This is an 8* play on the Syracuse Orange.

Not only did Louisville suffer an embarrassing home loss to N.C. State this weekend, they will also be without a key starter when they travel to Syracuse to take on the Orange on Wednesday. Chris Jones has been suspended indefinitely, and he's averaging 13.6 points per game, and leads the team in assists. He led all scorers with 20 points in Saturday's loss to the Wolfpack. Louisville coach Rick Pitino wasn't impressed with his team's effort in that game: "In past years when we shot poorly like this, our defense could carry us through, but it didn't tonight," Pitino said. "I think our guys are not like my other teams.

Take SYR.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn is coming off a shocking upset of the Bulldogs in Georgia, winning by a score of 69-68. The Tigers return home to host an Alabama team that was upset at home by Vanderbilt Saturday. They lost to the Crimson Tide by a score of 57-55 at Alabama earlier this season, and they can avenge that loss tonight. History certainly favors the home team, as the hosts have won six straight in this series. Auburn has one of he best three point shooters in the nation in KT Harrell, and he scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the previous meeting. The visitors have struggled without junior guard Ricky Tarrant, who is second on the team in scoring averaging 13.1 PPG. Alabama has only covered the spread once in their last eight visits to Auburn, yet they are a road favorite tonight.

Take AUB.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Pitt Panthers.

The Virginia Cavaliers have won four straight since suffering their first loss of the season at Duke on New Years Eve. They haven't blown out anyone during that span, winning by an average margin of just five points in those games. They host a Pitt team that comes off a dominant home win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Panthers have won four of their last five, but they are still on the bubble trying to qualify for the tournament. The Cavs haven't been quite as solid on defense without the injured Justin Anderson, and their perimeter shooting has tailed off as well in his absence. The Cavs have shot just 16.2% from three point range over their last three games. I think the home team is asked to cover a few too many points here against a hungry opponent that has been playing well of late.

Take PITT.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the K-Stare Wildcats.

Whether you are a professional handicapper, or an amateur sports better, you likely have a few criteria that you look for when you are deciding who to bet on. I'm not you typical handicapper, and I strongly believe that by betting based solely on systems and trends you are playing right into the hands of the bookmakers.

One popular trend that many people put a lot of stock in, is the "revenge spot". Tonight's game between K-State and Oklahoma is classic example of such a situation. The Wildcats upset the Sooners in Oklahoma back in January, and now they play at Manhattan tonight.

The Wildcats are slumping, coming in as losers of five straight. They haven't exactly been getting blown out though, losing their last home game by a score of 61-57 to #25 ranked Texas.

Perhaps most notable about the Wildcats recent losing streak is that their leader scorer Marcus Fosters was serving a suspension for the last three games. He returns tonight as the Wildcats look for a fourth win in their last five home meetings with Oklahoma. Oh... the only loss during that span came by a margin lower than the number in tonight's game.

The Sooners may even get their revenge, and still not cover. This line is simply way out of whack, and I'm loading up on the home dog here.

Take KSU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kentucky continues to roll in it's quest to complete a perfect season, but recent victories have been a too close for comfort. Four of their last six games have been played away from home, and they failed to cover the points in the last five. Now they are back on their home court hosting one of the weakest teams in the SEC. The Gamecocks are just 3-8 versus conference opponents, and they've lost five of six on the road overall. They've lost their last two road games by a combined 35 points, and they've lost their last four trips to Kentucky by an average margin of 22.5 points. That's about the number we should have expected for tonight's game, but after opening at 19.5, the public is looking to fade the favorite that has failed to cover five in a row. This is a spot where I expect Kentucky to lay the smackdown, and win by 20+ .

Take UK.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Cleveland State Vikings.

The Vikings sit in a three way tie at the top of the Horizon Conference, and they've won six of their last seven overall. They have won two of their last three on the road, while the Titans have lost three of their last four at home. History seems to favor the Vikings, who have won four of their last five trips to Detroit. They've also covered the spread in 21 of their last 27 road games. Trey Lewis scored 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting in a home win over the Titans a few weeks ago, and Detroit will need to do a better job defending him tonight if they hope to avoid another defeat.

Take CLEV.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on Ole Miss. 

The Gators put up a hell of a fight in their home loss to Kentucky, but eventually came up short losing 68-61. Michael Frazier scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting against the Wildcats, but only played 23 minutes and left early after sustaining an injury. His status is in doubt for tonight's game. According to ESPN he will not play due to a badly sprained right ankle. I think the Gators could be in trouble without their leading scorer against an Ole Miss team that has won five straight. The Rebels are 6-1-1 in their last eight road games, winning outright at Arkansas, Auburn and Missouri. These teams have seen the last three head to head meetings decided by four points or less. 

Take MISS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the UCLA Bruins.

 UCLA has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team, with an 11-1 home record, but a terrible road record. The Bruins lost at Cal by a score of 64-62 on Saturday, but the've won all four of their home games in conference play, three of those four wins coming by double digits. They host Oregon State tonight, and the Beavers have also been far better at home. Oregon State is 1-4 on the road during conference play, and all four of those losses came by at least 10 points. The Beavers have covered the spread in six straight in this series, but they were getting a double digit cushion in all three road games during that span. With UCLA a single digit favorite tonight, the value lies with a play on the Bruins at home. 

Take UCLA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Tennessee Volunteers. 

Both Tennessee and Vanderbilt have 13 wins on the season, but the Vols have a 5-5 record in conference play, sitting two games ahead of Vanderbilt in the SEC standings. Tennessee is coming off consecutive losses to Georgia and Mississippi State, but both those games were decided by fewer than five points. The Vols have taken four of the last five meetings in this series, and one of those was a 58-46 win at Vanderbilt. Tennessee has been a good bet on the road, covering the spread in each of their last five away from home. The Commodores aren't good enough to be asked to cover such a spread here tonight. 

Take TEN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Davidson Wildcats.

The Wildcats will host the George Mason Patriots tonight, in what appears to be a complete mismatch. The Patriots are coming off three straight losses, and they are just 2-8 versus conference opponents. The Wildcats have won four of their five home games versus A-10 opposition, and all four of those wins came by double digits. They are 10-1 overall at John M. Belk Arena. Backing the Wildcats has been profitable of late, especially at home where they have covered the points in seven of their last eight.

Take DAV.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Louisville Cardinals. 

The Cardinals have won four straight since losing at home to Duke on January 17, and three of those four wins have come on the road. They face a daunting task on the road at Virginia tonight, but I like their chances of hanging with the Cavs. Virginia's last home game was a 69-63 loss to Duke, and it was the first defeat of the season. Montrezl Harrell has been an absolute beast of late, and he scored 22 points and 15 rebounds in a win over North Carolina last week. "He is a warrior between the lines," coach Bennett said of Harrell. "He's motivated by that. The bigger the game, the bigger the setting, he seems to thrive on that, so that's what impresses me about him." I expect the Cardinals to keep this game close with their intense defensive pressure. 

Take LOU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Alabama has had a tough schedule in recent weeks, losing to Kentucky twice, and coming up short against the Gators and the Razorbacks (both those losses came by just a two point margin). It won't be easy on the road at LSU tonight, but the Tigers are coming off a home loss to Auburn. In fact LSU has lost two of it's last three home games, with the lone win coming by a score of 64-58 versus South Carolina. This game should be another closely contested affair between two SEC rivals, and I'll take the team getting a handful of points. 

Take ALA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

The Bulldogs are 4-3 over their last seven games, and each of those three losses in that span came in games decided by six points or less. They've won road games at Tennessee and Auburn, and I like the Bulldogs to hang with the Razorbacks here in Arkansas today. The Razorbacks have won three straight home games since losing to Ole Miss 96-83 on January 17. Two of those three victories came in gamed decided by less than five points. I expect the Bulldogs to hang with their SEC rival on the road today, and perhaps the home side is asked to cover too many points. 

Take MISST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on Notre Dame. 

The Blue Devils will look to avenge a 77-73 loss to the Irish at South Bend on January 28, as they host the Irish this Saturday. Despite the fact that these teams have seen all three recent meetings decided by seven or fewer points, Duke is being asked to win this game by double digits. Their last home game was a 72-66 win over Georgia Tech, and they've only covered the spread in two of their last nine home games. Needless to say, the Blue Devils have been grossly overrated at home during that span. The Irish have lost three games this season, and those defeats came by an average margin of less than four points. I like Nortre Dame as the underdog here in a big game between ACC rivals. 

Take ND, 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Tennessee Volunteers. 

The Georgia Bulldogs have struggled without leading scorer Marcus Thornton, who has missed the last two games due to a concussion. Both of those games were losses, at South Carolina and Kentucky. There is a chance that Thornton will be back in the lineup this afternoon when the Bulldogs host the Vols, but even if he plays he might not be 100%. “They’re going to let him do some things today,” Mark Fox said before a Friday afternoon practice. “They won’t make a final decision until tomorrow. I was really hopeful to say, `Hey, he can play.’ They’re not ready for me to say that. I guess they’ll let him do a few things today, limited, and see how he responds and go from there.” The Vols are 4-3 since suffering a blowout loss at Alabama on January 10th. Their three losses during that span came by an average margin of just five points. Another close game seems highly likely this afternoon. 

Take TENN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wyoming Cowboys. 

Wyoming sits at the top of the Mountain West Conference, with a record of 18-4. The Cowboys host Colorado State tonight, and the Rams have had an impressive season in their own right. They sit in second place in the conference, behind Wyoming and San Diego State. The Rams though lost at home to Wyoming by a score of 60-54 on January 7th, and lost on the road to Boise State and New Mexico. In addition to defeating the Rams, the Cowboys have also picked up wins against the Broncos and Lobos respectively. The home team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in this series, and that's a trend that I expect to continue tonight. 

Take WYO. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is and 8* play on the Oregon Ducks. 

The Washington Huskies opened the season with 11 straight victories, but they've lost seven of 10 since. The Huskies have lost three straight by double digits, the last two coming at home to Stanford and Cal. It won't get any easier tonight, on the road in Eugene facing a Ducks team that has won three of it's last four. The Huskies haven't been a good bet when facing opponents from the Pac-12, going 3-9 in their last 12 games in conference play. The Huskies lost at Oregon last year by a score of 78-71, and I think they'll take a much bigger beating tonight. 

Take ORE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Texas A&M Aggies. 

The Aggies bring a six game winning streak into tonight's game at Ole Miss, but the home team is asked to cover quite a few points here. The Rebels are coming off a 67-47 thrashing of Missouri, which might set them up for a let down here tonight. Both of their last two home games were decided by six points or less, and we should expect another tight game between two conference rivals. Texas A&M has covered five straight versus SEC teams, and five straight overall. The Aggies have and edge in field goal percentage as well as defense, and I expect them to give the Rebels a run for their money tonight. 

Take TAM

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Kentucky Wildcats. 

The Wildcats boast a perfect 21-0 record, and they are the nation's unanimous #1 team. You might expect that as Kentucky keeps winning, the value would sway towards betting against them. That has actually been the case recently, as they have failed to cover in thre of their last four games. That's likely why we see them favored by just 18 points at home against Georgia, when the Bulldogs are coming off a 20 point road loss at South Carolina on Saturday. At full strength, the Bulldogs might be able to hand with Kentucky, but they are not at full strength. Georgia's leading scorer and top rebounder Marcus Thornton is going to miss another game as he's still suffering from a concussion. Georgia lost it's last visit to Kentucky by a 25 point margin, and it's a tough ask to do any better tonight without their best player. Take UK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

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

The Bonnies host La Salle tonight, and the Explorers have not looked all that great this season. They've lost all three of their road games during conference play, to Rhode Island, Dayton and George Mason. These teams met three times in 2014, with St. Bonaventure taking two of three despite playing just one of those games at home. The won that game by a score of 66-51, and I think we'll see a similar result here tonight. La Salle has only covered the spread once in it's last six trips to St. Bonaventure. La Salle looked awful in it's last game, losing at Rhode Island by a score of 59-47, shooting just 32.8% from the field in the loss. 

Take SBON. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Virginia #Cavaliers.

 The Cavs appear to be the cream of the crop in the ACC, and they'll get a chance to prove it at home this afternoon when they host Duke. The Blue Devils have lost three of six since starting the season with 14 straight wins. Their defense has been terrible during that stretch, allowing opponents to shoot over 50% from the field in their three losses. 

Virginia is better known for it's defense, that allows the fewest points per game of any team in the country (49.2), but they are also quite efficient offensively. Junior guard Justin Anderson leads the ACC in three point shooting, hitting 52% from beyond the arc so far. Duke looked particularly vulnerable to the three point shot in losses to Miami, N.C. State and Notre Dame, who all hit better than 50% from beyond the arc. 

The Cavs are very tough at home, and they've been a good bet as well. They are 35-17-2 ATS in their last 54 home games. Duke was eliminated by Virginia in last year's tournament, falling by a score of 72-63 at a neutral site (Greensboro). The Blue Devils might be hard pressed to see a better result this afternoon. 

Take UVA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers own the Missouri Valley Conference, coming into today's game riding a 27 game win streak against conference opponents. They are on the road at Northern Iowa today, in what will likely be their toughest conference game of the season. The Panthers have won eight straight since losing to the Evansville Aces in their first game of conference play. 

The Shockers are 6-1 on the road, with their only loss coming in overtime at Utah. They didn't have much trouble against the Panthers last season, sweeping the season series with wins home and away. Neither of those games were close, decided by a combined 23 points. 

The Shockers are one of six teams along with: Kentucky, Virginia, Wisconsin, Villanova and Utah, that rank in the Top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. 

There is no doubt that the Panthers are the second best team in this conference, but I think they are light years behind Wichita State. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Arizona Wildcats. 

Arizona has won five straight by an average margin of more than 19 points heading into tonight's home game versus Oregon State. It was the Beavers that handed the Wildcats their only loss in conference play so far, so you can expect Arizona be motivated by revenge here tonight. 

The Wildcats have won 32 straight home games dating back to February of 2013. They rank 7th nationally with a field goal percentage of 49.8%. 

Oregon State is coming off a 73-55 loss at Arizona State, and they have dropped four of six on the road this season. All three of their road losses during conference play have come by a double digit margin. 

The Beavers lost by a score of 76-54 when they traveled to Tuscon last season, and I expect another one-sided affair here tonight. 

Take ARI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Cincinnati #Bearcats. 

Cincinnati has won three straight overall, and five in a row at home. The Bearcats host the Connecticut Huskies on Thursday night, and UCONN has lost back to back road games by a combined 21 point margin. 

Cincinnati is 11-1 at home overall this season, covering the spread in five of their last seven at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats might have a significant edge in free throw shooting, hitting better than 78% from the charity stripe over their last five games. The Huskies have only hit 60.2% from the free throw line during that span. 

UCONN has covered the spread in six straight in this series, despite losing two of their last three visits to Cincinnati. The Bearcats are a smaller favorite tonight than they were in each of those previous two wins, and this year's Huskies team doesn't appear to be as strong as it was when it upset the Bearcats in Cincinnati last year. 

Take CIN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

10* analysis by 9AM

This is a 10* play on the Syracuse Orange. 

Just two days after narrowly defeating Florida State 78-74 at home, the injury depleted Tar Heels host Syracuse on Monday night. The Orange are coming off a home loss to Miami, by a score of 66-62. I expect to see a closely contested game between two ACC rivals here tonight. The Orange won last year's only meeting by score of 57-45 at home, and the Tar Heels have only covered the points twice in their last 12 games versus ACC opponents. Rakeem Christmas scored 23 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort on Saturday, and the senior forward should be a factor again tonight. 

Take SYR. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Creighton Blue Jays,

Creighton has lost all seven of it's games versus Big East opponents, and it comes into Sunday's game at Villanova off eight straight losses. Making matters worse, they lost their 2nd leading scorer to a season ending injury in a loss at Butler on Wednesday. Not surprisingly the Blue Jays are a huge underdog against the #4 ranked Wildcats.

A closer look at the circumstances seems to suggest that Creighton is grossly undervalued though. After all, Isaiah Zierden didn't score a single bucket before he went down with a torn MCL in the loss to Butler, and still the Blue Jays only lost by three points.

They haven't really been getting blown out, in fact they've lost twice by just a single point in their last four games. Villanova has not played well in it's last two games, losing to Georgetown and shooting just 41.8 % from the field in an uninspiring win over Pennsylvania. I expect this game to be another closely contested affair.

Take CRE.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Northern Iowa Panthers. 

Northern Iowa comes into today's game riding a six game winning streak, including a pair of road wins versus Bradley and Drake. The Panthers sit just one game back of Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, and they look to keep pace with the Shockers prior to next week's trip to Wichita. 

The Illinois State Red Birds have won 20 of their last 24 home games, but they lost at home to Indiana State on New Years Eve. They've since defeated Bradley and Drake, but a third straight home win could be tough without their starting PG. 

Paris Lee did not play on Tuesday when the Red Birds beat Drake by a score of 64-56, and leading scorer Daishon Knight may be forced to run the point again in tonight's game. 

Northern Iowa has been a great bet away from home, covering the points in eight of it's last nine road games. I expect that trend to continue here this afternoon. 

Take UNI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Washington State Cougars. 

Washington State lost big at Utah on Wednesday, but there is plenty of reason to expect a more competitive game here in Colorado tonight. The Buffaloes haven't impressed so far, and they come in as losers of four straight, most recently suffering a home loss to Washington. 

Colorado has won four straight in this series, but both of last season's game were close, decided by a total margin of six points. The Buffaloes are asked to cover more than that tonight, and they haven't looked like the same team they were last year. 

The Cougars have certainly been competitive on the road, winning two of their last three with upset victories at Cal and Washington. They have covered the points at a rate of 5-2-1 over their last eight games, and I think they are undervalued once again here in Colorado. 

Take WSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the BYU Cougars.

 The Cougars are sitting third in the WCC behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary's with a record of 15-6. They lost to the Gaels last Saturday, and look to bounce back this afternoon with a road game at San Diego. 

The Toreros have lost three of their last four home games, with the only win during that span coming against last place Loyola Marymount. San Diego shot below 30% from the field in a 59-47 loss to Pepperdine in it's most recent home game, and we should not expect any better result here against the Cougars who have won five of six on the road. 

The Cougars have won eight of the last 10 meetings in this series, and they swept the Toreros last year, winning 78-70 in San Diego. The Toreros have one covered the spread three times in their last 18 games versus conference foes. 

Take BYU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Saint. Mary's #Gaels. 

The Gonzaga Bulldogs sit first in the WCC, but 2nd place Saint Mary's is right behind them, with both teams 7-0 versus conference opponents. The Bulldogs are a big favorite at home tonight, but I don't see any reason to expect this game to be a blowout. 

Gonzaga has won and covered five straight meetings versus the Gaels, but they were only asked to cover single digits in all of those games. 

Saint Mary's has won nine straight, and three of those wins came on the road. They have won four of five away from home this season, covering the spread in all five of those games. 

All things considered, I think the line here is just a little too high. 

Take SMC. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Washington State Cougars. 

After winning three straight at Cal, Washington and at home against Oregon, the Cougars lost badly at home to Oregon State on Saturday. They won't have an easy time trying to bounce back on the road tonight, as they are in Utah taking on the #12 ranked Utes. The home team is a massive favorite here, and I am not convinced that they should be giving up so many points against a competent conference rival. Utah has been getting plenty of hype this season, but a little bloom came off the rose when they were hammered by the Wildcats in Arizona on Saturday. The Utes won the last meeting between these teams by a score of 81-63 at home. Utah has improved since then, but then again so has Washington State. The Cougars have won 3-of-5 in conference play so far, and I like their chances of keeping this game closer than some might think. 

Take WSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Clemson Tigers. 

Clemson won big at home over Syracuse on Saturday, and the Tigers are just a small favorite at home against Florida State a couple days later. The Seminoles have had a disappointing season so far, with a record of 9-9, and losing four of five during conference play. They are winless on the road, losing all four of their games away from Tallahassee. In fact FSU has failed to cover in eight straight road games dating back to last season. The Tigers on the other hand have been very solid at home, and they are are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 home games vs. a team with a losing road record. All things considered, Clemson deserves to be favored by at least a half a dozen points here.

Take CLEM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the St. Bonaventure #Bonnies. 

The Bonnies host St. Joseph's tonight, and the Hawks swept the season series last year. I expect the Bonnies to have little trouble at home against this year's St. Joes squad, that comes in with a losing record overall (7-8), and has dropped 3-of-4 in conference play. The Hawks are 2-5 on the road, and their last game away from home was a double digit loss to VCU. The Bonnies won their last game by a whopping 20 point margin, defeating the George Mason Patriots by a score of 75-55 in Rochester New York. Bonnies center Youssou Ndoye scored a career high 28 points, and added 13 rebounds in the victory. The seven footer from Senegal is likely to be a factor in tonight's game as well. 

Take SBON. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a play on the EWU Eagles.

Here is an article I published about Eastern Washington a few weeks ago:

"Every once in a while a college team will quietly fly under the radar, away from the national spotlight, covering the spread game after game, without anyone paying any attention. It was almost exactly a year ago that I published a piece discussing the incredible ATS trends of the Pac-12’s Utah Utes.

In fact I have featured the Utes as my team "Flying Under The Radar" in each of the last two seasons. Utah is now in the spotlight, boasting a 7-2 record and ranked #13 in the country.

This year I have my eye on the Eastern Washington Eagles out of the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles have won eight of 10 to start the season, and both losses have come against ranked opponents. One of those eight wins was a shocking upset of the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Their most recent game was an 81-77 defeat at Washington versus the #17 Huskies. They easily covered a 7.5 point spread in that game, and they are still a perfect 4-0 ATS for the season.

The Eagles have some sharpshooters, as they rank among the nation’s top teams in the category of field goal percentage, hitting 50.6% (13th nationally). It’s not going to take long for people to start noticing this team, but their next two games might present another opportunity to back them before they become overvalued."

The Eagles went on to lose to Sam Houston and California, but have bounced back with wins over Lewis Clark, Weber State and Portland. They are on the road at Sacramento State tonight, and this game features the two top teams in the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles are the cream of the crop in the Big Sky, and they should prove it tonight.

Take EWU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arizona Wildcats.

The #8 ranked Utah Utes are coming off a win on the road at Arizona State on Thursday, but they face a much tougher test tonight at Arizona. The Wildcats have won 31 straight home games dating back to February of 2013. Utah has lost 10 straight in this series, and they lost their last trip to Arizona by a score of 71-39. With Arizona asked to cover just a handful of points in tonight's contest, I think the value lies with a play on the home team. The Wildcats have covered in four of their last five games in Arizona, and they look like a good bet to make it 32 in a row tonight.

Take ARI.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Wyoming #Cowboys.

Wyoming had won seven straight prior to losing at home to San Diego State on Wednesday. It was their first loss in conference play, and only their second loss in five road games. I expect the #25 ranked Cowboys to bounce right back on the road tonight against a Fresno State team that isn't quite at the same caliber as SDSU. These teams have split the season series in each of the last two seasons, with the home team winning all four games during that span. This year's Wyoming squad is much stronger than it was then though, and their coach sounded pretty optimistic despite the loss to the Aztecs: "I saw no quit in our guys. I saw a lot of fight in our guys," he said. "There is always a lot of disappointment when you fall short, but I did not think we lost. I thought (San Diego State) took it from us."We've got to get ready and our mindset has to be right for Fresno State." Wyoming ranks among the nations leaders in field goal percentage, as well as scorning defense (3rd nationally). 

Take WYO. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers have won five straight since losing to George Washington in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii on Christmas Day. They are 5-0 in conference play, and they will look to make it six straight wins this afternoon on the road at Evansville. The Aces are coming of consecutive wins on the road, but they lost their last home game to Loyola (IL). The Shockers don't mind playing on the road, winning four of five road games, with the only exception being an overtime loss at Utah. Going back the last few seasons, Wichita State is  42-19 ATS in their last 61 road games. The Shockers have won three straight, and eight of the last 10 in this series. Three of those wins came on the road. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a play on the EWU Eagles.

Here is an article I published about Eastern Washington a few weeks ago: 

"Every once in a while a college team will quietly fly under the radar, away from the national spotlight, covering the spread game after game, without anyone paying any attention. It was almost exactly a year ago that I published a piece discussing the incredible ATS trends of the Pac-12’s Utah Utes.

In fact I have featured the Utes as my team “Flying Under The Radar” in each of the last two seasons. Utah is now in the spotlight, boasting a 7-2 record and ranked #13 in the country.

This year I have my eye on the Eastern Washington Eagles out of the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles have won eight of 10 to start the season, and both losses have come against ranked opponents. One of those eight wins was a shocking upset of the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Their most recent game was an 81-77 defeat at Washington versus the #17 Huskies. They easily covered a 7.5 point spread in that game, and they are still a perfect 4-0 ATS for the season.

The Eagles have some sharpshooters, as they rank among the nation’s top teams in the category of field goal percentage, hitting 50.6% (13th nationally). It’s not going to take long for people to start noticing this team, but their next two games might present another opportunity to back them before they become overvalued."

The Eagles went on to lose to Sam Houston and California, but have bounced back with wins over Lewis Clark and Weber State and Idaho. They are on the road at Portland tonight, but should have little trouble dispatching of an inferior opponent that lost it's last home game by double digits.

Take EWU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Wyoming Cowboys. 

Wyoming has impressed this season, with a 15-2 record the Cowboys find themselves ranked in the Top 25. They host the San Diego State Aztecs tonight, and SDSU has been terrible offensively. The Aztecs are hitting just 40.3% from the field, ranking 300th nationally. The Aztecs are coming off a 59-57 loss at Fresno State in their last road game, and tonight's game at Wyoming should prove to be a much tougher test. I expect the Cowboys to hand SDSU another defeat here in Wyoming. 

Take WYO. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the Missouri Tigers. 

The Wildcats are still undefeated, but the talk of their invincibility has died off quite a bit after a pair of overtime victories against unranked opponents. Bettors remain unfazed though, as the Wildcats are still being asked to cover an enormous spread here on Tuesday. Backing the Wildcats in conference play has been a losing proposition of late, as they've failed to cover seven of their last 10 versus SEC opponents. They have defeated the Tigers in each of the last two seasons, but last year's win in Missouri came by a margin of just five points, and they needed overtime at home in 2013. 

Take MIZZ. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Miami Hurricanes. 

Duke will look to bounce back after suffering it's first loss of the season at home against the Hurricanes tonight. The Blue Devils lost to N.C. State on Sunday by a score of 87-75. Still they are asked to cover an enormous double digit spread at home tonight against a conference rival that has proved to be a handful in past meetings. These teams have split the last four meetings, with the Hurricanes covering the spread in three of those games. The number in tonight's game is greater than it was in any of those previous four contests. 

Take Miami. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

Arkansas comes into Tennessee tonight with a 13-2 record, and already 2-0 in conference play. The Vols are coming off a home loss to Alabama, and they are just 1-1 versus the SEC. Tennessee shot just 31.1% from the field, going 14-of-45 in the loss to the Crimson Tide. They hit just 2 of their 17 three point attempts, for a woeful 11.8% from beyond the arc. The Razorbacks have been playing better basketball lately, and they've covered the spread in six of their last eight versus Tennessee. There is no reason why that trend shouldn't continue tonight in the Volunteer State. 

Take ARK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the #SJU Red Storm. 

The Wildcats were undefeated through their first 13 games of the season, but they suffered their first defeat on the road at Seton Hall on Saturday. Villanova shot just 31% from the field against the Pirates, and the Cats were brutal from the free throw line as well, hitting just 57.1%. 

Still they come into tonight's game at St. Johns as a significant favorite against St. John's. The Red Storm will get a boost as guard Rysheed Jordan who did not play in the 73-69 loss to Butler. Jordan is second on the team in scoring averaging 14 points per game. 

The Wildcats really struggled against Seton Hall's quicker guards, and they could face another tough test from Jordan and Harrington here. "They are going to be tough to guard," Jay Wright said. "Seton Hall was tough for us and we know St. John's will be too. Smaller teams that are quick and shoot the 3s have hurt us at times."

This game seems destined to be close, and I'd have to side with the home team getting points. 

Take SJU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

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

If you are one of the many that have been making money backing Kentucky this season, I think you might be wise to ease off, as the party could be over. They host SEC rivals Mississippi tonight, and they are asked to cover a mountain of points. This is a big let down spot for the Wildcats, as they are coming off a win over Louisville. The pundits agreed that the only thing standing in the way of a perfect season for Kentucky was Louisville, and now they are facing expectations of a perfect season with two months to play. The Rebels have the shooters to keep this game close, and they are coming off their best performances of the season hitting better than 55% in a win over Austin Peavy. They've also been accurate from three-point range, hitting 41% from beyond the arc in their last four games. 

Take MISS. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Washington Huskies. 

The Huskies won 11 straight to start the season, but have since dropped back to back games. They gave Cal a run for their money on Friday, but lost by a score of 81-75. Washington will look to get back on track at Stanford tonight, and they are getting a handful of points as a road dog. The Cardinal have only won one of the last five meetings with the Huskies, and they have covered the spread just three times in the last 10 meetings. The Huskies have an edge in defense and rebounding, and center Robert Upshaw leads the nation with 60 blocks, 15 of those coming in the last three games. 

Take WASH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a Free #NCAAB play on the Washington State #Cougars. 

The Stanford Cardinal will host Pac-12 rivals Washington State today, and the home team is asked to cover an outrageously high number. The Cardinal won their last two home games by a single digit margin, beating Denver 49-43, and Loyola Marymount 67-58.
The Cougars are coming off back to back home wins over UC Davis and San Jose State. Prior to that they had lost consecutive games away from home, but neither of those losses came by a margin as high as today's number. One of those games was an 81-66 loss to Gonzaga. 

Stanford has won four straight in this series, but only one of those wins came by a margin as great as the line in this afternoon's contest. Last year's meeting saw Stanford win 74-63 at Maples Pavilion. 

The Cougars are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, while the Cardinal have only covered the points once in their last seven versus the Pac-12. 

Take #WSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 10* play on the BYU Cougars. 

The Cougars host conference rivals Gonzaga tonight, and the Bulldogs come in as a big favorite. We've only seen Gonzaga play twice on the road so far, losing at Arizona, and cruising to a 10 point win at UCLA. I don't give them too much credit for the win over the Bruins though, as UCLA hasn't been competitive against quality opposition. BYU leads the nation in scoring, and they are 6-1 at home so far. The one loss came to #13 Utah by a score of 65-61. Their other two losses came in overtime to #15 ranked San Diego St., and unranked Purdue. I like the Cougars at home here getting a bunch of points, considering the home team is 8-0-1 in the last nine meetings in this series. 

Take BYU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers look to extend a streak of 41 consecutive victories over unranked opponents when they play George Washington in the Diamond Head Classic Final in Honolulu tonight. After just barely escaping with a win over the Hawaii Warriors, we see the #11 ranked Shockers only asked to cover a handful of points. The Patriots though also played a close semifinal game against Colorado, a team that has not impressed much this season. The Patriots have lost 18 of their last 19 versus Top 25 teams, and I don't think they should count on another poor shooting performance from a very talented Wichita State team who's only loss came on the road at Utah in overtime by a score of 69-68 in OT. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Hawaii Warriors. 

The Warriors lost a heart breaker to the #11 ranked Wichita State Shockers in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. It was another impressive performance from the Warriors, who knocked off Nebraska in it's previous game. Hawaii will play Colorado tonight, and the Buffaloes were eliminated by a pretty average George Washington team on Tuesday. These Buffaloes a far cry from the team we saw last year, and they have no business being favored over the Warriors in Hawaii. Colorado is 0-2 on the road this season, suffering double digit losses to Wyoming and Georgia. It's a tough spot for Colorado, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Hawaii win this game outright. 

Take HAW. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

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

West Virginia is currently the #22 ranked team in the country, but a loss in New York against the Wolfpack would likely see them slip out of the Top 25. The Mountaineers have not played well since losing at home to LSU, shooting just 37.2% from the field over their last three games. Their most recent game was a 69-66 home win over Marshall, hardly an impressive result. The Wolfpack might not be an ideal opponent for a team trying to break out of an offensive slump, they've held opponents to just 36% shooting, and they rank in the top 10 in the nation in blocks per game (6.8). The Wolfpack are coming off a red hot shooting performance in a win over the Vols, hitting a season high 11 three pointers. I'll take the hot team here in at a neutral site game in New York. 

Take NCST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Notre Dame Irish. 

The 10-1 Irish play the 8-3 Purdue Boilermakers at Banker's Life Field House in Indianapolis Saturday, and the Irish are only a small favorite. Purdue is getting a lot of respect for it's defense, and they lead the Big-10 in blocked shots. Notre Dame comes in with the nation's best shooting percentage at 55.7%, and they put on a clinic in a 20 point blowout win over FSU last weekend. The Boilermakers rank among the worst in the Big-10 at defending the three ball, and they could get burned by an Irish team that is hitting better than 40% from beyond the arc. Notre Dame has won the last two meetings with Purdue by double digits, most recently in 2012 by a score of 81-68. 

Take ND. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Cincinnati Bearcats.

I cashed in a winner in Cincy's last game, a home win over the San Diego State Aztecs. Here is what I said prior to tipoff: " Cincy is 5-0 at home, and it hasn't lost a non-conference home game in almost two years. The Aztecs are a great defensive team, but the offense has been very inconsistent so far, and we can expect San Diego State to struggle on the road against a Cincy team that has limited opponents to 52.8 points per game and 37.2 percent shooting -- 31.7 from beyond the arc. I think it's a bargain getting the home team as a pickem in this spot." The same logic applies this afternoon again unranked VCU, a team that has failed to cover in eight of it's last 10 versus teams with a winning record. 

Take CINCY. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Bearcats. 

The Cincinnati Bearcats lost in overtime on the road at Nebraska their last time out, but they return home to host the #19 ranked San Diego State Aztecs tonight. Cincy is 5-0 at home, and it hasn't lost a non-conference home game in almost two years. The Aztecs are a great defensive team, but the offense has been very inconsistent so far, and we can expect San Diego State to struggle on the road against a Cincy team that has limited opponents to 52.8 points per game and 37.2 percent shooting -- 31.7 from beyond the arc. I think it's a bargain getting the home team as a pickem in this spot. 

Take CIN. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 5* play on the SMU Mustangs. 

The Mustangs have had a disappointing start to the season, falling out of the Top 25 after losses to Gonzaga, Indiana and Arkansas. SMU is still 6-1 at home, and the lone loss came to the #25 ranked Razorbacks. Tonight's opponent should not present much of a challenge, and the Mustangs will be expected to rout the UIC Flames, a team coming off a heartbreaking home loss to UT Martin. The Flames have only played three games on the road so far, losing badly in each of their last two. They lost to Kent State by an 18 point margin, and then to Dayton by a score of 75-41. We should see SMU prove to be just as tough as Dayton was, if not tougher. The Mustangs should cover this number with relative ease. 

Take SMU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Old Dominion Monarchs. 

The Monarchs are off to an impressive 7-1 start to the season, and one of those seven victories came against #14 ranked VCU. They put their perfect 4-0 home record to the test tonight as they host the Georgia State Panthers, who are 2-2 on the road. The Panthers are coming off a blowout win at home, defeating Green Bay by a score of 72-48. It's going to be tough for the Panthers tonight though, as Old Dominion is 11-0 ATS in it's last 11 home games, and they've looked very impressive so far with marquee wins over LSU and VCU. The home team enjoys an edge with superior perimeter shooting, free throw percentage as well as rebounds per game. 

Take ODU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Detroit Titans. 

The Titans are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Wichita State Shockers, and some might try to tell you that this sets them up for a let down here tonight. I don't think that's the case, as I believe that showing the ability to compete with one of college basketball's best teams will actually give them confidence heading into tonight's game at UCF. They take a huge step down in the quality of opposition, as the Knights are really struggling, coming off three straight double digit losses. It's quite telling when you look at who they lost to. Losing to the UIC Flames by 11 points is an embarrassing result, even on the road. 

Take DET. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Wichita State Shockers.

There hasn't been a better bet in college hoops over the last two years than the Wichita State Shockers. The Shockers have only lost one regular season game over the last two seasons, and that was at Utah a few weeks ago. They actually covered the spread in that game, but have recently failed to cover in each of their last two games. Their last home game was against Seton Hall, and they took a 15 point lead to the locker room at the half. The Pirates closed the gap late in that game with a barrage of lucky three point shots. I think failing to cover twice in a row has seen their stock drop a little, and I expect tonight's game to be another easy win on their home court.

Take WICH.

GL,

Jesse Schule

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

The Dons are coming off a home loss to an unranked opponent from the Big Sky Conference. Don't kid yourself though, the Eastern Washington Eagles are a tough team that has already upset the Hoosiers in Indiana, and very nearly upset the Huskies in Washington last night. Prior to that loss they won all four of their home games by an average margin of 29 points. San Francisco has been dominant on the boards, averaging 41.9 rebounds per game (16th nationally). They host Cal Poly tonight, and the Mustangs are 0-4 on the road, with three of those four losses coming by a double digit margin. I expect the Dons to run away with this game, bouncing back from a tough loss to the Eagles their last time out. 

Take SF. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Eastern Washington Eagles. 

The Eastern Washington Eagles aren't exactly a powerhouse in the college ranks, hailing from the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles are off to an impressive 7-1 start, but it appears that bookmakers are still skeptical as they are an underdog in San Francisco to the 5-3 Dons on Thursday. The Eagles though have already beaten better teams than this on the road, namely the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. Their last game was double digit road win at Seattle. I'll take the points here, but I am gonna call for the Eagles to win this one outright. 

Take EWU.

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the California Golden Bears. 

The 8-1 Wyoming Cowboys will be in California to take on the 7-1 Golden Bears on Wednesday, and the home team is asked to cover just a few points. Cal won it's first three home games all by way of the blowout, but it needed overtime to get past the Montana Grizzlies to remain unbeaten at 4-0. The Cowboys have been one of the better shooting teams in the country, hitting 52.8% from the field so far. They have really struggled on the boards though, averaging fewer than 30 rebounds per game. This is an advantage that Cal should exploit, as they are one of the top rebounding teams in the country, averaging over 40 rebounds per game. Cal won this matchup by a score of 80-55 at home last year, and the Golden Bears are  8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

Take Cal. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule 

This is a 10* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers were one of college basketball's biggest moneymakers last season, covering the spread at an amazing rate. They've picked up right where they left off so far this season, and I've been fortunate enough to have backed them against Utah, Tulsa and Memphis. They responded to their first regular season loss in more than a year, by blowing out the Saint Louis Billikens by a whopping 29-point margin. The Shockers host unbeaten Seton Hall tonight, and they are a double digit favorite. This will be the Pirates first road game, and the first time they have faced a ranked opponent. Better teams than this have failed the test at Charles Koch Arena, and I'm expecting another blowout win for the Shockers. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the San Diego State Aztecs. 

The 6-1 Aztecs will be in Washington to take on the undefeated Huskies, and the visitors are a slight favorite. Washington hasn't really played anybody yet, with all six of it's wins coming against unranked opponents. The Aztecs have three big wins to their credit, defeating Utah, Pittsburgh and BYU. Their only loss coming to the #3 ranked Arizona Wildcats. San Diego state has been a great bet on the road in recent seasons, going 42-17-2 ATS in their last 61 road games. I think the home team is a little overrated after padding it's stats against inferior opponents. 

Take SDSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Kentucky Wildcats. 

It's early days in the college hoops season, but the undisputed #1 so far is Kentucky. The Wildcats have dominated the opposition so far, winning all seven games by double digits. They are coming off a 58-38 win over Providence, and they beat Kansas by a whopping 32 points in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. Kentucky hosts Texas tonight, and they are catching the Longhorns at a good time, as they are without leading scorer Isaiah Talylor. Texas is 7-0 so far, but it hasn't faced the likes of Kentucky, and I expect this game to be a one sided affair, with the home team easily covering a double digit spread. 

Take UK. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Utes have found their way back into the Top 25, winning five in a row since a 53-49 defeat at San Diego State. Once again Utah has been bringing big bucks for it's backers, covering the spread in all but one of it's games so far. I've followed this team very closely in recent seasons, publishing a series of articles about the Utes titled "Flying Under The Radar". The've compiled some simply amazing ATS stats over the last 2-3 years, and bookmakers have been slow to take notice. We've all heard the expression that good things never last, and I think the days of getting value betting on the Utes are over. The majority of their ATS success came playing the role of an underdog, and now we see them favored at home against a Shockers team that hasn't lost a regular season game since March of the 2012-2013 season. The Shockers were knocked out of last year's tournament by Kentucky, who went all the way to the final. The margin of defeat in that game was just two points. How could you possibly pass on this team as an underdog ... I know I simply can't. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the UC Davis Aggies. 

The San Jose State Spartans are a poor excuse for a division I team, coming into tonight's game with a 1-6 record. They are sitting in the cellar of the Mountain West, familiar territory for a team that lost 18 of it's final 19 games last season. They've lost their last three games by an average margin of 18 points. The Aggies are 5-0, and they are shooting an impressive 49.4% from the field so far (27th nationally). Their 3-0 home record includes a marquee victory over the Utah State Aggies, and they shouldn't have any trouble covering single digits at home tonight against an inferior opponent. 

Take UCD

GL, 

Jesse Schule

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

The Dons will play their first road game of the season tonight in Colorado, and they haven't been to Boulder since winning 83-81 in OT in 2010. Colorado is off to an unimpressive start, despite winning four of five games. The Buffaloes are coming off an 84-75 win over the Lipscomb Bisons, yet they are asked to cover a dozen against the Dons tonight. San Francisco should have an edge on the glass, as it's averaging 44.5 rebounds per game (5th in the country). The number looked a little too high at first glance, and after doing a little digging I see that San Francisco has gone 42-18-2 in it's last 62 road games. 

Take SF. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Spartans will head to South Bend to take on the Irish on Wednesday night, and the visitors have really been struggling offensively. The same can't be said of Notre Dame, as the Irish are currently leading the country with a 58% field goal percentage. Don't expect the Irish to shoot 58% percent tonight though, as they face a Spartans team that is dominant defensively. Michigan State has held it's last five opponents to an average of just 33.9% shooting. They haven't exactly been playing cupcakes either, with their losses coming against Duke and Kansas. The Irish have yet to face a ranked opponent, and their only loss came by a score of 75-74 to Providence. 

Take MSU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Cleveland State Vikings. 

The Vikes return home off a 68-59 road win over Marshall, and they are just a slight favorite against the Toledo Rockets tonight. Cleveland State is 2-0 at home, while the Rockets are 0-3 on the road. Toledo has suffered consecutive losses to teams from the Horizon Conference, falling at home to the Detroit Titans, and losing on the road to the Oakland Grizzlies. The Vikes finished second in the Horizon last year with a 12-4 record, and they could prove to be tougher than both those previous opponents. 

Take CLVST. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wyoming Cowboys. 

The Wyoming Cowboys are 6-0, and they will put that perfect record to the test at home versus the Denver Pioneers tonight. Denver has played twice on the road, and they lost those two games by a combined 37 points. The Cowboys are ranked 5th overall in the nation shooting 54.1% from the field. They have dominated the opposition at home, including a blowout win over Colorado by a whopping 23 point margin. The Cowboys have won five straight home meetings versus Denver, and they covered the spread in four of those five games. 

Take WYO. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wright State Raiders. 

The Evansville Aces are 4-1, and they will be a big favorite at home versus Wright State tonight. The Raiders are 4-3, but they've won 2-of-3 on the road. The Aces are coming off a 79-72 win over the San Francisco Dons in Florida, but they could face a tougher challenge here against a Wright State team that has a history of playing well on the road. The Raiders are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games. The Aces haven't yet suffered an ATS loss, and because of that I think they are asked to cover to great a number at home tonight. 

Take WRST

GL, Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Siena Saints. 

The Fordham Rams have just one win so far, and that came against the NY Institute of Technology Bears. With all do respect to the Bears, than win doesn't really inspire a lot of confidence. They've since dropped back to back games at home by a combined 13 points to division I teams. The Rams host Siena tonight, and the Saints are coming off consecutive road wins, by a total of 13 points. The Saints were a moneymaker at the end of last season, and my clients will remember winning a couple of big games backing the Saints. Siena has now covered the spread in 10 of their last 13 games. 

Take Siena. GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the UTEP Miners. 

Both the Huskies and the Miners are undefeated, but while Washington's wins have all come against teams that they were favored to beat, the Miners are coming off an upset win over a very talented Xavier team. If there was any doubt as to how good this team is, they surely silenced a lot of critics in a 77-73 win over Xavier. The Miners shot 8-of-20 from beyond the arc, and a solid 48% from the field in the victory. They come into tonight's game shooting almost 40% from three-point range, eight percentage points better than the Huskies. The Miners are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 non-conference games, and I expect that trend to continue tonight. 

Take UTEP. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Xavier Musketeers. 

Xavier is coming off it's first loss of the season, falling by a score of 77-73 to UTEP. They will look to bounce back on Sunday against a Long Beach St. team that they defeated by a whopping 23 point margin just 10 days ago. The Musketeers scored 97 points in that game, and they shot 13-of-31 from three point range. They've been shooting out the lights all season so far, ranking 4th in the country with a .541 field goal percentage. All five of their wins have come by double-digits, and I think they should be a much bigger favorite here in a neutral site game against an inferior team. 

Take XAVIER. GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers are coming off a perfect 34-0 season, and they were eliminated in the second round of the tournament by Kentucky, who went all the way to the Final. That game was very close, as they lost 76-74. The went all the way to the Final Four the previous season, losing to the eventual champions Louisville. While they lost Cleanthony Early, they still have Ron Baker, Darius Carter and Fred VanVleet. They are off to another great start, going 3-0 through their first three games and winning by at least 15 points in all of those games. The Shockers are asked to cover a double-digit spread here against Tulsa, but they should have little trouble blowing out an inferior opponent at home. They scored 105 points and shot 10-of-23 from beyond the arc in their last game, a blowout win over the Newman Jets. 

Take WICH. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Xavier Musketeers. 

The Musketeers have blown away the opposition so far, winning all four of their games by an average margin of 25 points. We should expect more of the same as they host the San Diego Toreros on Thanksgiving Day. The Toreros are coming off three straight wins, but against pretty weak opponents. It's not going to be easy to stop an Xavier team that comes in averaging 90 points per game, ranking #1 in the country in assists, and shooting better than 55% from the field (5th). The Musketeers are also dominating on the boards, and the won the rebounding battle 56-23 in their last game against Murray State. The opening line saw Xavier only asked to cover single digits, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it bet up a few points before game time, this should be a blowout. 

Take Xavier. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Rhode Island Rams. 

The Rams already have one victory over a ranked opponent, and they'll face a Kansas team that appears to be struggling. They beat #21 ranked Nebraska on Saturday, and Rhode Island dominated on the boards in that game, out-rebounding the Huskers 49-36. Kansas has a couple of unimpressive wins against inferior opponents, but the Jayhawks were completely dismantled by Kentucky. They shot just 19.6% from the field in that game, and they are shooting below 40% after three games. The Rams might not be an ideal opponent for a team looking to break out of an offensive slump, as they've allowed their last two opponents to average just over 36% from the field. This looks like another case of a favorite being asked to cover too many points. 

Take URI. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Villanova Wildcats. 

The #12 ranked Wildcats are coming off a big win over VCU, winning by a whopping 24 points. They play Michigan tonight, and the Wolverines are coming off a win in a close game against Oregon (70-63). That game was only close because the Ducks dominated on the glass, out-rebounding Michigan 41-29. This could prove to be an issue again tonight, as Villanova has been quite good, out-rebounding it's opponents in 3-of-4 games so far. Michigan's coach acknowledged his concerns: "Unfortunately they're a little bit stronger and much more athletic than us on the backboard and we just didn't block out some times," Beilein said. "This is a big issue after today because we did work on it, we've been working on it and we'll work on it some more." Brooklyn's own JayVaughn Pinkston scored a team high 15 points last night, and he's likely to be a force again tonight. The Wildcats have been a big moneymaker, covering in 40 of their last 59 games overall. 

Take VILL. 

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the BYU Cougars. 

The San Diego State Aztecs are 3-0 to start the season, but they will face their first real test tonight against BYU. The Aztecs haven't impressed, and they've struggled shooting the ball against inferior oppositions. They shot just 24.6% from the field (14-of-57) in their last game, a 51-27 win over CSU Bakersfield. The Cougars are also 3-0, but they've scored 90+ points in all three of those games, and they have been hitting their shots. BYU is shooting 40.9% from three point range, while the Aztecs are hitting just 22.6% of their shots from beyond the arc. So far we haven't seen anything from San Diego State to justify being a favorite here at a neutral site. 

Take BYU. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Eastern Washington Eagles. 

The Eagles got off to an impressive start, winning their first three games in convincing fashion. They faced their first real test this Saturday though, losing to the #22 ranked SMU Mustangs. They did manage to stay within single digits, and easily covered the spread. That wasn't a bad result on the road against a ranked opponent. Eastern Washington will face another stiff test against Indiana tonight, and once again they're getting a double-digit cushion. The Hoosiers beat Lamar by a 13-point margin over the weekend, but I think the Eagles will give them a tougher challenge. 

Take EWU,

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Florida State Seminoles.

Florida State is coming off a shocking upset loss to the Northeastern Huskies. This perhaps has the Seminoles falling out of favor with the betting public, as they are just a slight favorite against Providence on Saturday. I had a close look at that game against the Huskies though, and it looks like Northeastern was just hitting their shots (to the tune of 60% from beyond the arc). I think that the loss might say more about their opponent, than it does about the Seminoles. The Friars are 3-0, but those are three unspectacular wins over cupcakes. Providence is shooting just over 45% from the field, compared to 54.9% of FSU. The Noles also have the edge in three point shooting as well as at the free throw line. I like FSU to bounce back with a win here in Connecticut.

Take FSU. 

GL, Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Davidson Wildcats. 

The Tar Heels are off to a solid start to the season, but both their wins have come against minnows. They could face a much tougher test when they meet the Davidson Wildcats on neutral ground here this weekend. The Wildcats come in shooting a red hot 53.5% from the field, and they shot 10-for-21 from three point range in a win over the Campbell Camels on Tuesday. When these two teams met last season, the Tar Heels won in overtime by a score of 97-85 at home. The Wildcats also lost at home the year before, but by a margin of just four points. North Carolina is being asked to cover a greater number here than in either of those two meetings, and I think the value lies with the underdog. 

Take DAV

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the Notre Dame Irish. 

The UMASS Minutemen are undefeated at 3-0, but their three victories against unranked opponents weren't really all that impressive. They needed overtime to sneak past the Manhattan Jaspers at home on Tuesday.  A date with with the Irish at a neutral site should prove to be far more challenging than any of their previous games. The Irish are also undefeated, and unlike UMASS they have been blowing out inferior opposition. Notre Dame ranks 5th in the country shooting better than 59% from the field, and that could spell trouble for the Minutemen. UMASS hit just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc against the Jaspers, and that's not going to cut it against Notre Dame. 

Take ND. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the St. Mary's Gaels. 

The Denver Pioneers won their season opener by a score of 54-38 over Idaho State. Considering the opponent, it wasn't a very impressive result. A closer look at the stats reveals that the Pioneers shot just 39% from the field, and they led by just two points at the half. They will need to be a helluva lot better than that tonight to avoid getting blown out by the Gaels. St. Mary's is 2-0, and both of it's wins have come by a double digit margin. The Gaels come in shooting better that 54% from the field, and even slightly higher from beyond the arc. They've also been impressive from the charity stripe, hitting 80%. The Pioneers hit all eight of their free throws against the Bengals, but it won't matter how well they shoot unless they get to the line more frequently. St. Mary's went to the free throw line 31 times in it's last game against New Mexico State, hitting 25 of those shots. The last time the Gaels hosted Denver, they won by a score of 77-47, and I wouldn't be surprised to see another blowout tonight. 

Take SMC

GL, 

Jesse Schule

 This is an 8* play on the Miami Hurricanes. 

The Drexel Dragons are already in the hole 0-2 to start the season, and it won't get any easier Thursday afternoon when they meet Miami. The Canes are 2-0, including an impressive win on the road at Florida. The Canes shot 50% from three point range and 70% from charity stripe against the Gators. They should have a big edge here against a Drexel team that has hit just 24% of it's outside shots so far this season. Drexel is also shorthanded, after losing senior guard Major Canady to a season ending ankle injury he suffered in practice. The Dragons have a reputation as "Giant Slayers", with several high profile upsets over the years. They showed no signs of that in a loss at Colorado in their opening game of the season, shooting just 29% from the field in a 65-48 loss to the Buffaloes. 

Take MIA. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Duke Blue Devils. 

Duke has scored over 100 points in each of it's first to games of the season, and Coach K's team appears to be firing on all cylinders as they get set to host the Spartans. The same can't be said for Michigan State, who came very close to losing their opener to the Navy Midshipmen. "We just weren't very good as a team," coach Tom Izzo said. "I blame myself. It's my job to get them ready to play and I just don't think we did the things that we needed to do to be successful." The Blue Devils have owned Izzo's Spartans, going 8-1 under Mike Krzyzewsk. Duke won the last meeting by a 10-point margin, and Tom Izzo knows it could be another tough battle tonight: "Duke has been dominating. They're playing 10 different guys -- nine are McDonald's All-Americans. They've got maybe as good a recruiting class as there's been in recent years. You put that together with guys like Cook and (Rasheed) Sulaimon, it's a pretty imposing group."

Take Duke. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Wichita State Shockers. 

The Shockers are coming off a perfect 34-0 season, and they were eliminated in the second round of the tournament by Kentucky, who went all the way to the Final. That game was very close, as they lost 76-74. The went all the way to the Final Four the previous season, losing to the eventual champions Louisville. While they lost Cleanthony Early, they still have Ron Baker, Darius Carter and Fred VanVleet. Freshman Forward Shaq Morris played just 12 minutes in the win over New Mexico State, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. They play Memphis on Tuesday, and the Tigers failed to impress in a loss to the Div II Christian Brothers 74-70 in overtime last week. "There is no good news out of it, other than the fact that it doesn't go in the record books," Memphis coach Josh Pastner told the Commercial Appeal. The Tigers should be out-classed here by a Shockers team that looks sharp in the early going. 

Take Shockers. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oregon Ducks. 

The Ducks opened last season with 13 straight wins, and they were a big money maker for bettors. This is a completely different team though, with a new group of freshman that have a lot to prove. They begin the season with plenty of question marks, but if their first game is any indication, this team might be just fine. The Ducks defeated Coppin State 107-65, shooting out the lights at home. Senior guard Joseph Young scored 32 points, and hit 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. As a team Oregon was 14-of-23 from three point range, and they shot better than 56% from the field. They host the Detroit Titans tonight, and they are asked to cover a double digit spread. The Titans are coming off a tough season, finishing 8th in the Horizon Conference. Oregon should run away with this one. 

Take ORE. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

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

The Lobos bring back just two starters from last season, but after opening the season with a 79-55 win over Idaho State, they appear to be in good shape. Guard Cullen Neal scored a career high 26 points, sharing the backcourt with Deshawn Delaney and Hugh Greenwood. His father Craig is the head coach, and he's pleased with what he's seen so far: "I think I have two really good guards, who can shoot it, pass it and do whatever it takes to win," the elder Neal said of his point guard duo. "I like those two guys in Hugh and Cullen because they just want to win." The Lobos host CS Fullerton tonight, and the Titans were blown out by a score of 89-72 at Santa Clara in their first game of the season. They'll be hard pressed to get a better result here in New Mexico tonight. 

Take UNM. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the California Golden Bears. 

Cal opened the season with 91-57 win over Alcorn State. Guard Tyrone Wallace scored a career high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the victory. The Bears bring back three starters, Wallace, BIrd and big man David Kravish. The 6"10 senior has 182 career blocks, and he's on pace to break Cal's team record. The Bears host Kennesaw State, who lost their opener by a whopping 47 points to Syracuse. The Owls shot just 37.2% in that game. Cal looked pretty good in their opener, and I expect another blowout win for the home team tonight. 

Take CAL. 

GL, 

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the UMASS Minutemen. 

The Minutemen opened the season with a 95-87 win over Sienna, powered by 28 points from Trey Davis. UMASS shot 6-of-15 from beyond the arc, and 75% from the free throw line. Boston College also won their opener, but it was a close game 58-50 against New Hampshire. The Eagles lost a couple starters who transferred after last season, but they get back Olivier Hanlan, who averaged 18.5 points per game. The Minutemen have won the last two meetings with Boston College by a combined 49 points, and the Eagles are just 3-14 in their last 17 versus A-10 teams. 

Take UMASS. 

GL,

Jesse Schule 

This is a 5* play on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

The #8 ranked Louisville Cardinals and head coach Rick Pitino will meet the Golden Gophers in Puerto Rico in the Armed Forces Classic on Friday night. This will be the second time father and son (Rick and Richard Pitino) face each other as opposing head coaches. The last meeting was in 2012 when Rick's Louisville team defeated his son's FIU squad 79-55. 

Richard should have a better shot of getting one over on his father with a Minnesota team that is coming off an NIT Championship win over SMU last spring. The Gophers strength is in the backcourt with Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu, and 6"11 senior Elliot Elliason is a force in the paint. 

The game will be played in extreme conditions, without air-conditioning in a Coast Guard base hanger. While there is no doubt that Louisville is the more talented team, they are being asked to cover an awful lot of points. 

Take MIN

GL, 

Jesse Schule