This is a Free #NBA play on MIN@CLE to go OVER the total.

The Cavs are the top team in the Eastern Conference, and under David Blatt they had one of the NBA’s best defenses. Blatt was 83-40 overall during his tenure in Cleveland, and still he was given his marching orders. LeBron denies having anything to do with the decision, but a source close to Cavs has said: “Ty wanted the job from the beginning, and LeBron wanted him to have it,’’ “There was a division within the players, but J.R. [Smith], [Iman] Shumpert, even [Kevin] Love sided with LeBron. Kyrie [Irving] was supportive of Dave, but there were a group the last two weeks trying to get him fired.’’

Cleveland’s first game in the Tyronn Lue era was nothing short of a disaster, losing by double digits at home to the Bulls. After the game Lue questioned his team’s conditioning: “I think we have to play faster,” Lue told the team’s official website. “I think we have to utilize Kyrie and LeBron’s one-on-one ability in transition to open the floor more and run in more drags. We just haven’t been accustomed to playing that way …”

They shouldn’t have any trouble picking up the pace against Minnesota, a team that is among the league’s worst defensively. The Wolves have allowed over 100 points in six of their last seven overall. These teams have scored plenty of points in recent meetings, with three of the last four going over the total. Only one of those games was played in Cleveland, and the Cavs that contest by a score of 125-104. They scored an average of 113 points in those games. The over is 6-1-1 in Timberwolves last 8 road games.

Take OVER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards have won five of their last seven, but they did lose at home to Boston just last weekend. That game went right down to the wire, with Boston winning 119-117. I like the Wizards at home in the rematch tonight. Bradley Beal didn't play in the last game, but he's played the last two games, scoring 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting. The Wizards could benefit from a four day layoff, as they could get back Otto Porter and Drew Gooden. Washington has been plagued by injuries all year long, and I think this team could go on a run now that it's getting healthy again. We see a short line for the home team in tonight's game, and I think the Wizards should be a bigger favorite.

Take WAS.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Duke Blue Devils. 

We don't often see Duke as an underdog, but after sufferring three straight losses in conference play, the Blue Devils stock is low. All three of those losses came in close games against hot teams, and they turned things around with a double digit win on the road at N.C. State in their last game. Miami has an impressive record, but there's no denying that the Hurricanes have had a much softer schedule. Home court hasn't been much of an advantage in recent meetings between these two schools, as the home team is 1-8-1 ATS in the last 10. The Canes upset Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season, which sets up a nice revenge play here in Miami.

Take DUKE.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Washington #Huskies.

 

The Huskies have been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball this season, sitting at the top of the PAC12 with a 5-1 conference record. They haven't exactly had a soft schedule either, knocking off the likes of Colorado, USC and UCLA. They host Utah tonight, and the Utes have a history of struggling on the road. They've suffered losses at Stanford and California already this season. 

Washington has won four of it's last five home meetings with Utah, and the Huskies are 7-1 ATS in their last eight versus the PAC12. Rebounding isn't a strong point for Utah, and the Utes only managed 23 rebounds in a 77-68 loss at Washington in the last meeting. The Huskies have been dominating on the boards, averaging over 40 rebounds per game at home. The Utes have become a little overrated and they've failed to cover in eight of their last 11 games against conference rivals. 

Take WASH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Syracuse Orange. 

The Virginia Cavaliers have failed to impress so far, with a 3-3 record in conference play. They've lost three of their last five overall, and both wins during that span were in games decided by single digits. Still they are asked to win by double digits at home to Syracuse, a team that's coming off big road wins over Wake Forest and Duke. The Orange got off to a slow start, but that's understandable as they were missing head coach Jim Boeheim. Since his return they have turned things around winning three of four, but they can't afford to too many more losses if they want to keep post-season aspirations alive. The Orange have really turned up the heat on defense, allowing just 63 points per game over their last five. That's slightly less than Virginia has surrendered during the same span. "Our rebounding has been better and our defense has been better and those are two things you have to do, especially defense," said Boeheim. 

Take SYR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Providence Friars. 

The #16 ranked Providence Friars will be a big underdog at Villanova on Sunday, getting a double digit cushion. Providence hasn't had any trouble winning on the road, with a 4-0 record this year. Dating back to last season, they've covered the spread in eight straight on the road. They also have a history of playing close games against division rivals Villanova, as three of their last four versus the Wildcats have been decided by six points or less. The last meeting was a 63-61 home win for the Wildcats, who failed to cover as an 8.5 point favorite. Villanova is 7-0 in the Big East, and 10-0 at home. The Wildcats have been tested though, wins over Georgetown, Butler and Seton Hall all coming by a single digit margin. Providence has covered the spread in seven of the last 10 in this series, and the road team is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 meetings. 

Take PROV. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Temple Owls. 

Temple has won six of it's last eight overall, and during that span the Owls upset Cincinnati twice (once on the road). They host the SMU Mustangs in an early game Sunday, and SMU is asked to cover a bunch of points on the road. While Larry Brown's team is still undefeated, they may be vulnerable to an upset here. They did win at Temple last January, but only by five points (60-55). The Owls won 71-64 at home in 2014, and they were an eight point underdog in that game. Temple doesn't have the offensive firepower to match the Mustangs, but the Owls can play defense. In fact they've held the opposition to just 58.8 points on 36.7 percent shooting over their last five games. One of those was an impressive 55-53 win at Connecticut. The home team has covered the spread in four of the last five in this series, and that trend should continue on Sunday. 

Take TEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NBA play on the Chicago #Bulls.

The Cavs are sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference, but that hasn't stopped them from firing head coach David Blatt. They have named Tyronn Lue as the interim coach, and he'll take over when the Cavs host Chicago as a double digit favorite on Saturday. 

The news has sent shockwaves throughout the league, and not everyone is happy to hear it: "I'm embarrassed for our league that something like this can happen like this," Rick Carlisle said. "It's just bizarre. ... It just leaves you with a bit of an empty feeling, because Blatt's a great guy, and he did a great job there."

Ironically, the writing was on the wall since last year's playoffs, and perhaps Blatt's lowest point came in a win in Game 4 of the East Semifinals versus the Bulls. LeBron hit the game winner at the buzzer, and then later told the media that he completely ignored Blatt's designed play for the final possession: "I was supposed to take the ball out," James said. "I told Coach there was no way I'm taking the ball out unless I could shoot it over the backboard and go in. So I told him, 'Have somebody else take the ball out.' The play that was drawn up, I scratched it. I just told Coach, 'Just give me the ball. We're either going to go into overtime or I'm going to win it for us.'"

There's no doubt who calls the shots in Cleveland, and it isn't Tyronn Lue. Under David Blatt the Cavs showed plenty of discipline, with the best scoring defense in the Eastern Conference. We could see a change of philosophy under Lue, with more emphasis on the offense. 

The Cavs offense was well below average in 2015, but they've been one of the league's highest scoring teams since January 1st. It's no coincidence that Kyrie Irving returned on January 2nd. 

The Bulls have covered the spread in nine of their last 12 visits to Cleveland, and not one of those games saw a line as big as we see tonight. 

Take CHI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CHI@CLE to go OVER the total. 

The Cavs are sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference, but seemingly out of nowhere they've fired head coach David Blatt. They have named Tyronn Lue as the interim coach, and he'll take over when the Cavs host Chicago as a double digit favorite on Saturday. 

The news has sent shockwaves throughout the league, and not everyone is happy to hear it: "I'm embarrassed for our league that something like this can happen like this," Rick Carlisle said. "It's just bizarre. ... It just leaves you with a bit of an empty feeling, because Blatt's a great guy, and he did a great job there."

Ironically, the writing was on the wall since last year's playoffs, and perhaps Blatt's lowest point came in a win over the Bulls in Game 4 of the East Semifinals versus the Bulls. LeBron hit the game winner at the buzzer, and then later told the media that he completely ignored Blatt's designed play for the final possession: "I was supposed to take the ball out," James said. "I told Coach there was no way I'm taking the ball out unless I could shoot it over the backboard and go in. So I told him, 'Have somebody else take the ball out.' The play that was drawn up, I scratched it. I just told Coach, 'Just give me the ball. We're either going to go into overtime or I'm going to win it for us.'"

There's no doubt who calls the shots in Cleveland, and it isn't Tyronn Lue. Under David Blatt the Cavs showed plenty of discipline, with the best scoring defense in the Eastern Conference. We could see a change of philosophy under Lue, with more emphasis on the offense. 

The Cavs offense was well below average in 2015, but they've been one of the league's highest scoring teams since January 1st. It's no coincidence that Kyrie Irving returned on January 2nd. 

The Bulls have gone over in each of their last six road games, and I expect to see plenty of scoring in Cleveland tonight. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arizona Wildcats.

The Golden Bears are struggling, coming into tonight's home game versus Arizona as losers of three of their last four. They are coming off a rather uninspiring 75-70 home win over the Sun Devils, who are sitting in the cellar in the PAC12. They haven't had much success against Arizona in recent seasons, losing four straight and failing to cover in all four of those losses. It won't be easy tonight, as they are missing senior guard Tyrone Wallace, who will miss the next six weeks with a broken hand. Wallace leads the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game, and assists (4.6). Arizona has won three straight, but they absolutely demolished Washington and Washington State at home, and then won by double digits at Stanford in their last game. The Wildcats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games, and 20-7 ATS in their last 27 versus PAC12 teams. It looks like the Wildcats are catching Cal in a tough spot without it's best player.

Take ARZ.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Vanderbilt Commodores. 

Kentucky has looked vulnerable lately, losing on the road at Auburn and LSU, and barely beating Mississippi State at home. The Wildcats may have their hands full at home this Saturday, hosting a Vanderbilt team that has won three straight. The Commodores crushed the Vols in Tennessee on Thursday by a score of 88-74. They hit 13 three-pointers, and out-rebounded Tennessee 50-43. The Vols have lost four of five overall on the road, but they've played some close games. They've actually covered the spread in nine of their last 13 road games. They've also been a great bet against Kentucky, as the Wildcats have failed to cover in seven straight against Vanderbilt. The Commodores will have a huge size advantage with a pair of seven footers, and junior forward Luke Kornet who has been a force during this three game winning streak. Kornet has scored 29 points, 31 rebounds with a whopping 16 blocks over the last three games. 

Take VAN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Northern Illinois Huskies. 

The Huskies won at Toledo by a score of 71-66 just over a week ago, and tonight they host the same Rocket team. Northern Illinois is still undefeated at home, with a 12-0 record. For some reason the bookmakers aren't impressed by that, as the home team isn't even the favorite tonight. The Huskies have the better record within the conference, as well as the better overall record. They enjoy a size advantage, and should have little trouble out-rebounding Toledo. The Huskies have won three of their last four versus Toledo, and they are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games. The Rockets scored just 66 points on 40.8 percent shooting, and were 5-of-18 from beyond the arc at home versus NIU, and they might be hard pressed to improve on those numbers here on the road. 

Take NIU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 7* play on the St. Mary's Gaels. 

The Gaels are tied at the top of the WCC with Gonzaga, as each team has a 6-1 record. The Gaels though have the better overall record, and have looked far more impressive than the Bulldogs. St. Mary's leads the nation in field goal percentage (.534), and it's tied for second nationally hitting 44.7 percent from beyond the arc. Their 13-0 home record is even more impressive when you consider that all of those wins came by a double-digit margin. Gonzaga has dominated the WCC over the years, and with a 14-4 record you might think not much has changed. The reality is that this Bulldogs team is a complete mess, nowhere near as good as it was in recent seasons. Their backcourt has really been in disarray after losing Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr, and they've been quite fortunate to avoid losing more games. They needed to mount a furious second half comeback to force overtime in their win at San Francisco, and they beat cellar dwellars Santa Clara by just two points. The Bulldogs are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 road games.

Take SMC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a Free #NBA play on the New Orleans #Pelicans.

 The Pelicans have won three of their last four overall, and two of those three victories came at home. They host the Detroit Pistons tonight, and the Pistons are coming off a 123-114 win over the Rockets in Houston last night. Detroit isn't a great road team (9-12), and this game on back to back nights could be a bit of a let down spot. The Pelicans are hot, shooting 43.1 percent over their last four games, and they hit 10-of-23 three point attempts in a win over Minnesota on Tuesday. Anthony Davis scored 35 points in that game, and it's no coincidence that the Pelicans have been winning since his return from injury. 

New Orleans has dominated this series in recent seasons, winning six straight meetings, three of those at home. While the Pistons came away with a win in last night's game in Houston, the Rockets did expose a major weakness. Andre Drummond broke an NBA record, with 23 misses from the free throw line. Detroit has failed to cover in five of it's last seven when playing on back to back nights, and are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games at New Orleans. 

Take N.O. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 7* play on the Towson Tigers. 

The College of Charleston is in rough shape since losing it's leading scorer. They've lost four of their last five, and that's not entirely surprising when you consider that Canyon Barry was averaging almost 20 points per game. Barry will miss the rest of the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The Cougars have lost four straight to Towson, and the Tigers are 8-1 at home so far. The Cougars are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 road games, while the Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last four versus Charleston. Towson has owned the boards at home, with over 39 rebounds per game. They should clean up on the glass tonight, as Charleston has averaged just 30 rebounds per game on the road. The Cougars numbers are way down since the injury to Barry, and I don't think they'll be able to overcome his absence here on the road tonight. 

Take Towson. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NBA play on the Portland #Trailblazers.

 The Blazers are back home after winning two of three on the road, and they will be an underdog to the visiting Hawks. Atlanta is coming off consecutive home wins, but it's lost it's last two road games at Milwaukee and Charlotte. The Hawks have a .500 record on the road, and they've lost four of their last away from Atlanta. They've failed to cover in seven of their last eight versus Northwest Division opponents. 

Portland shot a season high 54.8 percent from beyond the arc in a 108-98 win at Washington on Monday, and C.J. McCollum was 6-of-10 with three pointers in the victory. Only the Golden State Warriors are averaging more made three-pointers per game (11.7) than the Blazers (11.1). I don't like Atlanta's chances playing on the road out West against a hot Portland team. 

Take POR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Houston Rockets. 

The Rockets are coming off an overtime loss to the Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday, but they won six of seven prior to that. They host the Pistons tonight, and Detroit has lost three of it's last four. The Pistons haven't had a lot of success in previous trips to Houston, losing five straight and failing to cover in five of their last six. They've also struggled on the road, failing to cover in four of their last five, and they are just 8-12 overall on the road. This is also a revenge spot for the Rockets, who lost 116-105 at Detroit earlier in the season. Dwight Howard was manhandled by Andre Dummond in that game, but Howard is now on top form, coming into tonight's game looking for an 11th straight double-double. He's averaging over 20 points and almost 15 rebounds over his last 10 games. The Rockets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games versus a team with a losing road record.

Take HOU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 7* play on the Toronto Raptors. 

The Raptors have won five straight heading into tonight's home game against the Celtics. Boston has struggled, losing four of it's last five on the road. They've also lost five of their last seven against Toronto. The Celtics are catching Toronto at a bad time, with stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry both on a roll. The dynamic duo each scored 30+ points in the win over Brooklyn on Monday. DeRozan totaled 30 on 12-of-25 shooting, while Lowry scored 31, hitting 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. They should get their fair share of points tonight, as Boston has surrendered over 100 points in six of it's last seven overall. The Raptors boast a top 5 defense, holding opponents to just 96.9 points per game, and they are 8-2 in their last 10 home games. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington Wizards. 

The Wizards are coming off a couple of tough losses to Boston and Portland, but they might be catching a break tonight hosting a banged up Miami team. The Heat have lost five of their last six, and they have several starters battling injury. Goran Dragic has missed the last four games with a calf injury, and he's not expected back any time soon. Birdman Anderson, Josh McRoberts and Beno Udrih are also expected to be unavailable for tonight's game. The Wizards have battled injury all year long, but have turned things around lately. Bradley Beal has played in three of Washington's last four games, and two of those were wins. The Heat have only managed to score an average of 87.8 points per game over their last six, and this looks like a tough spot to break out of a slump. 

Take WAS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 10* play on the Xavier Musketeers. 

The Georgetown Hoyas are coming off a home loss to Villanova, and they'll have their work cut out for them on the road at Xavier tonight. The Musketeers are 16-1 overall, and 9-0 at home. They've won their last four games by an average margin of 16 points, and two of those wins came on the road. They've covered the spread in 11 of their last 13 overall, and four of their last five versus the Hoyas. They've been historically great at home, going 41-18 ATS in their last 59 home games. The Musketeers scored 36 points on 12 made three pointers in their last home game, and also shot 80 percent from the free throw line in an 84-64 win over DePaul. The Hoyas will be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to rebounding and perimeter shooting, and I think it's going to be tough to overcome for the visitors. 

Take Xavier. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Panthers. 

Pittsburgh bounced back from a tough loss at Louisville by crushing Boston College 84-61 on Saturday, and they are just a single digit favorite at home to N.C. State tonight. The Wolfpack have lost five straight, and they haven't showed me anything that suggests that they can be competitive on the road against a team like Pitt. N.C. State has lost three straight on the road, while Pittsburgh is 12-1 at home. The Panthers have scored plenty of points at home, averaging 83.7 points on 49.7 percent shooting. They are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country, hitting just under 80 percent from the charity stripe. They've 10 straight at home, and eight of those wins came by a double digit margin. 

Take PITT. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Northern Illinois Huskies. 

The Huskies had won seven straight until losing at Western Michigan on Saturday, but I like their chances of getting back on track at home tonight. They will put their 11-0 home record to the test, hosting Central Michigan. The Chippewas have lost four of five on the road, and they are coming off a 74-61 loss to a pretty average Bulls team in Buffalo. The Huskiesare 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games, while Central Michigan is just 2-5-1 ATS in it's last 8 road games. The Chippewas lost their last visit to Northern Illinois by a score of 73-55, and they shot just 17-of-54 (31.5%) from the field in that game. The Huskies are 24-8-4 ATS in their last 36 versus MAC rivals. 

Take NIU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Clemson Tigers. 

It's getting harder and harder to overlook the Clemson Tigers, as they come into Virginia as winners of five straight. Now it's not just the fact that they've won a few games, it's the teams that they've been beating. They've upset Duke, Louisville and Miami at home, and they won on the road at Syracuse. Now there's no doubt that a road game at Virginia could spell trouble for the Tigers, but I still don't see how a Cavs team that has lost three of it's last four should be asked to cover a double-digit spread. The Cavs aren't a great offensive team at the best of times, and they've scored an average of 67.4 points over their last five games. Clemson's offense has been firing on all cylinders, and junior F Jaron Blossomgame is coming off a season high 25 points versus Miami. I like the Tigers to keep it close here in Virginia. 

Take CLEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on GS@CLE to go UNDER the total. 

The Cavs came up just short in an 89-83 loss at Golden State on Christmas Day, and I bet the under in that game. Here is what I said before tip off: 

"The Warriors look unstoppable, coming into this Christmas Day game against Cleveland with a 27-1 record. They lead the NBA in scoring, averaging over 115 points per game. Of course this is a rematch of last year's NBA Finals, and we saw some close hard fought games in that series, with four of the six games falling short of the total. Even the two games that did go over, didn't see enough points to reach the inflated total we see in this game, even with overtime in Games 1 and 2. 

As good as the Warriors look on offense, Cleveland has been locking it down on defense. The Cavs rank third in the NBA allowing opponents to average just 95.2 points per game. They've won six straight, and have surrendered just 87 points per game during that span. They've gone under in seven of their last 10, and only one of those games saw enough points to go over this game's total"

Cleveland is coming off a 91-77 win at Houston on Friday, and it lost by a score of 99-95 at San Antonio on Thursday. The Cavs have failed to reach the total in six of their last eight versus Western Conference teams, and the number in tonight's game looks a little inflated. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

Iowa has won 10 of it's last 11 overall, and that one loss came on the road at rivals Iowa State in a game that they led 49-35 at halftime. They host Michigan Sunday, and the Wolverines are coming off a home win over #3 ranked Maryland. The Wolverines didn't exactly catch Maryland at their best, as Melo Trimble scored just two points on 1-of-7 shooting. They appear to be primed for a let down here in Iowa, against a team that has averaged 85.9 points on 46.9 percent shooting while winning all eight of it's home games. The Hawkeyes swept the series last year, winning both games by a double digit margin. The Hawkeyes are 8-2-1 in their last 11 versus conference rivals, and Michigan is shorthanded without it's best player Caris LaVert. The Wolverines got crushed in an 87-70 loss to Purdue in their last road game, The Boilermakers owned the boards in that game, out-rebounding Michigan 36-28. They are likely to struggle on the boards here in Iowa as well, the Hawkeyes average 38 rebounds per game at home. 

Take IOWA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 7* play on the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Grizzlies have won three of four during this current home stand, and they host the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The Knicks are all banged up, with Carmelo Anthony missing the last game with an injury, and he and Kristaps Porzingis are each listed as questionable for tonight's game. This looks like a tough spot for the Knicks, as they have lost four straight at Memphis. The Grizz are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games, and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. Eastern Conference. Memphis has really turned up the heat defensively, now ranking 6th overall with an opponent's scoring average of 98.8 points per game. Mario Chalmers scored 25 points, including the game winner in the Grizzlie's 103-101 win over the Pistons on Thursday. I like Memphis as a slight favorite at home here. 

Take MEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

The Texas Longhorns had lost three of four overall before beating Iowa State in overtime, and one of those defeats came at home to Connecticut by a score of 71-66. Their leading scorer and rebounder Cameron Ridley didn't play in any of those games, and he remains sidelined with a foot injury. Texas is a big favorite here on Saturday against Oklahoma State, and I am not convinced that the Longhorns can cover such a number. Their win over the Cyclones was only their second in the last five games, and each of their last three wins have come by three points or less. The Cowboys have been a good bet in previous meetings, going  6-1-1 ATS in the last 8 versus Texas. The Longhorns are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Take OKST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Providence Friars. 

The Friars will host Big East rivals Seton Hall on Saturday, and they've won four straight in this series. The Pirates have lost back to back games to Creighton and Villanova, and they are just are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 versus the Big East. Providence has covered the spread in five of it's last six versus Conference rivals. Providence won the last meeting by a score of 79-66 at Seton Hall last March. The Friars scored 29 points at the charity stripe in that game, and they are averaging 71.2 percent from the free throw line this season. The Pirates are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 vs. Big East, while the Friars are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 versus conference rivals. 

Take PROV. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Duke Blue Devils. 

Duke is coming off a sub-par performance on the road at Clemson, losing by a score of 68-63. The Blue Devils had won five straight prior that, and they are still undefeated at home. Few teams can say that they've had any success at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils are 58-1 in Durham since Nov. 9, 2012, and one of those wins was a 90-60 blowout against the Irish last year. The Blue Devils have covered the spread in seven of their last nine versus conference rivals, and they are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 home games. They've averaged 93.5 points on 50 percent shooting while going 10-0 at home, but perhaps their biggest advantage over the Irish is on the boards. They are averaging almost 40 rebounds per game, while the Irish are averaging less than 30.

Take DUKE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10 play on CLE@HOU to go OVER the total. 

 This looks like a let down spot for the Cavs, who saw their eight game winning streak snapped last night in San Antonio. Last night's game was a low scoring affair, but I don't expect to see Cleveland play with the same defensive intensity here in their second game of a back to back, against a Houston team that likes to run. Since the return of Kyrie Irving, the Cavs have been scoring a ton of points. During their eight game win streak, they averaged 109 points per game. They should get their fair share of points tonight, as Houston is one of the league's worst defensive teams. Previous meetings between the two teams have trended over, with six of the last nine meetings exceeding the total. The Rockets have also gone over in each of their last five home games.  Take OVER.  GL,  Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Iona Gaels.  The Monmouth Hawks have made headlines early in the season, knocking off some of the country's top teams. They haven't been very consistent though, losing a few games that they were expected to win. They appear to be overrated here on the road against the MAAC Conference leading Gaels. Iona is 7-0 at home, and it's won five straight overall. The Gaels had struggled when leading scorer A.J. English was sidelined by an injury, but he's scored 48 points in his last two games. These teams have faced each other five times over the last two seasons, with Iona winning four of five and all three homes games.  Take IONA.  GL,  Jesse Schule 

This is a 8* play on the San Francisco Dons. 

The Dons are coming off a 102-92 loss at BYU on Saturday, and they are just 3-3 against WCC teams. Those three losses though came against the big boys of the WCC (St. Mary's, Gonzaga and BYU). Only one of those losses came at home, falling 102-94 to Gonzaga in overtime. They are back at home tonight, taking on the Loyola Marymount Lions. The Lions have lost four straight, and they have failed to cover in eight of their last nine versus conference rivals. The visitors may not have the firepower to keep up with the Dons offensively, San Francisco has averaged over 90 points on 48.9 percent shooting over it's last five games. During that same span the Lions have averaged 58.6 points on 37.4 percent shooting. The Dons won the last meeting by a score of 72-45, and they out-rebounded the Lions 41-27 in that game. I expect them to own the boards again tonight, and they should cruise to an easy victory against an inferior opponent. 

Take SF. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Utah Jazz. 

The Jazz are coming off another road loss at Portland last night, falling to just 6-13 away from home. They are back in Utah tonight though, hosting the struggling Sacramento Kings. The Kings are coming off back to back home losses to Golden State and New Orleans, and they are just 5-12 on the road. They've lost three straight visits to Salt Lake City, and they've failed to score 100 points in all three of those games. Don't expect them to score 100 points while playing their second game in as many nights here against a Jazz team that ranks 5th in the league in points allowed. They should be even better defensively with Rudy Gobert back in the lineup. He's made an immediate impact, with 10 blocks in his last three games. The Jazz have won four straight at home, and they've gone under in four of their last five in Utah. The Jazz have failed to reach the total in 22 of their last 30 home games versus teams with a losing record. They should be able to shut down the Kings tonight.  Take UTAH.  GL,  Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on SAC@UTAH to go UNDER the total. 

The Jazz are coming off another road loss at Portland last night, falling to just 6-13 away from home. They are back in Utah tonight though, hosting the struggling Sacramento Kings. The Kings are coming off back to back home losses to Golden State and New Orleans, and they are just 5-12 on the road. They've lost three straight visits to Salt Lake City, and they've failed to score 100 points in all three of those games. Don't expect them to score 100 points while playing their second game in as many nights here against a Jazz team that ranks 5th in the league in points allowed. They should be even better defensively with Rudy Gobert back in the lineup. He's made an immediate impact, with 10 blocks in his last three games. The Jazz have won four straight at home, and they've gone under in four of their last five in Utah. The Jazz have failed to reach the total in 22 of their last 30 home games versus teams with a losing record. They should be able to shut down the Kings tonight.  Take UNDER.  GL,  Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the Pittsburgh Panthers.

The Louisville Cardinals are coming off a loss to Clemson on Sunday, and yet they are still asked to cover an enormous spread at home tonight against a Pittsburgh team that has won 10 straight. I bet against Louisville in their loss to Clemson, and here is what I said prior to tip off: 

"The Louisville Cardinals will be a big favorite on the road at Clemson Sunday, and I think this young Louisville team is overrated. They come in ranked #16 in the polls with a record of 13-2, but they've lost two of their three road games, and they are 0-2 versus Top 25 teams."

They have now failed to cover in four straight (I bet against them in all four games), and one of those was a home win over Wake Forest by single digits. Pittsburgh has scored an average of 83.6 points on 48.9 percent shooting over their last five games. During that same span the Cardinal have scored just 75.5 points on 45.5 percent shooting. Perhaps the biggest edge for the visitors is that they rank first nationally, shooting 80.1 percent from the free throw line. Louisville is hitting a rather pedestrian 68 percent from the charity stripe. 

Take PIT. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@SAS to go UNDER the total. 

The San Antonio Spurs are the league's top defensive team, with an opponent's scoring average of just 89.7 points per game. They will host the league's second best defensive team tonight, and Cleveland is coming in riding an eight game winning streak. You can bet both these teams are going to bring their A-game tonight, and I expect to see a gritty game with both teams playing tough defense. 

The last time we saw Cleveland play such a high profile game was on Christmas Day, when they lost at Golden State by a score of 89-83. I bet the under in that game, for my NBA Total of the Year. I expect to see a similar pace here in a game that should have a "playoff" atmosphere. 

The Cavs have gone under in eight of their last 11 road games, and they've failed to reach the total in six of their last seven versus teams with a winning record. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Portland Trailblazers. 

The Blazers beat Oklahoma City by a score of 115-110 on Sunday, and they are now 9-9 at home. They host Utah tonight, and the Jazz have really struggled on the road. The Jazz have lost four of their last five on the road, with the only win during that span coming against the Lakers at the Staples Center on Sunday. Derrick Favors has missed the last 10 games, and his status is questionable for tonight's game. Alec Burks and Dante Exum will not be available, and Rudy Gobert is still working his way back into the lineup playing limited minutes in his first two games back. "We've been going through adversity. But this group, we never quit. We're just going to keep fighting," Gobert said. "The good thing (about) the coaches is that they don't give up on us." The Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games, while the Trail Blazers are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 home games versus a team with a losing road record.

Take POR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the N.C. State Wolfpack. 

The Florida State Seminoles have kicked off conference play with three straight losses, all of the "blowout" variety. They are on the road at N.C. State tonight, and the Wolfpack are also looking for their first win against a conference opponent. While both teams have lost three straight, the Wolfpack have a lot more to hang their hat on. They've played relatively well, losing by five points at Virginia Tech, and by just three points at Wake Forest. Their lone home game during that span was against #16 ranked Louisville, and they pushed the Cardinals to the brink, but lost 77-72. They have been a good bet in recent meetings with Florida State, winning three of the last four outright, and covering the spread in all three of those victories. Last year they won by a score of 72-63 at Tallahassee, and leading scorer Anthony Barber didn't even play in that game. That didn't stop them from cleaning up on the boards, and limiting FSU to 19-of-51 (31.7%) from the field. I expect the home team to take care of business here against a team that they've owned in previous seasons. 

Take NCST 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Atlanta Hawks. 

The Charlotte Hornets have been one of the league's worst teams in 2016, and they come into tonight's home game versus Atlanta still in search of their first win. They've dropped seven straight, and five of those losses have come by double-digits. They've hit a rough patch in the schedule, playing six games in 10 days, including a grueling four game road trip out West. The first home game after a trip like this has been a trouble spot in the past, as they are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days. The Hawks present a particularly tough match-up, especially Al Horford, who could dominate in the paint in the absence of Al Jefferson. The Hawks are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine trips to Charlotte, and they are coming in off back to back blowout wins, scoring 120+ points in both those games. 

Take ATL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Duke Blue Devils. 

The Clemson Tigers are flying high, but I think they're about to get their wings clipped here at home versus Duke. I bet on Clemson as a nine point dog at home when they played Louisville on Sunday, and here is what I said prior to tip off: 

"I think this young Louisville team is overrated. They come in ranked #16 in the polls with a record of 13-2, but they've lost two of their three road games, and they are 0-2 versus Top 25 teams. Clemson isn't a great team, but the Tigers are 7-2 at home, and they've played their best ball while winning back to back games against Florida State and Syracuse."

Now they are playing a much stronger Duke team, and they are getting fewer points. This is also a let down spot for the Tigers, who might be feeling a bit too good about himself coming off such a big upset. Duke is coming off five straight wins, scoring an average of 92.4 points on 51 percent shooting. The Blue Devils have shot 53 percent while winning both their road games so far this season, and they are 7-1 ATS in their last eight versus conference opponents. 

Take DUKE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. 

The Rhode Island Rams are coming off a 72-67 loss at St. Josephs on Sunday, and they've now lost three of four on the road. Tonight's game won't be easy, visiting a hot St. Bonaventure team that is 7-1 at home. The Bonnies have won four straight, and their last home game was a 97-85 win over Davidson. They've now covered the spread in eight straight against conference rivals, and still they aren't asked to cover any points here at home tonight. Rhode Island has failed to cover the spread in eight of it's last nine meetings with the Bonnies, and the Rams are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 road games. 

Take SBON. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule.

This is a 10* play on the Iowa State Hawkeyes. 

The Texas Longhorns have lost three of their last four overall, and one of those defeats came at home to Connecticut by a score of 71-66. Their leading scorer and rebounder Cameron Ridley didn't play in any of those games, and he remains sidelined with a foot injury. I think he will be sorely missed here against the Cyclones, who have looked very solid on the road. Iowa State won outright at Cincinnati, and lost a close game 87-83 at Oklahoma. Texas got killed on the boards in a loss to TCU on Saturday, and it shot just 37.1 percent from the field, and 14 percent from three point range. "I think offensively, we've got to continue to get better at playing faster," coach Shaka Smart said , "getting out in transition to get some easier baskets, because right now we're struggling to shoot the ball from outside in the half court." The Cyclones have averaged 82 points on 47 percent shooting on the road so far. 

Take ISU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Grizzlies will host the Rockets tonight, and despite their success at home, they are just a small favorite. Only three teams in the Western Conference have a better home record than Memphis. The Rockets on the other hand have a losing record on the road, and they have lost three of their last four outside of Houston. Their last road win came against an undermanned Utah team, playing without three starters. They've lost six of their last eight versus the Grizzlies, and three of their last four at Memphis. Houston's PG Ty Lawson will be serving the final game of his three game suspension for DUI. Memphis has overcome injuries to Courtney Lee and Mike Conley, winning five of it's last seven and four straight at home. Conley is nearing a return, while Lee is expected to be in the lineup tonight. 

Take MEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CHI@MIL to go UNDER the total 

The Bulls are coming off a home loss to Washington, and they will play their second game of this back to back in Milwaukee. The Bucks are one of the worst teams in the league, but they have been pretty competitive at home, with a record of 10-7. Their last home game was a 96-95 win over Dallas, and I think we'll see another low scoring game here against the Bulls. These teams have a history of playing low scoring games, with seven of the last 10 failing to reach the total. The number here in tonight's game is higher than it was in any of those previous contests. Five of the last six meetings in Milwaukee have gone under the total. Former defensive Player of the Year returned from a nine game absence last night, and he was 0-for-7 failing to score a single point. He did pull in nine rebounds in just 19 minutes though. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NBA play on the #NYK.

The Knickerbockers are a confident team coming into tonight's home game against Boston. New York has won four of it's last five overall, and three straight at home. The same can not be said for the Celtics, who have dropped three straight, and five of their last six. They've been held to an average of less than 95 points during their losing streak, and breaking out of an offensive slump on the road isn't going to be easy in the Big Apple. The Knicks have held opponents to 95.2 points per game in their last five.

Kristaps Porzingis has been a monster in the paint. He's averaging two blocks per game, and he had a whopping five blocked shots in the win over Milwaukee on Sunday. He showed some scoring prowess in a 100-99 loss at San Antonio, totaling 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting, and he also had 11 rebounds in that game. The Knicks have covered the spread in five of their last six home games, and Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points the last time he faced the Celtics. 

Take NYK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on SA@DET to go UNDER the total. 

The Spurs are coming into Detroit as winners of eight straight, and during that time they have allowed opponents to average just 92.1 points per game. San Antonio ranks first in the NBA in points allowed, holding opponents to just 89.4 points this season. The Pistons have also locked it down defensively in recent games, holding opponents to an average of just 90.4 points over their last seven games. They've won four of their last five outright, and they are 20-5-1 ATS in their last 26 home games. This will be the second game in as many nights for San Antonio, and we all know that coach Popovich is known to rest players in such situations. The Spurs have failed to reach the total in 13 of their last 19 when playing on no rest. The total here looks a little too high all things considered. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas A&M Aggies. 

The Aggies are 13-2 overall, and 9-0 at home. They host the Florida Gators tonight, and I don't think this game will be all that close. The Aggies are coming off a win on the road at Tennessee, just a few days after the Vols crushed Florida by a score of 83-69. The Gators are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games, and they are 3-13-1 ATS in their last 17 games following a ATS win. Florida has averaged just 58.8 points per game on 37.8 points per game on the road this year. They've really struggled at the free throw line, hitting just 58.3 percent. The Aggies are averaging 86.8 points on 51.4 percent shooting while remaining unbeaten at home. They've covered the spread in five straight home games versus a team with a losing road record. 

Take TAM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Miami Heat. 

The Golden State Warriors are 17-0 at home, and they might just be the best team in the NBA. I still don't think they should be asked to cover a double digit spread at home against Miami tonight. The Heat are coming off a 98-83 loss at Utah, in a game where they might have been looking ahead. They had won five of their previous six on the road, and they actually have a history of playing well in Oakland. They've won outright in eight of their last 11 at Golden State. The Heat own the league's 2nd best defense, allowing opponents to average just 94.8 points per game. Golden State has won four straight by double digits, but three of their last five home wins have come by less than a dozen points. The Warriors have failed to cover the spread in five straight when playing on one day's rest, and they are 0-5 ATS in their last five versus Eastern Conference teams. 

Take MIA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on UTAH@LAL to go UNDER the total. 

The Utah Jazz are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, in fact prior to the injury to Rudy Gobert, they lead the league in opponent's scoring average. Rudy is back, and he had four blocked shots while playing 28 minutes last night in a 98-83 win over the Heat. The Lakers have played pretty well lately, but have still lost three straight. LA is averaging just 97.3 points per game, ranking 25th in the NBA. The last time the Jazz played at the Staples Center, they beat the Lakers 80-73. The under is 14-6 in Lakers last 20 games playing on 1 days rest. The under is 10-4 in Jazz last 14 road games versus a team with a losing home record.

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. 

Wake Forest will host ACC rivals N.C. State on Sunday, and history tells us that the home team has won seven straight in this series dating back to 2012. Both teams are still looking for their first win in conference play, but even though the Deacons have lost their last two games, I think they've looked like the better team. They were quite competitive in losses to Duke and Louisville, while the Wolfpack lost on the road at Virginia Tech in their conference opener. They've scored 68.7 points on just 36.4 shooting on the road so far. Senior forward Devin Thomas is Wake's leading scorer, and he scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the loss to Duke. He's likely to prove too much to handle for the Wolfpack tonight. 

Take WAKE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Grizzlies will host Boston tonight, and Memphis has really turned up the heat defensively. The Grizz are 4-2 in their last six overall, and they allowed an average of just 87 points in those victories. They are coming off a 91-84 win over the Nuggets, and they are now 12-6 at home this season. The Celtics come in off back to back losses, and they've dropped four of their last five overall. They shot just over 35 percent from the field in their last game, a 101-92 loss at Chicago. Boston will try to snap out of an offensive slump here in Memphis, which isn't an ideal spot to do so. The Grizz are only allowing opponents to average 98.6 points per game, ranking 7th in the league. They've covered the spread in five straight at home, and the under is 35-15-1 in their last 51 home games. I like the home team to grind out a win in a low scoring battle tonight. 

Take MEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on BOS@MEM to go UNDER the total.

The Grizzlies will host Boston tonight, and Memphis has really turned up the heat defensively. The Grizz are 4-2 in their last six overall, and they allowed an average of just 87 points in those victories. They are coming off a 91-84 win over the Nuggets, and they are now 12-6 at home this season. The Celtics come in off back to back losses, and they've dropped four of their last five overall. They shot just over 35 percent from the field in their last game, a 101-92 loss at Chicago. Boston will try to snap out of an offensive slump here in Memphis, which isn't an ideal spot to do so. The Grizz are only allowing opponents to average 98.6 points per game, ranking 7th in the league. They've covered the spread in five straight at home, and the under is 35-15-1 in their last 51 home games. I like the home team to grind out a win in a low scoring battle tonight. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Detroit Titans. 

Valparaiso is a great team, and it's coming off an impressive road win over a good Oakland team. The Crusaders were a three point favorite in that game, but would win by a score of 84-67. Here we are just a few days later, and Valparaiso is facing another tough opponent on the road, but this time they are asked to cover a much bigger number at Detroit, a team that is undefeated at home. The Titans are 9-0, scoring an average of 87.4 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting in those games. They've played Valparaiso seven times since March of 2012, covering the spread in five of those seven games. They won four of those contests outright, and most of their losses came by just a few points. The Titans are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 home games. The Crusaders might be missing starting PG Keith Carter, the senior is listed as questionable with a foot injury. 

Take DET. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the Miami Heat. 

The Heat are coming into Utah as winners of four of their last five overall, and they've won back to back games on the road. They won 103-95 at Phoenix last night, and they catch the Jazz in a tough spot here in this game. Utah is dealing with several injuries to key players, with Derrick Favors, Alec Burks and Dante Exum all out, and Rodney Hood questionable after suffering a sprained ankle in Thursday's loss to Houston. Utah has lost three straight, and six of it's last nine overall. They really missed Rudy Gobert who missed 18 games, but he returned to action Thursday. He only played 15 minutes though, puling in three rebounds and scoring six points. The Heat rank second in the NBA allowing opponents to average 94.7 points per game. It's going to be tough for a short-handed Jazz team to keep up here tonight. 

Take MIA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the #TTU Red Raiders.

The Kansas Jayhawks are the top ranked team in the country, and they are coming off an incredible triple-OT win over Oklahoma. They come into tonight's game at Texas Tech laying a bunch of points on the road, and I think the Jayhawks are due for a let down here. The Red Raiders are coming off a 76-69 loss at Iowa State, but they are 11-2 overall and have yet to lose at home. 

Bookmakers haven't given Texas Tech much respect, and they've been one of the best bets so far this season, covering the spread in eight straight overall and 10 of their last 12 versus teams with a winning record. They've averaged 78.1 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting while going 8-0 at home, which is significantly better than the 70 points Kansas has averaged on the road. 

The Jayhawks have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last 11 versus BIG12 teams, and I think they are asked to cover a few too many points on the road here. While they have won 10 straight versus Texas Tech since 2011, they've failed to cover in two of their last three at Lubbock. 

Take TTU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Ole Miss Rebels. 

The Rebels lost their SEC opener on the road at Kentucky, but bounced back with a big home win over Alabama on Thursday. They will host the Georgia Bulldogs tonight, and Georgia is coming off a home win over Missouri. It seems a little surprising that Mississippi is just a slight favorite, considering that Georgia is winless on the road. The Bulldogs lost their most recent road game at Florida by a score of 77-63. 

Mississippi is 6-0 at home, and has averaged 82.7 points on 45.6 percent shooting in those games. Georgia has failed to cover in five straight on the road, and has average just 62.5 points on 40 percent shooting so far on the road this season. 

The Rebels out-rebounded Alabama 37-30 in their last game, and F Sebastian Saiz pulled down 16 of those boards. Mississippi has averaged over 37 rebounds at home, while the Bulldogs have averaged fewer than 30 on the road.  

Take MISS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on TOR@PHI to go UNDER the total. 

The Raptors are locking it down on defense lately, coming off a pair of impressive road wins. They allowed an average of 81 points in wins over Washington and Brooklyn. They face the league's worst offensive team tonight in Philly, and we should expect points to be hard to come by for the home team. The Sixers have managed to to win two of their last six, which is actually pretty food for them. They failed to score 100 points in all four of those losses though, and they are unlikely to avoid another defeat here against the Raptors. Toronto has failed to reach the total in four straight road games versus teams with a losing record. The total for tonight's game is higher than it was in the last four meetings between these two teams, and I'm not convinced that Philly can score enough points to reach this inflated number. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the St. Mary's Gaels. 

St. Mary's is still unranked, despite a 14-1 record, with all 14 of those wins coming by a double digit margin. They are coming off a 73-48 road win at Loyola Marymount, and they will be on the road at Pepperdine this afternoon. There's no doubt that the Wave are a better team than the Lions, but Pepperdine just barely beat them at home in overtime last Saturday. Since then they played another close game against the 3-11 Pacific Tigers. The Gaels come in as the nation's best shooting team hitting 54.9 percent from the field. They rank second in three point field goal percentage, hitting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. St. Mary's is 19-7 ATS in it's last 26 versus the  West Coast, and it has covered in five of it's last six on the road. The Gaels should be looking at another double digit win here. 

Take SMU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Maryland Terrapins. 

The Wisconsin Badgers have failed to impress after losing their two best players from last year's team that lost to Duke in the NCAA Final. They have already lost at home to Milwaukee, Georgetown, Marquette and Purdue. Maryland is likely to prove to be a tougher opponent than any of those teams, and yet the Terrapins are only asked to cover a few points in Madison. Maryland is 14-1 overall, with it's only loss coming in a close game at North Carolina. The Terrapins beat Rutgers 88-63, and they come into Wisconsin as winners of eight straight. They are 8-1 ATS in their last nine versus the BIG10, and 5-1 ATS in their last six road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Badgers on the other hand have failed to cover in eight of their last 11 versus teams with a winning record. 

Take MD. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Tennessee Volunteers. 

The Vols will host #21 ranked Texas A&M on Saturday, and Tennessee is getting a handful of points as a home dog. The Aggies just narrowly defeated Mississippi State on Wednesday, winning by a score of 61-60. Tennessee is 8-0 at home, and they are coming off an 83-69 win over Florida. They cleaned up on the boards in that game, out-rebounding Florida 49-40. These teams have a history of playing close games, and two of the last four games were decided in overtime. The underdog covered in all four of those games. The Vols have won seven of their last 10 home games against ranked teams, and each of those three losses came against teams ranked in the top three. I'll take a generous spread with the home team. 

Take TENN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@MIN to go OVER the total. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are winners of five straight and they've averaged 121.5 over their last two games. Lebron James scored 34 points in a 121-115 win against Washington Wednesday and Kyrie Irving was not far behind with a season-high 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting. Cleveland is third best in the league in three points made with 10.1 per game and should be able to take advantage of a Minnesota team that is allowing 8.7 three point shots per game on average. The Minnesota Timberwolves are off an extremely low-scoring affair when they lost 78-74 to the Nuggets two days ago, but Cleveland has hardly impressed on defense of late giving up an average of 107.5 points in its last two games. The Cavs have seem more intent on outscoring opponents lately rather than beating them with a solid defense, and that's a gameplan they're more than likely to take into this contest as well.   

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arkansas Little Rock Trojans. 

The Trojans have had a spectacular start to the season, winning 12 of 13 games. Their only loss came on the road at Texas Tech, and so far they have manhandled inferior opponents. They have kicked off conference play with consecutive road wins, and now they return home to host the 5-6 Ragin' Cajuns. Louisiana Lafayette has lost three straight on the road to Pepperdine, UCLA and Louisiana Tech. They've also failed to cover the spread in five of their last six on the road, and I don't think they're getting near enough points here in tonight's game. The Trojans have scored an average of 81.5 points on 49.6 percent shooting at home so far, and they are shooting almost 80 percent from the charity stripe. This game should be a double digit blowout win for the home team. 

Take UALR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on MEM@OKC to go OVER the total. 

The Grizzlies have played well defensively lately, but they face a tough test on the road at Oklahoma City tonight. The Thunder have scored an average of more than 115 points while winning four of their last five. These teams have faced each other twice already this season, and both of those games went way over the total. The most recent meeting was a 125-88 Oklahoma City victory at Memphis. They've gone over in 17 of the last 25 meetings in Oklahoma City. The Thunder have not looked all that impressive on defense lately, surrendering more than 100 points in six of their last seven overall, and losing their last game 116-104 at home to Sacramento. The total in tonight's game is significantly lower than it has been in the Thunder's previous 10 games. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

Texas Tech had cruised through non-conference play, winning 10 of 11 games. The only loss during that span came by a score of 73-63 to Utah in Puerto Rico. They looked pretty good in a 82-74 win over Texas in their BIG12 opener, and prior to that they beat Richmond and Arkansas Little Rock by double digits. The Cyclones have had their moments, and they come in ranked #13 overall. While they've won 11 of their 13 games, they have not been very consistent. They were trailing Iowa by 21 points on their home floor back in December, but rallied to win that game by a score of 83-82. They've also won close games against Cincinnati and Colorado by a combined seven points, and when they've faced inferior opponents the results have not been impressive. They are asked to cover double digits against a Red Raiders team that is 6-0 ATS in it's last six, and 6-2 ATS in it's last eight versus BIG12 teams. 

Take Texas Tech. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@WAS to go UNDER the total. 

The Cavs are rolling, coming into Washington as winners of four straight. During that span they've held opponents to an average of 90.75 points per game during that span. That's not much of a surprise considering that Cleveland is ranked 3rd overall in the NBA with an opponent's scoring average of just 94.7 points per game. Washington hasn't been very good defensively this season, but it's shown some signs of improvement in recent games. The Wizards have held the opposition to fewer than 100 points in three straight games, but have just one win to show for it. These teams have a history of playing low scoring games, with 12 of the last 16 meetings failing to reach the total. The Wizards have also gone under in each of their last five home games. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Central Michigan Chippewas.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles will be on the road at Central Michigan tonight, and the Eagles are coming off a home loss to North Florida by a score of 82-77. The Chippewas won both meetings last season, and yet they are just a slim favorite here in tonight's game. Central Michigan comes in averaging a few more points, and shooting for a higher percentage from the field, the free throw line and from three point range. In fact they have a big edge in perimeter shooting, hitting 36.1 percent in comparison to 26.5 percent of EMU. That advantage appears to be even greater at home, where the Chippewas have hit 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games.

Take CMU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Syracuse Orange. 

The Orange will play at home versus Clemson tonight, still looking for their first win in conference play. They have lost back to back games to Pittsburgh and Miami on the road, but I like their chances of winning convincingly here at home against an inferior opponent. The Tigers are 0-3 on the road, while the Orange are 7-1 at home. Clemson has been struggling lately, coming in shooting just 37.8 percent over their last five games. Clemson has failed to cover in six of it's last eight road games, and their three road losses this season have come by a combined 40 points. This could also be a let down spot for Clemson, coming off a home win over Florida State. The Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.

Take SYR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Auburn Tigers. 

The South Carolina Gamecocks are still undefeated, but I think they are a little overrated heading into a tough road game against an SEC rival tonight. Their 13-0 record looks impressive, but they've had a soft schedule, and tonight's game should prove to be their toughest to date. Auburn is coming off an 83-77 win over Tennessee in it's SEC opener, and the Tigers are 5-1 at home. They've won six of their last seven versus South Carolina, covering the spread in six of those contests. Keep in mind that this Gamecocks team got off to a hot start last season, winning 9-of-12 in non-conference play, only to lose six of their first seven versus SEC teams. This looks like a generous cushion for the Tigers at home, and I think they'll give the Gamecocks a run for their money. 

Take AUB. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Rhode Island Rams. 

The Richmond Spiders are coming off back to back losses to St. Joseph's and Texas Tech, and they face another tough opponent on the road in Rhode Island tonight. The Rams are 7-2 at home, and they are coming off an 85-57 win over the Saint Louis Billikens. They shot 50 percent from the field, and 44 percent from beyond the arc in that game, out-rebounding Saint Louis 38-26. Richmond has really struggled from the free throw line on the road, hitting just over 50 percent while losing two of three. The Rams have defeated Richmond in each of the last two seasons, winning 79-74 at Richmond last year, and 66-43 at home the year before. I can't see any reason for Richmond to expect a better result this time around. 

Take URI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on MEM@POR to go OVER the total. 

The Grizzlies lost at Utah on Saturday by a score of 92-87, and they are on the road at Portland tonight. The bookmakers are expecting another low scoring game here tonight, but I don't think the Blazers are going to be able to match the defensive intensity that the Grizzlies faced in Utah. The total for this game is incredibly low, perhaps due to the fact that the Grizz carry a reputation from past seasons. They continue to cash in at a high rate for under bettors, but a close examination of this number reveals that the bookmakers may be overcompensating. The under in 6-4-1 in the Grizzlies last 11 overall, but not one of those games saw a total listed below 190. Two of those “unders” saw more than 190 points scored. The Blazers have gone over in five of their last six when playing on back to back nights, and four of their last five versus Memphis.

Take OVER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Miami Heat. 

The Heat are coming off a dominant 97-75 win at Washington on Sunday afternoon, and they are back home to host the Pacers tonight. This is a bug game for both teams, and Chris Bosh certainly sounds like he's ready to play: "We'll be ready for (the Pacers). We owe them, and we know they're going to come into ready to play. It's going to be ready to play." said Bosh. 

The Heat are 14-7 at home, and they've won four of their last five home games versus Indiana. Home court has been a big factor in this series, with the home team covering in eight of the last 10 meetings. With that being the case, I think we're getting a great price on the Heat here, as just a slight favorite on the moneyline. The Pacers have lost six of their last seven road games, and five of their last eight overall. While Paul George has totaled 63 points in his last two games, he's averaged fewer than 15 points in his last three road games. 

The Heat boast the NBA's 2nd ranked defense, holding opponents to just 94.5 points per game. A big reason for their success has been the play of Hassan Whiteside, who had 13 rebounds and six blocked shots in yesterday's win at Washington. 

Take MIA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons will host Orlando on Monday night, and the Magic are coming off consecutive blowout losses at Washington and Cleveland. Detroit is coming off a loss to the Pacers in Indiana on Saturday, but the Pistons are 11-5 at home, and they've covered the spread in five straight at home versus a team with a losing road record. They've also been a good bet against the Magic, covering in five of their last seven at home versus Orlando. The Pistons are dominant on the boards, with the league's leading rebounder Andre Drummond averaging over 16 rebounds per game. He pulled in 18 boards in a win over Minnesota in Detroit's last home game, and the Pistons out-rebounded Minnesota 52-36 in that game.

Take DET.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets are one of the NBA's worst teams, but they are coming into tonight's game against the Celtics as winners of two of their last three. The most recent a 100-97 win over Boston. They host the Celtics tonight, in what some might look at as a revenge spot for Boston, and a let down spot for Brooklyn. I think that wins are so far and few between for the Nets that coming off a couple of wins is good for their confidence, and not necessarily setting them up for a let down. They have been fairly competitive at home, and this looks like a big number for Boston to cover. The Nets are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Take BKN.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a  10* play on TOR@CLE to go OVER the total. 

The Toronto Raptors took a 12-point lead to the locker room at halftime in their home game versus Chicago on Sunday, but the Bulls rallied, scoring 67 second half points to come back and win 115-113. Toronto will be on the road tonight in Cleveland, and I think the total for this game looks a little low. The Raptors were one of the best defensive teams in the league early on in the season, but since the injury to DeMarre Carroll, the defense has suffered. Four of the last six meetings between these teams have gone over the total, and tonight's total is lower than it was in all six of those games. In fact these teams have seen at least 192 points scored in each of the last seven meetings. The Raptors have gone over in four straight on the road, while Cleveland has gone over in eight of it's last 11 when playing on one day's rest. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels are on the road at Florida State tonight, and they will be just a three-point favorite. The Tar Heels are still looking for their first road win, having previously lost at Northern Iowa and Texas. I don't think this Seminoles team has what it takes to take down one of the best teams in the country though, not even on their home court. Florida State is coming off an 84-75 loss to a very average Clemson team, getting killed on the boards 42-31. The Tar Heels are coming off an 86-78 home win over Georgia Tech, and they out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 39-30 in the victory. North Carolina scores more points, and shoots for a higher percentage from the field, from the perimeter and the free throw line. The Tar Heels have won four of their last five versus Florida State, covering the spread in four of those games.

Take UNC.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. 

The Louisville Cardinals come into Sunday's game against Wake Forest with an 11-2 record, but most of those wins came against inferior opponents. They've faced two quality opponents, losing both games to Michigan State and Kentucky. Louisville is asked to cover double digits at home here despite missing their starting PG and second leading scorer Trey Lewis. He suffered a severe ankle sprain in Friday's practice, and coach Rick Pitino didn't sound optimistic about his team's situation: "We are behind the 8-ball with no backup point," Pitino said. "We will see with practice what to do. Levitch is option one. Ryan off redshirt option two. There is no foreseeable third option." Wake Forest has been a good bet as an underdog, going 15-6 ATS in their last 21 games versus a team with a winning straight up record. Louisville has been putting up big numbers, but those are a little inflated due to their soft schedule. The one area where they haven't looked so strong is at the free throw line, hitting just 66.7 percent at home. Wake Forest is shooting 72.8 percent from the charity stripe on the road. 

Take WAKE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on MIA@WAS to go UNDER the total. 

Recent head-to-head meetings between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards have been high-scoring affairs with six straight going over the total. Both teams seem pretty zoned in on defense at the moment though, and I don't see this game climbing over the set total. The under is 5-1 in the Wizards last six overall and they held Orlando to 5-of-20 shooting from behind the arc in a 103-91 win on New Years Day. The Heat meanwhile held Dallas to 36.4% shooting from the field in a 106-82 win on the same day, and the under is 21-9-1 in the Heat's last 31 overall. They have the second-ranked defense in the league giving up just 95.1 points per game on average, and an injury-ridden Washington team is likely to struggle to put up points on the board tonight. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the San Francisco Dons.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will be a double digit favorite on the road in San Francisco tonight, coming off a 79-79 road win over Santa Clara. The Bulldogs are 11-3 overall, and they have won both their road game so far this season. They come into tonight's game riding a five game winning streak, but it's not all good news for Gonzaga. Their big man Przemek Karnowski for the rest of the season with a back injury, and their young guards have struggled. This team is really missing the experience of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell. Pangos scored 17 points in an 81-70 win over the Dons when Gonzaga played at San Francisco last season. They are asked to cover an even bigger spread this time around, and this team is nowhere near as skilled as it was then. In fact this enormous number makes very little sense when you consider that Gonzaga is 2-8-1 ATS in it's last 11 road games, and 4-11 ATS in it's last 15 games against San Francisco.

Take SF.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on PHI@LAC to go UNDER the total. 

The Sixers came into LA as winners of two of their previous three, which is pretty huge when you consider they've won just three games total all year. They lost to the Lakers last night though, scoring just 84 points on 36.9 percent shooting. I can't see how anyone could expect them to do any better tonight, playing the Clippers in their second game in as many nights. The bookmakers seem pretty optimistic though, listing a grossly inflated total for this game. The Clippers have won five straight, and they've held opponents to an average of 97 points during that span. The Sixers are the lowest scoring team in the NBA by far, and aren't likely to contribute much offense here. The Clippers have gone under in four of their last five home games, and the under is 23-8-2 in their last 33 home games versus a team with a losing record. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NBA play on MEM@UTAH to go OVER the total.

The Grizzlies will be in Utah tonight, and this game features the NBA's top two defensive teams.. or does it? Not quite! Last year the Jazz led the league in opponent's scoring average (94.9), and Memphis was a close second (95.1). This year has been a little more challenging for both teams. The Jazz have missed Rudy Gobert, and the Grizzlies are playing a more up tempo style.

The total for this game is incredibly low, perhaps due to the fact that these teams carry a reputation from past seasons. Both teams continue to cash in at a high rate for under bettors, but a close examination of this number reveals that the bookmakers may be overcompensating. The under in 5-4-1 in the Grizzlies last 10 overall, but not one of those games saw a total listed below 190. Two of those "unders" saw more than 190 points scored. The Jazz have failed to reach the total in six of their last 10 overall, but three of those "unders" saw at least 190 points.

Take OVER.

GL,
Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

The Texas Longhorns will come into this rivalry game against the Red Raiders without their leading scorer center Cameron Ridley. They didn't fare well without him in their last game, a 71-66 home loss to Connecticut. They lost the battle on the boards to the Huskies (36-34), and rebounding is going to be a challenge here against Texas Tech. The Longhorns have a bigger fan base, and that's often resulted in them being overrated when the two teams meet. This is evidenced by the fact that Texas Tech is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings. Texas Tech is 8-0 at home this season, and it has covered the spread in each of the last six of those games. Their last two games were particularly impressive, beating Richmond by 15 points, and ending the unbeaten run of Arkansas Little Rock. They slaughtered the Spiders on the glass, out-rebounding Richmond 43-20. They shot 30-of-58 (51.7 percent) from the field in that game, winning 85-70. They should be able to handle a short-handed Texas team today. 

Take TTU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Colorado Buffaloes. 

The California Golden Bears will play their first PAC12 game at home against Colorado, and Cal is a big favorite. I am not convinced that the Bears are the better team here, and I think we're getting a generous point spread considering Colorado has the better overall record, and is 2-0 on the road so far. These teams have played close games in recent seasons, with Cal taking two of the last three. The combined margin of victory in those three contests was just 11 points, and Colorado has lost it's last two visits to Berkley by a combined four points. The Buffaloes are cleaning up on the boards, averaging just shy of 40 rebounds per game. Colorado has covered the spread in four of it's last five road games, and five of it's last six in California. The Buffaloes are hitting for a higher percentage from the free throw line, and they've hit 83 percent of their free throws in their two road wins. California's last game was a blowout win over Davidson, and I think that set's them up for a let down here tonight. 

Take COL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the UCLA Bruins. 

The Washington Huskies open conference play at home versus UCLA, and Washington has looked vulnerable. The Huskies have lost two of their last three to UC Santa Barbara and Oakland, and both of those losses came at home. Their leading scorer Andrew Andrews has been struggling, shooting just 30.8 percent from the field in his last three games. The Bruins have owned Washington, winning five straight and consecutive trips to Seattle since 2012. UCLA's only road game so far was an outright win at Gonzaga, in a game that they were listed as an 8.5 point underdog. The Bruins have also been far better within the conference, covering the spread in seven of their last nine versus the PAC12, while the Huskies are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 versus PAC12 opponents. 

Take UCLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on PHI@LAL to go UNDER the total.  

The Philadelphia 76ers have recorded two of their three wins this season within their last three games, and they must like their chances when travelling to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers Friday night as well.  

The Lakers ended a four-game skid with a 112-104 win at Boston Wednesday though, and this looks like it will be a low-scoring contest between two teams both eyeing their first back-to-back win this season.  

The 76ers came out ahead with a 103-91 victory when the teams met at Philadelphia on Dec. 1, and low-scoring games have been the norm in recent meetings. The Under is 4-1-1 in both the last six meetings overall and the last six meetings at Staples Center.  

Philadelphia is the worst offensive team in the league averaging just 92.5 points per game and Los Angeles the third worst at 96.8 points per game, and while neither team is particularly stingy on defense the pure lack of offensive talent should be enough to see this game stay under the total.  

Take UNDER.  

GL,  

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Utah Utes. 

The Utes have always been a better home team than they have been on the road, but this year's Utes might be the best team Larry Krystkowiak has ever coached. They sure looked like world beaters in a 77-75 win over Duke at MSG. They will open PAC12 play on the road at Stanford, where they have not done well in previous seasons. The Cardinal have already lost a couple of home games though, and I haven't been impressed with their recent play. They have been brutal in conference play, failing to cover in 20 of their last 27 versus PAC12 teams. Utah has shot 55.4 percent from the field, scoring an average of 85.4 point over it's last five games. During that span Stanford has scored just 71 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting. The Utes also have a huge edge in free throw shooting, hitting 74.1 percent in comparison to 65.8 percent by Stanford. Utah has hit 81 percent from the free throw line on the road. 

Take UTAH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the St. Mary's Gaels. 

The Gaels are 11-1 straight up, and 7-0 at home. Their only defeat came in a close game decided by just four points at Cal. They host BYU tonight, and the Cougars have failed to impress, and they are 0-3 on the road. BYU lost 82-77 at St. Mary's last year, and it's pretty obvious that this year's Gaels team is vastly improved, while the Cougars don't look as good as they did a year ago. St. Mary's ranks 5th nationally in opponent's scoring average, first in field goal percentage (.538), fourth in assists and second in three point field goal percentage (.452). Those numbers are even more impressive at home, where they have covered in eight of their last 10 games, and 20 of their last 27. I think the only reason why the Cougars aren't a bigger dog here, is that their school has a strong basketball history and plenty of name recognition. That isn't going to help them against a St. Mary's team that appears to be far better in all aspects of the game. 

Take SMU.

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the New Mexico Lobos. 

The Lobos have lost four straight, but three of those losses came in the Diamondhead Classic Tournament in Hawaii. They are back on their home court tonight, hosting the Nevada Wolfpack, and I expect New Mexico to get back on track against an inferior opponent. The Lobos are 6-1 at home so far, with impressive wins over rivals New Mexico State and UNI. The Wolpack have lost four of five on the road, and were beaten by a whopping 19 points at Cal State Fullerton. New Mexico averages 81.6 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting at home, while the Wolfpack are shooting just 37.4 percent, scoring an average of 71 on the road. Nevada has failed to cover in four straight against teams from the Mountain West, and it should probably be a double digit dog here. 

Take UNM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on PHO@SA to go UNDER the total. 

The Phoenix Suns are coming into San Antonio as losers of five straight, and they will be a double digit dog in this contest. Their leading scorer Eric Bledsoe suffered a knee injury on the day after Christmas, and will miss the rest of the season. Scoring points won't be easy here against the Spurs, who are by far the best defensive team in the NBA, allowing opponents to average just 88 points per game. Previous meetings between these two teams have been low scoring, with each of the last five failing to reach the total. The Suns have scored an average of just 87.6 points over that span. Phoenix has also seen four of it's last five trips to San Antonio fall short of the number. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Dallas Mavs. 

Dallas will host the Golden State Warriors tonight, and the Mavs are getting a bunch of points at home. As good as the Warriors have been this season, I think they have become a bit overvalued. They didn't look all that impressive for most of their last game at home to Sacramento. Steph Curry was held scoreless in the first quarter, and the Kings led by three at the half. Curry missed practice on Tuesday, and there is a good chance he's going to be out for this game against Dallas. The Mavs are a solid team with a 9-5 record at home, and they've covered four straight in Dallas. It's going to be tough for the Warriors to cover this big number on the road without a healthy Curry. 

Take DAL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Toronto Raptors. 

The Raptors host the Wizards north of the border tonight, and this looks like a good spot to back the Dinosaurs at home. Toronto is getting healthier, with center Jonas Valanciunas returning to the lineup to play 21 minutes in Chicago on Sunday. The Wizards aren't quite as fortunate, with Bradley Beal, Dwight Gooden, Gary Neal and Nene. Washington shot just 39.1 percent from the field in a home loss to the Clippers on Sunday, and they've been struggling on defense all year. They rank 25th in the league allowing opponents to average 104.8 points per game. The Raptors on the other hand are one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, ranking 4th allowing an average of 96.6 points per game. The Raptors haven't forgotten about last year's early exit at the hands of these Wizards, and they will look to continue their regular season dominance, winning four straight and eight of the last nine against Washington. 

Take TOR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@DEN to go OVER the total. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers had lost back to back games before winning in Phoenix last night by a score of 101-97. They play their second game in as many nights on the road at Denver tonight, and I think we'll see a high scoring battle. Cleveland is one of the best defensive teams in the league, but they might not be quite as motivated to lock it down here in the high altitude of Denver in the second game of a back to back. They also might not need to, as Denver ranks near the bottom of the league in opponent's scoring average, allowing 103.9 points per game. The Nuggets have lost five of their last six, allowing over 100 points in four of those five losses. Only one of the last seven meetings between these teams has gone over, but the total in each of those games was higher than 200. Tonight's number is much lower, and four of the last five meetings saw at least 200 points scored. 

Take OVER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

The Red Raiders have won nine of 10 overall, and they are still undefeated at home. They host the Richmond Spiders tonight, only asked to cover a handful of points. I don't expect this game to be quite as close as the betting line suggests. Richmond is 1-1 on the road, with a 20-point loss at Florida. They are going to be facing a Texas Tech front court with a big size advantage, and I think they are going to get killed on the glass. The Red Raiders are averaging 36 rebounds per game at home, while Richmond has averaged just 27.5 on the road. The home team also has an advantage at the free throw line, averaging 72.3 percent at home, while the Spiders are shooting just 58.2 percent from the line on the road. The Spiders have failed to cover in four of their last five versus teams from the BIG12, while Texas Tech is 5-0 ATS in it's last five home games. 

Take TTU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on SAC@GS to go UNDER the total. 

The Warriors are the NBA's highest scoring team, averaging a whopping 114 points per game. They host the Sacramento Kings tonight, and everyone is expecting this one to be a high scoring battle. I think the bookmakers were perhaps a little too optimistic when they listed the opening total at 223. Sharp money has since pushed the number down a few points, but I think any number over 220 is just too inflated. Golden State has played back to back low scoring games against Cleveland and Utah, and they played phenomenal defense allowing an average of 84 points in those games. The Kings aren't known for their defense, but they haven't seen more than 220 points scored in any of their last nine games. The Kings have gone under in five straight on the road. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@PHO to go UNDER the total. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling on offense, coming off back to back losses at Golden State and Portland. They are facing another Western Conference team tonight in Phoenix, and the Suns are really struggling, losers of 15 of their last 20 overall. They've scored and average of just 96 points while losing their last four, and head coach Jeff Hornacek is rumored to be on the hot seat. Making matters worse, their leading scorer Eric Bledsoe suffered a serious knee injury in the loss to Philly on Saturday, and will be out indefinitely. Cleveland ranks third in the NBA allowing opponents to average just over 95 points per game, and they've gone under in 11 of their last 12 meetings with Phoenix. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Davidson Wildcats. 

Davidson is a double digit dog on the road at California tonight, and I can't quite see how anyone can expect Cal to cover such a big number. If you look at their schedule, they've looked pretty pedestrian at home, despite an 8-0 record. They beat Seattle by 14, East Carolina by eight, and IW by just a dozen. The Wildcats are in a different class than any of those teams. They are 8-2 overall, and leading scorer Jack Gibbs ranks third in the country with over 26 points per game. He is coming off a 41 point performance in the win over Morehead State last week. Davidson has been a great bet on the road, covering in 21 of it's last 27 road games. Cal has failed to cover in four of it's last five at home. 

Take DAV. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on TOR@CHI to go OVER the total. 

The Raptors are coming off back to back wins over Milwaukee and Dallas, and they scored an average of 107 points in those games. Toronto actually ranks higher defensively than it does offensively, but their best defender (DeMarre Carroll) remains sidelined with an injury. The Bulls used to be one of the top defensive teams in the NBA, but that isn't the case this season. Chicago has allowed opponents to average more than 100 points per game this season, and they are missing their best defender, former Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah. These teams have gone over the total in four of the last five meetings, and the Bulls have gone over in six straight versus Eastern Conference teams.

Take OVER.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on BKN@MIA to go UNDER the total. 

The Brooklyn Nets are 2-12 on the road, and they are in Miami to face the Heat on Monday. The Heat won back to back games on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and they have won their last seven meetings with Brooklyn. The majority of those games were low scoring, and seven of Brooklyn's last 10 visits to Miami have failed to reach the total. Miami ranks 2nd in the NBA allowing opponents to average just 94.8 points per game. The under is 7-3 in Nets last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, while Miami has gone under in 20 of it's last 28 overall. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on LAL@CHA to go UNDER the total. 

The Lakers will play their second game in as many nights on the road in Charlotte, and they will be a double-digit dog to the Hornets. Charlotte is 12-5 at home, but has failed to score 100 points in six of it's last seven overall. The Hornets rank among the best in the NBA on defense, holding opponents under 100 points per game. They've failed to reach the total in six of their last eight versus the Lakers. LA has failed to score 100 points in five of it's last six overall, and the Lakers are averaging just 96.2 points per game (29th in the NBA). The Hornets have gone under in five of their last six home games, and five straight at home versus teams with a losing record. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on LAL@MEM to go UNDER the total. 

The Grizzlies finished last season ranked second in the NBA with an opponent's scoring average of 95.1 points per game. They haven't been quite the defensive powerhouse this season, but after a terrible start they show signs of turning it around. Memphis has held five of it's last six opponents below 100 points, however it still managed to lose four of those games. The Grizz should be able to get back on track against the Lakers, who have lost four of their last five, scoring an average of just 88 points during that span. The Lakers were scoring more than their share of points at the beginning of the year, but have since struggled, now ranking 28th in the NBA scoring just over 96 points per game. Six of the last nine meetings between the two teams have gone under, and the Grizzlies have failed to reach the total in 35 of their last 51 home games. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on CLE@POR to go UNDER the total. 

The Cavs came up short, losing 89-83 at Golden State on Christmas Day, but they will have an excellent chance to bounce back tonight in Portland. The Blazers have lost five straight, failing to score 100 points in four of those five games. The Cavs are the best defensive team in the Eastern Conference, holding opponents to just 94.9 points per game. They looked impressive last night, holding the NBA's best team, and highest scoring offense to just 89 points on 41 percent shooting. They Blazers are hoping Damian Lillard can return after missing the last two games with plantar fasciitis. These teams have a history of playing low scoring games, and they've failed to reach the total in each of the last five meetings in Portland. The Cavs have gone under in five straight on the road. All five Christmas day games went under, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see a slow pace here just 24 hours later. 

Take UNDER. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule