were by an average margin of defeat of 18 points and all the losses were by 6 or more points! Look for the Red Storm to take advantage of the home court edge here and pull away for a big-margin win in the 2nd half. 10* ST JOHN'S -6

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Timberwolves +1.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - Both Tobias Harris and PJ Tucker could be back for this game after missing last night's game at Indiana. But, overall, how much can the Sixers have left in the tank after going all out in a 147 to 143 win over the Pacers last night. This is a tough back to back spot for Philly and prior to B2B high-scoring wins over the Bucks (miracle comeback win in 4th quarter) and Pacers, the 76ers had lost 3 of 5 overall and also 3 of 5 road games. So this B2B road spot is sure to be a tough one for Philadelphia and they are facing a Timberwolves team that has won 3 straight games. Those 3 Wolves wins were on the road too and now they are back home and have a rest edge over the Sixers. Minny did lose their last 2 home games so you know they want to make this one count! They get it done here! 10* MINNESOTA +1.5

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland State Vikings -2.5 vs Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers @ 9:30 ET - This is a neutral site game and I love the fact that the Vikings are favored here even though they lost both the regular season meetings. This is certainly no mistake by the odds makers. The fact is that this is a double revenge spot for Cleveland State and the Vikings have won 12 of 16 games. The Panthers have lost each of last two road games and even lost at home to a very bad Green Bay team last month. Milwaukee won the first meeting in OT thanks to scoring 15 more points from 3-point land in that game. They then won the 2nd game thanks to the Vikings having one of the worst shooting days you can imagine. The Vikes had 74 shots from the field compared to just 57 for the Panthers but made just 3 of 20 three pointers plus they only hit 13 of 25 at free throw line. Despite all this, Cleveland State still only lost the game by a single digit margin. That says a lot for sure. This is a big part of the reason the Vikings are now favored here and they had plenty of opportunities to win each of the first two games and will make up for all that here in tourney action. The third time will be the charm and I look for them to get the SU win and also cover the short number along the way! 10* CLEVELAND STATE -2.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Cleveland Cavaliers -3.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 7:10 ET - This is a very tough spot for Boston. The Celtics are off a loss in double OT versus the Knicks yesterday. They had 4 guys play 44 minutes or more. This was the equivalent roughly of 4 guys playing a full normal regulation game of 48 minutes. Then Boston struggled with a couple of reserves in that played fewer minutes. Hauser had a +/- of -16 in 20 minutes and Muscala was -9 in 12 minutes on the floor. The point is that, considering tired legs here and some unimpressive bench play, the Celtics likely to struggle badly at Cleveland here. The Cavaliers are hosting a Boston team that is now 4-4 last 8 games. Cleveland has revenge for a 4 point loss at Boston last week. The Cavaliers have won 11 of last 14 home games and are 27-7 as a host on the season. Each of last 15 Cavs wins have been by 8 or more points so there is no hesitation in laying the big points here. Average margin of win was 16 points in these 15 wins. This one, considering Boston's double OT back to back situation, sets up well to be another home blowout for the Cavaliers. 10* CLEVELAND -3.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 @ Washington Wizards @ 7:40 ET - Playing a strong team off a loss is always something worth looking at. But not all situations merit a play nor are all situations created equal. That said, this is a great one and I will not hesitate to get involved here. The Bucks just saw their 16-game losing streak come to an end last night. However, the key is how it happened. Milwaukee was up by 14 heading to the 4th quarter and then got outscored 48 to 31 in the final stanza. The 76ers just could not miss in that fourth quarter as they were seemingly making everything. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company are fired up now and want to bounce right back after letting a 4th quarter double digit lead slip away. Also, 17 of the last 19 Bucks wins have been by 6 or more points. Washington is off a home OT loss and actually has lost 7 of last 12 home games. So the fact Wizards are at home here is not a big help necessarily and plus they are in a B2B spot just like the Bucks. That said, I am backing the angry road favorite here. 10* MILWAUKEE -4.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Northwestern Wildcats +5.5 @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 7:30 ET - Scarlet Knights off devastating road loss at Minnesota as Rutgers led that game by 10 points with under a minute and a half to go and ended up losing the game. That is a hard defeat to bounce back from. Now they host a Northwestern team that is off a tough OT loss to Penn State. That is a tough loss to bounce back from too but the Wildcats are getting a handful of points here and are a scrappy defensive-minded team and that Rutgers loss was truly of the devastating variety. With the Cats having lost 3 straight games for the first time this season, they will be fully focused on getting back into the win column here in the regular season finale. The Scarlet Knights have lost each of their last two games so their home has hardly been a fortress for them of late and I feel we have great line value with the sizable points here considering the key factors with this one. 10* NORTHWESTERN +5.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks +2.5 @ Miami Heat @ 8:10 ET - Both teams in a B2B but like a few key factors with Hawks here. Atlanta had a solid win and got to rest guys some as the game went on. Also, the Hawks have revenge here from a loss to Miami in most recent game. The Heat, on the other hand, really pushed hard in last night's game and it was a tight finish that also had a rough ending for them. Miami gave up a last second 3 pointer to lose the game and that is a tough one to bounce back from especially in a B2B and facing a revenge-minded division rival. The Hawks got their first win since the coaching change after losing the first game with coach Snyder. Look for them to build off that here after knocking off the Trail Blazers convincingly last night. 10* ATLANTA +2.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Rhode Island Rams +3.5 vs Davidson Wildcats @ 8 ET - The Rams are 7-7 SU at home this season. The Wildcats are 4-6 on the road this season. So, on the surface with Davidson having a much better record overall and opening up at nearly a pick'em, they look like the play here. Sure enough everyone jumped all over them and the line is up to a  3.5 on the Wildcats in this one. Davidson, however, has not been very strong on the road and Rams have been a rather strong home team this season plus they have been done in by some tighter losses this season that has impacted their record. Rhode Island is only 6-5 SU in their last 11 home games but 2 of those losses by just 1 point and another loss was in OT. Davidson will have their hands full here as Rams will show up big here in their home finale. Rhode Island is almost always very tough to beat on their home floor and that should be the case again here as the Rams are off a road win but had lost 3 straight at home and want to make up for that here. One loss by 1 point and another loss in OT at home. Here the Rams get it done in their home finale. 10* RHODE ISLAND +3.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Texas Longhorns -3 vs Kansas Jayhawks @ 4 ET - Kansas already wrapped up the #1 spot in the Big 12 Conference for the regular season. This could be a tough spot for the Jayhawks to match the intensity of the Longhorns. Texas enters this one in a 3-way tie for the #2 spot in the Big 12 but, even more importantly, this is their home finale and they enter this game off B2B losses. That means an extra intense effort from the Horns in this one and adding to the intensity is that this is a revenge game from an 88-80 loss at Kansas earlier this season. That was the most points that UT allowed in a road game all season long. The Horns are 16-1 at home this season and, even though the Jayhawks have won 7 straight games you can see why Texas is favored here per all the key factors in this one. Lay it with the Longhorns. 10* TEXAS -3

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns -5.5 @ Chicago Bulls @ 8:10 ET - It has only just begun. Kevin Durant made his debut for the Suns and now look for things to continue to build off that victory by a double digit margin at Charlotte. This Suns team is stacked and they take on a Bulls team that is off a win but that had lost 7 of 9 games before that victory. Also, that Chicago win came against a very bad Pistons team. Also, the other two wins were against another team (Wizards) with a losing record plus a Nets team that has been an absolute train wreck of late. All that said, the Bulls likely in trouble here against a very strong Suns team. Phoenix is ready to make a major move now with a revamped roster while Chicago is an ugly 6-13 this season in games against teams from the Western Conference. Also this line has moved down to a 5.5 and 6 of last 7 Bulls losses have been by a margin of 6 or more points. Look for another one here to fall into that category. 10* PHOENIX -5.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -2.5 vs Philadelphia 76ers @ 7:30 ET - This line has moved toward Philly from its opener and I do understand that for sure because Dallas has lost B2B games and 5 of 6 and is still trying to adjust since the trade for Irving. However, the 76ers are in a very tough B2B spot here as they just a big revenging win at Miami last night. Look for Philly to fall flat here in the 2nd game of the B2B. I know Embiid missed last night so he will play tonight most likely but I still like the Mavericks here to get back on track. Dallas off B2B tight losses including one in which they blew a 27 point lead to the Lakers. There will be no quit in the rested Mavericks tonight as they play for just the 2nd time this week. For the Sixers, this is 2nd game of B2B and 3rd game in 4 nights situation. 10* DALLAS -2.5

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Valparaiso Beacons +2.5 vs Murray State Racers @ 7 ET in MVC Tournament 1st Round in St Louis, MO - Why is this line 2.5 is the million dollar question here? This makes absolutely no sense. The Racers were just favored by 6.5 at home and and also favored by 3.5 when they faced the Beacons at Valparaiso earlier this season. Yes the most recent win came in OT for the Racers in the final game of the regular season as they defeated these same Beacons by just 1 point. But this line really looks funny to me. Valparaiso has lost 4 straight games and 7 of last 8 and they are 5-15 in conference action while Murray State is 11-9 in conference action and has won 3 of last 4 games. So the fact is this is a trap line. Many will be looking at the Racers here but a sharp book I follow also has this line down at a 2 which also says a lot. This looks like a great spot for Valparaiso to score the upset. Do not let the line fool you. Yes, the Beacons have struggled to get wins but they have been on the cusp and 3 of last 7 losses have been in OT and another regulation loss was by just a single point. In the most recent loss to Murray State, Valparaiso actually had 9 more field goal attempts in the game but were outscored by 11 at the free throw line and that certainly impacted the final outcome. On a neutral court, the Beacons should shoot better than they did in that game plus Murray State won't have such a big free throw edge either. 10* VALPARAISO +2.5

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Texas Longhorns +2.5 @ TCU Horned Frogs @ 9 ET - This line opened up around a pick'em. This is despite TCU being 12-4 at home this season and Texas having a losing record on the road for the season. As I expected, the betting markets are jumping on the Horned Frogs and so now we can get +2.5 with the Longhorns in this one. Texas is coming off a loss to Baylor. That sets this up perfect (literally!) as UT has not lost B2B game this entire season. Texas is 6-0 when coming off a loss this season and now takes on a Horned Frogs team off a 1-point win. TCU, prior to that win, had lost 6 of 8 games. Also, if you look at TCU's last 8 games, they were solid defensively against Kansas but allowed an average of 76 points in the other 7 games. The Longhorns are not only 6-0 SU when off a loss this season, they have allowed an average (not including OT points of course) of only 59 points in those 6 games. As you can see, Texas responds well off a loss and definitely tends to D up when off a defeat! Overall, the Longhorns have allowed just 65.5 ppg last 6 games. Love the situation and fading the line move. Yes this is a revenge game for the Horned Frogs because they lost in Austin earlier this season but revenge tends to be over-played. Horns aren't going to lay down here after losing to the Bears. 10* TEXAS +2.5

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 -125 vs New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - This is when professional pride kicks in for team. Philly just got embarrassed 7-0 by the Devils. Now they take on another rival as the Rangers are in town. Philadelphia actually has had a ton of 1-goal losses this season so the value of having the 1.5 goals on their side is big here. Rangers are off a win but New York lost 4 straight games before that. Hart is known for being stronger in goal at home and Shesterkin has not been as strong as usual between the pipes of late for New York. That said, this one has the makings of being a very tight battle. Flyers, before this recent 3-game skid of uglier losses, had only 8 multi-goal losses last 34 games! Yes, at +1.5 goals Philly was on a 26-8 run and they get back on track here with an ultra-competitive effort after getting embarrassed by New Jersey in most recent game. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 -125

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Mavericks -7 vs Indiana Pacers @ 8:40 ET - While he is not a star, Maxi Kleber is a solid role player for the Mavs and could be back for this one. That may not seem like a big deal but, believe it or not, Dallas is 9-1 SU last 10 home games and he has played in and the only loss was to the big, bad Bucks. In other words, his presence helps. Of course the big story now is Irving being paired with Doncic and this pairing will continue to get stronger together. Also, Dallas is off a loss here and in bounce back mode. At the same time, Indiana is off a win so I really like the set up here. Hungry home team facing a Pacers team that has not record back to back wins since early January! The Mavericks are 11-3 SU this season when at home off a loss and Indiana had lost 17 of 20 prior to the big win at Orlando. Laying the reasonable number on the home team in this spot should prove well worth it in a game that has the makings of a rout at home by double digits. 10* DALLAS -7

NCAAB Tuesday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates +2 vs Villanova Wildcats @ 8:30 ET - The Pirates are at home off B2B losses. Seton Hall is 3-0 this season when they are at home and on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Also, Villanova is 4-8 on the road this season while the Pirates are a solid 10-5 at home this season and this is their home finale. The Wildcats have surprised with wins in 5 of their last 6 games but they still are just 2-4 this season when they are entering a road game and coming off a victory. Give Nova some credit for sure too but in the win over Xavier, the Musketeers were sloppy and had twice as many turnovers. That was before the win over Creighton which saw the Bluejays make just 19% of their three pointers. This as set up great line value here. 10* SETON HALL +2

Horizon League Tourney 10* Top Play IPFW Mastodons +5.5 @ Detroit Mercy Titans @ 7 ET - I like the scrappy Mastodons to get revenge here. If they fall short, I do expect at least a cover in this one! IPFW is actually 7-7 SU in road games this season and they had some impressive Horizon League wins this season too. However, they got blasted for one of their worst losses this season when they lost 85-52 at Detroit! Having also lost to the Mercy Titans when they hosted them, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne is out for revenge big time here. With the success that IPFW has had on the road this season plus the double revenge (including big loss) angle here, this one sets up well for an upset. That said, I am happy to have the handful of points. Note that other than the ugly loss at Detroit, the Mastodons had only 4 Horizon League losses and 3 of the 4 were by 5 or less points. Happy to grab the underdog here. The Titans are 8-13 SU last 21 games and will struggle just to win this game let alone cover the spread. Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne will shoot much better than they did in their other trip to Detroit! 10* IPFW Mastodons +5.5

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Oklahoma State Cowboys +1.5 vs Baylor Bears @ 9 ET - This line looks funny, does it not? Baylor is a solid team in the upper half of the Big 12 standings and facing an Oklahoma State team that is in the lower half of the Big 12 standings and yet the line opened in the pick'em range. Of course you know what this usually means...in other words, do not fall for the trap! The fact is that the Bears have played 3 straight ranked teams and have another one, Iowa State, on deck to wrap the regular season at home. Also, Baylor is off huge win versus rival Texas in most recent game. This is a tricky spot for the Bears while it is a great spot to back the Cowboys. Note that Oklahoma State is angry off 4 straight losses. This game is in Stillwater, OK and this is a proud school that draws fans well here and this is their home finale. Last but not least, this is a revenge game for the Cowboys also as they lost by 16 at Baylor earlier this season. Ideal set-up for payback here. 10* OKLAHOMA STATE +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 vs Miami Heat @ 7:10 ET - The 76ers are off a loss. Win Philly is coming off a loss and wins their next game, 11 of those 12 wins have been by at least 8 points! So, the point is, if you like the Sixers to win this game, don't hesitate to lay the points! Certainly I do like Philadelphia to win this game as they are a perfect 6-0 SU the last 6 times they were at home and coming off a loss! All 6 of those wins have been by at least 9 points too! Here they are catching a Miami team that has lost 4 straight games overall plus is horrible 2-7 SU last 9 road games. Last but certainly not least here is the fact that this is the first time these teams have met since the Heat ended the Sixers season last year! Indeed, the 76ers season ended right here in mid-May in Philly when Miami got the final win for a 4-2 series victory in the post-season. Payback time has finally arrived. 76ers in a home blowout rout. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

Atlantic Sun Tourney Monday 10* Top Play North Florida Ospreys -4.5 vs Bellarmine @ 7 ET in Lynchburg, VA - North Florida just beat Bellarmine by a dozen in a match-up just a few days ago and it was no fluke. The Ospreys dominated the rebounding battle and that was a key to the win. Even though the ASUN decided to have this game at a neutral site, since the winner faces Liberty here in Lynchburg VA tomorrow, I really like North Florida's odds on advancing here. Of course we must cover the 4.5 point spread too but note that Bellarmine's 8 of last 10 losses have all been by double digit margins! Conversely, the Ospreys enter this game having an exceptional month as they are 6-2 with each of the 2 losses by just 2 points. I love the competitiveness of this North Florida team as evidenced in the post-game melee after a recent tough 2-point road loss at Austin Peay. This Ospreys team has the rebounding edge and edge in blocked shots over Bellarmine. The Knights play a smaller lineup emphasizing guard play but just like the recent meeting, it will not work again here either. The bigger Ospreys dominate again. Bellarmine won this tournament last year but their top two players from that team are gone. That is why the Knights had a much less impressive season this year and I feel this hungry Ospreys team is built well to advance. 10* NORTH FLORIDA -4.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers +6.5 @ Tulane Green Wave @ 3 ET - The Shockers have been an anomaly this season as they buck the trend of home dominance in College Basketball. I am talking SU not ATS. I love grabbing road dogs in CBB and fading home faves in CBB as a general rule but Wichita State has taken things to another level this season. Yes I am still going to grab the points here and go ATS with this play but check out these SU stats involving the Shockers. Note that Wichita State is 7-9 SU in home games this season and 6-3 SU in road games! The trend is showing no signs of going away either as the road team has prevailed in 8 of last 9 Shockers games! The only exception was a double-OT win for Wichita State at home. Look for this road dominance to continue here as the Shockers have won 4 straight road games and they are seeking revenge for a loss at home versus Tulane earlier this season. The Green Wave are 5-3 SU last 8 games and 3 of their 5 wins were in OT so they have been far from dominant of late. They just got embarrassed at Houston and could be hanging heads a bit here as they also got knocked out of AAC Tourney by the Cougars last season. That game had extra meaning as a result but they continue to get pummeled by Houston. Of course the Cougars are at another level but Tulane was not even able to compete for very long in that game. Conversely the Shockers lost by just single digits when they faced Houston this season and they were right in the game even with just a few minutes left. The Shockers lost the first meeting this season in OT to Tulane when they blew a double digit lead at home. It is time for payback here and the Shockers are in their element for sure as a road underdog here. 10* WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS +6.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Wisconsin Badgers +5 @ Michigan Wolverines @ 2 ET - This is Michigan's regular season home finale and I get that. However, this team is off B2B big wins. They had the emotional home win over rival Michigan State. They then followed that up by going on the road and getting an upset win at Rutgers after trailing by double digits early. The Wolverines do have revenge here against the Badgers but this Wisconsin team makes for a scrappy underdog and I like them in this spot against a Michigan team off B2B big wins. The Badgers are 4-3 in the month of February and one of the losses was in OT and the other two losses were by 2 and 1 point, respectively. That means at the end of regulation time, the 3 games in which Wisconsin lost, the net margin of the 3 losses was 3 points! The Badgers will again be ultra-competitive here and have allowed 61 points or less in regulation time of 7 of last 8 games! Michigan shot well in the win over Michigan State but has been held to 59 ppg in their other 3 games the past two weeks. The Badgers will be in this "grinder" all the way! 10* WISCONSIN +5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play San Diego State Aztecs -2.5 @ New Mexico Lobos @ 10 ET - Great spot for San Diego State. They have one home loss this season. It came against the Lobos. This is a big revenge game for the Aztecs. They are a rock solid 7-1 in true road games this season. New Mexico has a great home court and a strong record there this season but the losses have all been more recent as they started the season 10-0 there and then have gone 4-3 since at home! Overall, the Lobos have been struggling as they enter this game having lost 6 of 8 games and that included a pair of home losses including most recent one by double digits versus Wyoming. The Aztecs are a ranked team and are the top team in the Mountain West Conference and they will get their payback here and the line is small enough that I am confident we get the cover as well. In fact, San Diego State has 22 wins this season and only 2 of them were by less than 3 points. Keep in mind also that, as strong as the Aztecs season has been, they still have not locked up the #1 spot in the standings for the regular season so they have plenty of motivation here in addition to the revenge angle. Lay it! 10* SAN DIEGO STATE -2.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +1.5 vs Boston Celtics @ 8:40 ET - This is a tremendous revenge spot. Revenge is absolutely overplayed in sports betting but there are certain cases that are ultra strong, like this one, compared to just a normal revenge spot. Not only have the Sixers lost both games this season to the Celtics, this will be the first meeting in Philly between these long-time rivals since last February. What happened in that 457th meeting one year ago? It was the WORST EVER loss for a team in this rivalry that has had over 450 meetings through the many years. The Sixers got beat 135 to 87 on their HOME floor! That is the kind of defeat not easily forgotten and I fully expect Philadelphia to do everything they can to finally get some long-awaited payback here. Note that Sixers enter this game having won 27 of 34 games including 5 in a row. Not only 5 straight wins overall but also 5 straight home wins. Boston is off B2B wins but, prior to that, the Celtics had gone just 6-5 last 11 games. This is the right spot for the Celtics to lose a game and the red-hot Sixers to get some home-cooked revenge! 10* PHILADELPHIA 76ers +1.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Purdue Boilermakers -7 vs Indiana Hoosiers @ 7:30 ET - This is a revenge game and is a "buy low" situation on Purdue. As a result of having been cooled off in recent weeks we are getting solid line value here. Keep in mind, the Boilermakers were sloppy in the loss at Indiana earlier this month. They had too many turnovers plus they also were hurt by poor free throw shooting and did make a modest, though unimpressive, 6 of 18 from 3 point land. Purdue did dominate the glass in that one and I expect rebounding, as well the facets of the game, to be dominated by the Boilermakers in this revenge rematch. Purdue is 13-1 this season in home games and Indiana is 4-7 this season in road games. Those are SU records of course but note that Boilermakers have 24 wins SU wins this season and 75% of them (18) have come by a margin of 8 or more points. The Hoosiers have 9 losses this season and 6 of them have been by a double digit margin. This one will be too. Blowout revenge at home for a Boilermakers team that is still looking to wrap up the regular season top spot in the Big Ten standings as they have not quite done so yet. 10* PURDUE -7

Romania Liga 1 Friday 10* Top Play Farul Goal Line PK -130 @ UTA @ 1:30 ET - UTA has been playing well enough that this line on Farul is very reasonable here. Since UTA is on their home pitch plus playing decently of late, we can get Farul on the goal line at a very reasonable -130 price. This is a great line value because it means UTA has to win this match for us to lose our bet. A loss for UTA and we win with Farul of course. A draw in this match means we get our money back so we settle for a push. This is noteworthy as UTA has only 5 victories in 26 matches this season and Farul is at the very top of the table with only 3 losses in their 26 matches this season. So we have exceptional line value here and I like the fact Farul has allowed only 1 goal in 3 matches this month! Amazingly, since opening the season with a 2-0 win at home, UTA actually has allowed at least 1 goal in their dozen home matches since then! In those 12 matches at home, UTA has conceded an average of 1.5 goals. Lot of value with the top team in the league on the road for this one. 10* FARUL Goal Line PK -130

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 7:30 ET - The Grizzlies still without big man Steven Adams and sure could use him here against the Sixers. That said, Memphis is only 4-9 last 13 games and they have gone 11-17 in road games this season. Philadelphia is 23-8 in home games and laying a small number here at home and I feel we have great line value after the downward line move on this one as it opened up around a 5 and has fallen to around a 3 as of late morning gameday. Philly has won 26 of 33 games and gets the cash again here with the SU win covering the small spread in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -3

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Wake Forest Demon Deacons +6.5 @ NC State Wolfpack @ 9 ET - Fantastic spot here as Wake Forest is off a 9-point loss at Miami as the Hurricanes just would not miss in that game. Also, the Demon Deacons have revenge here for a 2 point home loss to NC State which is actually one of FIVE losses for WF this season that have come by just 2 points! The fact is that Wake Forest just does not get blown out very often at all and they are actually catching NC State at the perfect time to get an upset win of their own here. The Wolfpack are off a big win over rival North Carolina. They also finish the season with a revenge game against Clemson after this one plus then close it out with big game versus Duke. So this is a true "sandwich spot" game where NC State could look right past the revenge minded Demon Deacons. Prior to that win over Tar Heels, the Wolfpack had played 16 ACC games and only 6 of them were wins by more than a 4 point margin. This game very likely to go down to the wire and could be decided by just a single possession one way or the other late. The fact is potential upset here and definitely great spot for value with the sizable points. 10* WAKE FOREST +6.5

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 goals +115 @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - The Flyers will likely start Carter Hart in goal here. I know he has struggled in recent starts but he did beat the Oilers not too long ago and he is a Sherwood Park native. Yes he was born in a suburb of Edmonton and facing the Oilers, especially here, is certainly special for him. Since he did not start the last game and it was a win with Ersson in goal, I look for Hart and the Flyers to build off that. Yes they had a couple of uglier losses with Hart in goal recently but those have truly been the exception rather than the norm for Hart and Philly in recent weeks. Philadelphia has won only 15 of last 34 games but a lot of one goal losses in this stretch! Flyers have only 8 multi-goal losses last 34 games! That means if you had played Philly at +1.5 goals in each of last 34 games you won 26 of them! I feel we have good value here with a rare "plus plus" situation as Philly is +1.5 goals and plus money in this one. Yes the Oilers are a good team but they have been getting shaky goaltending of late and are likely to struggle just to win this game let alone cover the spread here! Edmonton has lost 4 straight and 6 of last 9 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 +115

CBB 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders +2.5 @ Oklahoma Sooners @ 9 ET - Red Raiders have won 3 straight games and 5 of last 7. Texas Tech also has revenge from a home loss to the Sooners earlier this season. Oklahoma, other than the OT win over the Red Raiders, has gone 2-11 in their other games in Conference action this season. They are at the basement of the Big 12 standings. Sooners also are off a disappointing OT loss at rival Texas so that could leave them a little flat here. Not only did their win over Texas Tech earlier this season come in OT, Oklahoma also had a 1-point win in Big 12 action over West Virginia. The point is that they have only one convincing win in 14 Big 12 games this season. That said, excellent line value here with the revenge minded Red Raiders plus the points. 10* TEXAS TECH +2.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play St John's Red Storm +7.5 vs Creighton Bluejays @ 7:30 ET - I love spots for home dogs like this. Creighton is off a loss to Providence so some will look to back the Bluejays here. However, the Jays are in a 3-way tie for 2nd place in the Big East and they have a game on deck at home versus first-place Marquette on deck! Coming off games against ranked teams in UConn and Providence plus having another ranked team on deck with the 1st place Golden Eagles up next, this is a tough spot for Creighton. Also, the Bluejays hammered the Red Storm ruthlessly when these teams met earlier this season at Creighton as the Jays put up 104 points against them! When a team puts up 100+ on you in a college game you do NOT forget about that team. The Red Storm will be ready to exact revenge here and they are a quality home team. Note that St John's is 11-4 SU in home games this season while the Bluejays are 3-5 SU in road games this season. Yes, the Jays are off a loss and the Red Storm are off a win that came in double OT. However, St John's confidence is growing again with B2B victories and they want revenge here and they catch Creighton in a clear lookahead spot! An outright upset would not surprise me here but I am looking for at least a home dog cover in this one ATS to get us the cash! 10* ST JOHN'S +7.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Hofstra Pride -12.5 @ Stony Brook Seawolves @ 6:30 ET - The formula is simple for Hofstra at this point. Win out and they earn the regular season title for the Colonial Athletic Association. That is because they are currently tied with Charleston for the top spot in the conference but they already beat them (at Charleston!) in their only meeting this season. That also ended a 20-game win streak for the Cougars. The fact is that this Pride team is very strong and I see Hofstra rolling to an easy win here. Their final game of the regular season is next week at home against a weak Northeastern team so there is no way they will look past their final road challenge. Also, Hofstra is facing a Stony Brook team that is off a win and only ONE TIME this entire season have the Seawolves managed back to back wins. Of course you can tell by this line that, indeed, B2B wins unlikely for Stony Brook here. The key is covering this big number but I have no qualms about that because the Pride have made big-margin wins a regular thing for sure! Hofstra has won 15 of 17 games and 13 of the 15 wins by 13 or more points! We can cover this 12.5 as the only only tight wins were versus Towson and Charleston. Those two teams are a combined 24-7 in CAA action this season! The Seawolves are 6-9 in CAA games and 10-18 overall on the season. This is a complete mismatch and the Pride coasted to a 21 point margin of victory in the first meeting. Also, the Seawolves have lost big to the top teams in the conference (and finally face Charleston next week) and Stony Brook should get hammered again here. 10* HOFSTRA -12.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Wizards +3.5 @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 8:10 ET - The Wizards got Kuzma back from injury and he had a huge game in a big Washington win in their most recent game. The Wizards have now won 3 of 4 games and are heating up at the right time. Gobert and Anderson are questionable for the Timberwolves heading into this one. Minnesota is at home and a very small favorite so don't let this "tricky line" fool you. Washington is 5 games below .500 on the road this season while Minny is 8 games over .500 in home games this season yet the Wolves are hardly favored here. Looks easy, right? Exactly! Don't be fooled. The Wizards are surging and are the play here as they are also the healthier team here. The Timberwolves also off a big win at Dallas and are 0-4 the last 4 times they were off a win. They have not won back to back games since last month and I look for that trend to continue here. 10* WASHINGTON +3.5

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Memphis Tigers -6.5 vs UCF Knights @ 8 ET - Earlier this season these teams met at UCF and the Knights forced OT with a late 3-pointer. That led to an eventual 3 point win in double-OT for Central Florida in a memorable game that the Tigers certainly have not forgotten. Keep in mind, Memphis was outscored by 30 points from 3-point land in that game and yet still lost the game by only 3 points! Don't be surprised if the Tigers have the better shooting numbers from deep in this one as they are at home where they are 11-1 this season and note that UCF is only 3-4 this season on the road. I feel we have the much stronger team here plus line value considering they are at home and laying a very reasonable number. Note that the Knights, after that crazy 2-OT win over Memphis, then lost 5 straight games! That was followed by a 2-game winning streak that UCF now brings into this game. However, those two victories for the Knights were against teams that are a combined 7-20 in AAC action. Memphis has a 9-3 record in conference games! Yes, they are #2 in the conference and they have a game at #1 Houston on deck. However, there is no way they will look past this revenge game with UCF and they are at home and they catch UCF off a rare blowout win. Memphis brings it every night. That is why their 6 losses have all been by single digits and the average margin of defeat only 3.5 points. They will be ready for payback here at home and UCF gets a quick dose of reality here after taking advantage of a bad Tulsa team in most recent game. Now is back to reality and playing at Memphis is tough. The Tigers get payback here at home. Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams given the Tigers a great inside-out combo and lead the way here at home as Williams has been playing extremely well and Davis put up 42 points in the last game versus the Knights! 10* MEMPHIS -6.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2 vs Cleveland Cavaliers @ 7:40 ET - The 76ers have played 56 games so far this season. That means the 82-game season is more than 2/3 of the way complete and, in this final game before the week-long "mid"-season All-Star break, the Sixers have a chance at big-time revenge. This not just any revenge, this is a big one! The worst game the 76ers have had all season long out of all 56 games is a 28-point defeat at Cleveland way back on the final day of November. No other margin of defeat for the Sixers this season eclipses the half-way mark of that drubbing as their 2nd worst loss margin is 14 points this season. So, the fact is the Sixers have not forgotten that loss and the fact the Cavs shot 60% from the field overall and 50% from three-point land while Philly could not throw it in the ocean that night! It was just one of those nights but what better way to head into the break than with this glorious revenge opportunity? For sure Cleveland is a strong team and for sure the Cavaliers are not going to be push-overs here but the fact is this revenge-minded Sixers team will prove to be the hungrier team. The Cavs started the season 4-1 on the road but they have since gone 9-15 SU in road games! Philly started the season 1-4 at home but they have since gone 21-4 in home games! I have plenty of respect for this Cavaliers team but given this home/road dichotomy and the low line here and the big-time revenge factor, I am all over the 76ers in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Rhode Island Rams +8.5 vs VCU Rams @ 7 ET - VCU is off a loss and they are the top team in the A 10 so, of course, they are attracting some market attention here. However, it has led to exceptional line value on the road dog here in my opinion. First off, only 2 times out of 6 has VCU - when off a loss this season - responded with a win by more than 4 points! Also, VCU is off big games versus St Louis and Dayton and they have Fordham on deck. Those 3 teams combined with VCU are the top 4 teams in the A 10. Don't be surprised if VCU underestimates Rhode Island here. The betting markets certainly seem to have undervalued RI in this spot. RI actually is 7-5 SU at home this season plus they have wins over La Salle, Dayton, St Bonaventure and Fordham on this floor! The combined conference record of those 4 teams is 30-20 and 2 of those 4 teams are two of the top teams in the conference. None of those teams have a losing conference record on the season. The point is that RI has been quite solid at home this season and it is just their horrible road record that drags them down. Also, we do NOT need them to win this game outright. We just need them to cover a spread that, in my mind, is very inflated for a road team that is in a sandwich spot of big games! 4 of the 5 Rhode Island home losses this season have been by 7 or less points. The average margin of those 4 home defeats was only 4 points! 3 of the 5 VCU road wins by 7 or less points and average margin of victory of those 3 road wins was only 4 points. So big home dog value here in a scheduling spot that is a tough one for VCU who also could be rusty because they have not played in a week! 10* RHODE ISLAND +8.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +6.5 or +7 @ Toronto Raptors @ 7:40 ET - This is a high value spot for the Magic. They are off the radar of many because they do not have an overly impressive overall record plus have struggled on the road this season SU. But there is a lot of ATS value in a road spot like this with Orlando. The Magic are "only" 9-8 SU last 17 games but 5 of those 8 defeats were by 5 or less points! That means that, at +6 or more, Orlando would be 14-3 ATS last 17 games! That is why I feel we have exceptional line value here as the Magic just do not get blown out often. Also, if you look at the Raptors, they are 8-8 SU last 16 game but 4 of those 8 wins by 6 or less points! So at the -6.5 or -7 current line as of very early gameday morning, Toronto would be an ugly 4-12 ATS last 16 games! Grab the road dog here as the ultra-competitive Magic should be in this one all the way and, if they do fall short, look for it to be by just a bucket or two! 10* ORLANDO +6.5 or +7

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Missouri Tigers +6.5 @ Auburn Tigers @ 7 ET - This line has already moved toward Auburn. I do understand the move as they are at home and they catch Missouri off the huge upset win on a last-second 3-pointer at Tennessee. However, Missouri actually led that game big early in the 2nd half and played a very strong game overall against the Volunteers. I know the mindset the betting markets have is now Missouri will be flat off the buzzer-beating win but I disagree. This Missouri team is rock solid this season and playing much better defense and piling up steals. Missouri has won 6 of 8 games and that included 3 wins over ranked opponents. Speaking of ranked teams, this is the first time these teams have met since Missouri suffered a 1-point loss to Auburn at home last season when Auburn had just become the #1 ranked team in the country. This is not the same Auburn team this season and Missouri will get their revenge. Yes, Auburn is still a high-quality team but they actually enter this game having lost 5 of 6 games! So the point is, here you have a match-up of two teams that have been heading opposite directions plus the hotter team is on the road and off a last-second win so you get line value as well as market-inflated value. The other helper on this game is the fact that it is a revenge game! All of those are factors in favor of Mizzou and I love the fact we are getting a half-dozen points here plus the hook. This Mizz team is really starting to believe in themselves and they have a ton of momentum right now. 10* MISSOURI +6.5

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders +4 or +4.5 vs Texas Longhorns @ 9 ET - The Red Raiders are so much better than their 2-10 Big 12 Conference record shows. That is why they opened as a very small home dog here. Now the line is all the way up to the 4 or 4.5 range and that does not surprise me at all. Texas is a strong team of course and at the top of the conference but this is a rivalry game and it is a revenge game after the Red Raiders lost at the Moody Center in Austin by just 2 points early this season. That tight loss has been a recurring them for Texas Tech this season but they are turning the corner now. They have won 3 of 5 games and are coming off a home win over a solid Kansas State team. That was a tight win over the Wildcats and that does wonders for the Red Raiders confidence as they managed to hang on in a tight game and get the job done. Note that, in addition to winning 3 of 5 games, Texas Tech lost by just 3 points in most recent road game and, against, the loss to Longhorns was by just 2 points! The Horns are 9-3 in Conference games and the Red Raiders are 2-10 so this line looks like a gift to most bettors but we know better. This game priced this way for a reason and we take advantage with a hungry home dog seeking revenge! Keep in mind, 5 of the Longhorns 9 Big 12 wins were very close wins and the average margin of victory of those was just 3 points. I am sensing upset here but note also that UT is just 2-3 in last 5 road games and one of those wins by just 3 points. The Red Raiders have gone to a smaller lineup and are having success with it and forcing a lot of turnovers. Texas has another big rival, Oklahoma, on deck plus that is followed by final 4 games all against Big 12 teams that are currently ranked. So this could be a bit of a trap game for the Longhorns after they already beat Texas Tech this season.  This is a payback game for the Red Raiders and I look for them to get their revenge. 10* TEXAS TECH +4 or +4.5

Sunday NBA Top Play Memphis Grizzlies +4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 2:10 ET - Memphis has not been good on the road this season. Boston has been great at home this season. So what gives? Well the fact is this line is priced this way because the Celtics are without Brown and Smart. Those are a pair of key guys that are a big part of the success in Boston. Of course this is still a solid team even without them on the floor. But I am looking for Ja Morant and company to get it done here. Yes the line looks "funny" to most but do not let it fool you. Great upset potential here as the Grizzlies have been getting adjusted to life without Adams for a bit and are off B2B wins and I look for them to keep it rolling here. If they do fall short, look for it to be by just a bucket so the value here is with the points in a big way the way I see it. 10* MEMPHIS +4.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates +5 or +5.5 @ Villanova Wildcats @ 8 ET - I know Seton Hall is on the road for this game but this is still a high-value spot especially after the line move. I have been saying this all season long and it is so true...Villanova is just not the same team they use to be when Jay Wright was patrolling the sideline. The Wildcats have a losing record this season overall plus are just 5-8 in Big East games. Here is the big key with that record too. Villanova's 5 wins in conference action have included St John's (2), Georgetown (2), and DePaul. Those teams have a combined record of 8-34 in Big East games and are the 3 lowest teams in the standings. Even 5-10 (Big East record) Butler beat the Wildcats. Now they are facing an 8-6 (Big East record) Seton Hall team that is off a loss by a double digit margin and has gone 5-1 this season when off a loss by double digits. So the set-up here is perfect, the line move toward Nova is only adding value for us, and the Pirates lost at home to Creighton because the Bluejays made a ridiculous 12 of 20 three pointers! The result is line value in this bounce back spot here. 10* SETON HALL +5 or +5.5

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play New York Knicks -5 vs Utah Jazz @ 7:40 ET - Great situational spot in my opinion as both teams are in a B2B but Knicks are at home and played yesterday in nearby Philly while the Jazz are on the road and were in Toronto last night. The big key here is the situational aspect as New York led the Sixers last night going to the 4th quarter but then lost by double digits. Also, the Jazz were down by double digits against the Raptors heading to the 4th quarter last night but then rallied for the win. Love this as a flat spot for Utah and an extremely hungry spot for the Knicks. 10* NEW YORK -5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Duke Blue Devils +6 or +6.5 @ Virginia Cavaliers @ 4 ET - Yes the Cavaliers are off huge win versus NC State but the Wolfpack actually had 10 more field goal attempts in the game plus outrebounded Virginia. We are getting line value here because prior to that win, if you look at the Cavs 7-2 run that preceded, none of those 9 teams have fewer losses on the season. Now certainly the Blue Devils are not the same team this season that they typically are. However, they are definitely still a high-quality program loaded with talent and they are off a bad loss that was not a huge surprise as it was on the heels of a huge win over North Carolina. After that big win over rival Tar Heels, the Blue Devils fell short badly in their next game at Miami. However, Duke is 6-0 this season when off a SU loss. The Blue Devils will respond here again off a loss plus you know they want this game badly as it is Virginia that is currently topping the ACC standings and that is a position the Blue Devils are use to occupying. I have a lot of respect for the Cavs but look at the game they are off of and the game Duke is off of. Look at the situation here and the line value. This will be one of the toughest tests the Cavs will have this season and yet the game is not really priced that way in my opinion. I also like the fact that the move here on this line has gone toward Virginia. That means even more value with the underdog Blue Devils. I am expecting Duke to improve to a perfect 7-0 SU this season when off a loss. I do expect the outright upset here. However, I will grab the points with the road dog as added insurance. The play here is 10* DUKE +6 or +6.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5 vs New York Knicks @ 7 ET - The Sixers get their revenge here. I do expect Embiid, seemingly a constant on the injury report, to play in this one tonight but would still make this bet even without him. Philly is off B2B road losses and they are 3-0 the last 3 times this season that they have been at home and off consecutive losses. Not only were both losses on the road, they just faced a tough Celtics team in Boston and this was after blowing a 21 point lead in their prior game which was (you guessed it!) at New York. So here they are seeking revenge on the Knicks and they are at home and they are off B2B losses and they catch the Knicks off B2B wins! When Philly lost at New York it had a lot to do with a rare poor shooting night. The Sixers will bounce back here at home where they have been so hot for so long! As for the Knicks, they are off those B2B wins but had lost 7 of 10 overall before that. Also, New York had lost 3 of last 4 road games before getting the big win at Orlando after knocking off the 76ers at home. The Sixers will be "Raining Threes" tonight and the Knicks luck runs out here. Yes they just beat the Magic by 4 at Orlando but they outscored them by 27 points from three point land! In other words, inside the arc in that game the Magic won it by 23 points! Great spot for Philly revenge here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -5

NCAA Thursday 10* Top Play USC Trojans +4.5 @ Oregon Ducks @ 11 PM ET - The Trojans have won 4 straight and 13 of 16 games. Also 2 of those 3 losses were to ranked teams. Not only is Oregon unranked, the Ducks are just 7-5 last 12 games and the first 4 of those 5 losses were to unranked teams. Of course Oregon gets some line shading here for home court but this is just too much here. USC is too strong a team to be getting 4.5 points here in this one. Southern Cal has a great shot at the outright upset here and if they do fall short I would expect it to be by only a bucket or two. Note that the road team won both meetings between these teams last season. Also, the most recent meeting prior to that actually was in the Big Dance in 2021 and USC won that match-up by double digits. The Trojans are playing with a lot of confidence right now and Oregon is off a win but is 2-5 SU the last 7 times when off a win. The Ducks just have not been as consistent this season plus they have Pac-12 leaders UCLA on deck and the Bruins already beat Oregon this season too. So the point is that this is not necessarily a great scheduling spot for the Ducks. As for the Trojans, love their confidence level right now plus the fact they have been off since Saturday. That minimizes the travel aspect to this game and, once again, for the 3rd straight time in regular season action, look for the road team to prevail. I will grab the points here just in case and if Trojans do fall short I would expect it to be by only a bucket or two. 10* USC +4.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Atlanta Hawks -4 vs Phoenix Suns @ 7:40 ET - As a result of the blockbuster trade between Nets and Suns with Phoenix acquiring Kevin Durant in the deal but losing Johnson and Bridges, the Suns are going to be very short-handed for this game tonight. That is why a line that opened up around a pick'em has shot up to the -4 range and even as high as the -6 range as of very early gameday morning. I am looking for the Hawks to roll big here as the Suns just do not have enough talent to put on the floor in this game to match Trae Young and Atlanta. Keep in mind, the Suns barely beat the Nets at Brooklyn earlier this week and that was with Ayton scoring 35 plus Booker was back and plus they had Johnson and Bridges on the floor. Booker is expected to miss this game as it is front end of B2B and he is recovering from injuries. Johnson and Bridges are on their way to Brooklyn. Newly acquired Durant is injured plus the add-on in the trade was Warren but he will not play tonight. So Suns are super short-handed and Atlanta recently beat them 132 to 100 in Phoenix so you know what is likely here. 10* ATLANTA -4

CBB Wednesday 10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago Flames +12.5 @ Southern Illinois Salukis @ 8 ET - This is a very bad scheduling spot for Southern Illinois. Yes the Salukis are at home but they have a huge game on deck at Drake. Yes they already did beat the Bulldogs earlier this season but right now Drake is in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference and the Salukis know that is a big game that is awaiting them Saturday. Not only that, the Salukis lost all 3 games to Drake last season including in the MVC Tournament. That said, the Salukis could look right past this Flames team. Illinois-Chicago is certainly having a rough season but they are off a win and also have been much more competitive for a long time now! That is the key here is the line value with this large number when you consider this is a clear lookahead spot for Southern Illinois. Note that the Flames are just 2-10 last 12 games but only 3 of those losses by more than 10 points and here we are catching a dozen points plus the hook. Also, the last 5 losses for UIC all by 10 or less points and an average margin of defeat of only 6.6 points and one of those was in OT! So none of last 6 Flames games were losses by more than 10 points and this team, off a confidence-boosting win, will be tough to put away in this game. Look for UIC to hang around throughout this game! 10* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO +12.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers +4.5 @ Boston Celtics @ 7:35 ET - I do not think it is a mere coincidence that the Celtics are 3-4 since losing Marcus Smart to injury and the fact that those 3 wins came against below .500 teams (Pistons and Lakers) and a team (Nets) that is currently a dumpster fire. So Boston has not really beaten a quality team in this 7-game run and now faces a very tough test here. Celtics without Smart and taking on a red hot Sixers team that had won 22 of 27 games before loss in most recent game. Definitely Philly was looking ahead to this game when they fell apart in the 4th quarter and lost by double digits at New York. Here at Boston they will be fully motivated and ready to prove the Celtics don't have this division locked up just yet! Also, though Embiid is on the injury report, that has been the case for multiple weeks now and he continues to play through his injury and has been plenty effective plus there has been plenty of time between games recently for Embiid too. The 76ers are 4-0 L4 times when off a loss and also 5-0 L5 times when off a loss by 9 or more points. Boston, without Smart, has recent losses to Phoenix, New York, and Miami teams that all have a winning record on the season. Those 3 teams are a combined 12 games over .500 on the season. But this Philly team is 16 games over .500 by themselves and, once again, the Celtics without Smart struggle and fall short here. I am expecting an outright upset for Philly here but, at the very least, a cover in a loss by the slimmest of margins. 10* PHILADELPHIA +4.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Orlando Magic +1.5 or +2 vs New York Knicks @ 7:10 ET - This is a great spot to fade the Knicks. Look for the defensive intensity for the Knicks to be lacking in this one. New York is off that huge comeback win over division rival Philly on Sunday. The Knicks held them to just 18 points in the 4th quarter as they rallied for the win. On deck for New York is a trip to that same division rival, in Philadelphia this time. That said, this is a horrible scheduling spot for the Knicks and let us not forget they had lost 7 of 10 games before the shocking win over the 76ers. As for the Magic, they are rested and at home and have won 6 of last 10 games overall. Also, they had won 9 of last 12 home games prior to losing the most recent one so look for a big bounce back effort from the hosts in this one! 10* ORLANDO +1.5 or +2

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Hoosiers -4 vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ 6:30 ET - As the saying goes, if it was too easy everyone would be doing it! That theory applies here. The Hoosiers were a 5 point favorite and are already down to a -4 in early market movement. Why? Because everyone knows they just knocked off the best team in the country when they beat Purdue this past weekend. So that's it, right? It is that easy? Just fade Hoosiers because they beat the #1 team in the country and the fans stormed the court after the game? Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is automatic in this business and nothing is truly easy. The fact here is a quote from Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis tells you the key info you really need to know here. What did he reference after the big win over the Boilermakers? Rutgers! Why? Because he was saying that ever since they got drilled by the Scarlet Knights early this season in their Big Ten opener they have toughened up and been a different team. All that said, and this revenge game being at home, you know Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers are going to bring it in this game! They want payback for being held to just 48 points in the first match-up at Rutgers earlier this season. So this is a classic case where the public views this game in a certain way and the market moves it in the same way and we get line value fading the movement! I love spots like this and feel the Hoosiers get their revenge in a big way on their home court here. The Scarlet Knights have gone 2-4 in road games this season and the Hoosiers are 12-1 in home games! Rutgers last 3 Big Ten losses all by double digits and that includes 0-2 in last two road games. Hoosiers get payback for having one of their worst games of the season against these guys earlier this year. 10* INDIANA -4

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Kansas Jayhawks -3.5 vs Texas Longhorns @ 9 ET - Great spot for Kansas in this one. They are off a sloppy road loss at Iowa State but perhaps got caught looking ahead to this showdown with the team leading the Big 12. Texas is having a great season, even surviving the situation head coach Beard and now having an interim head coach on the sidelines. I did have the Longhorns here as one of my two plays Saturday but it was not an easy win for them at Kansas State. The Horns were down big to the Wildcats at halftime and had to rally back and it was a physical game and it used a lot of energy for UT in the eventual 3-point win. That makes this is a very tough spot for Texas and their win at Kansas State was their first win over a ranked foe that was not a home game for UT. Prior to defeating the Wildcats, the Longhorns other 3 non-home games versus ranked foes had seen them lose in a neutral site game against Illinois plus the Horns lost by double digits at Iowa State and at Tennessee. I feel sure the Jayhawks are going to bounce back strong here Monday after their ugly loss at Iowa State. Also note that the last 8 times Kansas has been off a loss in which they allowed 79 points or less, they have gone a perfect 8-0 in their next game. The Jayhawks get it done again here coming off a loss as the guys surrounding Wilson do a much better job in this home game than they did against the Cyclones Saturday. Home court matters in this key Big 12 battle and KU gets it done at home! 10* KANSAS -3.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play LA Clippers -6.5 @ Brooklyn Nets @ 7:40 ET - The Clippers won in overtime Saturday night. The guys that led them are who you would expect - Leonard, George, Powell. The Nets are off a win over Washington in which they rallied from a 23 point deficit in the eventual 2-point win. Brooklyn had 2 guys have career-best scoring games in that one and their output was ridiculous and will not be repeated here. Not even close. That said, we have a lot of value here because this Nets team is still without Durant and it sounds like Irving has been traded to Dallas. Also, Brooklyn has a lot of other banged up guys, including Curry who will miss tonight's game. Curry and Durant were the only two guys to score more than 13 points when the Nets upset the Clippers in LA by 15 points earlier this season. So this is a revenge game plus the situation is perfect. Normally I do not laying points on the road but I just can not see the Nets as being able to hang in this game. They are too depleted and guys will not repeat the magic they did on the floor against Washington this past weekend. This is a defensive and revenge-minded Clippers team that Brooklyn has to deal with tonight. 10* LA CLIPPERS -6.5

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 @ New York Knicks @ 7:05 ET - As per usual, Embiid is on the injury report. As per usual, I am expect him to play. Even if he does not, look for the Sixers to roll any way in this one. But Embiid keeps showing up on the report with left foot soreness but he has played 5 straight games. A key here to why he is likely to play too is Philly was off yesterday and they then have Monday and Tuesday off before facing the Celtics Wednesday. There really is no reason to rest Embiid here. He rested yesterday and can rest Monday and Tuesday too! As for this scheduling situation, it definitely favors the Sixers as the Knicks are off an OT loss to the Clippers last night. That leaves them spent here both emotionally and physically as it was 7th loss in last 10 games for New York also. By the way, each of Knicks last 6 losses have been by at least 6 points. As for Philly, they enter this one on a 22-5 run! They have been one of the hottest teams in the league for months now and 15 of last 22 wins by at least 7 points! They should roll here on the road as they beat the Knicks by 7 the last time they met and that was despite New York having a rare 14-rebound edge over the 76ers in that one. Lay it! 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers -5.5 @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ 3 ET - Tulsa is the worst team in the AAC. The Golden Hurricane have lost 10 of last 11 games and the average margin of defeat has been 14 points. Yes, Tulsa almost beat the Shockers at Wichita State but would you believe the Golden Hurricane were up huge in that game and yet still lost despite a crazy stat. The Shockers were 2 of 17 from three point land in that game and Tulsa was 10 of 22 from downtown. That means the Golden Hurricane outscored Wichita State by 24 points from beyond the arc and yet still lost the game by 4 points! I am sure that the Shockers are going to play much better here even though they are on the road and I am projecting a win by a double digit margin. A big key here is Wichita State enters this game angry off a loss. Believe it or not the Shockers are actually a fantastic 4-1 when they are on the road and coming off a loss! The most recent one was a big 13 point win at East Carolina and Tulsa is worse than the Pirates. Also, the only loss for Wichita State when in this situation was at Kansas State and, of course the Wildcats are a ranked Big 12 team that is having an excellent season. There is just a big disparity in these programs right now and I do not see the Shockers being denied off a loss and I look for Tulsa's knack for blowout losses to add another one to the list Sunday. 10* WICHITA STATE -5.5

EPL Sunday 10* Top Play Leeds United Goal Line Pick -105 @ Nottingham Forest @ 9 AM ET - When you look at this line I feel it says a lot about this match-up. There is a reason this match is priced as a pick'em even though Leeds has won only 1 of 9 road matches in the league and Nottingham Forest has lost only 3 of 10 matches in league action. I do feel Leeds will draw momentum from recent successes in the English FA Cup. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest has been getting throttled in the English Carabao Cup. They also are currently without their top goalie Dean Henderson so it will likely be Keylor Navas between the pipes since Wayne Hennessey has been struggling. However, will Navas prove to be an upgrade? At least at first I think that is absolutely a no. Navas has not been playing much at all and will be rusty here. 10* LEEDS Goal Line Pick -105

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Villanova Wildcats +10 @ Creighton Bluejays @ 7:30 ET - The Wildcats recently got Justin Moore back and he is a senior guard who is a key player for them. Villanova also has been a better team since Cam Whitmore joined the playing rotation at the start of the season. What is happening with this line here is that Creighton is over-valued. Yes, the Bluejays are known for playing well at home and have revenge from last year's Big East title loss. But the key here with Creighton is that they are laying double digits against a Nova team that is getting stronger and more confident and healthier. Yes they just lost at Marquette but they had key guys in foul trouble plus it was just the 2nd game for Moore since he came back. He'll be even better here. Note that Villanova is only 10-12 this season but the average margin of defeat is 6.5 points per loss and only one defeat was by more than 10 points. The Wildcats are 0-4 against ranked teams but no loss was by a double digit margin. This is just too many points here. The revenge angle for Creighton is making this line higher than it should be. The Bluejays only scored 63 against a bad Georgetown team in most recent game and, again, the Cats likely would have won at Marquette if not for foul trouble "slowing their roll" in that game. They will be very strong in this game as they are off B2B tight losses but have their team together again with Moore back in the lineup and it is showing in how competitive they have been against ranked foes in the last two games. That continues here and the points are just too much here for the Bluejays to be laying. 10* VILLANOVA +10

CBB Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes +2.5 @ Akron Zips @ 9 ET - Love this play a ton because the "deeper dive" here reveals key factors that the markets are likely missing here. The markets will look and see that these two teams are tied at the top of the MAC and have identical records in MAC games and then they will look at Akron being at home for this one where they are 11-0 this season. You don't think the odds makers know all these facts too? Yet they set the line at right around a pick'em on this game and, of course, everyone jumping in on the Zips here. Now the line is as high as a 2.5 as of early gameday morning. Now the key factors the odds makers (and yours truly) are considering here! The fact is that Akron lost to Ball State and has yet to play Toledo! Those are the 2 other top teams out of the 4 top teams in the league (with Zips and Golden Flashes being the other 2). As for Kent State, unlike the Zips, they beat Ball State and also they have played the Rockets and they beat them too! So the point is that the records may be identical in the MAC but the Zips have played the weaker in-conference schedule. Also, in terms of overall records, Akron has 6 losses and the average margin of defeat was 12.5 points and they did NOT play the tough non-conference schedule that Kent State did! The Golden Flashes faced both Gonzaga AND Houston and they nearly beat both of them outright! Overall, Kent State only has 2 other losses this season and one was by 2 points in non-conference action and the other was an upset at hands of Northern Illinois but the Huskies shot a ridiculously high percentage in that game including from 3-point land. So the point is all the boxes are checked that this is a HIGH VALUE spot for grabbing the points with Kent State and then you have the final "kicker" that pushes this over the top! The Golden Flashes lost to Akron in the Championship Game of the MAC Tourney and that sent the Zips to the Big Dance where they got to face UCLA in the NCAA Tourney while it sent the Golden Flashes to play in The Basketball Classic and to ponder "what could have been". So all these factors considered plus the rivalry aspect with these two teams and I love the underdog in this spot. 10* KENT STATE +2.5

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +3.5 vs Sacramento Kings @ 7 ET - I know the Pacers are in a back to back but I love this spot. Indiana is finally getting healthy. They blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead last night to lose by just a single point. They felt completely ripped off on their home floor in terms of free throw attempts as the Lakers were on the line all night long and Indiana could not buy a trip to the free throw line. Additionally, they are catching a west coast team that has been on the road for a bit already and also will be without their leading scorer tonight as Fox is out for personal reasons. He is a key contributor all over the floor so this is a big deal. Last but, certainly not least, this is a revenge game for the Pacers. They recently lost by 23 points to the Nuggets about a week and a half ago. That tied their biggest margin of defeat this season as the only other time they also lost that big this season was at Sacramento when they fell short by 23 and lost 137 to 114. This will be a payback game for Pacers as their head coach and players are very fired up about the way they lost to the Lakers last night and could not get calls plus they want payback here against the Kings. They should get it but will grab the points here in case Pacers again fall just short of an outright win! 10* INDIANA +3.5

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +1.5 vs Los Angeles Lakers @ 7 ET - Long-time followers know I am a contrarian so often and that is the case again here. The Pacers have lost 10 of 11 games. This line is about a pick'em on a Lakers team that has won 10 of 17 games. Looks easy right. You know that usually means! Also, though LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to play, neither are 100 percent and LA off that OT win over the Knicks. As for the Pacers, though Haliburton is listed as questionable, he is expected to make his return as the Indiana star player has been practicing fully and is ready to go here. What a great spot for his return. Home game versus LeBron and Company. This is a big game for the Pacers and I had them in their lone win in these last 11 games and am 2-0 with picks involving them in 2023. I feel strongly that this is the perfect spot to back them again and I just do not seem them being denied here in this bounce back spot at home. Look for them to rally around the imminent return of Haliburton as he should hit the floor tonight but, even if he did not, this Pacers team ready for a huge run. 10* INDIANA +1.5

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Wright State Raiders +6.5 @ Youngstown State Penguins @ 7 ET - The Raiders are well-coached and they are use to being at the top of the Horizon League. Youngstown State is having an uncharacteristically strong season thus far. The result is exceptional line value here because the Penguins also have hit threes at a crazy high rate in last two wins and can not maintain that clip. You can bet Wright State will be guarding tight on the perimeter in this one. Youngstown State is tied at the top of the conference for the top spot but one of their 3 losses was to Northern Kentucky and that is who they have on deck next game and the Norse are tied with Penguins in a 3-way tie atop the league standings. Wright State is off B2B wins. Yes, those were home games but the Raiders also have won 3 straight road games and 4 of last 5 away from home. This is a high-quality well-coached team that still has sights set on making a major move up the standings. Keep in mind, this is one of 8 remaining conference games so there is still plenty of time to make a big move before the conference tourney starts at the end of this month. I am looking for a big push from this Raiders team and would not be surprised if they make it 3 straight league wins here but, at the very least, they stay inside this inflated number. The Penguins won at Wright State earlier this season by 11 points but they outscored them by 21 points from 3-point land. That is not happening again here. The Raiders get revenge and, if they don't win outright, they at least stay within a bucket or two in my opinion. Note that Youngstown State, other than the first win over the Raiders, is currently 4-3 SU against teams that currently have a .500 or better record in the Horizon League. The Penguins are over-rated right now. We take advantage. 10* WRIGHT STATE +6.5

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -8.5 vs Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - Even if Embiid, listed as questionable, does not play here I do like Philly to bounce back after losing to the Magic by double digits Monday. The Sixers blew an early 21 point lead there and were still up double digits at halftime in the eventual 10-point loss. They were sloppy, turnover-prone, and out of sorts as that game went on. This will be a payback game for them and they will get their revenge. This is the 6th time this season that Philly has had one of these situations where you facing the same team in consecutive games. Of the first five, they have NEVER lost both games. Also, in four of the five B2B sets like this, the 76ers have won the 2nd game 4 times and they have all been blowouts too! The average margin of victory for the Sixers in those games was 24 points! Philly had won 7 straight games before the loss to Orlando Monday. They are not happy at all about how that one played out and will make adjustments in the 2nd game of this B2B set just as they have done in other ones, including at Orlando, earlier this season! The result is a blowout home win by a double digit margin! 10* PHILADELPHIA -8.5 

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Clippers -3 @ Chicago Bulls @ 8 ET - The Bulls are off a win but had lost 5 of 8 games before that win. Also, each of last 8 games for Chicago came against teams that currently have a losing record entering Tuesday's action. This will be the Bulls toughest test in awhile and, making matters even tougher, the Clippers enter this game fired up off a loss. LA had been hot before the loss and they also are a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they have been off a defeat in which they scored less than 110 points. In this case, Los Angeles off an ugly loss in which they were held to just 99 points and I fully expect a huge response here as a result. The Clippers had won 5 in a row before that loss and get right back on track here. 10* LA CLIPPERS -3

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Miami Hurricanes -4 @ Virginia Tech Hokies @ 7 ET - The Hokies are off B2B wins but they were at home. One of the wins was an upset of Duke so now this Virginia Tech team getting a little too much respect on the road here. Not only have they struggled in true road games all season long, the Hokies had lost 7 straight games overall prior to those B2B wins. So, yes, they started the season 11-1 but a lot has changed since then. Now they face a Miami team that is angry off a home loss to Pittsburgh in which the Panthers scored the final 11 points in the 3 point defeat! Ironically, the Hurricanes also blew their home game against the Hokies late last season in a game in which Virginia Tech rallied from a big 2nd half deficit. So the point is that this is a great spot to back a very angry Canes team! Also, Miami has gone 4-0 this season when off a loss. They will respond here and the point spread is small enough at 4 points that this is a very manageable number. The Hurricanes will be very determined off a loss and they catch Virginia Tech at the right time as Hokies on the road after B2B home wins following a 7-game slide. This one gets ugly. 10* MIAMI -4 

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Texas Tech Red Raiders +1.5 vs Iowa State Cyclones @ 9 ET - I have been betting for 3 decades already. I have been a handicapper releasing plays to the public for 2 decades already. Possibly another decade to go with the handicapping and, as for sports betting, that will likely be a part of my life until I am laid to rest. Why the long intro? What is this all about? Well, I have always been a contrarian and will always be a contrarian as long as I am betting. Of course you can't be contrarian on every single game but the point is there are match-ups where it pays to scratch your head a bit and say "Wait, what is going on here?" and this is one of those. Now, of course, nothing is 100% in anything but being contrarian in the right spots pays off more than not long-term. This is one of those spots in my opinion. Just look at this match-up once! Iowa State is ranked #12 in the country and blasted the Red Raiders by 34 points in their meeting earlier this season and the Cyclones are 15-5 this season. They are basically a PICK'EM yes indeed a PICK'EM here against a Texas Tech team that is 0-8 in Big 12 games this season! So the odds makers must have really messed up here, eh? Of course not! This game is priced this way for a reason and I sense the Red Raiders will come up huge on their home floor and get a much-needed conference win! Texas Tech is off a non-conference win and Cyclones are off a loss so many will look at that and point to a play on ISU here. But note Iowa State has been struggling on the road recently and this Red Raiders team is VERY hungry to get that first conference win. Don't let the line lead you astray here, the home team is the bet! 10* TEXAS TECH +1.5

NHL Monday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Puck Line -1.5 goals +130 vs St Louis Blues @ 8 ET - Blues have lost 4 straight games and 6 of last 8. St Louis allowed 4.5 goals per game in those 6 defeats. They are struggling on defense and in goal and all 6 of the losses by at least 2 goals! That is why I am comfortable laying the puck line here with the Jets at home. Look for a huge bounce back from Winnipeg who surely have the goalie edge here in addition to the home ice edge. Winnipeg already beat St Louis by a combined score of 9 to 2 in the first two meetings this season and another bloodbath is likely here. The Blues just can not get right. Even though the Jets are also off some recent losses, they have not lost 4 straight games all season. Also, prior to the 4-0 loss to the Flyers - a rare shutout loss for the Jets - Winnipeg had allowed average of just 2.3 goals per game last 9 games. They are the much better defensively and in goal in this match-up and they bounce back huge here in what is the final game for each club before the All Star break. Yes we must win this game by 2 or more goals to win our bet but we get plus money related to that PLUS 15 of the Jets last 19 victories have been by a multi-goal margin. 10* WINNIPEG -1.5 +130

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -9.5 vs Orlando Magic @ 7 ET - Normally I do not lay big points in the NBA but this is not a normal situation. The 76ers already beat the Magic twice in Orlando. The average margin of those two victories was 19 points and again this was at Orlando! But that is not all. The Sixers were without Embiid, Harden, and Maxey in those 3 games! Those are 3 key players and most likely all 3 will be on the floor here. The only one who might miss is Embiid as he is questionable again with his foot issue. But again, I just do not think he will be rested in a spot like this where no back to back is involved. Also, the Sixers will have Harden and Maxey and those two guys missed the first two games and those games were still big wins and those were both at Orlando. Note that Philly has won 20 of 24 games. The Magic have lost 10 of 16 games and the average margin of defeat is 14.2 points in those 10 losses. Another blowout defeat for Orlando here as the Sixers roll continues! 10* PHILADELPHIA -9.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs Money Line -120 vs Cincinnati Bengals @ 6:30 ET - Just do not want to get burned here if the Chiefs win by just 1 point because the dominant line right now on this game is 1.5 but the money line is available as low as -120 on KC as of very early game day morning. Finally the offensive line issue of Cincinnati will finally become too much in this one. The Chiefs are too smart and too well coached to not take advantage of this. I know that the Bengals beat them in the regular season in Cincy and that they beat them last year in the OT thriller in the playoffs but if I am a Chiefs player I would be saying "enough is enough" here. I mean this has been very surprising to me how for Cincinnati has come but I just can not see them making the Super Bowl again this season. It is so hard to do. So many things have to fall into place. Like I said, this is the game where the offensive line issues for the Bengals finally become too much. Mahomes is feeling better than he thought he would with the high ankle sprain. Kelce will be fine with his back spasms back under control. The end result is a well-coached KC team is going to the Super Bowl as Mahomes will outduel Joe Burrow here. Enough is enough! The Chiefs were aware they were even a DOG in this match-up for a period of time even though they are at home for this. These guys feel a bit a disrespected and this could be Chiefs dominance here in my opinion. 10* KANSAS CITY -120

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -2.5 vs San Francicsco 49ers @ 3 ET - You might be fortunate enough to still find a -2 out there or perhaps even at heavy juice but, of course, would be preferable to lay 2 rather than 2.5 or 3 here. Another option here is the money line available as low as -145 instead of laying juice in the -125 range on the spread anyway! No matter which you choose, I do like the Eagles a lot in this spot and expect them to win by a double digit margin. Philadelphia sleep-walked a bit late in the season but then they showed what they can do when they are motivated as they destroyed the Giants last week. Yes the 49ers are better than the Giants but keep in mind that there is another edge here in that the Eagles entered the game against the Giants off a bye week. So Philly will be playing just the 2nd time in 3 weeks and it is amazing what time off can do for a team both mentally and physically at this late juncture in the season (including playoffs). Keep in mind the 49ers had a very tough game with Dallas last week but the Cowboys Dak Prescott gifted San Francisco the game on a silver platter by turning the ball over. It was pathetic to see that again but, oh well, this is the way of Dallas! Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are NOT the same as Prescott and the Cowboys that is for sure. Also, 49ers rookie QB Brock Purdy will be facing a tough test in a hostile environment here. Keep in mind, the Eagles will take advantage of a Niners team playing just its third true road game since late October. Since the end of October they had a neutral site game versus Arizona and two road games against Seahawks and Raiders. Those two teams finished the season a combined 15-20 including post-season and that pales in comparison to facing the Eagles in hostile Philly as they are now 15-3 including post-season this season. Because of all the hype about Purdy, this line has been kept lower than it should be. Here we take advantage! Purdy has never faced an NFL situation like this ever and the games at Seattle and Las Vegas will be nothing like how this one will be for the rookie quarterback. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Providence Friars -120 @ Villanova Wildcats @ Noon ET - The Wildcats are 4-5 in Big East games. They are not the same team they were when they were coached by Jay Wright. Also, their 4 wins are against two of the worst teams in the conference as they have a pair of victories against both Georgetown and St John's. Those two teams are a combined 4-16 in Big East action! Now Villanova is facing a Providence team that is 8-2 this season and we can get the Friars at right around a pick'em price! I will take it! Keep in mind this is also a double revenge game for the Friars as they lost both meetings last season and they were very close games. I know Villanova has played a lot of close games this season but close loss does not mean a win and the fact is the Cats keep falling just short against the better teams in the conference. That should continue here against a very determined visitor in this one. 10* PROVIDENCE -120

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Tennessee Volunteers -5 vs Texas Longhorns @ 6 ET - The Volunteers were as high as a -7.5 favorite here and have dropped to a -5 and I love the line value here. Tennessee is a very strong team and home court can mean an awful lot in College Basketball to a team that is firing on all cylinders. The Vols are hot and they are at home here. Give credit to the Longhorns too as they are having a very strong season. However, they have lost 2 of last 3 games against ranked teams and this is a tough road venue for this Big 12/SEC Challenge match-up! The one game they did win in those last 3 against ranked teams came when they rallied from 18 down against TCU but the Horns were at home for that one. This is a whole other situation here and Tennessee has won 8 of 9 games and the only loss was when they shot a ridiculous 3 of 21 from three point land against Kentucky plus the Wildcats had a 25 to 10 edge in free throw attempts and yet the Volunteers only lost that game by 7 points. That says a lot right here and, as I have mentioned often in the past, I have a ton of respect for the odds makers. The Vols opened up as a bigger favorite with good season. The home team rolls big here! 10* TENNESSEE -5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Seton Hall Pirates -2 @ Butler Bulldogs @ 4 ET - Butler wants revenge for a 25 point loss at Seton Hall 3 weeks ago. However, the Pirates are off a beatdown at home at the hands of Marquette. After losing that one by 21 points, it is certainly noteworthy that Seton Hall is a PERFECT 4-0 this season when off a loss by a margin of 14 points or more. By the way, all 4 of the Pirates wins in this situation have come by more than 21 points! This included a blowout win over the Bulldogs. Yes, Butler is at home and they have been known for being tough at home traditionally. However, that was then and this is now. The Bulldogs have lost 3 straight games overall and have lost 8 of 11 - all in Big East action. They have 3 home losses this season - all in Big East action - and all by a margin of at least 20 points. Considering all of the above and the fact this line is only a -2, this is a great spot for the Pirates! 10* SETON HALL

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -4 vs Denver Nuggets @ 3:10 ET - The Sixers have Joel Embiid on the injury report but I can not see him missing this game. The 76ers have not played since Wednesday and they do not play again until Monday. This is not a situation where it would make sense to sit Embiid for what is really best defined as a nagging injury. As for the Nuggets injury report, many of their guys will likely play tonight but they have a long list of players on the report and this includes guys who could miss or who are unlikely to be 100%. That said, I do like the Sixers here even if Embiid does not play. The Nuggets are banged up and have lost 2 of 3. Philly is hot and has won 6 straight and 19 of 23 games! The situation plus home court edge means plenty of value with a rather low number here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -4

Romania Liga 1 Saturday 10* Top Play Chindia Targoviste Goal Line Pick +102 @ Petrolul Ploiesti @ 10 AM ET - Winter weather is here in the Bucuresti area where I am currently residing and this means extra value with the underdog in a match-up like this. Ploiesti is just north of Bucuresti and we continue to get a lot of snow here today. We saw a scoreless draw in the first match of the weekend last night in inclement weather. This one should be another tight low-scoring battle and I like the fact that Chindia Targoviste had to settle for a draw instead of a win in their most recent match only because of a "fluke play" that resulted in a collision between a goalie and his teammate and the opposition. The opponent then was kicking the ball into a wide-open empty net on a breakaway. It was a one in a million type play you rarely see. They were the better team throughout the game and deserved to win. Suffice to say Chindia Targoviste hungry for the full 3 points in the table here after that frustrating result. But even if the visitors settle for a draw that still gives us a push here with this goal line available at Pick +102 so that is the play here. 10* Chindia Targoviste Goal Line Pick +102

NBA Friday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies -3 @ Minnesota Timberwolves @ 7:40 ET - The last time these teams played the Wolves had both Towns and Gobert on the floor and yet still lost by double digits. I know the Grizzlies are now without Adams but the point is that Towns is going to miss tonight for sure as he has been out for two months. As for Gobert, he is dealing with a groin injury and may not play or might be limited. It adds up to a great to back a road team very hungry to get back to winning ways. The Grizzlies have lost 4 straight and will hit the floor running hard tonight and the Timberwolves just do not have the horses to keep up here. Minnesota has a number of injury issues and the road team is favored here for a reason. Don't let the line fool you. Lay it! 10* MEMPHIS -3

Romania Liga 1 Friday 10* Top Play Rapid Goal Line Pick -115 @ Universitatea Cluj @ 1 ET - Rapid is offering a lot of line value here with this goal line at a pick'em. In their last 10 matches Rapid has only one loss as they have had wins or draws in the other 9 matches. Universitatea Cluj is off a win but, prior to that, had only 1 win in last 8 matches! The value of the pick'em goal line is big here. The line is not a mistake as it is simply priced this way because Rapid is on the road. What I like here though this they have been the much hotter club and have a great shot at the win plus we have the added bonus that any draw is a push rather than a loss for our bet. Rapid has been on a "mission" for some time now and that has catapulted them up the table. They continue that rise with picking up another victory here. 10* RAPID Goal Line Pick -115

Thursday NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 -125 @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Wild have lost 6 of 9 games. Yes a lot of those games were on the road but the fact is Minnesota is only 2-2 last 4 games on home ice and one of those wins was by just a single goal. That said, there is a lot of value here with the Flyers at +1.5 goals. Philadelphia has won a modest 13 of last 27 games but the key within that is the value of the +1.5 goals here. The Flyers 14 losses in that stretch included 7 by a single goal. That means the Flyers, at +1.5 goals, would produce a 20-7 record last 27 games. Not bad, eh? The fact is Philly is a live dog in this spot as they are coming off a loss and have been playing better of late when off a loss. They enter this game off B2B losses but, prior to the OT loss to the Kings, they had gone 6-1 last 7 times when off a loss. The Wild just back from a long road trip and have a revenge game versus Sabres on deck too. Neither of those are key angles here but still worth noting. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 -125

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Iowa Hawkeyes +3 @ Michigan State Spartans @ 7 ET - Uh oh...the odds makers did it again and made a massive "mistake" here, right? After all this line opened up at nearly a pick'em even though Michigan State is 8-2 at home this season and the Hawkeyes are 3-5 in games played away from their home in Iowa. Wow...what a "gift" from the odds makers, right? Long-time followers know the respect I have for the odds makers and the fact is this game was priced this way for a reason. Now that we are able to get as much as +3 on this one with the Hawkeyes, it is absolutely "go time" for me. Iowa could get Patrick McCaffery back tonight. Already he is back with the team and this is providing an emotional boost for him and for the team. They are going to rally around this even if he is not on the floor tonight. A big key here is the play of Kris Murray and he could do what his brother Keegan did against Michigan State last season as he dominated in the 26 point win for the Hawkeyes. The fact is Kris Murray is "in the zone" right now and I love the fact Iowa enters this game off a loss in which Ohio State simply shot "lights out" against them. The Buckeyes won the game on ridiculously hot shooting but the Spartans have not been playing like that very often at all this season. Michigan State has lost 3 of 4 while the Hawkeyes had won 4 straight before the loss to the Buckeyes. By the way, the Spartans only win last 4 games was against Rutgers by 13 points but it was a game in which they outscored the Scarlet Knights by 30 points from three point land. Statistical anomaly for sure as it was a classic case of hot versus not for one game on the floor. That is not happening here against the Hawkeyes. 10* IOWA +3

NBA Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 vs Brooklyn Nets @ 7:35 ET - I am aware Embiid is questionable. I do expect him to play but, even if he does not, note that the Nets are 100% going to be without Durant here. Durant did play in the first meeting this season while Embiid did not. Plus Harden did not play for Philly in that one either. The Sixers still won the game by 9 points. Note that Harrell is coming off a big for the 76ers and could get the call again for a lot of minutes if Embiid misses. But the fact Brooklyn has no KD is the biggest key here. Also, I would really be surprised if Embiid does not play here. It is a divisional game and he has already had time off since neither he nor Harden played this weekend at Sacramento. Also Philly does not play again until this Saturday and that is a non-conference game and this game tonight is a divisional battle. Look for Embiid to go and Harden is not even on the injury report. The Sixers stay red hot here and roll to another win even if Embiid misses. The 76ers take advantage of a Nets team that has lost 4 of 6. The Sixers have won 5 straight and 18 of 22 games! 10* PHILADELPHIA -5.5

NBA Tuesday 10* Top Play Indiana Pacers +1.5 vs Chicago Bulls @ 7:10 ET - I am aware of the fact that Andrew Nembhard is listed as questionable for this one with an illness. But he played through that illness Saturday at Phoenix and I do expect him to play here tonight and to be stronger. I know he missed practice yesterday but that was likely just to get him as healthy and full-strength as possible before this game. Even if he does not play, I like the Pacers here at home. Yes they have lost 7 straight games but they have a huge rest edge here. Bulls are in the 2nd game of a B2B after facing the Hawks last night. Chicago also just got back their long travel to Paris late last week. That said, this B2B could prove to be too much as the Pacers have a big rest edge coming off B2B days off. Also, there is plenty of motivation for the Pacers here as they lost early this season at Chicago and they also are hungry to end their losing streak. As for the Bulls, yes they have won 3 straight but they have NEVER WON 4 in a row this season! Also, when on the road this season and having won at least 2 straight games, the Bulls have gone 1-5 SU in those games. Adding to the value here is that this is a B2B for Chicago and they were just in Europe at the end of last week. 10* INDIANA +1.5

CBB Tuesday 10* Top Play Missouri Tigers +1.5 @ Ole Miss Rebels @ 7 ET - Home court is so important in college basketball. Wait a second, if that is the case why am I am playing the road team here in a game that is nearly a pick'em? Well ladies and gentlemen, that is because sometimes the value of home court is so strongly baked into the lines and baked into the minds of the betting masses that it creates value for strong road teams. That is the case here. Let's not forget that Missouri is a respectable 3-4 in SEC action and also 3-3 in games against ranked teams this season. The Tigers have won 14 of their 19 games overall this season! Conversely, Ole Miss is the only team (other than SC) in the SEC with an overall losing record on the season plus they are 1-6 in SEC action plus they have gone 0-4 this season against ranked teams! The Rebels have lost 10 of 13 since they started the season 6-0. There is simply a talent gap between these teams that has not been properly factored here and we will take advantage. Yes, the Tigers can (and will) win on the road here. Grab the +1.5 and look for an upset. 10* MISSOURI +1.5

NBA Monday 10* Top Play Memphis Grizzlies PK -115 @ Sacramento Kings @ 10:30 ET - The Grizzles are off B2B losses for the 6th time this season. What happened after the first five times this happened? A win all 5 times! In fact that 5-0 mark punctuated by an average margin of victory of 15 points. The beautiful thing about this spot though is we do not have to even worry about covering a spread. The line on this game is essentially a pick'em as of very early Monday morning even if you have to lay slightly more juice (-115) to get the pick'em line. It is worth it! I know Memphis is in a back to back spot here and the Kings have the rest edge. However, the fact the Grizzlies are off B2B losses each by the slimmest of margins will insure a special focus from them here. The Kings are off a loss and want to bounce back but, prior to that loss to Philly, the 6-game win streak of Sacramento was not overly impressive in terms of opposition. As I mentioned in my Saturday NBA write-up: "Although Sacramento has won 6 straight games, note that all the teams have a losing record. In fact 5 teams were faced in those 6 games and their combined record is 84-144." So I am backing the Grizzlies here to get a big road win and make it a PERFECT 6-0 SU this season when entering a game on a losing streak of 2 games. 10* MEMPHIS Pick -115

CBB Monday 10* Top Play Nevada Wolf Pack -2.5 vs New Mexico Lobos @ 9 ET - So the Lobos have only 2 losses this season but they are the underdog here? Well, a few keys here. One is that Nevada is at home and very strong there and they are coming off a loss. Nevada, on the season, is 4-0 / 100% PERFECT SU and the average margin of victory in those 4 games was 9 points so the spread should not be a problem here. Lay the small number with the Wolf Pack as they bounce back off a loss. They are catching the Lobos at the perfect time for a big win. New Mexico is off a hard-fought win in OT over Boise State over the weekend. The Lobos would like revenge here as the Wolf Pack knocked them out of the MWC tourney but this is not the right spot for it. Nevada won both meetings with New Mexico last season and they are angry off a loss here. In about two weeks the Lobos get them on their court and that could be different but here on the road it is a too big of an ask. Keep in mind, the two teams New Mexico lost to are a combined 4-10 now in MWC action and I feel they are susceptible to an ugly road result here. 10* NEVADA -2.5

Romania Liga 1 Monday 10* Top Play Chindia Targoviste Money Line +105 vs FC Arges @ 10 AM ET - There is a reason that Chindia Targoviste is favored here on the 3-way line and odds makers are offering you odds that are 3 times as good if you take FC Arges here. The fact is that Chindia Targoviste has not scored a goal in any of its last 3 matches but faced a very tough slate of opponents. Now they host a struggling FC Arges club and will take full advantage here. Keep in mind, only 1 of Chindia Targoviste's last 3 matches were at home. They will take advantage of being back on their home pitch here. FC Arges won the first match this season way back in August and Chindia Targoviste actually led that match at half-time and they want payback here! FC Arges has only 1 victory in last 7 road matches and has been outscored 16 to 6 in road matches this season. 10* Chindia Targoviste

NBA Sunday 10* Top Play Phoenix Suns +8.5 vs Memphis Grizzlies @ 8:10 ET - The Suns are playing short-handed and in a back to back spot. However, are you seeing how hungry some of the guys are that are now getting extra playing time? This Phoenix team is fighting hard and has won B2B games. I am well aware that Memphis is off a loss and wants to bounce back here but they also recently embarrassed the Suns by 30 points in Memphis. You can bet Phoenix has not forgotten and they will put up a fight here at home! By the way, 6 of the last 8 Grizzlies games have been decided by a single digit margin. The average margin of those 6 games was 5 points. This game is going to be a lot closer than many expect and, as an added bonus, some Suns guys might be back on the floor tonight. Either way I like them at home catching all these points. 10* PHOENIX +8.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Cowboys +4.5 @ San Francisco 49ers @ 6:30 ET - The Giants, including post-season, went 10-8-1 this season. What does that have to do with this bet? Quite a lot actually! I will explain. New York lost all 3 games to the Eagles and both games to the Cowboys this season. The NFC East was a very tough division this year. The Giants only lost 3 of their other 14 games against teams not named Dallas or Philadelphia. The 49ers, on the other hand, have padded their overall record thanks to playing in the NFC West. Including last week's win over the Seahawks in the Wild Card round, the Niners went 7-0 against divisional foes. That is how weak the division was this season while the NFC East is very likely to have a representative as 3 of the 4 NFC teams left entering this week were all from that division! This is no fluke. They were the strongest division in the league this season. Now Dallas is not getting enough respect here. Prescott is back and firing strong again, Purdy is still a rookie, and the Niners have faced a lot of weaker defenses since Purdy as been under center. This is going to be his first truly tough test. Prescott, on the other hand, has more of a "been there and done that" mentality. Especially after convincingly picking up a road playoff win (finally!), this Dallas team is rolling with confidence right now. I really like Purdy and wish him all the best in his NFL career but he is still a rookie and in last week's playoff game he faced a Seahawks defense that would finish the season, including that post-season game, allowing 30 ppg on the road for the season! Now in just his 2nd playoff start he faces a Cowboys defense that has allowed 19 ppg in 9 road games (including post-season). I am expecting a highly intriguing Eagles/Cowboys NFC Championship next week but, as added insurance here, I am going to go ahead and grab the points. I feel if Niners find a way to win this it will be by the slimmest of margins. 10* DALLAS COWBOYS +4.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Buffalo Bills -5.5 vs Cincinnati Bengals @ 3 ET - Bengals have injury issues on the offensive line. These are big issues. People take notice when key star players are out for teams but many do not pay such close attention to injuries in the trenches and yet those are very important. The issues become particularly troublesome for a team when it becomes a cluster of injuries all to the same unit. In this case, Cincinnati is without both starting tackles and a starting guard. That means 60% of their offensive line is out for this game! The Bengals will struggle to stop the Bills defense from pressuring them all game long in this one. As a result, Cincinnati just can not keep up here because you know the Bills are going to get their points here at home. Buffalo has averaged 32 points per game in home games this season! Cincinnati has allowed an average of 24 ppg last 6 road games. Only one of those 6 games was against a team that ended the season with a wining record. That was Pittsburgh (ended year 9-8) and the Steelers hung 30 on the Bengals. This one turns into a home rout because I know the Bills defense is fully capable of bouncing back big at home after last week's tight win versus Miami. Buffalo entered last week's action having allowed 17 points per game in games played here in Orchard Park this season. 10* BUFFALO -5.5

CBB Sunday 10* Top Play Wichita State Shockers +2 @ SMU Mustangs @ 3 ET - SMU is off a win in OT but they were fortunate Tulsa had such a poor shooting night from distance on their home court. Now the Mustangs are back home but there is a reason this line is so low. The Shockers are the better team. Southern Methodist had lost 4 straight and 11 of 16 prior to knocking off the Golden Hurricane. Coming off a rare win, and on the road and in OT no loss, SMU is in trouble here against a hungry Wichita State team. The Shockers are off a loss but Memphis had a hot shooting night from downtown against them. They bounce back here and keep in mind the win the Mustangs just had was against the worst team in the conference. As for Wichita State, this will prove to be a much tougher test. The Shockers are 5-2 SU when coming off a non-OT loss this season. By the way, one of those 2 losses was to a Cincinnati team that is one of the best teams in the conference. 10* WICHITA STATE +2

NBA Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -3.5 @ Sacramento Kings @ 10 ET - Great spot to fade the Kings as they are in a back to back. Although Sacramento has won 6 straight games, note that all the teams have a losing record. In fact 5 teams were faced in those 6 games and their combined record is 84-144. Now the Kings are in a B2B spot and hosting a 76ers team that is 29-16 this season and has won 4 straight games. Also, the Sixers are off until Wednesday's home game versus Brooklyn. So, prior to finally heading back east, Philly can most certainly leave it all on the floor tonight and, remember, these Sixers have won 17 of 21 games! 10* PHILADELPHIA -3.5

NFL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Eagles -7 or -7.5 vs New York Giants @ 8:15 ET - You might be fortunate enough to still find a -7 out there or perhaps even at heavy juice but, of course, would be preferable to lay 7 rather than 7.5 or 8 here. Either way, I do like the Eagles a lot in this spot and expect them to win by a double digit margin. Philadelphia sleep-walked a bit late in the season but now they catch the Giants on a short week and traveling again. Plus the Eagles are off a bye week. I know Philly did not look good against New York two weeks ago. But it is amazing what time off can do for a team both mentally and physically at this late juncture in the season (including playoffs). Keep in mind the Giants had a very tough game with Minnesota last week and that was on Sunday. Now they have to play the Eagles on Saturday and they face them at Philly. The Eagles will take advantage of a Giants team playing a road game for the 4th time in 5 weeks. I know New York has amazing ATS numbers this season but that is also perhaps why they are a little over-valued here, at least in my opinion. New York has not won B2B games since mid-October! Prior to the upset win at Minnesota in the Wild Card round, the Giants had won only 3 of last 10 games! Also, their 6 losses in this stretch came by an average margin of nearly a dozen points per game! The Eagles led their regular season finale game 19-0 before Giants crawled back into it. Yes that game deserves an asterisk since NY played back-ups but what about the prior meeting? The Eagles won 48-22 and that game was at New York and Philly will have a much more robust game plan here than they did in the match-up two weeks ago. Hurts is now in better health and, of course, this game matters a whole lot more. Eagles pull away as this game goes on and they will not let the Giants back into this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA -7 or -7.5

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Texas Longhorns +1.5 @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 6 ET - Great set-up here. The Longhorns are off a loss by 11 points but they led the game at half and the difference in the game was UT was horrible from 3-point land and outscored by 15 points from there by Iowa State. After the road loss to the Cyclones, look for the Horns to bounce back big here. They have responded well under interim head coach Rodney Terry and UT did win at West Virginia last season too. The Mountaineers are not what they use to be and are scuffling a bit this season. A big key to the value here is West Virginia is off a big home win over a ranked TCU team. Lets not forget that this victory followed 5 straight Big 12 losses for the Mountaineers and the win has the Longhorns attention so they will come in and take care of business here. 10* TEXAS +1.5

NFL Saturday 10* Top Play Kansas City Chiefs -8.5 or -9 vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ 4:30 ET - Not going to write a ton here. The Jaguars rallied from a 27 point deficit against some of the worst coaching in NFL history by the Chargers last week. The week before that Jacksonville beat a Titans team that was down to #3 choice at QB but also were outgained by more than 100 yards in that one. To put it mildly, the Jags are very fortunate to be here. Now they take on a rested Chiefs team that is one of the best in the NFL plus is at home. Also, KC beat Jacksonville by 10 points when these teams met two weeks ago but it could have been much more. Imagine how much KC would have won the game by were it not for a 3-0 turnover deficit! The Jaguars luck runs out here and the Chiefs hammer them by a double digit margin. 10* KANSAS CITY -8.5 or -9

CBB Saturday 10* Top Play Illinois-Chicago Flames +5 vs Northern Iowa Panthers @ 2 ET - As long-time followers know, I follow UIC closely and we have had good success in their games though we came up short earlier this week. I really like the Flames in this spot. Illinois-Chicago is tough at home and they catch UNI off a tight 2-point win over the Redbirds. That was at home and now the Panthers are on the road where they lost most recent game and also their most recent win away from home was also by just 2 points. Value with points here with a hungry home dog. The Flames have won 3 of last 5 home games but the last two were very tight losses including one in OT. That said, it is worth noting the two teams that UIC lost to at home so closely are each now 14-6 on the season while Panthers are barely a .500 team on the season. Value here. 10* ILLINOIS-CHICAGO +5

NCAAB Friday 10* Top Play Kent State Golden Flashes -9 vs Ball State Cardinals @ 6:30 ET - At first glance this line might seem too high on Kent State. Key words...first glance. The factors at play here are that when the Golden Flashes come to a game in which their opponent has their full attention, they have been fantastic this season. Overall, Kent State is 15-3 on the season and arguably it is two of the losses that are their most impressive performances of the season. They played at Gonzaga and let the game late before the Bulldogs closed the game on an 11-0 run. The Golden Flashes also played at Houston and led the game late before the Cougars closed the game on a 6-0 run.  Houston is the #1 team in the country and Gonzaga is ranked #6 now and BOTH those games were road games for Kent State. These guys can play! This Golden Flashes team has the right mix to win the MAC this season and they are already 5-0 in conference play. One of the possible threats, at least based on early performance, is Ball State as the Cardinals sit just behind them in the standings at 4-1. That said, the Cards have the full attention of the Golden Flashes. Unlike Houston and Gonzaga, Ball State is no powerhouse and this is not a road game for the Flashes either. The result? I am forecasting a huge double digit margin home blowout here. 10* KENT STATE -9

NBA Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia 76ers -2 @ Portland Trail Blazers @ 10:10 ET - Portland was once 10-4 on the season. They have since gone 11-19 in their last 30 games! Philadelphia was once 12-12 on the season. They have since gone 16-4 in their last 20 games. The 76ers have won 5 straight road games. The Sixers are healthy and full of confidence right now. The Trail Blazers have lost 4 straight games against Eastern Conference opponents. Portland did win their last two home games big but they caught the Mavericks in a unique scheduling situation and took advantage. That is not the case here and the better team rolls to a solid road win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA -2

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals +125 vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7 ET - The Flyers bounced back big Tuesday with 5-2 win over Anaheim after an embarrassing road loss at Boston. The Bruins are one of the top teams in the league this season and if you look at Philly's only recent losses, they are all to stronger teams in the league like Boston, Carolina, Toronto. Now Philadelphia is back home and hosting a Blackhawks team that is one of the worst teams in the league this season. As you can see from the large money line on this game, the Flyers are expected to win and I fully concur with that assessment. The key to the value here is on the puck line. Philly has won 8 of 10 games and each of their last 7 wins (and 11 of their last 13 victories) have come by a margin of 2 or more goals! Hart and Ersson have both been playing quite well in goal. The Blackhawks have been playing better but that was at home. This team has been awful on the road with just 3 wins in 16 away games this season. Chicago's last 14 losses have all been 2 or more goals! You can see why I am liking the Flyers to win by at least 2 goals here given the above. 10* PHILADELPHIA -1.5 goals +125

CBB Thursday 10* Top Play Maryland Terrapins -2 vs Michigan Wolverines @ 7 ET - The Terrapins are out for big time revenge here. You can not just always play revenge as it certainly is never an automatic. But certain situations, like this one, certainly command attention. The Terps did not just lose at Ann Arbor at the turn of the new year, they were absolutely destroyed by Michigan. However, the game was a bit of a statistical anomaly because the Terrapins actually had a dozen more shots from the field than the Wolverines did in that game yet they lost by 35 points! The Wolverines simply could not miss while the Terps simply could not hit! Overall, Michigan has won some games this season simply on the strength of shooting. Perfect example of that was against Northwestern in most recent game. But now, on the road and facing an angry Terrapins team that you know is going to want to "D up" in this game, the points will be much tougher to come by for Michigan. Also, Maryland has played well at home this season and they are the better defensive team. When you look at the standings in the Big Ten, the Terps are down near the bottom and the Wolverines are up near the top. Don't be fooled, the Terrapins are favored here for a reason and they fully realize the importance of this game and will take advantage of home court and a relentless effort on the floor as they are hell-bent on getting payback here. 10* MARYLAND -2