This is a 10* play on the Utah Utes.

The Utah Utes and St. Mary's Gaels both have similar records, but Utah has played far better teams in the superior Pac-12 conference. The Utes faced just one opponent from the West Coast Conference this season, and it was a blowout home win over the BYU Cougars, who finished ahead of the Gaels in the standings.

Utah will be looking to bounce back from a crushing defeat at the hands of the Arizona Wilcats, as they scored just 39 points in a 71-39 blowout in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament. Prior to that though they defeated the Washington Huskies in their first round matchup, and they had won three of their final four games of the season, including an upset victory on the road at Cal.

These teams haven't played in over a decade, but Utah won the last two meetings in 2002 and 2003. The Utes have the better shooters, as they shoot for a higher percentage, from the field, from beyond the arc and at the free throw line. I think the Gaels will find themselves outgunned here by a more talented team.

Take Utah.

GL,

Jesse Schule

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

The Raiders were red hot down the stretch, winning six straight before being knocked out of their conference tournament by Milwaukee. Two of those wins came on the road, and they will have to play on the road tonight against East Carolina.

The Pirates are coming off a loss to UTEP in the second round of the C-USA tourney. They shot just 43.1% from the field in that game, and they also struggled from the free throw line, hitting 6-of-11 (54%).

The Raiders come in feeling the hot hand, as they are shooting 49.8% over their last five games. The Pirates have hit just 41.7% of their shots during that same span.

I like Wright State's chances of bouncing back from a tough loss, as they should be able to get the better of an inferior opponent here tonight.

Take the Raiders.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan Wolverines.

Buckle up, today's game between Michigan and Michigan State has all the signs of being another epic battle. Oddly we see conference champions getting points in this game, even though they've won seven straight, finishing with a 17-3 record in conference play.

The winning streak started with a 79-70 home victory over the Spartans, who they also defeated in East Lansing earlier in the year. With these two teams having a history of playing close games, I'd think twice about laying points here.

We witnessed what the Wolverines can do in last year's tournament, and when they are hitting their shots, it's going to be tough for anyone to beat them. They were hitting their shots yesterday, shooting 53.2% from the field, and 12-of-23 from beyond the arc.

"We've got six of our eight that play can make 3s," Beilein said. "And, as a result, when you have that many guys and pretty much they have different green lights, but they have green lights. So when they're shooting it well, we can spread people out."

I expect Michigan to stay hot shooting, making life difficult for the Spartans.

Take MICH.

GL,

Jesse Schule

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

As a professional handicapper, it's important to know the difference between making the right call, and just getting lucky. My win with Virginia yesterday was one that I chalk up to pure luck.

Watching the game, I was impressed with the Cavs defense, but it was frustrating to watch them fail to execute on offense. They looked like a team that was happy to be there, lacking in the confidence and experience that it takes to win.

Somehow they managed to shoot 46.7%, and 3-of-12 from three point range, but it sure looked worse than that. They were constantly throwing the ball away, and just holding on to the ball until the shot clock would run down, and then throw up a prayer.

With over five minutes left to play, they had just a five point lead, and at that point it looked as if they just stopped trying to score entirely. While Pittsburgh had a chance to hit a game tying shot in the final second, the Cavs ended up going to the free throw line and getting a miraculous cover. I believe if they play the same style today, Duke is going to punish them for it.

The recipe for success is simple, if the Blue Devils can hit their shots, the Cavs won't be able to keep up. Duke hit 57.1% from the field against N.C. State, and 7-of-17 from beyond the arc.

This Duke team has more weapons that Pitt, and I don't think Virginia can stop them from scoring.

Take Duke.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan just narrowly escaped with a victory by a single point versus Illinois yesterday, and they will face the Buckeyes this afternoon. Ohio State also had a scare, as it had to come from behind to beat Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers led by as much as 18 points in the second half, but could not hold on, as Ohio State eventually won 71-67. The Buckeyes did not shoot the ball well, and were just 4-of-18 from beyond the arc. They will find it very tough to hang in there versus Michigan unless they can flip the switch and start hitting some shots.

Michigan wasn't exactly shooting out the lights either yesterday, hitting 10-of-30 from downtown, with Nik Stauskas going 2-for-10. They didn't stop trying though, and a player like Stauskas is going to start to catch fire sooner rather than later.

The Wolverines won by double digits (70-60) at Columbus in February, and they are just a slight favorite here in this game. I expect the Buckeyes struggles versus Michigan to struggle, and don't be surprised to see Stauskas respond with a big game.

Take MICH.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Virginia Cavaliers.

Despite poor perimeter shooting, hitting only 30% from beyond the arc, Virginia slipped past Florida State by a score of 64-51 on Friday. They will face Pittsburgh this afternoon, and the Panthers are coming off a win over North Carolina, by just a five point margin.

These teams met back on February 2 in Pittsburgh, and the Cavs handed the Panthers a loss on their home court. Viriginia didn't shoot particularly well in that game either, hitting just 4-of-12 three point attempts.

Virginia is 5-0 on neutral territory this season, and they've shot the ball well in those games, hitting 50% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. If they can find their shots today, this could get ugly for Pittsburgh.

The Cavs have lost just once in their last 15 games, and that came on the road in their season finale at Maryland, falling in overtime to the Terrapins. Pittsburgh on the other hand lost seven of their final 14 games of the season, and of those seven wins, four came in overtime.

The Panthers played well enough to build a 20 point lead against the Tar Heels, but then sloppy defense allowed North Carolina to come all the way back to within three points in the final minute.

Virginia deserves to be a significant favorite here after the season it's had, and I think the Panthers will have their hands full here, don't be surprised if the Cavs run away with it.

Take UVA.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Longhorns.

After blowing out West Virginia on Thursday, the Longhorns face Baylor Friday night. I personally think this Texas team might just be a lot better than it's record indicates. They finished with a respectable record while playing in the toughest conference in the country, and when you look at the Longhorns losses, there aren't any questionable ones.

Texas is far better defensively, and they should dominate the boards versus the Bears. Texas won both meetings during the regular season, including a 74-60 win at Waco.

The Longhorns have been a good bet against Baylor in recent seasons, covering the points in seven of the last eight head to head meetings.

The Longhorns did everything right in a blowout win over the Mountaineers yesterday, and leading scorer Jonathan Holmes was 7-of-8 from the field, 4-of-4 from the free throw line for 20 points, while playing just 18 minutes.

I expect Texas to shut down Baylor with tough defensive minded play, just as they did to West Virginia on Thursday.

Take Texas.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Texas Longhorns.

The West Virginia Mountaineers registered a few impressive wins against some of the Big-12's best teams this season. Most of those wins came at home at Morgantown though. They won their season finale in a 92-86 home win over Kansas, despite 41 points from Andrew Wiggins.

The Mountaineers didn't have much success against Texas though, losing both meetings by double digits. They also struggled away from Morgantown, with just four wins on the road all year.

I personally think this Texas team might just be a lot better than it's record indicates. They finished with a respectable record while playing in the toughest conference in the country, and when you look at the Longhorns losses, there aren't any questionable ones.

Texas is far better defensively, and they should dominate the boards versus West Virginia. The Mountaineers are going to have to shoot out the lights just to make a game of it, and they haven't really shown the ability to do that outside of Morgantown.

Take Texas.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Xavier Musketeers.

Xavier finished with a better record than Marquette, but both teams struggled at the end of the season. Marquette lost three in a row, including their final home game, falling 91-90 in OT versus St. John's.

The Musketeers lost their final two games of the season, on the road at Seton Hall, and at home in a close game versus the Big East champs Villanova.

These teams split the season series, with each team winning on their home court. The Musketeers will be without junior center Matt Stainbrook, who is sidelined with a knee injury.

He was unable to play in the season finale, still they managed to keep the score close against the Wildcats, losing 77-70.

"Us not having Matt was tough, but I think we learned more about each other," Philmore said. "It didn't turn out the way we wanted it to, obviously, but we stuck together. It just wasn't enough. Sometimes, it's not always enough."

I think they will make the necessary adjustments, and get the job done against an inferior Marquette team tonight.

Note that Marquette has been a terrible bet in conference play the past few seasons, with an ATS record of 15-6-1 in their last 22.

Take Xavier.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Richmond Spiders. Richmond finished the season with four straight losses, but three of those four were on the road, and the lone home defeat came in a close game against VCU, who finished just one game out of first place in the conference. They will play the Duquesne Dukes in the first round of the Atlantic-10 Tournament. The Dukes finished near the bottom of the conference with a record of 5-11. They did win two of their final three games, including an upset of the conference champs St. Louis. It think it's a little dangerous to read too much into that one game however, as the Dukes caught the Billikens when they were struggling. On the whole, the Spiders have been by far the better team, yet they are not being asked to cover any significant spread here. The Dukes lost by a whopping 20 point margin on their home floor in the only meeting with Richmond during the season, and I would expect the Spiders to prevail here on neutral territory. Take Richmond. GL, Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Oregon Ducks.

The Ducks started off the season skyrocketing up the rankings, but after opening the season with 13 straight wins, they just collapsed. They went on to lose eight of their next ten, dropping off the map as far as the national polls are concerned.

Lately they've looked a lot more like the team they were at the beginning of the season, winning seven in a row, including upsets over UCLA and Arizona. This winning streak started with a home win over the Beavers, who they will face tonight in the first round of the Pac-12 tourney.

Oregon shot 51.7% from the field in that game, winning by a score of 93-83. The Ducks upset conference leaders Arizona in their final game of the season, and they should be full of confidence heading into tonight's game.

Making matters even tougher for the Beavers, they have really struggled from the free-throw line, hitting just 57.3% over their last five games. With Oregon hitting a spectacular 80.4% from the charity stripe in their two neutral site games this season, that could be a big factor here tonight.

Take the Ducks.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Fresno State Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs will face Air Force in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament Wednesday, and they beat the Falcons in both previous meetings during the season. Fresno State is one of the hottest teams in the conference, finishing strong in the second half of the season, winning eight of it's last 10 games.

The last time they played the Falcons, it was a blowout victory by a 17-point margin on the road at Colorado Springs. Air Force did manage to win it's final home game, edging out Boise State in overtime by a score of 64-61. Prior to that they suffered lopsided losses to UNM and UNLV by a combined 54 points.

The Bulldogs have been shooting well over their last five games, hitting 41% from three-point range. During the same span, Air Force has hit just 25.2% from beyond the arc.

This game has double-digit blowout written all over it, and I think the Bulldogs are a bargain as a favorite of just single digits here against a clearly inferior opponent.

Take FRES.

GL,

Jesse Schule

10*

This is a 10* play on the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

I cashed in with the Cougars last night, and I was very fortunate that I elected to pay the big price to take them straight up, instead of laying the points. They held a lead for most of the game, but allowed the San Francisco Dons to sneak back into it and force overtime.

They face the conference leaders Gonzaga tonight, and I just don't think they will be able to keep up with the Zags. The Cougars did win the last meeting between these two teams, but that was in a close game in Provo.

Prior to that Gonzaga laid a beating on BYU, winning by a score of 84-69 at home. They handled the St. Mary's Gaels with relative ease last night, winning by a score of 70-54.

Junior guard Tyler Haws had a rough night, shooting just 5-of-19 from the field, going 0-for-2 from beyond the arc. He managed to get his points at the free throw line, hitting all 14 of his attempts from the charity stripe.

BYU will need to be a lot better than they were last night, if they are going to upset Gonzaga.

Take GONZ.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 5* play on the BYU Cougars.

The San Francisco Dons have played very well, winning 13-of-17 overall in 2014. They have beaten the teams that they should beat, but have struggled against the elite teams in the West Coast Conference. Two of their four losses this year have come versus the BYU Cougars, who they play tonight in the WCC Conference Semifinal.

BYU defeated the Dons in San Francisco by a score of 83-76 back in January, and then again in Provo by a score of 68-63 a month later. The Cougars have won six of the last seven in this series, but many of those games have been close.

The Cougars have won nine of their last 10 overall, and those victories have come against some of the better teams in the conference, including an upset of conference leaders Gonzaga.

I bet on the Dons in their win over San Diego, but they very nearly allowed the Toreros to come back and steal that game after leading all night. I think they will come up just short against the Cougars tonight, and I'm prepared to pay a hefty price to take them SU.

Take BYU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Duke Blue Devils haven't lost at home since falling to the Tar Heels by a score of 88-70 back in 2012. They are 16-0 at home this season, and they are a significant favorite in their final home game versus North Carolina tonight.

Duke has struggled though in recent games, losing outright at Wake Forest, and failing to cover a home versus Virginia Tech and Maryland. The Terrapins came very close to ending Duke's unbeaten run, losing by just two points.

Of course the Tar Heels got the better of Duke just two weeks ago at Chapel Hill, and the Blue Devils would like nothing more than to avenge that loss here tonight. Recent meetings between these two teams have been close though, last year the Tar Heels lost at Cameron by a score of 73-68, and in 2011 they lost by a score of 79-73. North Carolina has covered the spread in seven of it's last eight visits to Duke.

The Tar Heels have been hot with their perimeter shooting of late, hitting 41.2% from three-point range over their last five games. That's 10% better than Duke has converted during the same span.

Take UNC.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Providence Friars.

The Creighton Blue Jays appear to be falling apart at the end of the season, coming off back to back losses to bottom feeders of the Big East. This slip up has allowed Villanova to pass them in the standings, as they fall to second in the conference.

The Blue Jays are still undefeated at home, although they narrowly defeated Seton Hall by a score of 72-71 in their last game in Omaha. They host the Providence Friars tonight, and they are being asked to cover an enormous double digit spread.

The Friars have won three straight, two of those victories coming on the road at Butler and Seton Hall. Their last loss was an 82-79 defeat in overtime to the conference leading Wildcats.

The Friars whupped the Blue Jays in Providence earlier this season by a score of 81-68. Both these teams are capable getting hot, and I like the Friars chances of keeping this one relatively close.

Take Providence.

GL,

Jesse Schule

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

The Dons have been playing pretty good ball of late, winning nine of their last eleven games. Two of those victories came against San Diego, who they will face in Las Vegas this afternoon, in the WCC Conference Tournament. Their only losses during that span came at the hands of the powerhouse teams in the WCC - Gonzaga and BYU.

The Dons won by a score of 74-67 in San Diego in the last meeting, and they've taken nine of the last 10 meetings, covering the points in eight of those contests.

San Diego is coming off a home loss to BYU, who's 13-5 conference record is identical to that of the Dons. The Torreros have struggled away from San Diego, losing all six of their games versus conference opponents with a winning record.

The Dons have been a good bet the last few seasons, with an ATS record of 38-13 in their last 51 games within the West Coast Conference.

Take San Francisco.

GL,

Jesse Schule

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

Oakland needed a miracle to get past Youngstown State on Tuesday, winning 96-92 in overtime. The Grizzlies came back from a 10 point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation, hitting a pair of free throws with less than one second on the clock.

It might take another miracle to avoid defeat to a superior opponent on the road just three days later. The Raiders have won four straight, and it all started with a win at Oakland, by a final score of 72-71. Oakland hasn't beaten the Raiders since 2001, losing four straight meetings, two of those this season.

Of Oakland's 13 wins this season, 10 of those have come at home. Wright State on the other hand has a record of 13-2 at home, and they won their only previous game played at a neutral site.

The Grizzlies last seven victories have come against teams with a losing record, and during that time they are 0-8 versus teams that are above .500 in the Horizon Conference.

The better team is just a small favorite, and you can sign me up, because I'm all over this one.

Take the Raiders.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.

The truth be told, I haven't watched a lot of games in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season, in fact I probably haven't seen one from start to finish. That being said, we all likely remember the FGCU Eagle's run in last year's tourney.

They appear to be heating up at the right time again this year, and they host the Eastern Tennessee State Buccaneers in the Conference Semifinal Thursday. The Eagles won in a rout the last time the Bucs traveled to Florida, winning by a final score of 90-62 back in January.

In fact, the Eagles won their home games versus ETSU in each of the last three seasons, by an average margin of greater than 10 points. In fact not many teams have had success playing in Fort Myers, as the Eagles boast a stellar home record of 13-1.

Each of FGCU's last five home games have been double-digit victories, and I expect them to make it six in a row here tonight.

Take FGCU.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Xavier Musketeers.

The Seton Hall Pirates will host Xavier on their Senior's Day, but they could be without their leading scorer Fuquan Edwin, who wasn't able to go in a home loss to Providence on Friday. He's listed as questionable, but I can imagine that just a couple days after he couldn't even attempt to play, chances are he's not going to be very effective even if he plays.

The Musketeers are coming off an upset win over Creighton, and prior to that they beat St. John's in New York. They might have revenge on their minds, as the Pirates ended their 13-game home win streak with a 68-60 upset at Cincinnati on February 1st. Edwin led all scorers in that game, so if he can't play, it certainly hurts their chances of pulling off another win over a more talented Musketeers team.

The Pirates have not been a good bet at home in recent seasons, with an ATS record of 8-19-1 in their last 28 home games. The Musketeers are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 overall.

With the status of their star player in question, I think the Pirates should be a significant dog in this spot. I see great value backing Xavier to win outright.

Take the Musketeers.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Siena Saints.

The surging Saints have won three straight, and two of those three victories came against the teams ranked in the top 3 in the conference. They will host Monmouth this afternoon, and the Hawks have lost nine of their last 10, with the only win during that span coming against the last place team in the MAAC.

Monmouth played it's last road game at Iona, and it was an 89-70 blowout loss. They have lost seven straight on the road, by an average margin of nine points. Siena has a solid 9-4 record at home, and they should be able to handle a bottom feeder like Monmouth quite easily.

The Saints have only one loss versus a team with a losing record, and that came against these very Hawks. This sets up as a revenge spot, for the home team that is playing it's best ball of the season.

If this game is close, and I don't expect it will be, then the team that hits it's free throws will have a decisive advantage. Siena is shooting 71.3 % from the charity stripe this season, and 76.7% over their last five games. That's more than 15% better than Monmouth during the same span.

Take Siena.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the St. Joseph's Hawks.

The Hawks have won five straight heading into Saturday's game at St. Bonaventure, and they've won three straight on the road. The Bonnies have lost back to back games to two of the worst teams in the A-10 Conference, and they look to be catching St. Joe's at a bad time.

The last time the Bonnies played at home, they blew a 10-point first half lead, losing 87-78 to Rhode Island. They were dominated on the glass, with the Rams out-rebounding them 40-26.

It won't get any easier against the Hawks, who are shooting better than 50% from the field over their last five games, and 41.8% from three point range.

The Hawks put on a shooting clinic in their last game, a 79-53 blowout win over a decent Dayton team. They hit 58.3% from the field, and 9-of-15 (60%) from beyond the arc. Given the shoddy defense we've seen from the Bonnies lately, they are likely to struggle against a superior opponent here.

Take the Hawks.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is a 10* play on the Siena Saints.

The Saints are coming off back to back wins, one of those coming on the road at Rider by a score of 69-60 on Sunday. Prior that they had lost four of five, but two of those defeats came in overtime, to Canisius and Quinnipiac, and all four were close.

They will be on the road tonight, taking on the Bobcats in a revenge match. Quinnipiac was fortunate to force overtime in the previous meeting, rallying from a nine point deficit late in the fourth quarter.

They have since gone undefeated, now winners of seven in a row. This has caused them to be quite overvalued though, as they are a hefty favorite tonight versus a team that they should struggle to beat.

It should be noted that while they have won seven straight, only one of the Bobcat's opponents during that span has a winning record. The Saints are likely to hang around and keep this game close, if they don't in it outright.

Take Siena.

GL,

Jesse Schule

This is an 8* play on the Towson Tigers.

The Tigers are just one game back of Delaware in the Colonial Conference standings, and both teams play tonight. A Tigers win combined with a Hen's loss would see Towson take over as the conference leaders.

They are in the road playing James Madison, who have won three in a row at home. The Dukes won those games against some of the weaker teams in the conference though, and none of those wins came by a convincing margin, the last two by just a combined three points.

The Tigers are a good road team, covering the spread in six of their last eight away games. James Madison has not fared well at home, covering just twice in it's last 10.

In the Tigers last game (a road win over Hofstra), they hit 50% from beyond the arc, and a spectacular 80% from the charity stripe. In a game they need to win, I'm comfortable backing the more talented Tigers here tonight.

Take Towson.

GL,

Jesse Schule